Celebrity Cruises' newest ship, the Equinox: a first-timers perspective
Written: Nov 08 '09 (Updated Nov 08 '09)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Fantastic service, gorgeous design, plenty to entertain you.
Cons: Not for the party crowd, nor for families.
The Bottom Line: A terrific experience, but be warned that it doesn't come cheap.
|
|
|
| telynor's Full Review: Celebrity Equinox |
This was the year, I decided some months ago, that I was going to take the leap and go on my first cruise. And being that I am the sort of person who believes in that if you're going to do something, do it right and go all out. And so, for the last few years, I've been doing my research, talking to others who have cruised, reading up the various cruise lines out there and all the many destinations that they offer. After hearing about Celebrity, and the high standards that they hold their ships to, I took myself off to the travel agent and sat down, and said, OK, do it to me. She presented my options, and after viewing the itinerary for the "Ancient Empires Cruise," I knew I had found a trip that would both suit me, and feed my constant hunger to learn and experience new things.
The ship that I selected was the newest ship to join Celebrity's fleet: The Equinox. This is a huge ship, designed to carry 2,850 passengers, and a wide variety of dining and entertainment options to choose from. Launched in August 2009, I found myself on what was her fifth voyage out, and traveling to eight ports in five countries in a matter of thirteen nights. A rather daunting prospect for a first time cruise experience, but I figured that you really only live once, and you never know what is going to happen tomorrow. I selected my stateroom class -- I was traveling alone, so I was also hit with the 'single's supplement' as well, and arranged my airfare as well to Rome and back, and the transfers to and from the airport so I wouldn't have to worry about it later.
I made lists, double-checked my passport to make certain that I had everything in order, put in a special request* with the cruise line, and started packing. There?s an old and ancient law concerning travel: pack half of what you think you need, and twice the money. How true! I managed to get everything into one checked in bag, one carry on, and a personal bag, with space to spare, and felt pretty good about it. After all, there was (and usually is on all cruise lines) a dress code that requires a passenger to have some dressy and mostly casual attire that is customary aboard a ship. A good rule of thumb to follow is to plan to mix and match your clothing, and to keep it simple.
Before sailing, you receive a booklet from the cruise line that is personalized for you, giving your stateroom location, your transfers to and from the airport to the dock, and filled with advice about what to pack, and an itinerary of the cruise. In with all of this is a copy of their contract with you. It's pretty vital that you don't forget this booklet, as it will make getting on board the ship all that much more speedy -- and trust me, the crush on embarkation day is pretty intense. You'll also have baggage tags that give your room number in a colour coded strip -- the cruise line collects your baggage at the airport, and then will deliver it to your room on board -- a very handy arrangement to keep you from having to shlep it yourself.
The Equinox has several categories of staterooms to offer, each with their own plus and minuses. A good rule to follow is that the higher you go in the ship, the better the veiw and more expensive the price. However, lower decks may be cheaper, but you'll be hearing more noise from the ship's mechanicals and engines. An outside cabin is nearly always better than an inside one, and having your own veranda or balcony to enjoy can give you that little touch of privacy that is delightful.
Inside: the least expensive of the cabins, but also the ones with the least amount of amenities as well. They also tend to be located on the lowest decks, where the noise level will be highest. No view, no veranda either. Some people love them because they are dark at night. However, if you're not planning on spending much time in your stateroom, it can be a great bargain as you still have access to nearly everything on board just like everyone else. Some inside cabins are located up on the upper decks as well. Each inside stateroom can accommodate two people, on twin beds that can be converted to a queen size bed, and several have either fold out sofas or bunks that can handle up to four in a room. Best for those who don't mind noise or want to travel on a budget.
Oceanview: The next class up are the oceanview cabins. These are along the outside of the ship, with either a porthole or large window with a view to the sea. They also tend to be a little larger than the inside cabins. Again, these tend to be on the lower decks, so expect noise and vibration to be there. On the other hand, you still can access nearly everything on board.
