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Meet me on the Equinox - Eastern Med Review

pjs678

By pjs678,
in Celebrity Cruises

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pjs678

pjs678

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This morning dawned sunny again. We were due to sail through the Greek Islands and on toward the Dardanelle Strait today. We decided to try Bistro on Five for breakfast this morning just to change things up a little bit.

 

We stopped at Bacio for a Macchiato on the way and arrived at Bistro on Five to find – no one there except the chef and the hostess/waitress. I ordered one of the egg crepes, which was delicious and JCS ordered a Mediterranean crepe with chicken. She wasn’t crazy about hers, although I found it to be quite good. Afterwards, we shared the famous nutella crepe, which was excellent. All in all, a good start to the day.

 

We found the schedule of activities somewhat lacking for the day. We decided to spend much of the day reading and relaxing by the pool. No problem finding a nice spot despite the number of people on deck. I had Indian food (again) for lunch – so predictable.

 

In the afternoon, I was able to play in the pool volleyball challenge. They set up 4 teams of guests to play in a mini-tournament first, with the winners playing the officer team in the big finale. I was on a team with some nice guys, but unfortunately, we had one player who was not so strong and the other team figured that out fairly quickly. We lost to the eventual champs, who went on to crush the officer team fairly easily in the final. It was fun to play in and to watch, especially with the officers jumping in and playing with their clothes on.

 

Around 4pm, we played bingo again and lost again. At least this time, some non-Canadians won. We drowned our sorrows at the Molecular Bar, working down the menu and finding some very interesting drinks.

 

At some point in the afternoon, we started going through the Dardanelle Strait and saw some pretty scenery of both the Asian and European sides of Turkey.

 

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Tonight was Murano night. It has a great ambience, like a true intimate bistro. We were seated in the corner area toward the back. I found the food, wine and service all better than Tuscan Grill. The sommelier recommended some nice wines by the glass for me within the premium package. The tableside lobster and petit filets (yes, I ordered both) were excellent.

 

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We met a very nice older couple from Florida at the next table who we plan to stay in touch with after the cruise.

 

After dinner, we rolled ourselves to the casino for a little while, gave back some money and went up to the cabin. We finished watching A Separation, and I still can’t decide whether I liked it or not.

 

So, probably the least exciting day of the trip, but we had 5 consecutive port days coming so it was good to take it easy one last time.

 

Up next: Magnificent Mosques and Bizarre Bazaars.

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softail

softail

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This morning dawned sunny again. We were due to sail through the Greek Islands and on toward the Dardanelle Strait today. We decided to try Bistro on Five for breakfast this morning just to change things up a little bit.

 

We stopped at Bacio for a Macchiato on the way and arrived at Bistro on Five to find – no one there except the chef and the hostess/waitress. I ordered one of the egg crepes, which was delicious and JCS ordered a Mediterranean crepe with chicken. She wasn’t crazy about hers, although I found it to be quite good. Afterwards, we shared the famous nutella crepe, which was excellent. All in all, a good start to the day.

 

We found the schedule of activities somewhat lacking for the day. We decided to spend much of the day reading and relaxing by the pool. No problem finding a nice spot despite the number of people on deck. I had Indian food (again) for lunch – so predictable.

 

In the afternoon, I was able to play in the pool volleyball challenge. They set up 4 teams of guests to play in a mini-tournament first, with the winners playing the officer team in the big finale. I was on a team with some nice guys, but unfortunately, we had one player who was not so strong and the other team figured that out fairly quickly. We lost to the eventual champs, who went on to crush the officer team fairly easily in the final. It was fun to play in and to watch, especially with the officers jumping in and playing with their clothes on.

 

Around 4pm, we played bingo again and lost again. At least this time, some non-Canadians won. We drowned our sorrows at the Molecular Bar, working down the menu and finding some very interesting drinks.

 

At some point in the afternoon, we started going through the Dardanelle Strait and saw some pretty scenery of both the Asian and European sides of Turkey.

