Equinox 2/1/13 - 10 night Ultimate Caribbean in AQ Review

[prim8keeper]

Hi Everyone! I have been debating whether or not to do a photo review since we came back but since there have been so many Equinox and Aqua Class questions lately I decided it couldn't hurt. Who knows, maybe it will even help someone?

 

I would also like to thank CC users Vol Fan, Hollywood Traveler & Boxerlover2 as I have used a few of their photos to fill in the gaps where I did not take photos.

 

Background:

 

We booked this cruise for our honeymoon. I am 30 and my DH is 26. He is an industrial engineer and I am a lead research specialist at a university. This was our second time on Celebrity, and only my second cruise. In 2011 we sailed on Solstice and my DH sailed RCI before that with his parents while he was in college. We have really come to enjoy X and all the people we have met. I feel like we have about 15 other sets of parents now! We were also sailing with some friends we made on Solstice.

 

The photo below is from our wedding in NYC which took place in December.

 

 

Pre-Cruise:

 

We live in Atlanta so we have just found it easier to drive to Ft. Lauderdale (it takes about 10 hours). We generally leave two days before the cruise breaking the drive up and so that we can arrive in Ft. Lauderdale earlier in the day before the cruise. This way we can get into vacation mode and begin to relax before we board the ship.

 

We stayed at the Westin Beach Resort as our pre-cruise hotel which is located right across the street from the beach. There were also some others from our roll call who also stayed there. The hotel was very nice and had a modern design. Upon check in we were upgraded to a partial beach view. Since we had booked this hotel on hotels.com at a really good rate, I thought this was great (others were also upgraded). I would easily stay there again.

 

Our pre-cruise dinner was at Bimini boat yard. Overall I thought it was ok, but I don't get why everyone loves the Bimini boat bread so much. Sorry!

 

A photo of us at the pre-cruise dinner with the fabulous bighairtexan.

 

[cruiser77]

Congratulations!!

Can not wait to hear more about your cruise since we are planning a mediterranean cruise on Equinox this summer.:)

[librarylady19]

Yaa! Photo reviews are always the best :) Even though they do take a bit of time, you know that others will appreciate it. I remember seeing photos from your review previous review (or was it your parents??)

I agree with you about the Bimini bread - wasn't impressed. We preferred the food at Southport Raw Bar.

Edited March 8, 2013 by librarylady19

[portofrome]

Congratulations.

Looking forward to reading more about your cruise.

[prim8keeper]

Yaa! Photo reviews are always the best :) Even though they do take a bit of time, you know that others will appreciate it. I remember seeing photos from your review previous review (or was it your parents??)

I agree with you about the Bimini bread - wasn't impressed. We preferred the food at Southport Raw Bar.

 

That was actually a review done my mother in law. They cruised with us on Solstice, however they passed on this cruise because they are going to Alaska this summer.

[prim8keeper]

Boarding Day:

 

Oh boy! The day had come to board the ship. No matter how old I get or how many cruises I take, I think this day is always going to to feel like Christmas morning. Our boarding was delayed because the ship was going to be deep cleaned due to previous Noro outbreaks. We went through the same thing on Solstice (we may be bad luck!) so we knew exactly what to expect.

 

As a result we slept in and then ran a few errands. We also decided to take our luggage around 10 am and just drop it off at the pier so it would be one less thing to worry about. While we were at the pier we noticed that there were already guests arriving for check in. I have to say I felt really bad for them as boarding was not even starting until the afternoon. They had a long wait ahead of them. At the pier there were big signs flashing stating that boarding was delayed. The big up side though was that because our sailing was leaving on a Friday we were using the pier that is normally used for Oasis/Allure which is MUCH better than pier 25 which had previously used.

 

We then went back to the hotel to pick up our friends and head out for lunch. This is my biggest tip to share with anyone who's boarding may be delayed! Take your time getting there and eat lunch before. We ended up going to Coconut's. We sat outside and just watched the boats in the Mariana while enjoying a few cocktails. The food was also outstanding, so this turned out to be a great way to kill a few hours. Much better than sitting at the pier.

 

Rather than parking our car at the pier where it is $19/ day we used Park N Go. We had previously used them and found it to be quick and easy. You just drop your car off, they valet it for you and you board the shuttle and are off to the pier. If you pre-book it ahead of time online it is only $7/ day and some times you can find coupons that make it even cheaper. We arrived at the pier around 3 pm to no lines! We just walked right through security and breezed through check in. There were so few people in the AQ Class/ Suite lines that right after we went through they were getting ready to close that side. While the other side did have longer lines our friends still managed to get through security and check in just as fast as we did. Everything was very organized. We then went upstairs and basically walked right onto the ship. Our friends that been there before us said our timing was great because right before the whole area was full of people.

