On Equinox now- glass half full midweek report

[mrsgoggins]

I love the title you have given your thread!

 

We did 2 weeks on the Equinox in January, and although not in Blu, enjoyed it very much.  Apart from too-loud piped music very early in the morning in a near empty buffet (which did improve after we completed a comment card) there was little to complain about, and even that was very small stuff.

 

I hope your cruise continued to be just as enjoyable for you both.

[puppycanducruise]

Wonderful comments and pictures.

Thanks for sharing your cruise with us.

[Nancycat]

We are sailing on the Equinox a week from today, it will be our 3rd time on the ship, 

Glad to hear they were able to tender into PC, I guess it just depends on the day..

love your review...

[DevilinaBluDress]

More pictures from Thursday. The Internet was wonky and didn't upload all my pictures.

[Landmarkers]

Just booked a cruise on the Equinox for April!  Thanks for sharing your fun pics in real time.  Looks like you and your son are really having a super break away from school! It makes me even more excited to think we will be there soon.  I have a question...would you happen to know if there are any 3 or 5-bottle wine packages available to buy for people who don't have the all-inclusive beverage package? I can't find any info on Celebrity's website, so I thought I'd just ask if you had any idea about that. Enjoy your last couple of days!!

[pd7277]

43 minutes ago, Landmarkers said:

 I have a question...would you happen to know if there are any 3 or 5-bottle wine packages available to buy for people who don't have the all-inclusive beverage package? I can't find any info on Celebrity's website, so I thought I'd just ask if you had any idea about that. Enjoy your last couple of days!!

Here is a link:

 

https://www.celebritycruises.com/things-to-do-onboard/onboard-packages/beverage-packages/wine-packages

[DevilinaBluDress]

Friday-Nassau and Saturday (so far) report:

 

Apparently they are out of rental cars in Miami this morning, so I have plenty of time to report on yesterday and this morning while we wait for people to return cars and the 75-100 other renters in front of me get their cars.  Our flight doesn't leave until 7 pm tonight so we should still have plenty of time to explore. 

 

Yesterday was a port day in Nassau. We were concerned about the upgraded safety warning, so we didn't plan any excursions. However, the Pokémon Go nerd in me needed more gear and none of the Port pokes tops were reachable from the ship, so we took a quick turn around the Port shopping area. Leaving the ship, there was a little glitch as Will had his seapass scanned and he needed to get scanned at a different terminal. In the shopping area, it felt like running the gauntlet. Lots of high pressure from taxi and tour operators. After spinning a few stops, we reboarded and it was my turn for the glitch. Leaving the ship, my seapass was scanned but apparently wasn't registered that I was off the ship. A little moment of confusion and we were back on board. 

 

We went straight to Café al Bacio for a snack and Chai lattes. It was nice and quiet.

 

The Equinox was the first of 5 ships in Nassau. The last one to arrive was the Carnival Liberty which pulled in between the Equinox and the Port around 11 am. Wow! Their PA system and music are very loud and lively compared to the Equinox. Will went up to the Mast Grill for lunch while I opted for room service salmon and veggies. It was very good! 

 

It was then time for our massages. There was a port special offer for a Canyon Ranch Massage for $113 instead of $150. One of the things we do at home to help Will self regulate is a massage every other week. A close friend is a masseuse who is exceptionally good, so it's not fair to compare. Will liked his- he had an additional "enhancement" for additional time focused on his scalp. My masseuse tried to upsell me before and recommended some products to buy that I politely declined. Overall, it was fine.

 

Now it was time for our afternoon snack, of course! As Celebrity Classic members, we were able to get 1 scoop each of gelato. Will is a huge gelato fan, so I gave him mine, too. He reports that both the mint chocolate and the hazelnut flavors were quite excellent.

 

At 5pm, we went to the World class bar. By now, they see me coming and start on my syrup-less old fashioned. Will got one, too. En Vogue started playing which inspired Will to dance. He is so joyful!

 

Off to dinner at Blu. It was the filet mignon night. Will and I had the same/ blue cheese soufflés and filet mignons. The soufflé was interesting, but probably won't get it in the future. Filets were like butter! We did our dessert challenge and both the tutti fruiti and the chocolate torte didn't impress. 

 

We went back to the World Class bar- another old fashioned for me and a strawberry drink for Will. We got a couple of desserts from Café al Bacio for another dessert challenge. Both the Raspberry Chiffon Cake and the dulche de lache cheesecake were hits. It was a tie.  

 

Back to the cabin to pack for the luggage valet service and get ready for bed.

 

Today, we woke up at 6:30. Showered and finished packing. Headed to Blu for breakfast one last time. It was nice and relaxing. Still plenty of smoked salmon for breakfast. Will had an omelet that he said was delicious. Around 8 am, they started calling numbers for disembark info. Because we had luggage valet, we could leave anytime. We waited around in Cafe al Bacio and disembarked with no line at 5 forward. Fast through customs and caught the Budget shuttle. They had us packed like sardines. I sat on a crate. Fast forward 2 hours... We have a car. Upgraded to a blue Mustang convertible! And we are off to the races to do a little sightseeing.

