GenerationX

Good afternoon friends! Is there anything more amazing than coming back from a hot sunny day at port to a cool, clean stateroom with a beautiful view? Full report on my day in St. Thomas to come, but I had a wonderful time. I was famished though by the time I got back onboard and today’s concierge canapés were not gonna cut it for snack. The melon and prosciutto were good but the potato salad stuff not so much. So I’m sitting at OVC again hearing the steel drum band in port and munching some pizza and rehydrating. BTW please forgive me for making a quick plug: If you’ll be cruising to St. Thomas and this Rising Stars steel drum group is playing in the port shopping area right as you get off the ship, be sure to stop for a listen and consider making a donation in their donation box in front of the stage. When I got off the ship, I realized that all the talented musicians I’d heard at breakfast are local children and teens and they’ve had kids rotating out playing in the port all day in the heat. I looked up the Rising Stars group online and it’s actually a program started by a judge in the criminal court here on the island with the purpose of giving local youth a constructive outlet through music education and thus preventing school dropouts and juvenile delinquency. The money the band raises goes to cover expenses for music teachers, uniforms, instruments, etc. but also to fund SAT/ACT prep courses and college scholarships for the kids who participate. Giving a little something seems like a great easy way to give back to the local community in a small way and support an important mission while in port. I think I’ll hang out here to watch sail away then head back down to take a shower and throw something on for an early buffet dinner. More to come tonight!

Good morning from the US Virgin Islands! While I’m eating my al fresco breakfast at OVC and listening to the welcome steel drum band in port, sharing a little about last night: Pre-dinner I had my nightly visit to Komang and Abdul in Ensemble and listened to a set by our party band BR4. For dinner #2 in Murano I was thinking of doing the 5 senses pairing meal where each course comes with a different glass of ultra premium wine for a $90 upcharge. But then Pavle the Murano sommelier, having gotten a sense of my tastes during the food and wine pairing workshop yesterday, told me that he had a better idea. He had a few old world red blends in the cellar by the bottle that he thought I would love and would go well with all the courses that I ordered and would save me $20-30 vs the 5 senses fee (even before my by the bottle discount with the premium wine package). I decided on a blend from a woman owned/run Italian winery. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and I was very happy with my choice. Pro tip: if the ship is going to be in port late evening while you’re dining, especially in Puerto Rico or USVI (which are subject to US alcohol tax rates), ask the sommelier if they can hold off on charging your account for your dinner wine bottle purchase till the ship sets sail so you can avoid the extra tax. For my meal courses, I went with the lobster bisque, mushroom risotto, baked pear, venison loin and chocolate cake. I desperately wanted to finish the lobster bisque, but knew that would be a poor decision with 4 more courses coming. You know you’re living your best life when you’re sipping a 5 year old Super Tuscan and telling yourself not to fill up on lobster bisque. This was my first time trying the risotto at Murano and I’m kinda mad now that I’ve been sleeping on this dish. Did you guys know that garlic foam was a thing? First project when I get home is to get on YouTube and learn how to make this stuff. Totally gonna host a garlic foam (dinner) party! The pear in phyllo I wasn’t a huge fan of. The flavor profile just seemed weird. I’m glad I tried something new, but won’t be ordering that one again. After a few bites I called it quits on it to save prime real estate for venison and chocolate cake. As for the venison, this is another one I haven’t ever ordered because my husband hunts (no judgement please, deer are horribly overpopulated in the area where we live and as a result they spread disease and destroy food crops so managed hunts are an important part of ecosystem maintenance) so we usually have a freezer full of venison. This one though is going into my Murano rotation going forward. It’s super tender and not at all gamey. I recommend ordering it chef’s recommended temp (medium rare) and swirling each bite in the lingonberry sauce and the celery root purée. The chocolate cake: does not beat my favorite the Gran Marnier soufflé, but I liked it better than the crepe ballon rouge which had been my go to back up dessert choice. That white coffee ice cream that comes with it is just as good as the gelato in the gelateria. After dinner I headed to the pride party at sea which was moved from the pool deck to the grand foyer due to weather. The party was well attended, including a stop by from Captain Matt and a surprise dance performance by the production dancers. After the party wrapped up I hit the sky lounge for a bit with some new friends from Detroit and then put myself to bed around midnight. When I got to my room I saw that Pavle had already arranged to have the rest of my bottle of wine sent up along with an appropriate Reidel glass. I can’t wait to spend my evening tonight finishing that baby off on my veranda in my PJ’s. After breakfast I’m going to go hang by the pool for a bit till it’s time to head out on today’s excursion: a half day champagne catamaran sail and snorkel.

