Equinox review Apr 4 thru Apr 15, 2016

[whitecap]

This is a review of the Celebrity Equinox for Apr 4 thru Apr 15th. First, let me say from the get go, we are avid Princess cruisers and this was our second cruise on Celebrity (both Equinox). We chose this cruise as we did the same itinerary once before and loved both the ship and the ports. We got a really good deal on this cruise and had an exceptional cabin, 8226. The room size is great as was the bathroom and balcony. Our room steward, Albertina, and her assistant were wonderful.

We believe that the ship is laid out very well but find the décor somewhat lackluster. Other ships that we have sailed on, Princess, Disney, Royal and Carnival have large piazza’s where lots of entertainment takes place. Equinox has a small piazza with limited seating and a small area for entertainment.

Our first time aboard the Equinox we found the food in the Ocean View Café extremely good and even spoke to one of the head chefs who took the time to explain all about the prep areas, cooks/chefs, how the food was prepared etc. There was not a meal we had that we didn’t rave about; this time however, we found the food very poor, mostly flavorless and unappealing. Bowls of berries that were very obviously not "fresh" but "frozen" and mushed together; pies that appeared and tasted like frozen where the bottom were soggy from thawing out; and cakes where the consistency was such that it could have been used to spackle walls. Now don’t get me wrong, we never went hungry we just weren’t very impressed.

As before, we found the ship’s crew very welcoming and friendly and eager to help.

We noticed on the very first news bulletin that it advised that dress for the theater was smart casual, long pant and dress/collard shirts for men. Having over 33 cruises I had never seen a dress code for the ship's theater. On day two, during our Cruise Critic Meet and Mingle, I addressed this with the Cruise Director who stated that he was very surprised to see that in the notice as "who would expect someone on a Caribbean cruise to dress up for the theater". He quickly advised not to pay any attention to the notice, we I didn't.

Upon return from our first cruise on the Equinox we bragged to everyone about the first class entertainment in the theater. We were so entertained that we could hardly wait each night for the show; this cruise the very first night the entertainer was a magician who put on a show that I swear we watched several years ago with our grandson on Nickelodeon Channel. The best that we could say about it was that it was a fine amateurish performance. Likewise was a group that attempted to perform “Motown”. There were however, some extremely good performances especially from Jayne Curry and another vocalist whose name escapes me. The ship’s singers and dancers were also very good.

The ports of call were all very nice, Cozumel, Costa Rica, Panama, Cartagena and Grand Cayman. We were also very pleased with the “no smoking casino”.

Throughout the cruise we constantly heard or read about Celebrity Cruise Line being the “Number One Premium Cruise Line” but with that said, we were not able to determine what makes that statement correct. We are not trying to start any arguments or bashing, we really tried to determine what the Premium was: we found that the cost of laundry was at best, double other cruise lines; the fact that there is a $4.95 charge for room service; the Gelato was $4.75 for a small scoop and tasted suspiciously like the ice cream in the buffet (tried it with a “free scoop coupon”). Not trying to put down Celebrity, in fact we were very close to booking a Reflection cruise, but we would like to know what determines the “Premium” designation.

As stated at the beginning, we are avid Princess cruisers: comparing the laundry list from both, Celebrity is almost double; room service is free on Princess, with the exception of pizza ($3.00 charge); Gelato is $1.50 for three scoops and is definitely real Gelato (only comparing with Princess because we just can’t remember the cost of these items/services on the other cruise lines).

We enjoyed the cruise, will continue to search for other Celebrity cruises and look forward to our next adventure.

[midwestchick]

Thanks for your review.

When did X start charging for room service? :eek: That's news to me.

[Jiminy1955]

I'm reading everything I can about Celebrity Equinox!! We will be on the Equinox March 2017 for our 1st cruise with Celebrity. And this is only our 3rd cruise, the previous 2 were on Royal ships.

[gimletgal]

 

.... the fact that there is a $4.95 charge for room service;..

 

Sorry you had less of an experience on this cruise than you had on your previous one on the Equinox.

 

I did want to point out that room service is FREE, before someone thinks that the "rules" have changed!

 

"The service is complimentary, except when ordered between 11 PM and 6 AM when there is a $4.95 fee per room service order."

[midwestchick]

Sorry you had less of an experience on this cruise than you had on your previous one on the Equinox.

 

I did want to point out that room service is FREE, before someone thinks that the "rules" have changed!

 

"The service is complimentary, except when ordered between 11 PM and 6 AM when there is a $4.95 fee per room service order."

 

Thanks for the clarification, gimlet gal....I was not happy when I read that in his report. We sometimes have breakfast on our balcony and love room service. :D :D

 

[whitecap]

Sorry you had less of an experience on this cruise than you had on your previous one on the Equinox.

 

I did want to point out that room service is FREE, before someone thinks that the "rules" have changed!

 

"The service is complimentary, except when ordered between 11 PM and 6 AM when there is a $4.95 fee per room service order."

 

Thanks for the reply; on the room tv under room service it clearly stated that there was a $4.95 room service fee, it did not specify any hours.

