jsmariner

I loved the chilled pea soup - figured there would only be a few little bits of lump crab meat, but there was a lot of lump crab hiding in the bottom of the bowl. Favorite dessert was the white chocolate macadamia.

They've got multiple colors and patterns, but it does take a bit of searching to find the matches sometimes.

Here's the link to the thread with the pictures attached. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2948958-2nd-attempt-trip-review-equinox-june-24-july-2/

I have another thread with the title *2nd Attempt* Trip Review - Equinox (June 24 - July 2). The pictures are all there. We purchased our outfits through Amazon. The matching shirts come in both men's and women's styles if you care to go that route. I just happened to prefer the matching wraparound skirts. I think most people call them a pareo or sarong, but in my mother's culture they are called tapis.

Yes, as Altamar said, it was a shore excursion through the cruise line and I also remember getting around 2 hours at the beach. Because it was a cruise tour, the resort had a section on the beach cordoned off for us with canopies and loungers. I would estimate it was about 70% in the shade.

SHIP NAME Equinox CABIN # 9252 DECK # (3-14) 9 CATEGORY: 7-12, 1A-1C, 2A-2D, A1-A2, C1-C3, CS, FV, PS, RF, RS, S1-S2, SG, SV I1 (Prime Inside) LOCATION ON SHIP: Port (left), Starboard (right), Bow (front), Stern (back) or Inside and Forward, Midship (between the forward and aft elevators), or Aft (For example: Port-Midship, Bow-Forward or Inside-Aft) Inside, Starboard Passageway, Midship BED NEAR (Bath, Balcony, Window, N/A) N/A QUIET? (Yes/No/Usually) Yes BALCONY VIEW (Good, Great, Obstructed?) N/A BALCONY SIZE (Standard, Oversized, Other) N/A WIND A PROBLEM? (Yes/No/Sometimes) N/A SOOT A PROBLEM? (Yes/No/Sometimes) N/A PROBLEMS/COMMENTS (Explain all Noise (including crew door issues), Wind and Soot Problems here, plus all comments and information regarding things like connecting or accessible cabins) This is a very quiet inside cabin near the Card Room. Being located on Deck 9 made it very quick and convenient to get anywhere either above or below. There was ample storage space in the room and bathroom for our needs. There was no sofa, but two upholstered chairs instead. PICTURES (Attach pictures in your review) DATE OF CRUISE AND "REVOLUTION" COMMENTS June 2023 - This cabin had been revolutionized with the new grey and blue color scheme.

We notified guest services via email (special_needs@celebrity.com) prior to the cruise. The extension cord and distilled water were already sitting in the corner of the room when we got there to drop off our carry-ons. Our room steward offered to tape down the extension cord, but we brought along hook magnets and strung it across the ceiling from the vanity to the bedside table. We found that worked out well as it made it easier for our steward to clean and vacuum and none of us had to worry about tripping over it.

Thanks for the compliments on our attire. Part of the fun of pre-cruise preparation is selecting the clothes. I'm lucky that DH's is really laid back and usually happy with anything I set out for him. He chose the navy formal gown I wore on lobster night, though, and said that's the best dress purchase he's ever made.

It is a waterproof phone holder. I was paranoid, too, so I tested it out in the sink at home with some folded-up paper towels inside. They came out dry after a couple of hours and they worked for us at the beach. The plastic is clear on both sides so you're supposed to be able to use your touch screen and take photos in and under water. DH got his to work, but I could not. He's more adept with tech than I am, though. It's nice that it floats even with the weight of the phone. We felt it was a worthwhile purchase. These happen to be the ones we bought on Amazon.

The MDR was very nice for lunch. It's so under-utilized that only a quarter section of the seating was ever in use whenever we were there. Service was quick, so you can be in and out as fast as you please and be on with your day. The main downside would be the hassle of changing in and out of daywear if you love lounging at the pool all day. Neither of us like being in the sun too much so we found other things to do around the ship in the morning. We liked the shaded areas of the Lawn Club and the promenade on deck 5. Then we waited until after lunch to go to the Solarium or pool.

DH read the review and corrected me on one point - the Coast Guard vessels are jet-powered. He chuckled and said, "Honey, rockets are something else entirely. You made me sound like an idiot" Oops!

