Celebrity Equinox 3/13/2022 Southern Caribbean sailing

[GotMINI]

Brief review of Celebrity Equinox 3/13/2022 sailing:

 

Just returned late last night (after an very long drive!) after our 12-day Southern Caribbean cruise.  Had a wonderful time.   Typically go very researched and know exactly what we will be doing on each island, but with Covid there hadn't been a lot of good information online before out trip, even on these boards.  So I thought I'd include a few notes in case they'd be helpful to others.  Basically islands just coming out of Covid restrictions and needed to follow whatever rules they had in place.  Celebrity gave sheet upon arrival listing "rules" but can change weekly, so best to keep watching boards or reading up as things progress.  We had to mask as exit ship and through terminal, sometimes until got to destination.  Once on beach, can take off masks.   Some places did temperature checks.   Three of our islands more strict and were told must take Celebrity Excursions if want to leave ship; however could do government approved tour if want to leave port.   We found out that government approved tours does include just a taxi to a beach, which was great for us because that is what we typically do.  The government approved tours seem to be "tour bubbles" to allow tourism back and seem to follow certain protocols.   Regarding the sailing we heard there was about 1600 passengers, so only about 55% capacity and crew was either at 70-80% capacity (I forget what they told me).   Staff was excellent.   Ship was clean.  Captain and crew worked hard.  Was a wonderful trip.

 

Island #1 - St Croix:  We took $5/pp/each way cab to Rainbow Beach by Rhythms beach bar.  Cost us $40 for 2 chairs & 1 umbrella.  Crowded.  

 

Island #2 - St Kitts:  We took a taxi to Caraboloa for $28/each way (set price).  There was an officer near the cabbies keeping them "in line". One guy started calling after us very hard and the officer told him to calm it down.   They can be pretty aggressive on this island getting customers (in my opinion).  Our cab driver, Dawson Ramsey was great!  He explained that they had to do special training, be fully vaccinated, the vehicle had plastic covering all seats and there was a plastic divider between driver and back seats.  There was sanitation supplies in car too.  Very clean.  We set up a time with Dawson and he came back to the beach to pick us up.  Even had towels on seats and on floor in case we were wet.  Carambola has website where you can make reservations in advance, which we had done.  While there we also took a walk down to the black sand Shipwreck Beach which has a bar/restaurant and some chairs too if you prefer to go there.  

 

Island #3 - St. Lucia:  this was the only island we took Celebrity Excursion.  All excursions left from theater.  All passengers must have a wristband to leave the ship.  We took the Coastal Cruise to Pitons, which was a 4hr trip along the coast on a motorized 2-hull ship (like a catamaran without a sail) that had plenty of seating.  Was a very fun and comfortable trip.   Highly recommend!

 

Island #4 - Grenada:  $10/pp/RT water taxi to Anse Beach.  Took 20-30 min.  Small water taxi boat runs when full or around the hour mark.  Very conveniently located.  However, with limited capacity on our ship and only 1 ship in port, it can take awhile for that boat to fill-up.  In retrospect, we would have taken taxi, which I heard was $20/each way.  Depending on how many in your group, could be better way to go.   Cost $20 for 2 chairs & umbrella.  

 

Island #5 - Barbados:  No camaflouge can be worn on the island...   Required to take a shuttle bus to/from ship and the terminal.  It's a very busy dock and you cannot walk along the pier at all for safety reasons.   Had to do a temperature check as entered main building at terminal.  Must mask indoors.   Cost us $5/pp to take bus (minivan) to Carlisle Bay.  They try to hold off running the bus until full.  Carlisle Bay has 3 beaches (more farther down) which are Boatyard 1st, then Lobsters Alive, then Harbour Lights.   We went to Harbour Lights which was $10/pp for a chair with shared umbrellas.  There are fresh water showers and bathrooms upstairs above bar.  There is free wifi but it was more in that bar/restaurant area and didn't reach the beach.  We heard the Boatyard is $30/pp and includes chair/umbrella, swim w/ turtles (?), and transportation back to port.   

 

Island #6 - Dominica:  Temperature check and hand sanitizing station between ship and terminal.  They do "Bubble Trips"to beach.  We paid $25/each/RT for shared ride to Mero Beach.  Taxi driver stayed at beach waiting on us for our return back.  Only $5/chair under a cover or umbrella.  

 

Island #7 - Antiqua: 1st and only island where it was mask optional, although recommended in crowded places.  Temperature check on wrist as enter port and when leaving port.  Cost $10/pp/each way for shared taxi to Jolly Beach.  Cabs won't leave until filled.   Actually we didn't really know which beach we wanted to go to on this island so picked one with people waiting on cab to hopefully get there quicker.  We gave driver time we wanted to be picked up and he came back for us later in day.  Cost $25 for 2 chairs and an umbrella from Sonya.  Devantoy sold us $3/beers.  Wifi is available but it is very weark.  We sat in front of Sandra's Beach Shop.  Bathroom was an outhouse, but surprisingly not bad at all.  Heard bathroom connected to Sandras had no electricity, so room pitch black and toilet didn't flush well.  

 

Hope this information is helpful !

 

[Northern Aurora]

Great information.  Thanks for posting.

[kearney]

Thank you... very helpfull we go in late April... so hopefully things will be even better by then