Equinox, a Royal Suite experience

[cangelmd]

On 9/22/2019 at 6:15 PM, chemmo said:

 

A slow elevator is better than no elevator....

 

We do hope the service level for food and drink on the Retreat Deck on Equinox is good as it will take a bit of effort from both of us to access...

I hope you are pleased, we didn't have food, but did have great drink service, iced towels, sherbet. Celebrity had 2-3 attendants up there all the time - the 2 of us got up there early one morning and it was one to one service, we helped them put out the throw pillows (evidently those get taken in at night)! But it is just so darned hot, or it was in August, and so little shade and not a lot of breeze, even underway (the sea was very flat for most of our trip, might be windier if there was a natural breeze, not just the ship motion). All those things together - being a hike to get up there, got to hunt for shade and cover your toes and then it was hot - it was not as pleasant as the Solarium, even though it was relatively quiet. I remember thinking, they have the service piece nailed, like Luminae, the service is excellent, but they can't do anything right now about the stairs - can they not add some shade and fis one problem, just one and we would be ready to spend a day up there.

[Gordoncruickshank]

11 hours ago, chemmo said:

 

This morning we had a swim in the Solarium pool then made our way to the Retreat Deck (walk, then lift, then one flight of stairs). We do have some mobility issues but with care managed the stairs...just such a shame for suite guests whose mobility issues are greater than ours as there is no lift. The furnishings are very comfortable, it is well staffed and yes it is hot and breezy but we find that pleasant for an hour or so....It is a pity there is no ‘water feature’ but it is certainly better than having no suite deck at all. 

That was always our go to place until the past couple of years I have started to find it getting too hot for comfort. More often than not we are sitting on our balcony even if the sun is on the other side.

[chemmo]

12 hours ago, cangelmd said:

I hope you are pleased, we didn't have food, but did have great drink service, iced towels, sherbet. Celebrity had 2-3 attendants up there all the time - the 2 of us got up there early one morning and it was one to one service, we helped them put out the throw pillows (evidently those get taken in at night)! But it is just so darned hot, or it was in August, and so little shade and not a lot of breeze, even underway (the sea was very flat for most of our trip, might be windier if there was a natural breeze, not just the ship motion). All those things together - being a hike to get up there, got to hunt for shade and cover your toes and then it was hot - it was not as pleasant as the Solarium, even though it was relatively quiet. I remember thinking, they have the service piece nailed, like Luminae, the service is excellent, but they can't do anything right now about the stairs - can they not add some shade and fis one problem, just one and we would be ready to spend a day up there.

 

I think for those who want to settle in a spot for a day the present Retreat area may not be the answer....We never tend to linger poolside for more than an hour or so. I think for an hour or so it is pleasant.

 

Whilst at sea I am unsure what/how they could arrange extra shade as the breeze is strong and yesterday, for example, was not a windy day....It would be nice on port days if they could have some umbrellas to put out (subject to weather conditions).

[chemmo]

7 hours ago, Gordoncruickshank said:

That was always our go to place until the past couple of years I have started to find it getting too hot for comfort. More often than not we are sitting on our balcony even if the sun is on the other side.

 

Our only real disappointment so far is the balcony furniture. One of the reasons we book a suite is to enjoy our own outside space. We frequently enjoy breakfast out there, one or the other of us will siesta in the afternoon and then as a family we often sit out and star gaze late at night with a last cognac. 

 

The new furnishings consist of a perfectly adequate table with two metal framed chairs (not cushioned) and then two chairs which recline with rounded footstools (not cushioned). The fact that the recline on the chairs goes from upright to quite far back adds to lack of suitability for older guests or guests with mobility issues. Quite simply we find none of the seating is comfortable for relaxing on...Comfort and ease should be the first considerations on choosing balcony furnishings.

 

The two plants on the balcony are very nice but not practically positioned and take away furniture juggling space. The old dining chairs were more comfortable and the old rattan sunbed was my afternoon nap spot and my husband’s late night place to lounge stargazing....We have raised concerns with the butler and room attendant and so far they have brought us some pool towels to sit on...hardly modern luxury....

 

 

[Gordoncruickshank]

3 minutes ago, chemmo said:

 

Our only real disappointment so far is the balcony furniture. One of the reasons we book a suite is to enjoy our own outside space. We frequently enjoy breakfast out there, one or the other of us will siesta in the afternoon and then as a family we often sit out and star gaze late at night with a last cognac. 