This sounds like a very good plan. I’ve thought of going in 2-4 days ahead as well to avoid flight issues, but with the testing requirements right now it presents so many financial and logistical complications. I don’t want to fly all the way to Florida, pop positive on a covid test and then have to pay for quarantine accommodation in FL till I can fly back or rent a car and drive 17 hours back home. So I don’t feel comfortable going wheels up till I know I’m negative and able to board. So much easier when you have a place in FL!

Yes both the dumplings and the lobster ramen are still available. Those lobster dumplings are one of my favorites too. I also really enjoy the pork ramen. I think it’s one of my favorite dishes on the whole ship actually. I too was underwhelmed by Raw on 5 on Edge. I saw a menu somewhere online that someone posted from Raw on 5 on Beyond and it looks MUCH improved from the Edge menu. I’m looking forward to trying it in November.

Just got back to my room after my afternoon at the pool and I’m munching on my concierge afternoon snack which was again much improved from the canapés of a few years ago. Funny story: When I got to my stateroom door, I fished around in my favorite Tory Burch pool tote for my seapass card and was super vexed when after a couple of tries it still failed to open my door. It took me a minute to realize the issue…oh Charla…wrong room, wrong stateroom class, WRONG SHIP…time to drink some water and lay down, sweetie. Also maybe ease up on the cruise bookings.

Thank you! The water has been gorgeous! I can’t wait to swim in it in St. Thomas!

Yes, staff is still serving. Personally this is one COVID change that I would not mind at all if Celebrity made permanent. Pre-pandemic I saw some truly disgusting hygiene practices from my fellow passengers in the buffet over the years and it really turned me off eating there which is a shame because there are so many good options!

Halfway through semi-sea day check in: After my morning getting through a few chapters of my book and a couple of sangria spritz’s I headed to the food and wine tasting workshop. I’ve done this wine event once before years ago on Reflection. That time, it was held in the late morning after Jeremy and I had celebrated a promotion he’d just found out he got at work with TWO bottles of Taittinger at dinner followed by a late night in the sky lounge. In other words, at the time, I was in no condition for a food and wine pairing class. I thought it would be nice to finally give it another try when I wasn’t running on 3 hours of sleep and praying to all the sea gods that my head wouldn’t explode. I definitely enjoyed the event much more this time! After wine tasting I decided to try and get into lunch at Sushi on 5 for lunch without a reservation, but they were completely booked up, so I headed to MDR lunch instead and was very happy with everything I ate. If you’re a mushroom person, that mushroom soup is fab! When I ran back to my room after lunch to change into a swimsuit I found another nice little surprise from Ana. I’m letting my lunch digest relaxing on the pool deck drinking something special that my awesome pool bartender from South Africa recommended. It’s slightly sweet, quite strong and the flavor reminds me of a pink Starburst candy (my favorite Starburst flavor btw). I can’t post the name directly without violating CC terms of service but it’s called a Fruit [Term Frequently Used in Game of Thrones that Refers to a Child Born out of Wedlock]. I’m pretty sure this has replaced the Miami Vice as my frozen drink of choice for the duration of the cruise! More to come later from Puerto Rico!

Thank you! I’ll definitely give it a try my second night.

It’s a lovely breezy morning at sea as we steam towards a 4pm arrival at Puerto Rico. Post-room service breakfast I’m curled up in a chair by the sunset bar watching the activities team set up the lawn club golf putting area. I get the shanks bad playing around water hazards and since the world’s largest water hazard currently just to starboard, for the safety of my fellow guests and Celebrity’s golf ball supply, I’ll sit this one out and have a cocktail instead. I’ve decided to stay onboard for PR, but have plenty planned. Today’s agenda: -Morning reading and sipping -Food and Wine Pairing Workshop -Perhaps another lunch at Sushi on 5 -Afternoon pool olympics -Dinner #2 at Murano -Full Moon Pool Deck Pride Party After tonight I have GOT to ease up on the late night antics or I may be dead on my feet by Tortola.

