Observations From The Poop Deck- Equinox Aug 1

[FLCruiser97]

26 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Being on a cruise is really not a time for reflection. Wait till one gets home. Enjoy the present moment. I began to chastise myself for  eating 5 too many pastries at breakfast and then again at tea time. But the day broke anew and I was tempted once again. In moments like these I find solace in the words of Mark Twain "I never struggle with temptation, I yield to it."  We are docked at Costa Maya and the breezes are kicking up some light white caps. Am having second thoughts about attending the sailaway party on the helipad. We still are in a pandemic and why tempt fate by congregating in a hallway waiting to be escorted in mass out onto the helipad. Perhaps that was the thinking for scrapping the helipad sailaway on Edge. Hopefully in the future we will have that 'treat' again. (And next time I will remember to bring a safari tie down hat for the sun).

Morpheus, once again you have delighted me reading about your adventures onboard. When I read your blogs, I think of you as having an English accent and a very distinguished and educated man. I will be sad when your sailing has come to an end but I seem to recall that you and your DW are on another sailing soon after this one. Hopefully you can delight us with more blogs on that sailing.

[morpheusofthesea]

Just now, Oceangoer2 said:

Seems I now understand the 8 suitcases...LOL

Believe this or not, the cleaning supplies are carry on. Dw can not wait 2 seconds for luggage to arrive, the room must be sterilized before she can enjoy 'her' cruise. She is the 'Bwana' of our cruise safari.

[morpheusofthesea]

4 minutes ago, FLCruiser97 said:

Morpheus, once again you have delighted me reading about your adventures onboard. When I read your blogs, I think of you as having an English accent and a very distinguished and educated man. I will be sad when your sailing has come to an end but I seem to recall that you and your DW are on another sailing soon after this one. Hopefully you can delight us with more blogs on that sailing.

Thank you. You are most kind. 'God willing' we are already getting emails from Celebrity about getting tested for our Sept 4 sailing, back on the Edge in an Edge Villa. Sounds exciting, we will see and try to report from the "Poop Deck" again. We are definitely making up for 'lost time'.

[FLCruiser97]

5 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Thank you. You are most kind. 'God willing' we are already getting emails from Celebrity about getting tested for our Sept 4 sailing, back on the Edge in an Edge Villa. Sounds exciting, we will see and try to report from the "Poop Deck" again. We are definitely making up for 'lost time'.

I look forward to that. We will be on the high seas the same time, different vessels.

[jcpc]

23 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Thank you. You are most kind. 'God willing' we are already getting emails from Celebrity about getting tested for our Sept 4 sailing, back on the Edge in an Edge Villa. Sounds exciting, we will see and try to report from the "Poop Deck" again. We are definitely making up for 'lost time'.

Thank you so much for posting from the "Poop Deck" on both of your sailings.  I really enjoyed reading them.  I, too, am on the September 4th Edge sailing, however in a lowly Sky Suite!  I personally will be bringing 2 full suitcases for my 7-week cruise so I am not in your lovely wife's league as far as packing goes.  Hopefully I'll run into you and say hi in person.  Fingers crossed that the Sept. 4th sailing goes "without a hitch".

[morpheusofthesea]

3 minutes ago, jcpc said:

however in a lowly Sky Suite!

"Be careful what you wish for."  For 40 years DW was most content with sailing in cabins, 2 lowers on the inside, until one day we were upgraded. That did my 'pocket book' in. As we went up and up the number of bags increased as well for the same 7 days.

[morpheusofthesea]

DW is presently searching the Celebrity web site for another Celebrity cruise to replace a previous booked cruise on another cruise line. Unfortunately one can only be wait listed for Christmas sailings and Worst Of All Scenarios.... NO amenities included... Might have to keep what we booked. My mantra has become "Give me the luxuries in life and I can dispense with the necessities" ever since I read Oscar Wilde. It is by far the amenities of suite class that makes cruising so much more enjoyable.

Edited August 6, 2021 by morpheusofthesea

[jcpc]

5 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

D

"Be careful what you wish for."  For 40 years DW was most content with sailing in cabins, 2 lowers on the inside, until one day we were upgraded. That did my 'pocket book' in. As we went up and up the number of bags increased as well for the same 7 days.

Oh I know exactly what you mean.  My first cruise many years ago was in an inside cabin with BUNK beds.  Gradually I moved up to outside cabins and then finally to balcony cabins.  Man......I thought I had finally "made it" with a balcony cabin.  Then, lo and behold, I splurged on a suite.  I was hooked.

 

I've been very fortunate to have been able to sail in both Royal and Penthouse Suites many, many times on Summit.  But my "pocketbook" just cannot justify the price of the higher end suites on Edge.  I've sailed on Edge in a Sky Suite before and I was perfectly content so it's a Sky Suite for me.

