Observations from the Equinox Retreat

[rattanchair]

Today's observations. Took the galley tour offered to Retreat guests. Photos are of Luminea chef addressing guests in galley, some galley photos of the Luminae section only, and one of maitre d' of Luminae, Ms Tanya ( dressed in red blouse). Ms. Tanya informed us , as did the Chef, that there are absolutely no microwave ovens on board the Equinox. Everything is cooked to order the moment the waiter plugs it into his screen, that it why it takes the time it does to receive ones meal. Ms. Tanya also advised us that when they were in San Juan  that the CDC arrived for a 3 hour examination of the Equinox and she was happy to report to us all that the equinox passed with a score of 100. She said that everything comes to a halt for the 3 hours which included quizzing of staff members as to their procedures.

    Spoke to Cruise Director, Martin, while passing in the hallway on the fine job he did the night before at the Gatsby Party. Capt. Kate did  'The Charleston' on the staircase landing with the spot light focused right on her for all to witness. Not only is she the 'Master' of the Equinox she is also an exceptional entertainer. Martin also told us that the basketball court will be replaced next dry dock. Dry docks normally occur every 7 to 8 years, but in the case of Equinox they have another dry dock scheduled for 2021. When the Retreat will get a pool and hot tubs.

[rattanchair]

15 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

The FCC must have been quite petite.  I've heard reports here of small people who said they couldn't fit in them.  Haven't experienced them yet.  August 31 will check them out.  Although I certainly am not petite!

 

Yes, having the FCC people come to see you in Michael's is a fantastic benefit.

Dear Hap, Went to Retreat Lounge this morning for comment card to fill out (all 10's by the way) but felt we had to 'shout out' a couple, a few, okay maybe many outstanding staff we have encountered this cruise. On a lark I attempted to sit in one of those mini chairs. Firstly, I banged my head on the chandelier just above the chair (I am 5'7') and secondly, I could not fit comfortably wedged between the arms.  DW was a perfect fit. She is a 5' munchkin.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

2 hours ago, rattanchair said:

Dear Hap, Went to Retreat Lounge this morning for comment card to fill out (all 10's by the way) but felt we had to 'shout out' a couple, a few, okay maybe many outstanding staff we have encountered this cruise. On a lark I attempted to sit in one of those mini chairs. Firstly, I banged my head on the chandelier just above the chair (I am 5'7') and secondly, I could not fit comfortably wedged between the arms.  DW was a perfect fit. She is a 5' munchkin.

 

Thanks for the warning about the chandeliers!  I'm also 5'7".  Guess I'll have to be careful about where I sit in Michael's!  Have to practice calling it the Retreat.

[rattanchair]

8 minutes ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

Thanks for the warning about the chandeliers!  I'm also 5'7".  Guess I'll have to be careful about where I sit in Michael's!  Have to practice calling it the Retreat.

Dear Hap, We noticed something this afternoon at 3:30 tea and scones in Retreat lounge.  They made it buffet. We enjoyed it better when we were served. We do not eat buffets, ever! Having gotten sick numerous times eating buffets over the years. So many coughing on board.  We turned around and went to Cafe del Bacio and picked out an assortment and carried it back to our cabin. No scones at the Cafe. 'Sour grapes' ?

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

3 hours ago, rattanchair said:

Dear Hap, We noticed something this afternoon at 3:30 tea and scones in Retreat lounge.  They made it buffet. We enjoyed it better when we were served. We do not eat buffets, ever! Having gotten sick numerous times eating buffets over the years. So many coughing on board.  We turned around and went to Cafe del Bacio and picked out an assortment and carried it back to our cabin. No scones at the Cafe. 'Sour grapes' ?

