Equinox Retreat

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We will give it a try but probably won't stay long.  We don't sit in the sun and go to the solarium for pool and hot tub.

[Arubalisa]

2 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

Well, if there's no elevator access, I won't be going up there.

 

Speak to the Retreat Manager as we did. My father is disabled and was unable to spend time on the Retreat deck with us.

[Alakegirl]

celebrity used to promote breast cancer awareness and the search for a cure.  Now they appear to promote melanoma, and not in a good way🤔

[cangelmd]

On 8/9/2019 at 12:06 PM, Pickels said:

Thanks all, we appreciate the input; will wait for more reviews from those on board, Happy Cruisin'

On board now, please see my separate thread with an answer, but in short: pros are excellent service, not crowded at all, and is usually breezy, although right now it’s very hot in the sun, it’s August. Cons are very little shade, and if you need shade, you have very few options to move to a more breezy or a quieter spot, because there will only be shade in one or 2 places. Other cons: multiple flights of stairs to get there and to get back down to the bathroom.

If you can manage stairs and you don’t mind sun, it’s amazingl private with excellent service. Someone said no bar, but they will fetch what you want super fast, truly. There’s a pantry with ice and cooler, so many simpler requests are available right there.

[AQFan]

My husband uses a scooter and we are in a handicap accessible suite.  So now we are unable to access one of the places that are available to us?  How is that right?

[39august]

Obviously, it's not right. This is a major error on X's part. 

[DebInAntigua]

14 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

Well, if there's no elevator access, I won't be going up there.

 

How can X brag about Accessibility from bow to stern but have a major area like this require stairs??

[jimbhoy]

Always enjoyed sunbathing up there in the past as it was more breezy and less crowded than the sun decks below BUT as we are not Suite Guests we will no longer be able to use this facility.

Celebrity are really p-----g off loyal customers (we are Elite Plus) with all of the upselling and supposed changes for the better.

Celebrity was always a class above other cruise lines but everyone mingled and ate, drank and were entertained almost without boundaries. Now they're trying to make classes within class and i don't see it being for the benefit of the customer.

Dedicated restaurants, lounges, reserved seating at shows - even different bottled water depending on your package.

When is it going to stop?

The "top deck" will be sparsley used - partly because of age/access problems - and theres been many a night when the roped off theatre seats are opened up just before showtime as the suite guests haven't turned up.

Celebrity, stop showing off and go back to the old ways and remember what got you where you are now - good food and service, not fancy decor and unfriendly ships.

[misterkevin]

30 minutes ago, jimbhoy said:

Always enjoyed sunbathing up there in the past as it was more breezy and less crowded than the sun decks below BUT as we are not Suite Guests we will no longer be able to use this facility.

Celebrity are really p-----g off loyal customers (we are Elite Plus) with all of the upselling and supposed changes for the better.

Celebrity was always a class above other cruise lines but everyone mingled and ate, drank and were entertained almost without boundaries. Now they're trying to make classes within class and i don't see it being for the benefit of the customer.

Dedicated restaurants, lounges, reserved seating at shows - even different bottled water depending on your package.

When is it going to stop?

The "top deck" will be sparsley used - partly because of age/access problems - and theres been many a night when the roped off theatre seats are opened up just before showtime as the suite guests haven't turned up.

Celebrity, stop showing off and go back to the old ways and remember what got you where you are now - good food and service, not fancy decor and unfriendly ships.

Class perks are not new to Celebrity, or to travel in general from airlines, to trains, to hotels. While it feels like something is being taken away from you based on how much money you spend for your vacation, the truth is that there are plenty of other places on the ships which are equally as private and quiet as this sundeck. I will direct you to them if you're not aware of them.

 

All leisure companies are trying to attract the highest spending customers who are more valuable to them because they tend to spend at least twice as much for a cabin. Luminae, the private dining room, has been available for years, as well as Michael's club, now the Retreat Lounge. Most cruise lines offer separate embarkation lounges for suite guests as well. 

 

Issues around premium branding have been going on for decades as well. Years ago, nobody thought about asking for a specific brand for their highball or screwdriver, and now with the proliferation of brands, there are 15 kinds of vodka and 50 kinds of whiskey, not to mention the water tiers. All Celebrity is doing is giving their customers choice. For many people, vacations are an indulgence, a splurge. They use the cruise to sample and live like they can't while they're working and saving for their next cruise. 

 

The only person aware of the class distinction is you. Nobody knows where your cabin is or how much you spent when you grab a seat at one of the many bars or lounges or when you're grabbing a snack at the Ocean View Cafe. Plenty of suite passengers mingle with the rest of the ship as evidenced by how few of them find themselves in the special areas reserved for them. However, these differentiators help keep Celebrity competitive in the travel market and profitable as a company. Celebrity is neither a charity or a social experiment. It's a business and has to account to its shareholders while keeping all of the customers happy. There's no reason you can't enjoy yourself if you're not in a suite!

Edited August 15, 2019 by misterkevin

[hcat]

On 8/14/2019 at 12:04 PM, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

Well, if there's no elevator access, I won't be going up there.

