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Our wonderful 2012 Equinox Med Cruise

Gracie115

By Gracie115,
in Celebrity Cruises

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Gracie115

Gracie115

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We are a late-50’s Florida couple who cruise mostly with Celebrity and love the “S” class ships. Equinox was the only one we had not tried prior to this cruise. As expected she lived up to all expectations. Because of great price reductions we were able to upgrade to a Royal Suite this time. We started out in Aqua which is what we normally book but couldn’t resist the temptation to upgrade when the Royal Suite price was within reach. Of course the accommodations were wonderful. We were in 1607 and could not have been happier with all the staff that serviced it. Peter, the butler, from India, was excellent and took care of all of our needs, most importantly obtaining us space in Blu nearly every night(at the $5.00 per person charge, of course). We love Blu and being able to eat there made the cruise nearly perfect for us. The suite itself was immaculate, in perfect condition and the addition of the little half bath in the living area a real treat. I don’t want to concentrate too much on the suite because as wonderful as it was the cruise would have been excellent even if we had stayed in our original Aqua room too. If anyone has any questions about the suite I’ll be happy to answer.

 

Our trip started two days before the cruise when we were picked up by Rome In Limo at the airport and were able to check into our hotel the Artemide(a wonderful hotel, with great staff) by noon. This enabled us to shower and change before our 4 hour walking tour with Sarah of Rome In Limo. It was a fabulous tour and while we were exhausted from the overnight flight we’ve decided this is the way to beat jet lag for us. We toured Baroque Rome this time with Sarah and she was very knowledgeable. She took us to the Borghese Gallery which is a must see for any art enthusiast and the tour ended at the Pantheon where we were lucky enough to attend a Catholic Mass at 5PM, very special. The next morning we were lucky enough to obtain tickets for the underground Coliseum tour which was great and then that afternoon we took a 3 hour guided Segway tour of Ancient Rome, it was a blast and I highly recommend this tour. Segway’s are so easy to “drive” and you see so much more without becoming exhausted. Monday morning, cruise embarkation day, we first went to the Vatican for the Scavi Tour, the tour of the Necropolis underneath St. Peter’s. It was very special, disturbed only by the jerk who kept taking pictures of the sacred site even after being told repeatedly by the Seminarian that photography was not allowed. The lack of respect was upsetting to many of us on the tour. After the tour we were picked up at the Vatican by Rome In Limo, quickly went back to the hotel to pick up our luggage and we were on our way to the beautiful Equinox. We arrived about 1:30 and it took less than 15 minutes before we were walking on the ship and sipping that welcoming glass of champagne. The staterooms were all ready by that time so we dropped our bags off, marveled at how wonderful the suite was and headed for the buffet. We always say we’re going to try somewhere else on that 1st day but it’s just so easy and the food, while not spectacular, has enough variety that everyone can find something to eat. Usually too many somethings!! During the rest of the cruise we really didn’t use this area much except for quick breakfasts before tours, as it is so easy to over indulge. Our breakfasts there were mostly cereal and they do have a variety of choices in that area.

 

Our Cruise Critic group had grown to over 200 by sail date so our sailaway party after the Muster Drill was a big success up at the Sunset Bar on deck 15. The weather was beautiful as we left Rome and we had a great time getting to meet some of the people we had been talking to for months on Cruise Critic. The Celebrity Connections party the next day was even better attended and was held in the Sky Lounge, there were just too many people to do it at Michael’s. Thanks to Barb for keeping everyone up to date on our Roll Call and designing our name tags. It was so helpful as there were just too many people to remember all the names. The Cruise Critic group also organized a slot pull, a croquet competition, a special luncheon in the main dining room and a great cabin crawl that enabled us to see nearly every type of stateroom available on the “S” class…a great help for future planning.

