Mattingly23

How was the pasta bar in the buffet? When we were last on in 2014 they had a very good selection of pastas and sauces and would make fresh pasta dishes.

Give me some salad, pasta and bread and cheese and I will be a happy camper.

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They still have the pasta bar. I feel the same about pasta as you do, but unfortunately the pasta bar did not make me a happy camper.

Others may feel differently, but I was very unimpressed with the offerings, especially any of the red sauces.

I had a pappardelle dish at Tuscan Grill as well, and sad to report no happiness with that one either.

Glad to hear your comments regarding the Hampton as we've not yet stayed here. Cost of cab approx?

It was $30 plus tip. There were 4 of us.

The shuttle out to the port was full so it was a little squishy in that van and we had to climb into the very back. They told us 11:00 so we got downstairs at 10:50 figuring we'd be first in the van, but obviously everyone else was more eager than we were:)

Thanks for your thoughts on your Equinox sailing, Mattingly23 (btw, I forgive you for being an obvious Yankees fan, lol). We'll be on Equinox for our 3rd time in October, so we obviously like her.

 

Yours is not the first report of their buffet offerings slipping. I have always thought the S class OV was excellent for a buffet, but we have not sailed Equinox since 2015, so we'll just have to wait and see. Food is certainly subjective, but even though not what it once was, we've always found a few things that stood out on Celebrity. To me, their lava cake is to die for!

 

I have to say that generally Celebrity's choice of seating styles has been chosen by someone who does not spend much time sitting, but this goes back to the days of Zenith.

 

Funny, but when you mentioned the lack of a place to sit & read, the first place I thought of was the Ensemble Lounge; despite the low to the ground seating, we always found it bright in daytime. Did they keep the windows covered?

 

I've been thinking of trying MSC for years, but just have not been able to pull the trigger. More food for thought. Their pool area sounds similar to that of Norwegian Breakaway; woefully crowded.

 

Happy cruising!

 

Hi Arzeena! Didn't see your post. See you in October!

The windows were covered day & night. Was just a dreary place IMO. DW & I hung there 2 evenings because we really liked a singer by the name of Victor Cruz, but we both had the same thoughts about that space.

DW & I are discussing jumping at a cheap getaway in Oct on MSC....$399pp for an inside. We both feel the same way: Our cruise on Equinox just didn't cure our needs and we're itching to do something else asap.

It used to be available daily at Bistro on Five. I doubt if they offer it in the new sushi iteration. It was also available one or two nights in the MDR.

 

Completely off topic, but I recall back in the 80s, the discussions about who was better, Keith or Donnie Baseball. (Keith, of course) NY was lucky to have two great first-basemen back then.

If we didn't know each other back in the '80's we could certainly revive that spirited discussion once again. That topic never gets old :)

Thanks for your thoughts on your Equinox sailing, Mattingly23 (btw, I forgive you for being an obvious Yankees fan, lol). We'll be on Equinox for our 3rd time in October, so we obviously like her.

 

Yours is not the first report of their buffet offerings slipping. I have always thought the S class OV was excellent for a buffet, but we have not sailed Equinox since 2015, so we'll just have to wait and see. Food is certainly subjective, but even though not what it once was, we've always found a few things that stood out on Celebrity. To me, their lava cake is to die for!

 

I have to say that generally Celebrity's choice of seating styles has been chosen by someone who does not spend much time sitting, but this goes back to the days of Zenith.

 

Funny, but when you mentioned the lack of a place to sit & read, the first place I thought of was the Ensemble Lounge; despite the low to the ground seating, we always found it bright in daytime. Did they keep the windows covered?

 

I've been thinking of trying MSC for years, but just have not been able to pull the trigger. More food for thought. Their pool area sounds similar to that of Norwegian Breakaway; woefully crowded.

 

Happy cruising!

 

Hi Arzeena! Didn't see your post. See you in October!

Yes, Yankee fan born & raised :)

Interesting about lava cake! One of my favorite desserts, but I've never seen it on Celebrity. Is it something offered only in specialty restaurants?