[Cruise Raider]

We were on this same cruise and had a different experience .... but as always, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. What one person likes may not be the same for others. Sorry your cruise experience wasn't stellar.

We also sail a quite a bit on Princess, mainly because they sail on the west coast year around, but prefer Celebrity for what it offers. It just fits our cruising style so much better than any other line.

[whitecap]

We were on this same cruise and had a different experience .... but as always, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. What one person likes may not be the same for others. Sorry your cruise experience wasn't stellar.

We also sail a quite a bit on Princess, mainly because they sail on the west coast year around, but prefer Celebrity for what it offers. It just fits our cruising style so much better than any other line.

 

Agree, to each their own. We much prefer the upbeat, lively atmosphere offered on other lines. Again, we enjoyed the cruise and may do it again some day.

[Clarea]

Appreciate the feedback.

[Keith1010]

Thank you for your review.

 

Keith

[pinkrosesdeb]

We were on Equinox the week before you for our first Celebrity cruise and loved it! Best crew ever. We did have breakfast on our balcony twice at no charge. As stated above it is only during those hours that they charge. I can agree on Oceanview Buffet though, it was less than great all week. We enjoy the Windjammer on Royal but felt the food on Equinox was just...lacking something. Still loved the cruise though and will definitely return to Celebrity. Next cruise...Freedom of the Seas for our girls 45 & 40 birthdays...we are soooo old! How did that happen?

[Rockymaya]

WE were on Equinox in January and loved it.Sailed with Princess twice and would never do it again.

[midwestchick]

WE were on Equinox in January and loved it.Sailed with Princess twice and would never do it again.

 

 

What didn't you like about Princess?

[Cruise Raider]

Agree, to each their own. We much prefer the upbeat, lively atmosphere offered on other lines. Again, we enjoyed the cruise and may do it again some day.

 

That actually surprises me a bit. We definitely had different experiences ... both on Celebrity and on Princess. Glad to hear you enjoyed the cruise, though. We sure did have a spectacular cruise on this latest sailing.

I didn't really think I was going to enjoy the itinerary nearly as much as I did.

[Cindy]

We were on this same cruise and had a different experience .... but as always, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. What one person likes may not be the same for others. Sorry your cruise experience wasn't stellar.

We also sail a quite a bit on Princess, mainly because they sail on the west coast year around, but prefer Celebrity for what it offers. It just fits our cruising style so much better than any other line.

 

Agree, to each their own. We much prefer the upbeat, lively atmosphere offered on other lines. Again, we enjoyed the cruise and may do it again some day.

 

We also had a very different experience than the OP on the Equinox in March. We loved almost everything about the trip, and wouldn't hesitate to cruise on the Equinox again.

 

Our most recent Princess cruise was in December on the Caribbean Princess, and that was one of our least favorite experiences. We had several problems with our cabin, and to me the ship seemed "tired" compared to the Equinox.

 

I think a lot is circumstantial. A cruise experience is very personal, and can be affected by cabin selection, staff you interact with, and weather as well as personal preferences. I wouldn't rule Princess out based on one so-so experience, nor would I claim any line to be best based on a single sailing.

[prish]

To the OP and others who recently sailed on the Equinox, were you able to cash out OBC at the casino? From what I read on these boards on some ships you only get special chips at the casino when you use your OBC though on some sailings people have still been able to get cash. Was just wondering how it was on the Equinox, we'll be sailing on her in three weeks time:)

[whitecap]

To the OP and others who recently sailed on the Equinox, were you able to cash out OBC at the casino? From what I read on these boards on some ships you only get special chips at the casino when you use your OBC though on some sailings people have still been able to get cash. Was just wondering how it was on the Equinox, we'll be sailing on her in three weeks time:)

 

Sorry, no experience with that so can not answer.

[whitecap]

That actually surprises me a bit. We definitely had different experiences ... both on Celebrity and on Princess. Glad to hear you enjoyed the cruise, though. We sure did have a spectacular cruise on this latest sailing.

I didn't really think I was going to enjoy the itinerary nearly as much as I did.

 

We also had a very different experience than the OP on the Equinox in March. We loved almost everything about the trip, and wouldn't hesitate to cruise on the Equinox again.

 

Our most recent Princess cruise was in December on the Caribbean Princess, and that was one of our least favorite experiences. We had several problems with our cabin, and to me the ship seemed "tired" compared to the Equinox.

 

I think a lot is circumstantial. A cruise experience is very personal, and can be affected by cabin selection, staff you interact with, and weather as well as personal preferences. I wouldn't rule Princess out based on one so-so experience, nor would I claim any line to be best based on a single sailing.

 

Agree 100% that each cruise is a personal experience. And just as a note, we have had some "bad", "strange" and "bazar" experiences on Princess...an example was the 14 day cruise we showed up for, told embarkation was delayed until 6pm due to extensive cleaning regarding Noro; 6pm no embarkation now delayed until 10pm; 10pm embarkation, next day Captain announces more cases of Noro; next day has gotten worse; next day told that it had become so bad the ship had been ordered back to Ft. Lauderdale. Never made a port just sailed in a circle. First time sailing on Caribbean Princess walked into room and found bathroom disgusting, mold in many places. Point is, it happens on every cruise line. As long as the crew responds and rectifies the issues, you move on and enjoy being on the sea. I would never say that we would never sail Celebrity or the Equinox again because our first experience was wonderful.

