A Suite Review w/Photos - Celebrity Equinox - Western Caribbean 7/14-21/18

[rollie]

We’re doing this same cruise in a sky suite in December. Just love your review, and looking forward to more.

 

Rollie

[Silkroad]

Yummmmmm:D You’re making me reconsider Tuscan Grille. We’ve had very uneven experiences there, but perhaps they’re on their best game again;p Your hamachi looked great too! Thanks for taking the time to post your review.

[pnsnkr]

July 17th: Costa Maya

Like Key West, this was a new cruise stop to us. There are quite a few ruins ruins accessible from here, including Tulum. We'd visited Tulum on a previous trip to Akumal and while we found it educational and enjoyable, it was still a bit hot during midday even in January. So, we shelved any ideas for ruins visits on this trip and instead sought out beach and snorkeling activity. After considerable research by DW, we picked Almaplena Eco resort & beach club. It is an all-inclusive resort with beach access to the reef and is about a 30min cab ride from the cruise port. The roundtrip cab fare is included in the quoted price. They only have a limited number of reservations for day-trippers.

On the previous night, due to post-dinner stupor-induced misinterpretation of DW's instructions to reach the resort, I'd set the alarm to an hour later than what would have given us a decent time at the resort, considering that we had to walk all the way out to the port entrance to catch a yellow cab. And it was a decent walk from the ship to the port. By the time we reached the resort and settled in our beach chair, it was already just past noon, giving us 3.5hrs at the beach. There was another couple from our cruise who'd been there since 9a. While that would most certainly be too early for us, we could have easily managed to stay there for 5hrs, because the first thought in our mind as soon as we saw this gorgeously beautiful nook nestled between the jungle and the ocean was that we needed more time.

 

The host greeted us and gave an introduction of the place, informed us that lunch would be served but to give a 1/2 hr headsup. He then took our drink order and escorted us out to the beach. There were only about 7-8 couples spread out and we were able to pick from quite a few choices for a set of beach chairs. All of them were well shaded. We placed our request for lunch when the drinks were served and were informed that food would be ready in about 1/2hr. In about as much time, the appetizer arrived, consisting of cheese-and-beans nachos and guacamole dip. I requested for picante salsa and received a really fruity yet potent cup of habanero salsa. It was quite flavorful with a sweat-inducing slow-burn without really scorching the tongue; just my style of a hot sauce. BTW, please tread very cautiously with this salsa; we are seasoned hot-sauce connoisseurs. The only warning we received was, "careful, eh?"

The guacamole tasted very fresh and recently made and provided the appropriate soothing contrast to the salsa; and, the tortillas seemed homemade and were crunchy

 

A few minutes later, we were served steak tacos and a really tangy and flavorful tomatillo sauce. The steak was soft though lukewarm; and then followed by shrimp tacos.

Prior to the cruise, we received an advisory regarding seaweed problem on the beach. We were on email communication with the host on this topic and still decided to proceed with our visit. Upon arrival, the host reminded us once again of the seaweed problem. We noticed that they were quite proactive in sweeping the beach and collecting the seaweed. There was no discernible smell because of their pro-activeness. We'd later come to find out that the seaweed deposit extended all along the coast as up north as Cozumel.

The beach still remained quite accessible with only about a foot or two of seaweed to wade through. We went out snorkeling immediately after lunch to explore the reef. The reef was quite alive and decent for one that is right off the beach. We heard our neighbors mentioned that they spotted a stingray, a puffer fish, and a horseshoe crab.

 

Before long it was time for us to return to the ship. The host had arranged for the same cab driver who'd dropped us earlier to come pick us back up and he was punctual. We felt safe during the cab drive. We'd definitely visit this place again when on our next Costa Maya itinerary.

[pnsnkr]

Enjoying your review and pictures!

 

Thank you.

Wow, looked a wonderful meal

 

 

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There's more on the way

[pnsnkr]

Celebrity loves to marry lobster with citrus and it has been my pleasure to enjoy it that way many times. The lobster salad in luminae is my favorite.

 

 

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Speaking of lobster...I have something coming on that for the second chic night dinner.

[pnsnkr]

What a wonderful review. I'm drooling at everything.

 

Yep, I know exactly what you mean.

Excited for more of your review. We will be on the Eastern itinerary on 8/4! This is our first Celebrity cruise.

 

More on their way, with a few more days to go. Welcome to Celebrity! Wishing you a wonderful cruise, enjoy!

[pnsnkr]

We’re doing this same cruise in a sky suite in December. Just love your review, and looking forward to more.

 

Rollie

 

Thank you. More on their way.

Yummmmmm:D You’re making me reconsider Tuscan Grille. We’ve had very uneven experiences there, but perhaps they’re on their best game again;p Your hamachi looked great too! Thanks for taking the time to post your review.

 

We've also noticed inconsistencies from ship to ship but it's always been good vs great and luckily, nothing bad yet at the Tuscan Grille.

[LIMPIT]

Thanks for your Costa Maya excursion photos and report that I found most interesting.

We are on WC trip on Equinox in April and have booked Maya Chan, a similar style resort that you probably came across in your research.

