Equinox LIVE Solo Review 11/19-11/28

[GenerationX]

11 hours ago, disfan123 said:

GenerationX so awesome to meet you in the Sky Lounge, we've been busy the last couple of days with the port days but hope we see you during the last two sea days! Once again, fantastic review!

It was so great meeting you too!!!  I’m planning to shut down the Sky Lounge again tonight so hoping I’ll get to have another cocktail or 3 with you guys! 

[GenerationX]

22 hours ago, jemttill said:

Hello GenX!  I just found your review and have been enjoying it soooo very, very much.  I started laughing right away when I saw the pic of the champagne vending machine.  This got my DHs attention.  He stayed and read along with me for the rest of your review.  He pointed out, and I agree, that you and I are soulmates.  Other than the pea soup (my mother made me eat that stuff), our taste is quite similar. Champagne, escargot, mimosas, dancing, cosmos, eggs benedict, martini bar, grand marnier souffle, silent disco, enjoying the balcony late at night (alone, because he is already sleeping), lobster and a little bit of the casino thrown in, too. We will be on the Equinox December 10th to January 3rd for B2B 12 night cruises.  These were "lift & shift" cruises that became B2B.  This is a bit longer than our longest cruise and our first B2B.  We can't wait and your review has helped in so many ways!  Your comment about the demographics is spot on.  We are 71 and 73 and still enjoy all (mostly) the fun things that a cruise has to offer. Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy the rest of your cruise!

I’m so glad you’re enjoying the review and that it’s been helpful!  Sounds like you live your best cruise life too! I hope you have a wonderful B2B and that we get to bump into each other on a cruise one day and share a few glasses of champagne on the dance floor!

[GenerationX]

10 hours ago, PeterGavin said:

Every ship has a Godmother ... we gentle readers here have the FUN mother ! Cheers.

PeterGavin I am so honored! This is the best compliment ever!!! If I see Captain Tasos around the ship today I’m totally going to try and convince him to dig up a bottle of Veuve Cliquot from somewhere and christen me the FunMother of the Equinox! 😁

[GenerationX]

Good morning from the open ocean in my favorite flowy pockets dress! (BTW, if you like my accessories, I got this necklace, earrings and bracelet as a set during the last day costume jewelry clearance sale on Summit last month for $1.75. Seriously.)

 

I’m currently curled up in my favorite peaceful morning reading spot enjoying the sea breeze, rehydrating from my workout and watching some hard working gentlemen do lawn maintenance.

 

When I woke up this morning I really wasn’t feeling having a full breakfast then I looked at my schedule for today and realized I some how managed to sign up for 2 wine tasting events within 3 hours and realized I’d best have some food on my stomach at all times today.

 

It seems Celebrity may know me too well because when I got back to my stateroom last night I had TWO copies of the Black Friday deals guide in my room.

 

Today’s Agenda:

 

-Reading on the Lawn

 

-Check out the Michael Kors clearance event (while pretending that gorgeous but much more expensive Louis Vuitton bag doesn’t exist)

 

-Captain’s Club Elite wine tasting

 

-Lunch in the MDR

 

-Champagne and Sparkling wine tasting

 

My plans for the remainder of the afternoon are TBD depending on how well I can walk by 2pm.  

This evening I’m going to see the guest band onboard, Savannah Jack (great guys who I’ve had the pleasure of sharing some bourbon with in Sky Lounge a couple nights of the cruise), then I’ll be back in the MDR for dinner followed by Captain Tasos’s late night Liars Club show.
 

I’ll also share posts about my day in Bonaire and Thanksgiving dinner in Murano.

 

If you see me on the ship this afternoon, please ask me to close my eyes and stretch out my arms then reach in and touch my nose and if I can’t do it, send me off to my stateroom straight away!

 

Cheers from Equinox!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lois R]

Have been enjoying your "live from" very much. I have been sailing solo for nearly 20 years so I can definitely relate.

 

Have you thought about becoming a writer/author?  Superb writing style.....descriptive and you bring the reader in 100%. 

[GenerationX]

There comes a time in a woman’s life when she must decide between joining Cruise Director Shawna’s poolside dance fitness class and sitting back down at the Sunset Bar and ordering another sangria spritz….I made my choice and I stand by it.

 

 

[mchell810]

Seems like a good choice to me!  🥂

[GenerationX]

3 hours ago, Lois R said:

Have been enjoying your "live from" very much. I have been sailing solo for nearly 20 years so I can definitely relate.

 

Have you thought about becoming a writer/author?  Superb writing style.....descriptive and you bring the reader in 100%. 

Thank you! I hope I’m blessed with many more decades to enjoy solo travel too!