OP, I believe your opinions of the food. I felt the same way about Celebrity's food decline on my last cruise. Nothing memorable for me either. In the OV it was select the lesser of the evils. Much of the food I experienced in the MDR had been sitting under a heat lamp for quite some time.

 

I believe it really depends on who's in the kitchen for your particular cruise and how much they care about the quality of the food they put out. As you know contracts are constantly rotating so one person who has had a great experience could not have the same with a different crew member in the same position such as you did.

 

Food preparation, quality, presentation and taste are important aspects of sailing for me. It's the difference between an OK cruise and a great one. My last cruise, compared to other Celebrity cruises I've sailed, was just OK also.

I want to go home remembering something...anything...relating to food. An entree that "wowed" me...a special dessert...heck even a good croissant. I had a very sub par cruise on Carnival many years ago, but still remember the chocolate muffins they served in the morning. Unfortunately I brought home no food memories from this cruise and that makes me sad.

Divina is much better then Equinox.

Divina has its issues as well. Gosh, that pool area is the definition of 10 pounds of bologna in a 5 pound bag. As I stated earlier, however, pools & sun lounging hold no interest for me at all, so it doesn't matter to me that the area is overcrowded. I simply avoid it. Also as I previously mentioned, I feel the Equinox crew is miles above Divina's in personality, professionalism, etc.

I found most of Equinox's public areas just...uncomfortable. We utilized most lounges, the library, the area on deck 7 with the globe (forgot what they called it), the solarium, etc and never found a comfortable chair that I could sit in for more than 10 minutes. The entire ensemble lounge was so dark...night & day...that I found it depressing. No outlets in any public area to plug in a laptop.

I found the MDR's to be similar in quality with Equinox having an edge (no pun intended) due to overcrowding & poor service in the Divina MDR. No comparison with the buffets...Divina's far surpassed Equinox.

Both ships have many very good aspects...I find those aspects on Divina more to my liking. Obviously you do as well. It doesn't mean that others think as I do. You certainly can't go wrong with Equinox

One of the great things about CC is that people can express their own opinion and viewpoint. I pointed out that the OP has a right to his opinion but I have a different opinion. In no way did I personally insult the OP or engage in name calling. In my mind this is no way goes to the level of a "lecture". If you post something and expect that everyone is going to accept what you say as gospel you are just kidding yourself.

From my own experience from cruising on Equinox 3 times it is a wonderful cruise with very few minor inconveniences. Can you tell me how that is considered a "lecture"? Please tell me people on this board are not that thin skinned. Let people who seek information read different viewpoints and decide for themselves.

Enjoy your cruising days.

I think this will be an exercise in wasted key strokes, but here goes:

In my opinion you had an agenda to discredit my comments, and structured your comments accordingly.

You took the time & effort to quote me, but removed my first two comments, both very positive, because (I assume) they did not fit your agenda.

You decided my cruise was "ruined" when at no time did I ever infer this in my comments. Again, to fit your agenda I assume.

You assumed, incorrectly, that I was a novice cruiser, when in fact I have cruised many times. In fact, I did have four (4) 8-packs of Bonine packed and they were utilized. If you've ever experienced sea sickness, you will know this is not a cure-all miracle pill.

You assumed I did not understand the speed & reliability of satellite internet service. In this case, there were complete outages lasting 1-3 hours which I find unacceptable (and have not happened on previous sailings) at the prices paid for internet service.

You had the audacity to instruct me on the concept of tipping, while having no idea of anything about me or whom I might (or might not) have tipped. For the record, I spent 30 years in various service industries, starting at age 12 delivering the Bergen Evening Record and I fully comprehend the concept. Even if I did not, you have no place instructing anyone in tipping unless it is solicited.

Good day Sir.

Am attempting to compare prices for a Divina cruise this fall. Can someone tell me about this "surfer" internet package? Can't find much info on MSC website

-It appears you can't stream video with this package, but it would be fine for emails & web surfing...is this correct? Is it unlimited for the entire week?

