Random musings Equinox June 18 sailing

Approaching the end & thought I'd put down a few random thoughts:

-Ship is stunning as expected

-Crew top-to-bottom are all friendly, personable & wonderful. Celebrity HR is doing something right when it comes to choosing employees ....something many other companies in the hospitality business seem to have difficulty with.

-Haven't had a memorable meal yet...or even a memorable entree or dessert... even with 2 specialty restaurants under our belt. First time I can say that about a cruise.

-With the exception of breakfast, the Ocean View Cafe is just...well...not good.

-DW & I honeymooned on the Galaxy for our first cruise ever. In the buffet every morning was a man we dubbed "The Good Morning Guy"....he sang good morning all throughout the buffet and we've talked about him ever since. 19 years later he's on the Equinox and still singing good morning. Very cool.

-With the amount we all pay for these beverage packages...whether or not it's included in our fare or we pay later...am I the only one that's offended when I'm served a tepid can of Coke or water? The biggest offender seems to be the OV bar, but it's happened elsewhere as well. I've changed my ordering to "cold Coke" or "cold water", but why is this even necessary? Pouring a 75 degree can of Coke into a glass of ice cubes makes for instant watered down Coke. I won't do that at home and don't expect it at these prices.

-We've had difficulty finding our "zone" on this ship...quiet place to curl up with a book or a laptop...electrical outlets to plug in a laptop in public areas are non existent. We definitely miss the Hideaway from the Silhouette.

-The internet is ok except when it isn't... which is half the time and seems to be whenever I try & get some work done.

-Between the weather the first couple days, the missed port & motion sickness for DW & DS I was ready to move on from cruising...the last 3 days have been wonderful though.

-First time in Grand Cayman as it's been cancelled 2 other times for me. Seemed like a nice port and if I get the opportunity again, I'd like to explore it more.

-Probably get flamed for this, but it's how I feel: I was torn between Divina & Equinox....now having done both I should've chosen Divina.

If anyone has any questions I'll be happy to answer (if I can)

Sorry your Equinox experience did not live up to your expectation. Thanks for your feedback.

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As someone who was on the Divinia last summer (in YC) and is doing the Equinox this summer what are the main differences you are noticing. I am actually expecting a step up as far as activities and the pools. Especially since we were very disappointed with the amount of shade available for guests anywhere in the YC, and in general on the ship. Our family is very accustomed to the Royal/Celebrity cruise so that may have had some impact on our opinion of MSC.

Where did you notice the biggest differences?

As someone who was on the Divinia last summer (in YC) and is doing the Equinox this summer what are the main differences you are noticing. I am actually expecting a step up as far as activities and the pools. Especially since we were very disappointed with the amount of shade available for guests anywhere in the YC, and in general on the ship. Our family is very accustomed to the Royal/Celebrity cruise so that may have had some impact on our opinion of MSC.

 

Where did you notice the biggest differences?

We were not YC on Divina, but the pool area on Divina is definitely more crowded and more sunny than Equinox, but the pool area has no importance to me.

Everyone cruises for different reasons and wants different things...exactly why there are so many lines. I found Divina & Equinox to be more similar than different with Equinox having much nicer & less crowded pool area & Divina food being much better....especially in the buffet. I also preferred the Divina's other public areas over Equinox.

The crew on Equinox outshines Divina's crew by a large margin.

Thanks for the report.

Approaching the end & thought I'd put down a few random thoughts:

 

-Haven't had a memorable meal yet...or even a memorable entree or dessert... even with 2 specialty restaurants under our belt. First time I can say that about a cruise.

-With the exception of breakfast, the Ocean View Cafe is just...well...not good.

-DW & I honeymooned on the Galaxy for our first cruise ever. In the buffet every morning was a man we dubbed "The Good Morning Guy"....he sang good morning all throughout the buffet and we've talked about him ever since. 19 years later he's on the Equinox and still singing good morning. Very cool.

-With the amount we all pay for these beverage packages...whether or not it's included in our fare or we pay later...am I the only one that's offended when I'm served a tepid can of Coke or water? The biggest offender seems to be the OV bar, but it's happened elsewhere as well. I've changed my ordering to "cold Coke" or "cold water", but why is this even necessary? Pouring a 75 degree can of Coke into a glass of ice cubes makes for instant watered down Coke. I won't do that at home and don't expect it at these prices.

