Equinox Live Review March 31st - April 7

[Georgia_Peaches]

Our cruise on the Equinox 2/24 to 3/1 wasn't anything like she is reporting. Just like you, we were hound by wait staff to purchase the beverage package on the first day. All through out our cruise we were approached by staff wanting us to purchase specialty restaurant, spa, jewelry, etc. Didn't leave us with a good impression of Celebrity.

Oddly, we weren't hounded by photographers.

 

On sea days there wasn't an available lounger to be found. There were a lot of people laying on the grass with a towel.

Can still say, 4 days in, I have only been asked 1 time about a drink package, zero times about specialty dining or any other for fee services. Maybe my look is just not very approachable. Saw more reserved loungers yesterday than day 1, but also saw the pool police picking up people's belongings and taking them to a special poolside security hut. Maybe they finally get it.

Christina

[Georgia_Peaches]

Greetings from day four on Equinox!

Last night was dinner at Tuscan Grill. It was OK. I had the fish and DH had the ribeye. We shared lobster rigatoni and a dessert. Food was average and service was a little slow. Since we were in Puerto Rick until 10:30 PM there wasn't much going on in the way of entertainment. We did get to see a portion of a show called Raegar. They were a country rock duo and were excellent. We actually saw them getting on the ship while in port but I didn't get the impression that they were staying long...so no second show. I would see them again for sure.

Today was St. Maarten. We have been before but not since Irma. I was saddened by the signs of destruction but inspired by the unwavering spirit of the people. We stimulated the economy a bit in a local jewelry store and our sales rep indicated that though it has been a rough period, Irma did not cause a single fatality. The silver lining...

Tonight is a production show and dinner at Silk Harvest. Am looking forward to both.

More to follow...

Christina

[BobbyD]

Thanks for the review. I was on the Equinox 4 weeks ago. Great cruise. The drink package selling/upselling virtually disappeared after the first day, which was nice. That first day it was quite evident as were crew selling specialty restaurant packages.

[20pluscruises]

Greetings from day four on Equinox!

Last night was dinner at Tuscan Grill. It was OK. I had the fish and DH had the ribeye. We shared lobster rigatoni and a dessert. Food was average and service was a little slow. Since we were in Puerto Rick until 10:30 PM there wasn't much going on in the way of entertainment. We did get to see a portion of a show called Raegar. They were a country rock duo and were excellent. We actually saw them getting on the ship while in port but I didn't get the impression that they were staying long...so no second show. I would see them again for sure.

Today was St. Maarten. We have been before but not since Irma. I was saddened by the signs of destruction but inspired by the unwavering spirit of the people. We stimulated the economy a bit in a local jewelry store and our sales rep indicated that though it has been a rough period, Irma did not cause a single fatality. The silver lining...

Tonight is a production show and dinner at Silk Harvest. Am looking forward to both.

More to follow...

Christina[/quote

 

Ask for Nino in the Silk Harvest. FANTASTIC waiter and took care of my MSG allergies. I thought for certain I would have that wicked 3 day migraine hours after dinner, but woke up with no headache at all. I'm still shocked because I did mention that I had my Zomig pills for the migraines. There were plenty of options in the appetizer and entree sections. ENJOY!

[helencruising]

Thank you for your thread. It is enjoyable to read. Seems like a great cruise.

[Georgia_Peaches]

I haven't been to the gift shop yet but I will check it out and let you know!

Christina

Checked out the gift shop and they do indeed have models of the Equinox for sale at $35 a piece. Plenty on the shelves! My husband wants to buy one...

Christina

[paniflo]

Checked out the gift shop and they do indeed have models of the Equinox for sale at $35 a piece. Plenty on the shelves! My husband wants to buy one...

Christina

Awesome. Thank you for the good news!

[Georgia_Peaches]

Greetings from day five on the Equinox! Last night was dinner at Silk Harvest and a show in the Equinox theater called Topper. First, Topper. This was a musical production featuring the Equinox singers and dancers. The story line was a little foggy but the gist was a cartoon style guy, maybe even a little bit crazy, keeps all kinds of magical characters locked up in his top hat. When he lets them out for a bit, they sing, dance, and perform areal acts. The costumes were great as was much of the singing. We enjoyed the dancing as well. I would say the show was typical cruise ship variety but we were entertained, for sure.

