Just back Equinox 8nt

[Hawkstar33]

Right away, let's put an end to the pay for cookies at Cafe el Bacio story.  It is NOT true....2 kinds of Cookies, choc chip and choc choc chip, and coconut macaroons with cherry pcs, as well as the usual cakes and pastries, were all FREE.  Also, while the Main dining room menu had the usual choices, fish, chicken, beef, etc, it is TRUE that you can pay an uncharge if you want lobster 16.99,  filet mignon 19.99, and a whopping 34.99 surf n turf, which appears on the bottom of the dining room dinner menu.  Next let's talk about the supposed cutbacks I read about before going.  If anything, a lack of live daily music entertainment, around the ship.  I personally feel there should be some kind of music playing during the daytime hours, and low volume radio music was not cutting it.  There was a pool deck band, but limited.  some Grand Foyer music, and dancing here n there, and the violinist, guitar player combo in Ensemble every night, at dinner hour.  There were also no take away paper cups in the solarium coffee area, as there was in the past.  Basic Ice cream choices, nothing special, but always a line to get some. Oceanview buffet was very, very good.  Every possible breakfast choice.  Different lunch theme everyday.  Greek, Mexican, Indian, Irish, BBQ, Asian.  Fresh grilled chicken, fish, steaks. Many choices.  Fabulous displays.  Beautiful assortment of desserts.  DELICIOUS OVERALL..  Others may not agree, but I will stand by my opinion.  Summit received the best cuisine Award, but Equinox may have been better.  Always crowded on embarkation day.  Did not go to Main dining room.  3nts Tuscan, 2 Murano, 1 Sushi on 5, and other nights the buffet. Like I've said before, just our choice.  We love the Specialty restaurants.  Same menus in each place, as in past. Great service.  Zero complaints. Tuscan FILET the best, medium rare with gorgonzola sauce, Murano Lobster tail, and chateaubriand for 2, and Dynamite shrimp and scallops in Sushi.  We asked for it, we got it, no question or denial on anything.  Crew was exceptional. Not one of them, walked by without a greeting.  They were cleaning, and doing maintenance all over the place.. She is scheduled for a 20 day dry dock before going across the Atlantic.  Exterior paint for sure I suppose.  Barely 10 kids onboard.  No excessive chair hogging this time. Many pool chairs available except while in DR, which was brutally hot.  Not a full ship, which equals even better bar service, and mostly above 60yrs old.  Many chose not to be in the sun.  Ok now my only bad things.  Ports and times were not that great on this one.  San Juan arrival at 4pm, keeps us on the ship. Limited hours of daylight left is an issue as we are getting older.  Can't defend us like I used to be able too, in case something bad occurs. And sorry but that port is always hot, muggy, and like no moving air. Not a favorite.  Puerta Plata was also a short stay arriving at noon till 6.  Casino busy at night.  Shows were really good.  Gen Maldonado was excellent singing the Diva tunes.  Gold medal comedian, Take 3,  was 3 of the Juilliard School of musics gifted female artists. Awesome.  Louis or Lewis, unsure of spelling, was Cruise director.  Very good....Room attendant was twice daily. Hard workers, with no assistant, but seemingly more rooms to do.  Bingo was twice.  Deal or No deal is a favorite crowd event.  Hope this helps......Love Equinox

[dreamer321]

Thank you for your review. The most feedback the better for future cruisers.

[zitsky]

Thanks.   It would be more readable with some paragraphs.