 

I am so flattered by your complement on my writing. I write boring legal documents for a living so I try to make my vacation writing more vibrant and enjoyable. It’s good to hear I’m succeeding  at it.  I’ve thought on occasion about starting a true blog, but I’ve wondered whether anyone but other cruise addicts would really be interested in reading my ramblings.

[EatonDoolittle]

Hi, 

Loving your reviews, and packing today to join the beautiful Equinox on Sunday. Enjoy these last few days before you get the "Here's your hat, what's your hurry?" eviction. 

 

I was just on an RC shorty cruise, and masks were required (and provided) in interior public areas on the ship.

I know that is NOT the case with X, thank goodness, but I'll pack a few anyway.

 

Question: do they provide any in your cabin? 

I must say, the RC ones were nice for disposables, had the  RC logo discretely in the upper corner. 

 

Thanks

 

 

 

[GenerationX]

1 hour ago, EatonDoolittle said:

Hi, 

Loving your reviews, and packing today to join the beautiful Equinox on Sunday. Enjoy these last few days before you get the "Here's your hat, what's your hurry?" eviction. 

 

I was just on an RC shorty cruise, and masks were required (and provided) in interior public areas on the ship.

I know that is NOT the case with X, thank goodness, but I'll pack a few anyway.

 

Question: do they provide any in your cabin? 

I must say, the RC ones were nice for disposables, had the  RC logo discretely in the upper corner. 

 

Thanks

 

 

 

 

Thank you! I’m sure you’re going to have an AMAZING time next week!  Yes, masks were provided in the stateroom and they are actually the good quality cloth reusable ones that most of the crew wear with the Celebrity Cruises logo in the upper corner.  I had 2 in my cabin even though I’m solo.

 

I will say, I was glad I also brought some lighter weight disposable ones because a couple of our ports required mask wearing both inside and outside when on public property (and not eating or drinking) and the thick cloth ones Celebrity ones provided got hot and uncomfortable very quickly when worn outside in the 85 degree weather.  The disposable ones were more comfortable and easy to toss in the trash and put on a fresh one when it gets sweaty.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[CruiserRob]

7 hours ago, GenerationX said:

If I see Captain Tasos around the ship today I’m totally going to try and convince him to dig up a bottle of Veuve Cliquot from somewhere and christen me the FunMother of the Equinox! 😁

Hopefully he won't break it across your bow 🤣

[GenerationX]

16 hours ago, CruiserRob said:

Hopefully he won't break it across your bow 🤣

If I weren’t trying to keep the review rated PG, I would make a highly inappropriate joke here about the very handsome Captain Tasos and my stern 😂😂😂

[GenerationX]

Sigh…good morning from the last full day of my cruise.

 

I think it’s a sign of a good sea day yesterday that I had barely any time to write about it!  Today is going to be much more chill as the only items on my agenda are a lunch at Sushi on 5 and another afternoon wine tasting event, so I’ll have plenty of catch up writing time while I’m otherwise lying here by the pool drinking like it’s the last day I’m going to have unlimited tropical cocktails for free…oh wait…

 

In happier topics, let’s go backwards in reverse chronological order and start with my evening last night. Yesterday was our second evening chic night of the cruise. I did pack a form fitting black halter gown in the remote event that I somehow managed to still have the figure to pull it off on night 8, but was unsurprised when it came to a screeching halt at my hips when I tried to put it on and had to go with this gold number instead.  

 

After dressing I went to the early concert by the guest band Savannah Jack.  I’d met some of the guys in the band in the sky lounge earlier in the cruise and promised them I’d sit in the front row for their show. And I don’t break promises.  As a result I owe my fellow cruisers in the theatre a sincere apology for the front and center display of lawyer caliber dance moves and (at one point at the end of the show when the front man suddenly stuck the mike in my face) subjecting them to my singing voice during the chorus of Hey Jude.

 

I wasn’t planning to get all sweaty in my evening gown before dinner but these guys put on such a high energy show it was unavoidable.  They did several of my favorite country and rock songs and holy cow, their fiddle player!  I had to take violin as a kid for a year and that guy almost made me wish I’d stuck it out.  Almost.

 

After the show I went to dinner in the main dining room.  Having been at the buffet, Tuscan Grille and Murano the past few nights it was my first time seeing our server Joel in a few days and he welcomed me back warmly. I’d seen our  sommelier Binu at the wine tasting events earlier in the day and after I ordered dinner he poured me some things I’d enjoyed at the tastings that he thought would pair well with my dinner. 

