Equinox BTB Eastern/Western Caribbean 8/5-8/19

[MisterMet]

Tuesday 8/15 Grand Cayman

 

We love GC!  It’s one of the easiest ports to do on your own (once you tender to shore.). We took advantage of an Elite perk of priority tendering to get to Georgetown early to do some snorkeling.  We waited in the Silhouette dining room for about 2 minutes and were then escorted to the next tender.  I didn’t even have time to nosh on a croissant and have a bit of coffee that were provided!

 

We headed to Eden Rock for snorkeling on our own.  The Eden Rock Dive Center offers lockers and an easy access to the ocean.  You are right downtown too.  You have great views of the ships at anchor.  
 

We snorkeled for about an hour and then wandered through town for some shopping.  We decided against going to 7 Mile beach as The Disney Fantasy had pulled in while we were snorkeling and figured it would be a little crowded.  We were back on the ship by noon and went to the OVC for lunch. We took advantage of an empty ship and grabbed some loungers in the Solarium.  Reading, napping, and listening to contemporary jazz got us very relaxed.  We attended the sail away gathering on the helipad and then made a quick change so we could see waiter Mardika and company in the MDR for a nice meal.  A bit of slots and roulette lightened our wallets a bit before bed.  A nice day was had for sure.

Edited August 20, 2023 by MisterMet

[MisterMet]

Wednesday August 16 Cozumel.

 

In keeping with our theme of relaxing on this leg of the cruise, we again opted not to do an excursion.  We’ve been to Cozumel several times and wanted to explore the city on our own.  We grabbed a quick bite in the OVC and hit the gangway to explore on our own.  We’d agreed to meet our friends for lunch at Pancho’s Backyard at 1:30(more on that later).  This gave us some time to shop inside the port first, then venture out the gate to the city.

 

After some browsing we headed out to explore and eventually meet our friends.  We started to travel north of the port, following Google map directions.  Suddenly, the directions said we were going the wrong way so we headed south.  The directions put us at the Carnival dock and port shops south of where the Equinox docks.  We were shopping in the adjacent gift shop when we received a text saying our friends had arrived.  We hurried to the restaurant, but did not see them. We texted back to ask where they were?  We then realized that there are two Panchos Backyards.  One north of where the equinox docks, and one S., where the carnival ships dock.  Who knew?  We felt really bad, but our friends told us not to worry about it.  They enjoyed their lunch at the northern restaurant very much.
 

DW and I headed back towards the ship feeling guilty AND hungry so we stopped at Al Chile’s  just outside the port gates.  We had some excellent fajitas, and my DW drank away her guilt with a giant margarita and a shot of tequila!

 

We ran into Mario and Luigi, who gave us some pretty cool decorations. We then headed back to the ship and at least one of us was feeling no pain!  Lol 😆. A late afternoon nap helped heal someone’s head and recover in time for dinner and then we caught comedian Jeff Shaw’s show.  
He was really funny.  That was enough excitement for us for one day.

 

Edited August 21, 2023 by MisterMet

[MisterMet]

Thursday August 17 Sea Day 2 (or 4)

 

We spent most of the day wandering around from activity to activity.  I actually packed a little to get ready for our Saturday disembarkation.  It’s always a sad experience knowing you have to leave the ship.  Dinner in the MDR was very good as always.  Beef Wellington hit the spot.  
 

We chose to sit and listen to some music before heading to bed.  Nice and relaxing day

[MisterMet]

Friday August 18 Bimini

 

We opted to use the last day of the elite breakfast option in the Tuscan Grille.  The Ultimate platter I ordered had freshly baked pastries, assorted cheeses. assorted fruit, and a mini bagel with salmon.  They were all great.  A mixed berry smoothie and a double espresso helped to wash all those wonderful goodies down.
 

We did not have an excursion planned for a Bimini. We just decided to walk off the ship and explore on our own. I had last been to Bimini in 1987 as a college senior on break. I sailed over from Fort Lauderdale with some fraternity brothers.  To say it has changed a lot is an understatement! Bimini has been built up dramatically over the last 35+ years. When I last visited, it was a great place for a college kid to party and also a major stop on the drug running ring. 
 