 

I would like to take this time to just give a huge shout out to X/ the ships crew/ port staff. I was beyond impressed with everything. On our previous sailing that was delayed because of noro it was a mess. The lines were huge and people had been waiting outside for hours. While we just went with the flow, why get upset? You are on vacation after all. There were so many people who did not seem to know what was going on and who quickly became angry. This time most people seemed to be aware of the situation. I'm hopeful X is learning! I also think being in the bigger pier as opposed to pier 25 helped greatly since there was much more room inside (although I don't see how there is enough room for close to 6,000 people!).

 

Since we had already eaten lunch and could avoid the stamped, otherwise known as the buffet, we met up with some of our other friends in the Solarium to hang out until the muster drill. We also took the time to break in our premium beverage packages. Cocktail anyone? Our cabins were not available yet, which was too be expected.

 

The photos below are from Vol Fan.

 

 

Hollywood Traveler was already ready for sail away as you can see by the Mardi Gras beads.

 

 

After the muster drill everyone headed up to the sunset bar for sail away. This is where we met most of the people from our roll call who had not attended the pre-cruise dinner. Because our boarding was delayed we were a little delayed leaving it was already getting dark. By now it was after 5 pm.

 

 

During sail away they announced that the cabins were finally ready. It was also getting rather cold so most people left right after the announcement. It was rather anticlimactic sine we were the only ship leaving.

 

Below is a photo from the Ft. Lauderdale camera of our saiaway.

 

[dln929]

We got off the Equinox on New Years Eve and went to the Bimini Boat Yard for lunch. I got two of those big souvenir cocktail glasses and managed to get them home to Indiana only to break both of them within the month! When we sail on the Equinox next month, we're visiting my parents in Naples first. They're dropping us off at the pier but this time we're making a beeline to Southport Raw Bar, which, like you, is our first love seafood-wise. Nice send off for our transatlantic!

 

I am so happy that you and your DH had such a wonderful cruise on the Equinox and I look forward to reading about your adventures. And seeing your photos too. :D

[prim8keeper]

Cabin Selection:

 

For anyone who is either new to X or has not been on the S class ships I highly recommend you use the cabin sticky at the top of the main X board. It has a wealth of information!

 

We ended up booking the same cabin we had on Solstice, AQ 1610. When we were on Solstice there was only AQ, not AQ1 and AQ2. This cabin is now AQ1. This cabin is also on the hump and has an over sized balcony.

 

We personally book AQ because while I agree that the little extra amenities are not necessarily worth it, although I will argue that the shower is, we wanted to be able to eat in Blu. In our everyday none cruising life we try to eat healthy and avoid processed foods. While the food in Blu is not spa food, they do use less sauces, less starches as sides, less salt, etc. I personally feel like this is one area where X could improve their marketing to clear up the confusion.

 

On both Solstice and Equinox we found the cabin to be very quiet. Occasionally you may hear some noise from above when someone moves a lounger, but it has never been enough noise that I would say you should avoid booking this or any of the other AQ hump cabins. It also has an excellent location that is mid-ship near both the elevators and stairs.

 

Below are a few photos of the cabin. These are actually from Solstice but it was exactly the same on Equinox except for the safe placement. On Solstice the safe is in the closet, not great, and on Equinox they are above the mini fridge. We found there to be plenty of storage. You'll also notice an abundance of pillows on the bed. That is what happens when you ask for one of each pillow on the pillow menu. I would not do that again!

 

 

 

 

 

[prim8keeper]

Cabin Balcony:

 

Here are several pictures of the balcony. As you can see we had the divider open as my in laws were in the cabin next door. Note you can not really open a divider between 1608 and 1606 due to the support beam. While there is an overhang it is not like the other AQ1 cabins since we could get out to the end. Personally we didn't mind this as it kept the balcony cool in the Caribbean. However, if you like sun I'm not sure I would book these cabins.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 8, 2013 by prim8keeper

[prim8keeper]

Boarding Day Part II:

 

Since we had such a large lunch we were not particularly hungry and decided to unpack. When we were let into our cabins around 6/6:30 pm our luggage was already outside waiting for us. We decided to unpack and put everything away so we didn't have to worry about it later. Once that was complete we did what everyone should do and headed for the Martini Bar! We found some others from our roll call there as well and hung out for a while. It was very nice since most people were either at dinner or unpacking. There was no dress code for the first evening.

 

This photo was taken by Boxerlover2 who is a professional, so if you notice a really good picture in among mine it most likely belongs to her.