 

This was the much anticipated lobster night menu but the beef Wellington and lamb chops were also calling my name.  At Joel’s suggestion I made it a “surf and turf” and had the beef Wellington medium rare with a lobster tail on the side, then since my table mates were also torn on the lamb front, he brought us a big plate of chops for the table.  For the starter I had the heavenly escargot again (yes I’m eating as much of it as I can while I can).  

 

I wasn’t too impressed with the beef it seemed a little dry, but the lobster and lamb chops were both perfectly cooked and very flavorful and the vegetable side was MUCH improved from the frozen mixed vegetables fiasco the other night.

 

Dinner service ran a bit slow so our table ended up skipping dessert so we could back to the theater on time to watch the Liars Club late night show with Captain Tasos.  (We all learned in Bonaire that he’s not a man you want to be late for.) 

 

The show was hilarious. I could sit and listen to Captain T all night.  I really want to start a campaign for Celebrity to do a show that’s just a straight up hour of Captain Tasos doing stand up comedy.  Who’s with me?

 

After the show I went to the sky lounge for the late night DJ set and got to raise an old fashioned with the Savannah Jack guys to toast a successful show.  

 

It was a pretty big crowd at the bar, including the couple who nearly got left behind in Bonaire.  I didn’t recognize them (hard to see faces from several decks above) but the wife was actually going around telling everyone that it was them and encouraging people to watch the videos of them running posted on Facebook. It was almost like she was oddly proud of the whole affair.  If that had been me, I would’ve been mortified for the rest of the cruise. But maybe their thinking was it was best to own it so it didn’t put a cloud on the rest of their vacation which I suppose I get.  She also seemed to have an accent so I wonder if maybe it’s a cultural difference too?

 

Anyway, I stayed in the sky lounge dancing till 1am then cooled off on my veranda doing some star gazing. Just before I went in I saw a beautiful shooting star!  I can’t tell you how much I’m going to miss ending my nights with the sound of the sea in the darkness.  But here I go again moping far too soon when I’ve still got a whole day of vacation ahead of me!

 

Still to come: sea day fun and a super tardy report on a super delicious thanksgiving dinner in Murano.

 

BTW, if anyone out there is REALLY loving the review and would generously like to fund me turning this into a back to back in exchange for the PRICELESS joy of another 12 days of my writing, according to the future cruise people there are still cabins available but I have to book this morning so if you could PayPal me six thousand US dollars sometime in the next two hours, that would be FANTASTIC!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Azulann]

I love your trip report.  You have so much energy and great style. 

A story about Captain T., he is also a great story teller.

He was Captain on a Eastern med cruise which included  many Greek islands.  He would give his late afternoon  address  with a  Greek myth story. Sitting at the Sunset Bar, you could hear a pin drop each day when he began his story. it was always connected to the  island we would visit the next day or the area we were sailing  through on a sea at night. He is outstanding. 

 

have a great last day  and I hope you have a future cruise already booked. 

[GenerationX]

QUICK UPDATE FROM EQUINOX 

 

I noticed out on the pool deck this morning that the outdoor pool servers are wearing masks today (for most of the cruise the crew working outdoors weren’t required to wear them).  I asked one of the pool servers about it and they said that the CDC has updated its guidance due to the rise in the new COVID variant and now all crew are required to wear masks at all times.

 

I often see posts where people ask what items, other than money, they could bring to give crew as a gesture of appreciation.  I wonder if right now a small (sealed) box of those plain light blue disposable facemasks would be appreciated? (Again, in ADDITION to being as generous as your means allow with monetary tips as I can’t imagine anything helps more than that does.)

 

Apparently the crew are given a few cloth masks from Celebrity but it looks like they’re the same ones I had in my stateroom and, if so, they’re pretty thick and get very hot, very fast outside or when you’re working/breathing hard.  I couldn’t imagine wearing it for a full 12 hour shift, especially if working outside, at least without changing several times.

 

I know the crew have very limited opportunities to get off the ship and shop right now and every little bit they have to spend cuts into what they can send home. I’ve seen a few crew members in the light blue disposable ones so I assume that style/color is approved for the uniform.

 

Just a thought. 

[Sheltielover73]

5 minutes ago, GenerationX said:

QUICK UPDATE FROM EQUINOX 

 

I noticed out on the pool deck this morning that the outdoor pool servers are wearing masks today (for most of the cruise the crew working outdoors weren’t required to wear them).  I asked one of the pool servers about it and they said that the CDC has updated its guidance due to the rise in the new COVID variant and now all crew are required to wear masks at all times.

 

I often see posts where people ask what items, other than money, they could bring to give crew as a gesture of appreciation.  I wonder if right now a small (sealed) box of those plain light blue disposable facemasks would be appreciated? (Again, in ADDITION to being as generous as your means allow with monetary tips as I can’t imagine anything helps more than that does.)

