Just back from 1st Celebrity sailing

[floatel_lvr]

My wife and I just returned from the 11 Day Caribbean sailing on the Equinox.  The itinerary could not have been any better.  2 Sea Days to get into Cruise Mode and then 6 port stops to be followed by 2 more Sea Days.  The Equinox is a beautiful ship that is kept VERY clean!  The entire crew were very attentive and gave you a sense that they truly wanted you to enjoy your holiday. 

 

We were fortunate to be in a corner aft Sky Suite on Deck 10, number 1403.  Being in a Suite we were able to dine in Luminae for most of our meals.  The food and service were both excellent.  In Luminae Richie and Paul (waiters) and Yan (bar service) each provided amazing service for the entire trip. The full staff in Luminae were all wonderful and welcoming. We also dined with a group in Murano one night and had a spectacular meal.  We also used the Oceanview (buffet) a couple of times for lunch and found it to be full of options and also seemed very well maintained and organized. 

 

We also enjoyed many of the entertainers and live music.

 

Some other things we really liked:

Being handed a glass of champagne upon boarding

One sunny sea day there was in impromptu sorbet service parade poolside, an actual parade of waiters served sorbet to anyone interested

Being greeted port side with cool drinks and or chilled towels

Cleanest vessel we have ever sailed on

Due to the ship design and implementation live music played in the grand foyer in the evenings was able to be enjoyed from floor 3 through 5 in many venues (martini bar, café bacio, Craft Social etc...)

Activities such as putting in the grand foyer and archery were welcome new events.  As were Yes/No and Filthy Feud.

I had read/heard that the entertainment was not at the same level as Royal.  Maybe there were no broadway shows but the entertainers did a very good job and there was a show each evening. We also saw two very funny comedians.  When the show is not to your liking just move on the next event...

We enjoyed the Sunset Bar/Lawn area for a nice place to chat lawn side and have a cigar.  The occasional live music out there was also a very nice touch

Glass blowing class was an amazing experience. Josh and Justin were both excellent.

The retreat lounge was excellent but we did not partake very often due to so many options.  Alexandra and Ute (sp?) were both delightful.

 

The only real downer was the Suite Sun Deck.  It really is a shame the refurb was cut short because that area NEEDS water.  We went up there a couple of times and walked right back out. I guess if you just want a quiet place to bake it is fine but there is no bar (but there is service) and no pool or hot tub or shower or sprinkler....

 

When the cruise ended the debarkation process was also seamless.  We did luggage valet and were at the airport by about 8AM without any struggle at all.

 

All in all, this was a wonderful cruise vacation.  Thanks to all the folks who answered all my questions and provided input leading up to this. 

[helen haywood]

We were on this cruise as well!  Loved it!  My husband was up at Sunset Bar every morning with a cigar.

[upwarduk]

 

I had read/heard that the entertainment was not at the same level as Royal.  Maybe there were no broadway shows but the entertainers did a very good job and there was a show each evening.

 

We have just returned from Explorer of the Seas and they didn’t have any Broadway shows.

We did see at least 2 entertainers that we had previously seen on Celebrity ships.

[Jim_Iain]

Thanks for posting your review and happy you enjoyed your first Celebrity cruise.

[puppycanducruise]

Thanks for posting your comments.

Glad you enjoyed your cruise.

[PhoenixCruiser]

We are first time Celebrity cruisers next month and appreciate your summary of your first time.

Sent from my SM-T820 using Tapatalk

[floatel_lvr]

21 minutes ago, PhoenixCruiser said:

We are first time Celebrity cruisers next month and appreciate your summary of your first time.

Sent from my SM-T820 using Tapatalk
 

I hope that my experience from the perspective of a seasoned Royal cruiser helps others in some way even if just to help with the pre-cruise excitement... 

[PTC DAWG]

I was on the same cruise, shout out to all the guys/gals at The Sunset Bar...Norman, Raquel especially...

 

Ramesh and crew did a great job in the Casino Bar...

 

Jayson on deck 9 was a great steward..2 chaise loungers on the balcony were great 

 

Agree on all the positives listed above.

 

Thanks Celebrity..

[mahdnc]

Thanks so much for the review.  Glad to read that you all had a great cruise.

