Live review with pics, Equinox, Oct 27, TA Barcelona to Ft. Lauderdale.

[cl.klink]

Well, here's the only pic that kinda came out ok of the Rock of Gibraltar seen at 1:00 am yesterday

[RubyDog08]

Very educational and interesting review - one of the best, if not the best, I've ever read. We will be boarding Equinox one month from today, so I'm following your posts with extreme interest. This will be our first trip with Celebrity, and we are very excited!

 

Thank you so much for taking time away from your vacation to share with everyone your mad packing skills, as well. I am an incredibly talented over packer, myself. We arrived home once missing an extra large bag, but no one realized it for several weeks. :eek: Hopefully I can cut a ton or two from my luggage load this time by using some of your great advice. I'm sure my DH will appreciate the effort. :p

 

Thanks again!!

[wallie5446]

Thanks again Joel!

Hope ya'll have a wonderful crossing, we will be watching from our balcony at the Pier 66 as you sail into Port Everglades!

EW

[J&G]

We just got off her on Monday and were wishing we'd booked the b2b so we're really interested in following along with you.

 

Happy Anniversary.

 

Gail

[cl.klink]

Thanks again Joel!

 

Hope ya'll have a wonderful crossing, we will be watching from our balcony at the Pier 66 as you sail into Port Everglades!

 

EW

 

 

See ya soon, then!

 

- Joel

 

 

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[ILgirl]

Thanks for a great report and for taking the time and effort to post. I am a chronic over packer so I will be taking your advice to heart! We are boarding the Equinox on 11/21 and it will be our first "S" class experience so I am especially interested in your ship comments/ pictures to follow. Any idea if they have expanded the Bistro on Five menu as they have on the Summit, that is beyond the crepe offerings? Thx again. Enjoy!

[cl.klink]

Thanks for a great report and for taking the time and effort to post. I am a chronic over packer so I will be taking your advice to heart! We are boarding the Equinox on 11/21 and it will be our first "S" class experience so I am especially interested in your ship comments/ pictures to follow. Any idea if they have expanded the Bistro on Five menu as they have on the Summit, that is beyond the crepe offerings? Thx again. Enjoy!

 

 

You'll love the ship! Yes, Bistro on 5 has more than crepes now. I'll post their menu later.

 

- Joel

 

 

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[cl.klink]

Live look-in from Teguice, Lanzarote.

 

 

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[richsea]

I love that picture of Gibraltar Joel! Do yourself a favor & try to book a TA that stops there. We were there on Silhouette in April & it is fascinating! We took a short tour to the top of the rock, on a crystal clear day, & the views are amazing! It is really neat seeing two continents at once. And the road that crosses a landing runway is neat. When a plane lands, they just stop traffic!

 

Love following your trip! Thanks!

[Ex-Airbalancer]

I guess things are no better this year , last year it took 3 hours in Fort Lauderdale to get off

A friend just got into Miami on the Reflection , this was her latest post

"4 HOURS!! We're being held hostage by US Customs"

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Is there lecturer for the IPad class the guy from Ottawa, he was really really good last year

 

My shoes would take up all the room in your one bag :p

[Luckynana]

Joel, you amaze me with your packing the one bag. Thanks for sharing. There's no way I could ever come close to that!:D

 

Enjoy your days at sea! I look forward to hearing how your cruising days are coming along!:)

 

Maryann

[cl.klink]

I love that picture of Gibraltar Joel! Do yourself a favor & try to book a TA that stops there. We were there on Silhouette in April & it is fascinating! We took a short tour to the top of the rock, on a crystal clear day, & the views are amazing! It is really neat seeing two continents at once. And the road that crosses a landing runway is neat. When a plane lands, they just stop traffic!

 

 

 

Love following your trip! Thanks!

 

 

 

Good to hear. I feel somewhere between an idiot and a kid discovering a new toy. I never knew that from Gibraltar you could see to the other side. I feel like I've discovered a new arm or something. I definitely want to go back. A bucket list item is to see all continents. Didn't know I'd add Africa this time. I want to go back and dwell a bit more sometime.

