Just back from Equinox, brief review of ship

[cruise kitty]

Hi, we're just back from the Oct. 20th 11 E. Med on the beautiful Equinox, I'll probably do a longer review with photos later, but here are some quick highlights of the ship experience:

 

We were gone a total of 18 days, did some pre & post cruise stay in Rome, a place we can never get enough of...

 

Took the train into Civ. on the 20th, arrived at the ship before 11, handed over our luggage, there was no wait at the check in, John, the concierge directed us to the AQ check in desk.

 

We handed over our passports, as we would be visiting Turkey on this trip, & received our lovely blue room keys/pass cards, then, to our surprise, John came back over & escorted us to the VIP lounge in Cellar Masters, we have no idea why we received this treatment, there was wine, champagne, snacks, the managers of the different departments introduced themselves & presented their business cards, we made a reservation in Tuscan Grill, DH had a bloody mary, we were given free cards to the wine machines, we kept waiting for someone to rush in, snatch the glasses from our hands & cry out: "thieves! they're only select level!", but it didn't happen. It was a very nice experience, I did get up the nerve to ask on our way out why we received this treatment, they said certain pax were flagged ahead of time for it, I suppose it will have to remain a mystery, & a very nice one at that!

 

Our room was ready around 1ish, we met our steward, Jose, who did an outstanding job for us. Balcony 1606 oversized & spacious. Room was the same as our CC on the Solstice, with the exception of tea, water bottles, & a very nice shower panel. We had him remove the tea, & bring extra water bottles, as were determined not to swell up on this trip. One caveat, our room was not cool enough, & even though they tried, it never did cool down enough, we like it around 60 for sleeping, coolest we could get was about 65. Luckily I had my fan, or sleep would have been difficult.

 

Grabbed a couple of martinis, & explored the ship, again, same layout as Solstice, easy to navigate, (with the exception of the lousy elevators, honestly, we take the stairs, but not everyone can), but, I digress, ship is lovely, & well cared for, with an outstanding, unobtrusive, crew.

 

Muster drill, quick & painless, but I would love to know the actual location of my lifeboat.

 

Our roll call sail away party was fun, & noisy! Great to put faces to the screen names you've been chatting with for a good 18 months!

 

Dinner in Blu: we showed up around 6:30, & discovered that Blu was the missing piece in our cruise puzzle history, we've never liked the MDR, it's too loud, too bright, & takes forever. We usually end up at the buffet, but Blu was a perfect fit for us, the food, the service, the ambiance... just wonderful. It was intimate & romantic, (we were celebrating our 25th anniversary) quiet, lovely views, no children, a perfect dining experience! We had the services of the greatest sommelier; Agnes, she paired wines from our premium pkg. with each course for us, & educated us on the way, thanks Agnes!

 

Pauline was a wonderful server in Blu, always sweet & friendly & stern if I didn't finish my meal!

 

We ended each evening in the ensemble lounge, there was a terrific jazz group there, & the best bartender ever, Laza, by the 2nd night, he knew our names & always had our favorite drinks ready... are you listening Celebrity? People like him are the reason we booked an open passage which we'll use for our next cruise... already packed the first items into the cruise box!

 

We tried breakfast in blu, & while it was nice, we much prefer the buffet because we like to sit outside in the fresh air, don't like being inside when the sun is up! We made good use of the wood furniture surrounded the oceanview bar each morning.

 

We ate all our dinners in blu, except for the 2nd formal, we headed to Tuscan Grill, & while it was wonderful, the wake was not lit up, which really, really was a disappointment for DH. It was lit up in the Solstice, & he was looking forward to it. We'll probably just stick to Blu next time...

 

Yes, we are now AQ converts, especially now that it's smart casual all the time, it works for our cruising style. This was a port intensive cruise, we were up before the sun each day, & hit the ground running. We were usually done with the major sites before the first tour cattle cars...oops, I mean buses:D arrived, & we were in bed by 10:30 each night. We never did step into the theatre, & tried the sky lounge for a few minutes one night, but it smells of smoke, so we headed out.

