JamieLogical's 1/21 Equinox Notes & Review

[JamieLogical]

1 hour ago, miched said:

You were on the Summit in Nov 2021 in a SS.   The Summit is nice and a M class ship.   I like them but like the S and E class better.

 

Do  you miss anything by not being in a Suite?  

We have sailed a few times in a veranda with the large balcony and enjoyed it.   If you want a step up experience between a suite and veranda try AQ.    It has it own smaller intimate dining room like Luminae and serves breakfast and dinner.   Sometimes the price isn’t much different and it includes a few extra amenities like access to the Persian Gardens.

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

 

 

 

 

 

I actually did both the Sky Suite and the Aqua Class on the Summit in November on a B2B. I found that I didn't really utilize the suite amenities enough to justify the increase in cost. I liked Luminae and Blu, but I honestly didn't miss them on this sailing between the specialty dining and the MDR. I don't think I will be booking a suite again unless the price is really great. Even for my upcoming March sailing on the Summit, after you factor in OBC, Premium Drinks, and Stream Wifi, the cost per day would be less than $100 for me to upgrade to a Sky Suite from the Veranda I am booked in and I am not going to do it. I might be willing to do AQ again if the price were right, but it would have to be a really good deal, since the cabin locations for AQ are so sub-optimal. 

[JamieLogical]

1 hour ago, JaneAustenCruiser said:

We'll be on the Equinox in April and we're really really REALLY hoping that Omicron drops off precipitously and the need for indoor masks goes away. I know that's a long shot, but there you.

 

So glad you had a great time. I've only ever cruised on Celebrity (we're only on our 3rd one coming up) and I don't see any reason to change. 😍

 

The mask wearing was not really an inconvenience at all. I wouldn't let it deter you from keeping your booking if it is still in place by the time you sail. You only had to wear your mask in elevators, while traversing the interior decks, in the buffet while getting your food, in the casino, and in the main theater. It did not detract from our enjoyment of the cruise even slightly. This was my 6th cruise since the restart and the first one that required masks and it honestly didn't make a dent in my experience. I think the only "incident" we had was one time when my husband left the stateroom and made it all the way onto the elevator before he realized he had forgotten his mask and had to go back for it. Other than that, it was just a complete non-issue.

 

Edited February 3, 2022 by JamieLogical

[JamieLogical]

14 hours ago, JaneAustenCruiser said:

@JamieLogical, also OMG. We are LITERALLY going to be in the cabin right next door to the one you were in!! I double checked our reservation - we're 7263! 🤣

 

Now I need to go back and review your post again so I can get all the deets on the room!

 

Actually, 7263 is nowhere near where we were. We were a forward-facing angled balcony on the mid-ship bump out on the starboard side. 7253 looks to be a normal balcony, further aft, on the port side.

[dgoz]

Thank you for this detailed report! I just sat down with a cup of coffee and read it straight through. Wonderful.

[daddyslittle girl]

Enjoyed your review,being a fellow new Yorker,  now becoming a  full time resident of South carolina.we will be on this cruise in May, hoping all kinds of covid will be a non issue or toned down ar least.we have been on 12 exclusively celebrity cruises.,last two were cancel because of virus.,but won't let this ruin this one.we are on deck 7,can't recall at this moment our room#,but it's a bumped our cabin.we have been on all these islands a few times,so we will not need any celebrity  tours.reading your review made me feel like I was right there with you,we enjoy the mdr,and have a favorite  table located by window,hoping we will recognize some of our wonderful servers from the past,and look forward to making new acquaintances. Our cousins recently  became celebrity  fans,switched from princess.

[jg51]

On 2/3/2022 at 11:05 AM, JamieLogical said:

1/29

 

... For lunch we decided on the buffet, because the MDR menu seemed unappealing. Turns out, all 1017 other  passengers on the ship agreed and the buffet was PACKED. Definitely the most crowded buffet I have seen on Celebrity since the restart.  Could have also been the chocolate fountain that was attracting people?

.

JL, you probably experienced the great "Extravanza surge!"  On many Celebrity cruises, the final (or second-to-last) lunch in the Oceanview Cafe [OC] is called the Extravaganza.  (It would have been so labeled in the final issue of "Celebrity Today.")  This can result in many veteran "X" guests appearing at the buffet for an unusually good lunch -- instead of at the MDR.  Just imagine what it would have been like in the OC if you had had about 2,500 guests aboard, instead of 1,020!

.

On 2/3/2022 at 11:05 AM, JamieLogical said:

... We did dinner in the MDR and the captain made his announcement just as we were seated. One additional passenger had tested positive and "a few" crew, which brought us above the 1% threshold. With only 1019 passengers and something like 1050 crew onboard, that tells me that more than a few crew needed to test positive to reach 1% with only 3 passengers testing positive on the sailing. Oh well. Still very low numbers. ...

.

We're not really sure that we could call them "very low numbers."  Yes, three is a "very low" number of guests, but ...

with 2,069 people aboard, a bit "above the 1% threshold" would be 21 people -- meaning that at least 18 crew members tested positive!

 

It's good that you enjoyed the cruise so much.  We were aboard the Equinox for 21 nights in September, so we "understand where you are coming from."  We'll try one word to try to prove that we aren't kidding: Željka.

.

[39august]

Jamie, I know you said Z was gone from World Class, but was Marko still up in the Sky Lounge bar? They are both from Montenegro.  And was Hiro still at the Craft Social? He probably has gone on vacation by now. 