Silk Harvest was a nice experience. I was hoping for a seat near the window but they were taken by the time we arrived. We sat at a table for 2 that was maybe two inches from the next table for 2...we quickly became a table for 4 and made 2 new friends from Idaho. The food and service were fine. The menu didn't offer a lot of wine selections so I would recommend getting something from the bar if you like, say chardonnay over a pino...they don't offer a chardonnay. Our meals were tasty. I really enjoyed the soup and the pad Thai noodles. We skipped dessert and opted for an after dinner drink in the casino.

Speaking of the casino, there was a great vibe last night and lots of people seemed to be winning. I wasn't among them, but I still had fun. I noticed a few low stakes table games were available which was a little different from what I had read in a few threads that pointed out that the minimum bet at the Black Jack table was too high...$15 bucks to play. Maybe someone listened.

 

Today we are in St. Kitts. DH and I have been before and are not getting off the ship. We decided we like the quiet of a near empty ship. More to follow...

 

PS. I asked our Idaho dinner friends how their experience has been with the up-selling. They reported that they were asked if they had a drink package, like us, on day 1 and also if they wanted to purchase a dinner package. The dinner package question came on day 2 of the cruise (the first sea day). They bought a 3 dinner package. Also, they have 2 young children with them, a 9 y/o and a 4 y/o. I asked about the kid's activities and they indicated their children are both very entertained and having lots of fun. The older child did the fun Factory the first couple of days and then made some friends at the pool and has been there ever since.

Oh, and one more thing...last night at dinner we were approached by someone who asked if we were interested in the the Chef's Table the following night. We said yes. The gentleman made it clear that there's no charge to change our minds...

Christina

[Georgia_Peaches]

Hi Georgia_Peaches,

 

By any chance, did you see if they have any of the ship models at the gift shop? I am going on Equinox in two weeks so I am hoping that they will have some!

Checked it out last night and saw them for sale for $35. Plenty on the shelf...

Christina

[sdnich]

What is the chef’s table? Were you asked to join because of your room category? We like you were also able to upgrade from an SS to a RS at a really good price!

 

 

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[bighairtexan]

In an R/S on Equinox in September so I may be wrong but I ASSUME the Chef's Table is NOT included in the unlimited Specialty Dining? Also the Murano menu w/ the wine pairings isn't included? Not sure if that's true.

TIA

[Georgia_Peaches]

What is the chef’s table? Were you asked to join because of your room category? We like you were also able to upgrade from an SS to a RS at a really good price!

 

 

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Chef's Table is a private dining experience held in Murano and hosted by the Executive Chef of the ship. It included a tour of the wine cellar and the galley. We were a group of eight in a private dining area. The dining experience consisted of 5 courses and a wine pairing with each. While we were asked if we were interested in the chef's table, that was about the extent of the invitation in that it was not a complimentary experience simply because of our accommodations. The cost per couple is $279 and includes a tour (as I mentioned) a welcome glass of bubbly, a group photograph, and of course the meal. Overall the experience was very enjoyable. We met some lovely people...but for me, the cost of the experience didn't match the quality. Here's where it gets murky because food is so very subjective. My DH said it was some of the best food he had eaten on the ship. However, two of the courses, the lobster risotto and the filet mignon were available on the general Murano menu. And as a RS guest, you can eat there every night if you want to without paying the additional $279.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Sharon, you are correct. Chef's table and Murano's 5 Senses Menu are not included in the unlimited dining. With the beverage package you can create your own wine pairing at any restaurant.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We've done the Chef's Table 4 or 5 times. The first few times the dishes were not available at any other restaurant. Then they started to use several dishes from other restaurants. That, coupled with the amount of food, caused us to stop doing them.

