Equinox, a Royal Suite experience

[Gordoncruickshank]

1 minute ago, groryjm said:

Chemmo, it has been lovely to sail along and get an insight into the revolutionised S class suite experience. We have one more sailing on Silly (next week) before she changes and have been worried we might not like the change. You have reasured us that the stark artists renditions are not as bad as we had feared and the suit life is still good. Thank you.

We are on Silhouette the second cruise after the change. The problem is always that what one person likes another can dislike. it is a bit like food, very subjective.

 

We have done 20 S class cruises with 3 more booked (although for the first time since we started cruising with Celebrity we have other lines booked as well, MSC in 2 weeks time in their YC and a suite on Azamara for next year) so we obviously like the current product. We try the edge in February to see if we like that. What I do not like is the premium cost attached to that.

[ROXY GIRL]

Thanks for the great review Chemmo. Sounds like the Equinox is still in good shape.

[Cwspy]

Thank you for the wonderful account of your experiences and thank you to the others that chimed in about aspects of the Royal Suite and suite life that will enhance our experience in March. This will truly be a trip of a lifetime and your and others sharing experiences and tips will enable so many to make the most of their time on the ship.

 

Many thanks, I will pay it forward on our trip.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Sorry your vacation is over.  Hope you have a good trip home.  Thanks for sharing your experience with us.

[Gordoncruickshank]

2 hours ago, chemmo said:

 

Our son has got to E+ without spending a penny!!!

We are not wuite as generous as that. Our’s pays the extra cost relating to her but she does get a cruise in a CS/RS for 12 nights for around £1600.

[chemmo]

Early morning at the Embassy Suites before our flight home later today....

 

As you know our general impressions of the Equinox have all been positive, unfortunately getting off was not good...

 

Just over a year ago on Reflection we had explained to the suite manager (Bogdan) our concerns about disembarkation. Neither my husband or myself can walk far, both use sticks and standing in line is a no no...It was arranged that we would go to the suite lounge at 9am where we would wait in comfort with a last coffee until the ‘last remaining passengers’ call was made. At that point wheelchairs and pushers were called for, the concierge accompanied us down as far as the luggage where Bogdan met us and took us through a now totally empty area. No wait, no queue. We thanked the concierge staff at this time, thanked our pushers and by that time it was easy to get the bus to car hire (no queue). I would add we have had similar support in both Southampton and Barcelona being late to leave and escorted out.

 

Well we chatted with Saber the day before and were reassured we would be looked after. He advised us to leave late (he suggested getting to the lounge towards 9.30) to avoid queues and reassured us we would be escorted....So we get to the Retreat lounge at 9.10 where Alex (the other concierge) says “Why are you hear? The lounge is closed.”.... We obviously told her we were doing as suggested (Saber obviously hadn’t told her about us).... She invites us to sit and offers to get us a wheel chair but we feel in the way and unwelcome.  She also informs us her escort will only be as far as the gangway.

 

At the point we left the lounge there were lots of guests still on board...We were in queues right through, moving but not easy....

 

Why didn’t Saber let Alex know we needed and were expecting some support? 

Why didn’t Alex make us feel welcome staying in the lounge until final call and spend that time sorting support for us?

Why couldn’t Alex have contacted Wim to meet us as she left us as we did see him shoreside?

 

There were throughout our Retreat experience a few glitches in communication but we let them ride....However, one of the reasons we book higher suites is to have the support we need from arrival to departure....Clearly missing this time. We felt we had stopped being ‘Suite Passengers’ at 9am

 

Arrived at the Embassy Suites stressed and tired....So different from our previous experiences. If it hadn’t been for the facial recognition that does expedite things our experience would have been worse still.

 

Not a good end...

 

However back to the positives. As we arrived at the Embassy Suites Kathleen greeted us with a big smile, she confirmed our request for early check in had been granted. It was great to get up to our room and recover!

 

 

 

 

[chemmo]

12 hours ago, Cwspy said:

Thank you for the wonderful account of your experiences and thank you to the others that chimed in about aspects of the Royal Suite and suite life that will enhance our experience in March. This will truly be a trip of a lifetime and your and others sharing experiences and tips will enable so many to make the most of their time on the ship.

 

Many thanks, I will pay it forward on our trip.

Have a fantastic time!

