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

[Cindy]

Thanks! We're on our way back to Houston after a long weekend of wine tasting in the Texas Hill Country. My goal is to get back to my pictures and review writing a.s.a.p.[emoji3]

 

 

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[wallie5446]

Been waiting to "SEE" :D what ya'll thought about the Equinox!

 

Keep it coming,

EW

[Jiminy1955]

Been waiting to "SEE" :D what ya'll thought about the Equinox!

 

Keep it coming,

EW

 

 

Me too!!! :D :D :D

[Shirley C]

Thanks! We're on our way back to Houston after a long weekend of wine tasting in the Texas Hill Country. My goal is to get back to my pictures and review writing a.s.a.p.[emoji3]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Yippy Skippy! Can't wait for the next installment.

 

Shirley

[bunzini]

Enjoying your review. We were on the Equinox in the Med shortly after she was built and loved it! We had planned on being on this cruise (and the Caribbean Princess you were on in December), and had to cancel both. Now I am looking to book this cruise again in November of this year, again on the Equinox. Love the idea of this itinerary since it is unique. Looking forward to hearing about the rest of your cruise.

[LouisV]

Enjoying your review. We were on the Equinox in the Med shortly after she was built and loved it! We had planned on being on this cruise (and the Caribbean Princess you were on in December), and had to cancel both. Now I am looking to book this cruise again in November of this year, again on the Equinox. Love the idea of this itinerary since it is unique. Looking forward to hearing about the rest of your cruise.

 

We are also booked on this cruise in November of this year!

[VitaminSea1]

**

 

 

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[Cindy]

Sorry about the long gap between posts. Things should quiet down for me now for a while, and hopefully I can get back to my pictures and this review!

 

 

Tuesday, March 15 – At Sea

 

Woo hoo! I slept until almost 7:30, or so I thought. We were so tired Monday night that we didn’t even glance at the Celebrity TODAY on our bed. If we had, we would have known the clocks went back an hour overnight and in actuality I was up before 6:30.:p Oh well, Café al Bacio was open so there were no worries. I grabbed the first of many cruise lattes and got ready for the day.

 

 

 

We opted for breakfast in BLU.

 

 

 

It was as good as we remembered from the Connie, but we thought the service was slow. We had hoped to play trivia right after breakfast, but by the time we finished it was time to go upstairs to our Connections Party.

 

I thought the party was very well attended, and I was glad to have the opportunity to meet a few more of the people we would be sharing excursions with. There were several officers present, including Jamie (the Hotel Director) who spent quite a bit of time answering questions. He was very patient and I got the sense he really wanted the feedback from passengers on what they were doing well and things that needed improvement.

 

A couple things I thought were interesting…Jamie admitted Celebrity is struggling to find a successful concept for the Bistro on Five space. Several people asked about it being converted to a sushi restaurant, and Jamie said that’s a trial only on Reflection and it has been met with mixed reviews...people either love it or hate it. Jim and I also chatted with Jamie for a while at the end of the event, and we brought up the (lack of) cabin storage. Jamie said the space was designed by a woman!:eek: All I have to say is whoever she is, she travels with less stuff than I do!:rolleyes:

[Cindy]

After the Connections Party, we went down to Murano with new friends to change specialty restaurant reservations around so we could eat together. Did I mention these reservations involved 14 people in 7 different cabins? Have I told you the reservations were for different numbers of people on different nights? Thank God Maryana was at the podium to help us. What exceptional service she provided!:) Bless her heart…it took half an hour to sort out our mess, and she kept a sense of humor and a smile on her face the whole time.

 

 

 

We went to the Mast Grill for a simple but good lunch of burgers and fries. I hadn’t been outside at all before lunch, and for some reason I was shocked at the number of people out by the pool. I guess living in Houston and having a pool in my back yard, the pool deck on a ship just doesn’t have the same attraction for me as it does for people escaping winter. I saw an awfully lot of bright red – people, not bathing suits.:eek: I think since it wasn’t scorching hot some people underestimated the strength of the tropical sun at high noon!

