*2nd Attempt* Trip Review - Equinox (June 24 - July 2)

[jsmariner]

Fourth Sea Day - Saturday, July 1

 

DH decided he would join me for a morning walk on our final day. I wasn't sure he'd actually get up when it came down to it, but he did and we were on the track by 5:30 AM. Got to see one last pretty sunrise at sea and another cruise ship on the horizon.

 

 

 

 

Opted for the Oceanview Cafe for breakfast over Silhouette. I got a made-to-order poached egg over smoked salmon, some corned beef hash, and a Belgian waffle with orange marmalade and whipped cream.

 

 

Got a pic of the various types of tea available, as well.

 

The pool was packed to the gills and fully exposed to the sun, so we took the opportunity to begin packing our bags. We stopped briefly to attend the Exclusive Handcrafted Clock Auction in the Grand Foyer at 10:30 AM. The ship's engineers had worked with clock makers to make a couple of designs from pieces of the engine that had been swapped out. Apparently, this was the very first time they were doing this auction and the proceeds were going to the crew welfare fund. DH wouldn't bid, but he wanted a chance to admire the clocks and see how much they'd go for.

 

The first clock was made from a bearing and sold for $900.

 

 

The second clock was made from a gear and sold for $1300.

 

 

Following the auction, we participated in the final ballroom dance class offered in the Grand Foyer - merengue with the members of the production cast. I'd danced some merengue at Silent Disco the night before and it was fun to get to do it one more time.

 

Afterward, we swung by Cafe al Bacio for a couple of IGLU frappes and DH got a slice of orange cake.

 

Then it was back to the room to finish packing.

 

DH wanted to go to OVC one last time so I indulged him and skipped the last lunch offered in Silhouette. I went a little more carb-heavy than I probably should have and got three garlic knots, a slice of Thai chicken pizza, and a grilled chicken salad panini.

 

I think the whipped mousse was passion fruit (it wasn't labeled). Then there was a Nanaimo bar cake in honor of Canada Day, a pistachio cake, and a gluten-free strawberry cake. I only nibbled at them and didn't finish any.

 

We went out to the Mast Grill for one final plate of fries. I like to dip mine in malt vinegar.

 

After that, we peeked at the pool and it was nearly a ghost town. I suppose everyone was getting in one last pool day while we packed, so we could enjoy the pool in relative quiet while they packed. It was now late afternoon, as well, so the pool wasn't in the direct sun anymore. DH got in and was pleased that it was nice and deep, while I enjoyed one last French Caribbean from the Pool Bar. Then I got in only to realize the depth was over my head. So I swam for a bit and treaded water alongside DH until I finally tired out. Sitting on the ledge was good enough for me.

 

[mimmy52]

Great trip report! I like how you separate the photos with explanations. And I love every one of your outfits.

[jsmariner]

Fourth Sea Day - Saturday, July 1

 

Then it was time to get ready for dinner for the last time this cruise.

 

Our final dinner menu:

 

DH got his new favorite - escargot - one last time.

 

I tried the Caesar salad and got the French onion soup one last time (and it did have plenty of onions).

 

 

DH wasn't inspired by anything on the menu, yet again, but was thinking about the butternut farrotto based on the description. I urged him to go for it and if it wasn't to his liking, we could go up to Oceanview Cafe afterward for something else. He actually liked it quite a lot. I tried a bite and it was great. The duck prosciutto was so good.

 

It was my turn for the sirloin steak. I ordered it medium and thought that it was quite good.

 

We got the sauteed tilapia to share and I know it gets a bad rap, but I'm one-half Asian so I regularly prepare it for our family at home. I never would have thought to pair it with a tomato-based sauce and it was very good.

 

Our final dessert menu:

 

DH got creme brulee again with strawberry ice cream.

 

I chose the sacher torte which was very good. The cannoli I shared with DH, however, was disappointing as I expected a nice lemon flavor in the ricotta but couldn't taste it at all.

 

 

It was time to bid farewell to our waiter, Walter from the Philippines, and his assistant, Tarsis from Brazil. They took such good care of us and always provided timely service. When they figured out DH was an iced tea drinker, they had it ready for him every night. Dinner was a pleasant affair every evening.

 

We'd set our checked bag outside the cabin door prior to dinner and it had been whisked away. Our carry-on bags were packed for the morning except for a few essentials. There was nothing else to do and it was too early to turn in. We took the bottle of brut from our room attendant, Len, out onto the aft and enjoyed the ship's wake for the last time.

[jsmariner]

Disembarkation Day - Sunday, July 2

 

We were already docked in Port Everglades by the time we awoke in the morning and grabbed a quick breakfast in OVC.

 

 

Our flight didn't depart from FLL until 5:30 PM, so we decided on an everglades shore excursion for an airboat ride.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was a food truck at the park and we got some gator tail bites for a snack. We'd had alligator once at a restaurant back home, years ago, and it was just as we remembered. All in all, pretty good.