 

The new furnishings consist of a perfectly adequate table with two metal framed chairs (not cushioned) and then two chairs which recline with rounded footstools (not cushioned). The fact that the recline on the chairs goes from upright to quite far back adds to lack of suitability for older guests or guests with mobility issues. Quite simply we find none of the seating is comfortable for relaxing on...Comfort and ease should be the first considerations on choosing balcony furnishings.

 

The two plants on the balcony are very nice but not practically positioned and take away furniture juggling space. The old dining chairs were more comfortable and the old rattan sunbed was my afternoon nap spot and my husband’s late night place to lounge stargazing....We have raised concerns with the butler and room attendant and so far they have brought us some pool towels to sit on...hardly modern luxury....

 

 

My wife will be really disappointed in February as she lives on the rattan chair when we cruise. I usually get them to stick a regular sunbed on the balcony for me but they are far from comfortable. I do wish they would get rid of the bath from the balcony (it hasn't happened has it?) because it is a waste of the space. I usually have a post lunch snooze there but my wife seems to be able to do it all day.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

I found the balcony dining chairs to be uncomfortable.  The table wobbled considerably, it was defective.  Apparently, no one had inspected it when it was installed and none of the previous occupants had reported it.  The concierge was grateful that I did and it was replaced immediately.

 

On the other hand, I found the lounge chair and its rounded footstool extremely comfortable and I spent a lot of time sitting in it.  I find chairs with footstools that require you to extend your legs straight out to be uncomfortable and hard on the knees.

[chemmo]

2 minutes ago, Gordoncruickshank said:

My wife will be really disappointed in February as she lives on the rattan chair when we cruise. I usually get them to stick a regular sunbed on the balcony for me but they are far from comfortable. I do wish they would get rid of the bath from the balcony (it hasn't happened has it?) because it is a waste of the space. I usually have a post lunch snooze there but my wife seems to be able to do it all day.

 

The bath is still there. We do use it occasionally but like you would trade the space for a decent cushioned sunbed! My husband has just (jokingly) suggested I try lying in the bath full of pillows!

 

We are hoping that something more suitable can be found for us...No set up suits everyone, it is how the staff flexibly resolves an issue that is important. We will feed back if they can source us cushions or alternative loungers.

[Gordoncruickshank]

3 minutes ago, chemmo said:

 

The bath is still there. We do use it occasionally but like you would trade the space for a decent cushioned sunbed! My husband has just (jokingly) suggested I try lying in the bath full of pillows!

 

We are hoping that something more suitable can be found for us...No set up suits everyone, it is how the staff flexibly resolves an issue that is important. We will feed back if they can source us cushions or alternative loungers.

Surely no one would notice them disappearing from deck 16

[chemmo]

6 minutes ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

I found the balcony dining chairs to be uncomfortable.  The table wobbled considerably, it was defective.  Apparently, no one had inspected it when it was installed and none of the previous occupants had reported it.  The concierge was grateful that I did and it was replaced immediately.

 

On the other hand, I found the lounge chair and its rounded footstool extremely comfortable and I spent a lot of time sitting in it.  I find chairs with footstools that require you to extend your legs straight out to be uncomfortable and hard on the knees.

 

As I have just commented on the previous post no seating will universally suit everyone....Whilst the shape isn’t ideal for me it is the lack of cushioning that makes it really uncomfortable...

[chemmo]

Back to the many positives!

 

Very enjoyable ‘Meet The Officers’  event last night in the Retreat lounge... One of the nice things about cruising frequently is seeing familiar faces and making new staff acquaintances. It was very interesting to talk with the Captain about the Equinox’s recent support for hurricane hit Freeport.

 

We dined in Murano’s...Wonderful food, ambience and service as always! For wine we did as we have on other recent cruises and simply told the Sommelier what we were eating and then left her to make recommendations. As generally unadventurous wine drinkers (when ordering by the bottle we tend to stick to something we know) we really enjoy the freedom of the premium package.

 

Our evening finished chatting with fellow cruisers we met on Eclipse last year...Wonderful end to a lovely day!

Edited September 25, 2019 by chemmo

[chemmo]

Two great big cushions have arrived, will try later!

[chemmo]

4 hours ago, Gordoncruickshank said:

Surely no one would notice them disappearing from deck 16

 

I think that may be where our butler has ‘acquired’ them from!!!

[ATLgirl15]

The attached post has pictures of the new penthouse balcony furniture.  One of the responses posted some pics of the Royal and Celebrity balcony furniture next door so you can really see the difference.  The Penthouse furniture looks classy and comfortable.  I can’t imagine why Celebrity would not have splurged to put the same in the Royal suite-there really aren’t that many.  My thought too was that those planters would impede rearranging the furniture which I have a tendency to do.