Thank you! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the review! Here’s a link to the dress. It packs well and is very comfortable. I bought it in 3 different prints! GRACE KARIN Sleeveless Solid Floral Summer Cocktail Dress A-Line Wrap Wedding Guest Dress https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TWK2LX3/ref=cm_sw_r_api_i_PMKSPA35EAJC72DBAMXA_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Good Morning Everyone! Remember that plan I had to get up early this morning and go to the gym before breakfast? Well, if by “early” I meant “15 minutes before the start of my selected room service delivery window” and by “gym” I meant “my veranda in my robe with a bottle of cold water”, mission accomplished. I can totally explain though. I’ll start with dinner at Tuscan Grille. On my previous two Equinox sailings (one pre and one post pandemic) I remember most of the food in Tuscan being particularly good on this ship. That trend continues and for the most part this was a significant redemption from my “meh” food experience in Tuscan on Millennium in March. Another perk of solo travel: if you reserve your specialty restaurants in advance, you’ll often get one of the best seats in the house. Tonight I was escorted to a table directly overlooking the center of our wake. I love it when I can get a wake seat at Tuscan. I swear I could sit and sip wine and watch that water churn all night. Kinda made me miss having a sunset veranda. The bread that came to the table was actually served WARM. I had no business eating it given how nuts I went with my dinner order (we’ll get to that in a moment), but my Italian mother in law would have a fit if she heard that I ever turned down warm bread with fresh basil and good olive oil. For dinner I ordered the calamari and Caesar salad to start. I normally get the ribeye for my dinner steak but I decided to splurge on the $18 up charge dry aged porterhouse. Because clearly what I need in my life right now is more carbs, I ordered a side of spaghetti and meatballs with my steak and the sommelier poured me a decent Valpolicella, $13 a glass (so included in the premium package) to pair with it all. The calamari was perfectly cooked and tender. If you get it, don’t forget to squeeze some juice from that grilled lemon on the side on top before you dig in. That makes it! The Caesar salad was the one low light of the meal. I remember being unimpressed by it last Equinox cruise too and sad that it wasn’t even as good as one I got in the buffet. Sadly there’s still a temperature issue. Nobody likes a room temp salad. As much as I love a good Caesar, I think I’ll probably give up on this salad and save the stomach space on future Tuscan trips. It’s not like fresh vegetables are that important for one’s diet anyway. lol The spaghetti and meatballs was a vast improvement from the watery, flavorless sauce on the one I had on Millennium. And unlike Millennium I was offered (and took full advantage of) fresh grated Parmesan cheese on top. As for the steak…this is the first time I’ve had the dry aged upcharge steak. I’ve always avoided it on principle because I’ve already paid for the restaurant so why would I sign up for an extra price steak when the ribeye (my favorite) is included. I’m glad I stepped out of the box though because that dry aged porterhouse is a very good steak. Cooked medium rare exactly as requested. My knife cut through it like butter. It had a subtle smokey flavor at the finish. I don’t think I’d take a hit to my credit card balance for it (because again, Tuscan has such a good ribeye) but if you have OBC to burn (or are sailing in an upper level suite where specialties are included, so the $18 charge is the only hit your account will take) in my opinion it’s worth the upgrade to that bad boy. Plus when I thought about the math, the total cost for Tuscan dinner cover charge and this porterhouse upcharge was about $80 after tip/service charge. I’ve seen steakhouses in STL charge that just for a comparable size/quality porterhouse without any sides, much less including 3 other courses with it in the price. So the upcharge doesn’t seem so unreasonable. After the entree I felt like I was in an either or scenario: either I was gonna have dessert and port at Tuscan OR I was gonna make it to World Class Bar. No way I would pull off both without collapsing. My wonderful server Ashlam, however, swooped in with all journey wonderfull logic and reminded me that I can sleep at home after the cruise for free and brought me an espresso to ensure that I could hold it together for both fig gelato (my favorite Tuscan dessert, made fresh onboard BTW) and tawny port and a World Class night cap. When I got to World Class bar, Z and Putu were hard at working serving some new friends that I made the night before. Despite the best made plans of mice and men to go to bed with my book, the espresso kicked in right about then and I ended up two Kentucky Callings deep and headed to shut down the martini bar with my new friends. Once again at 1am when I finally headed to bed, the ship was by no means a ghost town and there was a decent crowd clamoring to get one more drink order in with the martini guys before they shut down for the night. As for me, I took my regrets and 2 bottled waters to go and finally put myself to bed. My breakfast should be arriving any minute now so after I eat I’ll get myself fit for public viewing and then report on my plans for the day. Wifi seems a bit fickle this morning but I promise I’ll post pics from last night as soon as I can get them to load.

