Currently On Board Celebrity Equinox 2/15-2/22

[keesar]

Here are some complaints I have heard:

 

Ship left Fort Lauderdale early. Person wanted additional OBC at Guest Relations.

 

Suite guest upset that her butler would not walk her and husband to dinner. Neither were handicapped. “Use to be that way”

[terrydtx]

10 minutes ago, keesar said:

Here are some complaints I have heard:

 

Ship left Fort Lauderdale early. Person wanted additional OBC at Guest Relations.

 

Suite guest upset that her butler would not walk her and husband to dinner. Neither were handicapped. “Use to be that way”

If these are the worse complaints, it must really be a great cruise.  I wonder how long ago, if ever, the Butler walked guests to dinner? Are they afraid of getting lost? LOL

[Cruiseoholic000]

23 minutes ago, keesar said:

Murano is having lunch today. Captain’s Club is having an Elegant High Tea in Blu.

Sounds nice.  What is the cost for this?  I am low on the Captain's club.  My friend who is going with me has never sailed celebrity.  Would she be able to go with me to the tea?

Edited February 20, 2020 by Cruiseoholic000

[Purplsmurf]

On 2/19/2020 at 11:48 AM, keesar said:

Today we are in Tortola.  Only one other ship here, Costa.  Clear at sunrise and then a shower around 8 am.  Sun was out at 9 and another monsoon shower at 11. They last for about 10 minutes.   We  took a Celebrity excursion to Norman Island  for snorkeling.  Waters were clear, air temps around 80, and seas at 79 degrees.  We snorkeled in the caves and saw a variety of fish.  Then we went to a second stop on the island where you could snorkel from shore,  swim at a beach, get food and drinks for $ at the  beach club.  We went snorkeling and saw 3 sea turtles and more fish. Coral was alive at this stop.   Fun excursion.

 

Last night, the IT serviceman came by to install a wifi signal booster in our room.  Not sure why but I am not going to argue with him.  

 

Tortola has developed from our last time here.  Small port and very quiet.  It is a pretty island.  Locals are complaining about the winds and rain they have had here for a couple of week.  

Would one be able to do this excursion without snorkeling? Once you went to the beach how did you get there? Was it by boat and dropped by the dock or do they drop you off in the water? I’m asking because my husband recently had a hip replacement and we are struggling to find an excursion in Tortola. We have the Baths booked, but will have to cancel that one. He might be able to snorkel, but not 100% sure yet. Have to wait to make sure his incision is completely healed. He doesn’t want to have to get into the water from a boat to get to a beach due to the instability of having to step on to the sand in the water. He will be 6 weeks post surgery once we get to Tortola. We have a lot of OBC so want to do a Celebrity excursion. Thank you and enjoy the rest of your cruise!

[keesar]

2 hours ago, Purplsmurf said:

Would one be able to do this excursion without snorkeling? Once you went to the beach how did you get there? Was it by boat and dropped by the dock or do they drop you off in the water? I’m asking because my husband recently had a hip replacement and we are struggling to find an excursion in Tortola. We have the Baths booked, but will have to cancel that one. He might be able to snorkel, but not 100% sure yet. Have to wait to make sure his incision is completely healed. He doesn’t want to have to get into the water from a boat to get to a beach due to the instability of having to step on to the sand in the water. He will be 6 weeks post surgery once we get to Tortola. We have a lot of OBC so want to do a Celebrity excursion. Thank you and enjoy the rest of your cruise!

 

There were about 10 individuals that did not go snorkeling and came along to accompany a spouse/friend.  As for the beach, we docked and there was a short walk along the pier.  The beach was nice and very few people.  They served food and drinks.  However, we were there for about 45-50 minutes.  There were free chairs and umbrellas.  Beautiful location on Norman Island.  

 

The tour company always had two staff to help you on and off the boat.  Very accommodating.  The ride out to Norman Island was choppy and rocky.  Plenty of shade in the boat and areas to remain dry from the spray.

[keesar]

2 hours ago, Cruiseoholic000 said:

Sounds nice.  What is the cost for this?  I am low on the Captain's club.  My friend who is going with me has never sailed celebrity.  Would she be able to go with me to the tea?