[C4HCG]

3 hours ago, Hawkstar33 said:

Right away, let's put an end to the pay for cookies at Cafe el Bacio story.  It is NOT true....2 kinds of Cookies, choc chip and choc choc chip, and coconut macaroons with cherry pcs, as well as the usual cakes and pastries, were all FREE.  Also, while the Main dining room menu had the usual choices, fish, chicken, beef, etc, it is TRUE that you can pay an uncharge if you want lobster 16.99,  filet mignon 19.99, and a whopping 34.99 surf n turf, which appears on the bottom of the dining room dinner menu.  Next let's talk about the supposed cutbacks I read about before going.  If anything, a lack of live daily music entertainment, around the ship.  I personally feel there should be some kind of music playing during the daytime hours, and low volume radio music was not cutting it.  There was a pool deck band, but limited.  some Grand Foyer music, and dancing here n there, and the violinist, guitar player combo in Ensemble every night, at dinner hour.  There were also no take away paper cups in the solarium coffee area, as there was in the past.  Basic Ice cream choices, nothing special, but always a line to get some. Oceanview buffet was very, very good.  Every possible breakfast choice.  Different lunch theme everyday.  Greek, Mexican, Indian, Irish, BBQ, Asian.  Fresh grilled chicken, fish, steaks. Many choices.  Fabulous displays.  Beautiful assortment of desserts.  DELICIOUS OVERALL..  Others may not agree, but I will stand by my opinion.  Summit received the best cuisine Award, but Equinox may have been better.  Always crowded on embarkation day.  Did not go to Main dining room.  3nts Tuscan, 2 Murano, 1 Sushi on 5, and other nights the buffet. Like I've said before, just our choice.  We love the Specialty restaurants.  Same menus in each place, as in past. Great service.  Zero complaints. Tuscan FILET the best, medium rare with gorgonzola sauce, Murano Lobster tail, and chateaubriand for 2, and Dynamite shrimp and scallops in Sushi.  We asked for it, we got it, no question or denial on anything.  Crew was exceptional. Not one of them, walked by without a greeting.  They were cleaning, and doing maintenance all over the place.. She is scheduled for a 20 day dry dock before going across the Atlantic.  Exterior paint for sure I suppose.  Barely 10 kids onboard.  No excessive chair hogging this time. Many pool chairs available except while in DR, which was brutally hot.  Not a full ship, which equals even better bar service, and mostly above 60yrs old.  Many chose not to be in the sun.  Ok now my only bad things.  Ports and times were not that great on this one.  San Juan arrival at 4pm, keeps us on the ship. Limited hours of daylight left is an issue as we are getting older.  Can't defend us like I used to be able too, in case something bad occurs. And sorry but that port is always hot, muggy, and like no moving air. Not a favorite.  Puerta Plata was also a short stay arriving at noon till 6.  Casino busy at night.  Shows were really good.  Gen Maldonado was excellent singing the Diva tunes.  Gold medal comedian, Take 3,  was 3 of the Juilliard School of musics gifted female artists. Awesome.  Louis or Lewis, unsure of spelling, was Cruise director.  Very good....Room attendant was twice daily. Hard workers, with no assistant, but seemingly more rooms to do.  Bingo was twice.  Deal or No deal is a favorite crowd event.  Hope this helps......Love Equinox

Was on the same cruise and I posted a short review too. Agree with you fully on the crew being exceptional. Some differences of opinion on other things that are more personal like related, e..g. Shows, but overall sounds as though you enjoyed the cruise as much as we did, was fantastic.

[CunucuMom]

Embarking on Equinox 8-night this coming Saturday. Many thanks to you and @C4HCG for your candid and positive reviews.

[lv2cruisgrl]

Good review, glad it was a good cruise.  We sail Beyond in November and we are hoping I can write a positive review when we return.  We usually do the evening dining rooms, so we are anxious about food quality.  

[sunkey1]

Thank you SO MUCH for writing something positive for a change! We sail on the Equinox in October and I've been a wreck, worried that I made a poor decision to try Celebrity again after a long hiatus. I'm already prepared for the ship to be showing some age (aren't we all?), but the constant harping on cutbacks, poor food, "it used to be this way or that way" had really dampened my enthusiasm, so again, thank you! I will go into this cruise with an open mind, as I do every cruise. Overall, I'm fortunate to be on vacation and not at work, I have a home and family to sail with and go back to so, things could be worse!!!