 

I actually enjoyed it better when the butlers came around with their cart, and you could enjoy it in the privacy of your room and visit with your butler a bit.  But those days are long gone.  Can't imagine a buffet in the Retreat would be as hazardous as the one upstairs.  I've never seen scones in Bacio

[chemmo]

5 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

I actually enjoyed it better when the butlers came around with their cart, and you could enjoy it in the privacy of your room and visit with your butler a bit.  But those days are long gone.  Can't imagine a buffet in the Retreat would be as hazardous as the one upstairs.  I've never seen scones in Bacio

 

I miss that cart too.

 

We now ask the butler to set us up a kettle and tea tray and to deliver a small selection of mini sandwiches and cakes at 4.30ish...Such a civilised way to come round after an afternoon rest! We always have difficulty getting the butler to understand ‘small’ and it isn’t the same as choosing...

 

As you say it was always a good contact time with your butler too. As your own butler can be on duty in Michael’s Club it often isn’t them that delivers your requested selection.

 

I wonder if going to buffet style is an attempt to reduce waste or to free butlers for alternative duties...We rarely go to afternoon tea in Michael’s but on the odd occasion we have it hasn’t been busy.

[delondin]

15 hours ago, rattanchair said:

Dear Hap, We noticed something this afternoon at 3:30 tea and scones in Retreat lounge.  They made it buffet. We enjoyed it better when we were served. We do not eat buffets, ever! Having gotten sick numerous times eating buffets over the years. So many coughing on board.  We turned around and went to Cafe del Bacio and picked out an assortment and carried it back to our cabin. No scones at the Cafe. 'Sour grapes' ?

We just got off the Edge and didn’t like the afternoon tea in the Retreat Lounge buffet style. There is a sink which I only saw used once all cruise. It has lost the sense of occasion that afternoon tea should have IMO. Also no tea pots and if you can manage to catch the eye of a butler they stick a tea bag in a cup and give it to you like that. Not classy. 

[rattanchair]

13 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

I actually enjoyed it better when the butlers came around with their cart, and you could enjoy it in the privacy of your room and visit with your butler a bit.  But those days are long gone.  Can't imagine a buffet in the Retreat would be as hazardous as the one upstairs.  I've never seen scones in Bacio

 Dear Hap,  We all assembled this morning in the Retreat Lounge to slip out escorted first off the ship. Noticed a lady go over  to the small buffet after coughing in her hand and using the tongs for a danish. She did not wet nap, wash or anything! Absolutely no decorum at any level. You are correct, there are no scones in Bacio. Had to 'settle' for 5 different treats not found in the Retreat. That is why I said "sourgrapes" to the scones.

[vtcruising]

1 hour ago, delondin said:

We just got off the Edge and didn’t like the afternoon tea in the Retreat Lounge buffet style. There is a sink which I only saw used once all cruise. It has lost the sense of occasion that afternoon tea should have IMO. Also no tea pots and if you can manage to catch the eye of a butler they stick a tea bag in a cup and give it to you like that. Not classy. 

I agree that something is lost from the "old style" tea. A few years back in a CS, we often took a little siesta around 3 or 3:30 and when we woke up there would be hot tea on our table with a nice selection of goodies that the butler would leave for us or we would be up and chat with the butler and choose our treats. It was a nice break in a busy day and helped give us the energy for a busy, fun evening. When they transitioned from that to serving tea in MC, even that was a nice break. Scones, jam, clotted cream (I think) were set up rather elegantly. There were usually other people there to chat with and it was enjoyable, but missed the en suite service.

 

On the Edge, it was a bit blah. We tried it once and the food looked okay, but not special - they did have Tea Forte there, which I love. I felt the seating was less conducive to chatting with other, though it was nice to have the outside seating right next to the service area.

 

It felt like the Edge had less of a focus on the afternoon tea (seemed to be less of an afternoon tea and more of an afternoon happy hour/"gourmet bites", for that cruise anyway), likely because the Edge target passenger seems to be those who have never cruised and those who have cruised and want a new, cutting edge experience.  It felt like they were moving away from the traditional tea to me, though still offering it to those of us who still enjoy their afternoon cup of tea.

