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JamieLogical's 5/29 Equinox Semi-Live Review

JamieLogical

By JamieLogical,
in Celebrity Cruises

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spammie

spammie

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We also just got off of the May 21st sailing. Sebastian is a Sr Bartender from Las Vegas who was at The World Class bar all week. We also encountered him at The Mast Bar. This is his first ever cruise contract. Evidently one of only two USA employees. An amazing bartender and very easy on the eyes. 😎 We will be back on board August 21. Have an amazing cruise! 

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amcco

amcco

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Posted (edited)
11 hours ago, graphicguy said:

 

I sometimes ask them how their particular treatments or elixirs would help my “venti-auto-iridescence”?  The conversation usually stops there.

 

😂😂😂 All I could picture is an addiction to Starbucks Venti Unicorn Frappuccinos!! 

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abbydancer2003 "Live from...." Rare

abbydancer2003

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Thanks for doing this.  I'm supposed to be on the Eclipse, but got Covid, so couldn't go.  I'm sitting here feeling sorry for myself (and royally angry - 7 cruises so far and I have no idea how I got it).  So I will vicariously enjoy your cruise.

 

My silver lining is that I'm a California poll worker, and it's our primary, so I'm working this week instead.  And we did rebook for July.

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micruiser2002

micruiser2002

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3 hours ago, spammie said:

We also just got off of the May 21st sailing. Sebastian is a Sr Bartender from Las Vegas who was at The World Class bar all week. We also encountered him at The Mast Bar. This is his first ever cruise contract. Evidently one of only two USA employees. An amazing bartender and very easy on the eyes. 😎 We will be back on board August 21. Have an amazing cruise! 

I thought his name was Isiah?  Met him end of March.  

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JamieLogical "Live from...." Rare

JamieLogical

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18 hours ago, MarKay525 said:

 

My day started with laughter thanks to your comments on No muster-No drinks, upselling in the spa and the Inca Sun God in the casino.

If you are not adverse to being photographed, I'd love to see some of your cruise uniforms. I tend to wear denim capris and knit tops - WAY too hot for the Caribbean. Thanks to posts from Gen X, I'm expanding my cruise wardrobe to include sun dresses. Loose slacks and linen shirts sound ideal as well!

Thanks in advance - Kay

 

Not likely to post a picture of myself, as I have a pretty strict policy against selfies, but here are some links to give you an idea:

 

I have these pants in 5 different patterns, though looks like most of the patterns I have are no longer available: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B08DD2BWM9/ref=twister_B074P12MQ7?_encoding=UTF8&th=1&psc=1

 

I have something like 10-12 of these camisoles in various colors so I can wear a clean one every day:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08P76HQK6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1&psc=1

 

I have 4 of these shirts, two white, one navy, and one black for wearing over my camisoles:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08P76HQK6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1&psc=1

 

I have bought a few pairs of these shoes now... they don't hold up very well, but they are cheap enough to be practically disposable. I have learned that the insoles do not stay in the shoes and make a big, sticky mess with the glue they use for them, so I now immediately take the insoles out and replace them:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B097XX7956/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1&psc=1

 

For evening chic, I just sub in these sandals for the shoes above:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B074JKNYDD/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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JamieLogical "Live from...." Rare

JamieLogical

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5/30

As is customary, I woke up to the phone ringing with a call to let me know my room service was on its way. I find it interesting that Celebrity does this. On NCL, I never received such calls. Maybe Celebrity got tired of people answering a knock on the door in the nude or other states of undress, so calling ahead gives the passengers time to throw on a robe?

 

Unfortunately, my room service breakfast was missing the breakfast part. They had only brought me coffee and no croissant. Note to those of you who prefer chocolate croissant to plain, you can just write in "chocolate" after the word "croissant" on your room service card and they will bring you chocolate croissant. Anyway, this time I was missing croissants of any variety, but the server ran at lightning speed and fetched me some very quickly once he realized they were missing.

 

I then sat out on my balcony as we docked in Key West and typed up my notes from embarkation to start this thread. This is one of my favorite cruise rituals.

 

After finally getting this thread started, I showered and dressed to make it down to the MDR in time for breakfast. I love to do MDR breakfast, but getting down there before 9:00am can sometimes be a struggle if I have a particularly lazy morning. When I got to the MDR they seated me about a mile from anyone else. I guess they thought it would be silly to seat me at a six-top by myself, so they took me to the next closest two-top.

 

Being way over on my own made for some pretty slow service. Usually I don't get coffee in the MDR because I have already had some in my room and I have to keep fighting off the offers of coffee the whole time. This time I actually wanted coffee, but had to wait forever, and then when I finally got some coffee, I realized I didn't have any cream on the table just as the coffee server walked out of earshot. So I then had to wait until I could flag someone else down to get some creamer.