 

 

[JoeSalvatore]

Love your posts... making us very excited about our first Celebrity cruise which will be in a Royal Suite on 11th floor of Equinox at the end of October!

 

Curious to know if in your RS you had custom monogrammed robes that are yours as souvenirs after the cruise?

 

Also, because you are in RS often, curious to know where you store large main suitcases?

 

We also have heard from you and others about preparing an information/confirmation sheet to be provided to different staff (butlers, Waiter), would anyone have an example they can post.

 

Many thanks and enjoy the remaining time on your wonderful adventure on the high seas!

Edited September 26, 2019 by JoeSalvatore

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

5 hours ago, chemmo said:

Two great big cushions have arrived, will try later!

 

Hooray!  You must have an inventive butler.  Since you were able to specify exactly the problem--the lack of cushioning--he was able to solve it.  Good communication can work wonders.

[Cwspy]

Thank you for sharing your experiences! 🙂 They are tremendously helpful! I am cruising for the first time on Celebrity next March with my 92 yr young Aunt. This is a gift from my Dad to her....he just passed and before he passed, he was trying to think of something special to do for her, he wanted her spoiled. I had already promised her I would join her on a cruise early next year and we were in the planning stage. I suggested to Dad that we could upgrade her to a balcony. His eyes lit up and he said to me, "I know what I want to do! Find a cruise with a suite and spoil her rotten!"  So, I found a cruise that still had a Royal Suite open. Thanks to Dad, we will both be spoiled....she still thinks we have a balcony upgrade (and we do), cant wait to see her face as we experience the week together. All she wants to do (in her words) is enjoy the ship,  a drink in her hand and a view of the sea....I look forward to the time with her and seeing Dad's wish come true of a final treat for his sister.

[vtcruising]

9 minutes ago, Cwspy said:

Thank you for sharing your experiences! 🙂 They are tremendously helpful! I am cruising for the first time on Celebrity next March with my 92 yr young Aunt. This is a gift from my Dad to her....he just passed and before he passed, he was trying to think of something special to do for her, he wanted her spoiled. I had already promised her I would join her on a cruise early next year and we were in the planning stage. I suggested to Dad that we could upgrade her to a balcony. His eyes lit up and he said to me, "I know what I want to do! Find a cruise with a suite and spoil her rotten!"  So, I found a cruise that still had a Royal Suite open. Thanks to Dad, we will both be spoiled....she still thinks we have a balcony upgrade (and we do), cant wait to see her face as we experience the week together. All she wants to do (in her words) is enjoy the ship,  a drink in her hand and a view of the sea....I look forward to the time with her and seeing Dad's wish come true of a final treat for his sister.

Wow! Great story! Welcome to Cruise Critic! What a great way to start cruising. Hope you both are pampered to the max!

Edited September 26, 2019 by vtcruising

[chemmo]

1 hour ago, JoeSalvatore said:

Love your posts... making us very excited about our first Celebrity cruise which will be in a Royal Suite on 11th floor of Equinox at the end of October!

 

Curious to know if in your RS you had custom monogrammed robes that are yours as souvenirs after the cruise?

 

Also, because you are in RS often, curious to know where you store large main suitcases?

 

We also have heard from you and others about preparing an information/confirmation sheet to be provided to different staff (butlers, Waiter), would anyone have an example they can post.

 

Many thanks and enjoy the remaining time on your wonderful adventure on the high seas!

 

No monogrammed robes but very comfortable ones to wear in the suite. Note, they assume everyone is the same size! 

 

The RS has a large walk in wardrobe off the bedroom, it swallows several large suitcases under the rail...

 

I don’t have a sample of our information/ confirmation I can post  but basically we list as follows. We forward this to the shoreside concierge, have a copy available to the butler if he needs it and a copy for us in case we can’t remember where we are dining!

 

Spirit requests

bar (beer, water, soda) preferences

pillow choices

speciality dining requests (restaurant, day, time...)

special needs

anything else (example a drink you would like available in Retreat)

 

Hope you have a fantastic cruise, we are really enjoying ours. We dined at Le Petit Chef tonight, second visit is not as novel as the first but still good fun!

 

 

[wrk2cruise]

Chemmo can you verify with the cabin steward that the bed can be split in the RS?   I'm not sure if that would be an issue for cwspy traveling with her aunt.  If it can't be split and it's an issue they certainly could use the sofa bed or request a rollaway bed.  It's a wonderful story and the RS experience will certainly be a a big surprise and enjoyed by the aunt.

