Equinox 12/2 to 12/9 Sailing

[richard1s]

I would like to share some experiences from our recent (12/2) Celebrity Equinox sailing out of Miami. We have been on about 32 cruises over the past 16 years. We have tried all the main stream cruise lines but Celebrity and Holland America remain our two favorites.

 

We flew in the day before departure and spent the night at the Doubletree Hilton, Biscayne Bay. The hotel is a short $16 Uber ride from MIA. There is a Publix a block away for any last minute shopping and a really (really) good Italian restaurant off the lobby called Primo's. The port is a quick and reasonable $8 Uber ride from the property. This is a good choice for a pre-cruise stay.

 

Embarkation/check-in was super fast and friendly. We booked a Sky Suite (cabin #2131) and the priority check-in process got us onboard about 15 minutes after our 11:30 AM port arrival. The room was available about 1:15 PM and luggage arrived about an hour later.

 

Muster was a bit of a joke. It was done thru a mildly humorous dramatization that went on a little longer than necessary. But the problem was way too many people crammed into Michael's Club for the video. We never actually saw it, just heard the audio. When it was finally over, there was a complete log-jam of human bodies coming from every direction on deck 5 trying to disperse.

 

Our cabin was spacious and meticulously maintained. We loved the cabin but the balcony over-hang was a little much; I guess on really hot days it provided some relief from the sun but it made the balcony feel really closed in. Although the room is under the buffet restaurant, it is really quiet; we slept great all week. I loved the overhead shower, toiletries, comfortable bed and ample closet space.

 

Our butler, Ronald, arrived mid afternoon and introduced himself. He was very sweet, professional and attended to our modest needs all week with a smile and a friendly greeting. We could not have been more pleased and he really made us feel like appreciated, valued guests.

 

The ship was also beautifully maintained; public rest rooms were absolutely spotless and there were always crew members cleaning, polishing and vacuuming. Tables in the buffet were always bussed; everything was simply immaculate.

 

Dining - always a subjective topic but our expectations were mostly met and, often exceeded. Daily pre-ordered breakfast arrived on time and was always (at least) warm; Ronald set it up on our balcony. Lunch onboard was usually at the Aqua Spa Café. The menu changed since our cruise one year ago on Reflection. The gazpacho (one of my favorites) is gone but there are some other nice selections that felt reasonably healthy and very tasty. We avoid the buffet because we have we have witnessed some pretty bad guest hygiene behavior in the past but it looked pretty good. We tried the pizza a few times and liked it.

 

We dined at Luminae on all but one evening and enjoyed it immensely. Ordering from the MDR menu is allowed in Luminae, but not from the Blu menu. We weren't aware of this and learned of it one evening when we asked for a selection from the Blu menu. But the staff was so gracious that they actually offered to have the item we wanted prepared special for us the next evening. We resisted this offer but they insisted. Sure enough, the next night it was available and prepared for us and, it was terrific. Wow, unbelievable customer service. The Luminae menu is pretty limited but being able to order from the MDR menu greatly expands the options. Our wine of choice is Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc and our wine glasses were continually replenished from the moment we sat down to dinner.

 

Finally, I can not think of enough positive things to say about the service team in Luminae; they were absolutely terrific. From the hostess and her assistant (Auri and Victoria), to our waiter (Kasich) and the sommelier (VJ) - they were simply amazing.

 

We dined at Blu one evening and thought the meal was pretty bad; we're not sure why since they really didn't appear to be that busy. But in all fairness, it was the only sub-standard meal all week. One night we dined at Murano as part of an officer's dinner event. It was a fixed menu with only a few choices and I don't think it was representative of the full experience of dining at Murano. It was just OK.

 

Finally, a late night snack was a daily event for me at Sushi on 5. I am no sushi expert but I thought, as I did last year on Reflection, that the menu was great and the sushi pretty good. And again, the service was outstanding! During peak hours the restaurant was very busy and on some nights, all the tables were filled.

 

Michael's Club was really quiet and subdued all week. The concierge, John Escobar, is reserved but very accomodating and professional. The suites manager Rhonda (or maybe Rhoda) is also understated but very helpful.

 

The Gastrobar was a great place for drinks, snacks and to watch a football game. The Martini Bar was always entertaining and another great place for socializing.