-if I purchased this package separately (not included in cruise fare) what is the cost?

Thanks for the help!

Just got back from Equinox. We stayed at the Hampton Inn Coconut Grove. My rate was $149 and included parking for 7 days and one way shuttle to the port which was about 15 minutes away.

Hotel and staff was excellent and parking was in an underground gated garage. We to a cab back to the hotel post cruise.

All in all an excellent experience and I recommend this hotel.

I've been able to utilize the HDMI input on Silhouette, but just off the Equinox and both TV's in both cabins had the HDMI input disabled unfortunately.

You're entitled to your opinions but I find some of the overall review to be overly negative.

 

DW and I have been on Equinox 3 times and enjoyed every cruise. We didn't encounter any of the problems you did and if we did we wouldn't let it bother us.

 

1. Taste in food is subjective. We found the selection to be good. I wouldn't let a warm can of Coke bother me. If you have a Scotch on the rocks does it bother you that the Scotch gets diluted?

 

2. The Good Morning Guy is Morales. He is happy that people drink his coffee. Hope you tipped him for making your day more pleasant.

 

3. You sailed in and around a tropical storm. Unusual for June. Most cruisers bring medicine such as Bonine or wrist bands or know to eat green apples and crackers to ward off sea sickness. You'll know better next time. The ship will give you motion sick pills for free if you ask.

 

4. Thinking that Internet connections would be really good is just not realistic. Most people use it to send email, print boarding passes etc. Work? I'm on vacation, I don't expect to be doing much of it. You'll know better for the next cruise.

 

5. Many of the bars are good places to be in an indoor zone during the day. Even the Oceanview Cafe or the Sky Bar would work for me. The Library \ Game Room works too.

 

Overall not too much to ruin my cruise. Just wanted to balance your viewpoint.

 

But like I said, you're entitled to your opinion.

I'm sorry, but perhaps you can point out to me where I indicated my cruise was "ruined" by any or all of these random thoughts? It was, in fact, a good cruise but not a great cruise.

Unless you have information not provided by Celebrity, I believe the automatic gratuities cover all staff that I interact with daily? If not, perhaps you can explain to whom we are expected to tip above & beyond the gratuities that are billed to my account daily so I can be sure to tip every employee you feel requires additional compensation?

We had more reliable internet service on Silhouette before Celebrity advertised" Xcellerate". I've cruised before and understand the reliability issues....I don't recall writing that I expected service to be "really good". What I experienced was significantly worse than past cruise experiences. Please let me know when you become a small business owner and can escape for a week without needing to take care of a few clients.

I don't drink alcohol, so I cannot comment on your whiskey analogy. I do drink Coke & water, however, and consider receiving tepid drinks at the prices charged to be offensive.

Apparently one is entitled to their opinion as long as it coincides with your own.

On the Equinox now. You can split a split...just saw someone do it. Not sure about doubling after a split.

Table minimums were very high most of the cruise...$25 was the lowest I saw the first 2 days with dealers standing there at $100 & $300 tables waiting for someone to play. They've come down the last 2 days...$15 has been available and saw a $10 table for a little while last night.

They've had a single deck table @ $15 occasionally, but I've stayed away as it only pays 6:5 for blackjack.

As someone who was on the Divinia last summer (in YC) and is doing the Equinox this summer what are the main differences you are noticing. I am actually expecting a step up as far as activities and the pools. Especially since we were very disappointed with the amount of shade available for guests anywhere in the YC, and in general on the ship. Our family is very accustomed to the Royal/Celebrity cruise so that may have had some impact on our opinion of MSC.

 

Where did you notice the biggest differences?

We were not YC on Divina, but the pool area on Divina is definitely more crowded and more sunny than Equinox, but the pool area has no importance to me.

Everyone cruises for different reasons and wants different things...exactly why there are so many lines. I found Divina & Equinox to be more similar than different with Equinox having much nicer & less crowded pool area & Divina food being much better....especially in the buffet. I also preferred the Divina's other public areas over Equinox.

