Equinox question

[Swa1981]

Hi!  My husband and I usually do NCL and Royal.  We have done a few post covid cruises on Royal with our younger kids.  We are now thinking of a cruise for just hubby and I on Celebrity.  We want to do a Europe cruise and it looks like the Equinox will be sailing there in summer 2024.  The reviews seem like a mixed bag and while noting that everyone's expectations/experiences are different, anyone have any comments/suggestion on trying the Equinox after typically doing Royal?  We have been happy with Royal (not having done any of the mega-ships...more like Freedom class).  We are foodies and the MDR on Royal has been underwhelming, but that wouldn't deter me (Equinox would be a 9 night sailing so hopefully their food options/service would improve).  We also like the entertainment/shows.  Looks like Equinox will be in dry dock just before we would sail it.  Thanks in advance!

Edited December 27, 2023 by Swa1981

[39august]

It will be nothing like RCI for your children.  However, . there is a kids club that many speak highly of. I would guess on a port intensive cruise this would not be much of a concern. The buffet will probably blow the RCI buffet away if RCI's buffet is no better than it was a few years ago. The shows will not require reservations so just show up when you wish. However, the entertainment will not be as varied as RCI's. Equinox should be in good shape after her April dry dock. There is more opportunity to see the sea on Equinox than you do on Freedom class ships. There is no separate dining area for pizza and sandwiches as on RCI. These are in the buffet area daily. A plus is there is free "real" ice cream in the buffet daily. There is also a no charge hamburger/hot dog grill just above the main pool area. 

[Jim_Iain]

I've been on Equinox a number of times recently.   She has gone through Revolution in June 2019.   She is in good shape and I have no qualms booking her.  As a matter of fact I did book her for November 2025.

 

I've never sailed RCL and will let others comment on the similarities and differences.   I will say it is a nice size ship, excellent friendly service and maintained in excellent condition.  

 

During the Summer months you will see many children but no way near what I understand you will experience on RCL.   No roller coasters, rock walls, surfing pool etc.    They do have a indoor Solarium that is Adults Only except for late afternoon early evening Family hours.    There are many places where you can find quiet time to read or many things happening if your enjoy participation in planned activities.

[champagnecruiser]

We are recently disembarked from Equinox after 19 nights back to back in Caribbean in November 2023. We have sailed Equinox many times on many routes. We sailed Beyond in July in Europe and wondered how the ‘older Equinox’ would feel not having sailed on her since 2019!

No need to worry! Having read mixed reviews we found the ship, crew, food and entertainment to be excellent!
There is a more mixed age group in Europe in summer than Caribbean in November so don’t worry! 
I’m sure you will find the food/ship/entertainment/ports to be wonderful. 

My turn now!  We sailed Royal many times when our kids were younger/teenagers! RCCL was our first ever cruise when we were in our thirties and last cruised with them almost 20 years ago 😮
We are ‘returning’ to Royal after many years ( in Jan/Feb 2024) to travel with our   thirty something ‘kids’ and grandkids - you need to reassure us that we will be ok! 😂😂

 

Book your cruise, enjoy your time together in Europe! All will be well!

 

 

 

[markeb]

It's been several years since we last cruised Royal Caribbean, and that was on Brilliance, which is now a "small" cruise ship...

 

We've sailed Equinox three times, most recently in November. She is about the size of the Voyager class from Royal. There's no Royal Promenade; there are two decks that are mostly shopping and bars, but not that central gathering area. More like the Radiance class. We like both setups for different reasons. We did two European cruises on Royal, and they were very different than the Caribbean. I'm assuming the same would be true of Equinox.

 

Even with recent changes that you'll see on this board, we find service on Celebrity to be better than Royal, and the crowd has generally been a little older and a little more reserved (not always... 😁).

 

Since you're going without the kids, I think you'll be fine. If you've done a longer Royal Cruise, especially on the Radiance Class, it's not going to feel radically different. Ships' designs are different, and there's a different vibe, but you should feel at home pretty fast.

 

[STLCRUISIN]

We just disembarked from the Equinox last Tuesday (December 19). The ship is in great shape, food in the MDR was good to great and even the buffet was good with a ton of selections. Depending on which bar you go to, service could be slow but it was not a problem for us. However, our takeaway from this trip was that we experienced the happiest and most helpful crew on the 8 cruises we've taken since the startup.