Celebrity Equinox Review Apr 24 - May 4th

[MrBill923]

This was our 8th cruise. Second on Celebrity, last cruise April 2018. We are in our mid-60's, and active. We wore masks where ever there were crowds, took the stairs when ever we could, and went to fitness center 4 days out of 10. We did five excursions, one on each island.  

 

Our overall experience was positive. Staff were always friendly. Nice to see cleaning going on everywhere. OVC had plenty of food choices (breakfast and lunch – never went to dinner there), and food was at correct temperature. Morning pastries in OVC were dried out and tasteless. There was also quite a bit of food waste due to people overloading their plates.  

 It was disappointing that the main dining room menu choices were reduced. There were some nights we were limited to only one item we cared for, and did have to repeat a few apptz. Everything we ate was good to very good. Dinner desserts were good, but would like to see more Lava Cakes, and less chocolate cake. Only did one night at specialty dining – Quisine. It was fun, not interested in doing it again. We enjoy the dining room experience with same staff every night (late seating). 

 

We used all Celebrity excursions, and the directions from staff as to where to meet onshore were not completely clear. Each excursion was well planned, and mostly enjoyed. Chair hogs need to be dealt with so other paying passengers can get a chair. Celebrity needs to make a better effort clearing people's stuff. I also suggest going back to checking out and returning towels. This will eliminate towels carelessly left on chairs after people leave. So many people just don't care about anyone but themselves. Most passengers were friendly, but there are always some who have the “me-me-me" attitude. Average age of passengers was 70 plus. There were many carts, walkers and ankle boots around the ship.  

 

Production shows were not interesting to us. The Magician/illusionist was very good. The female singer/impressionist was very good. Silent disco was the most fun. The music around the ship seemed repetitive and needed to be changed more. It would be nice to hear Caribbean music more. We did sit, dance and listen to the music around the deck 3 Foyer and Sky Lounge a few times.

 

We had a balcony cabin on deck 9-hump. Cabin was fine for two people. Stateroom Attendant - Pia - was very friendly and extremely dedicated to doing her job at the highest level. It was a pleasure to see her smiling face every day.  

Dining room Waiter - Kiene - and Assistant waiter - Taka - were very good and we enjoyed our service very much. They were knowledgeable and friendly. 

 

Use of App was fair, sometimes froze, and not always up to date. It was nice to have to pre-view dinner menus and activities. Texting option was not available at beginning of cruise but the next week it started working. We also found out that each person had to have separate email account and PWD on their phone to text each other even though we were in same cabin on same onboard account. We were not aware of that until we visited the help desk on Day 8.  Basic included Wi-Fi was acceptable for emails and some web browsing. Any website that was heavy in graphics or videos would not load (example: msn.com). Cruise Critic loaded but all distorted. Was mostly not able to text with wi-fi calling on and using ship’s wi-fi. It seemed to vary. Sometimes I could send simple text and get a response, sometimes it would just not send. And I could not send text with a picture. I used all CC recommended Android phone settings.  

 

Overall, we would cruise again with Celebrity and did visit Future Cruise Desk and put down a $100 deposit for a South Pacific trip.  

I'll be glad to answer questions. I have pictures but have not organized them yet. 

I hope my comments help others. 

 

[MisterMet]

19 minutes ago, MrBill923 said:

This was our 8th cruise. Second on Celebrity, last cruise April 2018. We are in our mid-60's, and active. We wore masks where ever there were crowds, took the stairs when ever we could, and went to fitness center 4 days out of 10. We did five excursions, one on each island.  

 

Our overall experience was positive. Staff were always friendly. Nice to see cleaning going on everywhere. OVC had plenty of food choices (breakfast and lunch – never went to dinner there), and food was at correct temperature. Morning pastries in OVC were dried out and tasteless. There was also quite a bit of food waste due to people overloading their plates.  

 It was disappointing that the main dining room menu choices were reduced. There were some nights we were limited to only one item we cared for, and did have to repeat a few apptz. Everything we ate was good to very good. Dinner desserts were good, but would like to see more Lava Cakes, and less chocolate cake. Only did one night at specialty dining – Quisine. It was fun, not interested in doing it again. We enjoy the dining room experience with same staff every night (late seating). 