 

However, I have been known to email my travel agent a week prior to a sailing asking her to "move me to XXX Suite".......so never say never.

 

Enjoy your last day onboard and safe travels home.

[Silkroad]

1 hour ago, morpheusofthesea said:

I began to chastise myself for  eating 5 too many pastries at breakfast and then again at tea time. But the day broke anew and I was tempted once again. In moments like these I find solace in the words of Mark Twain "I never struggle with temptation, I yield to it." 

We share the same travel philosophy, sir. Enjoy the moment. Seize the cocktail or the dessert! 
 

Regarding the sail away, you may be able to avoid the crowds if you join the party ten or fifteen minutes late. 

[Oceangoer2]

1 hour ago, morpheusofthesea said:

DW is presently searching the Celebrity web site for another Celebrity cruise to replace a previous booked cruise on another cruise line. Unfortunately one can only be wait listed for Christmas sailings and Worst Of All Scenarios.... NO amenities included... Might have to keep what we booked. My mantra has become "Give me the luxuries in life and I can dispense with the necessities" ever since I read Oscar Wilde. It is by far the amenities of suite class that makes cruising so much more enjoyable.

Reminds of another saying...."I can accept anything as long as it's the best"....however, in my way of thinking some necessities can be the best as long as you're happy....doesn't have to be luxury.

[Oceangoer2]

1 hour ago, Silkroad said:

We share the same travel philosophy, sir. Enjoy the moment. Seize the cocktail or the dessert! 
 

Regarding the sail away, you may be able to avoid the crowds if you join the party ten or fifteen minutes late. 

True....avoid the waiting, just walk on a little later....in my experience, one enjoys the helipad for quite a while.  We arrive late and leave early...except slowly sailing past St Mark's Square.  Lovely experience.

Edited August 6, 2021 by Oceangoer2

[joand452]

Enjoying your musings on a week aboard Equinox.  That has been our only Celebrity cruise until (and fingers crossed) April when we sail on Apex.  Same exact itinerary as Equinox, but we like to experience different classes of ships. 

 

I made notes on Equinox (first time I've done so), and I also wondered about the plot of Topper.  I also noted that there was another production show on Day 4, but no title or anything else.  It must not have been memorable.

 

Looking forward to reading about the rest of your cruise!  

[cangelmd]

On 8/5/2021 at 11:46 AM, Jim_Iain said:

 

Thanks.    Unless they changed the tea service is served by the butlers on a rotation basis and there is nothing left out for someone to touch.   White glove service with two forks used to serve sandwiches, scones and sweet bits.    We often enjoy afternoon tea when returning from a trip ashore and only want a small bite for lunch. 

 

I bring disinfectant wipes and spray with us and wipe down all touch surfaces, especially the remote and phone.  We have done that long before Covid and gives some peace of mind.    

Equinox is different than Reflection - those are my only 2 suite class experiences. Tea and cocktail hour snacks are served buffet style on Equinox, although most of the snacks are on little plates. Pre-Covid, you could serve yourself, now the butlers or even the Retreat concierge makes your plate.

 I actually prefer this to what we had on Reflection, they came around with pre-made plates of cocktail snacks which were not very good, and served at not quite right temps. Your food was a little wilted, and never seemed to be there when your drink was fresh.

It is a little less elegant on Equinox, but tastes better.

[morpheusofthesea]

Took a photo at lunch time today of the nearly empty Luminae Restaurant open on port days. The Main dining room is closed for lunch today, forcing non-suite passengers to the buffet or grill. I am so happy that Celebrity is keeping Luminae open for its suite guests. It is our top amenity on board the Equinox.  Please appreciate the spacing of the tables (I took this seated at "our" table, got there early). Quiet elegance, one can hear the beautiful background music. Tonight is lobster night. Might have to 'camp out' an hour before its doors open for dinner tonight.

[morpheusofthesea]

What a life !  What is interesting about this morning's sunrise is my observation that prompted me to take a second photo when I got out on deck. Sure, one will always find the ubiquitous passenger taking sunrises and sunsets all the time, but what prompted me to take the second photo was observing several early morning staff members out on deck taking this photo of the rising sun. Yes, it then 'dawned' on me that these seafaring workers have not partaken of this view for way too many months as well. Something we all take for granted.

[morpheusofthesea]

Well, we 'lost' our table for the first time for dinner last evening's lobster stravaganza. Did not get there early enough (too many of you reading my posts on board). But we had a lovely meal anyway. The Luminae was packed (some things never change like lobster night). Heard another tidbit of information from a staff member that Capt Tazos has a older brother who is captain of Celebrity Apex. But the more important 'skinny' is that Celebrity is slowly increasing its capacity and intends to be sailing by this December at 80%. So as of now should one go on the Celebrity web site and find the Retreats booked, keep going back. From what I have been told many are booking the Retreat because of lower, more reasonable $$, categories are filled, but when Celebrity slowly releases more lower categories these same Retreat passengers jump, thus opening the Retreat again. "Jack be nimble". (I hope I am not 'shooting myself in the foot' because we booked ,on board, the Apex Retreat as a holiday place holder waiting for the Equinox Retreat to open up....deja vu lobster night..)