 

 

Since Blu is open seating we went to dinner on the later side. They were not very busy and we were seated right away. The first night is one of my favorites in Blu because they serve a very good steak. After dinner we grabbed another drink and then headed off to bed after a long day.

 

A photo of Blu:

 

 

I would like to note that we were still in code red due to the previous noro outbreaks. As a result there were no menus out at any of the bars, you could not serve yourself at the buffet, there was no salt/pepper out, no flowers out in the public spaces or in cabins, no bread baskets or dips (THE HORROR! :eek:), no shared butter, etc. Our cabins were also pretty much missing everything because it all had to be washed and there was no fruit or sparkling wine like you would normally have in AQ. Even the bed skirts were gone! Although I have to say it was a lot easier to keep things under there without them. While we over heard some people complaining I would personally rather go without everything as opposed to getting noro.

[wednesday]

Thanks for posting those great balcony pics! We have 2110 for our Equinox cruise in June (3rd off the hump) but on the backside and one deck up. I am a graduate in Industrial Engineering:), won't call myself one yet because I can't find a job.:(

[JoePDX]

Congratulations on your marriage! Wishing you many years of happiness. My DH and I will celebrate our 22nd Anniversary in October. The years just get better!

 

Embarkation day for me is always like Christmas, even as we plan for our 10th cruise. The excitement builds upon the first sighting of the ship, but goes into overload as we walk on board and the stresses of daily life melt away....

 

Great review! The pictures are great. Loved the pillow bed! :D

 

Joe

[prim8keeper]

Thanks for posting those great balcony pics! We have 2110 for our Equinox cruise in June (3rd off the hump) but on the backside and one deck up. I am a graduate in Industrial Engineering:), won't call myself one yet because I can't find a job.:(

 

Sorry to hear you are having trouble finding a job. You keep hearing that there are not enough engineers. My DH's background is also in safety/ergonomics and now does quality along with a bunch of other stuff (I see this because I don't know what exactly!) for Honda.

 

Congratulations on your marriage! Wishing you many years of happiness. My DH and I will celebrate our 22nd Anniversary in October. The years just get better!

 

Embarkation day for me is always like Christmas, even as we plan for our 10th cruise. The excitement builds upon the first sighting of the ship, but goes into overload as we walk on board and the stresses of daily life melt away....

 

Great review! The pictures are great. Loved the pillow bed! :D

 

Joe

 

Thanks! I would defiantly not get the body pillow again. It was much larger than a normal body pillow and kind of like having a third person in the bed.

[El_aurens]

Hi, congrats on your wedding! I love the black and white photo of the two of you in NYC. It's timeless, it reminds me of a photo of my parents when they honeymooned in NYC in the 1950's!

 

Keep the pictures and review coming!

[prim8keeper]

Sea Day #1:

 

We ended up sleeping in much later than I thought we would on the first sea day. We just go to breakfast in Blu which ended at 9:30 am. Breakfast in Blu is probably my favorite meal there. After breakfast we had to rush off to the cruise critic party. It was held in Cellar Masters on deck 4. A few staff members briefly spoke, I wasn't really paying attention, and we finished organizing our group tours. The only staff member who I can remember being there was our CD Ben because my DH could do a dead on impression of him that was hysterical. We lingered at the m & m for a while and were some of the last ones to leave. Everyone was very nice. We had a very active roll call.

 

After the m & m we went to have lunch in the MDR with friends. Up until this point we had never eaten in the MDR. On our previous cruise we only at Blu, the three specialty restaurants and Bistro on Five. My over all impressions were ok. While the food wasn't terrible and I did like that I could order fried cheese, I didn't think it was anything spectacular. MY DH really did not like it. While I realize Blu is not open for lunch I could defiantly see a big difference between the types of food they both offer. I can now understand why some people wouldn't be happy in Blu and others don't like the MDR.

 

 

After lunch we went back to our cabin to nap, read on the balcony and watch movies since the weather was not very good. It was overcast and raining on and off most of the first day.

 

We had dinner reservations with friends in Tuscan for dinner. However, prior to dinner we explored the ship a little more. I really liked the Equinox, especially some of the art.

 

 

 

One of our favorite things to do in the evening was sit at the Martini Bar and listen to the music from the atrium.

 

 

Dinner in Tuscan was very good. I started with an Italian style french onion soup that was out of this world. I could have just stopped there and had bowl after bowl of soup for dinner. I then had the filet mignon on garlic mashed potatoes for my entree. It was also very good. I finished with the pistachio creme brulee. The company is what truly made the dinner fun even if towards the end of dinner they did begin to sing show tunes. We ended up sitting there for several hours.

