Equinox March 14 11-Night Review with Lots of Pictures!

[cl.klink]

Thanks for taking us on a nice trip with you, and for excellent photos. Keep 'em coming.

- Joel

[Cindy]

Monday, March 14 – Cruise Day!

 

After a predictably bad night's sleep (traffic noise, strange bed syndrome, etc.) I woke up early and went to the window to see if the ships were arriving. There was so much condensation and filth on the sliding glass door that I really couldn’t tell what was going on at the port, and I didn’t want to wrestle the door open without reason, so I did what any obsessed person would do…turned on the Port Webcam so I would only wake up half the hotel with the door when it was time!

 

Just as the first light of day started to break the darkness the ship parade began. I did get a few pictures of the Equinox and the other ships docked, but the view was much farther away with a lot more ground clutter than the other two Fort Lauderdale hotels I had stayed at before a cruise (Hyatt Pier 66 and Hilton Marina). Even though the Embassy Suites was fine, I found it noisier than the other two and for this early riser with a camera and an obsession with cruise ships, not as good a choice.

 

 

 

Edited April 3, 2016 by Cindy

[Cindy]

I did think the view of the bridge and the Hyatt in the early dawn was pretty, and I was treated to a vivid sunrise.

 

 

 

 

As it got lighter, I had a better view of the port and the ships. You can also see how close the Embassy Suites is to Total Wine for all your cruise supplies!

 

[Shirley C]

Great pics.

[cekay323]

Cindy, WOW... your pictures are wonderful. I'm enjoying your review.

[Cindy]

I decided to skip breakfast in favor of repacking and getting things organized, but Jim did go down and grab some fruit to bring back up to the room. He went down around 8:00, and what he brought back was pretty sad looking.:( He said things were very picked over. I don’t know if he hit it wrong before they had a chance to replenish or if that was it, but he didn’t go back down to find out. We had some protein bars with us so we each ate one of those and called it good enough.

 

I had arranged a car service for 16 people from the roll call who were all staying at the Embassy Suites. John’s Car Service was right on time (10:30) so we loaded the van, the car, and the “loot hauler” and we were off! The port is VERY close to the Embassy Suites, and before we knew it we saw this:

There were five ships listed, but I only cared about the one in the middle!

 

Boarding was at Terminal 18, which is the terminal built specifically for Oasis and Allure. There’s plenty of room there, and they really have moving large numbers of people down to a science. There were no lines for us at all...for security or check-in. Our agent welcomed us to the Allure, then realized his mistake and started over! We quickly got checked in and headed upstairs to the waiting area. The waiting area of the terminal is divided into sections by cabin type and loyalty level. We were in Aqua Class and were grouped for boarding with Elite Plus. If I remember correctly, Suites and Zenith were together, AQ and Elite Plus, Concierge and Elite, and that was all I could see on our side of the terminal. I got a little worried because there were an abundance of signs that said boarding would start at 2:00!:p I think those were just a diversion to keep people from asking, because boarding started not too long after we got upstairs. We walked onto the ship about 11:30.

 

WOW! I don’t know what I expected, but my first impression of the ship was that it was the most stunning ship we’d been on, and that never changed over 11 days. The public areas of the ship are unique, appealing, and tasteful. I was blown away by the tree suspended in the atrium and the open, airy spaces that surround it.

 

 

Even the public restrooms were beautiful and spotless, with etched glass sinks and live orchids.

[Shirley C]

Loving your review!

[Jiminy1955]

Enjoying your review. We will be on her in March 2017 for our first Celebrity cruise so this is going to be great to follow along! In case I forget......"Thanks" in advance :)

[tamtot]

Loving your review!

 

Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk

[Cindy]

Thanks to everyone who's following and commenting! I'm sorry this is taking so long, but I've been incredibly busy since we got back. I'll stick with it until I'm done...it just might take a while!

 

As soon as we boarded I had a list of things to take care of…all concerning food and drink! I found the specialty dining desk located near the aft elevators, and I reserved the 3-Night Specialty Restaurant Package. I also made reservations for a not-publicized Progressive Dinner (more about that later). Once that was taken care of I upgraded our drink packages to Premium, and that pretty much took care of our $600 OBC! I knew I would also have a coupon for a free specialty dinner but I decided to hold off on that until after we had a better idea what we wanted to do.

 

We thought about walking around to see more of the ship, but by that time there was a pretty steady stream of people entering the ship right there by the aft staircase and it was getting congested. Since it’s so difficult to move around when everyone’s toting luggage, we changed plans and headed over to Bistro on 5 for a nice, relaxing boarding lunch. I’m not a big fan of the buffet at the best of times, but I’ll do almost anything to avoid it on boarding day. It’s just too crowded and chaotic for me!

 

 

 

 

After we ordered (a Hot and Spicy Steak Crepe for Jim and the Croque Madame for me) a funny thing happened.

 

 

I left to find the ladies’ room, and when I came back Jim told me he thought I knew a couple sitting at a nearby table. He identified them by their papers! Let me explain…I had kept a roll call list and an excursion chart for the cruise.

