Equinox Review 1/9 - 1/21 Southern Caribbean 12 days of islands, warmth, and blue skies…

[Dave Judy]

 

In a sentence, despite mask wearing and port changes/restrictions we had a wonderful time!   

 

We have always been avid Disney Cruisers - Yes, they are a family centered quality cruise line, but you pay quite a premium for the Disney brand. However, in September we tried Celebrity; Millennium to Alaska, then Apex Transatlantic, and now Equinox Southern Caribbean this past January. 

 

We are typical Baby Boomer savers with a hard earned nest egg and for years only booked oceanview cabins to save money.  We have only recently tried out balcony cabins and the Celebrity “bid to upgrade” feature successfully. 

 

Covid-Omicron… I believe that the December holiday cruises and the resulting high numbers and bad press were an anomaly.  Omicron was beginning its ascent and with high passenger counts the results were inevitable.  Our ship had approximately 1,200 passengers, the majority of which were very careful and abided by the mask mandates. Sure, there were entitled scofflaws, but that’s our U.S. society.  Not positive on this, but it appears that the numbers slowly rose to about 1% crew and passengers by the last day (less than 20 out of 2,000).  We were very careful avoiding “questionable areas/activities and felt as safe as back home in Maryland. Loved our modest 9’x6’ balcony. 

 

The food was great.  For us, anytime you don’t have to shop and cook, it’s great. The Oceanview Cafeteria had ample choices for us at lunchtime.  Of the Equinox, Apex, and Millennium, we actually thought Oceanview Cafe was best on the Millie !

 

Blu… Because of our “bid up” to Aqua Class ($100/day total for both of us) we were given access to Blu for breakfast and dinner.  Our server, JoJo and asst. Sothon were wonderful. Any special requests were taken care of.  Hard to describe the food in Blu - probably “Healthy Cuisine.”  Many selections were not to my taste, JoJo made it easy for us to order off of MDR or Blu menu interchangeably every evening.  I had several steaks, filets, and prime rib - always served perfectly medium rare. Dennis, the sommelier hustled from table to table trying to serve numerous wines and keep glasses filled.  We will probably try to get back to Blu in the future for the intimacy (trigger word during Covid) service, and food. 

 

Entertainment… Well… Let’s just say that Covid had an impact.  There were no large production shows.  There were some great entertainers; Todd Murray, Karen Grainger, Jacob Tresuk, Celli, Lady Valentine, and Uptown.   There were two good comedians and a magician.  There were a few solo vocal acts, that were out of their league, couldn’t carry a show. They just wailed loudly as if that would cover it up…  The live house orchestra was outstanding.  With a few exceptions, we felt entertained every evening. 

 

Would we go again soon ?  Absolutely.  The ship is safe, the stateroom comfortable, plenty to do. Food and weather amazing. Service top notch.  You alone can assess your Covid risk factors. At this time when passenger numbers are down and ships are pushing to get the industry started again is a great time.  We have a B2B cruise already planned for early May. Can’t wait!

 

 

 

 

[judatt]

38 minutes ago, Dave Judy said:

 

In a sentence, despite mask wearing and port changes/restrictions we had a wonderful time!   

 

We have always been avid Disney Cruisers - Yes, they are a family centered quality cruise line, but you pay quite a premium for the Disney brand. However, in September we tried Celebrity; Millennium to Alaska, then Apex Transatlantic, and now Equinox Southern Caribbean this past January. 

 

We are typical Baby Boomer savers with a hard earned nest egg and for years only booked oceanview cabins to save money.  We have only recently tried out balcony cabins and the Celebrity “bid to upgrade” feature successfully. 

 

Covid-Omicron… I believe that the December holiday cruises and the resulting high numbers and bad press were an anomaly.  Omicron was beginning its ascent and with high passenger counts the results were inevitable.  Our ship had approximately 1,200 passengers, the majority of which were very careful and abided by the mask mandates. Sure, there were entitled scofflaws, but that’s our U.S. society.  Not positive on this, but it appears that the numbers slowly rose to about 1% crew and passengers by the last day (less than 20 out of 2,000).  We were very careful avoiding “questionable areas/activities and felt as safe as back home in Maryland. Loved our modest 9’x6’ balcony. 

 

The food was great.  For us, anytime you don’t have to shop and cook, it’s great. The Oceanview Cafeteria had ample choices for us at lunchtime.  Of the Equinox, Apex, and Millennium, we actually thought Oceanview Cafe was best on the Millie !