Disembarkation Day - Sunday, July 2 We were already docked in Port Everglades by the time we awoke in the morning and grabbed a quick breakfast in OVC. Our flight didn't depart from FLL until 5:30 PM, so we decided on an everglades shore excursion for an airboat ride. There was a food truck at the park and we got some gator tail bites for a snack. We'd had alligator once at a restaurant back home, years ago, and it was just as we remembered. All in all, pretty good. Then we were dropped off at the airport. Thankfully, both our flights operated on time and our luggage made it back with us. DH's hot glass fish survived the trip in one piece, too. It was a wonderful way to celebrate our anniversary with many memories made. We're hoping it won't be another 25 years before we get the chance to cruise again.

Fourth Sea Day - Saturday, July 1 Then it was time to get ready for dinner for the last time this cruise. Our final dinner menu: DH got his new favorite - escargot - one last time. I tried the Caesar salad and got the French onion soup one last time (and it did have plenty of onions). DH wasn't inspired by anything on the menu, yet again, but was thinking about the butternut farrotto based on the description. I urged him to go for it and if it wasn't to his liking, we could go up to Oceanview Cafe afterward for something else. He actually liked it quite a lot. I tried a bite and it was great. The duck prosciutto was so good. It was my turn for the sirloin steak. I ordered it medium and thought that it was quite good. We got the sauteed tilapia to share and I know it gets a bad rap, but I'm one-half Asian so I regularly prepare it for our family at home. I never would have thought to pair it with a tomato-based sauce and it was very good. Our final dessert menu: DH got creme brulee again with strawberry ice cream. I chose the sacher torte which was very good. The cannoli I shared with DH, however, was disappointing as I expected a nice lemon flavor in the ricotta but couldn't taste it at all. It was time to bid farewell to our waiter, Walter from the Philippines, and his assistant, Tarsis from Brazil. They took such good care of us and always provided timely service. When they figured out DH was an iced tea drinker, they had it ready for him every night. Dinner was a pleasant affair every evening. We'd set our checked bag outside the cabin door prior to dinner and it had been whisked away. Our carry-on bags were packed for the morning except for a few essentials. There was nothing else to do and it was too early to turn in. We took the bottle of brut from our room attendant, Len, out onto the aft and enjoyed the ship's wake for the last time.

Fourth Sea Day - Saturday, July 1 DH decided he would join me for a morning walk on our final day. I wasn't sure he'd actually get up when it came down to it, but he did and we were on the track by 5:30 AM. Got to see one last pretty sunrise at sea and another cruise ship on the horizon. Opted for the Oceanview Cafe for breakfast over Silhouette. I got a made-to-order poached egg over smoked salmon, some corned beef hash, and a Belgian waffle with orange marmalade and whipped cream. Got a pic of the various types of tea available, as well. The pool was packed to the gills and fully exposed to the sun, so we took the opportunity to begin packing our bags. We stopped briefly to attend the Exclusive Handcrafted Clock Auction in the Grand Foyer at 10:30 AM. The ship's engineers had worked with clock makers to make a couple of designs from pieces of the engine that had been swapped out. Apparently, this was the very first time they were doing this auction and the proceeds were going to the crew welfare fund. DH wouldn't bid, but he wanted a chance to admire the clocks and see how much they'd go for. The first clock was made from a bearing and sold for $900. The second clock was made from a gear and sold for $1300. Following the auction, we participated in the final ballroom dance class offered in the Grand Foyer - merengue with the members of the production cast. I'd danced some merengue at Silent Disco the night before and it was fun to get to do it one more time. Afterward, we swung by Cafe al Bacio for a couple of IGLU frappes and DH got a slice of orange cake. Then it was back to the room to finish packing. DH wanted to go to OVC one last time so I indulged him and skipped the last lunch offered in Silhouette. I went a little more carb-heavy than I probably should have and got three garlic knots, a slice of Thai chicken pizza, and a grilled chicken salad panini. I think the whipped mousse was passion fruit (it wasn't labeled). Then there was a Nanaimo bar cake in honor of Canada Day, a pistachio cake, and a gluten-free strawberry cake. I only nibbled at them and didn't finish any. We went out to the Mast Grill for one final plate of fries. I like to dip mine in malt vinegar. After that, we peeked at the pool and it was nearly a ghost town. I suppose everyone was getting in one last pool day while we packed, so we could enjoy the pool in relative quiet while they packed. It was now late afternoon, as well, so the pool wasn't in the direct sun anymore. DH got in and was pleased that it was nice and deep, while I enjoyed one last French Caribbean from the Pool Bar. Then I got in only to realize the depth was over my head. So I swam for a bit and treaded water alongside DH until I finally tired out. Sitting on the ledge was good enough for me.

