Ok, experienced Equinox cruisers....I need answers!

[johnandshann2012]

So, my fiance and I just booked our honeymoon on the May 21 sailing out of Rome for 11 nights in the Eastern Med on the Equinox. This will be our first cruise and we booked concierge class. I have been reading a lot of posts on the boards about all sorts of things but I am still so lost about life on board!

 

So, what food/drink is included? What would we have to pay for? I've seen the phrases "speciality dining," "select dining," "priority dining." Then there is the MDR, buffet, aqua spa, pool cafes, etc...

 

Is it ok to bring non-alcoholic drinks on board? I saw the 2 bottles of wine policy already.

 

When boarding the ship after visiting port are our things x-rayed and checked every time?

 

AND the tipping! Who do I tip, and how?

 

If we need to do laundry on ship is there a do-it-yourself option or only to pay the high ship prices?

 

We are so excited about this trip...I just don't want to have to worry about these little things!

 

Any other things/ advice/ tricks I should know to maximize this trip?

 

Thanks!!!

[TxnAquarian]

Welcome to Celebrity. You made a great choice! I actually have recently downgraded from the luxury lines to Celebrity, because I felt that the Celebrity product is already VERY similar to what you get on the high-end lines and the Celebrity ships are much more beautiful and entertaining.

 

Unfortnately, the only question of yours I cannot answer is about bringing alcohol onboard, as I don't drink. But I have no doubt many others on here can answer.

 

You'll love Concierge Class. But just a tip - think about upgrading to Aqua Class. It's what I book and it has all the perks of Concierge, plus extras, including access to Blu restaurant, which is far superior to the Main Dining Room.

 

You'll have to pay for alcohol, soda, and any of the alternative dining venues (Bistro on 5, Silk Harvest, Murano, Tuscan Grille, Cafe al Bacio). The other dining options (Main Dining Room, Buffet, Aqua Spa) are complimentary. FYI, the buffet on this ship is excellent compared to other ships and is great for a quick meal. "Specialty dining" refers to the alternative upcharge restaurants mentioned before. "Select dining" refers to a special request set-up in the MDR. I don't eat in the MDR, so other posters can probably expand on this.

 

There are no laundry facilities. Any laundry you need done, you'll have to send out at a cost. I send all my clothes out to be pressed the day I arrive so that everything will be wrinkle-free for my trip.

 

Your belongings are x-rayed upon returning to the ship in each port.

 

There is a daily gratuity "service charge" per person that is added to your bill. You don't need to tip extra, unless you feel you received extra special service. We always tip our room stewards extra and some of the servers in Blu and/or specialty restaurants.

 

And the best place on the ship is the Solarium. Don't miss it! It is the most relaxing venue at sea. I am not a napper, but I passed out in the Solarium for several hours every day. It is heaven!

 

 

 

 

Michael

[Essiesmom]

In the MDR (Main Dining Room) there are two traditional seating times for dinner (breakfast and lunch are open seating) where you are assigned a table for the entire cruise. Select dining is a program where you do not have an assigned time, but can go to the dining room any time during the dinner hours. You will not have the same table or wait staff for each dinner. EM

[FunCruiser56]

Since this is your first cruise and your Honeymoon you will probably think everything is awesome cuz you have nothing to compare it to.. ;)

Don't let everyone convince you that you must book all the extra dining, the Main Dining Room does service good food, not gourmet, but still good. You can also order dinner in your cabin for a nice romantic evening, ask your room steward for the menu for the day.

 

You can bring on 2 bottles of wine when you first board the ship, but if you bring any more on board from a port it will be 'stored' for you and returned on the last night of the cruise. Yes you can bring on bottle water and soda anytime. Plenty of free drinks available- coffee, ice tea, lemonade, and the water onboard is just fine, bring a refillable bottle or container.

 

You will love the Equinox, it's a beautiful ship. Have a wonderful Honeymoon!

 

Bev

[Glendakayself]

We did the Eastern Med on Equinox a couple of years ago, and it was wonderful!!!

 

 

So, what food/drink is included? What would we have to pay for? I've seen the phrases "speciality dining," "select dining," "priority dining." Then there is the MDR, buffet, aqua spa, pool cafes, etc...The MDR, buffet, aqua spa, and room service is included in your cruise price. You will pay extra there for alcoholic beverages, and you pay extra for specialty coffees at the Cova Cafe. Ice cream is free in the buffet, but you pay for Gellato which I highly recommend. There is a charge for all the specialty restaurants as mentioned above.

 

Is it ok to bring non-alcoholic drinks on board? I saw the 2 bottles of wine policy already. It is okay to bring sodas and water on board. The selection of sodas, especially the diet varieties, is limited to the basic sodas. Water is always welcome on excursions, and it can be purchased on board. We found that on the full-day excursions on this itinerary that water was provided.

 

When boarding the ship after visiting port are our things x-rayed and checked every time? Yes.

 

AND the tipping! Who do I tip, and how? As stated before you will be charged the standard amount and prepay the tips if you choose "Select Dining." We usually add a bit for the room attendants and the restaurant staff that give us great service. We also tip a couple of dollars for room service depending on how much we order. You will also want to tip the tour guides and drivers of any excursions you take. We usually each tip one to two dollars for each of these people depending on the length of the excursion and the quality of their work.

 

If we need to do laundry on ship is there a do-it-yourself option or only to pay the high ship prices? Unfortunately, you will have to pay the ship prices.

 

You will have a great honneymoon! Wonderful choice!