 

In the afternoon, I decided to try my luck in the Slot Competition. Unfortunately, I missed the finals by one, so I went over and took care of that by winning $100 on a Wheel of Fortune machine!:D

 

 

[Cindy]

Before I knew it the afternoon was almost over, which meant it was time to get cleaned up and head to one of my favorite places on a Celebrity ship – the Martini Bar. The Equinox version didn’t disappoint…the bartenders were just as entertaining as the professional entertainers in the theater! We enjoyed our time there the whole cruise, and met nice and friendly people every time we went.

 

We usually avoid the photographers, but somehow we relented for this one and it came out OK enough for me to buy it! Sorry about the quality...I took a picture of the picture with my cell phone instead of scanning it!:o

 

 

I had a Sunset Martini (one of my favorites) and a Paradise Martini, and we spent about an hour just watching the show.

 

 

 

[Cindy]

When we’d had our fill of martinis we went up to the Elite Happy Hour. We usually don’t go, because I prefer the variety of drinks and the socializing around the ship, but we thought it was time to check it out so off we went. Almost as soon as we arrived we started chatting with a nice couple who were also dining in BLU, and ended up having dinner with them. The food in BLU was good, but just as we had at breakfast we thought the service was lacking. I had scallops, pear salad, lamb chops, anniversary cake (for our new friends), and apple crumble. Once the food came out at the right temperature it was delicious, but it seemed like it sat for a LONG time before our waiter got to it. Three of us had to send our lamb chops back because they were cold. Not warm or even cool – cold!:mad:

 

 

 

We went to the show after dinner. I thought it was entertaining with very good dancers and aerialists. I was sorry I didn’t have a better camera with me…my phone doesn’t do a very good job in low light without a flash.

 

 

 

 

[Cindy]

We were pretty tired…sea air? Martinis? Red wine? Too much food? Whatever the reason, we knew we only had about an hour left in us and we decided to try the World Class Bar.

 

 

 

Jim had an Above the Clouds (Applewood smoked rum) and I had a Tropically Yours. It was a great way to end a wonderful day at sea.

 

 

 

 

 

[Jiminy1955]

Before I knew it the afternoon was almost over, which meant it was time to get cleaned up and head to one of my favorite places on a Celebrity ship – the Martini Bar. The Equinox version didn’t disappoint…the bartenders were just as entertaining as the professional entertainers in the theater! We enjoyed our time there the whole cruise, and met nice and friendly people every time we went.

 

 

My husband only drinks craft & foreign beers & wine, I on the other hand drink everything. Does the Martini Bar serve wine or beer?

[Cindy]

My husband only drinks craft & foreign beers & wine, I on the other hand drink everything. Does the Martini Bar serve wine or beer?

 

I think they have a limited selection, but I'm not positive. If they don't the Gastrobar is also on Deck 4 -- conveniently right across from the Martini Bar!:D They have plenty of what your husband will be looking for!

[Cindy]

Wednesday 3/16 – Cozumel

 

Happy Food Day!:D

 

Let me explain…we cruise from our home port of Galveston a lot, and from Galveston, all cruises lead to Cozumel. If my math is correct, this was our 15th visit to Cozumel by cruise ship, so we’re constantly on the hunt for something new and different to do. We’ve done a variety of snorkeling trips, swam with dolphins, rented dune buggies, rented Jeeps, hired a driver, and taken a variety of speedboats and sailboats around the island. What’s left? Food, of course!;)

 

I stumbled across the Cozumel Chef’s website about a year before the cruise, and decided it looked like something we’d enjoy. The price was a little steep at $80/person for three hours, but it included all our food and beverages, transportation in an air conditioned van, and the day with our guide.

 

http://www.cozumelchef.com/

 

There were two other people from our roll call taking the tour, so we decided to join forces for our transportation to Mega, the starting point for the tour. We had the offer of a “free” trip to the Forum Shops courtesy of the ship's Shopping Guide, and according to Google Maps those shops were right by Mega, so we happily piled into the “free” van with a full load of eager shoppers. You know they say nothing in life is free, right? Well, our “free” ride turned into ride followed by a L-O-N-G walk in the heat and humidity, because contrary to Google, the Forum Shops and Mega aren’t even close to being right next to each other! Oh well, we chalked it up to experience and trudged back up the street to Mega.