Food looks great.

The Sargassum Sea Weed is a major problem across the Caribbean right now, we were in Barbados in April and it was awful and visiting Dominican Republic in September and reports/photos from people on Forums are reporting similar issues, such a terrible shame.

 

 

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[Maven3]

Thanks for your Costa Maya excursion photos and report that I found most interesting.

We are on WC trip on Equinox in April and have booked Maya Chan, a similar style resort that you probably came across in your research.

Food looks great.

The Sargassum Sea Weed is a major problem across the Caribbean right now, we were in Barbados in April and it was awful and visiting Dominican Republic in September and reports/photos from people on Forums are reporting similar issues, such a terrible shame.

 

 

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My DD & I went to Maya Chan in February. We had a great time and will go back next time we are in Costa Maya. I do not think it is as fancy as the resort the OP went to, but it worked for us. They did a great job keeping the seaweed cleaned up & the staff was very friendly. The food was more of a buffet style. There was a woman cooking tacos (several meats & options). They were awesome. It is quite a walk out of the port, then a couple more blocks to the pick up stop. On the way back to the ship, they dropped us right at the port. I thought it was well worth the price.

 

 

Vickie

[LIMPIT]

Hi Vickie, thanks for your comments

 

 

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[Provence55always]

Thanks so much for a wonderful detailed trip report.....really enjoying.

 

We will be on the Equinox same itinerary in January. We are doing a B2B so EC and WC.

 

Noreen

[KKB]

Anxiously awaiting more with 72 hours until our embarkation (OK, maybe 73...)!!

[darleean]

Anxiously awaiting more with 72 hours until our embarkation (OK, maybe 73...)!!

 

We fly down to FL tomorrow!! 6am flight! Ready to get this much needed vacation started!!!

[sxyshell]

Yep, I know exactly what you mean.

 

More on their way, with a few more days to go. Welcome to Celebrity! Wishing you a wonderful cruise, enjoy!

 

Thank you! We are really looking forward to experiencing a different cruise line;)

[cruisehome]

looking forward to more of your review

[riclop]

Thanks for the report.

[pnsnkr]

July 17th: Special Dinner

The cab driver dropped us off right at the pier, saving us a few yards of walking and we headed straight to our room from our memorable jaunt to the beach resort, of course enjoying the special welcome ceremony that Celebrity throws to everyone who returns from shore excursions - only a welcome mimosa was missing. Seriously though, we take the few little things for granted that are not afforded to our cruising friends on other lines. For instance, the folks returning to Carnival Dream docked beside us. But first, we play the elevator roulette. Which banks of elevator to take to beat the crowd.

We bid farewell to Costa Maya by breaking open our 'welcome aboard' bottle of Celebrity-labeled sparkling wine.

 

We were looking forward to our special dinner on this night. When we researched Luminae on this site, we came upon a thread titled 'Ordering custom food from luminae' and this concept piqued our interest. During our last cruise on RCCL Liberty, we had an amazing dining staff at the MDR who were more than enthusiastic to bring us specially cooked food when we hinted to them about our penchant for spicy food. So when we learnt that Celebrity offered such services at Luminae as a perk given advance notice, we put this one to test. On the previous night, we inquired about special order meals to the Maitre D' who promptly checked and confirmed that the chef was really thrilled to receive such a request and that he'd have a special meal prepared for us the next day.

We arrived at dinner and were directed to an open window seat. After the initial pleasantries, water preference, and glass of champagne, we let Edwin know that we'd arranged for a special meal for tonite. He checked with the kitchen staff and confirmed that the chef was ready and preparing our food.

And the show began.

Edwin brought us our amuse bouche. Didn't really remember what he called it but it was spicy, crunchy and filled with cheese. A good start to what was to come.

 

The appetizer was stuffed pakoras. The intensely flavorful dough that was bursting with aromas of various spices perfectly blended together with the potato and onion to create complex layers of savoriness was quite gratifying. This night had potential! For we are highly critical and discerning aficionados of authentic Indian food. Snobs, really.

 

 

Eventually after we cleaned up the plate, savoring every bite and smacking our lips, it was time for the main courses. An Indian wait staff was commissioned specifically to escort the meal so he could explain the various dishes set in front of us - a duo of chicken and lamb curries, papads, roti, pulao rice, and pickles(!)

 

 

By the time we were done with the feast, we were bursting at the seams, relishing the very last bite. Edwin visited us and gave a satisfying nod at the empty plates and offered to introduce the chef Jayesh, to us. We jumped at the offer and met a very amiable, soft-spoken, native of Goa. Goa! Vindaloo, our favorite Indian dish! We sheepishly hinted at another night - this time with sweat-inducing-smack-your-face hot-and-spicy rendition - of south-Indian food and Jayesh jumped at the offer. He was going to surprise us with the choice of protein to go with it as well as prepare another south-Indian dish. We were in heaven and profusely thanked the chef and let him know that we'd be eagerly looking forward to another amazing round of specialty dining at Luminae

 

 

None of the desserts on offer sounded appealing at this point and so we headed out to the Cafe to cap the night off with yet another favorite of ours - Affogato.