-The internet is ok except when it isn't... which is half the time and seems to be whenever I try & get some work done.

-Between the weather the first couple days, the missed port & motion sickness for DW & DS I was ready to move on from cruising...the last 3 days have been wonderful though.

 

If anyone has any questions I'll be happy to answer (if I can)

You're entitled to your opinions but I find some of the overall review to be overly negative.

DW and I have been on Equinox 3 times and enjoyed every cruise. We didn't encounter any of the problems you did and if we did we wouldn't let it bother us.

1. Taste in food is subjective. We found the selection to be good. I wouldn't let a warm can of Coke bother me. If you have a Scotch on the rocks does it bother you that the Scotch gets diluted?

2. The Good Morning Guy is Morales. He is happy that people drink his coffee. Hope you tipped him for making your day more pleasant.

3. You sailed in and around a tropical storm. Unusual for June. Most cruisers bring medicine such as Bonine or wrist bands or know to eat green apples and crackers to ward off sea sickness. You'll know better next time. The ship will give you motion sick pills for free if you ask.

4. Thinking that Internet connections would be really good is just not realistic. Most people use it to send email, print boarding passes etc. Work? I'm on vacation, I don't expect to be doing much of it. You'll know better for the next cruise.

5. Many of the bars are good places to be in an indoor zone during the day. Even the Oceanview Cafe or the Sky Bar would work for me. The Library \ Game Room works too.

Overall not too much to ruin my cruise. Just wanted to balance your viewpoint.

But like I said, you're entitled to your opinion.

I don't let the negative reviews bother me. We never go hungry on a cruise. Don't like something? Order or select something else!

You're entitled to your opinions but I find some of the overall review to be overly negative.

 

DW and I have been on Equinox 3 times and enjoyed every cruise. We didn't encounter any of the problems you did and if we did we wouldn't let it bother us.

 

1. Taste in food is subjective. We found the selection to be good. I wouldn't let a warm can of Coke bother me. If you have a Scotch on the rocks does it bother you that the Scotch gets diluted?

 

2. The Good Morning Guy is Morales. He is happy that people drink his coffee. Hope you tipped him for making your day more pleasant.

 

3. You sailed in and around a tropical storm. Unusual for June. Most cruisers bring medicine such as Bonine or wrist bands or know to eat green apples and crackers to ward off sea sickness. You'll know better next time. The ship will give you motion sick pills for free if you ask.

 

4. Thinking that Internet connections would be really good is just not realistic. Most people use it to send email, print boarding passes etc. Work? I'm on vacation, I don't expect to be doing much of it. You'll know better for the next cruise.

 

5. Many of the bars are good places to be in an indoor zone during the day. Even the Oceanview Cafe or the Sky Bar would work for me. The Library \ Game Room works too.

 

Overall not too much to ruin my cruise. Just wanted to balance your viewpoint.

 

But like I said, you're entitled to your opinion.

You're entitled to your opinions but I find some of the overall review to be overly negative.

 

DW and I have been on Equinox 3 times and enjoyed every cruise. We didn't encounter any of the problems you did and if we did we wouldn't let it bother us.

 

1. Taste in food is subjective. We found the selection to be good. I wouldn't let a warm can of Coke bother me. If you have a Scotch on the rocks does it bother you that the Scotch gets diluted?

 

2. The Good Morning Guy is Morales. He is happy that people drink his coffee. Hope you tipped him for making your day more pleasant.

 

3. You sailed in and around a tropical storm. Unusual for June. Most cruisers bring medicine such as Bonine or wrist bands or know to eat green apples and crackers to ward off sea sickness. You'll know better next time. The ship will give you motion sick pills for free if you ask.

 

4. Thinking that Internet connections would be really good is just not realistic. Most people use it to send email, print boarding passes etc. Work? I'm on vacation, I don't expect to be doing much of it. You'll know better for the next cruise.