 

 

When Jim saw them poring over one of the lists he knew they had to be from the roll call. Sure enough, it was Matt & Marisa, a fun young couple on their honeymoon with whom we would be sharing several tours. After chatting for a few minutes, Matt left to sign them up for the Progressive Dinner. Jim and I sat down with our food, which was very good and began our 11 days of fun and relaxation!

Steak Crepe from Bistro on 5 (Celebrity's Picture)

[Cindy]

After we finished lunch we were going to brave the masses of people and bags to tour more of the ship, but just as we were standing outside the elevators by Bistro on 5 deciding what to do the “cabins are ready” announcement was made. We hopped on an elevator up to Deck 11 to start settling into what would be our home until March 25th.

 

About the elevators...I loved the design. There were lights over each elevator that glowed blue when they were in use on other floors, but the lights changed to red when the elevator was stopping. No guessing where the "ding" is coming from! How cool is that?

 

 

I found the corridors light and bright, and our cabin was conveniently located just aft of the main glass elevators.

 

 

The cabin was ample (just) for the two of us, and the balcony was deep enough that we could both be out there using a footstool without feeling crowded. We had chosen the bed by the closet configuration, and I liked that as I thought having the end of the cabin by the balcony open gave the appearance of space. One of the first things we did was move the coffee table out of the way and store all the piles of Celebrity stuff in the racks at the end of the vanity unit.

 

 

 

 

The bathroom itself was well designed and felt fairly roomy with good storage.

[Cindy]

While the space in the cabin was adequate, I thought the storage was pathetic and poorly designed. The storage in our AQ cabin on the Constellation was MUCH better than the storage on the Equinox. The closet was very small and lacked any shelving on which to keep folding clothes. The drawer space was minimal, and we ended up with just one deep drawer each. The shallow drawers were used for chargers, sunglasses, camera clutter, etc. I managed because I had read a lot of tips on Cruise Critic and brought storage cubes for the overhead cabinets as well as a hanging unit to put in the closet. We kept our workout clothes, port supplies, hats, etc. in the cubes. I also kept my makeup, brushes, hairdryer, etc. in storage cubes under the desk. I don’t like clutter, and I knew if Jim and I were still going to like each other at the end of the cruise I had to stay organized!:rolleyes:

 

 

 

Another place I'm used to finding storage is in a bedside table with at least one drawer. The Equinox didn't have that...they had placed three tiny shelves next to each side of the bed. I moved the phone down so I was able to use the top shelf for my iPad and glasses. That's about all it held!

 

Even though the storage in the bathroom itself was adequate, there was nowhere in the shower for toiletries. I guess I’m too high maintenance for the miniscule shelf that was included in the shower!:o After a little trial and error, I devised a system where I washed my hair, and then once I had the conditioner in I switched the hair products out for soap and shower gel. Even a small basket would have been helpful, but as it was things had to go in and out of the shower with us each time we used it. There were two pegs/hooks that I thought might have worked for a waterproof hanging organizer if I had brought one. I used one for my scrubbie puff, and then reached in and out for everything else as I used it.

 

 

Luckily, the storage was the only thing we didn't like about the ship. Other than that, I thought the ship got an A++!

[liverpoollad]

Thanks Cindy, nice photos, I look forward to your posts.:)

 

Cheers.

[NemoCrownie]

Thanks so.much for the storage tips, especially the closet shelves idea and shower info.

[deladane]

 

I totally agreed about the lack of storage in the cabin... I hogged all but one of the drawers, plus we each had one packing cube for the overhead bin (I wish I brought 2 for each of us though!). I have used those hanging shelves on other cruises but didn't this time- I will on my next Celebrity cruise though because I really missed having shelves in the closet!

 

Funny that the AQ showers didn't have a shelf in the shower for your shampoos and whatnot. We were just in a regular veranda cabin and had a wire shelf/basket that was big enough for my travel-sized shampoo x2, conditioner, soap, and razor. This isn't the best photo, but you can see the basket on the right side of the photo. I guess your fancier shower head unit didn't leave space for the basket?

 

[Cindy]

I totally agreed about the lack of storage in the cabin... I hogged all but one of the drawers, plus we each had one packing cube for the overhead bin (I wish I brought 2 for each of us though!). I have used those hanging shelves on other cruises but didn't this time- I will on my next Celebrity cruise though because I really missed having shelves in the closet!

 

Funny that the AQ showers didn't have a shelf in the shower for your shampoos and whatnot. We were just in a regular veranda cabin and had a wire shelf/basket that was big enough for my travel-sized shampoo x2, conditioner, soap, and razor. This isn't the best photo, but you can see the basket on the right side of the photo. I guess your fancier shower head unit didn't leave space for the basket?