Thank you! The dress is actually a $40 Amazon find. It comes in several prints. LMK if you’d like the link. And aren’t these shoes the best??? Believe it or not, they’re Badgley Mischka and I paid like $35 for them on a Nordstrom spring shoe clearance rack! The wide block heel makes them perfect for cruising on a rocky ship! I have so much respect for the women who dare brave wearing full stilettos onboard. I fractured my ankle once in my 20’s in a pair of Jimmy Choo’s on an uneven sidewalk (soooo embarrassing, and that after countless years of being thrown from horses and coming out of it every time with nothing more than a bad bruise!) Ever since then I’m very careful about my shoe choices when footing may not be optimal.

It’s our first evening chic night on Equinox! I planned to split my pre-dinner cocktail time between Ensemble Lounge and World Class bar but Radio Duo is killing their set tonight at Ensemble and every time my Grey Goose cosmo starts to get past half empty, here comes Komang or Abdul with a shaker filling it back up. I guess I’ll adjust and plan to stop by World Class after dinner in Tuscan Grille. The ships is rocking a bit tonight, so I think I’ll be calling it a night with my book and glass of wine after that. Tomorrow morning I want to get up early and hit the gym before my room service breakfast arrives. Cheers from Equinox!

Quick Report: I had to run down to guest services to put some cash on my onboard account and while standing in line I noticed that the forward hallway on the port side of deck 3 is closed off and had this sign. It’s tough to see even with me zooming in (for obvious reasons I wasn’t going to get any closer) but the Healthy at Sea logo is at the top of the sign. According to the deck map there are staterooms down that hallway. I wonder if this may be the quarantine area?

Thank you! No I don’t mind at all, please do come say hello! I love meeting new people. Looking forward to sailing with you!

I was just sitting on my veranda reading (btw @cinderellen this is my book for this cruise! I’m about 100 pages in, so far a nice read, would be good for a Mediterranean cruise) when my stateroom attendant Ana popped out to deliver me a snack. It looks like Celebrity has stepped up its canapé game since I last sailed in concierge class. Im still pretty full from Sushi lunch, but there’s always room for cured meat and cheese.

A relaxed and rejuvenated GenX here checking in from the busiest pool deck I’ve seen since the restart. Which makes sense because according to the crew members I’ve talked to this is also the fullest capacity sailing for the Equinox since the restart. I’m told we’re sailing with about 2500 passengers. I think capacity for Equinox is 2850 so we’re pretty close to full. There’s been waits of 5-10 minutes to get drinks at the bars. I set a stopwatch on my phone to keep track of how long it’s actually taking because it does feel like I’m waiting much longer thanks to months of being spoiled by sailing on half full ships! Very few folks are wearing masks and I would say we have about 2 dozen young kids onboard. I will not be telling GenZ this because it would only make her madder that I didn’t bring her along. I just finished my spa morning and am getting some fresh sea air on the deck before my Sushi lunch reservation. If you head to the spa, ask for Iva for your pedicure and Mandy for your facial. They both did a fabulous job, were very friendly and not at all pushy on product sells. I did end up buying some things from each of them because I use Elemis as part of my skin care routine and was running a little low. The products are priced cheaper online, but when I buy on the ship I don’t pay shipping or sales tax and I think the spa workers get a commission and I like to help out the folks who give me great service a little more. I also realized I forgot to post my pics of my stateroom (1652). It’s in an aft location, quiet and an easy short walk to the pool, spa and buffet. BTW pro tip: see that long white cord going across the floor in the middle of the room coming from the desk outlet? That’s a 10ft iPhone charge cord that I bought on Amazon and it’s my solution to the lack of a bedside outlet for phone charging on Equinox. Just be careful if you’re not sailing solo, you don’t want your spouse on the other side of the bed coming around and tripping over it in the middle of the night. Talk to you guys again after lunch!

I’ve managed to pull myself together to start my sea day. I guess everyone else is still sleeping off the sky lounge last night because Oceanview is a ghost town at 8am. No wait for made to order omelets and I had espresso and mimosa (hair of the dog, people) service within 5 minutes of sitting down. Plans for the Day: -Pedicure and Facial at the Spa -Lunch at Sushi on 5 -Afternoon Pool and Reading Time -Celebrity Production Show -Dinner at Tuscan Grille I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday and that your breakfast view is half as good as mine!