The crew on Equinox outshines Divina's crew by a large margin.

Approaching the end & thought I'd put down a few random thoughts:

-Ship is stunning as expected

-Crew top-to-bottom are all friendly, personable & wonderful. Celebrity HR is doing something right when it comes to choosing employees ....something many other companies in the hospitality business seem to have difficulty with.

-Haven't had a memorable meal yet...or even a memorable entree or dessert... even with 2 specialty restaurants under our belt. First time I can say that about a cruise.

-With the exception of breakfast, the Ocean View Cafe is just...well...not good.

-DW & I honeymooned on the Galaxy for our first cruise ever. In the buffet every morning was a man we dubbed "The Good Morning Guy"....he sang good morning all throughout the buffet and we've talked about him ever since. 19 years later he's on the Equinox and still singing good morning. Very cool.

-With the amount we all pay for these beverage packages...whether or not it's included in our fare or we pay later...am I the only one that's offended when I'm served a tepid can of Coke or water? The biggest offender seems to be the OV bar, but it's happened elsewhere as well. I've changed my ordering to "cold Coke" or "cold water", but why is this even necessary? Pouring a 75 degree can of Coke into a glass of ice cubes makes for instant watered down Coke. I won't do that at home and don't expect it at these prices.

-We've had difficulty finding our "zone" on this ship...quiet place to curl up with a book or a laptop...electrical outlets to plug in a laptop in public areas are non existent. We definitely miss the Hideaway from the Silhouette.

-The internet is ok except when it isn't... which is half the time and seems to be whenever I try & get some work done.

-Between the weather the first couple days, the missed port & motion sickness for DW & DS I was ready to move on from cruising...the last 3 days have been wonderful though.

-First time in Grand Cayman as it's been cancelled 2 other times for me. Seemed like a nice port and if I get the opportunity again, I'd like to explore it more.

-Probably get flamed for this, but it's how I feel: I was torn between Divina & Equinox....now having done both I should've chosen Divina.

If anyone has any questions I'll be happy to answer (if I can)

Not that I've found. It's beyond annoying, IMHO.

 

I suggest you email them about it - I have before, and I will again. Especially since we have booked with go best, and only see our OBC and gratuities, AND what's worse, if I look at beverage packages, the option to purchase one is still available.

 

I can see not being able to see your TA OBC, that might only become available once you've paid in full.

 

That's not the only website complaint I have, there are a few others, along with suggestions on fixes. But not being able to see the perks I booked, that's a real biggie.

Well you're definitely ahead of me then. We've been fully paid for 2 months and can't even confirm these 2 items. How'd you get to see OBC & gratuities?

I have two veranda staterooms booked on the Equinox and linked together. I'd like to view all the details of the reservations on line, but when I log in and view my reservations, the only facts I can confirm is vessel, sailing date, reservation #, names of passengers and dining preference.

We have "go best" on one reservation and "pick 2" on the other, yet none of these details or perks are shown. Travel agent OBC is not shown, which perks were chosen for "pick 2" are not shown.

Beneath dining preference, both reservations show the word "gratuities" with no explanation, even though one of the reservations should have prepaid gratuities and one should not.

Is there any way to confirm ALL the details of my reservation are correct (and reflect exactly what my TA's invoice show) so there are no surprises and issues when arriving at the port?

Also, is there a way to determine, pre-cruise, what type of OBC I have?

Thanks for the help!

Thanks! And cool about your son being a Zelda fan. As you probably read, my 15-year old daughter is too. We went to the Zelda concert last year and it was great. Who knows, maybe we can meet and see if they want to play Zelda...? She has Nintendo switch, which your son might have too.

The switch is new for us this week so it will definitely be packed into a suitcase.

I thought about that too, but my son will most definitely revolt if he even sniffs of some kind of set up, so I think the only way it could happen is if it's organic

Regardless, I'm sure you & your daughter will have a wonderful time. The "S" class Celebrity ships are wonderful and, to me, the perfect relaxing escape from life.

