dan722 Posted March 31, 2014 #1 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Just a brief comment on our recent Celebrity Equniox cruise. We did the 10 day Eastern Caribbean. We’ve done this itinerary at least twice before but we really enjoy the Equniox and this fit our schedule. The ship is still very nice, probably my favorite. But you can tell the cuts are beginning to show more. It’s obvious they are trying to the same Level of service with fewer staff, and it just doesn’t work. Not only are the stuff running all the time and surely exhausted, it shows because The level of service just isn’t the same as it used to be. The first night in the main dining room we tried to order to bottles of wine with our Dinner, by the time the person came around to ask about doing this we were already through the first two courses. And the service was very uneven In the dining room and many other places on the ship. We were in CC and requested wine glasses for each night for the wine we brought with us We only got them one night. The little canapés have gotten to the point where we didn’t even bother ordering them. My wife noticed that the toiletries Are some very cheap off brand. There were several other things similar to this where each one is no big deal but taken together you just get a different feeling For the cruise than you used to. We thought the food was pretty good everywhere we ate, ocean view, Murano, aqua spa café. We did notice many fewer choices In the aqua spa café. Overall, we enjoyed the cruise very much. But it just isn’t the same and I wonder if they’ll ever realize they will be better off raising the prices A little bit and making the cruise the experience it once was. This isn’t something that would make me stop cruising with Celebrity next year, but I wonder how long it will take Before it does get to that point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awhfy Posted March 31, 2014 #2 Share Posted March 31, 2014 We did this same cruise, same ship in Feb of this year. We were also in CC. Always had fresh wine glasses (afternoon & evening), we do a cheese/fruit tray as opposed to the canapés (DH can't eat them). We did have to ask for a water pitcher the first day. The toiletries were exactly the same brand that they've been for the past 6 years in a CC cabin. Our sommelier was a bit uneven the first night, but greatly improved (found out it was her first day on the ship & she wasn't too sure where everything was yet) & we enjoyed her. Level of service & Food were better than last year (same ship, same cruise). Same cruise, different opinions. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roysue Posted March 31, 2014 #3 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Just off the Equinox March 24th. This was the 3rd year in a row that we did the identical cruise, The itinerary works great for our group of 4. We found this cruise to be a significant improvement over the past. There are some cutbacks in all cruise lines but all in all, this was a terrific cruise. I used the provided toiletries and although not as good as the ones I use at home, they were quite fine for 10 days. Dining room was exceptional and there was a huge improvement in the Ocean view Café over previous years, especially in the evening. There were a lot more choices in the buffet and we at dinner there 2 times. It was a real cut above previous years. We got a good deal on the cruise. While in board, we booked the same cruise for next year and got a good price plus $500 on board credit. The prices of cruising in general are staying pretty steady. I think Celebrity Equinox staff did a terrific job on our cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obnurse Posted April 1, 2014 #4 Share Posted April 1, 2014 Hmm...not really sure what the OP is referring to. We, too, were on this sailing and it was our best cruise ever. The entertainment was varied, good quality and enjoyable. Although soon going to dry dock, Equinox is still looking good and without significant wear and tear. The food was better than ever, with more choices in Ocean View Cafe. The dining room had faster service and the best wait staff we have ever had. We enjoyed seeing them every night. We had one plumbing problem that originated on a deck below (no we didn't misuse our facilities) and the plumber and room steward acted quickly and efficiently to remedy the problem and later phoned us to make sure all was still well. We had the best cruise director ever; Paul Baya. We saw him in his shorts and T-shirt dancing out on deck with passengers, then later on he made a surprise appearance during a vocal performance at an evening show, showcasing a beautiful voice. He was awesome. He was everywhere, always smiling, always mingling with the crowd. Every crew member was kind, helpful and efficient. Every single one. I never passed up a chance to tell a crew member that I appreciated their service because I know how hard they work for us. I feel overall Celebrity stepped up their game since I sailed last time and we can not wait to sail this ship again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruising89143 Posted April 1, 2014 #5 Share Posted April 1, 2014 I am always amazed when I read comments from people who were on the same ship and come away with totally different experiences. Goes to show that we all have different expectations. If the Oceanview on the EQ is anything like the Reflection, I'm bit sure what else they could have offered. I will see for myself in eight weeks.:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obnurse Posted April 1, 2014 #6 Share Posted April 1, 2014 Cruisingator, I wish you a cruise as enjoyable as ours was. I truly could not wipe the smile off my face! Could it be that we were so desperate to get out of the wicked winter? Could it be that it was an escape from every day stresses? I don't know, but it was my personal best cruise ever! ENJOY! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruising89143 Posted April 1, 2014 #7 Share Posted April 1, 2014 Cruisingator, I wish you a cruise as enjoyable as ours was. I truly could not wipe the smile off my face! Could it be that we were so desperate to get out of the wicked winter? Could it be that it was an escape from every day stresses? I don't know, but it was my personal best cruise ever! ENJOY! Thank you.:) We plan for this to be our best yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallie5446 Posted April 1, 2014 #8 Share Posted April 1, 2014 All of you are making us wish our sailing on the Equinox was not 223 days away! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obnurse Posted April 1, 2014 #9 Share Posted April 1, 2014 I did have one criticism of my cruise: I purchased the soda package because I drink sugar free soda.....way too much sugar free soda. The Diet Coke was not sweet. I highly suspect it had been exposed to high heat in transit or in storage at some point. It was a bit disappointing. I hope Celebrity remedies that problem before I sail next time :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExRockyMountainGal Posted April 1, 2014 #10 Share Posted April 1, 2014 Three and a half days, and I will be able to check it out myself! Kathy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obnurse Posted April 1, 2014 #11 Share Posted April 1, 2014 Equinox will not disappoint, in my opinion :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now