 

 

Then we were dropped off at the airport. Thankfully, both our flights operated on time and our luggage made it back with us. DH's hot glass fish survived the trip in one piece, too.

 

It was a wonderful way to celebrate our anniversary with many memories made. We're hoping it won't be another 25 years before we get the chance to cruise again.

[horseymike]

41 minutes ago, jsmariner said:

Third Sea Day - Friday, June 30 (Evening Chic Night)

 

We dressed to the nines for evening again as that's just our style but weren't bothered by what anyone else chose to wear. Hey, we're all on vacation. You do you! I did see a couple of men sporting tuxedos and one awesome kilt.

 

We finally broke open our anniversary bottle of Fre and drank a few glasses that night while we prepped for dinner. Then we took the last of it with us to Cafe al Bacio for a little pre-dinner treat.

 

DH had an lemon tartlet and an exotic fruit cake. I took a little bite and it tasted like papaya to me.

 

 

I chose a slice of mango cake and my customary fruit tart.

 

Then it was up on deck to catch a quick glimpse of the sunset before heading down to dinner.

 

It's lobster night, y'all!

 

I ordered another peach sangria in the restaurant but couldn't taste any of the peach. The next night I would order it from the bartenders at Passport who knew how to get it right.

 

DH's starters were the shrimp cocktail and the creamy salmon rillette to share which we both thought was very good.

 

I got the chilled pea soup and I cannot even begin to describe how good it was. That lump crab meat was the best and there was a lot of it!

 

The kale salad was very good, as well.

 

We each got our own lobster tail and then one plate of roasted leg of lamb to share. We had no complaints. It was a delicious meal.

 

 

Dessert menu:

 

We both got the baked Alaska and reminisced about our honeymoon cruise. There isn't much special about baked Alaska, when you think about it. It was really all about the presentation. Back in the day, all the waiters and assistants paraded through the dining room with flaming baked Alaskas held high while we twirled our napkins in the air to some upbeat music. Then they brought out pre-sliced portions to the table. That being said, it was still a tasty dessert.

 

We also got the citrus roulade to share and DH declared that to be far better than the baked Alaska.

 

Silent Disco was going on in the Sky Lounge. This time it wasn't nearly as crowded and I finally got my chance to dance as much as my heart desired. The green channel was 80's hits, the red channel was Latin beats, and the blue channel was current hits. We switched back and forth through all of the genres and even got to dance one tango together which shocked me as it's not very popular anymore. I was thrilled and it was the most fun evening of the cruise for me, hands down!

 

There was quite the storm that night and, while we were dancing, got to witness some pretty big flashes of lighting through the Sky Lounge windows.

 

When we returned to the cabin for the night, our room steward, Len, had left a couple of gifts.

 

[horseymike]

You both looked fabulous, you were really stylish.

Glad you enjoyed your cruise , thank you again for such a great running review and photos.👍

[maggieq]

@jsmariner  thanks so much for posting your review m thrilled that you got to celebrate your anniversary.  Your outfits are amazing.  I hope you will continue to cruise again soon!   

[joyefullcruiser]

Thank you for the great review.  DH and I will be on the Equinox in 6 short weeks!

 

[MangroveDriveGal]

What a great review! Thank you especially for posting the menus. I'm sailing in November and I can't wait! Oh, and happy anniversary. 

 

-Sharon-

[jsmariner]

DH read the review and corrected me on one point - the Coast Guard vessels are jet-powered.

 

He chuckled and said, "Honey, rockets are something else entirely. You made me sound like an idiot"

 

Oops!

[roundthenextcorner]

Terrific review, thanks for doing 😁.

Happy 25th 🎊.

[chemmo]

Sincere thanks for such a lovely review!

 

I must confess that I preferred some of the lunch menus to the evening ones…We have never bothered with the MDR lunch menu…perhaps we should…

[SSFrance69]

16 hours ago, jsmariner said:

Third Port Day - Thursday, June 29 (Kralendijk, Bonaire)

 

Skipped my morning walk again and opted to get my daily exercise in port. We were up and it early, though, with breakfast in OVC. This time I remembered to capture a pic.

 

We dressed in swimwear for our excursion as we were finally getting a beach day. Woo hoo! Got a tour of the salt flats, the slave huts, the lighthouse, and ended at Sorobon Beach in Lac Bai.

 

Our driver/guide, Kevin, told us they fill the ponds with sea water about four feet deep and it takes nine months to get through the process.

 

As the water sits, it turns pink and then purple because of a mineral or bacteria of some sort in the coral that's abundant in the ground.

 

When the water has mostly evaporated, they pump the remainder out to sea leaving approximately four inches of salt. Bulldozers are used for collecting it. The clean salt harvested off the top is what we use at the dinner table. The dirty salt on the bottom is shipped to the United States to treat our roads in the winter.

 

A large conveyor belt takes the salt out over the water to load onto ships for transport.

