Just Embarked the Equinox. IMPRESSED!

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Steve==did you ever visit the Persian Gardens? I am wondering what they are like.

[ChucktownSteve]

Steve==did you ever visit the Persian Gardens? I am wondering what they are like.

 

Sry I didn't. I'm not in AQ class this trip. I was in the M class ship which I understand is not as nice as the S class ships. M class doesn't access any windows while I hear the S class do. But someone more knowledgeable will need to contribute.

[ChucktownSteve]

Since there were no Captains Club coupons in the cabin but just a sheet describing the benefits as Select, I presumed they were loaded on my Sea Pass as had been mentioned on other threads previously.

 

As I passed the Gelatto area of Cafe al Bacio, I asked the crew member about coupons being loaded on the card. I asked her to check my card.

 

 

Here's the listing of the Select Loyalty perks. The staff member also gave me a print out of them. The person's name happens to be the previous person that was in my cabin.

 

I then checked out the MDR lunch menu.

 

 

I chose to go to the buffet and finished with a scoop of so called pistachio ice cream. There were no actual nuts in it but it tasted like some cheap chemical imitation of the flavor with some ice crystals. Horrible.

Edited December 18, 2016 by ChucktownSteve

[weregoingcruising]

Thats what I call your postings with awesome pictures.:)

Thank You

[ChucktownSteve]

I'm cleaning up some odds and ends that I've thought about but hadn't posted yet...Like the room service breakfast menu in Concierge.

 

 

as if that weren't enough, you can also pay for premium items.

 

 

Since I'm in a connecting cabin, here's the way they open the divider to make a two cabin balcony. Notice the hinge at the top. There's also one at the bottom.

 

 

And that's how they unlock it with a type of allen wrench or something.

 

 

I know you've heard on Cruise Critic of how some people locked themselves out of the cabin but on the balcony. That can't happen in my cabin. There's a handle on both sides of the door.

 

 

I found the flyer that indicated which Select Captains Club discounts are loaded on your sea pass.

 

[ChucktownSteve]

Here's the FINAL dinner menu. I ordered the prime rib rare. It was ok. But I am sick of the carrots they now serve on just about every plate in the MDR. :eek:

 

 

Then I headed to the World Class bar for a final good bye to the great people from our roll call that we've become friendly with. They're good peeps I wouldn't have probably met had it not been for Cruise Critic and the roll call. They helped make my cruise more enjoyable. not to mention the quality of liquor served there. :D

 

When I returned to my cabin about 9:30 my luggage was already gone. I find the final Disembarkation information.

 

And the final Celebrity Today one sheet.

 

 

So since they'll shut off the wifi by 7am when we are required to vacate our cabin, this will be my last posting. I have about an 8 hour drive ahead of me. I'm gonna call it a night. I'll probably post a final message after returning home and resting.

 

If you're traveling for a cruise or home, safe travels. I'll leave you with the appropriate song lyrics by Rogers and Hammerstein...

 

So long, farewell,auf wiedersehen, good night.

I hate to go and leave this pretty sight.

So long, farewell auf wiedersehen, adieu

Adieu, adieu, to yieu and yieu and yieu.

[lauraapp]

The appropriate farewell as I am watching Sound of Music right now!

 

So enjoyed your review I sail on Jan. 9...will miss logging on to this site 3-4 times a day to see what is new. Thanks so much and safe travels!

[pattibacon]

Steve, just got wind of this thanks to someone on the Mardi Gras thread. Read every page tonight. It was great. Glad you like the S class. I do too but love all Celebrity ships actually. Know V will like it. Wish we could get something scheduled to cruise together again, but maybe we'll see you stateside soon. Anxious to meet Bill and Rosie (and others) on the MG cruise. Safe travels home and drop me a note when you read my Christmas card (I asked you if you want me to send you something!).

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[pattibacon]

Actually it was from my Equinox October 2017 thread!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[tweetylori]

Awesome review...thank you so much! Hard to believe about your crazy tablemate in the dining room :eek: That is AWFUL. It is unbelievable what cruise staff have to deal with sometimes!

[Living4acruise2day]

Hope you got home safely. Loved every second of your review.

[GaryR6273]

Steve,

 

What an awesome and thorough review (and pictures) you have taken the time to share.

 

Hope you are safely back home to your DW now.

 

Makes me even more excited to be on the Equinox in just over a month!

[pretty princess]

thank you for this review. we will be on this same ship/itinerary in March You have given much useful information. Safe travels home

[cruisehome]

great ship

[Gopher1934]

Steve enjoying your review. Hope you are enjoying your cruise as much as we are enjoying hearing about it. We will be on Summit in Feb. and then Equinox in Sept. We also met you on the Constellation in Feb. 2016. Good to hear from ya. We still talk about the roulette pull that you and Gopher did. Much more fun than a slot pull. Enjoy the rest of you cruise! Susan and Jimmy

 

Sent from my VK700 using Tapatalk

 

 

Hi Steve

Just looking at your review !! You have done a fabulous job.

It also is very informative for me because we also will be on S class for our first time in March. We will be on this same itinerary on the same ship.

Also would like to give a big Hi to Susan and Jimmy.

 

I hope to see you on another cruise down the road and I'm sure you would like to see my bouncing countdown numbers again.

[QuakerBoy]

Thanks for the various pictures and impressions. Great post!

[cruiseerf]

Glad the trip was a great one.....JP The hotel director is one of the best! I always enjoy sailing with him.

 

Cheers!

[ChucktownSteve]

I made it home safe and sound. More about the trip in a bit. But first...

 

Thank you all for the great comments. I'll finish this thread with a few final postings to take it full circle.