 

5. Many of the bars are good places to be in an indoor zone during the day. Even the Oceanview Cafe or the Sky Bar would work for me. The Library \ Game Room works too.

 

Overall not too much to ruin my cruise. Just wanted to balance your viewpoint.

 

But like I said, you're entitled to your opinion.

I'm sorry, but perhaps you can point out to me where I indicated my cruise was "ruined" by any or all of these random thoughts? It was, in fact, a good cruise but not a great cruise.

Unless you have information not provided by Celebrity, I believe the automatic gratuities cover all staff that I interact with daily? If not, perhaps you can explain to whom we are expected to tip above & beyond the gratuities that are billed to my account daily so I can be sure to tip every employee you feel requires additional compensation?

We had more reliable internet service on Silhouette before Celebrity advertised" Xcellerate". I've cruised before and understand the reliability issues....I don't recall writing that I expected service to be "really good". What I experienced was significantly worse than past cruise experiences. Please let me know when you become a small business owner and can escape for a week without needing to take care of a few clients.

I don't drink alcohol, so I cannot comment on your whiskey analogy. I do drink Coke & water, however, and consider receiving tepid drinks at the prices charged to be offensive.

Apparently one is entitled to their opinion as long as it coincides with your own.

I'm sorry, but perhaps you can point out to me where I indicated my cruise was "ruined" by any or all of these random thoughts? It was, in fact, a good cruise but not a great cruise.

 

Unless you have information not provided by Celebrity, I believe the automatic gratuities cover all staff that I interact with daily? If not, perhaps you can explain to whom we are expected to tip above & beyond the gratuities that are billed to my account daily so I can be sure to tip every employee you feel requires additional compensation?

 

We had more reliable internet service on Silhouette before Celebrity advertised" Xcellerate". I've cruised before and understand the reliability issues....I don't recall writing that I expected service to be "really good". What I experienced was significantly worse than past cruise experiences. Please let me know when you become a small business owner and can escape for a week without needing to take care of a few clients.

 

I don't drink alcohol, so I cannot comment on your whiskey analogy. I do drink Coke & water, however, and consider receiving tepid drinks at the prices charged to be offensive.

 

Apparently one is entitled to their opinion as long as it coincides with your own.

No need to get defensive. Just wanted to offer a different point of view for those seeking to make a judgement of their own.

I was on the same cruise June 18-25 and I thought everything was wonderful :)

Our family was on the same cruise and the first time I got a room temp can of coke, I asked for a cold one and that's all it took. No big deal. Food is subjective. Some of the food was good, some was pretty great. LOVED the omelette bar and the wide variety of food in the Oceanview Cafe for both breakfast and lunch. We normally sail on Royal Caribbean and so I can only compare it with Royal, but I have to agree with you on the crew. They FAR exceed any crew we've encountered and prior to this, I was impressed with the crew on Royal. The specialty coffee drinks at Cafe A Bacio were wonderful (and you always get a cold canned drink too). LOVED the pool area, which is important to us and Celebrity wins on loungers over Royal. The speed of the internet on Royal wins, hands down. The height of the table on the regular balcony cabins on Celebrity is better than the small low table on Royal's regular balcony cabins. Made having lunch on the balcony MUCH better on Celebrity.

I was on the first week of June and agree with many of your opinions. The OV bar drinks always seemed warm in the early afternoon. Even the beer was often warmer than one would like when it's hot outside. The beer everywhere else seemed fine. The water was always warm at the OV bar. I kinda agree about the Buffet too. It was not bad, I just found the lack of variety disappointing. You certainly are not going to go hungry and I always found something to eat but it was a weak selection compared to my other X cruises. The MDR food was good but I've seen it all before so it's starting to bore me a little bit. Even the Mast Grill food was very good this cruise. The staff was fantastic, I thought the nightlife was better than usual for an X cruise. My only gripe here was one of the bands wasn't very good (the one with the female singer). Overall I enjoyed the cruise but if anything was below par (or below what I expected) it was the food in the buffet.

I'm sorry, but perhaps you can point out to me where I indicated my cruise was "ruined" by any or all of these random thoughts? It was, in fact, a good cruise but not a great cruise.

