My tales from the Equinox inaugural

[uktog]

Well we have made it to Heathrow and are currently on a bus to Southampton driven by Roger who thinks he is funny. Ok he is trying but most folks have had very early mornings so want to sleep so they are well awake when the real fun begins. It was lovely to see staff at the airport with signs saying Equinox suddenly reality hits it is today!

 

Currently we have typical British summer weather - grey and showers. The forecast for later is not good but it is better than they predicted last night. Lets hope the rain front moves through quicker than expected

 

I will try and keep you all updated over the next 2 days Iphone and wireless willing

 

Ann

[Longboysfan]

O.K. Thanks for th news flash... Keep us posted.

What is the lawn like on this ship?

[Kim]

Since I am booked for Christmas/New Years, I am looking forward to your review!

[uktog]

We are now on board all I can say is WOW naming is at 1700 and involves the Band of RAF Halton We sail out at 7 fantastic atmosphere on board we just need to send the rain clouds away

[aberdeinquine]

We are on board on Fri as the first trip with paying passengers! Looking forward to our trip to Norway. Keep the ship looking beautiful for us.

 

Hope you all have a lovely time -see you on Fri when you are getting off (sob) and we are getting on!!

 

Best Wishes and enjoy the ceremony etc.

[Texed]

Ann,

Thanks for the updates. :)

[hellosailer]

We are on board on Fri as the first trip with paying passengers! Looking forward to our trip to Norway. Keep the ship looking beautiful for us.

 

Hope you all have a lovely time -see you on Fri when you are getting off (sob) and we are getting on!!

 

Best Wishes and enjoy the ceremony etc.

 

 

We are on the Maiden Voyage with Aberdeinquine on Friday - and others on the CC thread!!

 

We are all looking forward to the cruise and will be hanging on to your every word!!

 

Have a wonderful time and leave some food for us - pulease!!!

[excitedofharpenden]

Ann, thanks for the report. I hope you have a great trip. Looking forward to hearing all about it. Almost without exception the reports of Equinox are what a beautiful ship she is and this makes me even more excited for the trip on her later this year.

 

Phil

[LibraLass41]

I disembarked Equinox this morning after a 2n cruise on her to Guernsey along with 2,300 travel agents and writers, and a sprinkle of keen cruisers like myself. We enjoyed a blue cloudless sunny day on deck yesterday and enjoyed seeing the Hot glass show on the The Lawns club deck, and I toured the cabins and went to the specialty restaurants to try food samples. Last night I ate in Murano a french cuisine supplement restaurant as a guest of a Celebrity UK management team. Photos and link now posted on a thread on here today.

[uktog]

Well not fault of the ship my iphone died on board so we are back on land and have it working

It really was a wonderful experience and it is clear Celebrity are listening and doing as much as they can to keep customers happy. The UK market looks like an area they intend to major on in the coming years.

Yesterday Dan Hanarahan, Richard Fain and the UK MD Robin hosted a very honest q and a session in the theatre. Whilst people may not like some of the answers they heard, ie its unlikely the unlimited combination of On board credit will be continues; they will still charge for shuttles etc all this is being done against a string desire to keep the produce quality up and they confirmed the per head daily food budget had been increased.

 

I have not sailed Solstice class so I was seeing all the lovely innovations for the first time. I loved the ship, the layout, the huge number of places you could lie out, I particularly like layout of the Ocean View cafe and the range of options there - traffic flows worked so well

 

My only problem, I kept losing track of time so sorry Melissa and the others, I did not catch up with you again yesterday - if I had I would have said (as we joked on Wednesday ) I loved the hangers in the wardrobe, so much easier to work with when packing and unpacking. I hated getting into cruise mode yesterday only to have to realised today it would all be over!!!!!

 

For me I have had a great two days and so glad to have seen the Solstice product - hope my return to Azamara next month is not a let down (It will not be - its cruising)

[uktog]

Meant to say - anyone with any questions I can try and answer them

[C 2 C]

its unlikely the unlimited combination of On board credit will be continues;

 

Could you explain this a little more.

