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LIVE Celebrity Equinox Review: Western Caribbean 11/16 to 11/23

belizabeth

By belizabeth,
in Celebrity Cruises

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belizabeth

belizabeth

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Hello cruise friends! My husband and I are currently on the Celebrity Equinox for our honeymoon. I thought it'd be fun to post updates while we cruise, so tune in for some thoughts from Celebrity newbies! 

 

ABOUT US

We are 29 and 38 years old, and we are from Minnesota. I have cruised a couple times on Princess and once on Norwegian. I also cruised once on Celebrity Century when I was 12 years old. This is the first cruise ever for my husband Brian! We chose Celebrity because we love high quality food and we wanted a more relaxing trip without many kids.

 

ARRIVAL

We flew in on Friday (11/15) and stayed at the Comfort Suites by the airport for $144. It was a nice stay with a very comfy king bed and a free airport shuttle. They also offered a shuttle to the port for $10 per guest, but we decided to take an Uber for a total of $9.50 instead.

 

EMBARKATION

When we checked in on the app we were given a boarding time of 2:00. When we tried to change it, the earliest time it would allow us to choose was 1:00. Fortunately I did some searching on CruiseCritic and learned that we are not locked in to this time. (Thanks guys!)

 

We therefore arrived at Port Everglades (Terminal 25) at 11:45 and were on the ship within 15 minutes! As Sky Suite guests, we were led to a left elevator immediately when we entered the terminal, which led to a lounge with a bar for suite guests. 

 

Unfortunately we didn't have time to enjoy the lounge (or even sit!) because they were ready to check us in right away. They scanned our passports and took our pictures because we didn't add pictures when we checked in on the app. (I'll post the two pics I snapped of the terminal lounge.)

 

ON THE SHIP

We hopped on board, had our picture taken, and were handed a glass of sparkling pink alcoholic goodness! We were greeted by smiling welcome's from the crew followed closely by a chorus of  "BUY A DRINK PACKAGE!" and "BOOK SPECIALTY DINING NOW!"

 

My husband made the mistake of asking a crew member where our stateroom was, which triggered a lengthy spiel on why we need to book Chef's Table TODAY. This included him rapidly reading through the entire menu AND listing each wine pairing. In hindsight we should have just interrupted with "No thanks" and walked away, but I absolutely hate being rude to people who are just doing their jobs. 

 

We ran down to our room (2125), dropped off our carry-ons, and grabbed our SeaPasses. We also met our butler Mhicaela, who seems wonderful thus far!

 

Next we explored the ship and grabbed lunch at Luminae, which was spectacular. I think my husband is sold on cruising already! He kept marveling at the fact that we get to eat there every day for a week with no extra charges. 

 

Speaking of the hubby, I've got to go wake him up for breakfast, so I'll post more shortly!

 

-Brittany & Brian

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FlyingAnchor

FlyingAnchor

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1 hour ago, belizabeth said:

 

We are 29 and 38 years old, and we are from Minnesota

 

Congratulations on your honeymoon! We are regular Celebrity cruisers, also from Minnesota! We'll be sailing Equinox next year - our first time on a Solstice class ship, believe it or not! We will be sailing in Aqua class - so any pictures/thoughts you can provide of non-suite public spaces would be greatly appreciated. My understanding is Equinox is partially refurbished, but not completely. 

Anyway - enjoy your honeymoon and that warm weather! We got up to about 44 degrees yesterday so thats probably as tropical as we'll see until Spring 😛

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belizabeth

belizabeth

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Thank you all! I'll try to take some pics of public spaces as well this week. Feel free to ask any questions!

 

Here's a pic of the Daily for Day 1:

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To pick up where I left off, Luminae's lunch was to die for. The Prawn Ceviche appetizer was RIDICULOUSLY GOOD. I would sell a kidney to eat this every day. I wish we had a picture, but hopefully we can order it again at some point. It had shrimp, avocados, a tomato emulsion with a flavorful kick, and a fresh citrusy taste! A++

 

We also got a kale salad, a steak, a lobster roll, and two scrumptious desserts. 

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We then went to our room to unpack. I was hoping that the Sky Suites had been revolutionized, but sadly they have not been. Still quite nice looking and spacious. 

 

The muster drill was in the Retreat Lounge, which was packed when we arrived 10 minutes early, so be sure to arrive even earlier if you want to sit! It officially started at 2:45 and went until about 3:10. 

 

We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring, drinking, and enjoying sailing away sitting on our balcony.

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We went to the Martini Bar for a pre-dinner drink around 6, and it was PACKED. Many of the other bars were nearly empty, so apparently the Martini Bar is the place to be. Had a French 75 and a Vesper Martini. We are striving to make the most of our Premium Drink Package!

 

Dinner at Luminae was great, other than the Turbot entree, which neither of us cared for. Unfortunately we also had to listen to another lengthy pitch about specialty meals we can purchase, which we declined. Our server for both meals was Richey, so I'm guessing we'll have him the whole trip! 

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After dinner we enjoyed some live music, drank some more, and went back to our stateroom. I had hoped to participate in some more activities on Day 1 and go dancing, but we ended up having more of a private and quiet night. 

 

Brian's highlight of the day: The helpfulness and friendliness of the staff. And the desserts from lunch at Luminae.

Brittany's highlight of the day: Prawn Ceviche!