 

 

 

Unless you have information not provided by Celebrity, I believe the automatic gratuities cover all staff that I interact with daily? If not, perhaps you can explain to whom we are expected to tip above & beyond the gratuities that are billed to my account daily so I can be sure to tip every employee you feel requires additional compensation?

 

 

 

We had more reliable internet service on Silhouette before Celebrity advertised" Xcellerate". I've cruised before and understand the reliability issues....I don't recall writing that I expected service to be "really good". What I experienced was significantly worse than past cruise experiences. Please let me know when you become a small business owner and can escape for a week without needing to take care of a few clients.

 

 

 

I don't drink alcohol, so I cannot comment on your whiskey analogy. I do drink Coke & water, however, and consider receiving tepid drinks at the prices charged to be offensive.

 

 

 

Apparently one is entitled to their opinion as long as it coincides with your own.

I agree with you, and his reply sounded more like a lecture, to me.

Your experience is your experience, and I believe you.

One of the things I love most about CC [emoji19]is how others will chime in with their "expert" opinion, when they weren't even on THAT particular sailing. Just because they once had a great cruise onboard Equinox does not mean that it will always be a great cruise for all.

Some on this board seem to delight in discrediting experiences that various people have had.

We will be onboard in a couple months for the third time, so I appreciate your viewpoints.

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I agree with you, and his reply sounded more like a lecture, to me.

Your experience is your experience, and I believe you.

One of the things I love most about CC [emoji19]is how others will chime in with their "expert" opinion, when they weren't even on THAT particular sailing. Just because they once had a great cruise onboard Equinox does not mean that it will always be a great cruise for all.

Some on this board seem to delight in discrediting experiences that various people have had.

We will be onboard in a couple months for the third time, so I appreciate your viewpoints.

 

 

 

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One of the great things about CC is that people can express their own opinion and viewpoint. I pointed out that the OP has a right to his opinion but I have a different opinion. In no way did I personally insult the OP or engage in name calling. In my mind this is no way goes to the level of a "lecture". If you post something and expect that everyone is going to accept what you say as gospel you are just kidding yourself.

From my own experience from cruising on Equinox 3 times it is a wonderful cruise with very few minor inconveniences. Can you tell me how that is considered a "lecture"? Please tell me people on this board are not that thin skinned. Let people who seek information read different viewpoints and decide for themselves.

Enjoy your cruising days.

We are back on the Equinox for the 3rd time in 4 years in Nov with 10-12 we have sailed her with before.

I'll book mark this one and be back in 129 days :D

And fill ya in.

EW

We were also on this cruise. This is the OP's musings; others may have had different experiences. I will agree that the food in Ocean View seems to have gone down a notch. (We are Elite Plus...we've eaten a few meals there...). On the first sea day there was meatloaf on the carving station. I have seen meatloaf in a serving dish on the buffet, never as the featured carving item. But let me say I'm pretty certain this is a fleet wide experience.

We have also sailed Divina. Both are beautiful ships. Depending on what is most important to you in regards to your vacation you will pick accordingly.

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To the OP,

My dh is the same about a warm can of soda over ice. He thinks it makes it go flat.

Thanks for taking the time to do your review.:)

I'll be back on Equinox third time this year in Sept. I respect the OP's observations on their cruise. My opinion is the buffet is really going downhill. Feb was the first time I saw meatloaf on the carving station. By itself I wouldn't have really noticed as I know some do appreciate a good meatloaf. However the hot entree selections were very limited and my beloved cheese station is now just a plate of sliced generic cheeses. The quality of meats available at the sandwich station has also degraded.

I'm also soda drinker and at almost $4 a can I do expect it to be refrigerated. Actually for some reason I REALLY like the temp they normally serve it. For some reason it seems to taste better than what I get at home.

Obviously these are just observations from an experienced Celebrity cruiser and I do still like the product as I'm going 3 times on the ship within a year.

We were on the same cruise, June 18-25, our 52nd. With the exception of missing Key West, everything was great! The food in the main dining room was the best we have had on Celebrity by far. Service could not have been better.

We were on the Reflection in May and the food in the OVC was excellent. I never saw meatloaf on a cutting board, like one poster alluded to. Murano was top notch each time we ate there.