[chemmo]

13 hours ago, ROXY GIRL said:

Thanks for the great review Chemmo. Sounds like the Equinox is still in good shape.

 

She is!

 

We noticed no areas that looked ‘aged’ at all and spotlessly clean!

[mac_tlc]

Thanks for taking us along! After your review we are really looking forward to our first Sky Suite on the Equinox in January.

 

mac_tlc

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Sorry you had the bad disembarcation experience.  I never did see Saber or Wim the whole time I was on board.  Jeffrey, on the other hand, was great!  Alas, Bogdan is very hard to live up to.  If they could just clone him, people would be beating their doors down!  Once you've experienced him or Maja (who also accompanied us all the way to luggage), other concierges seem lacking.

[Shadow9612]

On 9/25/2019 at 10:50 PM, Cwspy said:

Thank you for sharing your experiences! 🙂 They are tremendously helpful! I am cruising for the first time on Celebrity next March with my 92 yr young Aunt. This is a gift from my Dad to her....he just passed and before he passed, he was trying to think of something special to do for her, he wanted her spoiled. I had already promised her I would join her on a cruise early next year and we were in the planning stage. I suggested to Dad that we could upgrade her to a balcony. His eyes lit up and he said to me, "I know what I want to do! Find a cruise with a suite and spoil her rotten!"  So, I found a cruise that still had a Royal Suite open. Thanks to Dad, we will both be spoiled....she still thinks we have a balcony upgrade (and we do), cant wait to see her face as we experience the week together. All she wants to do (in her words) is enjoy the ship,  a drink in her hand and a view of the sea....I look forward to the time with her and seeing Dad's wish come true of a final treat for his sister.

Beautiful.  

[chemmo]

1 hour ago, Shadow9612 said:

Beautiful.  

 

Totally agree, perhaps nearer the time Cwspy will start his own thread and we can all advise on how they can ensure their cruise is fantastic!

 

Edited October 6, 2019 by chemmo

[chemmo]

13 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

Sorry you had the bad disembarcation experience.  I never did see Saber or Wim the whole time I was on board.  Jeffrey, on the other hand, was great!  Alas, Bogdan is very hard to live up to.  If they could just clone him, people would be beating their doors down!  Once you've experienced him or Maja (who also accompanied us all the way to luggage), other concierges seem lacking.

 

You know, it was the lack of communication that was annoying....If we had been told all along the lounge would shut at 9am and that suite escort finished at the gangplank we would have sorted ourselves somehow. We would have worked out our best options. It was the lack of a ‘suite team’ unified response that was of concern.

 

Bogdan is hard to live up to but I must say that also on the Eclipse (three different cruises with three different concierges and no suite manager position for the first two cruises) we still felt ‘looked after’ until we were truly shoreside.

 

We really don’t want this to spoil what was generally a lovely cruise but it was frustrating....

[C-Dragons]

16 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

Sorry you had the bad disembarcation experience.  I never did see Saber or Wim the whole time I was on board.  Jeffrey, on the other hand, was great!  Alas, Bogdan is very hard to live up to.  If they could just clone him, people would be beating their doors down!  Once you've experienced him or Maja (who also accompanied us all the way to luggage), other concierges seem lacking.

Amen...

I truly hope that Bogdan will be able to return to a ship after his “dry dock duty”. He is definitely a “people person” 😊 Unfortunately we heard a rumor that X was moving him up to management in Miami.

[C-Dragons]

Thanks so much for letting us “travel along” with you, @chemmo. 🌺🌼🌺

[misterkevin]

We had a similar disembarkation experience in August from a Celebrity Suite on the Equinox at T25. We met at the lounge and were told to wait until the end for the best experience. The concierge suddenly got a call and told us we all had to leave. They let us out the back of the lounge directly off the ship to long lines of people waiting on the ramps. It was a bad experience, and total disconnect from the amazing attention we had otherwise on the cruise. It doesn't make a very good last impression.

[Cwspy]

"Totally agree, perhaps nearer the time Cwspy will start his own thread and we can all advise on how they can ensure their cruise is fantastic!"

 

Thank you!! I sure will take that help!

