Review of Equinox and Retreat from infrequent cruisers

[PTC DAWG]

On 10/30/2023 at 11:50 AM, RichYak said:

How do you get from taking issue with, and acting on, the attitude and performance of a head butler to going off on Celebrity? Don't be so melodramatic.

Hey I didn't start the drama....nor did I mean to upset anyone here...

[PTC DAWG]

7 minutes ago, CruisinShips said:

Good review, thank you.  But being the child at heart that I am, I did chuckle at this bit of TMI:

 

"Everything in the bathroom was spotless and worked great, although the rainfall shower head was surprisingly short over the tub and my 6" husband had to duck to fit underneath!"

I saw that too, and decided to let it lie.  🙂

[PTC DAWG]

On 10/30/2023 at 10:58 AM, zitsky said:

And to be clear I plan to be as pleasant with the front line staff as I can be.  But if the butlers try to pass me around to my cabin attendant I will give them and the Hotel Director some feedback.  Loudly.

Not sure the loud is necessary..I have always found you will catch more bees with honey than vinegar.  I can't imagine yelling at a crew member for much of anything.  

Edited October 31, 2023 by PTC DAWG

[RichYak]

55 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

Hey I didn't start the drama

I guess that was my point... what drama? Why does a discussion about how to handle a non-performing butler need to be considered drama?

[zitsky]

6 hours ago, PTC DAWG said:

Not sure the loud is necessary..I have always found you will catch more bees with honey than vinegar.  I can't imagine yelling at a crew member for much of anything.  

Ok.  When I get onboard and find I have no butler service I will go to the Hotel Director and whisper gently in their ear I AM NOT GETTING WHAT I PAID FOR AND WHAT YOU PROMISED ME.

 

Happy now?

 

I guess you want me to pay for a Mercedes-Benz and drive a Toyota.

 

P.S.  I know how the butler team works.  Just read the reviews of people who are onboard.

 

P.P.S.  It’s possible to address customer service issues by being insistent without being rude.  There is a difference.  I don’t have to be a pushover.

P.P.P.S.  I already told you I would be nice to front line staff.  I was nice when I couldn’t get that SiriusXM renewal that I wanted.

Edited October 31, 2023 by zitsky

[paylady]

To the OP, thank you for sharing your experience.  We’ve been to Renaissance Island many times and hope to do it again. 

[Rmoosh]

On 10/27/2023 at 7:54 PM, mailmama said:

I am sailing on Equinox in a couple weeks. I'm so hoping Vinod is still in Luminae. He was fantastic last year!!

Vinod should be there. I believe he is going home in January/ February than to the summit while the equinox is dry docked and then will return to the equinox.

[Rmoosh]

On 10/27/2023 at 11:59 AM, lukaaj12 said:

Hi all! This board has been so helpful as I planned a big cruise for the first time in awhile, so I wanted to repay all of the kindness, tips, and tricks I learned and provide a review of our cruise.  We had an amazing experience overall, with just one complaint really about the butler changes, that I'll explain further below.

 

My husband and I were on the 10/14 ABC islands sailing on Equinox.  We are mid-thirties, and this was our 3rd cruise together, 2nd on Celebrity, but we haven't cruised since 2017 (having kids and a pandemic got in the way for a bit).  This was my 12th cruise overall, having cruised quite a bit with my family growing up.  My first cruise ever was the Celebrity Century sometime in the late 1990s and I've always liked the product/brand so we have stuck with it and my husband basically loves everything about cruising.

 

We decided to splurge for our first kid-free trip to celebrate our 10 year anniversary, and booked a corner sunset veranda Sky Suite.  We booked about 18 months in advance, before some of these crazy price hikes went into effect, and took advantage through our TA with some price drops, so ultimately I feel like what we paid with the perks included was around the same if not less than if we had a regular veranda and had to purchase drink package/internet separately.  I was initially indifferent about the Retreat areas but my parents were on the Beyond in Retreat about a month before us so gave us a good idea of what to expect, although I knew we were on an older ship with not quite the same areas, but was looking forward to it nonetheless.  Lots of posts on here throughout the summer and fall had me worried about the level of service, food, and ship, but honestly we couldn't have been more impressed.

