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Live from Equinox! May 20-June 1. Venice to Barcelona

AZ ParrotHead

By AZ ParrotHead,
in Celebrity Cruises

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Majkman

Majkman

Posted
Posted
Sea Day 1 and Istanbul Day 1

 

I find that when I'm cruising my body clock really changes. I travel a lot, all over the world, and when I am on a business trip, I never have trouble adjusting my body to the local time zone. On a cruise, it's very different. So rather than my normal 630 we have been getting up at 10 or 11 each morning.

 

A cup of coffee on the balcony, answering a few emails from bed, and a shower and all of a sudden it's noon. So I really can't comment on the activities before 12. As far as I know it's some grand conspiracy and 4 am to 9 am just don't exist on the ship which would easily explain why this cruise is going by so quickly...

 

I think part of it has to do too with my body releasing the stress from a year of ups, downs, drama, moves, job changes, death, and birth. It's been a crazy 18 months. I typically don't relax all that well and it takes me 3 to 4 days to start to let things go. That's what we booked a long trip in the first place. I truly hope I've gotten to a place where the toxins have been released and I can recharge with sea air, Italian pasta, and good red wine.

 

The sea day rhythm on this cruise has been more relaxed than in the Caribbean or Mexico. A lot of folks hit the gym mid day and then have lunch and head up to to the pool to enjoy the sun. That's been our plan.

 

To me, the pool service has been superior. Yes, there are some chair hogs but I really think how you deal with it speaks to how much you "own" your own vacation. In our case, if it's busy, we take a lap around the pool and observe what seems to be hogged chairs. They are easy to spot. A rolled up towel fresh from the stack, maybe a paperback or a flip flop on it. Basically they look like they haven't been sat in. Think about it, if you are using your chair, you sit down, spread out your towel, lay down for a few mins and then get a drink or hit the pool. It looks ruffled. Hogged chairs look pristine.

 

After you pick your targets, we take another lap, grab something from the pool bar, and head back. This has given the hogs 10 minutes to claim their chairs. If no one has showed up (and they never do!) we move their towels and claim the seats. In the past, I've only been called on it once by the "owner" of the flip flop. I just point to the sign, tell them to talk to the pool butler if they've got a problem, and put my headphones back in....

 

I'm also happy to report that the pool service has been excellent. Every 5 or 10 minutes, a waiter goes by asking for cocktails. The drinks come back quickly and are generally pretty good. I even got the pool bartender to make me a painkiller even though it's not on the menu. It wasn't exactly right (too much orange, not enough coconut) but he tried and I really appreciated it.

 

What I love about the pool service and drink service in general on this cruise is that the attendants have been observant. When your drink gets below a third, they ask you if you want more. But they don't ask you if it's full so as to not bother. In Blu, my wine glass has never gotten below half. Helps with the excuse of "but I only had one glass of wine at dinner, honey!"

 

Celebrity is known for its cold towel service and it's awesome! When you get back on the ship or in the gym or around the pool, the butlers come by with a tray full of rolled up chilled and damp towels. It's kind of like the hot towel service in first class on a plane. It refreshes you and opens up your pours. Yesterday, the pool attendants were coming by about every 20 minutes with new trays of clean, cold towels. I took advantage almost every time!

 

The pool entertainment has been great so far, in my opinion. I continue to read about how people don't like "loud music" by the pool but let's break this down for a second. On this ship, there are actually 3 distinct pool areas: the solarium, the outdoor pool deck, and the balcony on deck 14 (which has shade sails to provide cover).

 

The solarium is always quiet. Think yoga music and babbling brooks. It's has a roof but it doesn't block all the light so you can easily tan. Fewer people use it and the chair pads are superior. This is the quietest option.

 

The second quietest option is up on deck 14 around the pool. To me this is the best of both worlds. You can still hear the music from the pool deck but if you put in your headphones it's drowned out. You also have a nice ocean view if you take a lounger against the glass. Yesterday we saw many pods of dolphins from these seats!

 

The party option is to take a seat on the main pool deck. Yes it's blasting but no more so than a Vegas pool. They set up the entertainment schedule so that there's some type of live music from 1 to 430 or so. The drum and bass dudes were there yesterday from 1-230.follwed by the house band and then DJ Gio. Yesterday, the pool was truly a party with dancing in the water, good tunes, happy people, and ample sunshine. I'm looking forward to getting up there today too.

 

Near the pool on deck 14 is the Mast grill that serves hamburgers and hotdogs. Sheryl and my parents have fell in love with this place. I'm not a big burger fan but they make some Rockin ones up there. Juicy, crispy buns and toppings like grilled onions and mushrooms. I think people love it because it's simple, American food. After 4 courses in the dining room each evening it's nice to just grab a dog and some fries along with a coke or a corona and sit around the pool. Feels like home.

 

Might as well thrown in my note on the buffet here.

 

NOTE: In general I am anti buffet. I have a problem with competitive, gluttonous eating. It physically makes me ill to watch it. I shall try to keep it balanced.

 

Layout: Superb. The stations work and there's enough room between the islands to navigate without jostling around.

 

Availability: Fine for us. Snacks are available until 1AM and the ice cream station is open in the afternoon. No complaints

 

Seating: Love that you can sit outside on the other side of the buffet in the Oceanview bar.

 

Food: It's a buffet. You are not going to go hungry. The salads and fruits have been very fresh and there are some interesting dishes we have found. They make a quinoa salad with chicken and cranberry that was memorable.

 

People: We woke up really hungry on the first sea day and got to the buffet when it opened for lunch at 12. This was a mistake. Those cruisers who "live for the food" descended on the buffet like the walking dead: hobbling around the carving station and grunting at the roast beef like it was a tasty human head or something. Fearful for our lives, we grabbed some fruit and headed out to the pool. Because the walking dead don't do sunshine....