 

[chemmo]

10 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

Hooray!  You must have an inventive butler.  Since you were able to specify exactly the problem--the lack of cushioning--he was able to solve it.  Good communication can work wonders.

 

Our butler, Mudit, is very good. The pillows are making a difference. Not ideal but definitely better then metal frames!

 

One thing that often frustrates me when I read reviews on CC is when guests find something sub par, don’t say anything to staff and then grumbled about it in a review. We have rarely had a complaint on Celebrity but when we have we have voiced our concerns and given Celebrity the chance to correct/find a solution...

 

We are already more comfortable on our balcony and Mudit is looking at ‘acquiring’ a couple more pillows later....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 26, 2019 by chemmo

[chemmo]

44 minutes ago, wrk2cruise said:

Chemmo can you verify with the cabin steward that the bed can be split in the RS?   I'm not sure if that would be an issue for cwspy traveling with her aunt.  If it can't be split and it's an issue they certainly could use the sofa bed or request a rollaway bed.  It's a wonderful story and the RS experience will certainly be a a big surprise and enjoyed by the aunt.

 

 

Just looked under the bedding! Yes, the bed can be split but the gap between the two beds would be minimal. 

 

Our son reports the sofa bed in the lounge area to be very comfortable. It certainly looks it.

 

With the second toilet and sink off the living area sleeping in separate rooms may reduce disturbing each other during the night. 

[chemmo]

Just a few added comments.

 

A beautiful vase of flowers appeared in the Suite last night. Much nicer than the cut off rose heads we have become used to...I love having flowers in the room and will really enjoy these! 

 

Yesterday lunchtime we decided to visit Oceanview as it was ‘English Pie Day’! Yes, we could have gone to Luminae or Sushi but sometimes we enjoy a ‘buffet browse’! If you can’t find something to enjoy there then you must be hard to please. For a mass catering operation they really do a fantastic job both in terms of choice and quality of food. The variety of everyday offerings is wide anyway but by adding ‘themes’ it further enhances choice. We went down pretty well peak time on a sea day and managed to find a table. The staff there do a fantastic job! They were constantly clearing, cleaning and still kept smiling and even singing along to the music! 

 

Today we are in St Thomas...We plan on enjoying a short walk after before (hopefully) enjoying a quiet swim in the Solarium. My apologies to anyone looking for ports of call information, this blog is not going to be for you...We have visited all the ports before and much as we have enjoyed some wonderful excursions our cruise on this occasion is all about the ship...

 

 

[CHEZMARYLOU]

I'm disappointed to hear about the bath robes, they were brown with what looked like a terry lining and your initials monogramed.  They have been giving them to guests in RS since the Revolution. This included Equinox. Perhaps your butler can give you more information.

[cangelmd]

On 9/25/2019 at 8:55 AM, chemmo said:

 

I think for those who want to settle in a spot for a day the present Retreat area may not be the answer....We never tend to linger poolside for more than an hour or so. I think for an hour or so it is pleasant.

 

Whilst at sea I am unsure what/how they could arrange extra shade as the breeze is strong and yesterday, for example, was not a windy day....It would be nice on port days if they could have some umbrellas to put out (subject to weather conditions).

Agree completely, we toughed it out for about 2 and half hours, but it was just too hot/too little shade for summer time lounging.

They could have had umbrellas up for at least some of the central coffee table groupings or deeper/wider awnings for the side loungers (that's what I wish they would do) for our entire cruise, BUT that might well have not worked if there had been any sea breeze - the sea was very flat for our entire trip.

 

In retrospect, I don't think I ever saw anyone sitting in club chairs grouped around the low coffee tables...

[cangelmd]

11 hours ago, Cwspy said:

Thank you for sharing your experiences! 🙂 They are tremendously helpful! I am cruising for the first time on Celebrity next March with my 92 yr young Aunt. This is a gift from my Dad to her....he just passed and before he passed, he was trying to think of something special to do for her, he wanted her spoiled. I had already promised her I would join her on a cruise early next year and we were in the planning stage. I suggested to Dad that we could upgrade her to a balcony. His eyes lit up and he said to me, "I know what I want to do! Find a cruise with a suite and spoil her rotten!"  So, I found a cruise that still had a Royal Suite open. Thanks to Dad, we will both be spoiled....she still thinks we have a balcony upgrade (and we do), cant wait to see her face as we experience the week together. All she wants to do (in her words) is enjoy the ship,  a drink in her hand and a view of the sea....I look forward to the time with her and seeing Dad's wish come true of a final treat for his sister.

You are blessed to have had such a family, enjoy your trip, I'm sure your aunt will have a special toast planned for her brother.