 

Blu… Because of our “bid up” to Aqua Class ($100/day total for both of us) we were given access to Blu for breakfast and dinner.  Our server, JoJo and asst. Sothon were wonderful. Any special requests were taken care of.  Hard to describe the food in Blu - probably “Healthy Cuisine.”  Many selections were not to my taste, JoJo made it easy for us to order off of MDR or Blu menu interchangeably every evening.  I had several steaks, filets, and prime rib - always served perfectly medium rare. Dennis, the sommelier hustled from table to table trying to serve numerous wines and keep glasses filled.  We will probably try to get back to Blu in the future for the intimacy (trigger word during Covid) service, and food. 

 

Entertainment… Well… Let’s just say that Covid had an impact.  There were no large production shows.  There were some great entertainers; Todd Murray, Karen Grainger, Jacob Tresuk, Celli, Lady Valentine, and Uptown.   There were two good comedians and a magician.  There were a few solo vocal acts, that were out of their league, couldn’t carry a show. They just wailed loudly as if that would cover it up…  The live house orchestra was outstanding.  With a few exceptions, we felt entertained every evening. 

 

Would we go again soon ?  Absolutely.  The ship is safe, the stateroom comfortable, plenty to do. Food and weather amazing. Service top notch.  You alone can assess your Covid risk factors. At this time when passenger numbers are down and ships are pushing to get the industry started again is a great time.  We have a B2B cruise already planned for early May. Can’t wait!

 

 

 

 

We were also on that cruise and had a great time. Great review!

[lv2cruisgrl]

1 hour ago, Dave Judy said:

 

In a sentence, despite mask wearing and port changes/restrictions we had a wonderful time!   

 

We have always been avid Disney Cruisers - Yes, they are a family centered quality cruise line, but you pay quite a premium for the Disney brand. However, in September we tried Celebrity; Millennium to Alaska, then Apex Transatlantic, and now Equinox Southern Caribbean this past January. 

 

We are typical Baby Boomer savers with a hard earned nest egg and for years only booked oceanview cabins to save money.  We have only recently tried out balcony cabins and the Celebrity “bid to upgrade” feature successfully. 

 

Covid-Omicron… I believe that the December holiday cruises and the resulting high numbers and bad press were an anomaly.  Omicron was beginning its ascent and with high passenger counts the results were inevitable.  Our ship had approximately 1,200 passengers, the majority of which were very careful and abided by the mask mandates. Sure, there were entitled scofflaws, but that’s our U.S. society.  Not positive on this, but it appears that the numbers slowly rose to about 1% crew and passengers by the last day (less than 20 out of 2,000).  We were very careful avoiding “questionable areas/activities and felt as safe as back home in Maryland. Loved our modest 9’x6’ balcony. 

 

The food was great.  For us, anytime you don’t have to shop and cook, it’s great. The Oceanview Cafeteria had ample choices for us at lunchtime.  Of the Equinox, Apex, and Millennium, we actually thought Oceanview Cafe was best on the Millie !

 

Blu… Because of our “bid up” to Aqua Class ($100/day total for both of us) we were given access to Blu for breakfast and dinner.  Our server, JoJo and asst. Sothon were wonderful. Any special requests were taken care of.  Hard to describe the food in Blu - probably “Healthy Cuisine.”  Many selections were not to my taste, JoJo made it easy for us to order off of MDR or Blu menu interchangeably every evening.  I had several steaks, filets, and prime rib - always served perfectly medium rare. Dennis, the sommelier hustled from table to table trying to serve numerous wines and keep glasses filled.  We will probably try to get back to Blu in the future for the intimacy (trigger word during Covid) service, and food. 

 

Entertainment… Well… Let’s just say that Covid had an impact.  There were no large production shows.  There were some great entertainers; Todd Murray, Karen Grainger, Jacob Tresuk, Celli, Lady Valentine, and Uptown.   There were two good comedians and a magician.  There were a few solo vocal acts, that were out of their league, couldn’t carry a show. They just wailed loudly as if that would cover it up…  The live house orchestra was outstanding.  With a few exceptions, we felt entertained every evening. 

 

Would we go again soon ?  Absolutely.  The ship is safe, the stateroom comfortable, plenty to do. Food and weather amazing. Service top notch.  You alone can assess your Covid risk factors. At this time when passenger numbers are down and ships are pushing to get the industry started again is a great time.  We have a B2B cruise already planned for early May. Can’t wait!

 

 

 

 

We were on her in December and had a blast!

[RedneckBob]

Thanks for the update. How did you like Uptown? Incredible show on Apex

[PTC DAWG]

1 minute ago, RedneckBob said:

Thanks for the update. How did you like Uptown? Incredible show on Apex

I’ve seen Uptown twice, .they always bring it..