 

Oh well. At least if I come down with COVID I will know I didn't get it from this breakfast! After I had already put in my food order, May and Dan, the older couple I had sat with the previous night at dinner came in and said that I could join them if I wanted, but since I had already placed my order, I didn't want to muck things up.

 

I enjoyed my omelet, super crispy bacon, toast, and first mimosa of the day. The bacon really was good. I always ask for it extra crispy and this definitely fit the bill. I probably ate more of it than I should have, but I'm on a cruise!

 

After Breakfast, I decided more mimosas were in my future, so I headed up to the Oceanview Cafe to get another one from the bar to bring up to the lawn club with me (Sunset Bar doesn't open until 10:00). As I approached, I saw a familiar silhouette. It was Komang, my favorite bartender from my last cruise on the Equinox in January! On that cruise he had worked in the Ensemble Lounge and I had looked for him on Sunday night, but he wasn't there, so I assumed he was no longer onboard. Turns out he now works evenings in the Casino bar. So, as I approached, I saw him, but he didn't see me. The bar was mobbed with people getting their "morning juice" and specialty coffees. A different bartender took my mimosa order and as I was waiting for it, Komang saw my reflection in the mirror behind the bar while he was making some coffee and he turned around and shouted "Jamie!!!" He was so excited to see me. He couldn't stop smiling and laughing. Unfortunately, with the bar so busy, I just asked him where he was working evenings and promised to track him down later so we could catch up.

 

I headed up to the Lawn Club to read and enjoy my mimosa in peace and quiet. It was pretty hot, but with the breeze blowing, it wasn't too bad. While I was up there, just thoroughly relaxing, I decided I didn't want to bother going ashore in Key West. I was so content to just have a really slow, lazy day. So I went back down to the Oceanview bar for another mimosa and this time Komang waited on me and he made me his special Grand Mimosa, which is just a normal mimosa in a wine glass with some Grand Marnier.

 

I took that back up to the Lawn Club and sat there the rest of the morning, eventually getting my drinks from he Sunset Bar when it opened. Then it was time for lunch and I went back down to Oceanview for some Indian Nachos. Turns out Beef Bhuna Gosht is the perfect toping for nachos with salsa verde.

 

I decided to skip dessert and head back to my room for one of my other favorite cruises traditions, my afternoon nap! After such an exhausting morning of sitting, reading, and drinking, I really needed that nap! I slept until 3:00 and then it was time for my afternoon coffee. So I headed down to Cafe al Bacio for even more reading and relaxation.

 

Sometime after 4:00, I went over to Ensemble Lounge to see my new bartender friend, Abdul. There was a band setting up to play at 5:15 and I found out they were a new band and this was only their second performance. I asked Abdul what he thought of them and I could tell he didn't really like them, but he said another act that was supposed to play at 7:30 was his favorite, so I told him I would be back for that.

 

Then it was 5:00 and I had to go visit Z. I sat between two other younger couples and had great chats with all of them. The couple to my left was on their first cruise! So I told them about all the things they had to try. The couple to my right had been on a few cruises, but it sounded like they had had some real issues on this one so far. The first problem was that they had sleep apnea and so getting extension cords run across their room for that was a challenge and then once those were plugged in, they had nowhere to plug in their phones. They were pretty miffed that there are only two US outlets and they are so far from the bed. Then, apparently, they also had mold in their shower. They are in an OceanView room and I wonder if it one that had been empty for all of these lower capacity sailings, so it hadn't been kept up? Still not really acceptable for there to be mold in there.

 

I had decided to just do the buffet for dinner, because nothing on the MDR menu for the evening really appealed to me and I was trying to have a very low key, relaxing day. So I just had a couple slices of pizza.

 

I then tried to go down to the Casino, but I guess we weren't far enough at sea yet, because it still wasn't opened. So I suffered with drinking a 25th Anniversary Martini at the Martini Bar instead. One of the bartenders there had been on my Summit sailing back in November. When I saw him back then, he was supposed to be going to the Beyond for its start-up, but apparently literally as he was supposed to be flying to Europe, they sent him to the Equinox instead.

 

After my Martini, the casino was open and I quickly lost all of my daily tithes. So I headed back to Ensemble to hang out with Abdul and hear this band he had hyped. They were soooooo good. The singer is amazing. The group is called BR4 and they are from Brazil. They did some phenomenal just loungy music. I was having a great time listening when I spotted another solo sailor at the other end of the bar from me. When the couple sitting between us left, I waived her to come sit next to me and we became fast friends.

 

She does something in HR for the cruise industry now. It's a new job and this is her first cruise. She apparently gets to go on free cruises now as part of the job. I need this job.

 

Anyway, it is her very first cruise, so obviously her first cruise on Celebrity and the Equinox. We decided to try to go out and see the sunset, but we had missed it. Then I asked if she had been to the Sunset Bar yet and she hadn't, so we went up there and sat in those little seats that are down the half flight of stairs and overlook the wake. There was a couple sitting there as well and we chatted with them for a while.