 

We were very pleased on many levels with this cruise but for us, the entertainment, onboard activities and excursions arranged by Celebrity were a huge disappointment and deal breaker. While we feel very privileged to be able to afford the indulgence of a cruise vacation, we honestly couldn't wait for it to end. For the first time on any cruise vacation, we were bored. It was interesting to hear similar comments from other passengers we spoke to.

 

First - the onboard activities, especially on sea days, were really lacking. I don't know if this was because of directives from corporate or if it was the result of a cruise director who was departing the ship at the conclusion of this voyage, but they were really bad. Someone should inform Celebrity that endless watch sales, Botox presentations, jewelry sales, guessing the art value, etc. are not real activities.

 

Second, when we first started started cruising Celebrity, there was live music everywhere and almost all the time from early evening on. On this cruise, there were 2 mediocre groups who played a couple of short sets each until about 11 PM. On our last Holland cruise in March, there were two piano players who would perform at least two energized hour long sets every night, plus some great live music at the BB King Club twice a night, in addition to the production shows and guest entertainers. On this cruise, it was just plain, painfully dull.

 

Third - one of our favorite activities is the casino; however on this sailing, I feel it was really mishandled. Playing table games is a great way to kill some time, meet people and have some fun; but the minimums on the ship were simply too high. While I can afford it, a $15 Blackjack minimum is just too high on a week long cruise. For 3 Card Poker, the minimum "pairs plus" and ante bet was a combined $20; another $10 to play. At $30 a hand, you can burn thru a whole lot of money in a very short time. I would estimate that only about a third of the tables even had a dealer in attendance; that tells me that the minimums were by design to help maintain reduced staff levels. As you would expect, the casino was pretty slow most of the time. Ironically the higher minimums actually worked in my favor. I played one session of 3 card poker and on about the 4th hand, I hit 3 of a kind; this is almost a $400 pay out. Machines were also slow but this is pretty much the norm on most cruise ships. As it turned out, I converted $800 of OBC into about $450 net take home cash - but I would have preferred more playing time at lower minimums.

 

Fourth - we booked 2 shore excursions. We were notified the day before the first one that the time had been changed to a morning hour way too early for us while on vacation; so we cancelled. The day before the second excursion, the tour was cancelled by Celebrity. In both cases our payment (in the form of OBC) was promptly refunded. But again, we were looking for something to do and instead we ended up wandering the port, having lunch and going back to the ship early.

 

Finally - the shows. They were just awful and we gave them about 5 minutes before leaving. Maybe if we never saw this stuff before, we might like it but it's been done to death. We have been on cruises with great, amazing guest entertainers, Beatles tribute bands and the like- really really good energetic, creative stuff. This was just absolute dribble. In my opinion, this was mostly due to a cruise director who was going on to bigger and better things and was already totally checked out. That's all well and good but hey - we paid full fare for this vacation and don't really care about his promotion. If we were going to get this nonsense, then adjust the price.

 

Disembarkation - as easy as it could be. Because we were suite guests, we were allowed to leave about 7:30 AM. From the time we walked off the ship until we cleared TSA at the Miami airport was no more than 45 minutes and an $18 Uber ride. Plenty of time to make an 11 AM flight home.

 

In closing, we normally come home energized and anxious to book our next cruise - but not this time. We very, very much appreciated the dedicated, wonderful crew on the Equinox; they were among the best of any we have experienced. Thank you for making this part of our vacation special and memorable. But this cruise on Celebrity made us rethink the value of a future cruise vacation, at least on this line.

[Xport]

I was aboard too...

 

As it might be a mattter of curiosity to other readers, current Suite Manager aboard Equinox is Roxanna (Roxie)... I thought she was terrific!

[richard1s]

Thanks for clarifying, I couldn't for the life of me remember her name but I knew it started with an "R". She was exceptional!

[easyboy]

Appreciate your feedback. I guess the table games is not for me too!

 

 

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[cangelmd]

I understand about the cancelled excursions, and have heard before that the quality of the shows was lacking... problems with music around the ship is a new one.

What daily activities did you feel were lacking?

[Keith1010]

Thank you for your detailed report.

 

Sorry to hear that you will be rethinking cruises/Celebrity.

 

Happy Holidays.

 

Keith

[Clarea]

Appreciate the feedback.

[gordylad]

Thanks for your review. We were on the Equinox [sept] and cant agree with you more. Live music around the ship - poor, shows terrible and we gave up on the casino about 4 days in.