[ShawninFL]

Thanks for posting.  I'm glad you enjoyed your first Celebrity experience.  We've only been in a Suite once and it was also on the Equinox.  It was an amazing experience.  We have our second Suite experience Thanksgiving week on the Infinity.

 

Happy Cruising!

[floatel_lvr]

5 hours ago, ShawninFL said:

Thanks for posting.  I'm glad you enjoyed your first Celebrity experience.  We've only been in a Suite once and it was also on the Equinox.  It was an amazing experience.  We have our second Suite experience Thanksgiving week on the Infinity.

 

Happy Cruising!

I am sure you will love it as much as we did.  Great product.  Can't wait to give them another go.

[George C]

Very nice review thanks, agree with most of your points. Celebrity by far has been the best line we have tried for suite perks , suite restaurant luminae is great along with suite lounge. We have done a few suites on celebrity, many on rccl and a couple on Hal. Also love the glass of champagne when you board which is perfect way to start a cruise. My big problem with celebrity is entertainment can not be compared to rccl, not even close.

[DeacDawg]

Do the prices for onboard items (drink packages, internet, dining...) change like they do with Royal or are they actually set/consistent?

[39august]

Prices are "set"  but of course could be changed in the future.  However, often  there are sales for various items, like drink packages, shore excursions, wi-fi etc. You may get discounts on any dining venue if you ask. We always have in 5 cruises.  We are  Pinnacle on RCI and will not be going back since our first Celebrity cruise. We think X is way better than RCI, partly because of the difference in clientele.  I was expecting very little in the way of entertainment, but have been quite happy for the most part. I also particularly like the "Beyond the Podium" lectures offered on Celebrity ships. I count this as entertainment. 

[George C]

3 hours ago, DeacDawg said:

Do the prices for onboard items (drink packages, internet, dining...) change like they do with Royal or are they actually set/consistent?

On my cruise earlier this year drink package was about 65 a day last year we paid under 50 for Oasis cruise 

[aml3679]

Thank you for your positive review.  There are so many people complaining right now:  no tote bags, no footstools, etc.  It is refreshing to see this.  We are on her in 2/20 and 2/21.  Cannot wait.

[floatel_lvr]

3 hours ago, aml3679 said:

Thank you for your positive review.  There are so many people complaining right now:  no tote bags, no footstools, etc.  It is refreshing to see this.  We are on her in 2/20 and 2/21.  Cannot wait.

Appreciate (and understand) the feedback.  Our feeling is that a cruise or any vacation is what you make of it.  We always try to focus on the positive.  There are always little niggles but there was nothing that went wrong in any big way.  Even the weather was wonderful which was not the way it looked prior to sailing.

[Big_G]

3 hours ago, aml3679 said:

Thank you for your positive review.  There are so many people complaining right now:  no tote bags, no footstools, etc.  It is refreshing to see this.  We are on her in 2/20 and 2/21.  Cannot wait.

 

I was aware of the tote bags but what's the complaint regarding the footstools? What footstools?

[Pickels]

On 10/6/2019 at 8:57 AM, floatel_lvr said:

My wife and I just returned from the 11 Day Caribbean sailing on the Equinox.  The itinerary could not have been any better.  2 Sea Days to get into Cruise Mode and then 6 port stops to be followed by 2 more Sea Days.  The Equinox is a beautiful ship that is kept VERY clean!  The entire crew were very attentive and gave you a sense that they truly wanted you to enjoy your holiday. 

 

We were fortunate to be in a corner aft Sky Suite on Deck 10, number 1403.  Being in a Suite we were able to dine in Luminae for most of our meals.  The food and service were both excellent.  In Luminae Richie and Paul (waiters) and Yan (bar service) each provided amazing service for the entire trip. The full staff in Luminae were all wonderful and welcoming. We also dined with a group in Murano one night and had a spectacular meal.  We also used the Oceanview (buffet) a couple of times for lunch and found it to be full of options and also seemed very well maintained and organized. 

 

We also enjoyed many of the entertainers and live music.