 

 

Afterwards we headed back to the Martini Bar for one last cocktail. As you can tell we were putting our premium beverage packages to good use. We are also not really into the shows so I consider our beverage packages to be our own form of entertainment. As we sat there people from our roll call kept stopping by and as a result we ended up closing the bar down around 2 am! This was also our first formal night so it was fun to see everyone all dressed up.

[Kevnzworld]

Congratulations and Thanks for the review and pictures!

I will be boarding the Equinox in one month and I can't wait.

[maggieq]

Absolutely beautiful so far. You both look so happy......I wish you that forever. We are thinking of going on the 10 night cruise next February....bf wants more than 7 night cruises now....

[prim8keeper]

Absolutely beautiful so far. You both look so happy......I wish you that forever. We are thinking of going on the 10 night cruise next February....bf wants more than 7 night cruises now....

 

We found the 10 night to be kind of perfect for us. Since we are younger and can't stay away from work too longer this was a good fit for us. Being 10 nights defiantly lets you relax more than the 7 night cruises, but is also still short enough you don't need to take two weeks for vacation.

[bplazo]

Great review, we also will be on the Equinox nest month. Did you by any chance take pictures of the MDR menu?

[prim8keeper]

Great review, we also will be on the Equinox nest month. Did you by any chance take pictures of the MDR menu?

 

I do not have any that turned out. However I did email one of my friends to ask them if they had any. If they do I'll make sure to post them.

[bplazo]

I do not have any that turned out. However I did email one of my friends to ask them if they had any. If they do I'll make sure to post them.

 

Thank you.

[kkorman]

My partner and I will be sailing Equinox next Friday! Thanks for sharing.

[prim8keeper]

Sea Day #2:

 

On the second see day we slept in really late after staying up so late the night before. The ships time did change so that was helpful but we still missed breakfast in Blu. Since it was almost 11 am by the time we were up and moving around we decided to head to Cafe al Bacio. We try and go here early on and make friends with one of the waitresses as this is one of our favorite spots on the ship. We are big coffee drinkers and the drinks here are well worth the extra cost. I personally can not stand the regular X coffee that is free. This is also a great place to people watch.

 

 

 

For lunch we headed to Bistro on Five. While there is a $5 pp cover charge I think it is well worth it. The crepes are delicious. My favorite crepe is the Italian crepe which is a dessert crepe. It has bananas, nutella, and pistachios.

 

 

This was my semi failed attempt to be artsy. Since there were not a lot of people in Bistro on Five we were sitting next to one of the big windows.

 

 

After lunch we decided to go walk around the ship and explore some more. Every time we go on a cruise I make a list of all the things I want to do/ eat on the ship and inevitably we don't even do half of them. We also stopped by the casino and made a donation to X's bottom line. Heading back to our cabin we also finally met our room steward. He was fantastic! He kept apologizing for everything being out of the cabins etc. and we just explained we knew all about it and it was fine. Needless to say at the end of the cruise we tipped him extra. Our fruit and sparking wine also finally showed up. We do not drink the free sparkling wine. We don't like the taste and while I know a lot of people say its better in OJ to me it just ruins perfectly good fresh squeezed juice! I know there are a lot of people also post on this board about how they also do not care for the free sparkling wine so I think that X should plan a sparkling wine fight one day up on the lawn as an activity. Imagine how much fun that would be!

 

 

Since this was only our second cruise we are only classic members and I believe this was also the day of the captain's welcome party for returning cruisers. We decided not to go because it was at 2 pm and we would have to dress smart casual (ie put pants on). Talking to our friends who were elite it seemed like a lot of the events were scheduled at very awkward to inconvenient times. I couldn't help but wonder if X wasn't doing this on purpose to keep the level of participation down thus saving them money.

 

We got changed for dinner and headed out to the Martini Bar. One of the things I really like about X is that it seems like no matter where you go there are always people to talk to. Several nights we made new friends just hanging out at the bar and having a cocktail. I always love talking to more experienced cruisers about their past cruises. It has proved very helpful to us for our future bookings.

 

Dinner in Blu this night was fantastic. They were doing some of the soups we had on Solstice that were outstanding. They also had a filet mignon that I thought was better than the one I had the night before in Tuscan. Dessert is one area were unfortunately Blu usually drops the ball. Some are good but most of them are just "eh." I would much have creme brulee or cheesecake like in the MDR.

 

After dinner we made our first visit to the Molecular bar. This is another one of our favorite spots on the ship. Their drinks are very good, my personal favorite is the Tanned Russian. After a drink, or two, who's counting, we were on vacation, we decided to call it a night. We had an early morning tomorrow for our first port!

[Vol fan]

Great review, Tom! I'm enjoying it. We really missed out on the fun at the Martini Bar. I'm quite upset with myself about that:D

[bplazo]

Cannot wait to read more".....