 

Since this was our first trip without the kiddos (we had 2 in 2 years during the pandemic!!) we picked this itinerary to have more sea days for relaxation, as well as explore the ABC islands which were new to both of us (requirement by my husband since I've traveled much more than he has).  We almost exclusively hung out in Retreat areas just for smaller crowds and more attention by staff, which was surprising to me as I didn't think we'd use the areas so much.  The Sundeck was fantastic although the drink service was a little slow as they only had one worker get drinks and no bar up there, we'd sometimes pop down to the Mast Bar to grab things ourselves which was no big deal.  We ate lunch out there most days and found the food to be very fresh and served hot.  But overall we preferred the quieter vibe of the sundeck over the pool decks which got quite crowded and a bit rowdy throughout the sea days.

 

Our cabin (#1666) was HUGE, much bigger than I was expecting, not sure if it was larger than a typical Sky Suite because it was the corner or not.  It was great to have a large porthole side window, and the balcony was large enough for 2 loungers (we had to request the second one) and a table/chairs, although we didn't spend a ton of time on the balcony.  I found the bed to be quite comfortable and our room attendant/Retreat Host was happy to give us some extra pillows.  Everything in the bathroom was spotless and worked great, although the rainfall shower head was surprisingly short over the tub and my 6" husband had to duck to fit underneath!

 

We typically ate breakfast in the OVC which was fine, albeit very crowded but tons of options and we didn't tire from it.  We ate all dinners but one in Luminae and were blown away by the staff.  We had the most excellent waiter, assistant waiter, and sommelier who really took care of us and made us feel at home the entire week.  If you're going on the Equinox soon and eating in Luminae, ask for Vinod and Sajo!  I am a bit of a picky eater and Vinod had learned my preferences by the second night and would bring me different menus from Blu or the main dining room if he felt like I wouldn't like the Luminae menu, and he really took care of us.  Food was fantastic, really no complaints.  To be honest, I was expecting a lot more sad steamed vegetables and ice cream scoops of mashed potatoes than I had, but we didn't eat in the main dining room so cannot speak to the quality there.

 

I thought the ship was in great shape, some of the carpets were worn and the public bathroom sinks had some buildup, but I know Equinox is going into dry dock soon so I'm sure those will be addressed.  I had read so many negative things about the ship, I really tried to meter my expectations but honestly was quite blown away and impressed with almost every aspect of our 8 day cruise.

 

The only thing that didn't work out for us was this Sky Suite butler team.  I read extensively about it through CC posts, and knew what to expect.  We had a card in our room for a Head Butler John, who we never met once during the cruise.  The Retreat Lounge had 2 concierges for all suite guests, Gazelle and Ian who was absolutely fantastic and so accommodating to any request we had.  Our Retreat Host/room attendant Efren was equally wonderful, and was sure to point out different perks and things we got as suite guests (like to disregard the room service charges, etc).  We had called the Head Butler once or twice to assist with a few things, and while he would always answer the phone, he'd tell us to reach out to someone else, or let us know we'd be getting a call to follow up, but there was never anything further.  We leaned on our host and the two concierges who were able to handle everything we needed (nothing major, just some room service orders, and a spa appointment), so we just didn't bother with John after that.  In all it was an annoyance, but there were others to pick up his slack and it didn't detract from the cruise whatsoever.

 

I love live music and was looking forward to grabbing drinks in various lounges and bars, but I wasn't a big fan of any of the entertainment groups that were on the Equinox.  Plenty talented, just not my personal preference, so we skipped most of that and only went to one of the production shows, which I also wasn't that impressed with.  This was quite different than our 2017 Med cruise on the Reflection where there were multiple musicians we loved and saw alot of throughout the cruise, so just a small disappointment.

 

We used OBC for 2 different shore excursions.  I'd typically prefer to plan my own adventure but we had received quite a bit of credit, and the excursions were great.  A bit like herding cats in the beginning but well-executed and easy to get off the ship and onto the adventure.  We did a boat/snorkling excursion in Curacao and a kayak/beach snorkle in Bonaire.  We did our own thing in Aruba, heading over to Renaissance Island for the day which included lunch and massages for a flat rate fee (tip I picked up from someone on here- thank you!)