 

f1b9efcf.jpg

 

cfe5d6db.jpg

 

Tonight was Murano night. It has a great ambience, like a true intimate bistro. We were seated in the corner area toward the back. I found the food, wine and service all better than Tuscan Grill. The sommelier recommended some nice wines by the glass for me within the premium package. The tableside lobster and petit filets (yes, I ordered both) were excellent.

 

893f08da.jpg

 

We met a very nice older couple from Florida at the next table who we plan to stay in touch with after the cruise.

 

After dinner, we rolled ourselves to the casino for a little while, gave back some money and went up to the cabin. We finished watching A Separation, and I still can’t decide whether I liked it or not.

 

So, probably the least exciting day of the trip, but we had 5 consecutive port days coming so it was good to take it easy one last time.

 

Up next: Magnificent Mosques and Bizarre Bazaars.

 

Doing the same itinerary on the Reflection in Oct of 2013. This has to be of the most enjoyable reviews that ive read on these boards. Keep it going im ready for more. Thanks Larry

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BABA 7

BABA 7

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Thanks for all the kind words. These first few days of the cruise were on the quiet side. The big stuff is coming up, Istanbul, Ephesus, Athens, etc.

 

Can't wait for the next posting....I'm on the Equinox on the 26th of Oct...with the same ports!

 

thanks Dianne

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Expat...

Expat...

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Thanks for the awesome detailed review, getting real excited about our cruise on the Equinox. Good to see Petros the Pelican is still around Mykonos.

You may have mentioned and I missed it, what are your thoughts on the the poolside band?

Thanks Again!!:)

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pjs678

pjs678

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Thanks for the awesome detailed review, getting real excited about our cruise on the Equinox. Good to see Petros the Pelican is still around Mykonos.

You may have mentioned and I missed it, what are your thoughts on the the poolside band?

Thanks Again!!:)

 

We were not fans when they performed poolside. They shattered the peace and quiet with some noisy shania twain covers. When they were performing inside on deck 3 with better acoustics and songs that suited their range, they were better. Salvatore was great though.

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sunshine nana

sunshine nana

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Enjoying the review! We were on the Equinox last May for a similar itinerary. I felt for you with the $15 tip to the bell hop. After a similar situation on our Baltic cruise, I have been getting small bill euro from a local TA before each trip. We probably saved the cost of the service a few times over! Can't wait for more. Did you find the early sunsets a negative compared to a spring trip? We are considering a Venice cruise next fall. Thanks

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pjs678

pjs678

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Day 1

 

For whatever reason, I did not sleep well and was up half the night. We had room service scheduled for 6:30am so that we could watch the sail-in to Istanbul and be ready for an early start. Today, we planned to get to Sultanahmet on our own and then visit the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Cistern before going to the Bazaars. The rest of the day would be improvised depending on how much walking we were up for.

 

We enjoyed our breakfast on the balcony – omelets, bacon, bagels, coffee and OJ. As we sailed in and docked right at 7am, we could see the sights of Old Town and the Galata Tower. We went down and waited at the gangway with a few other early-birds. A lot of people were wearing jeans or long pants for visiting mosques. I had JCS wear longer capris just in case.

 

At 7:30, the rope dropped and we were first off again. We ran into Justin & Erin, a couple from Texas who we had met at the CC party and decided to go into town with them. We negotiated our way past several cab drivers at the port exit. One guy, “Jimmy” offered the four of us a ride into town for 10 Euros, which we considered, but then realized that we could all get into town for 3 Lira each, which is about 6 Euros total for the four of us. Not a huge difference, but it would also allow us to stop at an ATM on the way to the tram. Others took “Jimmy” up on the offer and later told us he wouldn’t leave them alone once he had them in the cab and tried to sell them an all day tour for 100 Euros. Jimmy’s cab was also a giant ‘67 Chevy, which was funny when compared to the other tiny cabs in the port.