 

We used all Celebrity excursions, and the directions from staff as to where to meet onshore were not completely clear. Each excursion was well planned, and mostly enjoyed. Chair hogs need to be dealt with so other paying passengers can get a chair. Celebrity needs to make a better effort clearing people's stuff. I also suggest going back to checking out and returning towels. This will eliminate towels carelessly left on chairs after people leave. So many people just don't care about anyone but themselves. Most passengers were friendly, but there are always some who have the “me-me-me" attitude. Average age of passengers was 70 plus. There were many carts, walkers and ankle boots around the ship.  

 

Production shows were not interesting to us. The Magician/illusionist was very good. The female singer/impressionist was very good. Silent disco was the most fun. The music around the ship seemed repetitive and needed to be changed more. It would be nice to hear Caribbean music more. We did sit, dance and listen to the music around the deck 3 Foyer and Sky Lounge a few times.

 

We had a balcony cabin on deck 9-hump. Cabin was fine for two people. Stateroom Attendant - Pia - was very friendly and extremely dedicated to doing her job at the highest level. It was a pleasure to see her smiling face every day.  

Dining room Waiter - Kiene - and Assistant waiter - Taka - were very good and we enjoyed our service very much. They were knowledgeable and friendly. 

 

Use of App was fair, sometimes froze, and not always up to date. It was nice to have to pre-view dinner menus and activities. Texting option was not available at beginning of cruise but the next week it started working. We also found out that each person had to have separate email account and PWD on their phone to text each other even though we were in same cabin on same onboard account. We were not aware of that until we visited the help desk on Day 8.  Basic included Wi-Fi was acceptable for emails and some web browsing. Any website that was heavy in graphics or videos would not load (example: msn.com). Cruise Critic loaded but all distorted. Was mostly not able to text with wi-fi calling on and using ship’s wi-fi. It seemed to vary. Sometimes I could send simple text and get a response, sometimes it would just not send. And I could not send text with a picture. I used all CC recommended Android phone settings.  

 

Overall, we would cruise again with Celebrity and did visit Future Cruise Desk and put down a $100 deposit for a South Pacific trip.  

I'll be glad to answer questions. I have pictures but have not organized them yet. 

I hope my comments help others. 

Thank you for your review.  Would it be worth the upgrade to premium Wi-Fi?

 

[horseymike]

Thanks for sharing your experience. Hope you enjoyed your cruise 🚢.

[MrBill923]

MisterMet, might be worth upgrade for heavy usage. Not for us. It was kind of nice to separate from all the craziness in the world. 

[MrBill923]

Two things I forgot to mention:

--The bar service was pretty slow at all bars. The pool bar was the worse. What makes it frustrating is that there is no way to "Que" for a drink. Everyone just walks up and when the bartender looks at them - they order without considering who has already been waiting 10+ minutes. The 2 bartenders are totally overwhelmed, so they just take the next person that shouts out a drink. There has to be a better way.

-- With the Basic Wi-Fi, I was able to log in and view live video from my home Arlo security camera. I did not expect to be able to see it. So that was nice. 

[C4HCG]

22 hours ago, MrBill923 said:

This was our 8th cruise. Second on Celebrity, last cruise April 2018. We are in our mid-60's, and active. We wore masks where ever there were crowds, took the stairs when ever we could, and went to fitness center 4 days out of 10. We did five excursions, one on each island.  

 

Our overall experience was positive. Staff were always friendly. Nice to see cleaning going on everywhere. OVC had plenty of food choices (breakfast and lunch – never went to dinner there), and food was at correct temperature. Morning pastries in OVC were dried out and tasteless. There was also quite a bit of food waste due to people overloading their plates.  

 It was disappointing that the main dining room menu choices were reduced. There were some nights we were limited to only one item we cared for, and did have to repeat a few apptz. Everything we ate was good to very good. Dinner desserts were good, but would like to see more Lava Cakes, and less chocolate cake. Only did one night at specialty dining – Quisine. It was fun, not interested in doing it again. We enjoy the dining room experience with same staff every night (late seating). 

 

We used all Celebrity excursions, and the directions from staff as to where to meet onshore were not completely clear. Each excursion was well planned, and mostly enjoyed. Chair hogs need to be dealt with so other paying passengers can get a chair. Celebrity needs to make a better effort clearing people's stuff. I also suggest going back to checking out and returning towels. This will eliminate towels carelessly left on chairs after people leave. So many people just don't care about anyone but themselves. Most passengers were friendly, but there are always some who have the “me-me-me" attitude. Average age of passengers was 70 plus. There were many carts, walkers and ankle boots around the ship.  

