LIVE!! FROM THE EQUINOX PRESIDENT's Cruise August 27th, 2017 - ChicagoPaul

[CruisingWalter]

Thanks so much for your blog Paul, it's been a treat reading along. I second the others who have commended you on your frank and well spoken response above.

 

The World Class Bar was a great find for us last year on the Reflection and we plan to make good use of that during our trip next week. Easily the best drinks on the ship and now I really want to try the Zacapa Above the Clouds. Looks amazing. Happy travels on your weekend and safe journies home!

[sacats]

Yes, we were the only ones in St. Maarten today which was strange! We're not used to that! We did get off the ship and walk to the beach. For those who don't know there is a very nice beach about a 15 minute walk away. You can also take a water taxi too.

 

We had a couple drinks on board and ate lunch in Ocean View. The lunch buffet today was suppose to be American BBQ but it wasn't the case. What I had was good though. I really like the Indian food on board.

 

Around 12:20/12:30 we left the ship and spent 3 hours at the beach. If you go to this beach and you want some chairs walk only a little way down and look for blue umbrellas and yellow chair cushions. As for George. He was terribly nice and we got two chairs and umbrellas for $15 total and a bucket of 5 beers for $10. He offered to get us food or anything else we need. He seemed to keep good watch on the area so we felt comfortable going in the water and leaving our bag. Though we still secured it as well as we could.

 

The water was perfectly warm. Like bath water. As we were the only ship in port the beach was not crowded at all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Thanks for your review! What is the name of this beach as we will be there in March on the same ship? 🙂

[ChucktownSteve]

ChicagoPaul,

 

I appreciate your attitude and candid response to miched's inquiry. Nobody mentioned the singles' get togethers to meet other unattached cruisers. ;)

 

I loved the World Class Bar pics. Unfortunately the Nitrogen machine was broken, so they said, when I cruised on the Equinox last December. I would have loved to have tried them.

 

Your review is excellent. Thank you.

[cruisefam38]

-- But I want to end by saying I always welcome questions like yours and encourage them. I think meaningful discussions like this are awesome to have and allow all of us to better understand each other. I hope to have a drink with you someday soon at the Martini Bar! --

 

In a world of vitriolic contentiousness, chicagopaul, your's is an attitude of open-minded reasonableness. I appreciate you willingness to meet and enjoy fellow passengers on common ground. Fans of Celebrity's Martini Bar know it is one cool place to hangout.

[kwokpot]

I'm also on this cruise and have to say Chicagopaul you're doing a GREAT job reviewing this cruise!

I wanted to add some information regarding the Spa Cafe since you didn't say much about it.

The last Celebrity cruise I was on was on the Solstice this past December and since then there have been changes to the Spa Cafe that in my opinion is not for the better. They have eliminated most of the made to order food items for both breakfast and lunch. For breakfast the only hit selection is the Apple Cider Oatmeal who's preparation has changed slightly and it's now thicker and denser. Gone is the Egg White Frittata. Also changed is the small mini muffins. Now they are larger and only 2 varieties. They have added several 'bar' type items made with honey, fruit, nuts, etc.

At lunch they have done away with the made to order simply grilled Salmon or Chicken Breast. Instead there's only one hot soup choice available.

 

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[kwokpot]

I'm also on this cruise and have to say Chicagopaul you're doing a GREAT job reviewing this cruise!

I wanted to add some information regarding the Spa Cafe since you didn't say much about it.

The last Celebrity cruise I was on was on the Solstice this past December and since then there have been changes to the Spa Cafe that in my opinion is not for the better. They have eliminated most of the made to order food items for both breakfast and lunch. For breakfast the only hit selection is the Apple Cider Oatmeal who's preparation has changed slightly and it's now thicker and denser. Gone is the Egg White Frittata. Also changed is the small mini muffins. Now they are larger and only 2 varieties. They have added several 'bar' type items made with honey, fruit, nuts, etc.

At lunch they have done away with the made to order simply grilled Salmon or Chicken Breast. Instead there's only one hot soup choice available.

 

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I'm sorry but I wasn't quite finished with what I wanted to write (writing this on my phone while still on bed!)

Anyway I think the changes to the Aquaspa Cafe are unfortunate and it now becomes less of an alternative place for breakfast and lunch. I think they need to revisit the whole concept and to be honest this might be a place where I would advocate for a fully paid venue (currently the smoothies are the only paid menu items). I had always looked for to having my simply grilled chicken or salmon and a salad for lunch. As it currently stands the venue doesn't really offer enough to be considered a full meal. Having said that the food at the buffet has been outstanding!

