Live from Equinox 8/27/21 Sailing

[MartinsCruise]

Just now, terrydtx said:

As we go along I will try to do better with my wine lists.  BTW the stream internet is slooooow, I am so use to my 5G.

We'll have our 240 minutes of faster internet but it doesn't sound like that is very good.  I know that everyone really appreciates you taking us along for the ride.

 

On the app, the wine list by the glass is very limited in Blu.  I know that I've had more of selection when we've dined there so I'll take your list and see what they can come up with.  

[terrydtx]

16 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

Truly appreciate you making the time to share your experience!  I’m not sailing again until May 2022 and this really gives us something to look forward to.  Enjoy!!

With 4 sea days I have lots of posting time  enjoying helping out.

 

[Jim_Iain]

Terry -

 

Can you advise who the Retreat Concierge is and also who's the Restaurant Manager in Luminae?

 

[terrydtx]

1 minute ago, Jim_Iain said:

Terry -

 

Can you advise who the Retreat Concierge is and also who's the Restaurant Manager in Luminae?

 

I am horrible with names, I will see what I can do. Will be back in Luminae tomorrow night.  

[zimadog]

Enjoying reading more from someone on the EQ!

[OCruisers]

Following with interest.

[abbydancer2003]

Thanks.  I'm on in October and am now following every live thread.  Can't wait!

I have the same quest about the retreat and Luminae staff as Jim does.

Also, is there a host/hostess for Luminae?  If so, that name would also be appreciated.  On our Summit cruise, no host/hostess, just the manager.

Edited August 28, 2021 by abbydancer

[Jim_Iain]

Another questions.     On previous cruises Luminae has been open for Lunch even on port days but I noticed on the app that they do not have lunch on Luminae on Port days.    Is that correct?

[abbydancer2003]

14 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

Another questions.     On previous cruises Luminae has been open for Lunch even on port days but I noticed on the app that they do not have lunch on Luminae on Port days.    Is that correct?

Wasn't open on our Summit cruise last month.  Actually, I don't think it's ever been open for lunch on port days on any cruise I've been on.

[terrydtx]

30 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

Another questions.     On previous cruises Luminae has been open for Lunch even on port days but I noticed on the app that they do not have lunch on Luminae on Port days.    Is that correct?

unfortunately not open for port days which is why we did room service lunch. The only retreat lunch is retreat deck and it was too hot and sunny.

[GreenValleyDogWalker]

9 hours ago, terrydtx said:

Here are pictures of our Sky Duite 2153 aft facing with huge balcony and full size table and chairs. Lorenzo set the table up for breakfast this morning on the balcony. We will do this every morning now.

😁

So glad you are posting ! thank you so much 

We have an Aft Sky Suite on our September 26th sailing on the Equinox 

Was it very crowded in Luminae on the first day for lunch ? - What about for dinner ?

 

 

 

[terrydtx]

4 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Terry -

 

Can you advise who the Retreat Concierge is and also who's the Restaurant Manager in Luminae?

 

Retreat Concierge hosts are Jonathan and Emilio will get names of Luminae manager tomorrow.  Murano was awesome tonight more with pictures tomorrow after my liver drys out some.

[canderson]

@terrydtx

Noted in another thread that, at least on Silhouette that Retreat Lounge use was being held down to 24 pax at a time.  At risk of upsetting Auntie, can you advise if that's also true on Equinox, and if so, how they're handling it given the high % of suite guests on these cruises? 

[sn2792]

12 hours ago, terrydtx said:

Here are pictures of our Sky Duite 2153 aft facing with huge balcony and full size table and chairs. Lorenzo set the table up for breakfast this morning on the balcony. We will do this every morning now.

We have that same cabin booked for the 9/26 cruise. Thanks for posting the pictures.

[Northern Aurora]

5 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Another questions.     On previous cruises Luminae has been open for Lunch even on port days but I noticed on the app that they do not have lunch on Luminae on Port days.    Is that correct?

 

5 hours ago, abbydancer said:

Wasn't open on our Summit cruise last month.  Actually, I don't think it's ever been open for lunch on port days on any cruise I've been on.

 

 

My memory is consistent with @abbydancer.  I don't ever remember Luminae being open for lunch on port days, but it certainly open for lunch on sea days.

[terrydtx]

9 hours ago, GreenValleyDogWalker said:

😁

So glad you are posting ! thank you so much 

We have an Aft Sky Suite on our September 26th sailing on the Equinox 

Was it very crowded in Luminae on the first day for lunch ? - What about for dinner ?

 

 

 

Luminae was not crowded for lunch but a lot of guests didn't arrive until later in the day. We got there for dinner at 6:30 and there were maybe 75% full.

 

Nothing on the ship seems crowded with 1200 passengers. Even with Suites at full capacity and Aqua at 75%. An Aqua couple we met last night said Blu was 50% full for dinner.

