Just off Equinox

[Patrick IL.]

A wonderful 11 night cruise. We had a $550 OBC so upped to the premium drink package and did the 3 specialty restaurants. We were in aqua class, but also enjoyed the gastro pub one night and the Ocean view one night. Service, food and staff were spot on, no issues what so ever. I would be happy to answer any questions if you would like.

Edited March 7, 2016 by Patrick IL.

[inct]

Thank you for your comments.

I have a question regarding internet on ports. Are you able to connect in any of the ports?

Leaving on the Equinox on the 14th!

[Cruise Raider]

A wonderful 11 night cruise. We had a $550 OBC so upped to the premium drink package and did the 3 specialty restaurants. We were in aqua class, but also enjoyed the gastro pub one night and the Ocean view one night. Service, food and staff were spot on, no issues what so ever. I would be happy to answer any questions if you would like.

 

We are on this itinerary in about a month from now and last time on the Equinox, there was no gastropub. Can you describe this a little more in depth? Is this a pay restaurant?

 

Also, is there a can't miss tour or activity in Cartegena? We are having a tough time figuring out what to do in that port.

 

Are they still offering a small version of the specialty martinis in the martini bar or elsewhere on the ship if we only have the classic package? On one cruise, we were able to get a small version of just about any type of martini -- albeit without the top shelf liquor, which was just fine with us. But, then on another cruise, it was the basic martinis only.

 

Are they currently giving cash out in the casino or is it just promo chips / slot play loaded onto your card? This is, of course, if you did frequent the casino.

 

Were there any discounts on specialty dining being offered on the ship that you noticed?

 

Can you describe the pillows that were available in your cabin when you boarded (not ones you may have specifically requested). I asked this question before but the answer I received was 'they're ok'. Not sure what to make of that as a description, although I was appreciative of the attempt to at least acknowledge my question.

 

Glad to hear you had a great time.....and thanks, ahead of time.

[wfbmurph]

A wonderful 11 night cruise. We had a $550 OBC so upped to the premium drink package and did the 3 specialty restaurants. We were in aqua class, but also enjoyed the gastro pub one night and the Ocean view one night. Service, food and staff were spot on, no issues what so ever. I would be happy to answer any questions if you would like.

 

 

Did you happen to use the onboard WiFi and can share the connection speeds and overall quality? I'm on the ship in September and considering purchasing the WiFi package.

[az_tchr]

We are on this itinerary in about a month from now and last time on the Equinox, there was no gastropub. Can you describe this a little more in depth? Is this a pay restaurant?

 

Also, is there a can't miss tour or activity in Cartegena? We are having a tough time figuring out what to do in that port.

 

Are they still offering a small version of the specialty martinis in the martini bar or elsewhere on the ship if we only have the classic package? On one cruise, we were able to get a small version of just about any type of martini -- albeit without the top shelf liquor, which was just fine with us. But, then on another cruise, it was the basic martinis only.

 

Are they currently giving cash out in the casino or is it just promo chips / slot play loaded onto your card? This is, of course, if you did frequent the casino.

 

Were there any discounts on specialty dining being offered on the ship that you noticed?

 

Can you describe the pillows that were available in your cabin when you boarded (not ones you may have specifically requested). I asked this question before but the answer I received was 'they're ok'. Not sure what to make of that as a description, although I was appreciative of the attempt to at least acknowledge my question.

 

Glad to hear you had a great time.....and thanks, ahead of time.

 

Gastropub is a bar, not a restaurant. Pillows in a veranda cabin are poly fill and my DW hates them.

 

Steward gladly always has brought down for her.

 

In some 20 times aboard there has always been discounts for specialty restaurants. Usually 50% off on night #1 to get you in and often 50% off after you have gone to get you back if reservations are slow.

 

Martinis oft discussed and offered in 2 sizes as always.

 

Internet is awful on board. Most ports had good wifi, but I simply used my phone off the ship. Who knows what it will be next week or next month. Rumors of a new system have been around for months now. Would wait till on board to buy after you find out what is happening.

 

Cartegena - Simply need to figure that one out on personal preference. I always use trip advisor but in Cartegena looked around museums always - have been there fro a week on business - as interested in history.

Edited March 7, 2016 by az_tchr

[hcat]

Cruiseraider:

 

On EQ , Gastropub is a pub style bar, located where the wine bar was located previously, with the area opened up and redesigned. There are TVs for sports event, some nice comfy lounge chairs in window cubbies...great for reading early in the day, This is where they have the beer, ale menu...

 

It is not a traditional dining venue, per se, but in Jan, there was a food menu...all items al a carte....not sure if it has been changed or updated since then ...Maybe OP can post what they ate there or check with main bd for upates...things change quickly on X ...

 

We had no issues with internet.

 

Can't wait for EQ next year...with the Cartagena itin!

Edited March 7, 2016 by hcat

[jldvestal]

Hi Patrick. We love to dance to Rock n' Roll music, any musicians on board that played at night where you could dance to the music? Thanks!

[Patrick IL.]

