?'s about sunset verandah on Equinox in August and celebrity in general

[rzbkan95]

Hello all,

I am new to the board. We've taken several cruises but I have just discovered the forum. I have a few questions for any of you that may have information regarding the sunset verandah's on celebrity equinox and general info about celebrity equinox.

 

We are sailing in late august to the eastern Caribbean. My questions/concerns after reading many reviews are the following:

 

We booked 2 connecting staterooms on deck 8 sunset verandah category.

We have never sailed aft but always enjoyed the view from public places on previous sailings. We were really looking forward to it but after reading the reviews I'm a little worried.

First....it's august heading to the Caribbean--I have read there is NO AIR/BREEZE at all on the aft balconies.... Is the true? If so, will it be a waste of money considering it will be too hot to use? I also saw several post stating that the sun is just blistering during the day on the aft balcony. We have sailed the Caribbean in summer months before and it was indeed very hot/humid.

Are we better off with a side balcony? We've had a side balcony in the past and we love sitting out and having coffee in the mornings and drinks in the evening.

 

No one in our party has mobility issues but is the walk so far that it's totally inconvenient to run get a drink, etc? We have the drink package but I understand the drinks in your mini-fridge aren't included...? We are not huge drinkers but would like a beer or glass of wine every once in a while so would we have to walk a long way to get a drink to bring back to the room?

 

I've also read that a/c in aft balconies room don't really cool the room very well.

 

This is also our first Celebrity cruise. We have cruised a few times on Princess and a couple on NCL. We were happy with princess but have always wanted to try Celebrity.

 

Regarding the beverage package.....we are not really interested in top shelf brands so I'm guessing this package will be sufficient? Does this include martini's at martini bar? I know it doesn't include the craft beer at gastropub but couldn't find much info on other things...what about the basics like frozen drinks at slush or the natural juices, etc?

 

Is the food really better on celebrity?

Any other tips/info would be appreciated! Thanks

[cruisestitch]

"Is the food really better on celebrity?"

 

 

Sorry, but I don't see how any of us can answer this -- better than what? Carnival? Crystal? McDonalds? Golden Corral? Ruth Chris Steak House?

 

 

Which food? The buffet? Blue? Luminae? Aqua Spa Cafe? Room Service?

 

 

There are hundreds of reviews of Celebrity Cruises on this board -- take a look at a few and you should get a good feel for what to expect........

[snowmc]

We just departed the Equinox this morning...we had an aft cabin. There was very little to no shade during the day and needed to pull the cabin curtains during the day to keep the heat out. There was plenty of air movement on the balcony...was just too hot for us to sit out there. The view of the wake was fun, but for me personally, I will not choose the location in the future. The walk to the cabin was not bad.

 

Food....I have sailed two other lines and find Celebrity to be a tad bit better. BUT....food is a very personal matter. If you order something and don't like it, your waiter will be more than happy to change it for you! Their main concern is that you enjoy your time with them.

[rzbkan95]

I was speaking in more general terms. I was curious about the food "overall" as compared to other ships. As mentioned...we have sailed on princess, ncl, and royal caribbean. We have always heard that the food was better on celebrity. Example, the food in the MDR on princess was typically good. However, on NCL our experience was that if you wanted quality you needed to go to the speciality venues as the food in MDR and the buffet wasn't very good. So just curious about the food overall but we will primarily be dining in the MDR. Breakfast/lunch will be buffet or pool area.

Do they have standard items that you can order nightly like steak, fish, etc. Do they have a lobster night? thanks for the info!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry, but I don't see how any of us can answer this -- better than what? Carnival? Crystal? McDonalds? Golden Corral? Ruth Chris Steak House?

 

 

Which food? The buffet? Blue? Luminae? Aqua Spa Cafe? Room Service?

 

 

There are hundreds of reviews of Celebrity Cruises on this board -- take a look at a few and you should get a good feel for what to expect........