Third Sea Day - Friday, June 30 (Evening Chic Night) We dressed to the nines for evening again as that's just our style but weren't bothered by what anyone else chose to wear. Hey, we're all on vacation. You do you! I did see a couple of men sporting tuxedos and one awesome kilt. We finally broke open our anniversary bottle of Fre and drank a few glasses that night while we prepped for dinner. Then we took the last of it with us to Cafe al Bacio for a little pre-dinner treat. DH had an lemon tartlet and an exotic fruit cake. I took a little bite and it tasted like papaya to me. I chose a slice of mango cake and my customary fruit tart. Then it was up on deck to catch a quick glimpse of the sunset before heading down to dinner. It's lobster night, y'all! I ordered another peach sangria in the restaurant but couldn't taste any of the peach. The next night I would order it from the bartenders at Passport who knew how to get it right. DH's starters were the shrimp cocktail and the creamy salmon rillette to share which we both thought was very good. I got the chilled pea soup and I cannot even begin to describe how good it was. That lump crab meat was the best and there was a lot of it! The kale salad was very good, as well. We each got our own lobster tail and then one plate of roasted leg of lamb to share. We had no complaints. It was a delicious meal. Dessert menu: We both got the baked Alaska and reminisced about our honeymoon cruise. There isn't much special about baked Alaska, when you think about it. It was really all about the presentation. Back in the day, all the waiters and assistants paraded through the dining room with flaming baked Alaskas held high while we twirled our napkins in the air to some upbeat music. Then they brought out pre-sliced portions to the table. That being said, it was still a tasty dessert. We also got the citrus roulade to share and DH declared that to be far better than the baked Alaska. Silent Disco was going on in the Sky Lounge. This time it wasn't nearly as crowded and I finally got my chance to dance as much as my heart desired. The green channel was 80's hits, the red channel was Latin beats, and the blue channel was current hits. We switched back and forth through all of the genres and even got to dance one tango together which shocked me as it's not very popular anymore. I was thrilled and it was the most fun evening of the cruise for me, hands down! There was quite the storm that night and, while we were dancing, got to witness some pretty big flashes of lighting through the Sky Lounge windows. When we returned to the cabin for the night, our room steward, Len, had left a couple of gifts.

Third Sea Day - Friday, June 30 This was my earliest morning yet and was up on deck at 5 AM to find myself all alone on the track. I got in two and a half miles was rewarded with yet another beautiful sunrise at sea. We went to Silhouette and were seated at a table for two for the first time (rather than a table for eight) so I finally felt comfortable taking some breakfast pics. We spent a lazy morning mostly sitting in the shade of the promenade deck, enjoying one another's company while watching the sea go by. The third ballroom dance class of the cruise in the Grand Foyer was the rumba with Cruise Director Lewis Power. We caught on pretty quick and managed to hold our own, even as the music increased in speed. We had a lot of fun. Then it was off to lunch in Silhouette. DH started with the crisp fried mushrooms and said they were good. I had the Key West salad which was pretty good, too. We both had the Nagasaki udon noodles. I couldn't finish my noodles because of the carbs, but this dish had wonderful flavor. DH treated himself to the brownie sundae and I went with the orange panna cotta for a little lighter fare. After lunch, we hung out in the Solarium for a while. I tried a French Caribbean from the Pool Bar while we watched more hot glass classes and fell in love with it. We headed to the gelateria or our Captain's Club complimentary scoops. DH got caramel and I got pistachio. The pistachio had iced over so it wasn't the right consistency, unfortunately, but the flavor was still good. DH really liked the caramel.