 

 

Apparently not!:eek: The body jets were nice, but I still needed a place for my toiletries!:rolleyes:

[Cindy]

Enough about the (lack of) storage…back to boarding day. I quickly got our carry-ons unpacked. We met our cabin steward, Nolan and made two requests – a regular blanket (the duvets are way too much for me in the tropics) and ice twice a day. Both requests were met, and when we asked for more towels we also got them every day without any problems. We really didn’t see much of Nolan or his assistant during the cruise. We're pretty low maintenance when it comes to our cabin, and don't make too much of a mess.:) I think with the number of cabins assigned to each steward nowadays it’s all they can do to get through all the cabins during their working hours.

 

With the carry-ons unpacked and the suitcases nowhere in sight, we decided it was time to go explore the ship. We didn’t make it far. We got off the elevator on Deck 4 and the first thing we saw was the Martini Bar and a couple we’d met Sunday evening. That was the end of our pre-Muster exploring…I was sucked in and seated before I knew what was happening! It was the darnedest thing…somehow a Black Forest Martini found its way into my hand at 2:30 in the afternoon!:rolleyes: I was definitely on vacation!:D

 

 

 

Edited April 6, 2016 by Cindy

[shipshape sam]

Hope to enjoy a number of Martinis on our next cruise. Now seeing your photo, will add the Black Forest Martini to the list to try!

[Cindy]

Our Muster Station was in the Ensemble Lounge on Deck 5, so we lingered at the Martini Bar until it was time to head to Muster Drill. We were either lucky or our timing was good, because we found a pair of seats near the entrance (exit!:D). The drill was painless enough, but I really wished people would just stop talking for a few minutes so we could get finished and move on. It’s the same on every cruise I’ve been on. Inside or outside, seated or standing, the drill lasts longer than it needs to or should if people would just follow directions. I can only imagine the utter panic if there had been a real emergency because I don’t think more than 25% of the people in the Ensemble Lounge had a clue what was said.:( I also had to laugh at the people who were requesting early dismissal. They had to make a phone call, had to use the restroom, you name it, they were using it as an excuse! OK…retired principal rant over!:o

 

Once the drill ended we were faced with the daunting task of trying to get up 6 decks at the same time everybody else on the ship was trying to do the same thing. Our solution was one we used all cruise, and we’re shocked more people don’t do it. All the Muster Stations in that part of the ship use the space on the Starboard side, and that’s where everyone lined up for elevators. We walked over to the Port side, pressed a button, hopped in an empty elevator, and were back to Deck 11 in no time.:) We did the same thing reboarding in ports (crossed over to the other elevator bank), and we were always able to get on an elevator immediately.

Edited April 6, 2016 by Cindy

[Shirley C]

That dang martini bar will distract you every time! 😉

[Shirley C]

Great tip about the elevators. Thanks.

[Cindy]

Once the requirements were out of the way, it was time for the festivities to start. We stopped by the cabin to get sunglasses, camera, beads, etc., said “hi” and “see ya later” to our suitcases, and we were off to the Sunset Bar for our roll call’s sailaway party. I never know quite what to expect for a turnout at sailaways, because so many people get on the ship and get distracted, but this one was well attended and it was fun to meet a lot of the people I’d been “talking with” for months. I had arranged some tours that I opened up to the roll call, so it was also great to start putting names with faces.

 

Someone asked if I was Cindy, and I asked how they knew. Much to my surprise, they identified me by my pedicure/nail polish color! I guess people really were paying attention to at least some of my posts! Anyway, that comment led to a toenail polish and footwear discussion, and before I knew it a whole bunch of roll call ladies were getting acquainted by comparing their cruise pedis.:)

 

 

Most of my sailaway pictures are of the other ships sailing away. My only other Celebrity cruise was on the Constellation, so it was fun to get a good look at an old friend...

 

 

 

I even had a great view of my balcony. Can you guess which one it was?:D

[Cindy]

Both the Constellation and the Island Princess left before us.

 

 

I really intensely dislike what they did to the aft of the Island Princess.:mad:

 

 

By the time the Connie left it was pouring. That didn’t stop us…we huddled under the awning and ignored the cloud that was seemingly just right over the ship!

 

 

Finally it was our turn. Good bye, Fort Lauderdale. See you on the 25th!

 

 

 

The cloud followed us out to sea, and when the rain finally stopped Jim and I went downstairs to unpack and get ready for dinner.

 

[Cindy]

A couple from the roll call had invited us to join them for dinner on the first night, and we arranged to meet at the Tuscan Grille. What a fantastic idea! Jim and I usually travel alone, and I thought this was a neat way to meet people in a relaxed setting. It’s much easier to have a conversation and get to know people at the dinner table than it is at a Connections Party!

 

 

I admit, I didn’t do a very good job with food pics on this trip.:o Sometimes something would catch my eye and I’d remember to take a picture before I ruined the effect, but that was the exception not the rule.

 

I had WAY too much food and loved everything I chose…crab cake, goat cheese salad, ravioli, rib eye, and this beauty…the Tuscan Grille Tiramisu.

 

 

We lingered quite a while over dinner, and then it was straight to bed. I think I was out as soon as my head hit the pillow!:)

 

 

[LynMcGad]

Loving your review! And I too, love the Martini bar!