[jelayne]

We feel the food is better on Celebrity than Royal; haven't sail Princess or NCL. Yes there are items that are on the MDR menu every night ( steak, fish & chicken). Buffet has a lot of options and should you choose to eat dinner there they do grilled to order steak & salmon.

 

The Classic package does not cover the Martini's at the Martini Bar, however the martini bar serves other cocktails, beer & wine that are included in the Classic package.

[cb at sea]

We prefer a balcony cabin near the mid-ship (if possible) elevator foyers....very convenient! We have no need of the larger "aft" balconies...the loooooooong walk and having no breeze turns us off. The long walk is VERY INCONVENIENT..VERY! It's not enough walking to burn any calories, but it is enough to make you mad....so don't do it.

 

August is HUMID...and very HOT....just so you know.

 

Unless you want "top shelf" stuff, you can get pretty much any drink you want with your package. Mixed drinks...doesn't matter what kind of booze is in it...it's MIXED...you can't taste a specific liquor. They don't use any low-end booze.

[Fouremco]

We have selected aft cabins for the last few years and won't change any time soon. We love 'em!

 

We do a 2-week southern Caribbean cruise every year in March and shade is a non-issue in my opinion as it depends entirely on your direction of travel, time of day, etc. If you are travelling in a westerly direction in the afternoon, for example, you'll have plenty of shade. During the course of your cruise there will be times when little shade will be available, but the same applies to port and starboard balconies.

 

Cabin heat hasn't been any worse than in other locations in our experience.

 

We cruised on the Eclipse in an aft cabin 3 months after I had open heart surgery and the walk to the nearest elevators wasn't a problem at all. Don't worry about the extra few steps!

[Cruise Raider]

See my answers below in red.

 

Hello all,

I am new to the board. We've taken several cruises but I have just discovered the forum. I have a few questions for any of you that may have information regarding the sunset verandah's on celebrity equinox and general info about celebrity equinox.

 

We are sailing in late august to the eastern Caribbean. My questions/concerns after reading many reviews are the following:

 

We booked 2 connecting staterooms on deck 8 sunset verandah category.

We have never sailed aft but always enjoyed the view from public places on previous sailings. We were really looking forward to it but after reading the reviews I'm a little worried.

First....it's august heading to the Caribbean--I have read there is NO AIR/BREEZE at all on the aft balconies.... Is the true? If so, will it be a waste of money considering it will be too hot to use? I also saw several post stating that the sun is just blistering during the day on the aft balcony. We have sailed the Caribbean in summer months before and it was indeed very hot/humid.

Are we better off with a side balcony? We've had a side balcony in the past and we love sitting out and having coffee in the mornings and drinks in the evening.

 

We've not stayed in an aft facing cabin in the heat before but those cabins are quite popular and usually more expensive. We've sailed on the Equinox a few times and have had midship rooms, three times on the slant portion of the hump (with a huge balcony) and once on the flat portion of the hump. 6210 and 6240 are in the cheaper categories and are both fantastic rooms with x-large balconies. The same cabins on the port side are located directly above the smoking area on deck 5, so would steer clear of that area on deck 6 if smoke bothers you. It may waft up, depending on how many smokers are down there....then again, it may not bother you at all. If a breeze is what you are looking for, the cabins on the forward slant of the hump (6210) will more than likely catch more of that wind. Fair warning, though ... if windy, those balcony dividers may rattle at night and it can be loud. We experienced that in our cruise a couple of months ago....and if warmer, that wind may have been welcome.

 

No one in our party has mobility issues but is the walk so far that it's totally inconvenient to run get a drink, etc? We have the drink package but I understand the drinks in your mini-fridge aren't included...? We are not huge drinkers but would like a beer or glass of wine every once in a while so would we have to walk a long way to get a drink to bring back to the room?

 

Since there are no aft stairs or elevators, yes, it will be a long walk to go get a drink or coffee to enjoy on your balcony. We oftentimes book aft side cabins and it is nice and private and quiet back there but yes, a long walk to the nearest bar or coffee place. You can always take turns in where one person takes both cards and can get two drinks.