 

Kevin said the salt produced is 99% pure and there was a box on the beach with crystals for tourists to take a piece home.

 

The first set of slave huts we saw had not been maintained and were crumbling. So you could see how coral had been stacked and mortared in place to form the huts.

 

 

The next set of huts we saw had been well maintained. They would've housed four men each and were really quite small.

 

 

For reference, DH is over six-foot tall.

 

Near the lighthouse on the southern tip of Bonaire, there were some of the famous donkeys.

 

 

A short way down the road, we got to see a few flamingos, too.

 

Sorobon Beach was lovely with clear blue water. The day was windy, as expected, but absolutely beautiful with plenty of sunshine. We snagged a couple of loungers in the shade, but spent almost the entire time in the water. It was only waist deep and stretched out for a considerable distance. We wore water shoes, but there wasn't any need as it was all nice, soft sand. Several windsurfers were on the water, but there was plenty of room for everyone to spread out.

 

 

 

 

On the journey back to the ship, we really got to see the desert landscape of Bonaire.

 

 

Back on board, we changed out of our beach wear and grabbed lunch at the Mast Grill where DH said the burgers were good and the fries were excellent. I opted for the turkey burger (without a bun - those pesky carbs again) and it was fine but needed some seasoning, in my opinion. DH got a second burger, but I skipped down to the AquaSpa Cafe for a chicken salad plate and a tomato thyme ficelle which I brought back up to the Mast Grill seating area and I thought it was delicious.

 

We went back out to explore Kralendijk and shop until it got too hot for us to bear.

 

 

 

 

That ocean water looks so inviting! What is it you're wearing around your neck. Is that one of the waterproof phone holders. Does it work well? I'm so paranoid of one of those things failing and getting my phone waterlogged... but not sure what else to do with it. I don't want to leave it in a beach bag unattended. If you found it to be reliable, would you let me know what it's called? Enjoying your review.

[jsmariner]

2 hours ago, chemmo said:

Sincere thanks for such a lovely review!

 

I must confess that I preferred some of the lunch menus to the evening ones…We have never bothered with the MDR lunch menu…perhaps we should…

The MDR was very nice for lunch. It's so under-utilized that only a quarter section of the seating was ever in use whenever we were there. Service was quick, so you can be in and out as fast as you please and be on with your day. The main downside would be the hassle of changing in and out of daywear if you love lounging at the pool all day. Neither of us like being in the sun too much so we found other things to do around the ship in the morning. We liked the shaded areas of the Lawn Club and the promenade on deck 5. Then we waited until after lunch to go to the Solarium or pool.

[jsmariner]

19 minutes ago, SSFrance69 said:

That ocean water looks so inviting! What is it you're wearing around your neck. Is that one of the waterproof phone holders. Does it work well? I'm so paranoid of one of those things failing and getting my phone waterlogged... but not sure what else to do with it. I don't want to leave it in a beach bag unattended. If you found it to be reliable, would you let me know what it's called? Enjoying your review.

It is a waterproof phone holder. I was paranoid, too, so I tested it out in the sink at home with some folded-up paper towels inside. They came out dry after a couple of hours and they worked for us at the beach. The plastic is clear on both sides so you're supposed to be able to use your touch screen and take photos in and under water. DH got his to work, but I could not. He's more adept with tech than I am, though. It's nice that it floats even with the weight of the phone. We felt it was a worthwhile purchase.

 

These  happen to be the ones we bought on Amazon.

 

[jsmariner]

Thanks for the compliments on our attire. Part of the fun of pre-cruise preparation is selecting the clothes. I'm lucky that DH's is really laid back and usually happy with anything I set out for him. He chose the navy formal gown I wore on lobster night, though, and said that's the best dress purchase he's ever made.

[davekathy]

Thanks for taking us along on your cruise. 🍻

[MISTER 67]

Great job with your photos. 
We will be sailing on the Equinox next month, 5th time on that wonderful ship.

Edited July 8, 2023 by MISTER 67

[txtechmk]

Love, love, love your review and all your photos.  I especially love your matching outfits.  Not sure if I could get my husband onboard with that, but you guys look great!  I liked all your other attire also!  So stylish!

[bjahil47]

Loved your review, all the photos and your outfits!  Happy 25th Anniversary!  

[batoryfirst]

Terrific review and was really impressed with your attention to your outfits. 

[Lemons4Days]

Thank you for all the lovely pictures from your trip! I really enjoyed following along, especially with all your meal selections. Happy anniversary!

[Missusdubbya]

Wonderful review, thank you!

[Older Sister]

So glad to see that you dressed up for dinner, especially formal nights.  You looked absolutely lovely.  My husband and I will be on the Eclipse next month in Alaska, and we will be dressing for dinner as well.  

[vickykay]

Great review.  We typically dress somewhat on chic nights also. We both miss the formal nights.  Made the cruises feel special.