Equinox b2b 10/8/23-10/22/23

[wonton]

We just returned from a b2b (10/8/23-10/22/23) on the Equinox. We were in the same corner aft Sunset Sky Suite for both weeks. The location was awesome. Our experience was not as nice as the cruise we did in April on the Summit in a Celebrity Suite.

 

Much of what we noticed has been reported by others. The Sky Suite experience has been “watered down”, yet we are still paying for a “premium experience.”  It’s silly to empty the fridge (was done without asking), trek down to the Retreat Lounge, load a bag with beverages, bring them back to our room and reload the fridge. It especially makes no sense since we had the premium drink packages included in our fare.

 

  We saw our “head butler” (John) on day one and then a few times over the course of two weeks in the Retreat Lounge when he was manning the front desk. The new “Retreat Host” is the stateroom attendant. You can call him any name you want, but he is still the stateroom attendant taking care of many rooms besides the couple suites in our area. Raymon did a terrific job and always with a smile. Each time he saw us he would ask if everything was alright with our room.

We did the hot glass class twice and made four items. We planned ahead and brought a roll of bubble wrap and packing tape to secure the items. It was fun having an opportunity help blow and shape the glass.

 A pizza making class was offered the first week. There were eight of us in the class. It was held one morning in Murano’s kitchen. We were instructed by the head chef, Morris (?)  and his assistant Mary. We learned how to make the dough from scratch ourselves, baked the pizzas and enjoyed them for lunch.

Our room was clean, but the furnishings were very shabby. The sofa was broken down and uncomfortable, the upholstery was snagged, tired and worn. The Retreat sun deck is totally inaccessible for anyone with a mobility issue or bad knees. It’s unfair that this cannot be enjoyed by all passengers that have paid for this perk in their fare.

 

 Retreat Lounge staff - Gazelle, Ian, Jamie, Ryan and Larissa were great. We enjoyed the Luminae staff - Antonio, Subba, Marlon and Arnold. The menu was uninspired and a bit boring. We dined at Murano six times. Food and staff was excellent- Bogden, Yhandi, Analyn and Ian.  The Celebrity staff we encountered all over the ship were amazing, but Celebrity needs to decide what product they are selling. As others have mentioned, it seems to be constantly changing. With the exception of the Retreat Lounge and Luminae, we would have received the same experience as someone in a much lesser priced stateroom.

Room service wait times were ridiculous. One afternoon we waited ONE HOUR:45 MINUTES for a lunch order. We finally called the Retreat Lounge to ask them to check on the order.

The final issue was dry cleaning. A pair of my husbands slacks went missing and was never located by the final night of the cruise. We were offered $40 obc or a future cruise credit for the same amount. Really? At this point it’s nearly 7pm so off we go to spend our fortune!

We are Elite Captains Club, but may be looking for a different experience elsewhere. Celebrity doesn’t feel quite as special as it once did.

[39august]

Please post in a larger font. This is very difficult to read.

[helen haywood]

Thank you for your post.  I am Elite Plus and still sail Celebrity regularly, but not in suites.  I quite understand your disappointment at your price point having a less than expected experience.

[mailmama]

Really hate to hear your experience! We've been sailing Celebrity since 1998. Our upcoming Equinox sailing will be our determining factor. After every cruise, we've done a future cruise while onboard but it seems that might not be the case this year. Probably will be "jumping ship"! I love Royal Caribbean but when sailing Celebrity I want it to be Celebrity, not Royal!!