 

Even with the detour we were a little early, so we had a chance to explore Mega a little. Interesting place…downstairs is a small mall with 5 or 6 small stores and a huge parking garage.

 

One of the small shops sold purses and sandals.

 

 

Upstairs is the Mexican version of Super Wal-Mart. The store carries groceries, clothing, furniture, small appliances, toys, etc., and has a pharmacy. If everything had been in English instead of Spanish I could have been in any oversized store in the states. I thought the method of getting in and out of the store was unique. They use moving ramps instead of escalators, and those ramps move not only people, but carts full of groceries!

 

Moving entrance/exit ramps at Mega

 

 

A little before 11 we met our wonderful guide Jerry and two couples who were joining us from Playa del Carmen and we were off!

 

Jerry

Edited April 15, 2016 by Cindy

[Oskial]

Before I knew it the afternoon was almost over, which meant it was time to get cleaned up and head to one of my favorite places on a Celebrity ship – the Martini Bar. The Equinox version didn’t disappoint…the bartenders were just as entertaining as the professional entertainers in the theater! We enjoyed our time there the whole cruise, and met nice and friendly people every time we went.

 

 

My husband only drinks craft & foreign beers & wine, I on the other hand drink everything. Does the Martini Bar serve wine or beer?

 

Not trying to hijack the thread, but have him try the Anchor Steam (from San Francisco) but drink it from a brandy glass. We had a couple of those every night before dinner. We spent a lot of time at the Gastro Bar.

[scubacruiserx2]

Wednesday 3/16 – Cozumel

 

Happy Food Day!

 

Let me explain…we cruise from our home port of Galveston a lot, and from Galveston, all cruises lead to Cozumel. If my math is correct, this was our 15th visit to Cozumel by cruise ship, so we’re constantly on the hunt for something new and different to do. We’ve done a variety of snorkeling trips, swam with dolphins, rented dune buggies, rented Jeeps, hired a driver, and taken a variety of speedboats and sailboats around the island. What’s left? Food, of course!;)

 

I stumbled across the Cozumel Chef’s website about a year before the cruise, and decided it looked like something we’d enjoy. The price was a little steep at $80/person for three hours, but it included all our food and beverages, transportation in an air conditioned van, and the day with our guide.

 

http://www.cozumelchef.com/

 

There were two other people from our roll call taking the tour, so we decided to join forces for our transportation to Mega, the starting point for the tour. We had the offer of a “free” trip to the Forum Shops courtesy of the ship's Shopping Guide, and according to Google Maps those shops were right by Mega, so we happily piled into the “free” van with a full load of eager shoppers. You know they say nothing in life is free, right? Well, our “free” ride turned into ride followed by a L-O-N-G walk in the heat and humidity, because contrary to Google, the Forum Shops and Mega aren’t even close to being right next to each other! Oh well, we chalked it up to experience and trudged back up the street to Mega.

 

Even with the detour we were a little early, so we had a chance to explore Mega a little. Interesting place…downstairs is a small mall with 5 or 6 small stores and a huge parking garage.

 

One of the small shops sold purses and sandals.

 

 

Upstairs is the Mexican version of Super Wal-Mart. The store carries groceries, clothing, furniture, small appliances, toys, etc., and has a pharmacy. If everything had been in English instead of Spanish I could have been in any oversized store in the states. I thought the method of getting in and out of the store was unique. They use moving ramps instead of escalators, and those ramps move not only people, but carts full of groceries!

 

Moving entrance/exit ramps at Mega

 

 

A little before 11 we met our wonderful guide Jerry and two couples who were joining us from Playa del Carmen and we were off!

 

Jerry

 

 

We love Cozumel and have stayed there many times but we have never heard of the Cozumel Chef and we're hungry , so we want to see more ! :D

[Jiminy1955]

 

Not trying to hijack the thread, but have him try the Anchor Steam (from San Francisco) but drink it from a brandy glass. We had a couple of those every night before dinner. We spent a lot of time at the Gastro Bar.