Third Port Day - Thursday, June 29 (Kralendijk, Bonaire) Sail away was 4 PM and we chose to experience it from the temperature-controlled Sky Lounge. I ordered a pina colada and it was a lovely treat. DH got the sparkling mint lemonade, but didn't like it as much as he thought he would. We sailed past Klein Bonaire as we departed. Then it was time to clean up and get ready for the evening. We went to the theater for the 7 PM show - Magician John Accardo. DH thought it was great and was very entertained. He was a bit too frenetic for me, so I thought it was just okay. The night's menu: DH only wanted shrimp cocktail for a starter tonight so I wonder if Walter pulled a few strings for him as there were eight instead of the usual four. I opted for the grilled asparagus salad and it was very good. I also tried the French onion soup again. This time they got it right - very flavorful with plenty of onions. DH went with the grilled chicken breast for his main. It was cooked properly and wasn't dry, but he said it lacked flavor and ended up being a bit of a disappointment. I had the steak Dianne and enjoyed it very much. I ordered it medium and it was cooked perfectly. For dessert, we both ordered the tiramisu and got a bowl of pistachio ice cream to share. We went up on the open decks after dinner to stroll for a bit. I tried to take a picture of the beautiful moon but I don't know the right camera settings or techniques, so it doesn't do it justice. Then it was off to bed.

Third Port Day - Thursday, June 29 (Kralendijk, Bonaire) Skipped my morning walk again and opted to get my daily exercise in port. We were up and it early, though, with breakfast in OVC. This time I remembered to capture a pic. We dressed in swimwear for our excursion as we were finally getting a beach day. Woo hoo! Got a tour of the salt flats, the slave huts, the lighthouse, and ended at Sorobon Beach in Lac Bai. Our driver/guide, Kevin, told us they fill the ponds with sea water about four feet deep and it takes nine months to get through the process. As the water sits, it turns pink and then purple because of a mineral or bacteria of some sort in the coral that's abundant in the ground. When the water has mostly evaporated, they pump the remainder out to sea leaving approximately four inches of salt. Bulldozers are used for collecting it. The clean salt harvested off the top is what we use at the dinner table. The dirty salt on the bottom is shipped to the United States to treat our roads in the winter. A large conveyor belt takes the salt out over the water to load onto ships for transport. Kevin said the salt produced is 99% pure and there was a box on the beach with crystals for tourists to take a piece home. The first set of slave huts we saw had not been maintained and were crumbling. So you could see how coral had been stacked and mortared in place to form the huts. The next set of huts we saw had been well maintained. They would've housed four men each and were really quite small. For reference, DH is over six-foot tall. Near the lighthouse on the southern tip of Bonaire, there were some of the famous donkeys. A short way down the road, we got to see a few flamingos, too. Sorobon Beach was lovely with clear blue water. The day was windy, as expected, but absolutely beautiful with plenty of sunshine. We snagged a couple of loungers in the shade, but spent almost the entire time in the water. It was only waist deep and stretched out for a considerable distance. We wore water shoes, but there wasn't any need as it was all nice, soft sand. Several windsurfers were on the water, but there was plenty of room for everyone to spread out. On the journey back to the ship, we really got to see the desert landscape of Bonaire. Back on board, we changed out of our beach wear and grabbed lunch at the Mast Grill where DH said the burgers were good and the fries were excellent. I opted for the turkey burger (without a bun - those pesky carbs again) and it was fine but needed some seasoning, in my opinion. DH got a second burger, but I skipped down to the AquaSpa Cafe for a chicken salad plate and a tomato thyme ficelle which I brought back up to the Mast Grill seating area and I thought it was delicious. We went back out to explore Kralendijk and shop until it got too hot for us to bear.

We just returned from our ABC islands cruise and wanted to post some current information in case anyone else would like to visit this site. The current admission fee is $5 USD per person. The A-frame sign propped up at the entrance to Fort Amsterdam showed the hours as Monday - Friday from 10 AM to 1:30 PM, with services on Sunday at 9:30 AM. However, a paper posted on the door to the church basement listed the times as Monday - Friday from 11 AM to 3:30 PM. A woman inside confirmed the correct opening time was 11 AM and the tour guide would be standing at the door upstairs. We waited until 11:15, but the tour guide was a no-show and we were afraid we'd miss our afternoon shore excursion so we ended up leaving. It was a disappointment but, to be fair, it was the off-season for tourism and we were the only ship in port that day so they probably weren't expecting to get much of a crowd. Maybe some day we'll get the opportunity to go back and to check it out.