[kywildcatfanone]

Thanks for sharing.  I'm more excited now for my cruise than I was a couple of weeks ago.

[horseymike]

8 hours ago, Hawkstar33 said:

Right away, let's put an end to the pay for cookies at Cafe el Bacio story.  It is NOT true....2 kinds of Cookies, choc chip and choc choc chip, and coconut macaroons with cherry pcs, as well as the usual cakes and pastries, were all FREE.  Also, while the Main dining room menu had the usual choices, fish, chicken, beef, etc, it is TRUE that you can pay an uncharge if you want lobster 16.99,  filet mignon 19.99, and a whopping 34.99 surf n turf, which appears on the bottom of the dining room dinner menu.  Next let's talk about the supposed cutbacks I read about before going.  If anything, a lack of live daily music entertainment, around the ship.  I personally feel there should be some kind of music playing during the daytime hours, and low volume radio music was not cutting it.  There was a pool deck band, but limited.  some Grand Foyer music, and dancing here n there, and the violinist, guitar player combo in Ensemble every night, at dinner hour.  There were also no take away paper cups in the solarium coffee area, as there was in the past.  Basic Ice cream choices, nothing special, but always a line to get some. Oceanview buffet was very, very good.  Every possible breakfast choice.  Different lunch theme everyday.  Greek, Mexican, Indian, Irish, BBQ, Asian.  Fresh grilled chicken, fish, steaks. Many choices.  Fabulous displays.  Beautiful assortment of desserts.  DELICIOUS OVERALL..  Others may not agree, but I will stand by my opinion.  Summit received the best cuisine Award, but Equinox may have been better.  Always crowded on embarkation day.  Did not go to Main dining room.  3nts Tuscan, 2 Murano, 1 Sushi on 5, and other nights the buffet. Like I've said before, just our choice.  We love the Specialty restaurants.  Same menus in each place, as in past. Great service.  Zero complaints. Tuscan FILET the best, medium rare with gorgonzola sauce, Murano Lobster tail, and chateaubriand for 2, and Dynamite shrimp and scallops in Sushi.  We asked for it, we got it, no question or denial on anything.  Crew was exceptional. Not one of them, walked by without a greeting.  They were cleaning, and doing maintenance all over the place.. She is scheduled for a 20 day dry dock before going across the Atlantic.  Exterior paint for sure I suppose.  Barely 10 kids onboard.  No excessive chair hogging this time. Many pool chairs available except while in DR, which was brutally hot.  Not a full ship, which equals even better bar service, and mostly above 60yrs old.  Many chose not to be in the sun.  Ok now my only bad things.  Ports and times were not that great on this one.  San Juan arrival at 4pm, keeps us on the ship. Limited hours of daylight left is an issue as we are getting older.  Can't defend us like I used to be able too, in case something bad occurs. And sorry but that port is always hot, muggy, and like no moving air. Not a favorite.  Puerta Plata was also a short stay arriving at noon till 6.  Casino busy at night.  Shows were really good.  Gen Maldonado was excellent singing the Diva tunes.  Gold medal comedian, Take 3,  was 3 of the Juilliard School of musics gifted female artists. Awesome.  Louis or Lewis, unsure of spelling, was Cruise director.  Very good....Room attendant was twice daily. Hard workers, with no assistant, but seemingly more rooms to do.  Bingo was twice.  Deal or No deal is a favorite crowd event.  Hope this helps......Love Equinox

So glad to hear about your positive experience. Thanks for taking your time to share.

Gen Maldonado rocks , we saw her on the Summit last spring.

[Hawkstar33]

7 hours ago, zitsky said:

Thanks.   It would be more readable with some paragraphs.

 

7 hours ago, zitsky said:

Thanks.   It would be more readable with some paragraphs.

You are welcome.  Sorry you have a problem reading without the paragraphs.  