 

In all, it was a fantastic cruise, everything we were hoping for to celebrate our anniversary and explore some new islands.  I was a bit nervous about the state of the Equinox based on reviews here, but those were completely unfounded.  I do acknowledge that I'm probably not the typical Celebrity cruiser, and I do cruise infrequently, but the brand has held up to me throughout the years and I will cruise on Celebrity again in the future.  It will be very hard to go back to a "regular" cabin after being completely spoiled in the Retreat!

 

 

I believe we were on the same cruise! Yes Vinod and Sajo were wonderful. 
 

agreed that John the “head butler” was useless. We never got our welcome bottle of bubbly and were given various reasons why not - including they were out and you have to ask ?!?

 

we are in the Apex in February and have decided that we will make certain that we get what we have paid for including welcome bubbly, lattes in the room, shirt pressing etc. if not yes we will speak with the hotel director.

[PTC DAWG]

21 hours ago, zitsky said:

Ok.  When I get onboard and find I have no butler service I will go to the Hotel Director and whisper gently in their ear I AM NOT GETTING WHAT I PAID FOR AND WHAT YOU PROMISED ME.

 

Happy now?

 

I guess you want me to pay for a Mercedes-Benz and drive a Toyota.

 

P.S.  I know how the butler team works.  Just read the reviews of people who are onboard.

 

P.P.S.  It’s possible to address customer service issues by being insistent without being rude.  There is a difference.  I don’t have to be a pushover.

P.P.P.S.  I already told you I would be nice to front line staff.  I was nice when I couldn’t get that SiriusXM renewal that I wanted.

Fair enough..maybe a nice card would suffice.. 🙂

[zitsky]

4 hours ago, PTC DAWG said:

Fair enough..maybe a nice card would suffice.. 🙂

You know maybe I’d get better service if I let people roll right over me?

[HopefulCruiser123]

On our honeymoon Sky Suite on the Silhouette many moons ago, our butler was very visible, checking on us several times a day.  We really didn't need him for anything.  We thought he was extremely sweet.  We felt a little guilty because he really wanted to be of service, but we are pretty self-sufficient and really like our privacy.  He did serve breakfast out on our verandah one day, and we stood by while he set the table and laid everything out "just so", and when he left we had to stifle giggles over all the fussing.  With that being said, I was very intrigued by the whole butler perk when we booked that trip and while it may not have been the thing that sold us on booking with Celebrity, it was one of the many things that sold us.

[zitsky]

4 hours ago, HopefulCruiser123 said:

On our honeymoon Sky Suite on the Silhouette many moons ago, our butler was very visible, checking on us several times a day.  We really didn't need him for anything.  We thought he was extremely sweet.  We felt a little guilty because he really wanted to be of service, but we are pretty self-sufficient and really like our privacy.  He did serve breakfast out on our verandah one day, and we stood by while he set the table and laid everything out "just so", and when he left we had to stifle giggles over all the fussing.  With that being said, I was very intrigued by the whole butler perk when we booked that trip and while it may not have been the thing that sold us on booking with Celebrity, it was one of the many things that sold us.

One thing I was trying to figure out is how large the balcony tables are on the SS balconies on the Millie.  Yours looks quite large.

 

I thought our butler was just right but it was our first time in a SS.  (Beyond). I may do a move up bid from our SS on the Millie. I need to get more familiar with the other suites.

Edited November 16, 2023 by zitsky

[HopefulCruiser123]

1 hour ago, zitsky said:

One thing I was trying to figure out is how large the balcony tables are on the SS balconies on the Millie.  Yours looks quite large.

 

I thought our butler was just right but it was our first time in a SS.  (Beyond). I may do a move up bid from our SS on the Millie. I need to get more familiar with the other suites.

We were in an Accessible Sky Suite, that might be why the table was bigger.  I have seen some recent pictures and videos of the sky suites and don't see the large table.  I would have to request one because DH's is a para and  doesn't have the balance to reach and pick up a glass from a short table. Thus my logic says that might have been the reason for the bigger table?  