 

We turned left after leaving the port entrance and found an ATM close by. No problem withdrawing lira and we were on our way to the tram. The tram ticket machine at Tophane station was easy to negotiate and took a 10 (or 20? Don’t remember) lira note for two tickets. The tram was fairly empty for a Friday morning rush hour and we headed into town.

 

The tram travels over the Galata Bridge and turns left past the Eminonu station and right toward Sultanahmet. We got off at the Sultanahmet station and walked down the Hippodrome toward the Blue Mosque. We knew that Hagia Sophia did not open until 9am so we decided to go to the Blue Mosque first. We were first in line at 8:20 and around 8:30, it re-opened after prayers to allow visitors.

 

We removed our shoes and carried them in the provided plastic bags. I was wearing cargo shorts and a T-shirt and was not asked to wear anything to cover my knees. Interestingly, neither JCS nor Erin were required to cover their heads when we walked in. We were just about the only ones there so it was very peaceful and serene in the mosque.

 

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After a quick walk around the mosque, we headed to Hagia Sophia for the 9am opening. I had already purchased tickets online, so this is where we split up with Justin and Erin. They had to wait in the ticket line and we walked in with the tour groups who had pre-purchased tickets.

 

Hagia Sophia did not disappoint. It was beautiful. I will let a couple of pictures do the talking.

 

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We spent about 45 minutes to an hour at Hagia Sophia, inside and outside. We then visited the Basilica Cistern across the street. Very easy to find the entrance across the tram way. It was 10TL per person to enter I believe. That was a neat place. Again, I will let the pics do the talking.

 

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We then set off in search of the Grand Bazaar. We headed in the general direction and then saw several signs directing us. The tourist zone of Istanbul is very well marked and sign posted.

 

We spent about 2 ½ excruciating hours at the Grand Bazaar. JCS was in heaven. I was in the other place. She bought scarves, bags and other small gifts for folks back home. I got nothing except a headache. I did ask for apple tea in one store and it was delicious. We probably only saw about 1/8 of the entire bazaar. If you tell a store owner that you are interested in something they don’t sell, it is a guarantee that he has a brother or cousin who owns another store with what you are looking for. That place is crazy. You either love it or hate it. I personally would never go back there, but I’m glad I got to experience it.

 

As we walked outside of the bazaar, it was prayer time, and we saw several men place down prayer mats and face Mecca (no women though). We found a place for lunch with outside seating and WiFi so we shared a kebab and some Efes beer. We also spoke to the kids on FaceTime (as it was about 6:30am back home).

 

After lunch, we walked to the Spice Bazaar. If the Grand Bazaar can be described as 8 different stores repeated 500 times each, the Spice Bazaar is one store repeated 300 times. Every store sold the same array of spices, Turkish delight and apple tea. We bought some apple tea to bring home and I grabbed some fresh Turkish delight to munch on while we walked through the bazaar.

 

After leaving the Spice Bazaar, we walked under the Galata Bridge past the fish restaurants and over to the funicular. We took the funicular up past the Galata Tower and walked down Istikal Street. While Rick Steves describes this as a 3 star experience, I would not agree. It looks like any main shopping street in any major city. After passing 2 Burger Kings and a Starbucks, we had enough. We turned off and walked down a steep street toward the port. We stopped at a café near the dock for a Turkish coffee and to check email one more time. We decided to head back to the ship and freshen up. We figured out the Cemberlitas Hamam would be open that evening so we thought we would try the Turkish bath experience before having dinner under the Galata bridge.

 

We walked back to the ship and found a shortcut into the port past the cafes near the Istanbul Modern Art Museum. We decided to just change and head back out. If we laid down for a minute, we would have woken up 3 hours later. We took the tram back to Cemberlitas and this time it was packed. When I say packed, I mean barely enough room to stand. There was also the unpleasant sound of a teenager huffing glue behind me. Despite the unpleasant ride, we never felt unsafe on the tram.