We sail 7 March and I know time will fly! 🙂

[ATLgirl15]

We sailed last year on Equinox with Avaleine (not sure about spelling) as the Michaels club concierge and she was one of the best.  She was leaving after that cruise and not sure if it was for vacation or for good.  We always do the self carry disembarkation and she was completely on top of it.  Our ship came in on time but must not have been cleared for some reason because we were about 40 minutes behind schedule.  She was in constant contact on her radio getting updates while we enjoyed the comforts of the lounge. When it was finally time to go she led us out a “back door” to disembark first.  We were so quick we missed captain Kate’s personal goodbye.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

5 hours ago, C-Dragons said:

Amen...

I truly hope that Bogdan will be able to return to a ship after his “dry dock duty”. He is definitely a “people person” 😊 Unfortunately we heard a rumor that X was moving him up to management in Miami.

 

Well, Celebrity could use some good people in management in Miami, but it will be a great loss on the ships.  

[JoeSalvatore]

Chemmo, curious if you would share what room you were in on deck 11?

Also would you share your preference for port/starboard on Equinox?

 

So very grateful for your sharing the amazing amount of detail in your review, wishing you all the best on future adventures.

 

[chemmo]

6 hours ago, JoeSalvatore said:

Chemmo, curious if you would share what room you were in on deck 11?

Also would you share your preference for port/starboard on Equinox?

 

So very grateful for your sharing the amazing amount of detail in your review, wishing you all the best on future adventures.

 

 

1612 Starboard...

 

We always book this or it’s mirror image 1607. Your room then is just before the slope in at the end of the bump...We love the ‘open view’.

 

Before any cruise we spend time on google earth looking at where the ship is likely to moor up, number of ships in port and make an educated guess as to if one side has an advantage over the other (not an exact science!). We also try to work out the position of the sun in terms on when it is on the balcony (morning, afternoon, full sun, full shade) and see if there is an advantage there...For this itinerary we felt starboard was marginally better.

 

In terms of noise from above in our experience one deck 11 room is similar to another including the PH...

 

 

 

 

 

[Cwspy]

Chemmo, my Aunt and I are in 1612 in March! 😊

We too looked at one docking position in particular, Key West ....where the port schedule shows us docking at the downtown location. We chose Starboard because it overlooks the town and if my Aunt does not want to walk the town, she can relax on the balcony and enjoy the hustle and bustle. Of course it's not a guarantee.

 

Additionally, I thought it looked like the entrance was fairly well positioned to the entrance to the elevator area.

 

I so enjoyed your sharing the many experiences during your cruise, and now feel it is a bonus to know that your review was while in that particular room to boot!. 😊

[chemmo]

28 minutes ago, Cwspy said:

Chemmo, my Aunt and I are in 1612 in March! 😊

We too looked at one docking position in particular, Key West ....where the port schedule shows us docking at the downtown location. We chose Starboard because it overlooks the town and if my Aunt does not want to walk the town, she can relax on the balcony and enjoy the hustle and bustle. Of course it's not a guarantee.

 

Additionally, I thought it looked like the entrance was fairly well positioned to the entrance to the elevator area.

 

I so enjoyed your sharing the many experiences during your cruise, and now feel it is a bonus to know that your review was while in that particular room to boot!. 😊

 

It really is a wonderful position and the cabin is in great order...

 

I suggest you say nothing to your aunt about the monogrammed robes but ask the shoreside concierge to arrange for them to be in the room on arrival. Our son got his the last day and it is really nice, I can imagine now the ‘buzz’ of walking in the suite and seeing it on the bed ready for you!

 

I don’t know if it still runs but there used to be a circular noddy train at Key West. If your aunt is up to it you could do a circuit...If not perhaps you could have a short trip and she could watch you from the balcony returning with a slice of key lime pie! 

 

So pleased you are in our room, I can’t wait for you to post your experiences....Back to the present, I had better put some more of our holiday washing away...

Edited October 8, 2019 by chemmo

[CHEZMARYLOU]

I asked the Shore Side Concierge about the robes and she said it has to be arranged on board with the butler.

[Cwspy]

"I asked the Shore Side Concierge about the robes and she said it has to be arranged on board with the butler"

 

Thank you for the heads up.

 

Knowing this, I will try to be proactive with Celebrity ahead of time to see if I can't facilitate the butler knowing the week prior so that the monogrammed robes can be on the bed when she walks in. What a wonderful personalized aspect that she would just see as over the top indulgence, just as my Dad wanted. 

 

Who knows what the process will be by then, but now that I know, I can try.