We are on this itinerary in about a month from now and last time on the Equinox, there was no gastropub. Can you describe this a little more in depth? Is this a pay restaurant?

 

Also, is there a can't miss tour or activity in Cartegena? We are having a tough time figuring out what to do in that port.

 

Are they still offering a small version of the specialty martinis in the martini bar or elsewhere on the ship if we only have the classic package? On one cruise, we were able to get a small version of just about any type of martini -- albeit without the top shelf liquor, which was just fine with us. But, then on another cruise, it was the basic martinis only.

 

Are they currently giving cash out in the casino or is it just promo chips / slot play loaded onto your card? This is, of course, if you did frequent the casino.

 

Were there any discounts on specialty dining being offered on the ship that you noticed?

 

Can you describe the pillows that were available in your cabin when you boarded (not ones you may have specifically requested). I asked this question before but the answer I received was 'they're ok'. Not sure what to make of that as a description, although I was appreciative of the attempt to at least acknowledge my question.

 

Glad to hear you had a great time.....and thanks, ahead of time.

Gastro pub drinks and pub food, such as fish and chips, burgers and so on. Yes it's pay for the food, we both had dinner I think it was $12. I had the Guinness pie.

 

In Cartagena we used a private guide we had used a couple years ago. Used private guide is Costa Rica also. Both were about $50 per person. Cozumel we go to an all inclusive beach for the day. Our most disappointing excursion was in Panama, through the ship, go figure.

 

I did see the small martini's but am not sure if they are included, we had the premium package.

 

We did not spend much time in the casino.

 

The pillows were fine, I felt as the cruise went on my back started to bother me. I think the bed was very firm.

[Patrick IL.]

Did you happen to use the onboard WiFi and can share the connection speeds and overall quality? I'm on the ship in September and considering purchasing the WiFi package.

Wi-Fi was terribly slow, we had a 120 mins due to our captains club status.

[Patrick IL.]

Hi Patrick. We love to dance to Rock n' Roll music, any musicians on board that played at night where you could dance to the music? Thanks!

Yes, they had a house band, also two DJ's, several other bands, and accupella group also.

They have a blow out party on the pool deck one night that is not to be missed. Take an afternoon nap. Music constantly in the grand foyer also.

[Northern Aurora]

Gastropub is a bar, not a restaurant.

 

...

 

When we were on the Equinox last fall for a B2B2B the Gastropub certainly served additional fee pub-styled meals. While passengers weren't required to purchase the food to enjoy the sports events meals were available for purchase and many did enjoy meals there.

 

But to the OP -- glad you enjoyed your time on the Equinox. We've completed five cruises on her and enjoyed each one.

[cruise47]

To the OP, thanks for your positive review.

[Cruise Raider]

Thank you everyone. I certainly appreciate the time put in to answer my questions. Last time on the Equinox was 3 years ago ... it was fabulous. We booked on a special wine package so may be just fine. If not, we are considering upgrading to the premium package, just for the better wines.

 

thanks again...think I will leave my pillow here at home since I am able to get a down pillow onboard. Keeping my fingers crossed ... last time onboard, we had CC so had the pillow menu. I was just hoping I could order a pillow I wanted without being in one of the pricier rooms.

 

I think I am going to miss Cellar Masters but won't make that determination until after I try to gastro pub. I always like these types of alternate dinners.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that Silk Harvest is offered at a discount ... that is my favorite!! I just talked to my DH about going the first night and he gave me the thumbs up.

[hcat]

Silk Harvest was really good...service , menu and quality of food!

[wallie5446]

 

 

 

I think I am going to miss Cellar Masters but won't make that determination until after I try to gastro pub. I always like these types of alternate dinners.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that Silk Harvest is offered at a discount ... that is my favorite!! I just talked to my DH about going the first night and he gave me the thumbs up.

 

We were on the EQ over Thanksgiving for the second yr in a row, and the GastroBar has replaced the Sunset Bar as our go to hang out!

 

My wife is the wine drinker, while I am the craft beer nerd, so we always get the Premium bev pkg. They kept a red in stock she liked the entire cruise. The beer and food paring sold out both times it was offered.

 

The burgers and flatbreads are very good and worth the added cost.

EW

 

Here are a couple of threads about it:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2290023

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2051239

 

If you

[deladane]

A wonderful 11 night cruise. We had a $550 OBC so upped to the premium drink package and did the 3 specialty restaurants. We were in aqua class, but also enjoyed the gastro pub one night and the Ocean view one night. Service, food and staff were spot on, no issues what so ever. I would be happy to answer any questions if you would like.

 

So glad you had such a great cruise! How was the new Captain? I heard such wonderful things about the prior Captain and was bummed to hear he's on vacation now. Also, did the ship set their clocks back/forward to match local port times? In addition to the normal time zone changes, I am sailing next week when the US has just done Daylight Savings Time, but many Central/South American and Caribbean countries have not, so fingers crossed that the Captain will decide to change the ship clocks to match local port time so we don't have to worry about it!!