 

The ship is in beautiful shape, the crew one of the friendliest, most accommodating I’ve ever had the pleasure of encountering. There were smiles and “hello’s” everywhere. The food in the buffet was adequate, one bad note though, we had thought Celebrity had conquered the “bad coffee” in the buffet area as on our cruise on Silhouette in 2011 it was actually drinkable, but not so, the buffet area coffee was simply horrible nearly all the time. I don’t understand why this continues to be an issue. The coffee in Blu was better, sometimes MUCH better, but overall I see little difference in coffee now than from our first cruise nearly 15 years ago. We ate, as I said, In Blu most nights. The Maitre’d was very nice and we were lucky enough to have Shylesh and Omer as our wait team nearly every night. They were great. Omer, our assistant waiter from Istanbul was much fun as we were visiting his city and he was so excited about being able to see family after six months on the ship. He could barely contain himself the night before we arrived in Istanbul. The food in Blu was, as always, very good. Selections were good and we were always able to find something tasty. One of the reasons I like Blu is because I get to try things I don’t normally see in Florida restaurants, ie, pheasant, quail, frog legs…all were quite good. My husband was pleased that on the last night there was even an escargot appetizer! Because of worldwide shortages, escargot is no longer offered on any of the ships so it was a real treat to have that on the last evening. Many complain about the lack of desserts at Blu and I just don’t understand this, there were always 4-5 choices and if nothing else one of many home-made ice cream options were there, I just love their cinnamon and pistachio ice creams. We also dined at Silk Harvest, which was good and the service outstanding. We did not dine at Murano’s this time but did go to Tuscan Grill with our friends, Barb & John, and had a great meal and fun evening. A note to Celebrity though, if you are billing this as an “Italian Steakhouse” having loud raucous hip-hop type music blaring in the background is probably not the ambiance you should be creating. Thankfully they turned it down at our request so it did not disturb an otherwise very fun evening. We also tried Bistro on 5 once, very good, and the Mast Grill, where while the food was good(hamburgers/hot dogs on the grill pretty tasty after so much rich food) this was the only place the staff did not appear friendly. Both time we went we did not feel welcome, a small flaw but noticed none the less.

 

The ports we visited were Santorini, Istanbul for 1 ½ days, Ephesus, Mykonos, Athens and Naples. Santorini was our first stop and the only place we booked a ship’s tour. It was okay but there are not many options at this stop. Not sure what to advise here, if you don’t use the ships tour you have to obtain tender tickets and if you don’t get an early one you may wait a few hours to get to shore. In Istanbul we were with a group of 14 others on a tour with Ephesus Deluxe. It was arranged by Barb, the proclaimed “leader” of our Cruise Critic group and she did a marvelous job finding this company. We were broken up into two groups of 8 and visited nearly every major site in Istanbul that day. Barb also arranged the same company for our day in Ephesus, which was also great. The tours were amazingly reasonable and could not have been better. Our 2nd day in Istanbul my husband and I hired another company to see the few things we had missed the 1st day, the Cistern , the Dolmabahce(amazing!) and the Sultan’s garden. So glad we did this as the ship really didn’t offer much the 2nd day and we didn’t want to waste the morning.

 

In Athens, 8 of us hired Private Greece Tours to take us to Corinth and Mycenae, a highlight of the cruise for me. This was a wonderful alternative to the normal Athens tour since we had all been to Athens before. Nikos, our guide and the owner of the company did a great job of describing the trip and the countryside. I had no idea that Greece was so beautiful once you get out of the cities. Mycenae was absolutely stunning once you climbed the hill. The history here goes back near 3500 years. Nikos took us to lunch in Corinth at a hilltop restaurant overlooking the lake with wonderful breezes and even better food.

 

We had been to Mykonos before so we opted just to walk through town, though it cost $10 each for the transport from the port. For those who haven’t visited here before I recommend the tour to DeLos Island more than visiting Mykonos itself, DeLos is far more interesting in my opinion.

 

In Naples we again hired Rome In Limo to tour the area. We had already been to Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast last year so wanted to do something different. Tony our driver, was great. He took us to Herculaneum, the Villa San Marco and the magnificent Naples National Archeology Museum which is over 400 years old and one of the best museums we’ve ever been to. It was a great day topped off with a visit to a small restaurant where we had the best pizza I’ve ever eaten.

That night we packed up, roamed around the ship, said goodbye to our friends Barb & John and got ready to leave the beautiful Equinox.

Once note on entertainment before I end this. We enjoyed the big stage productions with the singers and dancers a bit more than on our last few X cruises, they seemed better trained and more talented. The “cirque” type show was very good. We didn’t see a lot of the entertainment but heard good comments from many. The cruise was very port intensive and we were simply too tired and having too much fun with new friends in the evenings. We did enjoy the strings trio and saw many enjoying the dance band in the lobby during the “60’s” theme night.