 

- Joel

[cl.klink]

Into the Atlantic Ocean! Stop yesterday was at Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. These are volcanic islands and Lanzarote had lava flows still evident from the last few hundred years. Very arid, little vegetation. A proud if not natural resource and economically challenged sparse local population. Every single building is white with calcium carbonate obtained from deposits of volcanoes. Reminds me of the Kona coast of the big Island of Hawaii some. Many complainers on our tour but enjoyed seeing a very different looking place. Beautiful vistas when clouds parted. Sail away on the aft bar. Took on the hot glass show for first time, enjoyable as a one time thing. The grass lawn on top of the ship is neat. Good jazz in Ensemble lounge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[cl.klink]

Last land stop today was at Tenerife in Canary Islands. What a contrast to Lanzarote yesterday. Tenerife has a port city, Santa Cruz, that is very visit-able. I really like this island. It's physically impressive with volcanic geology, the tallest mountain in Spain, lots of water and greenery. We drove through evergreen forests that reminded me of growing up in Oregon. The volcanic areas seemed like Hawaii. Sunny at the beaches. Spanish and European feeling at Santa Cruz, which also had modern infrastructure and services plus some local culture. My wife and I had tapas at an open air cafe on a busy street, had no clue what we ordered cause all in Spanish, and it was great (though still not sure what I ate).

 

I've got a lot of Euros left over because I was afraid our US credit cards with a magnetic strip would not be accepted here - not true. Where / how shall I convert the Euros back to dollars?

 

Sail away again sitting at Oceanview bar (my favorite public area on Celebrity ships). Sad to see land for last time cuz havin so much fun, but I'm a little burned out with so many ports in a short a time. Looking forward to a week in this fabulous floating hotel, though. Entertainment tonight was a mentalist and surprisingly good. Watching NFL in a crowded Gastropub before going to bed. Clocks back an hour tonight for another 25 hour day. Our wedding anniversary dinner tomorrow night in Tuscan Grill. In the days ahead, I'll review bars, food, cabin, public areas, entertainment, etc. Please let me know if there is something specific I can show you, too. I've seen and done so much ant this cruise is not quite even half over. So grateful. Having a great time.

 

Pics to come.

 

- Joel

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest USC Traveler]

joel....still enjoying reading your posts. thank you again for taking so much time from your vacation to let us all know about the cruise and your impressions of the ports.

one thing i'd like to see are the breakfast and dinner menus from blu. i don't mean every day, but just a sampling would be interesting to see.

i'm sure they have lots of activities planned for all the sea days ahead of you.

 

one thought about the euros you have left over.....book another cruise to europe! by the way, do you or have you purchased a future cruise deposit and/or booking? what benefits does it have for you to do that? i'm asking since i'm new to celebrity and i don't know their policies about that. i always buy a future cruise credit from princess.

 

thank you again for all of your reporting.

 

and by the way, happy anniversary!

Edited November 2, 2014 by USC Traveler

[cl.klink]

Corona Forestal, on Tenerife. These trees have evolved over years so are very fire resists after being subjects to lava and fires.

 

 

 

 

In the distance see Mt Teide, capped by clouds. It's over12,000 ft tall. Tallest point in Spain.

 

 

 

 

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[cl.klink]

Teide national park, Tenerife.

 

 

 

 

 

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[cl.klink]

Santa Cruz, Tenerife

 

 

 

 

 

We had a pitcher of Sangria and 4 tapas from the menu below, but not really sure which 4, or what any if these meant

 

 

 

 

 

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[cl.klink]

Sail away

 

 

 

 

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[wallie5446]

Joel, my Sister did not make it to the game Sat, so here is the box.

[Guest USC Traveler]

joel...you're right. the forested areas of tenirfe sure do look like oregon. the as usual, the pictures are terrific. thank you.

[4cats4me]

Sail away

 

 

 

 

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Pic number two is so beautiful and dramatic. Tenerife looks quite mountainous

Is that Devil's mountain in the background? I seem to recall that from the 1977 KLM-Pan Am incident. May they all rest in peace.

[DebbieMacG]

We'll be visiting Tenerife in October, thanks for the pics and information :)

[cazzi]

Thanks Joel I love forward to your comments daily