Equinox and the ABC's

[Duanerice1]

Loved the cruise!  Was a bit worried about the Equinox as it is near “revolution” time but it was in great shape.  Couldn’t tell it’s been around for as long as it has.  This was our 3^rd sailing on her and just as good as the first.

 

This was a 10 night Southern Caribbean sail on October 5 which included Grand Cayman, Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire and Key West.  It was our first time to the ABC’s.  We will be back.  This was also the first time that we were the only ship in port at each port.  But the bad part was we hit Grand Cayman on a Sunday and Curacao on a National Holiday so everything was pretty much closed in both places.

 

TRAVEL

We usually stay at the La Quinta East in Miami and get a room, 10 nights parking and a minor breakfast for right over $100.  Even though we live 2 ½ hrs away we still like to go over a day early.  Next morning went for a run the hopped on the 11AM shuttle.  We got right through security and check in but they were just boarding suites when we got into the terminal.  Only waited about 10 minutes until we could board.  Considering they had an inspection that morning things went smooth. 

 

CABIN

This is the first time we haven’t had a CC or above cabin and it was fine.  Had a 1A, 7286, first off the back of the hump.  Loved the big balcony.  It allowed me to stay out there when the sun was up and when it was raining.  Usually balconies get too hot for me in the sun.  We also loved the location.  Never been on a deck that low but it was nice as we were only a few decks from dinner, casino, good coffee, etc.  

 

FOOD

We pretty much had dinner in the MDR every night but two I think and those we ate in the buffet.  Not a fan of “pay more for dinner” i.e. specialty restaurants.  For us it’s just not needed.  The MDR was good.  Had a nice 2 top by the railing every night as we tend to eat early so always got the same table.  Food was good.  Was everything fantastic, heck no but we liked most everything.  We ate a couple of times in the buffet.  It was good but I am not a buffet fan at all.  They did have small steaks, fish and chicken that they would grill to order.  Very good.  Oh and the breakfast buffet, only went twice, was very good.   Wish I had went more – lol

 

We also order room service at least once a day.  If it’s a port day we’ll get breakfast delivered at a predetermined time.  If a sea day, we wait until we (my wife) gets up then order.  We also ordered lunch once in a while. They have a fantastic club sandwich and a very good chicken sandwich.  And surprisingly the fries in room service are great.  Beware.

 

DRINKS

We both had the beverage package even though I don’t drink alcohol.  My wife lived on Frozen Toasted Almond drinks.  Kind of like a mudslide with just a slight variation of ingredients.  I pretty much had water, Diet Coke and coffee.  We always got a can of Coke and plastic straws. The regular coffee is pretty good, much improved.  But, it’s nice going to the coffee bar and grabbing a nice cup of joe.

Edited October 21, 2018 by Duanerice1

[Duanerice1]

ISLANDS 

We picked the cruise because we’ve never been to the ABC’s.  They didn’t disappoint.

 

Grand Cayman: We’ve been there plenty of times so this time we just walked down to Eden Rock to go snorkeling.  Well the waves were too high to get in so we walked a bit further to Sunrise Dive shop I think it was.  They have an easy way to get in so we snorkeled there.  Unfortunately because the water was rough and there was a storm off the coast the snorkeling wasn’t very good.   Walked back to town but many of the shops were closed because it was 1) a Sunday and 2) we were the only ship in port. 

 

Aruba: We rented a car for 11:30 from Royal.  Just a bit about Royal.  The car was nice and the people were very nice.  But they did show up 15 min late even though every other car rental place had people at the port.  Wouldn’t be an issue but we docked early and ended up waiting almost an hour.  The good part is you are waiting right next to DI and they have Wifi.  We had to pay cash for late drop off and needed to pick an exact time for drop off (guess what, they were late too).  The car had less than 1/8 tank of gas so we had to hunt for a gas station which is not easy to do on Aruba.  We won’t use Royal next time.

 

Since we docked at 11:00 AM and the stores close at 6:00 PM we decided to walk around the shops first, grab lunch back on the ship then go touring.  Worked out great.  Started by going down to Baby beach then took the back roads up to the lighthouse.    Baby Beach was beautiful.  Not great snorkeling but a nice place to swim or just play in the water.  We also went to Arashi Beach up by the lighthouse and it was like swimming in an aquarium.  Wow!  We hit a couple of more places, drove by the hotel zones then headed back.  Aruba is not a pretty island, lots of scrubs and cactus.  Most people that love Aruba pretty much stay in the hotel zones and enjoy the beach and local restaurants.   Went back on board, had dinner then met the car guys at 8PM.  We walked around town just a bit checking out any stores that were open and the casinos. 

 

Curacao: My favorite of the islands.  Again rented a car, this time from Advantage Car Rental.  What a great experience.  He was on time, had a nice car filled with gas, a map with stops highlighted, a GPS with all the highlighted stops pre programed and a cell phone to call when we wanted to bring the car back.  Compared with Royal I was blown away. 