We presently get OBC or SBC as some now call them, when we book with certain agencies.

Are you saying that Celebrity will soon prohibit this practice?

I've heard from another source that the transfer of a booking made directly through Celebrity will soon yield a smaller commission for a TA; ie. Celebrity wants a cut for their time in making the original booking.

[uktog]

What has happened is that shareholder credit cannot be combined with any credit from booking on board it's one or the other

in response to a question on travel agents commission the message seemed to be prices are going to be higher, commission % lower but the ta would be better off from higher volume higher value business - not sure whether the agents present were impressed or not

[Garyorient]

I think what they were trying to say was that normally one buys shares in a company as a longer term investment, rather than for the benefits that you might get.

 

Ship was wonderful, and as for the Blu restaurant. Simplicity in its ambience and absolutely glorious in its design.

 

A great two days were had by all.................apart from me in the casino :o Oh how I suffered.

[excitedofharpenden]

Ann, welcome back. Glad you had a good time.:cool: What cabin were you in? What was your overall impression of it and the balcony (if applicable)?

 

Phil

[uktog]

We were in 7720 I think it was a 2A

we were very impressed with the room having not been in an ordinary cabin for years

The bathrooms were very nice and there are lots of little storage spaces. Drawer space is a little limited but the double wardrobe is full length no safe or shelving but lots of hanging space so we would hang up jumpers to avoid space issues

The balcony was nice and whilst it looks down to lifeboats there was no obstruction in my mind and I would have been very happy with that room

in fact X may have done themselves a disfavour as it has made us wonder why we pay for suites

[Julie Jean]

Hi Ann!

 

We were also on this 2 day cruise and would echo everything that Ann has said.

 

We were in a 1B category - cabin 9165.

The cabin was a good size with a very large sofa/seating area. The bathroom was also well designed and felt larger than on M-class ships.

The balcony had 2 chairs and a small table and was not obstructed.

 

The decor of the ship and its interior design were beautiful - mixing contemporary design and modern art work with a sense of grandeur and sophistication.

 

As others have also said, the naming ceremony was very poignant and something I will never forget.

 

Based on our 2 day taster experience, we will definitely be booking a future cruise on one of the Solstice class ships.

 

Julie Jean

[lucky white heather]

We had cabin 6217..on the hump

 

things we did not feel were improvements.

 

1)the long cream leather look couch ... far too hard... when I sat down expecting it to "give" a bit , my teeth almost virtually rattled in my head

2) loss of the clothing line in the shower...nowhere to hang your wet swimwear (and /or underwear /socks/ tights etc etc if you wash these as you go ) ... we foresee stuff out on balconies to dry

3) the low shaving bar provided in the shower????why would women be shaving their legs enough during a cruise to need this (IMO) silly extra ? Would have kept the pull out washing line in preference .

4) the 2 wardrobe doors slide...one half beside top end of the bed more difficult to use...smaller hanging space overall

5) bedside tables IMO pretty useless... Telephone uses up one of them 2nd shelves under top shelves though ..if you wear glasses to bed to read you need to be careful how you place them...

6) narrow cupboards above bed ..what would you put in there ? you need to stand on the bed to access them .... lifejackets are kept under the bed

7) no second curtain in this cabin??? being right over the access walkway to the ship while docked in SOU , anyone using that walkway could freely look into this cabin ...I don't as a rule think you need a "net" curtain but this time I definitely missed it while getting ready for the evening activity doing makeup etc .. of course this may only apply while docked in SOU !

6) we like to dance before dinner usually in the Rendezvous lounge outside the MDR... the new layout only offers a little area at the foot of the main staircase..who would dance there with people coming and going to/from the staircase...and with music having to be set up there individually every time ?

 

Things we liked

 

1) bed very comfortable and pillow quality excellent but little space between end of bed and wall

2) the safe is wider , deeper but not so high .... and is placed above the fridge so you have bend down a little to access it.

