PatandStu

We saw it most nights in the MDR. Disappointing when it was permitted on chic night. Men & women in shorts, tee shirts & flip flops. But, some very snazzily dressed folk too!

Pools were semi crowded on sea days but we could always find room to bob around. Same for the hot tubs. The chairs around the pool were always occupied but we found lots of loungers one floor up, either in the sun or in the shade, either close to the music or away from it. The solarium was a great place for a quiet, relaxing afternoon. Green area was nice but only had a few clamshell type loungers. Lots of availability later in the day. absolutely loved the sunset bar and the outside area of the buffet. The walking track was usually busy. We found semi-comfortable loungers outside on deck 5. Watch for flying fish-they’re something to see!

We followed the excellent reviews for Murano & booked. Was a disappointing evening & not worth the money, in our opinion. Rushed, indifferent service, a course entirely missed and unspectacular food. Nothing special for our anniversary

This was our first X cruise after many on other cruise lines. Cabin: had a regular balcony & it was fine for the 2 of us. Had continental breakfast on the balcony on sea days. Bathroom was large. Lots of storage spots in cabin. Entire ship a bit worn; more noticeable in some spots than others but it did not affect our enjoyment. Entertainment: was varied and ok for the most part. Really enjoyed the “beyond the podium” lectures and live music. Food: Oceanview cafe was great for breakfast & lunch because we enjoy sitting outside (aft of the ship). We could usually find something we liked. Some food was better than other, but overall not bad. We ate at Silhouette most nights and all but one meal was quite enjoyable. The service was stellar! We sat at the same table every night with anytime dining by making the reservation for the next night as we were leaving. Shout out to Elbert, Neil & Arlen for their excellent service that made our dinners special. Wifi: I had basic which was fine for me if not a tad slow. DH had premium which he wanted but I was ok with slow. Drink package: we had the basic and for the most part, it was sufficient. Several times we paid the up charge but that was certainly cheaper than upgrading to premium. Speaking of drinks,Elvis & Hitesh at the sunset bar are 2 of the best bartenders we’ve ever encountered. We sat there in rain & wind just to hang out with these guys. Too bad the smoking area is right there! Cigars-yuck! Only 2 disappointments. Firstly, why have a dress code in Silhouette if you’re not going to enforce it. Every evening we saw men & women in shorts & flip flops, even on “chic” night. It’s not that huge a deal, but to us it detracts from the more upscale dining experience that X advertises. Secondly, the biggest disappointment was Murano. The service was not great-we felt as though we were bothering them. The food was ok but not stellar. We had a late seating & felt very rushed. To the point that the cheese course was never presented. We made them aware we were celebrating our anniversary & it was not acknowledged at all. The waiters all made a big production of a birthday at an adjacent table so we know they do celebrations. Overall, we will certainly sail with X again, likely on an S class ship. We liked the size and don’t miss the theme park extras.

I won’t let others’ negativity dissuade me! Our RC cruise was a charter so no status unfortunately. CC numbers already assigned. We’re looking at a Mediterranean cruise for 2024-waiting to see how we like X before researching further.

To add, every business I’ve dealt with in the last six months including, but not limited to, groceries, gas, dental, clothing, restaurants, etc has gone up in price. In some cases, quite drastically. I have no doubt cruise lines are dealing with the same high costs. Even the hotels that offer shuttle to the airport no longer state “free”. I’m happy with the price we paid for the cruise; hopefully we will find value in the vacation dollars spent.

This will be our first celebrity cruise (equinox) after Disney, rcl, NCL & carnival. We’re looking forward to trying something “new”. So we won’t miss the canapés, the butler, the champagne on embarkation etc because we’ve never had them. We are foodies, though, so hoping for a step up from our last cruise on NCL where food, especially at the specialty restaurants, was a letdown. We plan on dining in mdr except for our anniversary celebration booked at Murano. The thing we liked most about our last NCL cruise was the entertainment: Six, Dueling pianos & Syd Normans. Hoping for decent entertainment/music on equinox. We’re very happy with the AI price finagled by our ta. We will be sure to do a side by side NCL/celebrity comparison after the cruise.

Going to drive to Montreal & grab a direct flight to FLL. All about best timing for mom.

We’re booked at this hotel for our September cruise. I understand there are different price points based on which view you want. I’m pretty sure we’re in one of the cheaper rooms in the annex with not much of a view. When will you be staying?

