Celebrity Equinox Review 8/13-8/20/17

You're right about that World Class bar. They don't have soda or water. Luckily, the coffee bar, Cafe Bacio, is right around the corner and does.

And yes, to those who were for some reason fuming about fountain soda on these boards, they were giving out cans of soda to people who had the Classic Package. I didn't see any fountain soda.

Bartenders were eager to upsell you to the Premium Package if you asked about what liquors were included with Classic drinks. I get that it's a pain for them to have to recite for each customer what's included and what might cost you a couple bucks more. The best way to avoid that discussion is to snag a list from guest services of what liquors and drinks were included in what package, which I did. However, the ship didn't carry everything that was listed on that sheet (for example, I couldn't find Kraken rum anywhere despite it being listed as part of Classic).

You can get a Manhattan, Sidecar, Old Fashioned, Dark and Stormy, Cosmo, pina coladas and daiquiris, and many other "regular" drinks on the Classic package. The bartenders used Absolut as their call vodka of choice, and Jim Beam as their bourbon. Rum was some cheapo variety but then they floated Myers or Captain Morgan on top of frozen cocktails. Jack Daniels was only available on the Premium package.

KEY WEST

 

During the walk down Duval St, we stopped at DJ's Clam Shack, famous from Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives with Guy Fieri. It lived up to the TV hype! The clams were definitely the star, but the conch fritters and fried shrimp were also delicious. Check it out and have a bite there; you won't be disappointed.

 

We were on the same cruise and also had lunch at DJ's - I had the lobster roll with sangria - delicious

Last Day - Sea Day

I finally made myself a bacon, egg and cheese bagel sandwich for breakfast in the cafe. After breakfast, we went to the pool, where there were plenty of seats available. Some cards were scattered about on chairs where the hogs had left their belongings. Later, I went with my dad and brother to the art auction. It was the usual suspects - Peter Max, Tarkay, Najar. They had a Rembrandt sketch in their masterpiece section, but my onboard credit didn't quite cover the $14,000 cost so I had to pass. Free champagne.

I also used the sea day to finally try one of the famed Mast Grill burgers. It was fine, but really just a burger, and I don't understand why they aren't just available in the buffet.

We spent the rest of the day walking around the ship, eating and drinking. The best bartender was in the Oceanview Bar, and if it wasn't for the humidity (it's outside) we would've spent a lot more time up there.

Dinner was good - the big offering was Steak Dianne, which was really just a sauced-up version of the regular sirloin that's on the menu every night. Dessert options included cannoli and a sacher torte that was excellent. We had a good last night dinner with the waitstaff (don't forget to tip them!). We lucked out with the sommelier in particular; he hooked us up! But Celebrity didn't do the last dinner wait staff singing show that other cruise lines have. I know it's corny, but it's a fond farewell that was missing on this ship.

The final show onboard was "Life", a song and dance routine featuring a male aerialist, who was the highlight of the show. Late night comedy was James Stephens, who was again hilarious but wasn't really explicit as it stated.

Debarkation

I panicked during "Life", because I had forgotten to put our suitcases outside of the room, so I ran back there and ran into our steward, Michael, who assured me that even though it was 10:00, I still had plenty of time. The next morning we arrived to a rain shower in Miami, and debarkation was delayed. My advice is not to book a flight home too early after your cruise, because we were held up for over an hour before the ship was cleared to begin letting passengers off. Debarkation went smoothly, and customs were a breeze.

My flight wasn't until the next day, and we had booked a night at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites - Airport East. It was a modern hotel and the room was beautiful and very spacious. The staff was also extremely friendly and accommodating, agreeing to hold our luggage until our room was ready. There isn't much around it to explore, though, and the weather was still spotty, so we just hung out in the lounge area watching TV and drinking coffee. The staff was able to have our room ready by 11 (it pays to be an IHG member), and we went in and promptly took a long nap! The hotel also has a free airport shuttle. Being so close to the airport, the takeoffs were audible, but we slept just fine.

Overall, I enjoyed the cruise on Celebrity, but I think the ship lacked some of the personalization and attention that Royal offers. Little things like no towel animals and no show in the dining room seemed to reinforce the robotic atmosphere onboard. The ship was clean, the food was good, and the staff was accommodating. It just seemed like it was missing some spark to make it special.

Syracruising, question regarding the Classic drink package. My husband drinks Manhattans but doesn't like Jim Beam bourbon. I understand you can upgrade the bourbon and pay only the difference of the actual cost of the drink. In other words, Classic has a $9 limit but a Makers Mark Manhattan would cost $12 to buy - so we would only have to pay the $3 difference. Do you know if this is true?

Syracruising, question regarding the Classic drink package. My husband drinks Manhattans but doesn't like Jim Beam bourbon. I understand you can upgrade the bourbon and pay only the difference of the actual cost of the drink. In other words, Classic has a $9 limit but a Makers Mark Manhattan would cost $12 to buy - so we would only have to pay the $3 difference. Do you know if this is true?

Yes, you'll pay the difference for any drink over $9. So if it's $12 for a Makers Mark Manhattan, he'd pay $3 - unless he makes friends with the bartender ;)

If he drinks more than three of them a day, it would probably make more sense to upgrade to Premium.

Thanks so much for this review!

~Brian

Syracruising, question regarding the Classic drink package. My husband drinks Manhattans but doesn't like Jim Beam bourbon. I understand you can upgrade the bourbon and pay only the difference of the actual cost of the drink. In other words, Classic has a $9 limit but a Makers Mark Manhattan would cost $12 to buy - so we would only have to pay the $3 difference. Do you know if this is true?

MM use to be on the Classic and so was Crown. Now both are premium. My wife drinks Crown and I like Bourbons.

A little tidbit. Beam owns MM. The Beam family is basically the root or has connections to just about every old name of bourbons. Old Grand Dad and Basil Hayden is the same recipe. The only difference is how it is aged.

On board they also have Woodford Reserve, and Knob Creek. Sometimes you may find Bookers, Basil Hayden or Bakers.

It is probably worth upgrading as the premium pack also includes many other drinks beside alcohol. Until the change we would never upgrade but we are forced to now and do like the other things available.

I would find a bar or bartender that you like and do the upgrade with them as they get the extra tips for the upgrade. It pays off as they become even more friendlier. The extra tips for them is why you get bombarded by the servers on the first day wanting you to upgrade.

Drink up 🍸🍹🍷🍺