The tea of for Elite Members and above.  Last year, there was another tea but I have not seen it advertised here.  I will keep my eye out for it.

[keesar]

Edited February 20, 2020 by keesar

[keesar]

Another photo of Norman Island and snorkeling in the caves.  Then over to the beach club.  We had the club pretty much to ourselves.

[Purplsmurf]

1 hour ago, keesar said:

 

There were about 10 individuals that did not go snorkeling and came along to accompany a spouse/friend.  As for the beach, we docked and there was a short walk along the pier.  The beach was nice and very few people.  They served food and drinks.  However, we were there for about 45-50 minutes.  There were free chairs and umbrellas.  Beautiful location on Norman Island.  

 

The tour company always had two staff to help you on and off the boat.  Very accommodating.  The ride out to Norman Island was choppy and rocky.  Plenty of shade in the boat and areas to remain dry from the spray.

Excellent! Thank you so much! Was the tour called “Norman Island Snorkeling”?.....it doesn’t mention going to a beach so that’s why I ask. Thanks again!

[keesar]

4 hours ago, Purplsmurf said:

Excellent! Thank you so much! Was the tour called “Norman Island Snorkeling”?.....it doesn’t mention going to a beach so that’s why I ask. Thanks again!

 

It was called  "Half Day Snorkeling".  Check out the t description of that one.

[keesar]

12 hours ago, spammie said:

Who is the current host/hostess in Blu?  Enjoy the rest of your cruise!  

The current hostess is Amalia who is from Romania.  I like her.   This morning she sent away 6 guests  from suites who wanted to have breakfast in Blu rather than Luminae.  Loved it!

 

Thank you.  We will try to enjoy the rest of the cruise.  

[terrydtx]

12 hours ago, Purplsmurf said:

Excellent! Thank you so much! Was the tour called “Norman Island Snorkeling”?.....it doesn’t mention going to a beach so that’s why I ask. Thanks again!

When we did our Catamaran charter we tied up for the night in the bay where the beach club above is located on Norman Island. They have a nice dock that we used to tie up our dingy to get ashore. The beach and water there is beautiful and the food is very good too. You will love Norman Island.

[keesar]

The internet on the cruise has ranged from excellent to being unable to even log on. Varies.   I was told this was related to our location at sea.  Loading pictures has been painfully slow and the neighbor next door compared it to the old dial up speed for loading the photos.  He even had a device to measure speed but that is beyond me.

 

I have observed many people with these hacking coughs over the last two days.  The staff is wiping down the stair railings constantly.  I am washing my hands with soap and water often.  In the  early morning, I can smell the scent of bleach in the common areas.

 

Food continues to be excellent.  We had warm water lobster last night and it was very good, especially with drawn butter.  Last night, there was a second Silent Disco, Broadway Production Shows, and a late night comedian.  This has been an excellent cruise.  

[Purplsmurf]

10 hours ago, keesar said:

 

It was called  "Half Day Snorkeling".  Check out the t description of that one.

Ugh! That’s not an option onTortola. The only one they have is the Norman Island Snorkeling. Bummer! Finally found one that we can do and it’s not a choice. Oh well! Back to the drawing board. Unfortunately it looks as though Tortola might be a stay on the ship day. Thank you!

[lola2013]

We did Aristocat charters catamaran in Tortola a few months ago while sailing on Edge.  The starting point was a quick five minute walk from the ship.  If memory serves, there were only about a dozen of us on the excursion...three stops with a nice lunch buffet.  There are several options...we did Norman Island and the Indians.  It was about 6-1/2 hours for $125/pp.  Sometimes an independent excursion is the way to go.

Edited February 21, 2020 by lola2013

[little britain]

18 hours ago, keesar said:

The tea of for Elite Members and above.  Last year, there was another tea but I have not seen it advertised here.  I will keep my eye out for it.

Is jacket required for the Elite tea still? 

[keesar]

2 hours ago, Purplsmurf said:

Ugh! That’s not an option onTortola. The only one they have is the Norman Island Snorkeling. Bummer! Finally found one that we can do and it’s not a choice. Oh well! Back to the drawing board. Unfortunately it looks as though Tortola might be a stay on the ship day. Thank you!