Well, he admired every last one of them, but the Invictas fit best into our budget. He can swap out batteries, no problem, but his hands are really too big to work on the tiny movements in the wrist and pocket watches. DH is certified to repair antique wall and mantle clocks, dabbles a little with cuckoos (but they're not his speciality) and is starting to branch out into grandfather clocks. He's even worked on a couple of music boxes as they're basically the same as a clock movement.

Unfortunately, I'm off to drop our middle child at show choir summer camp and then put in my 8 hours at the office. But I plan to finish fixing these photos later today Thanks for all the well wishes and following along.

Second Port Day - Wednesday, June 28 (Willemstad, Curacao) Back on board, we showered and got ready for the evening. Decided to see the 7 PM show, Boy Band Evolution, and loved it. They were a talented quartet presenting a musical survey from a twist on the barber shop quartet to the modern pop boy bands. Sailaway was at 8 PM so we got to see the beautiful lights of Willemstad as we put to sea before heading down to dinner. The menu: I went with a Watermelon Tropic from the Passport Bar to carry in to dinner and it was just okay. I could only taste the pineapple and no watermelon. We both chose the BBQ Spring Roll to start. It was quite interesting because it was like biting into a Filipino lumpia only to find sweet pork stuffing. It was very good, but a little strange in our experience because we're culturally acclimated to it being a savory item. DH also chose the Caesar salad which he didn't like but only because he doesn't like parmesan very much and it was loaded with the stuff. I forgot to snap a pic beforehand and this was as far as he got before declining to finish. I had the panzanella salad with balsamic vinaigrette which was pretty good. The fresh mozzarella was the best part for me. For main entrée, DH had the grilled sirloin once more and said this one was better - comparable to the first steak he'd had at lunch. But again, he chose it because of the lack of interesting options on the pared down menu. He also got the salmon and shared some with me. I had the pan seared pork loin which I liked quite a lot. The braised red cabbage that accompanied it tasted like the same recipe as the cabbage I'd gotten at the lunch buffet the day prior, but I didn't mind. My only complaint was that it was simply too much food and I only ate half of the pork. I had to assure our server, Walter, a couple of times that I was simply getting full and trying to save room for dessert - not that the meal was poor. And speaking of, dessert: I was glad I'd reserved a little room because it was a very good night for desserts. I had the blackberry-anise nougat glace and DH chose the biscuit croustillant. We each shared a little bite of the other's selection, and they were both wonderful. But Walter told us the chef was offering an off-menu special - the Grand Marnier souffle that was only offered in Murano. So, of course, we had to try it and it was amazing. We couldn't find any live music after dinner to our liking, so we wandered about on the open decks for a bit to enjoy the night sky before turning in for the night.

Second Port Day - Wednesday, June 28 (Willemstad, Curacao) I chose to skip my morning walk as I figured we'd be doing a significant amount of walking in port. We ate breakfast in Oceanview Cafe and went out on deck to watch the ship dock in Curacao then waited for the gangway to go down. We got several comments on our outfits again today and one young girl stopped us on the stairwell to ask if we'd dressed alike yesterday. I answered, "Well, we were wearing purple yesterday" and she said "Yup." I had done some research and learned that the Fortkerk in Fort Amsterdam had an intricate antique clock movement in their museum that was only one of two examples in the world. It had powered the clock in the church cupola until being replaced by a modern electrical unit. The church and museum was supposed to be open from 10 to 1:30 and had an entrance fee of $5 USD. This was right up DH's alley as he owns his own antique/vintage clock repair and restoration business and I was so excited for him to get to see such a rare gem. We did a little sightseeing and shopping while waiting for the church to open. We could see the church and the clock in her cupola across the bay. A couple of orioles were serenading us as we stood outside of Fort Amsterdam. It turns out they had modified their operating hours and were actually open from 11 AM to 3:30 PM. When we learned they were opening later than expected, we did a bit more sightseeing to pass the time. It was getting quite hot as the day wore on so we stopped a waterfront seafood restaurant to refresh ourselves with a couple of Cokes. Back to the Fortkerk we went, but the secretary in the church basement told us the lady guiding the tours had not arrived yet. We waited until 11:15, but she remained a no-show. I think I was probably a little more disappointed than even DH was as I had really tried to plan this once-in-a-lifetime experience for him. We were afraid we'd miss our afternoon shore excursion, so we reluctantly headed back to the ship for quick bite to eat. Our excursion in Curacao highlighted various points of interest - the Hato Caves, the Blue Curacao liqueur distillery, and the Curacao museum. It was interesting and we both enjoyed it. 49 steps to get up to the entrance to the caves. Pictures were only allowed in two chambers of the cave complex. The black and green on the cave walls are from algae. It was very warm inside and I was glad to have brought along a hand held fan. We got to see some colorful colonial-era houses from the bus as we drove along between stops. The liqueur distillery: And the museum: In the early days, they say it took seven days to travel from the Netherlands to Curacao by plane.