A very good morning from the open ocean my friends! Man, about that party last night. On my way back to my stateroom I had to stop a crew member and double check that I was on a Celebrity ship and that this is an 8-night sailing. The big crowd in the sky lounge, which looked like it heavily trended towards 20-somethings, was partying like this is a long weekend cruise. When I finally remembered (halfway through the Cupid Shuffle) that I had to be up early this morning for spa appointments and called it a night at 12:30am, the dance floor was still going extremely strong. While I’m lying in bed willing myself to take a shower and get some martini recovery breakfast before the spa, shall we talk dinner at Murano last night? I decided for my first Murano night I would go ahead and order my go to favorites so that my other 3 dinners there this week I can do some menu exploration. This meant having the pork belly appetizer, Murano lobster entree and that thigh enhancing Gran Marnier soufflé for dessert. I washed it down with a Californian Pinot and a Fladgate 10 year port, both included in the premium package. That wonderful steak tartare was back for the amuse buche. Everything was as delicious as I remembered and the service from Michael was wonderful! As is standard at Murano, between my entree and dessert I was offered a cheese course. What was not standard (at least not as of November when I was last on S-class) was that rather than rolling over a fancy cheese cart, doing a presentation and having me select which cheeses I wanted, the cheese assortment was pre-plated. No cart to be found. At the end of the day, the cheeses were still really good quality, but the loss of the cart made me a little sad. There are so few places on land (at least in the Midwest where I’m from) or at sea (at least on cruise lines that I can afford) where fancy cheese cart presentations are still a thing and it’s something I always looked forward to at Murano on Celebrity. I’m kind of hoping maybe the cart was just broken for this sailing and that this isn’t a permanent change. I get that Celebrity is trying to go more “modern” luxury and I really am here for it, but there are sometimes where old school luxury just can’t be beat and I feel like this is one of those. Speaking of old school luxury (and actually the French for that matter), you would think by now I would learn my lesson and would cease using the forward elevators to get to Deck 5 so that I can avoid the shops. Will you look at this beauty? I think I remember seeing a post recently where someone was expressing surprise that the Louis’s and other super high end bags for sale on Celebrity are pre-owned. This actually wasn’t ever a surprise for me as someone who regularly lurks the new Gucci/Fendi/LV lines (almost as often as I lurk other things I can’t possibly afford like the Silversea Antarctica cruise offerings and the Four Seasons Maldives). I could tell these bags weren’t from any recent lines and the prices (still not cheap AT ALL but thousands less that what’s charged for new) were a dead giveaway. The bags also have a tag and QR code on them from vintage fashion authentication company, so I don’t thing Celebrity is really trying to hide anything. My dirty little secret is that the few ultra high end bags I do own are all bought from luxury second hand boutiques (my goal is to never be closet rich and cruise poor), so I have a little experience with assessing the condition and restoration level of the bags and the ones Celebrity sells do look like pretty good quality. That being said, once again, if anyone onboard sees me by the pool calculating the taxes I’d have to pay at customs declaration next Sunday if I buy this GORGEOUS bag, please feel free to slap my phone out my hand. More to come later today!

Real Time Update: After my dinner in Murano (full report in the AM) I decided I would get one more martini then head to bed. But then I walked into a silent disco party that was NOT in the app schedule and got my second wind. Guess what kids, the Equinox Funmother is BAAACK!

A quick update from Equinox: I spent sailaway at the Sunset Bar with some new CC friends then spent some time rehydrating from my day’s antics reading on my veranda. Just settled in at Ensemble Lounge for pre-dinner music and cocktails. My cocktails are being mixed by the fantastic Komang who took care of me at Sunset Bar in November and squealed with delight when he saw me sit down at the bar. Our talented acoustic duo Radio Duo is performing a diverse set that’s included everything from Barry Manilow to Hoonastank. I can smell the lobster wafting from Murano each time the door opens. I am a happy girl.

Yep, definitely Martini Bar time… As promised a report on concierge lunch: It has been YEARS since I sailed concierge class and had the lunch. When I got to the restaurant it wasn’t very crowded and I was escorted to my table by the beautiful Somjit who took such good care of me in Sushi on 5 in November. She let me know that she’s now working in Tuscan Grille and I’m looking forward to seeing her for my dinners there. For lunch I had the Caesar salad, salmon and apple pie. My salmon was beautifully presented but a little overdone. The apple pie was good but NOT my grandma’s, but the ice cream with it was delicious. I remember years ago when I did this lunch there were some awesome lamb chops on the menu but looks like that’s no more. Overall I don’t think food quality wise it’ll be my best meal of the week, but no big complaints and it was a nice, relaxed way to have a sit down meal to start the cruise. Pics of food and menu below!

Happy to give more info Jim! The hotel is the Hyatt Centric Las Olas. I believe my Hyatt loyalty member rate for my room was $280, but they have cheaper rooms if you don’t want the cabana level. The Las Olas area has lots of great restaurants, museums and bars all within walking distance and it was a 15 minute, $12 Uber ride to Port Everglades.