 

Molly

 

 

[DevilinaBluDress]

In the Mustang!

[DevilinaBluDress]

In the Mustang!

[Landmarkers]

1 hour ago, pd7277 said:

Here is a link:

 

https://www.celebritycruises.com/things-to-do-onboard/onboard-packages/beverage-packages/wine-packages

Thanks for the link, pd7277, but I was referring to just a wine package with a couple of bottles of wine (usually around $100 - $150 for 3 depending on the wines) not the "Beverage Packages" as your video noted.  Appreciate the effort, though :-) 

 

Safe travels in your mustang, MadisonMom!

Edited March 23, 2019 by Landmarkers

[hcat]

Glad you had a good time..very upbeat review. Thanks for posting it

 

Wow about the Miami rental cars!

Guess it is the end of Spring Break..

[puppycanducruise]

Looks like you both had a wonderful cruise.

He's a lucky lad.

Thanks for sharing your adventure.

I hope you cruise again soon, and tell us all about it.

[DevilinaBluDress]

1 hour ago, Landmarkers said:

Thanks for the link, pd7277, but I was referring to just a wine package with a couple of bottles of wine (usually around $100 - $150 for 3 depending on the wines) not the "Beverage Packages" as your video noted.  Appreciate the effort, though 🙂

 

Safe travels in your mustang, MadisonMom!

When we ate in Murano, it was the first time I asked for a wine list. On the wine list, I think I remember seeing a bottle package but not the details. Hopefully, someone else will have that intel for you.

 

Yeah, the Mustang is fun!

 

Molly

[DevilinaBluDress]

2 hours ago, hcat said:

Glad you had a good time..very upbeat review. Thanks for posting it

 

Wow about the Miami rental cars!

Guess it is the end of Spring Break..

 

Spring break plus lots of people coming and going at the same time. The Avis lines looked even longer. Lots of upset people, but I refuse to let a little extra wait ruin our vacation! One poor woman was crying and talking trash nonstop right behind the clerks. She seemed particularly upset about someone who had reserved and paid for a convertible getting his car relatively quickly. From what I could decern, they were just honoring his reserved and prepaid reservation and, unlike most of us, he had not reserved a standard car or van which were in demand and none to be had. I just sympathized with the clerk that this must be particularly stressful and that I had only 1 passenger and a couple of carry-on bags, so I'd be happy with anything else that could accommodate us. As I mentioned before, we ended up with a fast blue convertible Mustang. Not bad for remaining calm and putting positive intentions out there.  

 

Molly

[mrsgoggins]

1 hour ago, MadisonMom said:

 

Spring break plus lots of people coming and going at the same time. The Avis lines looked even longer. Lots of upset people, but I refuse to let a little extra wait ruin our vacation! .......

Molly

 

Good attitude!  We dropped off and picked up at the Downtown Miami location back in January.  Having noticed that it was zoo-like and chaos at drop off, we decided to self disembark and take a taxi to the rental location. It worked well, there was no-one in the office when we arrived.

 

Happy that you were rewarded for your patience with the Mustang.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Thanks for the report!!

[micheleata]

Sounds like a wonderful trip!   I love the Equinox.  Thanks for sharing!

[pd7277]

5 hours ago, Landmarkers said:

Thanks for the link, pd7277, but I was referring to just a wine package with a couple of bottles of wine (usually around $100 - $150 for 3 depending on the wines) not the "Beverage Packages" as your video noted.  Appreciate the effort, though 🙂

 

Try scrolling down.

[spammie]

Thank you so much for sharing some of your trip with us!  Really enjoyed cruising along with you on my favorite ship.  We will be back on board in September.  Safe travels home!  Wanda

[Landmarkers]

1 hour ago, pd7277 said:

 

Try scrolling down.

So much for viewing on a phone ...found it! Thanks for clarifying. Sad to say, though, that when I tried to book one through the link, it does not show as an option on my cruise planner when I sign in. Perhaps it's only available on certain cruises☹️. Thanks again for your help!

[pd7277]

2 hours ago, Landmarkers said:

So much for viewing on a phone ...found it! Thanks for clarifying. Sad to say, though, that when I tried to book one through the link, it does not show as an option on my cruise planner when I sign in. Perhaps it's only available on certain cruises☹️. Thanks again for your help!

I would think it would be wise to wait until you are on board and can speak to the sommelier regarding what bottles are actually available on your cruise before deciding on a specific package.  I'm sure it will be available on your cruise, Celebrity's website just doesn't seem capable of doing many things...and it's been down most of today.

 

Well, this is unfortunate.

Here you are trying to plan a vacation and our website decides to take one.

We are aware of the issue and are currently working to fix it. Please try again later and sorry for the inconvenience.

Visit Celebritycruises.com

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[pixieprincss]

I see my kids' heads in the galley tour pictures! That was a cool tour since there was actually some food prep happening!