 

 

Thanks! He drinks Anchor Steam here at home so he will be very happy!! :)

 

Do you recall what they cost?

[Cindy]

We love Cozumel and have stayed there many times but we have never heard of the Cozumel Chef and we're hungry , so we want to see more ! :D

 

 

 

The Cozumel pictures are coming tomorrow. All the pictures are hosted (finally!:o) -- I just have to get them on to Cruise Critic.

 

 

 

The food tour is followed by a progressive dinner!:D

Edited April 16, 2016 by Cindy

[js4rq]

More please! :D

[Cindy]

We tend to gravitate towards tours and activities that get us away from the most popular and crowded areas, especially when we've visited a port many times. In our opinion, one thing that was great about the food tour was it got us out away from the tourists’ Cozumel and into the locals’ Cozumel. Our first stop on the tour was at a tiny restaurant specializing in quesadillas.

 

 

 

 

We were given a choice of Coke, hibiscus water, or rice milk for a beverage. The Coke in Mexico tastes very different than what we get in the U.S., because it’s made with sugar cane instead of corn syrup. I knew that would be too sweet for me and I chose the hibiscus water. It had a very different taste, but it was refreshing and delicious.

 

Coke, Rice Milk, and Hibiscus Water

 

 

When I think of quesadillas, I think of a flour tortilla filled with meat or chicken and oozing with cheese. What we had at the first stop couldn’t have been more different than the Americanized Tex-Mex version of a quesadilla. The quesadillas we had were made with corn tortillas, not flour. One was filled with cactus and cheese, which I thought was OK. The other one was delicious and was filled with – wait for it – corn fungus!

 

 

 

After we ate, Jerry showed us pictures of the ingredients before they were prepared. I decided it was a good thing I had already eaten and loved the corn fungus, because I’m not sure I would have been in such a hurry to devour the quesadilla if I had seen the picture first!

 

Cactus

Corn Fungus

[Cindy]

Our next stop was at a taqueria for pork tacos and local beer. We ate at a table outside the tiny restaurant, which was typical of most we visited on the tour.

 

 

Pork Taco

 

Choice of Local Beers

 

 

There was a restaurant in the front, a store in the middle (small grocery/convenience store), and the family home connected to the business at the back. There was a very neighborly feel, with homes open to the business, food going back and forth from the home to the restaurant, and children playing in the street and on the sidewalk.

 

Taqueria, Store, and Home

 

 

 

I’m pretty sure a Health Department in any U.S. city or town would have a fit and shut the places down immediately, but I never thought we were eating or drinking things we shouldn’t or felt like places were dirty…it was just how things are done there. I appreciated the authenticity and the friendliness of the locals.:)

 

[Shirley C]

Corn fungus, ugh. 😱😱

[Cindy]

Corn fungus, ugh.

 

It was really good!:eek::eek::eek:

[Cindy]

After we enjoyed our tacos and beer, we were off to El Mercado, the local market.

 

 

 

There are vendors selling everything from food to dresses to footwear. The market is not just a place to shop, it’s also an important gathering place in the community.

 

 

 

One thing that struck me in the market was how fresh and un-processed everything was. Nothing comes washed and neatly packaged…fruits and veggies are in piles for customers to take the amount they want, meats are cut as the need arises, and if you need herbs or spices you scoop what you need into a bag and pay by weight. I do quite a bit of my shopping at Fresh Market/Whole Foods/Sprouts, but even in those stores the food has been handled quite a bit more before it reaches the consumer than what we saw at El Mercado.

 

 

 

 

 

Jerry said a trip to the market is part of the daily routine for most people. The majority of homes in Cozumel don’t have the refrigeration capacity that most of us are used to, and therefore locals buy only what they need for a day.

 

The market is also a fantastic place to go for traditional embroidered clothing at a fraction of the price it’s sold for in the tourist areas. I didn’t buy anything, but there was stall after stall of beautiful clothing for men, women, and children.