 

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[citruscruiser]

ChicagoPaul, so in the long run, did you find the "Presidents Cruise" all it is hyped up to be? Or if it happens to fall when you want to cruise just go with the flow? I am on the next one next March out of Abu Dhabi (and it just happened to fit into my schedule!) Thanks again for your daily info.

[Princess Fi]

I'm more than happy to answer this question. Though I ask those who are reading my response to take it as just that, my response and let's not turn this into a thread about this topic. Thank you for asking a question you're curious about. Too many people I find are afraid to ask certain questions and too many people get offended when they are asked, regardless of topic. Personally, I've always been an open book. I think the more we all understand about each other the better we can get along. Ok enough about that.

 

FOD, or Friends of Dorothy as it's called was started years ago when being "out" wasn't acceptable to many. This has since evolved into the LGBT happy hour. Even in 2010 when I started cruising Celebrity this wasn't published in the Daily. Instead it was posted on a board by guest relations. When we first started cruising we attended the LGBT happy hour to meet other couples who were gay, or singles too, to socialize. It made us feel more comfortable. Even in an ever accepting world, there are still those who do not.

 

However as time has gone on, we no longer attend them. Mainly because they're at 8pm and that's our dinner time. But we still love the Martini bar. And we can make friends with everyone at the bar regardless of orientation, race, age etc.

 

Back in Chicago, while we have many gay friends, we don't frequent gay bars at all. It's just not our thing. If I was single then I probably would. Or if we lived in a town that was not as progressive or understanding then I probably would too.

 

With all this being said, I think the LGBT happy hour exists for the same reason the Bill W events do and the same reason the Scotch tastings do. There is simply a demand for it on the ship and Celebrity is meeting that demand. Examining the reason for that demand in today's society could be the topic of a doctoral thesis so I'll digress here.

 

But I want to end by saying I always welcome questions like yours and encourage them. I think meaningful discussions like this are awesome to have and allow all of us to better understand each other. I hope to have a drink with you someday soon at the Martini Bar!

 

 

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Really enjoying your live review/blog. We have sailed a number of times on Celebrity but October 27 will be our first Equinox cruise. We are sailing with 3 other couples. Thanks for taking your valued vacation time to share.

 

 

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[chicagopaul]

Good Morning everyone. Reporting to you from the Sunset Bar which has been our new regular morning spot on this ship. Per the usual please find the Daily photos for today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[chicagopaul]

Hi Chicagopaul - question to you or any other folks sailing. Does anyone know if the classic beverage package includes the daily cocktail specials and bar specials listed on the Daily? Today's cost was listed as $7.50. I can't remember what the dollar limit is on the classic package. Just curious as some of them sound pretty yummy and would be nice to try. Thanks for any info you can provide!

 

 

 

As long as the price is $9 or under its included for alcoholic drinks. $9 is the cut off for drinks so you should be good for most of the daily drinks.

 

 

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[miched]

I'm more than happy to answer this question. Though I ask those who are reading my response to take it as just that, my response and let's not turn this into a thread about this topic. Thank you for asking a question you're curious about. Too many people I find are afraid to ask certain questions and too many people get offended when they are asked, regardless of topic. Personally, I've always been an open book. I think the more we all understand about each other the better we can get along. Ok enough about that.

 

 

But I want to end by saying I always welcome questions like yours and encourage them. I think meaningful discussions like this are awesome to have and allow all of us to better understand each other. I hope to have a drink with you someday soon at the Martini Bar!

 

 

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Thanks for a sincere and great response as I was interested in your opinion of it and why they feel the need for it and keep having it as I seen it still listed in the Daily.

 

There were a few cruises that we were on and over a few nights at the same bar a little friendship crowd would form between us. Most times it consisted of at least one gay couple and they never attended that activity as they were always at the bar with the rest of our group having a great time.

 

Happy cruising 🌊🇺🇸🚢🌞

[chicagopaul]

This is our Sunset Bar crew in the morning. Rhory however works all over but always in the Martini Bar in the evenings.

 

 

Milton - Santa Clause

 

 

Rhory Bartender and Flair Bartender

 

Photos compliments of Oolie who is cruising with us and graciously shared these photos!

 

 

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[Aeryn2014]

Well said. We are from Chicago also. Maybe we'll run into each other someday. Thanks for the great travelogues. Love reading them.

 

 

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[lojax]

As long as the price is $9 or under its included for alcoholic drinks. $9 is the cut off for drinks so you should be good for most of the daily drinks.