[terrydtx]

7 hours ago, canderson said:

@terrydtx

Noted in another thread that, at least on Silhouette that Retreat Lounge use was being held down to 24 pax at a time.  At risk of upsetting Auntie, can you advise if that's also true on Equinox, and if so, how they're handling it given the high % of suite guests on these cruises? 

Nothing has been said about limits on use any Retreat venues. The UK cruises are sailing under different rules than US ones.

[terrydtx]

6 hours ago, sn2792 said:

We have that same cabin booked for the 9/26 cruise. Thanks for posting the pictures.

You will enjoy the cabin and Lorenzo is awesome. I am sitting on the deck at 6:45 watching the sun rise. This is our first aft facing cabin and we love the views. 

[terrydtx]

Murano last night was very good and service outstanding. We drank 3 wines from the wine by glass menu a French Champagne,  a nice Bordeaux and the late harvest wine with desert. BTW the wine menu exactly matches the one in the Celebrity smart app. This was our 50th anniversary dinner and it was made special by the amazing staff of Murano.

 

Here are pictures of the menu and the first two wine labels.

Edited August 29, 2021 by terrydtx

[terrydtx]

Anyone with AI who likes better wines the selection in the $12 to $15 per glass are excellent all over the ship. The Bordeaux last night in Murano was a 2015  and my glass was never empty and it was $15. I suggest the upgrade from classic to premium for $10pp per day is the best value on the cruise. I see no reason to buy a bottle. The by the glass pours are also very generous usually a half wine glass full. Between my wife and I we must have been close to drinking a full bottle of the Bordeaux. 

Edited August 29, 2021 by terrydtx

[Silkroad]

Thanks so much for sharing your cruise experiences with us! I’ve written two fairly extensive cruise reviews in the past, so I know how time consuming they can be. In these uncertain times, I’m especially grateful to anyone - sailing in any cabin category - who shares helpful information with those of us waiting at anchor🙂 Like so many others, DH and I have an imminent final payment decision, and live reviews are amongst our most valuable resources.
 

Happy Anniversary! Cheers🍷🍷

Edited August 29, 2021 by Silkroad

[terrydtx]

32 minutes ago, Silkroad said:

Thanks so much for sharing your cruise experiences with us! I’ve written two fairly extensive cruise reviews in the past, so I know how time consuming they can be. In these uncertain times, I’m especially grateful to anyone - sailing in any cabin category - who shares helpful information with those of us waiting at anchor🙂 Like so many others, DH and I have an imminent final payment decision, and live reviews are amongst our most valuable resources.
 

Happy Anniversary! Cheers🍷🍷

Cruising under current smaller capacity is something we may never see again, no crowds anywhere and sanitation like we have never seen on a ship. Notice no Norovirus outbreaks. When we were deplanning in FLL a woman told us we were crazy to be on a cruise ship petri dish. I told her 100% adults vaccinated on a ship was safer than being in a grocery store or restaurant where 50% or more are unvaccinated. She tried to give me more lip and the gentleman behind us said to her and "you just got off a long tube where no vaccination or testing is required and you sat next to 2 strangers, so you think a cruise ship is a petri dish?"

 

We each need to make our own decisions,  but we both feel so much safer than back home for the next 9 days.

[terrydtx]

1 hour ago, Silkroad said:

Thanks so much for sharing your cruise experiences with us! I’ve written two fairly extensive cruise reviews in the past, so I know how time consuming they can be. In these uncertain times, I’m especially grateful to anyone - sailing in any cabin category - who shares helpful information with those of us waiting at anchor🙂 Like so many others, DH and I have an imminent final payment decision, and live reviews are amongst our most valuable resources.
 

Happy Anniversary! Cheers🍷🍷

I want to add , I do not know your circumstances,  but I retired last year at 70 from a job I really liked my wife is same age and retired 3 years ago. This is our first suite cruise thanks to 125% FCC from canceled Celebrity Cruises.  Previously we sailed Aqua or Concierge. Financially we are able to travel anywhere we want, anyway we want and when we want.  We figure we have X number of good travel years ahead of us and already lost 1 1/2 years to the pandemic. If we, you or anyone waits for Covid to end none of will ever travel again, reality is Covid may be with us forever.

 

I hope you decide to make your final payment and take your upcoming cruise. We have met a lot of CC members on this cruise and everyone of them are happy they took this cruise and none I have talked with, feel unsafe.

Edited August 29, 2021 by terrydtx

[terrydtx]

Last night at the theater show a couple from Covington LA very near New Orleans and they are so happy they are here instead of evacuating from Ida. So any of the great people here in Louisiana,  stay safe.

 

We met because the guy looks just like Wild Bill McClusky one of the crab boat captains on Deadliest Catch and I asked if he was Wild Bill, we are going to meet up later today.

[Beba-Beba]

2 hours ago, terrydtx said:

Murano last night was very good and service outstanding. We drank 3 wines from the wine by glass menu a French Champagne,  a nice Bordeaux and the late harvest wine with desert. BTW the wine menu exactly matches the one in the Celebrity smart app. This was our 50th anniversary dinner and it was made special by the amazing staff of Murano.