 

We are due to sail on her again in April and if the ports were not as appealing as they are I would cancel.

[BalconyPaul]

Thanks for taking the time to provide such a detailed review.

Just curious about your CD comment....was it Spacey and why do you suggest he "checked out"?

[mnocket]

Have other pax experienced higher table stakes? Is this becoming a new standard across Celebrity? I sure hope not.

[mousefansmom]

When I was looking at different lines to cruise (this will be our 10th cruise, but first on Celebrity), once we narrowed it down to the Equinox, I searched the internet for daily activity sheets. I actually texted my husband at work and sent a copy of them to ask if he thought there would be enough for us to do. I noticed mostly sales presentations and very little poolside or interactive offerings which concerned me.

 

We decided to give Celebrity a try anyway...but I have major reservations. A large part of cruising for us is keeping me busy, as I am not one to plunk in a chair and be happy reading for more than 30 minutes at a time. He is the opposite, so we need to find things that work for both of us.

 

After reading this thread, I am concerned about our decision---although it is too late now as our final payment is done. I hope someone else can weigh in on a different week with perhaps a different cruise director? I would be interested to see how it compares to the OP's experience. If it makes a difference, we are both in our early 50's. Please help calm my nerves!:eek:

[gordylad]

I REALLY hope the entertainment is better for our April cruise.

[richard1s]

Thanks for taking the time to provide such a detailed review.

Just curious about your CD comment....was it Spacey and why do you suggest he "checked out"?

Yes it was Spacey and as I mentioned, this was his last voyage for the time being on Equinox. The expression "checked out" was actually said to me by a staff member I have known for a while, along with the fact that he was rarely seen much anymore as his departure from the ship approached.

 

I guess it's understandable but as I also mentioned, it isn't especially fair to the passengers expecting a fully engaged CD.

[richard1s]

We decided to give Celebrity a try anyway...but I have major reservations. A large part of cruising for us is keeping me busy, as I am not one to plunk in a chair and be happy reading for more than 30 minutes at a time. He is the opposite, so we need to find things that work for both of us.

 

After reading this thread, I am concerned about our decision---although it is too late now as our final payment is done. I hope someone else can weigh in on a different week with perhaps a different cruise director? I would be interested to see how it compares to the OP's experience. If it makes a difference, we are both in our early 50's. Please help calm my nerves!:eek:

Please don't rethink your cruise because of my comments; these topics are very subjective. Every other aspect of our cruise on Equinox was terrific. And we are somewhat jaded with the "broadway shows"; we've seen these things over and over again.

What we missed most was the small venue music performances e.g. an acoustic guitar player/singer who would perform in al bacio a few times a day, live music on the pool deck etc. - and the like which have all been eliminated. I suggest you look at the dailies from a recent Equinox review and judge for yourself if this works for you. Good luck

[Georgia_Peaches]

I really appreciate your review of the good as well as the "bad" as I am a glass half full kinda gal. We too are scheduled for the Equinox March 31st sailing. I'm especially excited because I've splurged on a Royal suite as a surprise birthday present for my husband (ok, and me too). Your review of the ship's activities is a little concerning. We've only sailed on Reflection and Constellation and both were awesome! I'm pretty loyal to Celebrity and I think we are easy to please, but we also enjoy music venues and people watching before dinner. As for the theater shows, well I've never absolutely raved about any I've seen on any cruise line. We recently returned from a Thanksgiving cruise on Norwegian (our first and last by the way...here's my review if interested; https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=599782) and I will say that the activities for all ages were abundant to the point of casting quite a shadow over Celebrity. Having said that, I still think Celebrity is the way to go. I am hopeful that they will take note of feedback such as provided by OP and make necessary adjustments. For those who are eagerly awaiting their upcoming vacation, keep the faith! Your cruise will be what you make of it!

[39august]

Did you attend the hot glass show? We were on Silhoutte last week and had great music all over the ship. I will be very disappointed if this is not the case on our back2back in July on Equinox! Also, roulette only required a $5 bet. What was it on Equinox, please?

[davekathy]

Please don't rethink your cruise because of my comments; these topics are very subjective. Every other aspect of our cruise on Equinox was terrific. And we are somewhat jaded with the "broadway shows"; we've seen these things over and over again.