 

One onboard highlight, sailing through the Straits of Dardanelles, with Dr. Karl narrating the history of the region as we passed through, I'll never forget that!

 

This was our best cruise ever, I'm going to try & post some photos & do port reviews on the port boards, but forgive me if I get sidetracked planning our next great adventure, New Zealand? Baltics? Panama Canal? Venice? Looking forward to the planning!

 

 

Not all those who wander are lost.” – J. R. R. Tolkien

[Gonzo70]

Welcome back; glad you had such a nice cruise. :)

[cruise kitty]

Welcome back; glad you had such a nice cruise. :)

 

Thanks, it really was wonderful, Celebrity was on top of it's game!

[pris993]

Enjoyed reading your review. We were on the Equinox in 2009 in the Mediterranean and Middle East. Loved the ship, booked a CC cabin. The only thing we did not like was the MDR for similar reasons too noisy, food and service uneven, tables too close together and the room was crowded, then the lighting was dim. After 5 nights we skipped the MDR the remaining 8 nights of our 13 night cruise. We loved the Lido buffet, generally had a late lunch on our balcony from items we picked up in the buffet and were more than satisified.

 

We are booked on the Eciplse this coming March, this time AQ, trying BLU. Hope we enjoy it as much as you folks did.

 

Glad you had a great time.

[austinlw]

It was nice to meet you. We were on the same cruise and enjoyed it very much. We also hit the ground running in every port, and made a serious effort to be among the first off the ship in every port. At the end of each port day we were completely exhausted - in a good way. We returned to the ship, ate dinner, and crashed not long after without participating in many activities or shows. Only show we made a point to see was the Equinox (Cirque du Soleil-style) show on the 2nd night, which we really enjoyed. On our 1st Istanbul day we were out past our 6:15 dinner time exploring the Taksim Sq/Istiklal Cadesi area and returned to the ship feeling like worn-out zombies. We headed to the buffet and found that they had Turkish food available with Turkish music being played in the background. This was a nice surprise, and we really appreciated this nice touch. To tell you the truth, (IMHO) I was more consistently impressed with some of the tasty and even spicy options in the buffet than I was in the decorative but somewhat bland food in the main dining room overall on this cruise.

[cruise kitty]

Austinlw, it was great meeting you too! this was the first cruise where we didn't have any dinners in the buffet, on the first Istanbul day we came back on the ship around 3, rested for an hour, and then went back out till about 9, ate dinner near the Hagia Sophia, that was the one night we stayed too long in the Martini Bar, it was really rough getting up the next morning! I'm thinking this is an itinerary that will be tough to ever beat!

[ireneadler]

cruise kitty: I was in the same cruise, and I liked it as much as you did. :)

 

This was my 2nd cruise, and I stayed in a balcony (9280). I dined at the MDR every night, except for when I went to Murano and Tuscan Grille.

 

On the 2nd day in Istanbul, as we left by 1pm, I had lunch at the Tuscan Grille - an experiment by Celebrity, for 30 people only, and it was wonderful, as we had a beautiful aft view of Istanbul as we left it. A 180o panorama of the both sides, Asia and Europe. The menu was also experimental. I had an excellent lobster risotto, and the dessert was beyond fabulous.

 

Btw, the pastries in this ship were wonderful. The chocolate croissant was simply addictive, and in fact all the breads were superb. I congratulated the chef pastry and I may have proposed to him. :D Or something like it. :D

 

Of the shows, I did not like the Hitchcock magician - very little magic, lots of talk, and he was not funny at all - and Jayne Murray (sp?), also very unfunny, though she sings well. But all other productions were good.

 

I kept following the Livadyia trio around (classical music group), and trying to avoid the Latin guitar entertainer. I loved him in the first three nights. But then it got old! Sorry, but that's how it is.

 

Our stateroom attendant, Joy, was a major sweetheart, and very efficient. Our waiters were also very good. I spent too much of my free time at Cafe al Bacio, because I'm a coffee snob/addict, and always got good service. However, the manager, a Dimitri, clearly hated human beings. He never made eye contact with anyone, always seeming a bit aloof, although, granted, the service under him was good, so I'd better not complain much.