 

First stop was  Playa Grandi for the turtles.  Wow!  At first I was wondering because there were a few fish and nothing else.  Then all of a sudden there were 5 or 6 large turtles around us.  I’ve never seen turtles this big in the water before.  It was fantastic.  After about 45 minutes the place was starting to get a bit crowded so we left.  On the way out there were a couple of tour groups and a bunch of cars coming in.  We stopped at a couple of more places on the way back towards town and the snorkeling was fabulous.  We drove around a bit and really liked Curacao as it had some mountains, trees, and the road were OK.  Then it started to pour so we gassed up and brought the car back.  We walked over to go shopping but everything was closed due to the holiday.

 

Bonaire: Best snorkeling I’ve ever done and we’ve been all over.  Before we left I was debating between the Woodwind tour or just taking the ferry out to the island.  We ended up deciding on the tour but next time we will just take the ferry.  We had a full boat but it didn't seem crowded at all.  Very nice boat.  We sailed up the coast a bit while they got everyone a drink then fitted for masks and fins.  We had our own and just used their fins.  They even have prescription masks if needed.  

 

Dee broke us up into 3 groups.  We were in the first group and were soon in the water.  What can I say.  It was fantastic.  Not just the fish but the coral was amazing.  Unfortunately our guide was filling in for someone and he didn't point out anything.  Heard from the other groups about how much their guides pointed out.  But it was still great.  We were actually in the water for about and hour which was plenty.  For some reason I thought we had another stop but it was not to be.  On the way back the fed us a nice lunch, you can see pictures online.  

 

I would do it again in a heartbeat but maybe not with Woodwind.  Nothing wrong with them, they were fantastic.  But it takes about 3 1/2 hours and $55 each to get in 1 hour of snorkeling.  I think next time we will just jump on the ferry and snorkel on our own.  If you are not experienced, by all means go with them.  If you are experienced it is very easy to do the same snorkel on your own.

 

After we finished I went for a swim as the water, even by the dock was beautiful.  I couldn't resist.  We then walked to the shops in town which are about 1/2 mile away at most.  Not the most shops but my wife managed to buy some costume jewelry and some salt.  There are also shops right next to the pier.

Overall a good day.  Next time I think we will grab an early ferry, snorkel, then grab some transportation to check out the island.  I couldn't go here without snorkeling though.  Some of the best in the world!

 

Key West: We had to go through immigration on the ship.  Everyone is given a time to go but I went early so I could get off the ship and it was empty.  Heard it was empty most of the morning.  Basically walked right through with a 15 second stop to show my passport. I got off and went for a run then came back to shower and go out shopping.  Having been to Key West many times we just walked around a bit then went back on the ship. 

Edited October 21, 2018 by Duanerice1

[Duanerice1]

ENTERTAINMENT

Overall I thought it was pretty good.  The cast had some very good singers and some that were OK.  We liked most of the shows.  Some of the guest entertainers and comedians were fantastic, a couple were just OK but that’s to be expected. 

 

LEAVING

Embarkation was a breeze.  We decided to take our own bags even though we had many.  We initially had a time of 9:25 since we are driving.  I hate that as you sit around for over an hour.  So we left at 7AM instead.  Went to deck 5 and walked right off, no lines at all.  Since we cleared immigration in Key West we just walked through Customs.  No Customs, no declaration, nothing.  It was awesome.  We caught an Lyft back to the hotel, had a light breakfast and were back home around 10:00 AM

 

Loved the cruise.  We really liked the timing of the ports too.  Sea day, Grand Cayman, sea day, ABC’s then 2 sea days then Key West then home.  We both had the Classic drink package which was more than enough for us.  Wife doesn’t really drink wine nor does she care for martinis so it didn’t pay to upgrade  We also got $650 OBC which basically covered gratuities and she took cash out for the casino.  Or actually put it on her card.  First cruise in a while that they didn’t have a buy $400 get $40 free or similar.  She said it isn’t on every cruise. 

 

The one issue I have about this cruise and others is there is nothing to do in the evening.   If you don’t want to hang at the bar or the casino there isn’t much to do.  So, many nights after the show then  “depositing” (our joke) my wife in the casino I’d change clothes and maybe go to the gym but always hit one of the hot tubs.  Best time to go in, no one there.  I’d shower off, change then go meet her. 

 

Had a fantastic trip, met some nice people and can’t wait to go back

Edited October 21, 2018 by Duanerice1

[oneputt18]

Thanks for the review, our favorite ship. We will be back on her in a month for the 6th time. Equinox has aged gracefully!

[Mr. Boston]

Thanks for your excellent review. We’re doing a similar itinerary on the Silhouette in February minus Key West. I’m trying to decide what to do in Curaçao, the last time, we took a ship sponsored tour to Blue Bay Resort and we really enjoyed the snorkeling there. Are the roads easy to navigate in Curaçao?