[buchananglasgow]

I am not from the USA , can you explain what the difference is between Gelato and Ice-Cream . We are sailing on Equinox in Feb to New Orleans and the Mardi Gras. It will be our first trip on a celebrity ship.

[midwestchick]

I am not from the USA , can you explain what the difference is between Gelato and Ice-Cream . We are sailing on Equinox in Feb to New Orleans and the Mardi Gras. It will be our first trip on a celebrity ship.

 

 

Gelato is the Italian word for ice cream and the true Italian ice cream is wonderful.

[sbt518]

I am not from the USA , can you explain what the difference is between Gelato and Ice-Cream . We are sailing on Equinox in Feb to New Orleans and the Mardi Gras. It will be our first trip on a celebrity ship.

 

I just googled this definition "Gelato is the Italian word for ice cream. It starts out with a similar custard base as ice cream, but has a higher proportion of milk and a lower proportion of cream and eggs (or no eggs at all). It is churned at a much slower rate, incorporating less air and leaving the gelato denser than ice cream" from The Kitchn.com

 

There really is a difference between TRUE gelato (Italian or not) and ice cream but it is not as pronounced on board the X ships as it is at a gelateria. I did enjoy my free scoop of gelato that I got with my captains club coupons and the affogato I had with the premium beverage package but I probably would not buy gelato on board. I'd just stick with the free ice cream in the buffet.

[Jerzy Traveler]

I am not from the USA , can you explain what the difference is between Gelato and Ice-Cream . We are sailing on Equinox in Feb to New Orleans and the Mardi Gras. It will be our first trip on a celebrity ship.

 

 

In the US, gelato has less fat and more sugar. It also has less air and more flavoring. It has a deeper richness and is more dense than American ice cream.

[2Fltravelers]

WE were on Equinox in January and loved it.Sailed with Princess twice and would never do it again.

 

We are booked for Jan 2017 on the Equinox for the 4th time. While we have cruised with Princess before we were never "thrilled" but did take a 10 day on the Royal in January with friends who are Platinum on Princess (we are Ruby). The service was the worst we ever experienced in 25 cruises. It was the "no to everything" cruise- literally. It was so bad that our friends asked us to book the Equinox instead for January so it wasn't just us. That said, we may consider another cruise with Princess but learned some valuable lessons. Still, our line of choice is Celebrity.

[SevenSeas1492]

We, too, were on this Equinox sailing. We thoroughly enjoyed the cruise, everything from the service to the food in the main dining room with no major complaints. We ate at the Tuscan Grill once and found the food to be excellent. The only real negative would be the Internet. They were rolling out the new "faster" internet, and we were able to get unlimited use for $139 with our Elite discount. Most of the time, I honestly could see very little difference from the old Internet, sometimes just giving up on a page to load. When I asked the computer guy about it, he said it was because there were so many people on it! Really?? There was no way I could have ever streamed anything using this internet as they were promoting!

 

The excursion to the Panama Canal, where you observed the working canal and got to see the expansion was a memorable trip. We saw absolutely no mosquitos, although we slathered ourselves in repellent. In several of the places we went, the tour guides said that it just hadn't been rainy enough yet. All in all, a great, memorable cruise.

[Cruise Raider]

We, too, were on this Equinox sailing. We thoroughly enjoyed the cruise, everything from the service to the food in the main dining room with no major complaints. We ate at the Tuscan Grill once and found the food to be excellent. The only real negative would be the Internet. They were rolling out the new "faster" internet, and we were able to get unlimited use for $139 with our Elite discount. Most of the time, I honestly could see very little difference from the old Internet, sometimes just giving up on a page to load. When I asked the computer guy about it, he said it was because there were so many people on it! Really?? There was no way I could have ever streamed anything using this internet as they were promoting!

 

The excursion to the Panama Canal, where you observed the working canal and got to see the expansion was a memorable trip. We saw absolutely no mosquitos, although we slathered ourselves in repellent. In several of the places we went, the tour guides said that it just hadn't been rainy enough yet. All in all, a great, memorable cruise.

 

We had very good luck with the new internet service on this cruise. I noticed an improvement of a hundred fold over what it used to be. I wasn't doing anything particularly complicated, though and no streaming ... just checking my emails and checking into my flight and private tour reservations we had in Cartagena. Maybe I just picked unpopular times to use it but I thought it was greatly improved.

 

We also loved the Panama Canal excursion and ours also included Fort San Lorenzo. We saw mosquitoes there, in Cartagena at that little zoo and in Costa Rica where we visited a banana plantation, so lots of standing water around. We were all slathered up with our bug repellent as well so never suffered any bites. I cannot remember if it was in Costa Rica or in Panama but the tour guide mentioned no zika has been reported there or in the surrounding areas, although there are other diseases carried by those darned little buggers. Anyhow, the highlight of the whole cruise was seeing the canals -- current and new with being there to watch 2 large ships entering the chambers of the Gatun locks. The entire trip was worth it to see that alone!!