I also prefer an elev to stairs....I assume they are outdoor? 

 

I have progressive lenses in my glasses that make stairs  difficult... and some  open ship stairs can be slippery..

 

also no bathroom up there either?

 

Not a sun worshipper  but it could be nice for sunsets and evening sky watching .  Anyone try that or is the area closed at night?

 

Basically these were areas of little use converted to a  suite area.. sort of like the M Class outside movie area

[misterkevin]

 

40 minutes ago, hcat said:

I also prefer an elev to stairs....I assume they are outdoor? 

Yes, there are actually two sets of stairs to the Retreat Sundeck. From 14 you walk toward the bow at the Mast Bar or Grill, then on 15 there's an L-shaped staircase leading to the deck.

 

I have progressive lenses in my glasses that make stairs  difficult... and some  open ship stairs can be slippery..

also no bathroom up there either?

No, there is no bathroom on the deck. The closest one I found was on 14 on the port side near the entrance to the Sky Lounge.

 

Quote

Not a sun worshipper  but it could be nice for sunsets and evening sky watching .  Anyone try that or is the area closed at night?

The area is open at night, but empty. Your Seapass card gives access. Below is a picture of the sunset I snapped from the deck.

 

 

Edited August 15, 2019 by misterkevin

[hcat]

Thanks for the info...  very interesting photo..

It might be worth it one night...assuming no need for a nearby  bathroom!

[Arubalisa]

18 hours ago, AQFan said:

My husband uses a scooter and we are in a handicap accessible suite.  So now we are unable to access one of the places that are available to us?  How is that right?

 

My father was hit by a car and is disabled, uses a scooter as well. Speak to the Retreat Manager.

[hcat]

Maybe there's a way up for exceptional cases!

[CHEZMARYLOU]

The elevator was not installed because of the change in the dry dock location.  I think there will be a drydock in the spring of 2021 to complete the work, I know it does not help now.  It looks like there is an elevator to deck 15, but it is stairs from 15 to 16. Also restrooms are shown on the deck plan for 15.

[johnritt]

My wife and I just booked an inside cabin for Feb. 2020 to see what these changes are like.  The four perk package made it a good enough value to see if the solstice class ships are worth sailing without paying Aquaclass money to find out.

 

Michaels club, I don't care.  We haven't had access to that area of the ship since our first reflection cruise when it was a mostly empty craft beer bar.  And didn't miss it.

 

I worry about losing the top deck to suites who from what I have read here, rarely use it.  Is it just going to jam up the rest of the ship when suite passengers run up there, get cooked to medium well, and go somewhere else?  I will miss that deck for coming into or leaving port, views, and the quietness that deck offered

 

I'll blow a little bit on an inside cabin to find out.  But there are too many other vacation options out there to pay a lot of money of limited access and availability of space.

 

It"s why I won't sail the Edge.  If I can't even look out the bow of a ship, I won't sail on it.  And if they screwed up the Solstice class public areas too, I won't sail on those again either.

 

 

 

 

[Ray in NH]

On 8/15/2019 at 10:59 AM, misterkevin said:

Class perks are not new to Celebrity, or to travel in general from airlines, to trains, to hotels. While it feels like something is being taken away from you based on how much money you spend for your vacation, the truth is that there are plenty of other places on the ships which are equally as private and quiet as this sundeck. I will direct you to them if you're not aware of them.

 

All leisure companies are trying to attract the highest spending customers who are more valuable to them because they tend to spend at least twice as much for a cabin. Luminae, the private dining room, has been available for years, as well as Michael's club, now the Retreat Lounge. Most cruise lines offer separate embarkation lounges for suite guests as well. 

 

Issues around premium branding have been going on for decades as well. Years ago, nobody thought about asking for a specific brand for their highball or screwdriver, and now with the proliferation of brands, there are 15 kinds of vodka and 50 kinds of whiskey, not to mention the water tiers. All Celebrity is doing is giving their customers choice. For many people, vacations are an indulgence, a splurge. They use the cruise to sample and live like they can't while they're working and saving for their next cruise. 

 

The only person aware of the class distinction is you. Nobody knows where your cabin is or how much you spent when you grab a seat at one of the many bars or lounges or when you're grabbing a snack at the Ocean View Cafe. Plenty of suite passengers mingle with the rest of the ship as evidenced by how few of them find themselves in the special areas reserved for them. However, these differentiators help keep Celebrity competitive in the travel market and profitable as a company. Celebrity is neither a charity or a social experiment. It's a business and has to account to its shareholders while keeping all of the customers happy. There's no reason you can't enjoy yourself if you're not in a suite!

 

Well stated, even coming from a "mid-westerner"  😎

 

NRayH

[Cruise a holic]

Just got off the Equinox.  The retreat deck is a waste.  Very hot- full sun most of the day- no water option.  Edge had a pool, hot tub, bar and restaurant (limited menu) and shaded areas.  Too bad.  We were looking foward to the deck- went up twice, each time nobody their except staff conversing with each other.

[Redtravel]

More and more places on the ship are off limits to non suite guests.  Each time I sail on X, there is loss for me.