Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Equinox Trip Report - Transatlantic Oct/Nov

Luckyladyh

By Luckyladyh,
in Celebrity Cruises

 Share

Recommended Posts

Luckyladyh

Luckyladyh

Posted
Posted

Boarded in Barcelona with stops in Cartegena, Morocco, Lanzarote and Tenerife before heading across the ocean. This was our second transatlantic - the other being on Silouhette a few years back. Overall it was good - although we got very bored at the end. More on that later.

 

The age range was probably 70's and up - although there some younger 50s/60s - and a few couples braved their crossing with young children. All seem well behaved.

 

The ship was very nice. Probably the cleanest ship I have been on - you walked out of a toilet stall and someone was in cleaning it - very conscious of keeping down viruses which I appreciated alot.

 

Stateroom cabin was probably a little long in the tooth - could use some updates - but was OK. We had a sunset verandah and were happy with it. Rooms seemed small though compared to others - not sure why - but felt tight. Maybe because we were in there for 13 nights. Room steward was good as most are.

 

Overall service on the ship was excellent - food was excellent - better than probably any other ship I have been on recently. The buffet - which I usually never do much - was so good - we ate there most of the time in the evening. Great selection and quality this time. Some buffets you can't chew the meat - but this was very good. And I loved how friendly they all were in the buffet - no matter the time of day!

 

The main dining room experience for our "anytime" dining wasn't great. Service was very slow and disjointed. The poor servers were so rushed all the time. Didn't care for it - so we stuck with the buffet who had absolutely wonderful servers and cooks - talking to everyone - friendly, etc.

 

We ate at specialty restaurants four nights - 2 in Silk Harvest which we really liked, one each in Murano and Tuscan Grill. Tuscan Grill was our only disappointment. Wasn't very good. Murano was excellent - but for my money - I would definitely do Silk. The Sushi on 5 was always empty. I think they suffer from an identity crisis.

 

The service at the Cafe Bacio - (coffee shop) was also excellent. I can't get over how good the service was everywhere, including the front desk. I had some laundry done - and they did not follow my directions not to dry - clothes came back about two sizes smaller - but the front office worked with me on it. I'll never have laundry done on a ship again! Super hot dryers.

 

Now the downfalls which were few. I thought this was the most boring cruise ever. There was little to no entertainment of quality. Seemed like some silly things made up. There were some speakers on the crossing, but I didn't care for their topics. So for the Cruise Director/Entertainment I thought it was a huge miss - and so did many people I talked with. Casino stayed mostly empty - could be due to the age of the passengers - and the shopping was awful. They kept putting out this leftover junk at 10AM and called it a super sale. Since there was really nothing much to do - the place would get mobbed. Little old ladies pushing to get to things. Not my cup of tea.

 

It was also great to see alot of the staff and ships officers around the ship. Loved the captains daily report at 10AM.

 

Bar service was excellent, and the only downfall was that there were so many "elite" passengers that their nightly free drinks took up all of the bars - and regular paying passengers could barely get a drink. As soon as 7PM hit - all the bars were empty again. I didn't care for that at all. There were so many apparently they had coupons for three or four of the major bars - and they were packed for their "freebie". I know why they - drinks were super expensive. A martini at the martini bar - was $15.00 with the tip. Beer was probably the best value.

 

We did buy the Classic Non Alcohol package which I thought was a good value for us since we drink alot of coffees and sodas and waters. The alcohol one was just too expensive. We did it last crossing and felt like we had to drink too much to get the value out of it - so this time we chose to pay by the drink.

 

Overall a great cruise - weather was good although it rained many days. I have to be honest - with about three days to go, I had read so many books, and had nothing to do - I was about to go stir crazy. Others I am sure wanted to stay on more days! Of course everyone has their own interests and opinions. I am sure it is like having a baby - you forget the pain after a while - and I'm sure we will do another transatlantic again some day.

 

Internet - although expensive was good and no problems.

 

Good luck and have fun whichever cruise you are on. My overall philosophy is if I am on vacation - I don' t have to cook, work or clean, so every day is great - even if there are some "misses".

Link to comment
Share on other sites
janewe

janewe

Posted
Posted
Boarded in Barcelona with stops in Cartegena, Morocco, Lanzarote and Tenerife before heading across the ocean. This was our second transatlantic - the other being on Silouhette a few years back. Overall it was good - although we got very bored at the end. More on that later.

 

The age range was probably 70's and up - although there some younger 50s/60s - and a few couples braved their crossing with young children. All seem well behaved.

 

The ship was very nice. Probably the cleanest ship I have been on - you walked out of a toilet stall and someone was in cleaning it - very conscious of keeping down viruses which I appreciated alot.

 

Stateroom cabin was probably a little long in the tooth - could use some updates - but was OK. We had a sunset verandah and were happy with it. Rooms seemed small though compared to others - not sure why - but felt tight. Maybe because we were in there for 13 nights. Room steward was good as most are.