 

Then my new friend decided she wanted to see the Theater show, so I walked her down as far as the Casino and showed here where to go from there. Meanwhile, I had a date with Komang at the Casino Bar now that he was on shift there. The bar was actually also pretty slammed and I ended up not getting to chat with him too much. He was SUPER sweet thought and went over to the Martini Bar to fetch strawberries and basil so he could make me a Mr. Worldwide. I got to chatting with the lady next to me and we had a great time.

 

Then it was time for late night snack and bed! The time change threw me for a loop this morning and I ended up waking up before my room service breakfast call.

 

Day's Drinks: Mimosa x2, Grand Mimosa, Ginger Mojito, Americano w/ Bailey's, Rum Mule, Celebrity No. 10, Birthday Cake Mojito, 25th Anniversary Martini, French 77, Ginger Mojito, Mr. Worldwide x2

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WeBcruisingMN

WeBcruisingMN

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1 hour ago, JamieLogical said:

Day's Drinks: Mimosa x2, Grand Mimosa, Ginger Mojito, Americano w/ Bailey's, Rum Mule, Celebrity No. 10, Birthday Cake Mojito, 25th Anniversary Martini, French 77, Ginger Mojito, Mr. Worldwide x2

@JamieLogical- great review, I love your kind and friendly spirit! 😊

Thanks for the new drink ideas, too, I hope to try a Mr. Worldwide on our next cruise.
Can you explain the ingredients for a Birthday Cake Mojito? When I googled, it only gave me cake recipes- how to doctor-up a white cake recipe (even though I put ‘cocktail’ in the search). Thanks much, and continued happy cruising to you! 🚢

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Barwick Cruiser

Barwick Cruiser

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8 minutes ago, JeanieC,Aston said:

Just picture it…….

Man comes out of toilet without washing his hands then dips his fingers into the bar snacks.Urgh.

The snacks in the bars are individually portioned…so he’s only dipping his hands and snacks into his own mouth. Still gross 🤮 

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Oceansaway17 Holiday Sharing Rare

Oceansaway17

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On 5/30/2022 at 8:32 AM, evandbob said:

 

On day 4 or 5, the Captain announced the ship reached a positive COVID positivity rate of 1% of passengers, perhaps 25 total.  Mild cases, but they were still quarrantined.  He instituted mandatory mask wearing for the theater and casino. 

 

Seems like folks entering the theater complied until they reached their seats and then many removed their masks or lowered them to chin straps.  There were no staff inside the theater to maintain mask wearing.  

 

 

Well darn it is sad to hear grownups not behaving and following orders.

guess the staff does not want to police either. Perhaps captain should monitor situation better.

It is a sign of the times I guess that folks do have as the darn please.

 

If adults do not behave how can we expect kids to behave.

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JamieLogical "Live from...." Rare

JamieLogical

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1 hour ago, WeBcruisingMN said:

@JamieLogical- great review, I love your kind and friendly spirit! 😊

Thanks for the new drink ideas, too, I hope to try a Mr. Worldwide on our next cruise.
Can you explain the ingredients for a Birthday Cake Mojito? When I googled, it only gave me cake recipes- how to doctor-up a white cake recipe (even though I put ‘cocktail’ in the search). Thanks much, and continued happy cruising to you! 🚢

 

It's one that Z invented on my Equinox sailing in July. I was hanging out with a couple and the husband was allergic to pineapple and I just hate pineapple, so Z made us a Sailor's Crush, which is on the World Class Bar menu, but substituted Orange Ciroc for the Pineapple Ciroc and it turns out that vanilla and orange Ciroc mixed together taste like buttercream frosting, so we started calling it the Birthday Cake Mojito.

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JamieLogical "Live from...." Rare

JamieLogical

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1 hour ago, kpark895 said:

Hi Jamie.  Great review so far.  Which bar had the bar snacks?

 

 

That was at Ensemble Lounge last night and for whoever was worried about hygiene, everyone gets their own container.

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cangelmd

cangelmd

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5 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

 

Not likely to post a picture of myself, as I have a pretty strict policy against selfies, but here are some links to give you an idea:

 

I have these pants in 5 different patterns, though looks like most of the patterns I have are no longer available: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B08DD2BWM9/ref=twister_B074P12MQ7?_encoding=UTF8&th=1&psc=1

 

I have something like 10-12 of these camisoles in various colors so I can wear a clean one every day:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08P76HQK6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1&psc=1

 

I have 4 of these shirts, two white, one navy, and one black for wearing over my camisoles:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08P76HQK6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1&psc=1

 

 

For evening chic, I just sub in these sandals for the shoes above:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B074JKNYDD/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Jamie, the linen shirts, any comments about the fit? Do they run large, run small? Are they long enough to cover those rear ares that those o er 50 want to cover 😉.I would wear one as you do, over a tank or camisole

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