 

 

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Thanks for the helpful information. Will feel free to give them a try then. Also, I was the one that had asked about the Pai Gow poker in the casino. Did you ever have a chance to swing by there? If not, no biggie. We will be on board in 48 hours anyway. ;) Enjoy the rest of your voyage!

[chicagopaul]

Well the last sea day always means Officer vs Guest volleyball. The internet I don't think will let me upload the video properly right now so here are a few photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[raudacruise]

Paul, love your thoughtful response.

 

Nightly dining in Murano is sounding better and better.

 

Once got to watch the Murano galley in action. Figured the Goat Cheese Soufflé was made in some sort of mixer. Nope. A lady with a really big stainless steel bowl and a whisk. Wow. My arm hurts just thinking about it.

 

That was a "Hands-on Cooking Lesson" that wasn't really hands-on but still fun. We helped a teeny bit but not enough to mess up anything. (On another cruise had a real cooking lesson.)

[chicagopaul]

ChicagoPaul, so in the long run, did you find the "Presidents Cruise" all it is hyped up to be? Or if it happens to fall when you want to cruise just go with the flow? I am on the next one next March out of Abu Dhabi (and it just happened to fit into my schedule!) Thanks again for your daily info.

 

 

 

Great question. We were actually considering the next presidents cruise in Abu Dhabi but ended up booking the Reflection TA in April. We still may switch to yours but will play it by ear.

 

I've been having a great time on the cruise. I did get to meet Lisa and I saw her around the ship much more than I expected. I was hoping for more guest entertainers and maybe a couple higher end events but this was based on reviews I've heard of previous President cruises in the Baltics, etc. with this being said, however, we got a great deal on this cruise and did enjoy the additional events (even if I thought they could have been better). Would I personally go out of my way to book the presidents cruise? No. But if it fell into my schedule I would certainly book it. Also if I was stuck between two cruises and one was a presidents cruise, then it would definitely help sway my decision to book that cruise.

 

 

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[chicagopaul]

Thanks for the helpful information. Will feel free to give them a try then. Also, I was the one that had asked about the Pai Gow poker in the casino. Did you ever have a chance to swing by there? If not, no biggie. We will be on board in 48 hours anyway. ;) Enjoy the rest of your voyage!

 

 

 

I'll definitely be in there today. In the next two hours and will post. Edward keeps reminding me "you've got to check on the poker tables!" Haha. I still have yet to play blackjack or hit the slots. Today will be the day. Wish me luck!

 

 

 

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[krb1000]

We need a like button :D

If you have a beef with LLP (which it is clear you do), why don't you start your own thread instead of popping up and trying to derail this one with snide comments? chicagopaul has been good enough to take time to post this positive thread. Show a bit of respect.

 

Phil

Edited September 2, 2017 by krb1000
Error

[Fish Lover]

Good questions. Looks the loyalists were too busy sucking up

 

I'm fairly certain it wasn't billed as a general gripe session. I also wouldn't expect a lot of complainers currently on a cruise. Even the habitual complainers on this forum tend to enjoy themselves while actually on the cruise and then vent all their complaints here. And why exactly would any individual "suck up" to the Celebrity CEO? She's not a celebrity and its not as though she's giving away free cruises to people. Using "loyalits" as a pejorative in this context is also offensive.

[Fish Lover]

Paul - Truly appreciative of your blog. I leave for my cruise next Sunday, and your review is upping the anticipation factor ten fold!

[AkSusan]

Thanks for posting this great review! We sail on her 6 weeks from Monday on a 11 nighter, and, reading your review has helped pass the time, and, just make me more excited about sailing on the Equinox!

 

Susan :)

[awhcruiser]

Love all your posts Paul. We sail on the Equinox on Sept 15 as long as Irma behaves.

[lojax]

I'll definitely be in there today. In the next two hours and will post. Edward keeps reminding me "you've got to check on the poker tables!" Haha. I still have yet to play blackjack or hit the slots. Today will be the day. Wish me luck!

 

 

 

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Haha! Thanks for checking and tell Edward thanks for having my back. Best of luck, hope you win big!

[Ravbo]

Hi Paul (and Edward),

We have REALLY enjoyed your posts and pictures on this cruise.

The blog and pictures have allowed us to follow each day of the cruise and enjoy each new event with you.

The pictures have been great HOWEVER you need to include pictures of you and Edward.

You both are the central focus of this exciting venture and you need to be included in this photo log of the cruise.

Have fun on the remainder of your cruise. We ALL appreciate your efforts.

Bob