 

Some other things we really liked:

Being handed a glass of champagne upon boarding

One sunny sea day there was in impromptu sorbet service parade poolside, an actual parade of waiters served sorbet to anyone interested

Being greeted port side with cool drinks and or chilled towels

Cleanest vessel we have ever sailed on

Due to the ship design and implementation live music played in the grand foyer in the evenings was able to be enjoyed from floor 3 through 5 in many venues (martini bar, café bacio, Craft Social etc...)

Activities such as putting in the grand foyer and archery were welcome new events.  As were Yes/No and Filthy Feud.

I had read/heard that the entertainment was not at the same level as Royal.  Maybe there were no broadway shows but the entertainers did a very good job and there was a show each evening. We also saw two very funny comedians.  When the show is not to your liking just move on the next event...

We enjoyed the Sunset Bar/Lawn area for a nice place to chat lawn side and have a cigar.  The occasional live music out there was also a very nice touch

Glass blowing class was an amazing experience. Josh and Justin were both excellent.

The retreat lounge was excellent but we did not partake very often due to so many options.  Alexandra and Ute (sp?) were both delightful.

 

The only real downer was the Suite Sun Deck.  It really is a shame the refurb was cut short because that area NEEDS water.  We went up there a couple of times and walked right back out. I guess if you just want a quiet place to bake it is fine but there is no bar (but there is service) and no pool or hot tub or shower or sprinkler....

 

When the cruise ended the debarkation process was also seamless.  We did luggage valet and were at the airport by about 8AM without any struggle at all.

 

All in all, this was a wonderful cruise vacation.  Thanks to all the folks who answered all my questions and provided input leading up to this. 

RE: The only real downer was the Suite Sun Deck.  It really is a shame the refurb was cut short because that area NEEDS water.  We went up there a couple of times and walked right back out. I guess if you just want a quiet place to bake it is fine but there is no bar (but there is service) and no pool or hot tub or shower or sprinkler....

We will be on the Equinox next March and are thinking about the Retreat Sun Deck-- I'm going to try this, hope it works out...going to bring a collapsible canvas insulated tot-bag; with cold drinks and bring it with us up to the Sun Deck.

[DENIE]

15 hours ago, floatel_lvr said:

Appreciate (and understand) the feedback.  Our feeling is that a cruise or any vacation is what you make of it.  We always try to focus on the positive.  There are always little niggles but there was nothing that went wrong in any big way.  Even the weather was wonderful which was not the way it looked prior to sailing.

floatel_lbr - glad you enjoyed your first Celebrity cruise.  We could say the same for our Silhouette cruise last November.  We will be on our 3rd Celebrity cruise in one month (Mediterranean, on the Constellation) and 4th next year (America's, on the Reflection).  Love what Celebrity offers for us! We agree completely that any vacation is what you make of it.  Consequently, we consider most of our vacations "Magical".  Way too many positives (and fun!) that outweigh the negative.

Edited October 10, 2019 by DENIE

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

On 10/9/2019 at 9:20 AM, Big_G said:

 

I was aware of the tote bags but what's the complaint regarding the footstools? What footstools?

THAT is the complaint. Apparently there used to be footstools and they were removed.

[chemmo]

Thanks for your review!

 

As frequent X cruisers we can sometimes take for granted  those little extras like the champagne on boarding and the cold towels on returning to the ship after an excursion. Our son’s girlfriend will be cruising with us for the first time next year, looking forward to seeing the ship through new eyes!

[aml3679]

On 10/9/2019 at 9:20 AM, Big_G said:

 

I was aware of the tote bags but what's the complaint regarding the footstools? What footstools?

For Concierge and Aqua there used to be footstools on the balcony but they got rid of them.  I bought 2 blow up ones from Amazon.

[ipeeinthepool]

On 10/9/2019 at 5:24 AM, aml3679 said:

There are so many people complaining right now:  no tote bags, no footstools, etc.  It is refreshing to see this.  We are on her in 2/20 and 2/21.  Cannot wait.

 

What? No tote bags?  When did this happen?

 

Hope to see you on the Equinox in 2021

[remarcm]

Glad to hear you like X Rich, hope Patti did also. We made the switch and have enjoyed the change. Have 1 more Royal scheduled and 9 Celebrity so tells you my opinion.