[zitsky]

27 minutes ago, HopefulCruiser123 said:

We were in an Accessible Sky Suite, that might be why the table was bigger.  I have seen some recent pictures and videos of the sky suites and don't see the large table.  I would have to request one because DH's is a para and  doesn't have the balance to reach and pick up a glass from a short table. Thus my logic says that might have been the reason for the bigger table?  

Sure.  We were in an accessible SS thru move up.  We ordered room service but never ate it on the balcony.

[wegolf]

On 10/31/2023 at 12:57 PM, PTC DAWG said:

I saw that too, and decided to let it lie.  🙂

While my 6' husband complains about this all the time - so I appreciate the heads-up! 😉

[DaKahuna]

On 11/16/2023 at 6:41 PM, zitsky said:

One thing I was trying to figure out is how large the balcony tables are on the SS balconies on the Millie.  Yours looks quite large.

 

They are just a little larger that the seat of the chairs

This is from our April - May 2023 sailing on Millennium, SS #6100

 

On 11/16/2023 at 6:41 PM, zitsky said:

 

I thought our butler was just right but it was our first time in a SS.  (Beyond). I may do a move up bid from our SS on the Millie. I need to get more familiar with the other suites.

 

 Good luck.  Depending on when you sailing is, Millie is usually sold out for Celebrity Suites and above due to the limited number of them. 

 

 

[hrmkr]

On 10/27/2023 at 11:59 AM, lukaaj12 said:

Hi all! This board has been so helpful as I planned a big cruise for the first time in awhile, so I wanted to repay all of the kindness, tips, and tricks I learned and provide a review of our cruise.  We had an amazing experience overall, with just one complaint really about the butler changes, that I'll explain further below.

 

My husband and I were on the 10/14 ABC islands sailing on Equinox.  We are mid-thirties, and this was our 3rd cruise together, 2nd on Celebrity, but we haven't cruised since 2017 (having kids and a pandemic got in the way for a bit).  This was my 12th cruise overall, having cruised quite a bit with my family growing up.  My first cruise ever was the Celebrity Century sometime in the late 1990s and I've always liked the product/brand so we have stuck with it and my husband basically loves everything about cruising.

 

We decided to splurge for our first kid-free trip to celebrate our 10 year anniversary, and booked a corner sunset veranda Sky Suite.  We booked about 18 months in advance, before some of these crazy price hikes went into effect, and took advantage through our TA with some price drops, so ultimately I feel like what we paid with the perks included was around the same if not less than if we had a regular veranda and had to purchase drink package/internet separately.  I was initially indifferent about the Retreat areas but my parents were on the Beyond in Retreat about a month before us so gave us a good idea of what to expect, although I knew we were on an older ship with not quite the same areas, but was looking forward to it nonetheless.  Lots of posts on here throughout the summer and fall had me worried about the level of service, food, and ship, but honestly we couldn't have been more impressed.

 

Since this was our first trip without the kiddos (we had 2 in 2 years during the pandemic!!) we picked this itinerary to have more sea days for relaxation, as well as explore the ABC islands which were new to both of us (requirement by my husband since I've traveled much more than he has).  We almost exclusively hung out in Retreat areas just for smaller crowds and more attention by staff, which was surprising to me as I didn't think we'd use the areas so much.  The Sundeck was fantastic although the drink service was a little slow as they only had one worker get drinks and no bar up there, we'd sometimes pop down to the Mast Bar to grab things ourselves which was no big deal.  We ate lunch out there most days and found the food to be very fresh and served hot.  But overall we preferred the quieter vibe of the sundeck over the pool decks which got quite crowded and a bit rowdy throughout the sea days.

 

Our cabin (#1666) was HUGE, much bigger than I was expecting, not sure if it was larger than a typical Sky Suite because it was the corner or not.  It was great to have a large porthole side window, and the balcony was large enough for 2 loungers (we had to request the second one) and a table/chairs, although we didn't spend a ton of time on the balcony.  I found the bed to be quite comfortable and our room attendant/Retreat Host was happy to give us some extra pillows.  Everything in the bathroom was spotless and worked great, although the rainfall shower head was surprisingly short over the tub and my 6" husband had to duck to fit underneath!