[joetop2467]

We are also just off this cruise. The new captain was good. Alejandro was our cruise director and we thought he was great. He got off with us though for his vacation. The cruise was wonderful. In Cartegena we had a hard time making up our mind what to do. We had finally decided that we were going to take a cab to La Popa Monastery and go from there. When we came off the ship, we ran into a very pushy sales girl who insisted we take a tour. Well I usually don't like that type of sales push but we sure were glad we did as she said. We got an entire tour for $20 each. There were about 8 people on the tour. We started out at La Popa Monastery. Had to pay the $4 entry fee. We then went to the fort and the group decided not to take the fort tour. I really wanted to but was the only one. It cost $10 and had a lot of walking up a hill to get into it. Oh well, next time I will visit it. We then went to the dungeons for a little shopping. We then went to the wall for a walk around and then into the Old City. We went to the Gold Museum and all over. This tour was one of the best deals we have ever gotten in a port. About 4.5 hours and back to ship. The aviary at the port was unbelievable. So many birds and even a couple of monkeys. We absolutely loved Cartegena and will definitely go back. I think I got off track for your other questions, but will answer if you like. Equinox was great as was service. The productions shows were very good as were a couple of the outside acts. We had a comedian that wasn't funny. The Equinox orchestra was great. The female singer in the house band sang off key. Overall the cruise was about a 9.5 out of 10.

[joetop2467]

We had our time set back one hour on the sea day before Costa Rica and set back to Eastern Time after leaving there. So we were only on Central Time for two days. I don't know what daylight savings time will do to time. Also, to answer an earlier question, we had free internet at Paradise Beach Club in Cozumel, for about five minutes in the middle of the Gatun Locks on the Panama Canal tour, and at a coffee shop up the street from the tender pier in Grand Cayman. As we were walking back down the street to the tender pier, I noticed a sign outside Tanzanite International saying they had free internet and free drinks upstairs. We didn't check it out because we had just left the coffee shop where we had gotten all caught up. That's all we had internet in 11 days.

[Z-Bird]

Thank you for all of the tips! We sail on the Equinox next Monday. Would you mind to share who your private guide was in Cartagena?

[Keith1010]

Glad you enjoyed the cruise.

 

Keith

[KirkNC]

Welcome back, sounds like you had a great time.

[Patrick IL.]

Silk Harvest was really good...service , menu and quality of food!

Yes! we tried silk harvest again, we had had a bad experience there years ago. It was service related and we walked out. This time they were on their game, a wonderful meal and service.

[Cruise Raider]

In Cartegena we had a hard time making up our mind what to do. We had finally decided that we were going to take a cab to La Popa Monastery and go from there. When we came off the ship, we ran into a very pushy sales girl who insisted we take a tour. Well I usually don't like that type of sales push but we sure were glad we did as she said. We got an entire tour for $20 each. There were about 8 people on the tour. We started out at La Popa Monastery. Had to pay the $4 entry fee. We then went to the fort and the group decided not to take the fort tour. I really wanted to but was the only one. It cost $10 and had a lot of walking up a hill to get into it. Oh well, next time I will visit it. We then went to the dungeons for a little shopping. We then went to the wall for a walk around and then into the Old City. We went to the Gold Museum and all over. This tour was one of the best deals we have ever gotten in a port. About 4.5 hours and back to ship. .

 

That sounds like a great tour and love the price. Does the area lend itself to just getting off the ship and taking a private tour? Sounds like it worked out well but was there a sense of being nervous about it?

We've been to Cartagena once in 2000....it was certainly not the kind of place then where I would have been comfortable with this. Ours was one of the last cruises going there at that time as there was some violence that the cruise lines wanted to avoid. Sounds like they may have cleaned it up a bit. I just remember being greeted by an army of men with their machine guns as we docked. They actually took several of the crew with them by gunpoint in the afternoon. I understand it was drug smuggling but never know if we get the real story or not. It did sound logical, though.

Anyhow, I think someone on my roll call stated that it was much safer now but then read an article that had me questioning that....so trying to work through the inconsistencies. I am kind of thinking that Celebrity wouldn't cancel Belize due to safety concerns only to have us spend two days in a port with a lesser degree of safety???

I really do want a tour of the fort as we've been to the monastery and the dungeons for shopping as well as shopping in town for Emeralds. Our stop at the fort was just that ... a stop for pictures and would really like the tour. I guess if we decide to look for a tour right off the dock, we can make sure the rest of the group is game for that. We are stopping at the fort in Panama, so maybe we will be all forted out by the time we hit Columbia anyway.

Thanks for your detailed description of your day in Cartagena.

[wendychloecruiser]

Be very careful about emerald shopping in Colombia. The shops will say the emeralds are "all natural." They are allowed to describe emeralds this way despite them being potentially "filled" and coloured.

Edited March 8, 2016 by wendychloecruiser

[Cruise Raider]

Be very careful about emerald shopping in Colombia. The shops will say the emeralds are "all natural." They are allowed to describe emeralds this way despite them being potentially "filled" and coloured.

 

Good to know!