 

Overall service on the ship was excellent - food was excellent - better than probably any other ship I have been on recently. The buffet - which I usually never do much - was so good - we ate there most of the time in the evening. Great selection and quality this time. Some buffets you can't chew the meat - but this was very good. And I loved how friendly they all were in the buffet - no matter the time of day!

 

The main dining room experience for our "anytime" dining wasn't great. Service was very slow and disjointed. The poor servers were so rushed all the time. Didn't care for it - so we stuck with the buffet who had absolutely wonderful servers and cooks - talking to everyone - friendly, etc.

 

We ate at specialty restaurants four nights - 2 in Silk Harvest which we really liked, one each in Murano and Tuscan Grill. Tuscan Grill was our only disappointment. Wasn't very good. Murano was excellent - but for my money - I would definitely do Silk. The Sushi on 5 was always empty. I think they suffer from an identity crisis.

 

The service at the Cafe Bacio - (coffee shop) was also excellent. I can't get over how good the service was everywhere, including the front desk. I had some laundry done - and they did not follow my directions not to dry - clothes came back about two sizes smaller - but the front office worked with me on it. I'll never have laundry done on a ship again! Super hot dryers.

 

Now the downfalls which were few. I thought this was the most boring cruise ever. There was little to no entertainment of quality. Seemed like some silly things made up. There were some speakers on the crossing, but I didn't care for their topics. So for the Cruise Director/Entertainment I thought it was a huge miss - and so did many people I talked with. Casino stayed mostly empty - could be due to the age of the passengers - and the shopping was awful. They kept putting out this leftover junk at 10AM and called it a super sale. Since there was really nothing much to do - the place would get mobbed. Little old ladies pushing to get to things. Not my cup of tea.

 

It was also great to see alot of the staff and ships officers around the ship. Loved the captains daily report at 10AM.

 

Bar service was excellent, and the only downfall was that there were so many "elite" passengers that their nightly free drinks took up all of the bars - and regular paying passengers could barely get a drink. As soon as 7PM hit - all the bars were empty again. I didn't care for that at all. There were so many apparently they had coupons for three or four of the major bars - and they were packed for their "freebie". I know why they - drinks were super expensive. A martini at the martini bar - was $15.00 with the tip. Beer was probably the best value.

 

We did buy the Classic Non Alcohol package which I thought was a good value for us since we drink alot of coffees and sodas and waters. The alcohol one was just too expensive. We did it last crossing and felt like we had to drink too much to get the value out of it - so this time we chose to pay by the drink.

 

Overall a great cruise - weather was good although it rained many days. I have to be honest - with about three days to go, I had read so many books, and had nothing to do - I was about to go stir crazy. Others I am sure wanted to stay on more days! Of course everyone has their own interests and opinions. I am sure it is like having a baby - you forget the pain after a while - and I'm sure we will do another transatlantic again some day.

 

Internet - although expensive was good and no problems.

 

Good luck and have fun whichever cruise you are on. My overall philosophy is if I am on vacation - I don' t have to cook, work or clean, so every day is great - even if there are some "misses".

As someone how is considering a Trans Atlantic at some point, I found this to be very informative. Really good, honest review. Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Gracie115

Gracie115

Posted
Posted

We were on the same cruise and I agree with much of what the OP said. The Equinox has a WONDERFUL crew...just very friendly and willing to do whatever it takes to make the guests happy.

 

I can't say that I thought it was boring, although with 7 sea days in a row it is a challenge for the crew to keep everyone energized. We thought the guest lecturers were interesting, there was a fun Halloween party with a "thriller" flash mob, the "Liar's Club" was fun, a few of the shows at night were good(better than on Reflection in April). But it WAS a TA so we expect to have a lot of downtime to read on the balcony and rest.

 

We thought the weather was good, although more unpredictable than on past TA's .... not temperature wise, it was quite warm a good bit of the way, but a sunny clear sky would change into a rain shower for a time and then back to sun...and there were a few days of no sun, but overall pleasant. The seas were rocky on the 1st and last days but otherwise pretty smooth.

 

We ate in Luminae and while the service was OUTSTANDING the food itself was not as well prepared as on Reflection or Eclipse.

 

Shopping......the OP has it right for sure....not good and the sales were incredibly lousy quality..but I don't ever cruise to shop so not an issue...

 

Our room attendants were superb...I can't say enough good things about the staff...just wonderful.....can't wait for new itineraries in a few weeks so we can book another trip!!:D

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Northern Aurora

Northern Aurora

Posted
Posted

Nice review of one of my favorite ships. We've done five cruises on the Equinox, including two trans-Atlantics on her. We love both trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific cruises, and I suspect that I love all of those sea days as I find it absolutely decadent to read for fun, not for business, in the middle of the day!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Gracie115

Gracie115

Posted
Posted
Glad to hear all is well on the Equinox, we sail on her for the third time in about 2 weeks. Was Alejandro the CD?

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

 

Yes he was.......I enjoyed him....he will actually be one of the few I believe I will remember, so often the CD fades from my memory quickly...he was entertaining...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Cruisercl

Cruisercl

Posted
Posted

I was on the Equinox TA cruise and agree with most of what the OP said but not all of it. Everyone's experience is different; here is what I thought.