[C-Dragons]

3 hours ago, delondin said:

We just got off the Edge and didn’t like the afternoon tea in the Retreat Lounge buffet style. There is a sink which I only saw used once all cruise. It has lost the sense of occasion that afternoon tea should have IMO. Also no tea pots and if you can manage to catch the eye of a butler they stick a tea bag in a cup and give it to you like that. Not classy. 

We have sailed twice on the Edge and enjoyed afternoon tea in the Retreat lounge. The butlers always provided my Dh a pot of hot water along with a cup and his choice of Forte tea. We liked the fact that we could choose our preferred nibbles and not have to wait for someone to serve us. True, not as personal as in the past, but more efficient. Interestingly, more suite guests would come in shortly after tea time when the sweets were swapped out for savories and it became more of a “happy hour”. Perhaps the appeal of afternoon tea is not as widespread as it used be.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

12 hours ago, chemmo said:

 

I miss that cart too.

 

We now ask the butler to set us up a kettle and tea tray and to deliver a small selection of mini sandwiches and cakes at 4.30ish...Such a civilised way to come round after an afternoon rest! We always have difficulty getting the butler to understand ‘small’ and it isn’t the same as choosing...

 

As you say it was always a good contact time with your butler too. As your own butler can be on duty in Michael’s Club it often isn’t them that delivers your requested selection.

 

I wonder if going to buffet style is an attempt to reduce waste or to free butlers for alternative duties...We rarely go to afternoon tea in Michael’s but on the odd occasion we have it hasn’t been busy.

 

I've not gone to tea since they switched to Michael's/Retreat.  Maybe I will give it a try on the Equinox and see what I think.

[chemmo]

Anyone know if Elite/Elite Plus still get one free visit to Persian Gardens now Equinox has been Revolutionised? 

 

Also what are the toiletries like in the suites?

Edited June 30, 2019 by chemmo

[delondin]

20 minutes ago, chemmo said:

Anyone know if Elite/Elite Plus still get one free visit to Persian Gardens now Equinox has been Revolutionised? 

 

Also what are the toiletries like in the suites?

The toiletries on Edge and therefore presume going fleetwide are CoBigelow. Pleasant unisex fragrance but in large refillable containers. Presumably to save waste but I don’t find the concept hygienic.

[chemmo]

2 hours ago, delondin said:

The toiletries on Edge and therefore presume going fleetwide are CoBigelow. Pleasant unisex fragrance but in large refillable containers. Presumably to save waste but I don’t find the concept hygienic.

 

Thanks, not a brand I am familiar with...I do understand the need to cut back on plastic waste but I hope the containers are not cumbersome to use...

[TeeRick]

On 6/28/2019 at 4:35 PM, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

Thanks for the warning about the chandeliers!  I'm also 5'7".  Guess I'll have to be careful about where I sit in Michael's!  Have to practice calling it the Retreat.

I wish they had called it Michael's Retreat or Michael's Retreat Lounge.  That would help some of us!

[Texed]

1 hour ago, TeeRick said:

I wish they had called it Michael's Retreat or Michael's Retreat Lounge.  That would help some of us!

 

I believe there is a better chance of it being called "Lisa's Lounge", or "Lisa's Retreat".  😉

[GLM]

Just wanted to thank you , Rattanchair for an informative and enjoyable thread. I could not find the information you provided elsewhere .

 

We are booked for a Royal Suite in September and were hoping to be on a fully revolutionized ship.  I was wondering what to expect . Sorry to hear no hot tub up at the Retreat sundeck. I do not sit well without getting wet intermittently. Plan B is of course to use the tub on our balcony.

 

Celebrity has always treated us well and I expect this cruise will be no exception. 

[vtcruising]

7 hours ago, chemmo said:

 

Thanks, not a brand I am familiar with...I do understand the need to cut back on plastic waste but I hope the containers are not cumbersome to use...

 

The suites above CS had Santal 33 on the Edge, though not sure about the revolutionized ships.

