Equinox ABCs - 16 to 24 September 2023

[sunkey1]

Thanks for the great review, we will be on her in October. Have you been to any of the shows? How has the entertainment been?

[PelicanLvr]

On 9/19/2023 at 9:11 AM, C4HCG said:

Enjoy Aruba and if you go to Eagle Beach let us have your views as we’ve seen that as a possible trip for us next year.

Doesn't sound like the OP got to Eagle Beach.  We have been to Eagle Beach on cruises and actually rented an apartment there last winter.  

 

If you are looking for a beach day in Aruba, Eagle is the beach to go to!  Very convenient cab ride from the port and a beautiful long beach with great sand.  Chairs and umbrellas are available to rent (expensive - $55 US for 2 chairs +umbrella).  It can be crowded mid-day (like 11am -2pm) so go after breakfast.  

 

Very easy to get a cab back to the ship from Eagle.  Nice beach day!

[horseymike]

On 9/20/2023 at 9:11 AM, tnm6217 said:

We had a good day in Aruba yesterday. It was hot, so we decided to try the Arubus to see some of the island. We paid $10 for a day pass and hopped on the bus to San Nicolas. We walked around and stopped at a cafe before heading back to Oranjestad. I always enjoy taking public transit to get a feel for the area. 
 

 

 

We stopped at a Cuban cigar shop near the port and although I don’t smoke, I enjoyed seeing the “contraband.”

 

 

The ice cold towel was very much appreciated after the steamy walk back to the ship. Equinox looked lovely in port.
 

 

I noticed a price list in my fridge when I got back to my room and wanted to share it with everyone. No items were added since I’d asked my stateroom attendant to remove all fee items on day one. 
 

 

Oceanview was much quieter today since we were in port. The food has been consistently good. The only problem is that the ice cream is delicious and it will take some time to work off when I return home!
 

I’m happy to report that we had a much more attentive experience at Blu last night. 
 

Baked Brie

 

Poached egg

 

Corn velouté with chorizo

 

Smoked chicken with orzo

 

Braised short rib, which as far as I can tell is exactly the same as what is served in Luminae. It’s not to be missed!

 

Broiled dorade

 

There weren’t any chocolate desserts on the Blu or MDR menus (criminal!). Before dinner, I spotted chocolate chip cookies at al Bacio, so I told our server I was going to pass on dessert and get cookies instead. She told me that chocolate chip cookies are available on the kids menu every night in the MDR! So I ordered cookies with caramel and chocolate ice cream on top and it was a perfect ending to a lovely dinner. 

 

 

I realized on my walk this morning that the Retreat sundeck is only on the upper level, which is different from the design on both Silhouette and Summit. Even as a frequent suite guest, I prefer this design because it allows everyone to take advantage of some of the best views on the ship. It also allows you to walk the entire circumference of the ship between decks 14 and 15 if you can tolerate the stairs. 
 

 

 

Willemstad, Curaçao 

 

Thanks to @Pennstatedj for suggesting I try the CC breakfast in Tuscan!
 

What are the requirements to eat the CC  breakfast in Tuscan ?
Do you have to be a suite passenger ?

[horseymike]

Thanks so much for this explicit and wonderful review. The photos are amazing.

[tnm6217]

9 hours ago, sunkey1 said:

Have you been to any of the shows? How has the entertainment been?

The Celebrity Showtime cast has some phenomenal female singers! There is an acrobatic male-female duo and a female aerialist who are very talented. We enjoyed Broadway Cabaret and Elysium. Topper was a bit odd, but definitely worth attending if only for the aerialist. We didn’t see the illusionist, though everyone said he was great. We also didn’t make it to the comedian. We plan to see the Whitney Houston tribute show with Cheaza tonight.
 

The musicians who play around the ship have been exceptional! There are two house bands, an acoustic guitarist/singer, a violinist and guitarist duo, and a female singer/saxophonist/flautist accompanied by a pianist. 

[tnm6217]

4 hours ago, horseymike said:

What are the requirements to eat the CC  breakfast in Tuscan ?
Do you have to be a suite passenger ?

It is available for Elite and above CC members. Here is the list of activities for Elite members on this cruise. 
 

[C4HCG]

3 minutes ago, tnm6217 said:

The Celebrity Showtime cast has some phenomenal female singers! There is an acrobatic male-female duo and a female aerialist who are very talented. We enjoyed Broadway Cabaret and Elysium. Topper was a bit odd, but definitely worth attending if only for the aerialist. We didn’t see the illusionist, though everyone said he was great. We also didn’t make it to the comedian. We plan to see the Whitney Houston tribute show with Cheaza tonight.
 

The musicians who play around the ship have been exceptional! There are two house bands, an acoustic guitarist/singer, a violinist and guitarist duo, and a female singer/saxophonist/flautist accompanied by a pianist. 

We thought Carib Sensation one of the house bands were especially good. The other one Waves weren’t as good even thought they were English!!