 

Glad you are enjoying your cruise

[Georgia_Peaches]

Greetings from day 6 on the Equinox. Today and tomorrow are both sea days and mark the beginning of the end of our cruise on the Equinox. Last night was dinner in Murano. We participated in the Chef's table. I give it mixed reviews as mentioned in my answer to another's question. So in my original post I mentioned that one of the things I would be paying attention to is signs of cut backs. I can honestly say that I haven't seen much evidence of this except for last night's Chef Table experience. DH and I had never done this before but I had read about it in many threads. One thread said that the experience ended with a book of some sort and that the wine was nice quality and kept flowing throughout the meal. Well, perhaps I've stumbled upon a cut back because $279 no longer gets you a book at the end, we left with a group photo instead, nor did the wine keep flowing. Each course included 2.5 to 3 oz of wine give or take and depending on where you were sitting at the table in relation to where the server began his pour. Only twice did the sommelier introduce the wine before it was poured. The meal itself was very good but did not really include anything that couldn't be ordered on the main Murano menu...except maybe the dessert. I'd rate the whole experience a 6 but DH gives it a 9.5.

More to follow...

[BoofromCO]

Thought I sent this but maybe not if I did sorry for double questions! Are there any other things not included in the unlimited specialty dining with the RS? I am travelling with two teens and know they will frequent the gelato and sushi on 5!

[bighairtexan]

TY Mary Lou. I was on the fence anyway about the Chef's Table, having done several on several cruise lines. The price, and no "generous pours" would mean it would have to be beyond fabulous food to justify that price. Especially when we can do specialty dining any time, and some of the courses are available there. So thanks for your review. I know food is REALLY subjective, but I think we'll pass.

 

3 other questions when you get a chance regarding specialty dining. Did you have any issues regarding getting a specialty restaurant on any given night? I mean if one were fully booked, was it easy to get a reservation elsewhere? How long in advance did you have to book? Day of or days before. I assume you just asked your butler to do it.

I happen to think Luminae is fantastic. My travel companion wasn't all that impressed; I don't think she gave it enough of a chance... she didn't like her first meal there so decided not to go back. I love it so we'll have to come to some compromises. :D Thanks once again. This has been very informative. My first, last and only R/S was a while back, and as I recall, the unlimited specialties were not part of the experience.

[sxyshell]

Our ports of call are San Juan, St. Martin, and St. Kitts. Today is San Juan but we don't arrive until 3:30. I think that's the least favorable part of this trip. I'm not fond of the late arrival time because there's not much going on the ship since they assume most people will get off and stay off. We've been to Puerto Rico before and enjoyed visiting to old fort but I prefer to leave the ship in the morning and return in the afternoon...by 3:30 I'm ready for a cocktail by the pool and a late afternoon nap...oh well tough as it sounds, I'm sure we'll manage ;p.

Christina

 

 

Thanks for posting the day by day. We're doing the Eastern itinerary on 8/4. I have a sales rep in San Juan so he is picking us up and taking us on a tour and then dinner. I would rather have the early day as well. My question is, what time does the casino open that night? I would assume it's after we are out to sea by a few miles so it would be a late night.

Michelle

[LIMPIT]

Thanks for sharing

 

 

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[TangoCruz]

There's 14 of us from North Carolina headed to the airport this morning for our flight to Miami and our 8-day cruise on Equinox. We'll pass you tomorrow morning at the pier. Thanks so much for sharing your week with everyone. Your experiences have helped to heighten the excitement for our group.

[Z'Loth]

:(

There's 14 of us from North Carolina headed to the airport this morning for our flight to Miami and our 8-day cruise on Equinox. We'll pass you tomorrow morning at the pier. Thanks so much for sharing your week with everyone. Your experiences have helped to heighten the excitement for our group.

Have a safe journey and a enjoyable cruise.

[SevenSeas1492]

Have a great cruise! We will be there in a couple of weeks! 🛳

[cruisingagentone]

Georgia Peaches

Did you happen to notice the earliest flite from MIA for luggage valet?

Have enjoyed your review. Heading to the Equinox December 1st.

 

Also have you seen Milton aka Santa Claus on board?

 

Thank you

[Elaine0138]

Georgia Peaches

Did you happen to notice the earliest flite from MIA for luggage valet?

Have enjoyed your review. Heading to the Equinox December 1st.

 

Also have you seen Milton aka Santa Claus on board?

 

Thank you

 

Wow that's a name from the past, haven't seen Milton in a few years

[gimletgal]

Wow that's a name from the past, haven't seen Milton in a few years

 

Milton was on board last November. I think he was going on vacation after our cruise, and then on to another ship. Can't remember which one however! He was still singing Jingle Bells every day.