 

We had an early flight home the next day so were set for a 6:45 debark time. We didn’t leave our room until about 5 till 7 and just went straight to the gangway and off the ship. We had our luggage in less than 5 minutes and were actually outside waiting for our transport 15 minutes before he was due and he arrived early so we were on our way.

 

It was a wonderful cruise, the Equinox a great ship and we can’t wait till our next adventure….we will complete our tour of ALL the “S” class ships when we board Reflection for a quick 3 night inaugural cruise in December. This is a great class of ship. If you’ve made it this far I’ll just say if you have any questions I’ll be happy to try to answer.

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lovestx

lovestx

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Thanks for the very helpful and encouraging review. We are doing the same cruise in June so your comments are helpful. Glad you had such a great time. Now wishing that I upgraded to a suite when the opportunity came (instead I rebooked and saved money on our two AQ rooms). But I really want to eat in Blu and didn't want to chance it. Guess I should have.

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Azulann "Live from...." Rare

Azulann

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Thank you for your review, especially your review of excursions.

I did a simllar cruise last fall on the Equinox. It is a beautiful ship.

 

Looking for a cruise that begins or ends in Istanbul for 2013. Have narrowed it down to the Constellation or Azamara.

 

Did you go to the Spice market in Istanbul?

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curtdesilets

curtdesilets

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We did this exact same cruise almost exactly 2 years ago. It was superb. Sounds like you had some great private tours. That's probably the way to go, as long as there are no issues getting back on the ship. I know for a fact that the traffic in Istanbul and Athens can be a nightmare, and my only problem with private tours is my wife's fear of not making it back to the ship on time. Did you have any "near misses"?

 

I bring this up because last year on our British Isles trip, there was a bomb scare that closed every major road in Belfast. Even the ship sponsored tours were arriving 2 hours past our scheduled departure time. I think the ship departed 3 hours late, but I wonder if everyone got back on!

 

One side note: We did a half day tour of Delos while in Mykonos, and yes it was amazing. It is a must see for any history buff. Also while in Ephesus, the Temple of Artemis is a must see for the same reason! It was one of the original "Ancient Wonders".

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Gracie115

Gracie115

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Thank you for your review, especially your review of excursions.

I did a simllar cruise last fall on the Equinox. It is a beautiful ship.

 

Looking for a cruise that begins or ends in Istanbul for 2013. Have narrowed it down to the Constellation or Azamara.

 

Did you go to the Spice market in Istanbul?

 

 

Yes, we went to the Spice Market at the end of our 1st day in Istanbul. Amazing place, I am not a big shopper, but still amazing to see and we did pick up a few things there....it was EXTREMELY busy, which was NOT the case for the Grand Bazaar the next morning. The guides told us the Grand Bazaar doesn't really get busy till late morning/early afternoon ... I don't know if that is just on Saturday's, the day we were there, or everyday but thought I'd pass it on.

 

It WAS a wonderful cruise!:)

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Gracie115

Gracie115

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We did this exact same cruise almost exactly 2 years ago. It was superb. Sounds like you had some great private tours. That's probably the way to go, as long as there are no issues getting back on the ship. I know for a fact that the traffic in Istanbul and Athens can be a nightmare, and my only problem with private tours is my wife's fear of not making it back to the ship on time. Did you have any "near misses"?

 

I bring this up because last year on our British Isles trip, there was a bomb scare that closed every major road in Belfast. Even the ship sponsored tours were arriving 2 hours past our scheduled departure time. I think the ship departed 3 hours late, but I wonder if everyone got back on!

 

One side note: We did a half day tour of Delos while in Mykonos, and yes it was amazing. It is a must see for any history buff. Also while in Ephesus, the Temple of Artemis is a must see for the same reason! It was one of the original "Ancient Wonders".