[tnm6217]

We had an enjoyable time in Bonaire yesterday on the “Destination Highlight: Ocean Oasis Beach Club and Scenic Drive” excursion. We took a 90 minute bud ride around the southern end of the island and saw the wild donkeys, wild goats, flamingos, and salt mining operation before going to the beach club. It was very hot, but the views were stunning. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We dined at Murano last night. The service was (again, sadly) inattentive. The three of us walked in at 8, no one else in the foyer waiting, and the maitre d’ took over a minute before even looking up from the computer to acknowledge us. The food was very good, but the entire meal took over two and a half hours and we were exhausted by the end. 
 

Lobster bisque - it was on the thin side but had a nice flavor

 

Phyllo pear - lovely!

 

Scallop Wellington - tasty

 

Goat cheese soufflé - superb!

 

(upside down) Tomato salad

 

Pork belly

 

Lobster preparation

 

Murano lobster

 

Turbot - very good

 

Mushroom risotto - foam on top, very watery/milky, and not at all creamy like a risotto should be. Thankfully the mushrooms were on top of the rice and I was able to enjoy them on their own. 
 

Crêpe ballon rouge 

 

Chocolate soufflé 

 

Murano desserts for two (or in my case, for one, as an accompaniment to my soufflé!)

 

We dined in MDR for lunch again today and were happy overall. The pasta was a little bland, but everything else was wonderful. 

Key West salad

 

Fried mushrooms - if you like mushrooms, this starter is a star! 

 

Whole wheat pomodoro

 

Smothered burger (round two!)

 

Pork ribs

 

Brownie sundae - I wish I’d ordered two!

 

Also, I noticed little cards on the Solarium loungers today. I haven’t been here often enough to know if they’re effective, but I appreciated the effort from Celebrity to address the “chair hog” issue.
 

 

Edited September 22, 2023 by tnm6217

[vagolferbob]

Thanks for your input and positive review. Makes it easier to get more excited about upcoming October cruise.

[MisterMet]

2 hours ago, tnm6217 said:

The Celebrity Showtime cast has some phenomenal female singers! There is an acrobatic male-female duo and a female aerialist who are very talented. We enjoyed Broadway Cabaret and Elysium. Topper was a bit odd, but definitely worth attending if only for the aerialist. We didn’t see the illusionist, though everyone said he was great. We also didn’t make it to the comedian. We plan to see the Whitney Houston tribute show with Cheaza tonight.
 

The musicians who play around the ship have been exceptional! There are two house bands, an acoustic guitarist/singer, a violinist and guitarist duo, and a female singer/saxophonist/flautist accompanied by a pianist. 

Topper is weird

[MisterMet]

On 9/20/2023 at 9:11 AM, tnm6217 said:

We had a good day in Aruba yesterday. It was hot, so we decided to try the Arubus to see some of the island. We paid $10 for a day pass and hopped on the bus to San Nicolas. We walked around and stopped at a cafe before heading back to Oranjestad. I always enjoy taking public transit to get a feel for the area. 
 

 

 

We stopped at a Cuban cigar shop near the port and although I don’t smoke, I enjoyed seeing the “contraband.”

 

 

The ice cold towel was very much appreciated after the steamy walk back to the ship. Equinox looked lovely in port.
 

 

I noticed a price list in my fridge when I got back to my room and wanted to share it with everyone. No items were added since I’d asked my stateroom attendant to remove all fee items on day one. 
 

 

Oceanview was much quieter today since we were in port. The food has been consistently good. The only problem is that the ice cream is delicious and it will take some time to work off when I return home!
 

I’m happy to report that we had a much more attentive experience at Blu last night. 
 

Baked Brie

 

Poached egg

 

Corn velouté with chorizo

 

Smoked chicken with orzo

 

Braised short rib, which as far as I can tell is exactly the same as what is served in Luminae. It’s not to be missed!

 

Broiled dorade

 

There weren’t any chocolate desserts on the Blu or MDR menus (criminal!). Before dinner, I spotted chocolate chip cookies at al Bacio, so I told our server I was going to pass on dessert and get cookies instead. She told me that chocolate chip cookies are available on the kids menu every night in the MDR! So I ordered cookies with caramel and chocolate ice cream on top and it was a perfect ending to a lovely dinner. 

 

 

I realized on my walk this morning that the Retreat sundeck is only on the upper level, which is different from the design on both Silhouette and Summit. Even as a frequent suite guest, I prefer this design because it allows everyone to take advantage of some of the best views on the ship. It also allows you to walk the entire circumference of the ship between decks 14 and 15 if you can tolerate the stairs. 
 

 

 

Willemstad, Curaçao 

 

Thanks to @Pennstatedj for suggesting I try the CC breakfast in Tuscan!
 

We LOVED the CC breakfast.  So relaxing and quiet.  Great review!

Edited September 22, 2023 by MisterMet