Our second cruise on the Equinox was not as good as the first, but I don't remember the food quality being poor, but we are not very picky eaters.

I would suggest sailing in Europe rather than the Caribbean. IMHO, it is wonderful and so educational, along with being romantic. Maybe you have done this before?

Anyway, thanks for your review/opinion of the Equinox and sharing both sides of the coin. I have never been on the Divina, so I can't compare.

I find that sailing with a group of friends makes me less concerned about things onboard than when just my husband and myself sail.

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Approaching the end & thought I'd put down a few random thoughts:

 

-Ship is stunning as expected

-Crew top-to-bottom are all friendly, personable & wonderful. Celebrity HR is doing something right when it comes to choosing employees ....something many other companies in the hospitality business seem to have difficulty with.

-Haven't had a memorable meal yet...or even a memorable entree or dessert... even with 2 specialty restaurants under our belt. First time I can say that about a cruise.

-With the exception of breakfast, the Ocean View Cafe is just...well...not good.

-DW & I honeymooned on the Galaxy for our first cruise ever. In the buffet every morning was a man we dubbed "The Good Morning Guy"....he sang good morning all throughout the buffet and we've talked about him ever since. 19 years later he's on the Equinox and still singing good morning. Very cool.

-With the amount we all pay for these beverage packages...whether or not it's included in our fare or we pay later...am I the only one that's offended when I'm served a tepid can of Coke or water? The biggest offender seems to be the OV bar, but it's happened elsewhere as well. I've changed my ordering to "cold Coke" or "cold water", but why is this even necessary? Pouring a 75 degree can of Coke into a glass of ice cubes makes for instant watered down Coke. I won't do that at home and don't expect it at these prices.

-We've had difficulty finding our "zone" on this ship...quiet place to curl up with a book or a laptop...electrical outlets to plug in a laptop in public areas are non existent. We definitely miss the Hideaway from the Silhouette.

-The internet is ok except when it isn't... which is half the time and seems to be whenever I try & get some work done.

-Between the weather the first couple days, the missed port & motion sickness for DW & DS I was ready to move on from cruising...the last 3 days have been wonderful though.

-First time in Grand Cayman as it's been cancelled 2 other times for me. Seemed like a nice port and if I get the opportunity again, I'd like to explore it more.

-Probably get flamed for this, but it's how I feel: I was torn between Divina & Equinox....now having done both I should've chosen Divina.

 

If anyone has any questions I'll be happy to answer (if I can)

thank you for your thoughts!!

sometimes a cruise is just "off" for whatever reason. Thank you for sharing your experiences.

One of the great things about CC is that people can express their own opinion and viewpoint. I pointed out that the OP has a right to his opinion but I have a different opinion. In no way did I personally insult the OP or engage in name calling. In my mind this is no way goes to the level of a "lecture". If you post something and expect that everyone is going to accept what you say as gospel you are just kidding yourself.

From my own experience from cruising on Equinox 3 times it is a wonderful cruise with very few minor inconveniences. Can you tell me how that is considered a "lecture"? Please tell me people on this board are not that thin skinned. Let people who seek information read different viewpoints and decide for themselves.

Enjoy your cruising days.

I think this will be an exercise in wasted key strokes, but here goes:

In my opinion you had an agenda to discredit my comments, and structured your comments accordingly.

You took the time & effort to quote me, but removed my first two comments, both very positive, because (I assume) they did not fit your agenda.

You decided my cruise was "ruined" when at no time did I ever infer this in my comments. Again, to fit your agenda I assume.

You assumed, incorrectly, that I was a novice cruiser, when in fact I have cruised many times. In fact, I did have four (4) 8-packs of Bonine packed and they were utilized. If you've ever experienced sea sickness, you will know this is not a cure-all miracle pill.

You assumed I did not understand the speed & reliability of satellite internet service. In this case, there were complete outages lasting 1-3 hours which I find unacceptable (and have not happened on previous sailings) at the prices paid for internet service.