TT 20 is the tour. It did not appear as an option until a couple of months before the cruise 

[kwokpot]

53 minutes ago, little britain said:

Is jacket required for the Elite tea still? 

No jackets or Ties EVER required on ANY Celebrity Cruise.

Edited February 21, 2020 by kwokpot

[tcmagnum]

5 hours ago, terrydtx said:

When we did our Catamaran charter we tied up for the night in the bay where the beach club above is located on Norman Island. They have a nice dock that we used to tie up our dingy to get ashore. The beach and water there is beautiful and the food is very good too. You will love Norman Island.

May I ask which company you used for your charter?  We are looking for something special for our 30th anniversary.

[Purplsmurf]

43 minutes ago, keesar said:

TT 20 is the tour. It did not appear as an option until a couple of months before the cruise 

We leave in 3 weeks and isn’t an option at this time. Appreciate the help tho!

[terrydtx]

17 minutes ago, tcmagnum said:

May I ask which company you used for your charter?  We are looking for something special for our 30th anniversary.

We used TMM Charters in Tortola, my Brother in law was our captain so we did not need a provided captain. He has done over 8 of these charters in the BVI and  passed the company's Captain qualifications. We had three couples and the boat had 3 cabins each with their own bathroom. Our boat was only a year old and was fantastic.  The charter company can furnish a registered captain if you need one for an extra fee. It was one of the bucket list things that we will always remember. The BVI is so sailing friendly, every island has places with mooring balls to tie up  for overnight for about $30 per night. Most islands have at least one restaurant and most have a beach club. We only did breakfast and a few lunches on the boat and all dinner were on shore at a restaurant. All of the islands are very close and only one, Anagorda, do you lose sight of land when you sail to it. Best part with 3 couples the cost per couple was less than a cruise. 

Edited February 21, 2020 by terrydtx

[hcat]

4 hours ago, Purplsmurf said:

Ugh! That’s not an option onTortola. The only one they have is the Norman Island Snorkeling. Bummer! Finally found one that we can do and it’s not a choice. Oh well! Back to the drawing board. Unfortunately it looks as though Tortola might be a stay on the ship day. Thank you!

Tortola  is too nice to stay on board... hope you keep looking and find something that works out

  There is a biotanical garden that we passed  near the port if something  on water is not an option...

[hcat]

14 hours ago, keesar said:

The current hostess is Amalia who is from Romania.  I like her.   This morning she sent away 6 guests  from suites who wanted to have breakfast in Blu rather than Luminae.  Loved it!

 

Thank you.  We will try to enjoy the rest of the cruise.  

That's a first ......usually BLU not crowded for breakfast.   Glad they are following rules/ guidelines.   Wonder why BLU was preferred...what are Luminae hrs versus BLU???

[tcmagnum]

38 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

We used TMM Charters in Tortola, my Brother in law was our captain so we did not need a provided captain. He has done over 8 of these charters in the BVI and  passed the company's Captain qualifications. We had three couples and the boat had 3 cabins each with their own bathroom. Our boat was only a year old and was fantastic.  The charter company can furnish a registered captain if you need one for an extra fee. It was one of the bucket list things that we will always remember. The BVI is so sailing friendly, every island has places with mooring balls to tie up  for overnight for about $30 per night. Most islands have at least one restaurant and most have a beach club. We only did breakfast and a few lunches on the boat and all dinner were on shore at a restaurant. All of the islands are very close and only one, Anagorda, do you lose sight of land when you sail to it. Best part with 3 couples the cost per couple was less than a cruise. 

Thank you so much for the information.  We are now researching (3 couples each researching)!!

[Purplsmurf]

12 minutes ago, hcat said:

Tortola  is too nice to stay on board... hope you keep looking and find something that works out

  There is a biotanical garden that we passed  near the port if something  on water is not an option...

I really do want see something since we have only been there once and it has been a long time. We have a lot of OBC to use so want to book a Celebrity excursion and since my husband will be 6 weeks post hip replacement surgery we are limited as to what we can do.