[horseymike]

7 hours ago, zitsky said:

Thanks.   It would be more readable with some paragraphs.

I understood it quite well.

[Hawkstar33]

2 hours ago, lv2cruisgrl said:

Good review, glad it was a good cruise.  We sail Beyond in November and we are hoping I can write a positive review when we return.  We usually do the evening dining rooms, so we are anxious about food quality.  

Folks we met onboard,  said the food and service in dining room was very good.  They also did the buffet a few nights, and were pleased with selection.  Maybe others can offer their opinions on this.  

[C4HCG]

1 minute ago, Hawkstar33 said:

Folks we met onboard,  said the food and service in dining room was very good.  They also did the buffet a few nights, and were pleased with selection.  Maybe others can offer their opinions on this.  

I posted a summary earlier that confirmed food and service in MDR and OVC was very acceptable - we were on the same cruise as you

 

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We were on this cruise also. We did not care for the entertainment.

We went to the Taj dinner and really enjoyed the food. The only complaint was that we were seated by the entrance and once the music started in the atrium we could not really enjoy it. We left before we had dessert.

Food, service, staff and ship were all great. 

[39august]

Were there any "Beyond the Podium" events and if so, what please? There were none on our last EQ cruise in May.  On past cruises these have been a highlight. 

[NutsAboutGolf]

12 hours ago, Hawkstar33 said:

Right away, let's put an end to the pay for cookies at Cafe el Bacio story.  It is NOT true....2 kinds of Cookies, choc chip and choc choc chip, and coconut macaroons with cherry pcs, as well as the usual cakes and pastries, were all FREE.  Also, while the Main dining room menu had the usual choices, fish, chicken, beef, etc, it is TRUE that you can pay an uncharge if you want lobster 16.99,  filet mignon 19.99, and a whopping 34.99 surf n turf, which appears on the bottom of the dining room dinner menu.  Next let's talk about the supposed cutbacks I read about before going.  If anything, a lack of live daily music entertainment, around the ship.  I personally feel there should be some kind of music playing during the daytime hours, and low volume radio music was not cutting it.  There was a pool deck band, but limited.  some Grand Foyer music, and dancing here n there, and the violinist, guitar player combo in Ensemble every night, at dinner hour.  There were also no take away paper cups in the solarium coffee area, as there was in the past.  Basic Ice cream choices, nothing special, but always a line to get some. Oceanview buffet was very, very good.  Every possible breakfast choice.  Different lunch theme everyday.  Greek, Mexican, Indian, Irish, BBQ, Asian.  Fresh grilled chicken, fish, steaks. Many choices.  Fabulous displays.  Beautiful assortment of desserts.  DELICIOUS OVERALL..  Others may not agree, but I will stand by my opinion.  Summit received the best cuisine Award, but Equinox may have been better.  Always crowded on embarkation day.  Did not go to Main dining room.  3nts Tuscan, 2 Murano, 1 Sushi on 5, and other nights the buffet. Like I've said before, just our choice.  We love the Specialty restaurants.  Same menus in each place, as in past. Great service.  Zero complaints. Tuscan FILET the best, medium rare with gorgonzola sauce, Murano Lobster tail, and chateaubriand for 2, and Dynamite shrimp and scallops in Sushi.  We asked for it, we got it, no question or denial on anything.  Crew was exceptional. Not one of them, walked by without a greeting.  They were cleaning, and doing maintenance all over the place.. She is scheduled for a 20 day dry dock before going across the Atlantic.  Exterior paint for sure I suppose.  Barely 10 kids onboard.  No excessive chair hogging this time. Many pool chairs available except while in DR, which was brutally hot.  Not a full ship, which equals even better bar service, and mostly above 60yrs old.  Many chose not to be in the sun.  Ok now my only bad things.  Ports and times were not that great on this one.  San Juan arrival at 4pm, keeps us on the ship. Limited hours of daylight left is an issue as we are getting older.  Can't defend us like I used to be able too, in case something bad occurs. And sorry but that port is always hot, muggy, and like no moving air. Not a favorite.  Puerta Plata was also a short stay arriving at noon till 6.  Casino busy at night.  Shows were really good.  Gen Maldonado was excellent singing the Diva tunes.  Gold medal comedian, Take 3,  was 3 of the Juilliard School of musics gifted female artists. Awesome.  Louis or Lewis, unsure of spelling, was Cruise director.  Very good....Room attendant was twice daily. Hard workers, with no assistant, but seemingly more rooms to do.  Bingo was twice.  Deal or No deal is a favorite crowd event.  Hope this helps......Love Equinox