 

The weather was what I expected on a TA cruise in Oct/Nov. Weather is always unpredictable that time of year and it was good overall. It was a smooth sailing overall.

 

I was never bored; I believe Alejandro and his staff did a great job. There was a variety of things to do everyday while we were at sea. If you didn't like one thing there was always something else. It appeared to me that lots of people participated in the events and went to the shows. I wasn't interested in all of the speakers topics but I was in some; there were quite varied in their topics.

I really liked the music acts that played around the ship in different venues at different times. Again, there was good variety and they were all very good.

 

I do agree with the age group that may have something to do with the OP's thoughts. Everyone is looking for something different and IMO they did a good job to add variety for all.

 

Agree, the service was great and the officers were out and about very often, intermingling with the passengers and participated in events. Food was good too; we ate at Sushi on 5 and it was great!

 

I had no trouble with bar service; never had to wait very long to get served.

 

Met some great people and the events from the RC were very fun; my thanks to all of you who worked on those! :)

 

I loved the Equinox and all it offered on this TA cruise. I am still smiling.

 

Safe cruising all!!!:D

Link to comment
Share on other sites
WNcruiser "Live from...." Rare

WNcruiser

Posted
Posted

7 sea days in a row is quite a lot. They used to cross in 5 until a couple years ago when all of a sudden it changed to 6 or 7.

 

We did the Eclipse T/A last year and it was only 4 sea days from Bermuda to the Azores which was perfect for us. I think I would get bored as well after 5.

 

Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites
IrishMis

IrishMis

Posted
Posted

We took the spring TA on Equinox, our 4th TA.......had so much fun I didn't even read my normal quota of books. i thought Alejandro and his staff were the BEST we ever had. They MADE the trip in MHP. Loved all the free dance classes they had poolside and matinee shows in Celebrity Theatre. My DH is a CPA/Auditor....he only laughs on the inside, so he tells me. Alejandro and his staff had him laughing on the outside every day. No small accomplishment. Sailing Equinox in January and really hoping Alejandro will be on board but 7 days in Caribbean is not the same as the rhythm that comes with the multiple sea days. That may be a strange word to some folks but TAs just aren't for everyone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
TommyD3

TommyD3

Posted
Posted

Did they move Select dining in the MDR downstairs?

They did this months ago on all the Millennium class ships.

Wondering if it is fleet wide???

 

Were you able to find a seat at Café al Bacio on sea days?

Were on Summit and Infinity the last 2 months and virtually impossible to get a table on sea days.

 

Thanks in advance !!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Gracie115

Gracie115

Posted
Posted
Did they move Select dining in the MDR downstairs?

They did this months ago on all the Millennium class ships.

Wondering if it is fleet wide???

 

Were you able to find a seat at Café al Bacio on sea days?

Were on Summit and Infinity the last 2 months and virtually impossible to get a table on sea days.

 

Thanks in advance !!!

 

We ate in Luminae so not sure about the Select dining question but I have never seen Café al Bacio so busy as on this cruise....sea days it was very busy, although I think there were still some seats open most of the time....

Link to comment
Share on other sites
easyboy

easyboy

Posted
Posted
I was on the Equinox TA cruise and agree with most of what the OP said but not all of it. Everyone's experience is different; here is what I thought.

 

I loved the Equinox and all it offered on this TA cruise. I am still smiling.

 

Safe cruising all!!!:D

Nice to know that like the OP, you also enjoyed your TA cruise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
rcixfan5

rcixfan5

Posted
Posted
Glad to hear all is well on the Equinox, we sail on her for the third time in about 2 weeks. Was Alejandro the CD?

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

 

 

Alejandro is still onboard for the cruise after the transatlantic, for the voyage that ends on Nov 18, 2016

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Luckyladyh

Luckyladyh

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Did they move Select dining in the MDR downstairs?

They did this months ago on all the Millennium class ships.

Wondering if it is fleet wide???

 

Were you able to find a seat at Café al Bacio on sea days?

Were on Summit and Infinity the last 2 months and virtually impossible to get a table on sea days.

 

Thanks in advance !!!

 

Not sure I know how to reply - hope this works. Yes - the Select was in the MDR downstairs on the left side. Very slow service.

 

And we had no problem finding a seat at the Cafe al Bacio. There were some times in which it was crowded, but mostly not. And the lines - if any went very quick. Most people seemed to take their beverage and walk away to somewhere else. Have fun!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
PRH

PRH

Posted
Posted

We were on this cruise. Traditional dining was on the lower level and we found service to be great. Our server was helpful, attentive and made informed recommendations. Food came out evenly and those who wanted to attend the show, were given expedited food. We've never had traditional dining, but now I think I will request it. Such a nice change from the frenetic situation upstairs.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • Hurricane Zone 2024
      • Cruise Insurance Q&A w/ Steve Dasseos of Tripinsurancestore.com June 2024
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...