Equinox review April 20, Western Caribbean

[CruiserFromMaine]

We sailed on the Equinox on April 20 in the Western Caribbean. I posted this same review in the review section of CC but I thought I’d post it here as well. If you have questions let me know and I’ll try to answer them. 

 

We took a western Caribbean cruise on the Equinox in April and had a very enjoyable cruise. 

 

Embarkation 

Embarkation was easy and we were on quickly. We ignored the suggested embarkation times in Celebrity’s email. Getting a glass of bubbly when you get on is great. The terminal area was crowded with five large ships turning around that day. 

 

The cabin/suite experience

We had a S1 corner aft Sky Suite. It was our first time in a suite on Celebrity and we enjoyed the extra space in the suite and the somewhat larger balcony. The bathroom has a tub/shower with a curtain, not a glass door. We prefer a glass door. Only one sink in the bathroom and it was a little tight for space. The rainfall shower head was about 6 feet and 1 inch high so that was tight too. Plenty of storage space but short on hangar space and hangars. The room didn’t stay very cool at night. The sitting area inside was spacious. Since we were in the aft, we felt the aft thrusters on early morning port arrivals and it was hard to sleep through that. Otherwise it was very quiet. The seas were extremely calm so there was no ocean-motion to speak of at all. 

 

Our butler and room attendant performed well and our butler gave us a tray of cheese and crackers every afternoon and replaced our bottle of sparkling wine when we ran out. 

 

We went to Michael’s Club as suite guests a few times. It was nice, and quiet, but there was no wow factor there. We would not recommend booking a suite just to get into the Cub. Nobody there ever asked if we were allowed into the Club, we just walked in. 

 

Priority tendering was nice in Grand Cayman. 

 

Food and beverage 

Dining and wine are important elements of a vacation to us. Celebrity did an overall very good job here. We ate in Luminae as suite guests and the food there ranged from good to excellent. The seared scallops on the second Chic night were excellent. The so-called signature Luminae burger was huge but didn’t live up to it’s billing as it was not very flavorful. The seared scallops and Caribbean lobster on the second Chic night were the dining highlights. Breakfast was good there with plenty of options and great pastries. The sommelier, Yan, did an superb job and helped us pick bottles for each dinner by showing us the next night’s menu so we could discuss it. Our server, Luis, was also very good and would bring items from the main dining room or even Blu. The other servers also appeared to be very helpful, friendly and efficient. 

 

We didn’t try any of the special restaurants. We did have lunch from the Mast Grill or the Oceanview Cafe a few times.  The pasta station in the Cafe was excellent!

 

Bar service was good to very good at the bars. The mixed drinks were consistently very good to excellent. 

 

Entertainment 

We didn’t go to a lot of the shows but we did go to the first comic and the magician. The comic was very funny, and a family friendly show. The magician was very full of himself and rude on a couple occasions. 

 

We like to play blackjack but on this cruise the blackjack tables paid 6-5 for a blackjack, which to us isn’t really blackjack. Many tables used a continuous shuffle which we don’t like either. The $50 table paid 3-2 for blackjack but that’s too steep of a minimum for us. We saw very little blackjack being played and the casino seemed quiet. 

 

We didn’t see any educational or enrichment lectures offered on board. Port shopping previews don’t count. There were a number of activities during the day but some were with an extra cost, such as wine tastings. We did one wine tasting and it was ok; the wines were average. 

 

It was hard to get a lounger by the pool on sea days. 

 

There was a variety of live music throughout the ship which was very good. The duo Drift were excellent!  The Silent Disco was a blast and needs to be experienced to truly appreciate it!

 

Excursions 

We did the Salsa, Salsa and Beach Break in Costa Maya through Celebrity. It was an early 8:30 departure for making salsa and drinking tequila! It was a fun excursion for us and we were back on by noon. Costa Maya itself didn’t seem like a port to explore without an excursion. 

 

We did the Chef’s Market and Private Dinner in Cozumel. The executive sous chef went with 7 passengers and a guide and driver to a chocolate manufacturer,  several markets in Cozumel, as well as a tequila tasting. We then had lunch at a nice spot in Cozumel. That part lasted about 4-5 hours and our guide gave us a great background on Mayan history and culture. At about 7 that evening, we regathered on board and met the chef for a galley tour (during dinner, very cool!) then a special seven-course meal in Tuscan but based on local flavors. We didn’t eat what the chef bought in port but it was a delicious dinner. There was also a huge amount of food!

 

We didn’t do excursions in Key West or Grand Cayman, we explored the towns on our own. Cozumel could also be done on your own. In all the ports, you could certainly book your own excursions. 

 

Disembarkation  

Disembarkation was fine. We had a full breakfast in Luminae but had to be done there by 8:00. Getting off was quick, Customs was quick, and getting a taxi was easy. 

 

[chemmo]

Thanks for your review, we are back on board Equinox in September, can’t wait!

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Thanks for the review. We have the Chef's Market Discovery excursion booked for our cruise in November.

[elaineb]

Thanks for your review!  I am going to look into the Chef's Market and private dinner for our Western Equinox cruise next October.  Sounds wonderful.

[CruiserFromMaine]

I’m glad you all liked the review, and the Chef’s market tour and dinner is quite fun! 

[George C]

Thanks for the very nice review, we normally book suites and just love micheals because it is quite and relaxing along with the great service