 

Glad you had a great time!

 

This is just a FYI for why there was "cookiegate" outrage, this isn't a debate, I'm sharing the position of those who were upset...The TravelingGamblers VBlogged a video from the equinox on that sailing.  They spoke to the X F&B manager who mentioned they did screw up with "bad timing" as they did remove the free cookies from Cafe al Bacio at the same time as the fee cookies.  Free cookies were available at the Buffet, yet reportedly, they hardly ever had Chocolate Chip and if they did it may have been no-sugar added.  With X's CONTINUED cutbacks, many thought the removal of all complimentary cookies was next.  This was the cookiegate outrage, they charged for cookies while removing the free ones from Cafe al Bacio.  I personally would have tried the fee cookie as I'm not a fan of X's bland baked good including the cookies.  I suggested they try the fee cookies again but leave the free ones at Cafe al Bacio; I wouldn't count on that happening

[billc23]

6 hours ago, horseymike said:

I understood it quite well.

So did I and I appreciate the OP's time and effort to post. Thank you!

[CHEZMARYLOU]

5 hours ago, 39august said:

Were there any "Beyond the Podium" events and if so, what please? There were none on our last EQ cruise in May.  On past cruises these have been a highlight. 

There were 3 or maybe 4 Beyond the Podium events about the history of Buddhism. 

[39august]

Thanks, MaryLou. I tried to read a book about Buddhism 30 years ago and didn't get past the opening statement, "Life is sorrowful". However, I would give some of these a try. 

[sunkey1]

3 minutes ago, 39august said:

Thanks, MaryLou. I tried to read a book about Buddhism 30 years ago and didn't get past the opening statement, "Life is sorrowful". However, I would give some of these a try. 

My husband (who very seldom reads leisurely) just read a book about Buddhism and found it fascinating. I tried to read the same book and couldn't get past the second page. To each his own! I do hope that there are still talks onboard the Equinox when we go as I think this would appeal to him.

[zitsky]

8 hours ago, horseymike said:

I understood it quite well.

It’s just a suggestion from a former secretary, not a life changing event.

[foodsvcmgr]

Thank you for the positive review and concurrence by others on the same sailing.

It gives me hope to look forward to my Eclipse cruise coming up in January where most other threads as well as getting off Queen Victoria September 1st were making me somewhat dread it.

That said we had an excellent experience on Liberty of the Seas in May when most reviews said the ship was tired and the food was terrible so have to board with an open mind for sure.

[hawkesbaynz]

Great pithy review and glad mainly positive😀. 
 

@foodsvcmgr was your Queen Victoria cruise good or bad. Just interested as fancy a try out with Cunard. I have just been shy of their alcohol prices and tendency to have fewer port days on comparable timed cruises to other lines. 

[Loracpin2]

2 hours ago, zitsky said:

It’s just a suggestion from a former secretary, not a life changing event.

Don't give it a thought. I was taught by nuns in both Elementary & High School and, as a result, have the same mindset.

[matt'smom]

Was on this cruise also. The crew was exceptional from the wait staff to cabin steward, always smiling!  The food and selection in the mdr was not what it used to be. To be honest I felt they were pushing you to the speciality restaurants. The times at the ports were strange. All and all had a good cruise.