Why does Equinox always score better than other S Class?

[Bobby Dee]

The 2012 Cruiser's Choice Awards are linked from the home page on Cruise Critic and I was glancing at the ratings. Equinox's rating was 4.9 and top rated large ship overall. No surprise to me, I've sailed the Equinox and she's my favorite ship. But there a few ships down was the Eclipse at 4.7. This is the same on every review of ships that I've seen, the Equinox rates ever so slightly better than her sisters. I know, it's only 0.2 difference but the ships are almost identical! The Equinox has Silk Harvest while the Eclipse has Qsine, but from reviews I've seen Qsine seems to be more popular than Silk Harvest. I don't see any other differences in the ships.

So the purpose of my post was to get your opinion on what goes into the ratings that you would give a ship, and why would you choose to rate the Equinox over the Eclipse.

[Gracie115]

I've been on all the "S" Class, just off Equinox for the first time last week. I would rate them this way:

 

Equinox/Silhouette (tie)

Solstice

Eclipse

 

ALL based on service and attitude. We enjoyed all the ships but Equnox and Silhouette have/had great service and staff. Actually Equinox is probably on top because it is 3 years old while Silhouette was only 6 weeks old when we were on her so you expect outstanding service on a brand new ship. The staff on Equinox were friendly, did a great job, tried hard to take care of you. Smiles everywhere. We just loved it.

 

All the cruises were great, but Equinox just a notch above the others...guess that accounts for those 10ths of points!:)

[RPPerkins]

I've been on all the "S" Class, just off Equinox for the first time last week. I would rate them this way:

 

Equinox/Silhouette (tie)

Solstice

Eclipse

 

ALL based on service and attitude. We enjoyed all the ships but Equnox and Silhouette have/had great service and staff. Actually Equinox is probably on top because it is 3 years old while Silhouette was only 6 weeks old when we were on her so you expect outstanding service on a brand new ship. The staff on Equinox were friendly, did a great job, tried hard to take care of you. Smiles everywhere. We just loved it.

 

All the cruises were great, but Equinox just a notch above the others...guess that accounts for those 10ths of points!:)

Glad we chose the Equinox for our Med cruise next month!

[Lastdance]

The 2012 Cruiser's Choice Awards are linked from the home page on Cruise Critic and I was glancing at the ratings. Equinox's rating was 4.9 and top rated large ship overall. No surprise to me, I've sailed the Equinox and she's my favorite ship. But there a few ships down was the Eclipse at 4.7. This is the same on every review of ships that I've seen, the Equinox rates ever so slightly better than her sisters. I know, it's only 0.2 difference but the ships are almost identical! The Equinox has Silk Harvest while the Eclipse has Qsine, but from reviews I've seen Qsine seems to be more popular than Silk Harvest. I don't see any other differences in the ships.

So the purpose of my post was to get your opinion on what goes into the ratings that you would give a ship, and why would you choose to rate the Equinox over the Eclipse.

 

I loved the Equinox when my husband and I sailed the Eastern Med last year with our cousins. The ports were fantastic and the crew too. It just might have something to do with the itineraries. The Eclipse is next for us in September, so can't say anything about her yet! :cool: We are all different with our own unique perspectives on these Soltice ships and our experiences aboard! Don't underestimate politics.

[ghstudio]

The difference we have seen between the equinox and the eclipse is that on the equinox (much like the constellation) everyone smiles and says hello...the head waiter in Blu on the Equinox remembers everyone's names after the first night but I think the biggest plus is that the officers are always around, interacting with customers, involved in visibly managing things and they are very active in "contests" with passengers.....much much moreso than I've seen on any other ship. You just feel that they want you to feel at home in their home on the Equinox. The Eclipse is a beautiful ship, but not as warm a feeling.

 

I don't think Qsine/Silk Harvest play any part in the ratings...if they did, I would rank Silk Harvest far far below Qsine.

[Gracie115]

The difference we have seen between the equinox and the eclipse is that on the equinox (much like the constellation) everyone smiles and says hello...the head waiter in Blu on the Equinox remembers everyone's names after the first night but I think the biggest plus is that the officers are always around, interacting with customers, involved in visibly managing things and they are very active in "contests" with passengers.....much much moreso than I've seen on any other ship. You just feel that they want you to feel at home in their home on the Equinox. The Eclipse is a beautiful ship, but not as warm a feeling.

 

I don't think Qsine/Silk Harvest play any part in the ratings...if they did, I would rank Silk Harvest far far below Qsine.

 

 

Agree with everything except the Silk Harvest/Qsine comment. Not a fan of Qsine, but I do agree that I don't think either venue played a part in the ratings.

 

Equinox staff is just very friendly and their interaction with passengers the best I've ever witnessed.:)

[jerseygirl3]

Since the staff does not necessarily stay the same, I'm not sure you can generalize that one ship is better than another.