 

 

Cloud nine, and time for bed.

 

Edited July 26, 2018 by pnsnkr
choice of words

[pnsnkr]

July 18th: Cozumel

We've been to Cozumel and couple of times on RCCL itineraries from Galveston, TX. The first time around we to a private beach resort not too far from the port. The beach was fine but the service was just good and nothing memorable. For the second visit, DW discovered the Cozumel Bar Hop Tour that takes you over to the remote windward side of the island and visit four of the finest local establishments that serve local and authentic seafood and libations. And in general, to have a very good time. Our kind of shore excursion. We were totally immersed in this experience the first time around that it was our obvious choice for this time to a point where we were really looking forward to it.

The tour begins at Senor Frogs opposite the other cruise terminal, so we took a quick cab ride there after standing in taxi line at the busy port for a minor eternity. Our guide for the day was the soft-spoken but wickedly sharp-witted Colleen who had emigrated to Mexico from Canada when she was 19 and has been a denizen of the island ever since. At the start of the tour, she checked for returning customers amongst us and promptly christened us the 'fo-ho's - former-hoppers. I shall leave it to your imagination for what the first-time hoppers were christened. This was already getting off to a very good start. While on our 20-min drive, she gave us a quick introduction and history of the island intertwined with a bit of her own history on it that made for a very educational, yet entertaining commentary.

Before long, we arrived at the first stop - Punta Morena. It's a sprawled out on one of the best sandy outcrops on this side of the island, of course, with the usual trappings of tourist shops that you need to wade through to reach the bar. Their specialty drink of which we received a complimentary pour is called the Mayan Sacrifice, made with local Mayan honey liqueur called Xtabentun. We recalled this drink quite vividly from our first visit and loved it so much that we had a full pour of it. Colleen also informed us that the local delicacy was the lobster quesadilla but that it wasn't on the menu. So, we ordered it. They were so delicious and paired perfectly with the drink

They also offer in-seat neck massage as well as full massage services albeit a bit expensive at $45 for a 20min session. DW splurged and had a neck message that was quite relaxing while invigorating. We get about 50min at each stop before we head over to the next.

It didn't take long for the allotted time to evaporate and we were back on the shuttle for our next stop

[pnsnkr]

July 18th: Cozumel continued

It was a short drive to Coconuts, our next stop. This bar has the distinction of being the highest point on the island, so it took a short brisk hike to reach it from the road. Due to its perch, it offers an amazing view of the coastline and the ocean.

 

 

 

The air was quite stagnant, hot and extremely humid and so we returned to our a/c shuttle well before the end of the allotted. time.

 

After a short drive, we arrived at Playa Bonita, located in a really rundown and dilapidated structure that is one-brick short of qualifying for an authentic Mexican ruin status. There used to be a beach here, but has been long washed away from the previous hurricane and now left with a murky brown seaweed infested waterfront. However, the food and drinks are to die for - well, maybe wrong choice of words given the delicate structures surrounding us, but you get the gist. The drinks come here in a few sizes: regular (double), medium (pictured below), large, and then insane ( $99 ) We ordered a medium Margarita and a grilled whole grouper to share.

 

 

The grouper was day-caught fresh, and absolutely delicious. It was so good that we didn't eat anything else on the plate.

 

 

Our final stop was the Rastasi, a Bob-Marley inspired establishment on the beach.

 

 

We ordered the coconut shrimp and is was quite delicious. The drinks were very good as well, though I don't remember their specialty drink that is featured in the picture below

 

 

After our final stop, we received our 'fo-ho' t-shirt and 'fo-ho' buttons, and were dropped back at the International Pier. Overall, another fun-filled and memorable visit to the other side of the island.

Edited July 26, 2018 by pnsnkr

[pnsnkr]

Thanks so much for a wonderful detailed trip report.....really enjoying.

 

We will be on the Equinox same itinerary in January. We are doing a B2B so EC and WC.

 

Noreen

 

You are welcome. Enjoy your cruise!

Anxiously awaiting more with 72 hours until our embarkation (OK, maybe 73...)!!

 

Unfortunately, day job is getting in the way and so I gotta do this in installments. There's just one more cruise stop to go and then a sea-day before I wrap up. Let's see if I can wrap it up before your embarkation.

[pnsnkr]

looking forward to more of your review

 

Thank you.

 

Thanks for the report.

 

You are most welcome.

[LIMPIT]

Thanks for the Bar Hop Report, we also have pre booked this for next April on our WC Cruise aboard the Equinox, looks fun.

 

 

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[pnsnkr]

Thanks for the Bar Hop Report, we also have pre booked this for next April on our WC Cruise aboard the Equinox, looks fun.

 

 

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Yes, it was a blast. Hope you enjoy is as much as we did.

[KKB]

Is it cozumelbarhop.com?

We have done Nachi Cochum twice & love it but this sounds like a good option for next time...or maybe forget about NC & do it this time!

[pnsnkr]

Is it cozumelbarhop.com?

We have done Nachi Cochum twice & love it but this sounds like a good option for next time...or maybe forget about NC & do it this time!

 

Yes, that's the one.