[Hapytocruise]

I would suggest you try at least one of the specialty restaurants - if you are a fan of "fine dining" Murano's will give you a romantic experience which on land would be equivalent to a very very very expensive restaurant..if you are not so much into fine dining the Tuscan is more like a high end steakhouse.

 

There are no alarm clocks in the staterooms, so you may want to pack one. (I like to know what time it is at all hours of the day plus you then have your own alarm)

 

We bring on a case of water which we drop off with our luggage (just securely tape on one of your room/luggage tags) it will be delivered to your room with your luggage. You could also do the same with soda.

 

I bring (cheap from the $store) an "fits over the door" extra storage clothes hanger - great in the bathroom for wet bathingsuits or hangerstyle cosmetic bags.

 

Don't hesitate to ask your room steward for extra towels if you need them.

 

Check out the lawn early in your cruise...I thought the whole concept of "lawn" was silly so I did not go up there till late in our cruise...very sorry I waited.

 

Being your first cruise I think you will be blown away by the Equinox, the Celebrity S Class ships are amazing and will spoil you for anything else. So just a word of warning if you get bitten by the cruise bug not all cruise ships are created equal.:)

[dkjretired]

Here is a link to the ships prices for laundry, IMHO they are not high, actually cheaper than I pay at home. There is no laundry room and irons/steamers are forbidden.

 

http://www.celebritycruises.com/beforeyourcruise/faq/home.do?faqSubjectName=Ship+and+Stateroom+Details&faqId=566&pagename=faq_answers

[Bobby Dee]

I just want to add a couple of tidbits to what you've read so far.

On the sailing I was on, the casino's minimum bets were at $10 for the first couple of nights and then dropped to $5 after that. And if you are a poker player, be sure to sign up for the tournaments at the cashier's cage early because they do fill up pretty quickly.

It been discussed over and over on these boards, but I did buy the alcoholic drinks package and I was very glad I did. I didn't have to bring cases of water or sodas on board, they were included as were specialty coffees. It wasn't the cost, it was the idea of feeling it was all inclusive and if I wanted something to drink, I didn't think twice about the cost.

[VICTORIAN CRUISER]

We have never found the Concierge Cabins to be worth the money. What I do enjoy is one of the 1A cabins on the hump that have an extra large balcony. (ie 9292) Check it out if you think you will enjoy spending time on your balcony.

[DavidYYC]

I hope when you come back you will review your cruise from a "honeymooners" POV. We have booked our son and his bride on the Solstice in September next year for *their* honeymoon and will be looking for things to tell them.

 

We were on the Equinox last year and it was perfect. I think the Tuscan Grill has a wonderful view so quite romantic and there is dancing in the Sky Lounge after about 10pm. You can order breakfast to your cabin and enjoy it on the balcony too.

[Tennant]

We did the same cruise, except ten days in 2010. It was amazing in every way! Definitely take advantage of the buffet for breakfast and lunches on sea days, it is far superior to all other buffets I have seen on Carnival, Royal Carribean and Princess.

 

One other thing not to miss is the hot glass show! I can't explain why, but for some reason it is just so darn interesting. The glass blowers are so talented. They raffle off pieces of hand blown glass throughout the cruise during the shows and we were lucky enough to win! It was a beautiful blue toned vase!

 

I agree that the lawn and the bar at the back of the ship are not to be missed. There is something very cool about smelling fresh grass and sea air at the same time!

 

Lastly, I normally enjoy specialty dining but I am not sure it is necessary on Celebrity, the food in the main dibing room is pretty good. We ate at Silk Harvest and Tuscan Grill. Silk Harvest was very good if you like Asian food (they have many different types, chinese, japanese, thai, etc.). We didnt have the best experience at Tuscan Grill but the food was still good. We reserved for sunset as this restaurant is at the back of the ship and the entire back wall is windows. Very nice touch.

 

Enjoy your honeymoon! I can think of a better ship to enjoy it on!

[CruisinCadie]

People have been telling you that there is an extra charge for the specialty dining rooms. True, but the extra charge for Bistro on 5 is only $5 for a wide selection of crepes, from breakfast to dessert crepes. In the other restaurants, it's over $25 per person. I'm not saying it's not worth it, but I'll stick with the MDR for dinner.

 

As for sodas, Celebrity uses Coke products, so if you prefer a different brand, it's best to bring your own. For diet sodas, I believe they carry both Diet Coke and Coke Zero (at least, they better, as I am a Coke Zero addict).

 

Kathy

[Glendakayself]

We loved the Bistro on Five; and for the $5 pp surcharge, it was a bargain! I understand from reading these boards that you can go there to eat lunch after boarding on the first day. The staff directs everyone to the buffet, and it is very crowded on embarkation day. I've also read that you can go to the Aqua Spa Cafe after embarkation. The Aqua Spa has healthier choices and portions which we have always enjoyed. On Equinox, however, it was hard to find a place to sit near the spa cafe. We were on an early voyage during her first season in the Med, and possibly more seating could have been added by now.

[TeaBag]

Tipping is automatically charged to your seapass card each day, unless you choose Select dining where it is charged in total when you book your cruise. Your Seapass card pays for everything on the ship and you use it to leave the ship and to return. Keep it safe. Yes, you have to go through security each time you reboard.

 

Enjoy your cruise and honeymoon. What a great way to start married life.:)

[FunCruiser56]

I agree that the Bistro on 5 is a great spot and worth the $5 charge. We went to it for our first lunch on the ship when we boarded. The nicest first meal on a ship we ever had, no crowds, great service and food- a nice relaxing meal. The buffet is good but the crowds are just a mess when you first board.

 

Bev