 

Apparently the crew are given a few cloth masks from Celebrity but it looks like they’re the same ones I had in my stateroom and, if so, they’re pretty thick and get very hot, very fast outside or when you’re working/breathing hard.  I couldn’t imagine wearing it for a full 12 hour shift, especially if working outside, at least without changing several times.

 

I know the crew have very limited opportunities to get off the ship and shop right now and every little bit they have to spend cuts into what they can send home. I’ve seen a few crew members in the light blue disposable ones so I assume that style/color is approved for the uniform.

 

Just a thought. 

Thank you for noting this. I'm going to go buy some right now for my Dec 3 Silhouette departure. And enjoy every moment! Isnt it so crazy how it just flies by????

[Pinboy]

1 hour ago, GenerationX said:

the wife was actually going around telling everyone that it was them and encouraging people to watch the videos of them running posted on Facebook. It was almost like she was oddly proud of the whole affair.  

Really ???  Idiots !!

Damn lucky the ship didn't leave them behind taking a Bye, Bye, Baby video ( LOL ).

Again, thanks for your excellent and informative posts--- 

[GenerationX]

35 minutes ago, Sheltielover73 said:

Thank you for noting this. I'm going to go buy some right now for my Dec 3 Silhouette departure. And enjoy every moment! Isnt it so crazy how it just flies by????

You’re very welcome. It is so crazy how fast it goes!  This is my first time doing a cruise longer than 7 days and I thought with the extra days it may drag a bit. But nope! 9 days is still not enough for me. I’m going to have to start stock piling vacation time so I can do a 10 or 12 day!

[Sheltielover73]

3 hours ago, GenerationX said:

You’re very welcome. It is so crazy how fast it goes!  This is my first time doing a cruise longer than 7 days and I thought with the extra days it may drag a bit. But nope! 9 days is still not enough for me. I’m going to have to start stock piling vacation time so I can do a 10 or 12 day!

Yep I hear you!! I refuse to do a cruise shorter than 10 days! I feel like I'm just getting into my groove around day 5 or so 🙂

[trishs]

On 11/26/2021 at 6:13 AM, GenerationX said:

PeterGavin I am so honored! This is the best compliment ever!!! If I see Captain Tasos around the ship today I’m totally going to try and convince him to dig up a bottle of Veuve Cliquot from somewhere and christen me the FunMother of the Equinox! 😁

Hi GenX Thanks so much for your review. What an amazing time you are having.  Our last cruise was March when everything got canceled so  so it will be about  2 years and we have one booked for Feb 12 days.  My question is, can we get off on the stops if we don't have a ship tour? Or has there been any restrictions for walk off's.?  Thanks Trish

[MartinsCruise]

On 11/26/2021 at 9:24 AM, GenerationX said:

Good morning from the open ocean in my favorite flowy pockets dress! (BTW, if you like my accessories, I got this necklace, earrings and bracelet as a set during the last day costume jewelry clearance sale on Summit last month for $1.75. Seriously.)

 

I’m currently curled up in my favorite peaceful morning reading spot enjoying the sea breeze, rehydrating from my workout and watching some hard working gentlemen do lawn maintenance.

 

When I woke up this morning I really wasn’t feeling having a full breakfast then I looked at my schedule for today and realized I some how managed to sign up for 2 wine tasting events within 3 hours and realized I’d best have some food on my stomach at all times today.

 

It seems Celebrity may know me too well because when I got back to my stateroom last night I had TWO copies of the Black Friday deals guide in my room.

 

Today’s Agenda:

 

-Reading on the Lawn

 

-Check out the Michael Kors clearance event (while pretending that gorgeous but much more expensive Louis Vuitton bag doesn’t exist)

 

-Captain’s Club Elite wine tasting

 

-Lunch in the MDR

 

-Champagne and Sparkling wine tasting

 

My plans for the remainder of the afternoon are TBD depending on how well I can walk by 2pm.  

This evening I’m going to see the guest band onboard, Savannah Jack (great guys who I’ve had the pleasure of sharing some bourbon with in Sky Lounge a couple nights of the cruise), then I’ll be back in the MDR for dinner followed by Captain Tasos’s late night Liars Club show.
 

I’ll also share posts about my day in Bonaire and Thanksgiving dinner in Murano.

 

If you see me on the ship this afternoon, please ask me to close my eyes and stretch out my arms then reach in and touch my nose and if I can’t do it, send me off to my stateroom straight away!