We took the little tram to the end of the pier, and then out to Bimini beach resort.  You had to pay to enter the resort. We did not want to do that. So we rode the tram back to Fishermans village for some shopping. The village is very new and has a few nice little stores for souvenir purchases. There’s also a nice big bar and restaurant that sits right on the marina.
 

We then walked back up to the beach area to see if we could access some beach line without having to pay for it. No avail. We then took the tram back to the pier area and walked a little bit further south on the main road toward Alice Town.  We had lunch at Smitty’s. It was great!  We had cracked conch, cracked, shrimp, and conch fritters. They were excellent.

 

We were back on board by about 12:30 and began packing in earnest for our Saturday departure. We enjoyed our time on Bimini. It is a nice little island, but if you are not into the beach, scene or sport fishing, there is not much to do.

 

We sailed away from Bimini, knowing that we would be back in Fort Lauderdale in no time. We gathered our friends for one last dinner in the MDR, which was really nice. We then went to the theater to see comedian Jeff Shaw’s adult show. It was really great. A few last spins in the casino didn’t net much. The early morning rise beckoned. It was another great day, however.

[MisterMet]

Saturday August 19 Disembarkation Day Ft. Lauderdale

 

We asked for an 8:30 slot for disembarkation and waited out our time in the Tuscan Grille after a quick bite to eat in the OVC.  Tags up to #18 were called by 8:15 and were headed toward the terminal.  We grabbed our luggage and were out the door after passing through facial recognition by 8:30.  Again, no paperwork or speaking with an immigration agent.  We were home in Naples, FL before 11:00.

 

Here are our thoughts on various things by category:

 

Cabin--9376 Concierge Class aft balcony was great to have for wake views.  Beware that it does get really hot sometimes.  Great for relaxing during sailaways from port.  Cabin was nice sized and the over bed storage was a great bonus.  Here is a video I shot that may help

 

 

Cabin Steward--Gomes was great and very attentive.  If we did have to ask for something, he was on it in a flash.

 

Ship Condition/Cleanliness--The ship did not get its full "Revolution" in 2019 prior to the Pandemic.  It is showing some wear and tear.  Just needs a bit of touch up painting here/there.  Otherwise the ship was very clean inside and out.

 

Main Dining Room--there were some repeats on the menu from one week to the next, but it was not exactly the same menu for both cruises.  Thought the variety and quality of the food was very good to excellent.  There wasn't one meal that I didn't like or made me want to choose something else.  The dining team we had were wonderful.  Mardika, Julina, Annie in Silhouette deck 4 front were so pleasant, attentive, and helpful.

 

Specialty Dining--Tuscan Grill was a home run.  Murano's food was good, but service wasn't the best.  Sushi on Five was a disaster.  Food wasn't good, overbooked and service was slow.  I think the overbooking of packages forced this situation.  Would probably do it for lunch if we wanted to try it again.

 

Crew--All the crew were pleasant, smiling, and gave you the feeling they were genuinely happy to have you on board.  Kudos to Celebrity for giving their employees the ability to rectify situations that needed attention without throwing up their hands and forwarding it up the line to higher ups.

 

Activities--we thought the activities were great.  Varied, fun, and entertaining.  We did hear some complaining that there was no swag given away during trivia, etc, but not a big deal honestly.

 

Shore Excursions--we have always done ship sponsored shore excursions no matter which line we've sailed.  We thought they were professionally run, informative, and fun.  We'd rather pay a little extra for peace of mind in regards to getting back to the ship.

 

Officers--man, they were everywhere and very friendly!  Most visible of any cruise line we've sailed.

 

Oceanview Cafe--we thought the food in the OVC was pretty good.  Varied, ethnic, and rotated pretty well.

 

Embarkation/Disembarkation--Easy and hassle free.  Try to schedule an early boarding time.  No long waits getting on or off the ship.

 

Pre Cruise Stay--The Hilton Ft. Lauderdale Marina is a home run for us.  Great accommodations, great restaurants on site and within walking distance, and an easy drive to the port (3 minutes max).

 

Overall Impressions--I had been reading on CC how things had gone down hill on Celebrity in recent times.  I was interested to see if any of what I heard rang true since the retirement of LLP and since our 2022 Reflection cruise.