[JaneAustenCruiser]

6 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

 

Actually, 7263 is nowhere near where we were. We were a forward-facing angled balcony on the mid-ship bump out on the starboard side. 7253 looks to be a normal balcony, further aft, on the port side.

Oh lordy, I misread your cabin number! 😅🥸

[Cscomedygrl]

Great review! Have only done NCL before so this really makes me want to give them a try! 

[JamieLogical]

36 minutes ago, Cscomedygrl said:

Great review! Have only done NCL before so this really makes me want to give them a try! 

 

Do it!!! You will not want to go back. I did my first Celebrity sailing solo in July and then my husband and I did a B2B on the Breakaway to use up the last of our FCC in Sept/Oct. It was so hard for me to go back and my husband didn't get it. Now he finally gets it!

[JamieLogical]

1 hour ago, jg51 said:

We'll try one word to try to prove that we aren't kidding: Željka.

 

I wanted to cry when I realized I had missed her by one sailing!!!

[JamieLogical]

1 hour ago, 39august said:

Jamie, I know you said Z was gone from World Class, but was Marko still up in the Sky Lounge bar? They are both from Montenegro.  And was Hiro still at the Craft Social? He probably has gone on vacation by now. 

 

I only went to the Sky Lounge once, for spectating the silent disco, so I was not acquainted with the bar staff there. I only went to Craft Social the one time for the Bills game.

[bjahil47]

Thanks for the review!  We have been on Equinox 5 times and have 2 booked for this year first one being end of March.  We love Murano, I booked first night there.  Nice to see a fellow Rochesterian on here!  
Bonnie

[AKR2011]

Thanks for the awesome review! I couldn't stop reading. You definitely have me thinking about trying Celebrity someday. Beautiful pics as well ❤

[miched]

On 2/4/2022 at 3:26 PM, JamieLogical said:

 

Do it!!! You will not want to go back. I did my first Celebrity sailing solo in July and then my husband and I did a B2B on the Breakaway to use up the last of our FCC in Sept/Oct. It was so hard for me to go back and my husband didn't get it. Now he finally gets it!

Our first cruise was on Carnival and then HAL and also Princess we have top status on them as we had great times.  If we started to sail on X we would be Zenith

 

i said to my wife we need try to Celebrity.   She said why? I said to try something different.   
 

Our first cruise was in AQ o the Solstice.  We walked on board and we’re  given the welcome aboard glass of bubbly then walked into the atrium we went went WOW.   Then when we entered our cabin and seen the cabin with the bottle of bubbly on ice my wife said I like this.   Being in AQ with Blu, Persian gardens (a lot better than on the M class)  with the heated loungers, the shower panel with the jets and many other things my wife was sold and said this is for us.  We now have over 30 cruises on X and haven’t booked  any other. 
 

I do look at others but they still don’t appeal to me and when I read the comparisons Celebrity is the best value.  We have sailed twice on RCCL and enjoyed it but it isn’t for us and can cost more.   It is more of a amusement park at sea and I don’t need that anymore.   Did it and done it. 
 

I now enjoy more class, relaxation,  enjoying good dining and nice lounges. 
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

Edited February 6, 2022 by miched

[zitsky]

@JamieLogical thank you for posting this!  I enjoyed it.

 

[JamieLogical]

6 minutes ago, zitsky said:

@JamieLogical thank you for posting this!  I enjoyed it.

 

 

Glad to hear it! I will be doing another one soon for my upcoming 5-day sailing on the Summit.

[joand452]

@JamieLogical thank you for your thorough review! Equinox was our first Celebrity ship; going on a 7-night on Apex next month.  I've been looking up cocktail recipes and taking notes of new drinks to try then.  We usually cruise on Royal; and have a Royal cruise right after we get off Apex and another Royal cruise this summer.

 

We also cruised on Princess to Alaska, way back in 2006!  As long as you go, I don't think it matters what line!

 

Thanks again!

Joan

[NannieVannie]

@JamieLogical Thank you for the details of your trip !!!  I am so excited now.   Hubbie and I will be on this ship September 17th and celebrating our 40th anniversary on the 18th.  We booked the cabin RIGHT NEXT TO YOURS !!!  7260 !!!!  I will be hitting our cabin attendant up for the foot stools for the veranda.

 

Edited March 13, 2022 by NannieVannie

[JamieLogical]

2 hours ago, NannieVannie said:

@JamieLogical Thank you for the details of your trip !!!  I am so excited now.   Hubbie and I will be on this ship September 17th and celebrating our 40th anniversary on the 18th.  We booked the cabin RIGHT NEXT TO YOURS !!!  7260 !!!!  I will be hitting our cabin attendant up for the foot stools for the veranda.

 

 

I am jealous! Not sure when I will be back on the Equinox, but I love the ship. Will be on the Solstice in September, which won't be quite the same, because it hasn't had any refub done.

[zitsky]

12 hours ago, NannieVannie said:

@JamieLogical Thank you for the details of your trip !!!  I am so excited now.   Hubbie and I will be on this ship September 17th and celebrating our 40th anniversary on the 18th.  We booked the cabin RIGHT NEXT TO YOURS !!!  7260 !!!!  I will be hitting our cabin attendant up for the foot stools for the veranda.

 

Congratulations on your anniversary!!!  Enjoy your cruise.