 

We typically ate breakfast in the OVC which was fine, albeit very crowded but tons of options and we didn't tire from it.  We ate all dinners but one in Luminae and were blown away by the staff.  We had the most excellent waiter, assistant waiter, and sommelier who really took care of us and made us feel at home the entire week.  If you're going on the Equinox soon and eating in Luminae, ask for Vinod and Sajo!  I am a bit of a picky eater and Vinod had learned my preferences by the second night and would bring me different menus from Blu or the main dining room if he felt like I wouldn't like the Luminae menu, and he really took care of us.  Food was fantastic, really no complaints.  To be honest, I was expecting a lot more sad steamed vegetables and ice cream scoops of mashed potatoes than I had, but we didn't eat in the main dining room so cannot speak to the quality there.

 

I thought the ship was in great shape, some of the carpets were worn and the public bathroom sinks had some buildup, but I know Equinox is going into dry dock soon so I'm sure those will be addressed.  I had read so many negative things about the ship, I really tried to meter my expectations but honestly was quite blown away and impressed with almost every aspect of our 8 day cruise.

 

The only thing that didn't work out for us was this Sky Suite butler team.  I read extensively about it through CC posts, and knew what to expect.  We had a card in our room for a Head Butler John, who we never met once during the cruise.  The Retreat Lounge had 2 concierges for all suite guests, Gazelle and Ian who was absolutely fantastic and so accommodating to any request we had.  Our Retreat Host/room attendant Efren was equally wonderful, and was sure to point out different perks and things we got as suite guests (like to disregard the room service charges, etc).  We had called the Head Butler once or twice to assist with a few things, and while he would always answer the phone, he'd tell us to reach out to someone else, or let us know we'd be getting a call to follow up, but there was never anything further.  We leaned on our host and the two concierges who were able to handle everything we needed (nothing major, just some room service orders, and a spa appointment), so we just didn't bother with John after that.  In all it was an annoyance, but there were others to pick up his slack and it didn't detract from the cruise whatsoever.

 

I love live music and was looking forward to grabbing drinks in various lounges and bars, but I wasn't a big fan of any of the entertainment groups that were on the Equinox.  Plenty talented, just not my personal preference, so we skipped most of that and only went to one of the production shows, which I also wasn't that impressed with.  This was quite different than our 2017 Med cruise on the Reflection where there were multiple musicians we loved and saw alot of throughout the cruise, so just a small disappointment.

 

We used OBC for 2 different shore excursions.  I'd typically prefer to plan my own adventure but we had received quite a bit of credit, and the excursions were great.  A bit like herding cats in the beginning but well-executed and easy to get off the ship and onto the adventure.  We did a boat/snorkling excursion in Curacao and a kayak/beach snorkle in Bonaire.  We did our own thing in Aruba, heading over to Renaissance Island for the day which included lunch and massages for a flat rate fee (tip I picked up from someone on here- thank you!)

 

In all, it was a fantastic cruise, everything we were hoping for to celebrate our anniversary and explore some new islands.  I was a bit nervous about the state of the Equinox based on reviews here, but those were completely unfounded.  I do acknowledge that I'm probably not the typical Celebrity cruiser, and I do cruise infrequently, but the brand has held up to me throughout the years and I will cruise on Celebrity again in the future.  It will be very hard to go back to a "regular" cabin after being completely spoiled in the Retreat!

 

 

Can you please describe the different types of entertainment on the ship (shows, musicians-type of music played), etc..?

[zitsky]

41 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 

They are just a little larger that the seat of the chairs

This is from our April - May 2023 sailing on Millennium, SS #6100

 

 

 Good luck.  Depending on when you sailing is, Millie is usually sold out for Celebrity Suites and above due to the limited number of them. 

 

 

Lucky for me that I am the President’s uncle’s cousin’s college roommate.  A real Celebrity VIP.  So I’m pretty sure there will be a “real” suite available for me to upgrade from my “fake” suite.