 

Yes, there were some minor things we did notice that people on CC had mentioned like no welcome aboard drinks/pictures, swag give aways, not many shore photo stations, vaping in the casino.  After a 20 month shutdown and nearly a billion dollars in losses, it's easy to see where cutbacks must be made.  Many of the boards have said they've worried about a bleeding of brands from Celebrity to Royal.  I honestly don't think it is happening...yet.  None of the cutbacks would ever ruin our cruise.  Some extra little touches might not be there.  Maybe they'll return.  We still feel Celebrity is a luxury line and hope it stays that way.  We truly enjoy our experiences, and except for a very few instances, all of our experiences have been extremely positive.

 

Please feel free to ask what you'd like and I'll do my best to answer your questions honestly and thoughtfully..

 

Thanks for reading along.

 

Pam and Trip (MisterMet)

Naples, FL 

 

[hcat]

thank you again for a great review..

Sounds like your trip was a home run!

[mermee]

Thank you for your review. We will be traveling on the Equinox in Sept. Your comments helped me to feel better, after reading all the negative reviews. 

 

 

[MisterMet]

2 hours ago, MisterMet said:

Saturday August 19 Disembarkation Day Ft. Lauderdale

 

We asked for an 8:30 slot for disembarkation and waited out our time in the Tuscan Grille after a quick bite to eat in the OVC.  Tags up to #18 were called by 8:15 and were headed toward the terminal.  We grabbed our luggage and were out the door after passing through facial recognition by 8:30.  Again, no paperwork or speaking with an immigration agent.  We were home in Naples, FL before 11:00.

 

Here are our thoughts on various things by category:

 

Cabin--9376 Concierge Class aft balcony was great to have for wake views.  Beware that it does get really hot sometimes.  Great for relaxing during sailaways from port.  Cabin was nice sized and the over bed storage was a great bonus.  Here is a video I shot that may help

 

 

Cabin Steward--Gomes was great and very attentive.  If we did have to ask for something, he was on it in a flash.

 

Ship Condition/Cleanliness--The ship did not get its full "Revolution" in 2019 prior to the Pandemic.  It is showing some wear and tear.  Just needs a bit of touch up painting here/there.  Otherwise the ship was very clean inside and out.

 

Main Dining Room--there were some repeats on the menu from one week to the next, but it was not exactly the same menu for both cruises.  Thought the variety and quality of the food was very good to excellent.  There wasn't one meal that I didn't like or made me want to choose something else.  The dining team we had were wonderful.  Mardika, Julina, Annie in Silhouette deck 4 front were so pleasant, attentive, and helpful.

 

Specialty Dining--Tuscan Grill was a home run.  Murano's food was good, but service wasn't the best.  Sushi on Five was a disaster.  Food wasn't good, overbooked and service was slow.  I think the overbooking of packages forced this situation.  Would probably do it for lunch if we wanted to try it again.

 

Crew--All the crew were pleasant, smiling, and gave you the feeling they were genuinely happy to have you on board.  Kudos to Celebrity for giving their employees the ability to rectify situations that needed attention without throwing up their hands and forwarding it up the line to higher ups.

 

Activities--we thought the activities were great.  Varied, fun, and entertaining.  We did hear some complaining that there was no swag given away during trivia, etc, but not a big deal honestly.

 

Shore Excursions--we have always done ship sponsored shore excursions no matter which line we've sailed.  We thought they were professionally run, informative, and fun.  We'd rather pay a little extra for peace of mind in regards to getting back to the ship.

 

Officers--man, they were everywhere and very friendly!  Most visible of any cruise line we've sailed.

 

Oceanview Cafe--we thought the food in the OVC was pretty good.  Varied, ethnic, and rotated pretty well.

 

Embarkation/Disembarkation--Easy and hassle free.  Try to schedule an early boarding time.  No long waits getting on or off the ship.

 

Pre Cruise Stay--The Hilton Ft. Lauderdale Marina is a home run for us.  Great accommodations, great restaurants on site and within walking distance, and an easy drive to the port (3 minutes max).