 

I do, however, think a lot has to do with the Hotel Director. It seems the "personality" of a particular ship trickles down from the Hotel Director.

 

We were blown away by Eclipse last year. Silhouette last month was wonderful, but some of the staff (Cafe a Bacio and MDR sommolier) were downright surly.

 

Next up is Equinox in February, so we shall see...

 

Jo-Ann

[hughdm]

The difference we have seen between the equinox and the eclipse is that on the equinox (much like the constellation) everyone smiles and says hello...the head waiter in Blu on the Equinox remembers everyone's names after the first night but I think the biggest plus is that the officers are always around, interacting with customers, involved in visibly managing things and they are very active in "contests" with passengers.....much much moreso than I've seen on any other ship. You just feel that they want you to feel at home in their home on the Equinox. The Eclipse is a beautiful ship, but not as warm a feeling.

 

I don't think Qsine/Silk Harvest play any part in the ratings...if they did, I would rank Silk Harvest far far below Qsine.

I have only been on Solstice, but I would say EXACTLY the same things about her crew as you've said here.

[Orator]

The difference we have seen between the equinox and the eclipse is that on the equinox (much like the constellation) everyone smiles and says hello...the head waiter in Blu on the Equinox remembers everyone's names after the first night but I think the biggest plus is that the officers are always around, interacting with customers, involved in visibly managing things and they are very active in "contests" with passengers.....much much moreso than I've seen on any other ship. You just feel that they want you to feel at home in their home on the Equinox. The Eclipse is a beautiful ship, but not as warm a feeling.

 

I don't think Qsine/Silk Harvest play any part in the ratings...if they did, I would rank Silk Harvest far far below Qsine.

 

I've been on all the S Class ships many times and agree with the post. Crews do change and that can influence ratings. However, on the 24days I did on EQ ending with the TA, I found the spirit on that ship to be exceptional from the Captain down. The officer involvement was fantastic! They really seemed to enjoy being with the guests. I noticed the Captain and Staff Captain visiting venues every night and warmly engaging passengers and crew. A great spirit is also developing on Mil. CS seems to be going in the opposite direction. Some key firings haven't helped.

[Patrick IL.]

In our experience, it's the master, Captain Bousakas(sp)?

He was our favorite and truly cared for his crew.

[natshala]

I've been on all the S Class ships many times and agree with the post. Crews do change and that can influence ratings. However, on the 24days I did on EQ ending with the TA, I found the spirit on that ship to be exceptional from the Captain down. The officer involvement was fantastic! They really seemed to enjoy being with the guests. I noticed the Captain and Staff Captain visiting venues every night and warmly engaging passengers and crew. A great spirit is also developing on Mil. CS seems to be going in the opposite direction. Some key firings haven't helped.

 

 

When you refer to CS, do you mean Constellation? Sorry, don't know the abbreviations.

 

I guess everyone's experience is different. I found the officers/crew on Solstice to be the best from the top down and far superior to Equinox. It's been a couple of years and things may have changed significantly.

[Orator]

When you refer to CS, do you mean Constellation? Sorry, don't know the abbreviations.

 

I guess everyone's experience is different. I found the officers/crew on Solstice to be the best from the top down and far superior to Equinox. It's been a couple of years and things may have changed significantly.

 

Yes, CS is Constellation.

[takemewithyou]

I've been on all the S Class ships many times and agree with the post. Crews do change and that can influence ratings. However, on the 24days I did on EQ ending with the TA, I found the spirit on that ship to be exceptional from the Captain down. The officer involvement was fantastic! They really seemed to enjoy being with the guests. I noticed the Captain and Staff Captain visiting venues every night and warmly engaging passengers and crew. A great spirit is also developing on Mil. CS seems to be going in the opposite direction. Some key firings haven't helped.

 

I haven't been on all the S class ships, but I did find the spirit of the entire crew on Equinox to be exceptional! Just as you describe, the officers and the Captain were out and about in the various venues and were very friendly and approachable! It just seemed as though everyone went the "extra mile" to make sure your cruise was going well. It was not the same at all when we were on Summit in the Fall. Something seemed "off" on that particular cruise. It's funny how your experience can vary from ship to ship.

 

I am happy to hear that you see the same spirit developing on Millie. We've had 2 great cruises on her and the next cruise we have booked is on Millie - again! :)

[DivasDare]

Love Celebrity because of the Equinox! They must remain on top because of the lack of loud music.:p;):D

[RMSeadog]

thing that puts one ship above an other IMO is

 

THE PEOPLE!!!~ Ric

[candbgirl]

i agree with the poster that said it starts with the Captain. I have never been on a ship with a crew like the Equinox. They were amazing. And the visibility of the officers was unlike anything I have ever experienced. It's no wonder they are the top rated ship. It was probably the loud music blasting everywhere around the ship that caused them to lose a .1 in the rankings. ;) Congratulations to the staff and crew of the Equinox.