 

I've also read that a/c in aft balconies room don't really cool the room very well.

 

I am not sure but never had problems with the AC on any of the rooms on the Equinox.

 

This is also our first Celebrity cruise. We have cruised a few times on Princess and a couple on NCL. We were happy with princess but have always wanted to try Celebrity.

 

I have sailed over 20 times on Princess and a dozen times on Celebrity (and a few times on each Carnival, NCL, RCCL and HAL). Celebrity is my absolute favorite although I do think the food has been very good to excellent on both HAL and Princess. I much prefer the quality and variety of food on Celebrity ... not so much the pricing on their specialty restaurants, though ... but it is excellent. So, on a scale of 1-10, I would give Princess a 8.5 and Celebrity a 9.0, RCCL would only score a 5 as for a recent cruise. There are so many other aspects of a Celebrity cruise that I just love!! I must admit, though, I do think the entertainment on NCL was about the best I have ever seen and the Piano Bar on Princess ships is a hit! The staterooms on Celebrity, RCCL and Carnival are so much larger (or feel that way) than on Princess. Princess still offers a great product but I believe, at least for us, Celebrity is a better fit. You will not find many children on Celebrity and I would say the average age of passengers is around 50-60. I would include we usually never travel in the summer months or during school holidays and our cruises are usually around 10 days in length.

 

Regarding the beverage package.....we are not really interested in top shelf brands so I'm guessing this package will be sufficient? Does this include martini's at martini bar? I know it doesn't include the craft beer at gastropub but couldn't find much info on other things...what about the basics like frozen drinks at slush or the natural juices, etc?

 

You will probably be ok with the classic package however, if you enjoy nice wine, the selection is quite limited in this package. You cannot get a martini in the martini bar with the classic package but the passport bar on the deck below has the small glasses and they will make you one there. There is a recent thread (I mean just in the last day or two) that is now just speculation but Celebrity may allow you to pay the upcharge for a drink if you have the classic package. Currently, if a drink if a dollar or more than your classic package allowance, they will charge you for the entire cost. On the premium package, you will only pay the difference. But, they've raised the prices on some of the drinks but may also raise the limits that you can use in your classic package and make allowances for these package holders to also only pay the difference. This is all speculation at this point but something to keep an eye on. You can always upgrade onboard ... even pay a prorated charge on day 3 or 4 if you feel as though the premium package drinks would better fit your needs. There is a slush bar up at the pool. I believe you can get one with no alcohol under the classic package but don't quote me on it. Then, you can always order your favorite alcohol and add it. They used to have fresh squeezed OJ and grapefruit juice in the bar in the OV cafe that was covered under the classic package ... I don't recall seeing it last time on the Equinox.

 

Is the food really better on celebrity?

Any other tips/info would be appreciated! Thanks

 

See above! The best deals on those specialty restaurants is to purchase a 4 dinner package and you can now use them at any specialty restaurant instead of one of each. You will be able to purchase this onboard. Be sure to try the lobster murano at Muranos if you do try just one restaurant. It is a tableside prep and so yummy! Go hungry!! They also offer lunch at different specialty restaurants .... ours last month was offered at Murano twice at a cost of $29 pp. It was well worth it! I also love Silk Harvest and was offered a 30% discount onboard.

They will serve lobster tails (and they are quite good) on the last elegant chic night. There are no more formal nights ... dress code has been relaxed a bit. Many people still dress to the nines on these evenings so if you enjoy that, you will not feel out of place. But if you like to dress a little more casually, you will still not feel out of place.

Be sure to go to at least one of the Hot Glass shows up on the lawn (they even have a nighttime one that would be nice in August). Also, keep your eyes peeled in the daily letter for a concert / wine and cheese party or bocci with guacamole and margaritas up on the lawn in the late afternoon.

[rzbkan95]

Thanks so much for the info! Very helpful.