 

We got off at Cemberlitas and the hamam was right across from the tram. It was built in 1584. We both bought the traditional experience (with a credit card) for 39 Euros, which included a Turkish bath, massage and access to the locker. At this point, JCS and I split up and had very different experiences.

 

We were handed a little plastic ticket and a rough mitt when we paid. First I was led upstairs to change in a little cubby room. I then went back down and handed my ticket to one of the attendants. I entered the men’s hamam, laid down on the heated marble slab and started sweating. It was a neat room with skylights and a lot of marble. After about 20 minutes, my attendant walked in and started massaging me with the mitt. He showed me all of the dead skin being scraped off. Then he took a huge blob of bubbles and started the soap massage. He then took me into an antechamber for a shampoo and further massage. After, he told me to sit on the slab for another 10 minutes before taking a shower. It was a great massage and I felt very relaxed. I tipped my attendant about 5 TL when we were done.

 

JCS on the other hand had a slightly less enjoyable experience. She also laid on the slab for 15 minutes and then was roughly shaken by a large woman with a bare chest (and breasts sagging to her knees). She was given about a 5 minute massage while the woman picked at the three teeth she had left in her mouth. JCS was never really sure if the woman was using her hands or saggy breasts to perform the massage. After that, it was over. Not quite the same experience.

 

We left the hamam and walked all the way along the tram way to the bridge to build up an appetite for dinner. We stopped at one of the fish restaurants under the bridge (making sure they had WiFi again). Here’s where we made an expensive mistake. We ordered our fish by the kg instead of by the portion. We ended up sharing a 2kg red snapper at 100 TL per kg. We weren’t of course told the price per kg until we saw the bill. It was a nice piece of fish that was served with fries and a salad, but at 270 TL for the meal (with beer) it was pricey.

 

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We did have nice views of the Bosphorus and the bridge to Asia, but we should have just bought fish sandwiches from the vendors along the bridge. We did get to show our youngest daughter a little taste of Istanbul at night through FaceTime.

 

At the restaurant, we sat next to a Turkish family with three little girls. One of the girls, who was about 7, drank her dad’s entire glass of wine. Cultural differences…

 

We walked back to the ship from the bridge, being too cheap to spend 3 TL for a one stop tram (and feeling ripped off from dinner). We made it back around 11pm, so we missed whatever entertainment was lined up for the evening. We were exhausted from miles of walking, but felt like we got a great taste of Istanbul for that first day.

 

Up next: Harem Scarem

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pjs678

pjs678

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Enjoying the review! We were on the Equinox last May for a similar itinerary. I felt for you with the $15 tip to the bell hop. After a similar situation on our Baltic cruise, I have been getting small bill euro from a local TA before each trip. We probably saved the cost of the service a few times over! Can't wait for more. Did you find the early sunsets a negative compared to a spring trip? We are considering a Venice cruise next fall. Thanks

 

We didn't mind the sunset time. It was around 7 or 7:30 every night so not too early. I would expect the Med is not as variable as the Baltic in terms of daylight hours. We had great weather overall. The hottest day was probably Ephesus - around 90.

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softail

softail

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Oh my! I nearly choked reading the description of your wife's massage!:eek:

 

Great review thanks :D

 

JCS was never really sure if the woman was using her hands or saggy breasts to perform the massage. After that, it was over. Not quite the same experience.

 

ROFLMAO

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pjs678

pjs678

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Istanbul Day 2

 

After much debate consisting of a few grunts and a “have fun,” JCS decided not to accompany me into Istanbul and catch up on sleep this morning. I planned to visit Topkapi Palace before the back on board time of 12:45pm.

 

I got up at 7:30am and grabbed a quick buffet breakfast. I walked to the tram and this time it was fairly empty. I got off at the Gulhane stop to walk to the Palace. That was a mistake. It was all uphill from that stop. Get off at Sultanahmet instead.