[Ken the cruiser]

Thanks for the great review! If I might ask, were there very many entertainment events held in Celebrity Central and/or were there still interactive game shows held in the Entertainment Court just outside the theater between shows?

[RBKL]

Thanks for the review and live posts on the other thread.

 

We’re on the March 13 sailing and can’t wait to sail.

 

What did you move up from to the Aqua Class? We have our. Bid in and pending from veranda.

 

Did you chose to get off the ship at the ports? If so what did you do?

[Dave Judy]

5 hours ago, RedneckBob said:

Thanks for the update. How did you like Uptown? Incredible show on Apex

UPTOWN is a high energy trio. Their dancing is very physical and each singer has great vocal range. Of great interest here… We saw them on the Apex in October. There is only one from that group, other two were new.  Same amazing show!

[Dave Judy]

5 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Thanks for the great review! If I might ask, were there very many entertainment events held in Celebrity Central and/or were there still interactive game shows held in the Entertainment Court just outside the theater between shows?

We walked into Celebrity Central just as something was finishing up.  It appeared that a lot of small activities were taking place just outside…. The Main Foyer area had bands and music activities every night. 

[Dave Judy]

2 hours ago, RBKL said:

Thanks for the review and live posts on the other thread.

 

We’re on the March 13 sailing and can’t wait to sail.

 

What did you move up from to the Aqua Class? We have our. Bid in and pending from veranda.

 

Did you chose to get off the ship at the ports? If so what did you do?

1. We originally had an oceanview stateroom.  They are quite small. On a whim we decided to try our luck at an Aquaclass upgrade.  We discussed the bid together and agreed on a price (like going to the casino).  Our total bid for 12 nights only amounted to $100 extra each night.  The Aqua Class deck was fairly empty.  We had no neighbors on either side.  But remember, they choose the room - we got lucky 🍀 

2.  Yes, but we only did the shops right by the docks.  Many islands were closed unless on a Celebrity or “Govt approved” vendor.   We didn’t want to share a minivan with others at this time.  Gives us a reason to come back in a few years. 

 

[jimmybean]

Also sailed on this cruise.  

 

Celebrity did everything possible to make us safe from Covid germs.   Yes, there were covid cases, but the vast majority of us faithfully wore masks as recommended and did not get sick.   

 

Only 1213 passengers on the Equinox (with a capacity for 2850).    Crew spoiled us!    It was great.   Kudos to Celebrity!

 

Felt it was the right decision to sail and we are very glad we did.   

 

Like many passengers on the ship, we upped our extra tipping to double because service crew had appreciably fewer passengers to give tips.   Think about this, if you are about to cruise.   

 

Happy Sailing to you all!    Jimmybean

[Dave Judy]

3 minutes ago, jimmybean said:

Also sailed on this cruise.  

 

Celebrity did everything possible to make us safe from Covid germs.   Yes, there were covid cases, but the vast majority of us faithfully wore masks as recommended and did not get sick.   

 

Only 1213 passengers on the Equinox (with a capacity for 2850).    Crew spoiled us!    It was great.   Kudos to Celebrity!

 

Felt it was the right decision to sail and we are very glad we did.   

 

Like many passengers on the ship, we upped our extra tipping to double because service crew had appreciably fewer passengers to give tips.   Think about this, if you are about to cruise.   

 

Happy Sailing to you all!    Jimmybean

On the matter of tipping… We had an AI fare, but always bring extra cash for additional tips.  I agree with Jimmybean. Service crew work so very hard to ensure that we have a wonderful trip. 

[morpheusofthesea]

8 hours ago, Dave Judy said:

despite mask wearing and port changes/restrictions we had a wonderful time!   

Very happy to hear ! Another protocol (or lack thereof) that we did not FULLY appreciate while sailing with Celebrity Cruises (but do now) is they do not force ALL passengers to covid re-test  mid cruise. There is very little, an already 'anxious' cruiser, can do waiting for the dreaded moment of "Will I NOW test positive and be isolated/quarantined?" Some cruise lines just 'push the envelope' too far on the psyche and wonder why cruisers are afraid to cruise right now. 

[judatt]

1 hour ago, jimmybean said:

Also sailed on this cruise.  

 

Celebrity did everything possible to make us safe from Covid germs.   Yes, there were covid cases, but the vast majority of us faithfully wore masks as recommended and did not get sick.   

 

Only 1213 passengers on the Equinox (with a capacity for 2850).    Crew spoiled us!    It was great.   Kudos to Celebrity!

 

Felt it was the right decision to sail and we are very glad we did.   

 

Like many passengers on the ship, we upped our extra tipping to double because service crew had appreciably fewer passengers to give tips.   Think about this, if you are about to cruise.   