[austinlw]

I've been on Equinox once, but not the others. However I can tell you that the service was amazing on that ship. It seemed like the staff members were constantly trying to do something special for you to make your day.

 

2 examples:

At dinner the maitre 'd heard me say something about standing in line to get early tender tickets for the next day in Santorini. A bit later he handed me a priority pass to board the earliest tender without having to stand in the ticket line and whispered "Sssh - don't tell anyone where you got this." (Of course I'm violating that now) ;)

 

After our first day in Istanbul we were too late for our dinner time, so we headed to the buffet. They were serving Turkish dishes and playing Turkish music. It was a really nice touch. The next day after we left Istanbul I went by the shops and asked about the Turkish music they were playing and whether they had that CD available for sale (to use as a background for my trip video). The staff member said no, but he would get me a copied CD of the music if I'd come back and see him later. He also told me "Sshh, don't tell anyone about this." - at least partly because of copyright infringement. We had a hard time connecting later, but he did get it to me.

 

They really do go out of their way to do something extra to make sure their service and your trip is memorable.

[jacketwatch]

So glad to hear this as we will be on the Eq. In the fall. I hope we get the same crew that gives this service. We did find the service on the Connie to be outstanding as well. :)

[Cruise Junky]

.

 

2 examples:

At dinner the maitre 'd heard me say something about standing in line to get early tender tickets for the next day in Santorini. A bit later he handed me a priority pass to board the earliest tender without having to stand in the ticket line and whispered "Sssh - don't tell anyone where you got this." (Of course I'm violating that now) ;)

 

 

Note to self: sigh loudly around the maitre'd about having to be up soooooo early to get tender tickets for Santorini while batting eye lashes :) :)

[Somonica]

I haven't been on all the S class ships, but I did find the spirit of the entire crew on Equinox to be exceptional! Just as you describe, the officers and the Captain were out and about in the various venues and were very friendly and approachable! It just seemed as though everyone went the "extra mile" to make sure your cruise was going well. It was not the same at all when we were on Summit in the Fall. Something seemed "off" on that particular cruise. It's funny how your experience can vary from ship to ship.

 

I am happy to hear that you see the same spirit developing on Millie. We've had 2 great cruises on her and the next cruise we have booked is on Millie - again! :)

 

totally agree! Summit services level still having a big gap compare to the Equinox... :(

 

they didn't even get me any towel animals in the Summit! :mad:

[Orator]

thing that puts one ship above an other IMO is

 

THE PEOPLE!!!~ Ric

 

Hi Ric:

Hope all is well. Haven't seen you on SIL rollcall. We were 2nd top cruisers on TA and top cruisers on the Caribbean prior. Great perks that we hope to experience again, but seeing who'll be joining us in upcoming cruises it won't be for awhile.

[Tudy]

Now I know why I am so disappointed with my cruises lately!!! Our very first cruse ever wan on Equinox! Since then, we have sailed on Solstice and Millie and were so disappointed with the service. I am even ready to try another cruise line because the service is nothing like the Equinox! ALL of the staff on Equinox were excellent and went far above and beyond the call of duty. Shoot! Wish the others were as good.

[clvali]

We did not get any towel animals on the Equinox. What we did get was the best darn crew we have ever experienced. They are so approachable and FUN. We love all the interaction, especially playing bocci ball with the officers. Great conversations with the Hotel Director and Head Housekeeper. Elvis was the best room steward we have ever had.

Who needs towel animals when you have such a wonderful and dedicated crew.

 

clvali

[24butterfly]

We were so impressed by the crew of the Equinox and the ship, that, for the 1st time in over 30 cruises, 2 weeks after we got back from the cruise, we booked the exact same cruise with the exact same itinerary and the exact same cabin. (Then they had the price drop, and I really hemmed and hawed at changing b/c we were so happy with what we had last year--a C3 cabin...excellent stewards---but we went for an upgrade).

 

I could not believe that one of the crew actually remembered our names when reboardinf from one of the ports....I felt we were treated royally the whole trip.....Service, service, service....Hope it happens again!

[takemewithyou]

We were so impressed by the crew of the Equinox and the ship, that, for the 1st time in over 30 cruises, 2 weeks after we got back from the cruise, we booked the exact same cruise with the exact same itinerary and the exact same cabin. (Then they had the price drop, and I really hemmed and hawed at changing b/c we were so happy with what we had last year--a C3 cabin...excellent stewards---but we went for an upgrade).

 

I could not believe that one of the crew actually remembered our names when reboardinf from one of the ports....I felt we were treated royally the whole trip.....Service, service, service....Hope it happens again!

 

Makes me want to book another cruise on the Equinox! :D

I wish this ship had the 14 day Southern Caribbean instead of Eclipse.....