 

 

I research all the private tour companies before booking through Trip Advisor, this forum and anywhere else I can get information. Have been using mostly private tours for the last few years and never any near misses. I always request to be back at least one hour prior to actual time of departure so we have some leeway. Istanbul traffic was awful but we had no issue the first day since we were there overnight. Athens was not a problem at all, we arrived back with over an hour to spare. You just have to find a reputable company and give yourself the time you need to feel secure. We've used Rome In Limo for 2 years now for several tours and they're always on time both coming and going. I just can't see using ship's tours anymore, on private tours you are either alone or with a small group of 6-10, you see what YOU want to see and can schedule your day accordingly. For example, in Athens, we had scheduled one other stop but because the ship didn't clear the Greek authorities until 1 hour late we had to alter the itinerary a bit so we would be back on time, which was fine. We also get to experience so many things as a native would, like the little restaurant in naples with the wonderful pizza....no way they could ever accommodate a big ship's tour. Good luck convincing your wife to try the private tours, I used to be concerned too but if you do your research you should be fine!!:)

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curtdesilets

curtdesilets

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I research all the private tour companies before booking through Trip Advisor, this forum and anywhere else I can get information. Have been using mostly private tours for the last few years and never any near misses. I always request to be back at least one hour prior to actual time of departure so we have some leeway. Istanbul traffic was awful but we had no issue the first day since we were there overnight. Athens was not a problem at all, we arrived back with over an hour to spare. You just have to find a reputable company and give yourself the time you need to feel secure. We've used Rome In Limo for 2 years now for several tours and they're always on time both coming and going. I just can't see using ship's tours anymore, on private tours you are either alone or with a small group of 6-10, you see what YOU want to see and can schedule your day accordingly. For example, in Athens, we had scheduled one other stop but because the ship didn't clear the Greek authorities until 1 hour late we had to alter the itinerary a bit so we would be back on time, which was fine. We also get to experience so many things as a native would, like the little restaurant in naples with the wonderful pizza....no way they could ever accommodate a big ship's tour. Good luck convincing your wife to try the private tours, I used to be concerned too but if you do your research you should be fine!!:)

 

Last year on our British Isles tours, we relied entirely on Princess's tours. They were good, but extremely pricey! For the prices we paid, I'm sure we could have taken more intimate and private tours. I think next time in Europe, we will do some research and take your suggestion. Glad you had a great time!

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Gracie115

Gracie115

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Last year on our British Isles tours, we relied entirely on Princess's tours. They were good, but extremely pricey! For the prices we paid, I'm sure we could have taken more intimate and private tours. I think next time in Europe, we will do some research and take your suggestion. Glad you had a great time!

 

 

You're right about the cost of ship's excursions. For the same, sometimes less, ESPECIALLY if doing a small group of 6-8 you can do it for a LOT less. If doing private tours you can usually pay around the same as a ship's tour and see what you want.:)

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Gracie115

Gracie115

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Attention: Gracie115

 

I'm wondering if I missed who you booked for the trip from the ship to the airport?

Is it impolite to ask what you paid?

Can't wait for our October cruise and appreciate all you shared about the ports.

 

 

All our transfers were with Rome In Limo. The cost depends on how many people you have to transport, 150E or so for 2 from port to airport, but that can be a lot less if you get a group together to go at same time. I do know we paid less than we would have if booked through the ship on one of their buses that has to wait until "full" to leave.

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mary k

mary k

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We are on the Equinox in three weeks.....first celebrity and first med cruise.....your review was helpful.....thank you

I hope the MDR is good, as we hear mostly about Blu

Welcome back

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Gracie115

Gracie115

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We are on the Equinox in three weeks.....first celebrity and first med cruise.....your review was helpful.....thank you

I hope the MDR is good, as we hear mostly about Blu

Welcome back

 

The couple that we ate with most nights went to the MDR too and said it was good and the service good also the night they went. It's different than Blu but no reason to think it wouldn't be good. Have a wonderful time!:)

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Gracie115

Gracie115

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Thanks for the very helpful and encouraging review. We are doing the same cruise in June so your comments are helpful. Glad you had such a great time. Now wishing that I upgraded to a suite when the opportunity came (instead I rebooked and saved money on our two AQ rooms). But I really want to eat in Blu and didn't want to chance it. Guess I should have.

 

 

Aqua is what we originally booked and we would have been very happy there...am sure you will too. I really debated about the upgrade because we too want to be in Blu and we were so glad when they were still able to take us every night we asked. You just have to be flexible for your time to dine when in a suite, at least for this cruise anyway....wish I was going back with you in June. Have a wonderful time!:D

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Gracie115

Gracie115

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What time was your flight home? Ours is at 11 and I'm wondering what time we need to be picked up by a cab.

 

 

Our flight was at 11:05. We were picked up at 7:15, probably could have gone up to half an hour later as we got to gate about 9:45AM but you never know with traffic there and the airport has MANY lines to work your way through.

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