 

I was one of the first in the ticket line at 8:30am and waited for the palace to open. Once I bought a ticket, I walked in and began my self-guided Rick Steves tour of the palace. I started with the Harem as the ticket line was very short.

 

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Then I explored the rest of the palace, enjoying the history and the opulence.

 

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There are also amazing views of the city from the terraces at the palace.

 

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I spent about 2 hours exploring the palace and the grounds. It is well worth it if you can make it part of your Istanbul itinerary. If you have only one day in Istanbul, you should buy tickets in advance for both Hagia Sophia, the palace and the Harem to save time in line.

 

I grabbed the tram back to the ship and this time it was packed again. I stopped back at the same café near the ship to check email and enjoy an apple tea. Around noon, I re-boarded and went to check on JCS. She was still sleeping, although she claims she got up around 10 and ate breakfast at the buffet.

 

I told her to meet me at the Sunset Bar around 1 for sailaway/lunch and went to grab some salad at the Oceanview to tide me over. I took it outside and ate while overlooking the city. I went up to the Sunset Bar to enjoy a margarita and started chatting with the couple next to me. Turns out they were from Cumming, GA – about 10 minutes from us!

 

JCS came up just as we were sailing away and we enjoyed the close-up views of the Sultanahmet area and Dolmabahce Palace as we bade farewell to Istanbul.

 

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We went in and grabbed a late lunch and enjoyed chatting with a nice couple from San Diego who had also left their kids with the grandparents for 2 weeks.

 

After lunch we cruised through the Marmarus Sea and I took my iPad on the balcony to read. Next thing I knew, I stretched out the balcony chair, put my feet on the other one and crashed for two hours with the sounds of the seas lulling me to sleep. After two days of walking around Istanbul, it was much needed.

 

After 5, we stopped at our favorite haunt, the Molecular Bar, and continued working our way down the drink list. That night, we went to dinner at Silhouette for the first time since the first night of the cruise. Nalan was so excited to see us, you would have thought we were her long lost relatives from Istanbul. She was so upset when JCS told her about the hamam. Apparently, Nalan used to work at a hamam in Istanbul and would have sent us to that one if we had only asked her. Great, now I had this picture in my head of Nalan working at a sweaty hamam combined with her serving our dinner.

 

She told us that the other couple at our table had shown up the second night, but had since switched to a table full of fellow honeymooners. Now we had a table for two next to the window for the rest of the trip.

 

After dinner, we went to the casino bar and met Erin & Justin with hopes that the ship might show the Florida – Texas A&M game, which was due to start at 10:30pm local time. We were told that the ship could not get the game, which we knew was code for “we don’t want to spend the money on another satellite channel.” We knew they could get it if they wanted because they showed the NFL game the previous Wednesday (at 3am). After that disappointment, we decided against seeing the late show, which was some sort of female singing impersonator. We grabbed some extra bottled water from the casino bar for Ephesus and went to bed.

 

Up next: Yelda, Paul & Mary

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Jade08

Jade08

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I read every single word and you provided very useful information.

 

This reminds me don’t miss the sail-away in Istanbul.

 

We have a starboard (right) side cabin. Do you remember which side of ship you saw views of the Sultanahmet area during sail-away?

 

Thanks

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pjs678

pjs678

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I read every single word and you provided very useful information.

 

This reminds me don’t miss the sail-away in Istanbul.

 

We have a starboard (right) side cabin. Do you remember which side of ship you saw views of the Sultanahmet area during sail-away?

 

Thanks

 

We were starboard also. We were up on Deck 15 aft for sail away so we got the full view on both sides. I think starboard would have seen the good view of Sultanahmet.

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pjs678

pjs678

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Thanks for a wonderful review.

 

I was wondering where you buy tickets to all the sights in Istanbul. I found a site called "Muze" which sells a museum pass for 72 lire. Is this the one you recommend?

 

That's the correct site, but don't buy the pass. You have to have a Turkish address for that. Just buy the individual tickets for each museum and print them out.

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