 

Hiya Patti, really miss sailing with you, Mike & the group. Hopefully one of these days the stars will align again. I was too tired to read your two page letter but I promise I'll read it tonight. :D I suspect you asked about the Canadian cookies but I won't need any more. My coworkers did enjoy the last batch though. Thankx.

 

Great to hear from you Lonnie. Would love to cruise and Roulette with you sometime. For old times sake...

DAYS TILL MY NEXT CRUISE!

 

They kinda grew on me so next time you can go full force if you wish! :p

 

Really happy you both stumbled upon my live thread.

Edited December 20, 2016 by ChucktownSteve

[ChucktownSteve]

I awoke about 5am however not much to do but shower and finish getting ready. I checked out my on TV account. The perfect ending to an OBN amount.

 

 

The $7.75 went to my cabin attendant along with another amount I slipped him. His contract end in March.

 

I head to Cafe al Bacio for my final double expresso fix. Too bad they couldn't figure out a way to do it intravenously. HA!. I have two and notice self disembarkation have already started forming on the deck outside the cafe more than an hour early. These were the first off the ship.

 

 

We haven't even docked yet and security has opened the railing for the ramp. If you look carefully to the left of the blue pole, you'll see the opening.

 

 

So now it's time for me to wait. I hit deck five near the Ensemble Lounge.

 

 

That's the two bottles of JW Blue I made the ship's store match. :-) With lots of time still on my hands, I'm looking for anything to occupy my mind.

 

 

Suite passengers get very special attention. The Concierge leads the self disembarkers through a secret doorway close to Michael's Club so they don't have to stand on line.

 

Edited December 20, 2016 by ChucktownSteve

[ChucktownSteve]

Embarkation has begun. The line went from past Cafe al Bacio down the hall to just outside the theater on deck 5 where they exited to the exterior line back to Cafe al Bacio.

 

 

 

But things are moving smoothly. Here are the power strips that didn't make it on board at embarkation.

 

 

I am supposed to disembark in group 4 at 8am but I sneak onto what I thought was the tail end of those. Oops still too early. When I get to the terminal, they're just unloading my bag so I have to go back upstairs to join the other early birders until they open the luggage area. They have a rotating sign that says Welcome back to reality. So true.

 

Since I saw them unloading my luggage earlier, I know exactly where it is and am the first in my group to grab theirs. A little re-positioning and I'm proceeding again. When I get to the Customs agent, there is only one couple in front of me. woohoo.

 

I have eight bottles of liquor that I declare along with $45 over the $800 limit. The liquor totals 6.25 liters. The agent asks how my trip was. I tell her great but not long enough. She replies I can go again. Then she waives me through.

 

 

The Park n Go van picks me up. I'm the only one on the van. He drops me off at my car. I'm out of the lot before 8:30.

 

I bought a new car three months ago. It was perfect for the trip. Traffic wasn't as bad heading north as it was for those heading south. During FL, 2.5 miles into the trip, my gas mileage is an incredible 27.2 mpg. Much better than my last cruise I drove to that was 11 mpg.

 

 

After almost 9 hours drive I stop at Costco for a roasted chicken because my wife had informed me there was nothing for dinner during a phone conversation.

 

I'm home and unloaded but toooooo tired to even eat or unpack. We just go off to sleep. I hope all your travels are as safe and as enjoyable as mine was.

 

THE END.

 

Epilogue: This was one of the better cruise ships I have sailed. The crew was exceptional. The ship is so well maintained. The MDR was good & bad but that's probably cost cutting edicts coming down from the mountain top. Entertainment was very good. The worst part is my DW wasn't there to share the cruise. But that's the last time, I'm sailing solo while we're married.

 

WOOHOO. I'm now Elite. Just need to wait the few days for it to catch up with me.

 

Happy Holidays (Merry Christmas) (Happy Hanukkah)

[Alabaster Cruiser]

Steve so glad to hear how much you enjoyed your cruise. Hope we have as nice as a cruise in September on the same ship. Again truly enjoyed your review and your travel "story". Also a quick shout out to Lonnie. Hope to run into both of you again one of these days.........Jimmy and Susan

 

Sent from my VK700 using Tapatalk

[ChucktownSteve]

That was 2.5 hours not miles

[Gopher1934]

I made it home safe and sound. More about the trip in a bit. But first...

 

Thank you all for the great comments. I'll finish this thread with a few final postings to take it full circle.

 

Hiya Patti, really miss sailing with you, Mike & the group. Hopefully one of these days the stars will align again. I was too tired to read your two page letter but I promise I'll read it tonight. :D I suspect you asked about the Canadian cookies but I won't need any more. My coworkers did enjoy the last batch though. Thankx.

 

Great to hear from you Lonnie. Would love to cruise and Roulette with you sometime. For old times sake...

DAYS TILL MY NEXT CRUISE!

 

They kinda grew on me so next time you can go full force if you wish! :p

 

Really happy you both stumbled upon my live thread.

 

 

Your numbers are great

 

 

On the Review

This had to take you a tremendous amount of time !!

[MichaelCMTX]

Glad you're home safe and sound.

 

As has already been said, BIG HEARTY THANKS for all the comments and photos. We will be on the Mardi Gras sailing with others on this thread and this finally gives me reason to start getting my excitement notched up a bit.... after booking that trip TWO YEARS AGO this week!

[countess5]

Ditto to all what people have said! THANK YOU! I have enjoyed reading your thread while having my coffee each morning. We board in February and it will be our first time on this ship. Have sailed Silhouette and Reflection and love the S class.

 

Thanks Again!