Veranda: most of the staterooms on the Equinox are of this class, and they come in a wide variety of arrangements and styles to choose from. Several of them are designed for families, with extra sleeping arrangements or connecting staterooms. Others have been designed for wheelchair access, with special design features for accessing the bathroom and veranda. In addition to the basic veranda, there are two other classes -- the Concierge Class and the AquaSpa, both of which offer special amenities and perks for those who book them. This was the class that I traveled in, and I found it to be very comfortable and downright decadent at times.
Suites: Think even bigger. There are several varieties of suites, all with hefty price tags, but with the features of a luxury hotel -- such as whirlpool tubs, dining areas, expansive in suite entertainment systems and the like. There is even a butler to take of things for you, if you so desire, and they're set up for the most comfortable and quickest access aboard ship to the lifts and various entertainments.
Once you've figured out your berthing request, everything else falls into place. Dining is going to be your next concern. On the Equinox there is two large dining rooms, the main, more formal Silhouette, on decks 3 and four, and the much more informal buffet-style Oceanview Café on deck 14. Quickly I found myself choosing the Oceanview for my breakfast and lunch on the days that I wasn't heading out on excursions, and the Silhouette for dinner. Both dining venues had superb food, and staff that was cheerful and helpful, and made the voyage a delight. There are also several smaller dining venues, which have a small surcharge, attached. These were the Silk Harvest (Asian), the Tuscan Grille (Italian and Mediterranean), Murano (Contemporary French) and Blu (healthier eating, exclusively for the AquaSpa class). There were also some smaller bars and cafes throughout the ship, and a gelato bar that was sinfully good. And if that couldn't satisfy you, there was room service as well.
Shows were offered every night in the main theatre, along with scholarly talks and presentations during the day. In the smaller Celebrity Central, there were movies being offered as well as various competitions and games. There was also a Casino, a feature that I tended to ignore as I find them overly loud and irritating. Or you could go shopping in the various shops and boutiques, ranging from those little things you tend to forget to pack to designer clothing and jewelry. Often there would be special sales and discounts.
Excursions could be arranged either pre-cruise through Celebrity's website or on ship at their excursions desk. I do recommend that you book them early, and look them over carefully to decide which ones you want to take, as the most popular ones fill up rapidly. On the other hand, there's something for just about anyone, and I found all of them to be handled well, and enjoyable.
But the big draw here is the level of service that I found with Celebrity. The staff on board was motivated and professional, and worked very hard at guessing what I needed. All I had to do was mention something once -- such as a pitcher of water and ice in my room daily -- and it would be there. The waiters in the main dining room were able to well anticipate my needs, and did it with such style that I was very happily impressed.
While Celebrity does have a program for children and teenagers, this really isn't a cruise for children. I honestly didn't spot very many during my two week cruise. The few that I did see were quiet and well-behaved, with a couple of exceptions.
Summing all of this up, Celebrity is a cruise line that expects a high level of service from its staff, and they deliver. Any problems that I had were handled quickly and with hardly an inconvenience. The accommodations and food were top-notch, the excursions and entertainment well thought out. This is a cruise line that while it is expensive, is worth the expense to travel with if you want more than the typical 'port-a-day' party boat. This was a fantastic experience for me, and I've been sold on Celebrity's quality and high standards -- it's a cruise line that I intend to travel on again in the future.
Celebrity Cruises is part of the Royal Caribbean cruise line, and can be reached at http://www.celebritycruises.com/ or at 1-800-647-2251 for reservations.
* Many cruise lines will now handle requests for making traveling for disabled passengers much more accessible. For me, it was having a sharps container in my stateroom. There are staterooms specially designed for those in wheelchairs, and other special needs can be accommodated. Just remember to put in any requests early, as these rooms tend to go quickly.
Overall, five big stars and a very pleased customer.
Many thanks to the Travel CL Chris who was kind enough to add this very quickly to the database for me!
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
telynor
|
 in Movies, Books |
 in Movies, Books |
 - Top 200 |
|
Member: Rebecca Huston
Location: On the banks of the Hudson River
Reviews written: 1643
Trusted by: 580 members
About Me:
Quot libros quam breve tempus!
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.