 

Production shows were not interesting to us. The Magician/illusionist was very good. The female singer/impressionist was very good. Silent disco was the most fun. The music around the ship seemed repetitive and needed to be changed more. It would be nice to hear Caribbean music more. We did sit, dance and listen to the music around the deck 3 Foyer and Sky Lounge a few times.

 

We had a balcony cabin on deck 9-hump. Cabin was fine for two people. Stateroom Attendant - Pia - was very friendly and extremely dedicated to doing her job at the highest level. It was a pleasure to see her smiling face every day.  

Dining room Waiter - Kiene - and Assistant waiter - Taka - were very good and we enjoyed our service very much. They were knowledgeable and friendly. 

 

Use of App was fair, sometimes froze, and not always up to date. It was nice to have to pre-view dinner menus and activities. Texting option was not available at beginning of cruise but the next week it started working. We also found out that each person had to have separate email account and PWD on their phone to text each other even though we were in same cabin on same onboard account. We were not aware of that until we visited the help desk on Day 8.  Basic included Wi-Fi was acceptable for emails and some web browsing. Any website that was heavy in graphics or videos would not load (example: msn.com). Cruise Critic loaded but all distorted. Was mostly not able to text with wi-fi calling on and using ship’s wi-fi. It seemed to vary. Sometimes I could send simple text and get a response, sometimes it would just not send. And I could not send text with a picture. I used all CC recommended Android phone settings.  

 

Overall, we would cruise again with Celebrity and did visit Future Cruise Desk and put down a $100 deposit for a South Pacific trip.  

I'll be glad to answer questions. I have pictures but have not organized them yet. 

I hope my comments help others. 

 

Agree wholeheartedly about more Caribbean music. We have been disappointed with the house bands since a Jamaican band called Nu Image left the ship, they sang songs very relevant to a Caribbean cruise.

[PTC DAWG]

9 minutes ago, C4HCG said:

Agree wholeheartedly about more Caribbean music. We have been disappointed with the house bands since a Jamaican band called Nu Image left the ship, they sang songs very relevant to a Caribbean cruise.

Agree..why complicate things? 

[MrBill923]

I'm not sure why this is happening, but I can only see 4 replies to my post. But I have been notified that there have been 12 replies over the last week. Anyone know why? 

[lola2013]

Your post from 20 minutes ago is #8…last post was May 7 by PTC Dawg.  Sounds like I have also missed several posts.

[MrBill923]

There are 7 other posts that do not show. 

Can the Moderator of CC help with this? 

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Thanks for the review.  We are back on Equinox in September. 

[Georgia_Peaches]

I see 11 posts.

 

Thank you for your review of the Equinox.  I was wondering if you could elaborate more on the MDR menus.  I was looking at the menus for our July 2nd sailing in the app and they look pretty extensive with several starters that include soups/salads and the Always Available classics like French Onion soup and escargot.  Same with the main course...seemed pretty varied with at least 5 options and the Always Available items.  I guess my question is, is the app accurate or were the menus options significantly reduced from what is shown in the app?

[Georgia_Peaches]

One more question...two, actually...

 

Did you spend any time in the solarium?  If so, how was the lounger availability?

 

How about the casino?  Was there active drink service?

 

Dang, I guess that's four questions 😁.

[davekathy]

On 5/7/2023 at 12:13 PM, MrBill923 said:

Two things I forgot to mention:

--The bar service was pretty slow at all bars. The pool bar was the worse. What makes it frustrating is that there is no way to "Que" for a drink. Everyone just walks up and when the bartender looks at them - they order without considering who has already been waiting 10+ minutes. The 2 bartenders are totally overwhelmed, so they just take the next person that shouts out a drink. There has to be a better way.

-- With the Basic Wi-Fi, I was able to log in and view live video from my home Arlo security camera. I did not expect to be able to see it. So that was nice. 

Agree. It was that way on our March Apex cruise at both the sunset bar and the pool bar. Mostly due to rude passengers walking up and shouting out to the first bar tender that would look up instead of asking the person they just stood next to, have you been waited on yet. 

Edited May 14, 2023 by davekathy

[39august]

Not OP, but was also on this cruise. Yes,  plenty of drink service in the casino. And many reminders in various venues and in the Today. that active gamblers get free drinks.  I guess our favorite reason for cruising EQ is the lovely crew!  So many remember us by name after our 4 cruises with  EQ since the restart. 