 

 

Edited June 30, 2019 by vtcruising

[rattanchair]

3 hours ago, GLM said:

Just wanted to thank you , Rattanchair for an informative and enjoyable thread. I could not find the information you provided elsewhere .

 

We are booked for a Royal Suite in September and were hoping to be on a fully revolutionized ship.  I was wondering what to expect . Sorry to hear no hot tub up at the Retreat sundeck. I do not sit well without getting wet intermittently. Plan B is of course to use the tub on our balcony.

 

Celebrity has always treated us well and I expect this cruise will be no exception. 

Dear G,  Thank you, you are very kind. It was fun. Had nothing better to do since we no longer sightsee. The ship is our destination. If you enjoyed this thread, please check out my thread on our June 2 NCL Haven H6 aft penthouse review a couple weeks ago, Observations from the Breakaway Haven. Also please stay tuned for my' Observations  from the MSC Yacht Club'.  We snagged the  Royal Suite #16037,coming up July 20 in a couple of weeks. I only hope my observations are as poignant. I plan on putting together a comparison of these three 'ship within a ship' venues that cruise out of South Florida. Thank you again for your kind words.  RC

[chemmo]

1 hour ago, vtcruising said:

 

The suites above CS had Santal 33 on the Edge, though not sure about the revolutionized ships.

 

 

 

 

Thanks! Another brand I am not very familiar with. Another new experience to look forward to...Can I confirm you get soap (bar), shower gel, shampoo, conditioner and body lotion?

 

Sincere thanks again for finding out the answers to so many of my questions...

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

3 hours ago, vtcruising said:

 

The suites above CS had Santal 33 on the Edge, though not sure about the revolutionized ships.

 

 

 

How was that stuff?  Never heard of it.  Was a fan of the Bulgari products which were in all suites.

 

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

2 hours ago, rattanchair said:

Dear G,  Thank you, you are very kind. It was fun. Had nothing better to do since we no longer sightsee. The ship is our destination. If you enjoyed this thread, please check out my thread on our June 2 NCL Haven H6 aft penthouse review a couple weeks ago, Observations from the Breakaway Haven. Also please stay tuned for my' Observations  from the MSC Yacht Club'.  We snagged the  Royal Suite #16037,coming up July 20 in a couple of weeks. I only hope my observations are as poignant. I plan on putting together a comparison of these three 'ship within a ship' venues that cruise out of South Florida. Thank you again for your kind words.  RC

 

Looking forward to your observations on the Yacht Club.

[vtcruising]

3 hours ago, chemmo said:

 

 

Thanks! Another brand I am not very familiar with. Another new experience to look forward to...Can I confirm you get soap (bar), shower gel, shampoo, conditioner and body lotion?

 

Sincere thanks again for finding out the answers to so many of my questions...

Yes, those were the Santal 33 items on the Edge (bar soap, shower gel, lotion, shampoo and conditioner), according to someone in an upper suite. I just looked at a video of an RS on the revolutionized Summit in March and it looks like they had the CO Bigelow, which is what we had in the SS and CS on the Edge (it had a nice scent, but just wasn't as luxurious as Bulgari).  Maybe they have a better grade of the CO Bigelow in the upper suites on the revolutionized ships or maybe they just hadn't received the Santal 33 when that video was shot. 

 

This is the Bigelow:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 30, 2019 by vtcruising

[vtcruising]

1 hour ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

How was that stuff?  Never heard of it.  Was a fan of the Bulgari products which were in all suites.

 

I didn't stop and smell the Santal 33 when touring those suites, but the butler spoke of it reverently, so must be good 🙂.  I missed the Bulgari in the SS (the Bigelow just wasn't as nice).

[CulverCityCruisers]

Does anyone know what the bath products are in the standard balcony cabins ?  Shampoo, conditioner, and body wash?

 

Anyone use the shampoo and conditioner, and if so thoughts nd impressions??  Would love not to have to bring from home if decent stuff.

 

Thanks