[Cdresser]

Thank you for this wonderful group of poop deck observations. You have made me even more excited for my upcoming cruise in a royal suite on the Summit. Funny how everyone has different priorities. One of our favorite parts of being in a royal is the hot tub but we hardly use the rest of the balcony. I'll be interested to learn what you think of the Edge Villa balcony next month. We loved it - and the rest of the suite. Another couple on our cruise did not like theirs because of the stairs but I considered them to be a good rationale for more scones at tea time.

 

BTW, if you get invited to a helipad sailaway on the Edge, DON'T GO! The Edge does not have a helipad 😉

[morpheusofthesea]

3 minutes ago, Cdresser said:

BTW, if you get invited to a helipad sailaway on the Edge, DON'T GO! The Edge does not have a helipad 😉

Thanks for the tip. Now we don't feel left out because we were sailing in a Celebrity Suite. We did not plan on sailing on the July 3 2021 sailing, but the rave reviews prompted us to the Celebrity web site and lo and behold this CS suite popped up 48hrs before sailing. Excited about the Villa in 3 weeks. It is not the stairs, we do not use the elevators, just the bathroom in the middle of the night.

[Cdresser]

3 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Thanks for the tip. Now we don't feel left out because we were sailing in a Celebrity Suite. We did not plan on sailing on the July 3 2021 sailing, but the rave reviews prompted us to the Celebrity web site and lo and behold this CS suite popped up 48hrs before sailing. Excited about the Villa in 3 weeks. It is not the stairs, we do not use the elevators, just the bathroom in the middle of the night.

Then you won't have a problem because there is a bathroom on each level. I think the master bathroom is probably the size of an inside cabin- it is huge. Also, your DW will enjoy all of the closet space. I can't compete with her as a packing extraordinaire, but we had 4 full size suitecases and 2 carryons and had space left over. There's even a closet on the first floor.

[Silkroad]

16 minutes ago, Cdresser said:

BTW, if you get invited to a helipad sailaway on the Edge, DON'T GO! The Edge does not have a helipad 😉

However, sail away parties are held on the small deck with the Golden Penguin sculptures (outside the fitness center, I think). I’ve been to one, pre-pandemic. 

[morpheusofthesea]

There are not that many children on board this cruise. Those that are on board are not in the Luminae. Last cruise the Luminae catered to two ten year olds. Saw one service dog last evening for the first time passing by the shops. Very well-mannered pooch wearing a leather 'mask'. Unless it was a drug sniffing canine that I am just mistaking for the service type since it did not appear to be 'leading' its handler dressed in culottes. (We were in Mexico). Last time we were in a Mexican port the dock was flooded with US Customs and DEA officers and just a few Mexican officers to make things 'official'. The ship was unloading old mattresses and loading new mattresses and the next port of call was Miami. Each mattress was 'sniffed 'coming and going.

Edited August 7, 2021 by morpheusofthesea

[morpheusofthesea]

23 hours ago, joand452 said:

Enjoying your musings on a week aboard Equinox.

I just LOVE the word you chose to use "musings".  Whenever i sit down to write something in a post, I have to wait until my Muse decides to give me the words to put down. Other than that I am a rather dull and uninteresting bloke.

[morpheusofthesea]

Well, I guess the cruise is coming to its 'bittersweet' end. Perhaps not in the usual way we have all been accustomed to. DW and I have just experienced a new first that was completely unexpected. The 'bitter' we all know as the end of another great chapter of a cruise vacation. The sweet is that today is tip night $$. The 'thank yous' are deeper than normal, more meaningful to those we are tipping. Something we did not expect , but I guess we should have. One replied, "I thank you Mr & Mrs Morpheus and my family thanks you."   Godspeed everyone !

[Silkroad]

Wishing you and your DW safe travels home.

[FLCruiser97]

2 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Well, I guess the cruise is coming to its 'bittersweet' end. Perhaps not in the usual way we have all been accustomed to. DW and I have just experienced a new first that was completely unexpected. The 'bitter' we all know as the end of another great chapter of a cruise vacation. The sweet is that today is tip night $$. The 'thank yous' are deeper than normal, more meaningful to those we are tipping. Something we did not expect , but I guess we should have. One replied, "I thank you Mr & Mrs Morpheus and my family thanks you."   Godspeed everyone !

I have always found last nights to be quite emotional. Mr. Morpheus, you and your DW have a safe trip home. I so enjoyed your daily adventures.