BTW, I'm sure you'll find the MDR just fine for your dining needs. We'll only be having dinner in a specialty restaurant one night....have our eye on the Asian restaurant....I just can't justify putting out the extra fee when an acceptable meal...one that at a minimum is considerably better than any of the chain restaurants we go to as a family....is included elsewhere.

Enjoy!

Pleased to report I'll be on your cruise along with my wife, 18 y/o daughter & 15 y/o Zelda addicted son so your daughter won't be the only teenager. In fact in July we'll be attending a Zelda concert with a symphony orchestra.

Can't speak for Equinox, but the TV's on the Silhouette have an HDMI connection and can be used for X Box, etc. I would think the TV's on Equinox are similar. If not my kids are going to be very disappointed!

Having sailed on both the Divina & Silhouette, here's my opinion of which ship wins in various categories:

MSC Divina:

Buffet

Entertainment

Theater

Silhouette:

MDR

Ship (Divina is a beautiful ship, but think that S class is the best out there)

Crew

Bars

Pool areas (just too crowded on Divina)

I wouldn't hesitate for a minute to sail on Divina

Hello we will be on the Davina in August 2017 we are are travelling with 2 kids 14 and 12 ,

Wondering what dining time would be best , 6 seems too early and 8:30 too late what time would be recommended ? We would like to see shows and enjoy the events that are offered.

 

 

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It's been 2 years, but when I was on Divina, dinner was an event. Service was a bit slow & courses drawn out, so it's not like you're eating at 6...more like the first course is put in front of you at 6:30 and main course at 7 or 7:15. Go for early and I think you'll be happy. If it doesn't work for you, there's always the buffet which was very good...especially the pasta & pizza offerings.

We just disembarked from the Divina. We were with a group of over 500. At least 10% became sick, including my wife and myself. Every day at mass, more people were coughing. The stores onboard do not sell cough medicine. “Sir, you can go to the Medical center ($200 for the visit and 5 pills) or you can wait till the next port.” The line was down the hallway for the medical center.

The ship did have hand sanitizers; however, some did not work properly and there were no crew members encouraging you to use them.

We tried to eat dinner in the buffet. The food is TERRIBLE. Only 3 or 4 choices in addition to burgers and hot dogs that were on the hot table so long that the buns and fries were hard as a rock.

You were on Divina some time ago and spewed your alternative facts back then as well. I see your experience this time was no different.

Perhaps you'd like to comment as to why you would voluntarily go on a cruise you knew you wouldn't enjoy?

We just disembarked from the Divina. We were with a group of over 500. At least 10% became sick, including my wife and myself. Every day at mass, more people were coughing. The stores onboard do not sell cough medicine. “Sir, you can go to the Medical center ($200 for the visit and 5 pills) or you can wait till the next port.” The line was down the hallway for the medical center.

The ship did have hand sanitizers; however, some did not work properly and there were no crew members encouraging you to use them.

We tried to eat dinner in the buffet. The food is TERRIBLE. Only 3 or 4 choices in addition to burgers and hot dogs that were on the hot table so long that the buns and fries were hard as a rock.

How was the bacon?

Can someone explain what is so great about the pizza? From the pictures I saw pre-cruise, I had a hard time believing the pizza was good. I tried it a couple times and it seems less than average to me. I certainly would not buy it state side. What is great about thin pizza with practically no toppings? Is this an East coast thing? I enjoyed the burger in the sports bar that always came hot much better and I am not a burger person. The sports bar is now included. We ate lunch there embarkation day and there was only two other couples there.

Different strokes for different folks I guess. Those of us raised on the simple goodness of two ingredients on a finely crafted thin disk of dough can't explain the popularity of a thick bread casserole smothered in gobs of gunk either. Living now in the south, I'd drive a long way to get a pie of the quality they make on that ship (assuming it hasn't changed since I had it last)

Hi. Been a couple years since on Divina. Do they still have that awesome pasta & pizza on the buffet? Is there still a gelato/desert/coffee place down on one of the lower decks?

Thanks!