[Duanerice1]

1 minute ago, Mr. Boston said:

Thanks for your excellent review. We’re doing a similar itinerary on the Silhouette in February minus Key West. I’m trying to decide what to do in Curaçao, the last time, we took a ship sponsored tour to Blue Bay Resort and we really enjoyed the snorkeling there. Are the roads easy to navigate in Curaçao?

Real easy to navigate.  Go with Advanced and they have a GPS - you can't get lost.  Overall the roads are decent, no issues driving.  This way you can be the first to see the turtles, go see the Flamingo's, stop and snorkel where you want.  We love renting a car and we aren't kids, both in our 60's.  Usually cheaper than an excursion for 2. 

 

[davekathy]

Thanks for taking us along on your cruise. 

[tarps]

Thank you for taking the time to post this review.   We will be doing the same (minus Key West) itinerary in February on the Silhouette as well.   

I was especially pleased to hear that you enjoyed your cabin as we have the same one booked for  B2B for 2019 and 2020.   I also like to sit in the shade and often can’t find one on the pool decks, especially on sea days.....and a quick 2 flights down to Cafe al Bacio for a morning cappuccino!    We have been in 1As before but never with the bed by the balcony as this one is......how did you like that? 

[Duanerice1]

10 hours ago, tarps said:

Thank you for taking the time to post this review.   We will be doing the same (minus Key West) itinerary in February on the Silhouette as well.   

I was especially pleased to hear that you enjoyed your cabin as we have the same one booked for  B2B for 2019 and 2020.   I also like to sit in the shade and often can’t find one on the pool decks, especially on sea days.....and a quick 2 flights down to Cafe al Bacio for a morning cappuccino!    We have been in 1As before but never with the bed by the balcony as this one is......how did you like that? 

We prefer to have the bed by the balcony.  The cabin just seems a lot bigger when you walk in and when getting ready.  You have the bathroom and closet right there but we could go either way.  We do try to go with the bed at the balcony as a first choice.  And yea, 2 flights to Cafe al Bacio was really nice!

[tarps]

Thanks so much....looking forward to enjoying this cruise, a nice coffee on the balcony and a glass on wine out there in the evening.

[AUPilot14]

Also my favorite ship I've been on, though I'm not exactly a seasoned cruiser. We enjoyed Equinox so much, we booked again for the other route next summer! 

[micheleata]

Great review.   We did the same itinerary in Sept and loved it.  Working on my review now.    We plan on doing the same one next year in Sept or Oct.

[NateUpNorth]

Quick questions if I may?

 

Bonaire - depth of reef? current drift was too fast, too slow, or just right? 

Curacao - Playa Grandi, was there an entry fee to use the beach, or just walk right in? How far from the port is it?

 

Thanks in advance! 

[Duanerice1]

1 hour ago, NateUpNorth said:

Quick questions if I may?

 

Bonaire - depth of reef? current drift was too fast, too slow, or just right? 

Curacao - Playa Grandi, was there an entry fee to use the beach, or just walk right in? How far from the port is it?

 

Thanks in advance! 

Bonaire - the reef slants down away from shore so it can be as deep or shallow as you want.  We were probably in about 15' of water.  You want it deep enough so you don't hit the coral when you stop.   The drift wasn't fast at all.  By no need do you need fins but we used them since they were there.  Didn't use any vests.  So I say the drift is about just right.

 

Playa Grandi was about 20 minutes away I think.  Might be more as we explored on the way there and on the way back.  No fee.  Two spots to get in, the first is up on the hill and you have to walk down stairs to get to the beach.  If you go just a bit further down the road (200 yards) there is another entrance and you can drive right to the beach.  It was amazing and we've swam with turtles before.  

 

enjoy

 

[LadyDivot]

Thanks for the great review. I'm late reading it. We're on the same itinerary on the Silhouette in February with no Key West. Do you happen to remember which nights were the Evening Chic dress code? TIA

 

Pam

[LadyDivot]

Duane,

 

I forgot to ask you what camera you used for your pics. Just beautiful. Especially the one that appears to be an underwater shot. 

 

Thanks...Pam

 

[chemmo]

Thanks for the review we revisit Equinox in September (after refit), our third visit too.

 

Ordering room service lunch was something we had never done until two cruises ago when I had some mobility issues....We really enjoyed. It arrived hot and tasty, the fries were really good as you say! So nice some days to avoid the buffet and just relax on your balcony...

[lola2013]

I am also late to this party...I just booked this itinerary for May, 2020.  I had wanted to do Bermuda on Summit, but the itinerary changed so it's back to Equinox, a ship I've been on twice before.  This will, however, be my first solo cruise in many years.  I think I'll feel comfortable as a single  "going home." 

I was able to score a very generous OBC and pre-paid gratuities so will probably use OBC for excursions...most beach trips.

Since I don't drink, that seems like a good use of my OBC.

Thanks for the review and beautiful pictures.

 

[dkjretired]

Good review, we did that same cruise in 17 except for Key West, they substituted Jamaica because of the Hurricane.  We also were the only ship in port at every port and that was really nice.  We had never been to ABCs except Aruba for our Honeymoon many years ago.