 

Overall Impressions--I had been reading on CC how things had gone down hill on Celebrity in recent times.  I was interested to see if any of what I heard rang true since the retirement of LLP and since our 2022 Reflection cruise.

 

Yes, there were some minor things we did notice that people on CC had mentioned like no welcome aboard drinks/pictures, swag give aways, not many shore photo stations, vaping in the casino.  After a 20 month shutdown and nearly a billion dollars in losses, it's easy to see where cutbacks must be made.  Many of the boards have said they've worried about a bleeding of brands from Celebrity to Royal.  I honestly don't think it is happening...yet.  None of the cutbacks would ever ruin our cruise.  Some extra little touches might not be there.  Maybe they'll return.  We still feel Celebrity is a luxury line and hope it stays that way.  We truly enjoy our experiences, and except for a very few instances, all of our experiences have been extremely positive.

 

Please feel free to ask what you'd like and I'll do my best to answer your questions honestly and thoughtfully..

 

Thanks for reading along.

 

Pam and Trip (MisterMet)

Naples, FL 

 

I probably should have said that Celebrity is a Premium cruise line, not luxury

Edited August 21, 2023 by MisterMet

[MisterMet]

2 hours ago, hcat said:

thank you again for a great review..

Sounds like your trip was a home run!

Too much baseball lingo in it?  lol 😁

[MisterMet]

1 hour ago, MisterMet said:

 

I probably should have said that Celebrity is a Premium cruise line, not luxury

Hard to read my last post.  I probably should have said Celebrity is a premium cruise line, not luxury cruise line.  Sorry for making the above so unreadable.🤨

[MisterMet]

3 hours ago, mermee said:

Thank you for your review. We will be traveling on the Equinox in Sept. Your comments helped me to feel better, after reading all the negative reviews. 

 

 

It was very much better than what I too had read.  

[Texed]

Thanks for posting.  😊

[hcat]

2 hours ago, MisterMet said:

Too much baseball lingo in it?  lol 😁

not at all!

[Jim_Iain]

Really enjoyed following along on your wonderful vacation.

[bunnyette]

What a nice positive review.   All the talk about bad service & inedible food had me concerned.

 

thank you.

[C4HCG]

We sail on the Equinox in 2 weeks, very informative review, thanks.

[vickykay]

Enjoyed you review and glad to hear you enjoyed your cruise.  We’re looking forward to our New England/Canada cruise on the Summit in Sept.  By the way, where are you in Naples?  We’re in north Naples, off Wiggins Pass Rd.  Safe travel home.

[jimbri]

Great review!

[MisterMet]

9 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Really enjoyed following along on your wonderful vacation.

Thanks Jim.  I have always enjoyed reading your adventures too.

[MisterMet]

1 hour ago, vickykay said:

Enjoyed you review and glad to hear you enjoyed your cruise.  We’re looking forward to our New England/Canada cruise on the Summit in Sept.  By the way, where are you in Naples?  We’re in north Naples, off Wiggins Pass Rd.  Safe travel home.

Carlton Lakes, north of Seed to Table.  You're really close!

[swflcruisers]

We sail on the Equinox in October for our first ever Celebrity cruise. After sailing Royal Caribbean, NCL, Carnival and Virgin, we are finally trying Celebrity. Thank you for sharing your experience! 

 

[sunkey1]

So happy to read a concise review that does not constantly harp on "what used to be" or "on the other line..." Seems that some have become so spoiled that they can't adjust and adjust they may have to as the times/lines they are a changin'. The hope is to go in with a positive attitude (which the reviewer had) and basically be glad for the opportunity to be on vacation - and not in west Maui, or Ukraine... Things could be worse people!

[Missusdubbya]

Great review, thank you

[Reel Love]

Thank you for sharing MisterMet.  Terrific review! 

We were on Equinox in early June and had a similar experience overall.  Think we both were lucky.....we cruised just before they hacked the MDR menu and you sailed after the copious complaints made X basically restore the menu!   

Thanks again 🙂

[Arzeena]

MisterMet and the Mrs,

Thanks for a wonderfully refreshing and terrific review and pictures. It was great to read such a positive review especially when everyone else is complaining about cookies and cutbacks! 🤣

I am really looking forward to our cruise on the Equinox in October.

Thank you!