 

Little things: They have peanut m and ms at the ice cream station. You can get a little bowl to keep in your cabin. Winner! Ice cream is ok. They have hard and soft serve. Pizza is edible. This is an Italian cruise though; there is no comparison to what you get on land.

 

So all in all the buffet is very functional and more than adequate. It serves it's purpose well and there have been no availability or quality issues. Just watch out for the zombies.....

 

The rest of the sea day passed quickly and quietly. I finished my book, took a swim, worked out, and wrote for my lovely audience on cruise critic. In the evening we had another nice dinner in Blu, lost some money at the tables, had a few cocktails and went to bed.

 

Istanbul Day 1

 

Day 1 was a half day in Istanbul so we had a quiet morning on the balcony watching the dolphins and the tankers as we cruised closer to the city. I got my workout in and came down to the balcony for coffee.

 

We had a minor disturbance that morning. The 4 of us were chatting on the balcony and I was reading this review out loud and asking for feedback. About 1/2 way through the guy 2 balconies over started knocking on the glass and yelling at us. He was Japanese and screamed in broken English, "you mustaaa be quiet! You have no respect for anyone! Keepa your voice down!"

 

Now, we weren't being loud or obnoxious. We were chatting at normal volume. I don't like jerks so I ignored him and kept reading. This pissed him off more and he decided to make a phone call and scream into in Japanese. In response, I had to up my volume so that my family (sharing the balcony with me) could hear me. He yelled "you must be quiet and respect others!" I yelled back, "so do you!"

 

I have little patience for jerks....

 

So, we moved on and got ready for our 1/2 day with a guide in Istanbul. We had joined a tour with a someone from our roll call for her party of 4 and our party of 4. We got out of the port and our guide was waiting with the name in it. We showed up and the other party didn't!

 

We looked around for 45 minutes and called their cell phones. I even ran back to the ship to call their cabin and look around on 4 and 5. No luck. I went back and the driver and guide decided to take us anyway. My dad was a little under the weather, so Sheryl, mom and I had a private tour all afternoon!

 

First we visited Hagia Sophia. It's a breathtaking cathedral and mosque that's now a museum. It features some of the best preserved roman frescoes in the world. It is the second largest church behind St Peters and was the largest until St Peters was constructed. It is 1500 years old! Our guide pointed out things we never would have seen and shared some of the amazing history. We were there for about an hour and I think we only scratched the surface of its magnitude!

 

Next we went on to the grand bazaar. Our guide told us there are over 6000 shops mostly selling junk to tourists. But it's always been that way. For over 500 years visitors have come to trade at the grand bazaar. It was mobbed! Too much so for my mom so we spent about 20 minutes walking around and then had to leave.

 

If you are considering visiting Istanbul on a cruise you need to consider what days you will be in town. We were there on Saturday and Sunday and the first day was simply insane. Our driver said he has never seen so much traffic. The grand bazaar is closed on Sundays and many locals come to the historic sites on Saturday. This, added to the vacation crowds and tours, makes it a wall of people. If you've ever been to Rome, it's like that. Crowded everywhere.

 

By that time it was 500 and our half day was over. We arranged to meet the guide at 830 the next morning to continue our tour. I tried to pay him for half the tour so he knew we were good for it but he politely refused. Stand up guy. I will give you his contact info in my next post.

 

That evening we were tired so we showered, went to dinner in Blu and retired early. Well. I did. Sheryl ended up dancing with new friends in the Sky bar until 1. Good for her!

 

Next up, Istanbul Day 2.

 

 

When you get home, can you just keep writing reviews of your daily activities? You have a fine way with words, sir. Brilliant!!

 

Keep the seas calm and the ships safe,

 

Andy

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sashatwinkle

sashatwinkle

Posted
Posted
Love your review. i especially could relate to the comments about the Chinese tourists running people over. Last November I was on the Silhouette for the Adriatic cruise. The very first day some Chinese woman ran me over and knocked me down in her hurry to get to the muster drill. Luckily my arm was only badly sprained but it could have easily broken my elbow. I had to cancel my day in Florence however to go to the doctor. You can believe I stayed away from the Chinese for the remainder of the cruise.

 

And I live in California so should have known better.:eek:

 

Anne

Hi, thanks for arranging the trip to Florence and I hope you had a good time in Paris post cruise, judy

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Maz_1

Maz_1

Posted
Posted (edited)

Hi,

 

Not sure if this question has already been asked ? but can you tell me if Nestor Santurio is on board playing his guitar. We were on board last September & we really enjoyed him. He got everybody up dancing to his music.

 

Marion.

Edited by Maz_1
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gardiner41

gardiner41

Posted
Posted

We will be on Equinox in January for Ultimate Caribbean Itinerary. Our first time on X

Thank you for such great detail told with humour and fantastic word stories.

I have made not of several things on board you have mentioned..LOVE the M&M tip :D a small thing but I would not have thought of it and who does'nt like a little candy in their cabin?

 

We too do not like crowds..I actively seek quiet spots and small group tours. Sounds like the solarium and the pool on Deck 14 will be our spots

 

I know exactly what you mean bout getting sick seeing the nastiness in the buffet. We avoid it when possible, as I can't stand seeing the gluttony.

 

As for the Gym, not being familiar with X do they offer morning classes complimentary? Other lines I sail have early morning comped classes then later in the day they have classes you must pay for.

 

Persian Garden: Are there passes available and if so what is the cost? What all is available? Steam rooms? thalaso therapy pool?

 

We are doing a Med cruise in April with many of these same ports though not with X so the port info is also very useful for us.

Thank you!

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