 

Cheers from Equinox!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I always enjoy your live reviews but this one has been extra special because we board tomorrow morning as you are leaving.  What is the drink with fruit and which bar did you get from?  It looks like sangria but I can't tell what kind.  I hope you have a safe trip home and I'll be waiting for the next you take us along on your cruise.

Sue

[GenerationX]

Good afternoon friends!

 

Is it just me or does the last day of the cruise go way too fast?  As I was looking back at the sea days that I still need to report on, I realized that I pretty much spent all my sea days doing the same thing: reading, wine events and Sushi on 5. So I’ve decided to do just a couple of posts focusing on each of those things.

 

First lets talk about wine events and generally about the sommeliers onboard this cruise.  I’m not sure if Celebrity had the somms doing extra training/education during the shutdown or what, but I think the sommeliers and wine events on this cruise have been the best I’ve experienced in several cruises.

 

As far as events, I originally planned to just the Captains Club loyalty tasting and Oregon Pinot tasting.  But I was so happy with the Pinot tasting, I ended up also signing up for the champagne & sparkling tasting and the Grgich Hills wine tasting. All but the Captains Club tasting (for Select level and above) were an additional charge but not more than $35 each and I felt I got my money’s worth out of them all.  I got to try some wines that go for much more than that a bottle and it allowed me to decide which ones I would consider investing in a bottle of and which ones weren’t to my taste and I wouldn’t bother spending good money on.
 

Oh, FYI for the Captains Club tasting they request that you RSVP in advance with guest services (but it’s a free event).

 

The events were all run by the same group of sommeliers: Star, Michael (who was also my somm during my 2 dinners in Murano and spoiled me just short of completely rotten) and Mila (who was my awesome somm at my Le Petit Chef dinner).

 

All 3 of them were so knowledgeable about the wines and their history and what to pair them with. I left every event with at least a couple of cool new wine fun facts to use to impress people at my dinner parties.  For example, Star shared that Dom Perignon died never knowing what he’d invented.  He thought the corks were popping out of the bottles of his wine because they were possessed by the devil. 😂

 

At the Grgich Hills tasting today, I even left with a bottle of their Opulence Cabernet Sauvignon that’s bottled exclusively for Celebrity for 35% off.  I fully plan to consume it with a massive bone in ribeye at home next week as I sulk heartily about the fact that I’m not sitting in Tuscan Grille.

 

Pro tip:  I know myself well enough to know that it’s rare for me to return from a cruise without some form of glass bottle beverage souvenir.  How do I get said souvenirs home on a flight given the carryon fluids restrictions you ask?  My secret is, I pack several sheets of bubble wrap in my suitcase when I leave home.  If you unroll the roll and cut them into big squares and then lay them flat in the bottom of the suitcase before packing your clothes, it doesn’t take up that much room.  I also smash in a bunch of plastic shopping bags and a roll of duct tape.

 

Then when it’s time to pack, I wrap each bottle in the bubble wrap, then duct tape, and stick in the plastic bags and tie.  Then pack them nestled well in the middle of some dirty laundry in my checked bag.  I’ve yet to have a breakage issue [knocks wood]. I put all my purchase receipts in the small zipper part of my purse for disembarkation just in case customs should ask.

 

As far as sommelier service in the dining rooms, on some Celebrity sailings in the past it’s been my experience that most of the somms do little more in the way of wine guidance than ask if/what beverage package you have and what varietal you want and pour you a glass of whatever’s available at the applicable price point.  On Summit last month and even more so on this Equinox cruise I’ve been so happy to find that the somms have really been attentive to learning my palette and my food orders and suggesting wines that really complement them well.

 

We’ll talk more about my Thanksgiving night in Murano later, but Michael suggested pairings for each course that really took that meal from a 9 to a 12 on a scale of 1 to 10. I’m pretty sure Binu my main dining room sommelier knows my wine preferences better than my husband at this point.

 

The wine experience on Celebrity was one of the things that first sold me on the cruise line over a decade ago (jeez I’m getting up there) and it was so nice to have an experience so much like what I remember from those first few cruises.

 

A few pics from wine events below.

 

Next up: All about Sushi on 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bunnyette]

What a fantastic review!   I can hardly wait for more…

[ILgirl]

Thx again for taking the time to take us all along on your cruise!  The only thing better  than reading a future cruise review from you would to be on the ship with you!  Sine my husband passed I have done two solo Celebrity cruises and have four upcoming so maybe there is a chance we will meet!  If your husband is cooking that ribeye next week be sure and remind him to cook it rare….that’s how I like mine, too!  Safe travels!

[disfan123]

GenX,

 Great to see you again last night in Sky, what a wonderful cruise it was! We'll be following your awesome blogs in the future and hope to see you again!