What we missed most was the small venue music performances e.g. an acoustic guitar player/singer who would perform in al bacio a few times a day, live music on the pool deck etc. - and the like which have all been eliminated. I suggest you look at the dailies from a recent Equinox review and judge for yourself if this works for you. Good luck

Excellent recommendations/suggestions.

[richard1s]

Did you attend the hot glass show? We were on Silhoutte last week and had great music all over the ship. I will be very disappointed if this is not the case on our back2back in July on Equinox! Also, roulette only required a $5 bet. What was it on Equinox, please?

No, we did not attend the glass show but saw it on Solstice a few years ago. I am 99% sure on this but I believe roulette outside bets were $10 minimum; I think inside minimum was $5.

 

I wish I knew how much of the onboard entertainment decisions (outside of production shows) is the responsibility of the CD. Last year on Reflection we were fairly satisfied with the entertainment. If it is the CD's call, it would explain why this cruise was a dud.

[gordylad]

We have been happy with previous entertainment on sailings but Equinox was a bore..........I mean 4 production shows was way over the top. I keep reading reports from other cruise lines such as Princess and HAL who have a "blues" club and it sounds great. I think Celebrity is starting to live in the dark ages and people will slowly start to look at other cruise lines. A cruise liner is a floating hotel and people need to be entertained.

[AtlantaCruiser72]

I was also on this cruise and was actually very pleased with the entertainment offerings overall. The production cast did indeed perform 4 times - 3 full scale reviews featuring the singers, dancers and aerialists. The 4th show was a broadway revue with the singers only. While one of the female lead singers voice was not to my liking I felt that overall the cast did a good job. The production shows were entertaining, even if the the "plots" seemed a bit contrived and convoluted and frankly unnecessary.

 

There was a comedian the first night that we missed, the vocalist did an evening performance and a matinee - both well attended and seemingly enjoyed. The comedian later in the cruise was very good, even if some of his subject matter was slightly questionable.

 

We found the live music in Ensemble, the Atrium and Sky Lounge to be well timed and of good quality. We mostly went to Ensemble before and after the 7pm show, and before our 830 dinner. We especially enjoyed the "Summer Duo" in Ensemble - the range and styles of music they performed (mostly standards/jazz) suited our tastes. After dinner we either enjoyed the live music in the Atrium or went up to Sky Lounge to catch the band there. Regardless of where we were we felt that there was something to engage our attention in the evenings. We did not attend the Silent disco or Karaoke session in Quasar, but they appeared to be enjoyed and well attended.

 

Entertainment is VERY subjective, and a lot depends on your timing as to whether the bands are playing or on a break - perhaps we are less picky than others when it comes to specific musical acts and/or hit the timing right to catch the live bands.

 

As far as the Cruise director - we found Rich Spacey to be charming, engaging, involved in the activities/parties, and funny in his own right. Yes I know he has a bit of a "shtick" with the socks and his corny jokes, but they worked to engage the audience pre-show, and he was visible at many of the other parties/events throughout the week.

[dd likes to cruise]

We were on the Equinox in November. It was our first Celebrity cruise and we really enjoyed it. (Been on most the other main stream lines). We ate breakfast and lunch the majority of the time in the buffet and enjoyed the food and the options. We ate dinner each night in the main dining room, early seating. Again enjoyed the majority of what we ate.

 

And since we had not seen these exact shows, we liked them. We love watching the dancers and the ones that do the flying and flipping. We really liked the fact that there is a live orchestra behind the shows too. We also thought the 2 groups that played and sung in the atrium were good. Our type of music I guess.

 

I got a little tired of seeing Spacey's socks, but that might just be me. We went on 4 Celebrity excursions and none were cancelled and no time changes.

 

I watched parts of the hot glass show about 4 times. Each show was about 2 hours and I just couldn't do the entire time due to what others in my party wanted to do. But I really enjoyed those.

 

Just in a normal balcony cabin. It was a 11 night Southern Caribbean cruise. We had a change of ports due to Irma, but still had 6 stops. 5 of them were new to us, all in all we really enjoyed our first Celebrity. But we had no prior experience to compare it to.

[Lorey2007]

Thank for your review.

What kind of mid morning or afternoon activities did they have on on sea days? Was there any day time trivia, bingo, cooking demonstrations, galley tour, crafting or painting classes? Those are the type of things I like to do with maybe a hour by the pool....will I be bored???