 

The fellow passengers, the vast majority, were all great. :) Very friendly atmosphere indeed.

 

The crepes of Bistro on 5 were a thing of beauty, and delicious too. However, most of the time the place was pitifully empty. It's hard to understand, because it's very cheap ($5) and relaxing.

 

In short, I'd definitely cruise again at Equinox. :)

[JeannJodi]

oh boy loved your review.we will be on this ship beginning april 30 to the med. also spending post time in rome and pre in venice taking train to ship from venice...we are so excited first time on celebrity but have heard only good things...any tips on ports would be useful..we are early risers

[cruise kitty]

oh boy loved your review.we will be on this ship beginning april 30 to the med. also spending post time in rome and pre in venice taking train to ship from venice...we are so excited first time on celebrity but have heard only good things...any tips on ports would be useful..we are early risers

 

You really have a wonderful cruise to look forward to, I posted some photos of santorini & a mini review of that port:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1513150

 

We were DIY for all the ports except for Kusadasi, we had a private tour with Ekol for that port, shared with 3 other members from our roll call, it was really great!

 

I'm still working on posting a few photos of the other ports we visited.

 

Your time in Venice sounds fantastic, it's on my list of places I'd really like to visit.

[Cruiser Susie]

Thank you for your review! It is great that you so enjoyed your cruise and the entire trip. We will be back on the Equinox in March and it will also be our first time in Aqua Class... really looking forward to it, especially with your enthusiastic description. Your welcome aboard VIP lounge sounded lovely and very special... great way to start your cruise!

 

If you don't mind me asking, what kind of fan did you bring? I sleep with the ceiling fan on year round... and really miss the air movement when we travel. I would really like to find a fan I could take with me.

 

Looking forward to seeing more of your photos and any other thoughts you had of your cruise. Thank you again for sharing with the rest of us.

[cruise kitty]

Thank you for your review! It is great that you so enjoyed your cruise and the entire trip. We will be back on the Equinox in March and it will also be our first time in Aqua Class... really looking forward to it, especially with your enthusiastic description. Your welcome aboard VIP lounge sounded lovely and very special... great way to start your cruise!

 

If you don't mind me asking, what kind of fan did you bring? I sleep with the ceiling fan on year round... and really miss the air movement when we travel. I would really like to find a fan I could take with me.

 

Looking forward to seeing more of your photos and any other thoughts you had of your cruise. Thank you again for sharing with the rest of us.

 

Hi, I brought a very small metal table top fan, it's about 4" across, I bought it at target, we had the beds near the closet in our cabin, & I put the fan on the edge of the dresser, it was just enough air movement to make me comfortable!

 

Another fantastic benefit of AQ was the relaxation room, we had some really windy & cool sea days, & lying on the heated lounges was very relaxing & peaceful.:)

[kat228]

Thanks for keeping 1606 so nice for us! We were in the same cabin on the 31st sailing!

[Keith1010]

Excellent review and also it's great that you have posted trip reports on some of the respective ports of call boards. Very much appreciated.

 

Keith

[uktog]

Lovely review, we have 1606 on Solstice on a future cruise so will be very interested to see any pictures you post of the room

Glad you had an enjoyable time

[cruise kitty]

Excellent review and also it's great that you have posted trip reports on some of the respective ports of call boards. Very much appreciated.

 

Keith

 

Thanks so much, I was helped by so many previous posters, I'm trying to give back!

 

Lovely review, we have 1606 on Solstice on a future cruise so will be very interested to see any pictures you post of the room

Glad you had an enjoyable time

 

I'm not sure if I have pictures of the cabin, I'll sort thru & post if I find one.

[gelo7]

Great review, glad that you had a good trip.

[miXterOB]

Thanks for the great review CruiseKitty!

We did the Equinox in AQ last December and loved it too

Your comment about Blu being the missing piece in the cruise puzzle is spot on.

We have 1605 on Solstice for the 8 day Carribean cruise next month and we can not wait

Looking forward to your full review

[macusr]

Was on the same sailing as cruisekitty and austinlw. Finally got my official review written and it's now been published:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=94656