 

Happy Sailing to you all!    Jimmybean

We were on this cruise and are on the Silhouette sailing Monday. Even though tips are included I always go to the bank and get tip funds prior to a cruise. We gave out all our tip money for both cruises on the first one 😳. Had to find a bank today that would give me funds - got the same amount again in anticipation we’ll give it all out again on our next cruise. I really felt the crew did a great job. 

[edeneyes]

Dave Judy, thanks for the great review.  We are on the January 30 sailing and your review makes me feel more at ease about going.  Are you saying that the intimacy in Blu was a positive?

[SusieCruiser2]

Can anyone tell me if bottled water is available.  Much earlier I read that plastic bottles have been eliminated, and water is now provided in aluminum cans and the taste was terrible.   Not sure if this was only for the Classic Beverage Package, or both.

[highway180]

9 minutes ago, SusieCruiser2 said:

Can anyone tell me if bottled water is available.  Much earlier I read that plastic bottles have been eliminated, and water is now provided in aluminum cans and the taste was terrible.   Not sure if this was only for the Classic Beverage Package, or both.

yes they have transitioned to "canned water", it is not terrible, but if you have the premium pkg you can get Evian in a glass bottle.

[39august]

I have no problem at all with the "canned" water taste. But, boy, those suckers are hard to twist open!

[Veteran Buffet Eater]

Going on the Equinox on January 30th.  Our excursion at Dominica was cancelled, anybody know why?  It was the Trafalgar Falls and Champagne Snorkel excursion.  Wasn't sure if Dominica has locked down due to Covid?

 

[edeneyes]

21 minutes ago, Veteran Buffet Eater said:

Going on the Equinox on January 30th.  Our excursion at Dominica was cancelled, anybody know why?  It was the Trafalgar Falls and Champagne Snorkel excursion.  Wasn't sure if Dominica has locked down due to Covid?

 

We were on that excursion also.  Very disappointing.  There are other excursions now showing up on the cruise planner, but not the Trafalgar Falls and Champagne Snorkel.  I’m thinking that there must be an issue with the provider.

[Veteran Buffet Eater]

6 hours ago, SusieCruiser2 said:

Can anyone tell me if bottled water is available.  Much earlier I read that plastic bottles have been eliminated, and water is now provided in aluminum cans and the taste was terrible.   Not sure if this was only for the Classic Beverage Package, or both.

 

[morpheusofthesea]

6 hours ago, SusieCruiser2 said:

Can anyone tell me if bottled water is available. 

Yes, in glass bottles, small and large. Found the aluminum cans easier to open when room temperature, but that those were changed for another aluminum can on Christmas sailing.

[bnurick]

1 hour ago, Veteran Buffet Eater said:

Going on the Equinox on January 30th.  Our excursion at Dominica was cancelled, anybody know why?  It was the Trafalgar Falls and Champagne Snorkel excursion.  Wasn't sure if Dominica has locked down due to Covid?

 

 

43 minutes ago, edeneyes said:

We were on that excursion also.  Very disappointing.  There are other excursions now showing up on the cruise planner, but not the Trafalgar Falls and Champagne Snorkel.  I’m thinking that there must be an issue with the provider.

We are on the Jan. 30th also and this is our #1 port and #1 excursion.  I was able to book through TripAdvisor assuming they allow to do on our own.  Jan. 9th cruise did not, but the bookings are refundable 24 hours in advance.  If this doesn’t work out I plan on filling out the private excursion form and requesting specifically.

Edited January 22, 2022 by bnurick

[Dave Judy]

9 hours ago, edeneyes said:

Dave Judy, thanks for the great review.  We are on the January 30 sailing and your review makes me feel more at ease about going.  Are you saying that the intimacy in Blu was a positive?

It is a much smaller restaurant than MDR, so fewer people.  I didn’t get out my yardstick, but felt comfortable with the spacing of tables and the empty ones as well.  Closer to the window wall was more dense, but there were other areas where you could really isolate. For me, fewer people “cut the odds” a little. After two years, many of us are just so “paranoid”…  including me - even after double vax, then an asymptomatic case, and even a booster…

[Veteran Buffet Eater]

On 1/22/2022 at 3:14 PM, edeneyes said:

We were on that excursion also.  Very disappointing.  There are other excursions now showing up on the cruise planner, but not the Trafalgar Falls and Champagne Snorkel.  I’m thinking that there must be an issue with the provider.

Just received a response from Celebrity Shore Excursions: "Unfortunately the tour Trafalgar Falls and Champagne Snorkel was canceled by the tour operator due to operational reasons. The tour operator is no longer able to offer the tour for that day."   

So, there you have it