[MISTER 67]

On 5/6/2023 at 6:01 PM, MrBill923 said:

This was our 8th cruise. Second on Celebrity, last cruise April 2018. We are in our mid-60's, and active. We wore masks where ever there were crowds, took the stairs when ever we could, and went to fitness center 4 days out of 10. We did five excursions, one on each island.  

 

Our overall experience was positive. Staff were always friendly. Nice to see cleaning going on everywhere. OVC had plenty of food choices (breakfast and lunch – never went to dinner there), and food was at correct temperature. Morning pastries in OVC were dried out and tasteless. There was also quite a bit of food waste due to people overloading their plates.  

 It was disappointing that the main dining room menu choices were reduced. There were some nights we were limited to only one item we cared for, and did have to repeat a few apptz. Everything we ate was good to very good. Dinner desserts were good, but would like to see more Lava Cakes, and less chocolate cake. Only did one night at specialty dining – Quisine. It was fun, not interested in doing it again. We enjoy the dining room experience with same staff every night (late seating). 

 

We used all Celebrity excursions, and the directions from staff as to where to meet onshore were not completely clear. Each excursion was well planned, and mostly enjoyed. Chair hogs need to be dealt with so other paying passengers can get a chair. Celebrity needs to make a better effort clearing people's stuff. I also suggest going back to checking out and returning towels. This will eliminate towels carelessly left on chairs after people leave. So many people just don't care about anyone but themselves. Most passengers were friendly, but there are always some who have the “me-me-me" attitude. Average age of passengers was 70 plus. There were many carts, walkers and ankle boots around the ship.  

 

Production shows were not interesting to us. The Magician/illusionist was very good. The female singer/impressionist was very good. Silent disco was the most fun. The music around the ship seemed repetitive and needed to be changed more. It would be nice to hear Caribbean music more. We did sit, dance and listen to the music around the deck 3 Foyer and Sky Lounge a few times.

 

We had a balcony cabin on deck 9-hump. Cabin was fine for two people. Stateroom Attendant - Pia - was very friendly and extremely dedicated to doing her job at the highest level. It was a pleasure to see her smiling face every day.  

Dining room Waiter - Kiene - and Assistant waiter - Taka - were very good and we enjoyed our service very much. They were knowledgeable and friendly. 

 

Use of App was fair, sometimes froze, and not always up to date. It was nice to have to pre-view dinner menus and activities. Texting option was not available at beginning of cruise but the next week it started working. We also found out that each person had to have separate email account and PWD on their phone to text each other even though we were in same cabin on same onboard account. We were not aware of that until we visited the help desk on Day 8.  Basic included Wi-Fi was acceptable for emails and some web browsing. Any website that was heavy in graphics or videos would not load (example: msn.com). Cruise Critic loaded but all distorted. Was mostly not able to text with wi-fi calling on and using ship’s wi-fi. It seemed to vary. Sometimes I could send simple text and get a response, sometimes it would just not send. And I could not send text with a picture. I used all CC recommended Android phone settings.  

 

Overall, we would cruise again with Celebrity and did visit Future Cruise Desk and put down a $100 deposit for a South Pacific trip.  

I'll be glad to answer questions. I have pictures but have not organized them yet. 

I hope my comments help others. 

 

Average age of 70+ seems a bit high, Holland America maybe but not Celebrity, we’ve sailed with both lines many times and also Princess who age wise is about the same as Celebrity.

Edited May 14, 2023 by MISTER 67

[MrBill923]

Georgia Peaches: I looked at the menu two weeks before cruise. While on cruise the menu did not seem to change from the two weeks before. We did get prime rib the first night, and lobster the following week. There seemed like there were many salads and soups and maybe only on other type of Appts. There were always 4-5 Entrees plus the 3 classic items. The food was good, it just seemed like some of it was just not different enough each night to meet our interests. You might be different. We spent small amount of time in the solarium. On sea days it was filled up early. We tried later in the afternoon and it was good. We are not lay in the sun by the pool type of people. 

The casino does not interest us, so no comment, other than it was NO smoking which was great when we walked by. 

Hope that helps. 

[MrBill923]

According to my notifications, the following posts I do not see in the forum:

deni negreano, joymom515, mistermet - only 1, merce4, micday3, C4HCG - only 1, procruise, silkroad, 

Please re-post, Or can anyone else see these posts?

Thanks