3) the balcony was regular size with nice furnishings.

4) the new look oceanview cafe... easy to see what is available and many choices..but no tray could be a hazard for those with difficulty carrying stuff although it suited us.I thought it might prevent food wastage as you had to physically get up and go round again to whatever "island" you chose from next.

5)the ship itself is gorgeous throughout.

6) the lounge at the front of the ship...SkyObservation ..nice seating, great dance floor , band area to the side, comfortable ...much improved from "bar at the edge of the world" lounges we've previously been in.

7) Elevators were in banks centrally... easy to call on "pods"

This cabin was convenient for these

8) shops seemed to offer a more varied choice

9) for those who drink , plenty drinking "venues"

10) a wide choice of "eateries" available

11) ship sailed smoothly.

12) wardrobe hangers easy to hook on and off

13) the MDR has very comfortable chairs but they are heavy to move around ..the tables were fairly close together but seemed easy enough for table service

14) new food choices in the aqua spa indoor pool area...

15) some innovative couch sharing opportunities... could cause arguments if "hogged" though

 

 

Hope this is of interest to those who want to know our good , bad and ugly ... our honest opinion formed from this 2 day trip !

[travelgoddes]

I am booked in cabin 9165 12/4.....10nts Caribbean cruise.

Thanks for breaking the cabin in for me!!!

I am also a TA, in Michigan. But this cruise is strictly a vacation.

[LibraLass41]

lucky white heather

 

Could you find a soap dish?? A small but annoying thing, but as there was a high bowl and no where to put the soap, it sat on the small narrow (too narrow) Ledge, and got wet and messy every day...

Also you are unable to just wash you hair! As the tap is massive sitting in the bowl, and the shower has a fixed shower head, no shower pipe to direct to hair only.

 

Bath towels were too small, hardly wrapped around us, and we are not that big, but loved the additions of cotton wool, buds and tissues.

 

I have provided photos of the cabin, bathroom and ship in my thread on Equinox.

[lucky white heather]

lucky white heather

 

Could you find a soap dish?? A small but annoying thing, but as there was a high bowl and no where to put the soap, it sat on the small narrow (too narrow) Ledge, and got wet and messy every day...

Also you are unable to just wash you hair! As the tap is massive sitting in the bowl, and the shower has a fixed shower head, no shower pipe to direct to hair only.

 

Bath towels were too small, hardly wrapped around us, and we are not that big, but loved the additions of cotton wool, buds and tissues.

 

I have provided photos of the cabin, bathroom and ship in my thread on Equinox.

 

LibraLass

we never saw any soap dish I'm afraid. I did hear that people were stealing them either because they just liked them or as a souvenir???? So possibly they were removed to prevent disappearance ?? I take my own facial sponge/facecloth so it held our soap for the 2 day event but this method would not have been acceptable for longer than that.

 

We also thought the fixed tap in the sink could be difficult to work around if you wanted to use the basin for hair washing...I tend to use the shower so it wasn't a point I personally worried over.At least the water did not splash out of the sink as it did on Century (when these type sinks were installed) even when gently turned on ..perhaps fixing the tap to a specific area prevented that ?

We've always had cotton wool , buds and tissues..used to have more freeby toiletries but these extras are now diminishing.

I agree the towels seemed small by comparison to those provided on our last B2B in March on an M class ship.

 

Our wall mounted TV never worked for the 2 days either...said "weak or no signal" and the remote bore no relation to the diagram of the remote supposedly supplied if you read through the provided literature in the cabin "book"..so we gave up trying to get anything on the TV.

IMO Some things were an improvement ...some were not... I would have missed the washing line if I had been on an actual cruise ..I thought it should have been retained somehow..... even given the shower compartment is no longer rectangular so making fixing a washing line harder to place.

 

We did have a cabin hairdryer ( in drawer at desk) but did not need to use it during our visit so cannot comment on its performance.