First Port Day -Tuesday, June 27 (Oranjestad, Aruba) After our excursion, we explored Oranjestad for a bit and shopped for souvenirs. Of course, I had to snap some pics of the blue horse statues for our eldest daughter who just graduated with a degree in Equine Management. Back on the ship, it was time to shower off the heat of the day and prep for dinner. We didn't get to experience sail away at 9 PM because we were at dinner, but felt when the engines fired up and we got underway. The menu: DH started with escargot again and the garden fresh salad with thousand island dressing. I had the Asian consomme and the garden fresh salad with white balsamic vinaigrette. DH and I both chose the broiled haddock for our main entrée and it was very good. And finally, dessert was chocolate lava cake which DH thoroughly enjoyed and panna cotta which I found light and refreshing. Based on DH's rave review from lunch previously, we both got the lemon sorbet and it did not disappoint. We spent a little time walking around the Lawn Club and sat in the aft to watch the wake for a while then headed off to bed.

First Port Day - Tuesday, June 27 (Oranjestad, Aruba) I returned to behaving myself and got up for my morning walk. This time I was up on deck by 5:30 AM and found myself sharing the track with only one other person. It was glorious! The sunrise was so beautiful. I'd come around the curve of the track to the port side and see the horizon growing lighter with each lap. I did two miles in 45 minutes that morning and treated myself to a little relaxation while waiting for the buffet to open at 6:30. Washy-washy before heading to the buffet and couldn't help myself from snapping a pic. Even the bathrooms are elegant. You go on a cruise to be served, but I did revert back to wife-mode briefly. Grabbed a couple of croissants, a few strips bacon, and two cups of coffee to-go to add to our chocolate covered strawberries that I pulled out of the fridge and re-plated. Delivered breakfast in bed to DH. He's got it so good! Went up on deck and watched as we docked in Aruba. Then decided to stay onboard as we didn't have a shore excursion planned until 2 PM. The Solarium was deserted and that suited us just fine. We had our choice of any lounger we wanted and got a hot tub all to ourselves But we learned that being the first isn't always best. The overnight cleaning chemicals hadn't been agitated yet and the fumes were basically too much to bear. One round of bubbles and we were both done. We went up to the hot glass studio as they told DH his creation would be ready by 10 AM. He unwrapped it and it was still very warm. Went to Oceanview Cafe as Silhouette is only open for lunch on sea days. They had two Filipino dishes today - beef nilaga and chicken adobo. Had to try them to see how they compared to my mom's cooking as well as my own. DH agreed my nilaga is far and away superior to what was on the buffet, but I don't think they added patis (Filipino fish sauce) which is extremely pungent but absolutely makes the dish. The chicken adobo tasted identical to my mom's and my own, but our sauce is thin like broth and theirs was thick like gravy. They must add cornstarch as a thickener which I may try back at home because I liked the consistency. I also had the roast beef from the carving station with horseradish, the battered fish with malt vinegar, and some red cabbage which was slightly sweet. I found everything to be excellent. DH and I both tried the lemon meringue in a cup which was very good, but I only ate half because of the carbs, and a piece of no-sugar added chocolate cake which was decent but nothing to rave about. We dressed to head into port and got several comments and compliments on our outfits from fellow passengers and people in town. Our excursion was the Atlantis submarine. We don't scuba dive or snorkel so this was our chance to see the marine life. I'd gone with this same company in Barbados with my grandparents on my first cruise back in 1997, so it was actually more fun to sit and watch DH's reaction. We saw a couple of sunken ships and descended to a depth of 139 feet. The highlight was getting to see a few sea turtles.