Lowlight: It's not a big deal, but we both didn't like having specialty meals pushed on us several times throughout the day.

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belizabeth

belizabeth

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On 11/17/2019 at 6:47 PM, 39august said:

Richie is wonderful. We asked for extra vegetables every night.  Is Yan your wine steward? She totally spoiled us! So looking forward to being in suite on Equinox in May. 

 

Our wine steward is actually Anna, who has been great!

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belizabeth

belizabeth

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DAY 2: KEY WEST

We planned to get up for breakfast at Luminae on our first morning on the Equinox, but we ended up sleeping in later than expected. The slight motion of the ship rocks us to sleep like babies! The bed is also quite comfortable.

 

Our stateroom is 2125 (Sky Suite S2) and we are located right under the Oceanview Cafe. I worried that we would hear noise from the buffet above us, as others have commented on hearing loud rolling carts above them, but we have not had a problem with sound at all! We have not been able to hear any voices from above or from the adjacent rooms. If I listen REALLY closely I can hear a faint noise from time-to-time that may be carts from above, but it is far from noticeable. 

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BREAKFAST

Because we missed breakfast at Luminae, I went to the Retreat Lounge for some coffee and a light continental breakfast to type my first post. Then Brian and I stopped up at Oceanview Cafe to check out their breakfast. I was impressed with their selection and ended up having some deliciously crispy bacon and eggs benedict. Brian had a custom-made omelette and some fresh fruit. 

 

KEY WEST

We did not book any excursions in Key West, so we just hopped off the ship to explore for a few hours. We wandered all over and ended up at the Hemingway House & Museum. We decided to pay the entrance fee ($14 per adult) and check it out. We visited with the adorable six-toed cats that are found all over the property and are descendants of Ernest Hemingway's famous six-toed cat. There are apparently 59 total on the property today. 

 

Guests have the option of touring the property on their own or joining a guided tour. We did a little of both, occasionally getting distracted by kittens! Both Brian and I would say the Hemingway House was worth it, especially if you like cats!

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After leaving the Hemingway House we walked down Duval Street and got a slice of Key Lime Pie. Normally I'm not a big fan, but it was tasty in Key West! We also had a family of chickens join us on the porch of the cafe. The chicks kept climbing on our feet and even on our laps! They were very cute. I suppose they were hoping for a taste of pie crust. 

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We made our way back to the ship and it got very windy close to the water. I made the mistake of wearing a light cotton sundress that got caught in a few strong gusts of wind, giving the people behind me at least one solid view of my behind. Oops. 

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AFTERNOON ACTIVITIES

After hopping back on the Equinox we went to the Retreat Sundeck, which is for suite guests only. I had read others' reviews of the Retreat Sundeck which said that it is way too exposed and hot, especially without a pool up there. 

 

Luckily our day in Key West was breezy and in the 70s, so it was perfect for lounging up there. Crew members come around offering cold towels, drinks, and bottles of water. They also serve food during certain hours. The chairs and loungers up there are very comfy, so we will definitely be going back! 

 

DINNER

We ate again in Luminae and I had the best dessert I have ever eaten in my entire life: Daniel Boulud's Raspberry Vacherin. It is one of his signature dishes that is offered every night. If you like raspberries, you MUST try this dessert. We ate one and ended up ordering a second, despite being super full. 

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EVENING ACTIVITIES

One of the best parts of the day was participating in the Silent Disco in the Sky Observation Lounge. Guests are given light-up headphones that change color based on the DJ you are listening to. We were both a little dubious, but decided to check it out. It was an ABSOLUTE BLAST. The dance floor was packed, and everyone was so uninhibited. People of all ages were dancing and belting-out the lyrics to whatever song they were listening to. We stayed there dancing straight up until they closed down the event.

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Afterwards we sat at the Martini Bar and talked to some other guests until they closed it down. We were pretty tipsy by the end of the night, so I think we are making good use of our Premium Drink Package! 

 

Brian's Highlight: The Silent Disco! Hemingway House in Key West was also fun.

Brian's Lowlight: He loves Scotch and was a little disappointed by the selection. 

Brittany's Highlight: The Raspberry Vacherin dessert

Brittany's Lowlight: The wind and accidentally flashing my undies to a bunch of strangers when my dress flew up. I should have worn shorts under the dress, or at least cuter underwear, haha.

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keensie

keensie

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Congrats on your wedding! We're sailing on the Equinox on the 30th for our honeymoon in a Sky Suite, 2124 to be exact! It's my first cruise, so I feel like I'm going to be just as in awe as your husband is!

 

how's the internet package you got as a perk? 

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encoresue2

encoresue2

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Looking forward to more......we are sailing on the 30th and we have an aft SS but on deck 6. Never been that low on the ship before but it was the only aft SS left. Since you haven't mentioned anything, I take it you had smooth seas to Key West.  Keep up the terrific commentary.....it is appreciated.  And, Happy Honeymoon.........what a great way to spend it. 

Sue

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gw2fll

gw2fll

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Thanks for the post and updates. We board next Saturday - so excited to be back onboard Equinox.

 

By any chance did you happen to notice the Artichoke Soup on the menu in Luminae? If so, which night? (It is delicious by the way)

 

Glad to know the Silent Disco is Day 2. 

 

Thanks again.

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