 

I was delighted to see over the ship but regret it won't provide the overall cruise experience we prefer.

[Julie Jean]

I am booked in cabin 9165 12/4.....10nts Caribbean cruise.

Thanks for breaking the cabin in for me!!!

I am also a TA, in Michigan. But this cruise is strictly a vacation.

 

Hi Mary - good choice (both on cabin and itinerary:)). Will post a link to some pictures at the weekend. Am taking the plunge tomorrow and booking an Equinox cruise for next September!

 

Julie Jean

[uktog]

why not Eclipse for next August :) oh I know why, its these other passengers

[hellosailer]

LibraLass

we never saw any soap dish I'm afraid. I did hear that people were stealing them either because they just liked them or as a souvenir???? So possibly they were removed to prevent disappearance ?? I take my own facial sponge/facecloth so it held our soap for the 2 day event but this method would not have been acceptable for longer than that.

 

We also thought the fixed tap in the sink could be difficult to work around if you wanted to use the basin for hair washing...I tend to use the shower so it wasn't a point I personally worried over.At least the water did not splash out of the sink as it did on Century (when these type sinks were installed) even when gently turned on ..perhaps fixing the tap to a specific area prevented that ?

We've always had cotton wool , buds and tissues..used to have more freeby toiletries but these extras are now diminishing.

I agree the towels seemed small by comparison to those provided on our last B2B in March on an M class ship.

 

Our wall mounted TV never worked for the 2 days either...said "weak or no signal" and the remote bore no relation to the diagram of the remote supposedly supplied if you read through the provided literature in the cabin "book"..so we gave up trying to get anything on the TV.

IMO Some things were an improvement ...some were not... I would have missed the washing line if I had been on an actual cruise ..I thought it should have been retained somehow..... even given the shower compartment is no longer rectangular so making fixing a washing line harder to place.

 

We did have a cabin hairdryer ( in drawer at desk) but did not need to use it during our visit so cannot comment on its performance.

 

I was delighted to see over the ship but regret it won't provide the overall cruise experience we prefer.

 

Just off the Maiden/Inaugural Voyage on the 31st July. We had lovely soap dishes and cotton wool/cotton bud containers. Apparently, they were all disappearing, together with robes, on the freebies!! Washing line is not a problem - just use a coathanger!!! Many places to hook it onto in the bathroom.

 

I agree with the comment on the overall experience - easily solved though - but they do need a different mindset!! The ship lacks the 'wow' factor of RCCL - but it is really beautiful - the light fittings are amazing and some artwork was wonderful.

 

I do have many comments, but will not be doing a public review. Will certainly have my say though, as a shareholder!!

 

I agree about the net (sheers) curtains. We were docked alongside a P&O ship and their passengers could see into our cabin if we had the door open. Also, in a hot climate, we use the sheers to stop creepie crawlies entering.

 

The ship itself is gorgeous - no 'wow' factor - just very contemporary and elegant.

[coxswain]

Just off the Maiden/Inaugural Voyage on the 31st July. We had lovely soap dishes and cotton wool/cotton bud containers. Apparently, they were all disappearing, together with robes, on the freebies!! Washing line is not a problem - just use a coathanger!!! Many places to hook it onto in the bathroom.

 

I agree with the comment on the overall experience - easily solved though - but they do need a different mindset!! The ship lacks the 'wow' factor of RCCL - but it is really beautiful - the light fittings are amazing and some artwork was wonderful.

 

I do have many comments, but will not be doing a public review. Will certainly have my say though, as a shareholder!!

 

I agree about the net (sheers) curtains. We were docked alongside a P&O ship and their passengers could see into our cabin if we had the door open. Also, in a hot climate, we use the sheers to stop creepie crawlies entering.

 

The ship itself is gorgeous - no 'wow' factor - just very contemporary and elegant.

 

 

 

Right Sailor spill the beans cause i'm holding a cabin and i don't want to make a mistake so pipe up lol

 

 

 

 

 

jj......