I had assumed the bed would be by the bath which is ok. The next issue is where the head of the bed is….DH needs to sleep facing the window which may mean we have to sleep on sides of the bed opposite to what we’ve been doing for the last 40+ years!

Where was the bed? Beside bathroom or balcony? We will be in 9130 and I believe the bed position alternates.

DH and I have done it in 65 minutes. Last time we went with parents through TO to FLL, mom was in a wheelchair & we were escorted right through in about 20 minutes.

Customs is in Ottawa. 90 minutes is enough in TO. The good news about having a travel partner in a wheelchair is the entire group gets escorted right through to the front of every line. We are very fortunate that we can still travel with an 88 year old mom & a 92 year old dad.

I think we’ve found a AC flight leaving mid morning with a 90 minute layover in TO. Because mom is in a wheelchair when we travel, we get priority in lines. We will fly in the day before, then fly home on disembarkation day. Of course it is a more expensive option but the whole point of accompanying mom is to have minimal stress for her & dad. If it was just me flying, I’d gladly fly at 6am to save a few hundred $! thanks for your input everyone. Pat

I did look at booking through the cruise line, but with mom’s age and very limited mobility, I just can’t risk us not being on the same flight or having flights at times she won’t/can’t do. I’ve heard it’s cheapest to book on tuesdays but not sure if that’s true or not. I looked at direct flights from Montreal but the only one worth considering arrives in FLL at 10:30pm, way past mama’s bedtime! I guess the price of making the matriarch happy will cost us a bit more.

Checking flight prices for Nov cruise out of Miami. Nothing direct, so Montreal or Toronto. Prices are ridiculously high. Any suggestions on when to book for best price? Think Fort Lauderdale flights are cheaper but still $700 pp plus seat selection & baggage. We have 2 elderly parents with us, one in a wheelchair so we cannot fly early am or have long layovers which reduces our options dramatically.

Saying out of Miami in November but flights from Canada much cheaper to Fort Lauderdale. We’re looking for hotel suggestions for 5 people, including elderly parents with limited mobility. Mom wants “free” breakfast. As well, if hotel has shuttle to Miami port, awesome. If not, what shuttle service do folks recommend?

I use a ta. To get the awesome deal for my September equinox cruise, I just gave her some parameters (preferred islands and ideal month for travel) and let her watch for sales. and she gave be obc additional to what was offered by X. In Ontario, travel agents are protected with TICO, which is why I always book with a ta. And yes, my pricing was about 40% lower than what a phone agent from X was offering. I have no idea if she found a group rate, all I know is I believe I got an amazing price.

We are cruising on Equinox for the first time in September after several NCL trips. The last NCL cruise convinced us to try something new. Our ta suggested celebrity and got us a phenomenal deal on a veranda cabin-not aqua or concierge. The good news is we have no experience with X so disappointment may be minimized. (Other than the casino vaping “experiment”. Yes, I did email & got a stock response. We like the casino but not enough to spend more than an hour playing the “cheap” games so that shouldn’t bother us too much.) For example, NCL never offered a welcome aboard sparkling beverage so I won’t be upset to not get one on Celebrity. We’re just hoping the food is a bit better. We are not buffet people, and have only booked one specialty restaurant. I promise to leave an honest first timer review once home. Pat

I received the same standard reply. “Test is currently in place on equinox & eclipse through august 20 and at this time there has been minimal to no impact to our guests experience onboard. Vaping will only be allowed in certain areas for casino guests during operating hours only.” Well, gee, that’s when I want to use the casino! But I won’t while vaping is permitted. And, I tend to give a lot of money to the casino when I’m in there!

Added my email to executive. Wonder how much good it will do.

I’ve also sent a email voicing my displeasure……for what it’s worth. Pat

I’ve also sent an email voicing my displeasure….for what it’s worth. I’m scent-sensitive and I can’t imagine walking through a casino where vaping is allowed, much less stopping for a while to give X more of my hard-earned dollars.

Our flight is September 15. Fingers crossed everything settles before, or after, then!

Any of our recent flights through YYZ or YUL our bags were checked right through to Ottawa. One agent assured me this was an Air Canada only thing. I am not particular to AC; rather, I’m particular to cost & length of layover (we can’t seem to get a direct flight from Ottawa to anywhere). We also have Nexus & TSA pre-approval. Our duty free was opened, examined & re-sealed & we carried it on from there to Ottawa.