You had the audacity to instruct me on the concept of tipping, while having no idea of anything about me or whom I might (or might not) have tipped. For the record, I spent 30 years in various service industries, starting at age 12 delivering the Bergen Evening Record and I fully comprehend the concept. Even if I did not, you have no place instructing anyone in tipping unless it is solicited.

Good day Sir.

Approaching the end & thought I'd put down a few random thoughts:

 

-Ship is stunning as expected

-Crew top-to-bottom are all friendly, personable & wonderful. Celebrity HR is doing something right when it comes to choosing employees ....something many other companies in the hospitality business seem to have difficulty with.

-Haven't had a memorable meal yet...or even a memorable entree or dessert... even with 2 specialty restaurants under our belt. First time I can say that about a cruise.

-With the exception of breakfast, the Ocean View Cafe is just...well...not good.

-DW & I honeymooned on the Galaxy for our first cruise ever. In the buffet every morning was a man we dubbed "The Good Morning Guy"....he sang good morning all throughout the buffet and we've talked about him ever since. 19 years later he's on the Equinox and still singing good morning. Very cool.

-With the amount we all pay for these beverage packages...whether or not it's included in our fare or we pay later...am I the only one that's offended when I'm served a tepid can of Coke or water? The biggest offender seems to be the OV bar, but it's happened elsewhere as well. I've changed my ordering to "cold Coke" or "cold water", but why is this even necessary? Pouring a 75 degree can of Coke into a glass of ice cubes makes for instant watered down Coke. I won't do that at home and don't expect it at these prices.

-We've had difficulty finding our "zone" on this ship...quiet place to curl up with a book or a laptop...electrical outlets to plug in a laptop in public areas are non existent. We definitely miss the Hideaway from the Silhouette.

-The internet is ok except when it isn't... which is half the time and seems to be whenever I try & get some work done.

-Between the weather the first couple days, the missed port & motion sickness for DW & DS I was ready to move on from cruising...the last 3 days have been wonderful though.

-First time in Grand Cayman as it's been cancelled 2 other times for me. Seemed like a nice port and if I get the opportunity again, I'd like to explore it more.

-Probably get flamed for this, but it's how I feel: I was torn between Divina & Equinox....now having done both I should've chosen Divina.

 

If anyone has any questions I'll be happy to answer (if I can)

Divina is much better then Equinox.

OP, I believe your opinions of the food. I felt the same way about Celebrity's food decline on my last cruise. Nothing memorable for me either. In the OV it was select the lesser of the evils. Much of the food I experienced in the MDR had been sitting under a heat lamp for quite some time.

I believe it really depends on who's in the kitchen for your particular cruise and how much they care about the quality of the food they put out. As you know contracts are constantly rotating so one person who has had a great experience could not have the same with a different crew member in the same position such as you did.

Food preparation, quality, presentation and taste are important aspects of sailing for me. It's the difference between an OK cruise and a great one. My last cruise, compared to other Celebrity cruises I've sailed, was just OK also.

I think this will be an exercise in wasted key strokes, but here goes:

 

 

 

In my opinion you had an agenda to discredit my comments, and structured your comments accordingly.

 

 

 

You took the time & effort to quote me, but removed my first two comments, both very positive, because (I assume) they did not fit your agenda.

 

 

 

You decided my cruise was "ruined" when at no time did I ever infer this in my comments. Again, to fit your agenda I assume.

 

 

 

You assumed, incorrectly, that I was a novice cruiser, when in fact I have cruised many times. In fact, I did have four (4) 8-packs of Bonine packed and they were utilized. If you've ever experienced sea sickness, you will know this is not a cure-all miracle pill.

 

 

 

You assumed I did not understand the speed & reliability of satellite internet service. In this case, there were complete outages lasting 1-3 hours which I find unacceptable (and have not happened on previous sailings) at the prices paid for internet service.

 

 

 

You had the audacity to instruct me on the concept of tipping, while having no idea of anything about me or whom I might (or might not) have tipped. For the record, I spent 30 years in various service industries, starting at age 12 delivering the Bergen Evening Record and I fully comprehend the concept. Even if I did not, you have no place instructing anyone in tipping unless it is solicited.

 

 

 

Good day Sir.

"Like" button. [emoji3]

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