Just had a 7 day Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Equinox. Everything went extremely smoothly, from the taste and variety of the food at the Oceanview and the main dining room, to the cleanliness and politeness of the staff at the restaurants. Dan France as the cruise director was the best as well. Cristine being his deputy are a great team to entertain us. Some of the entertainers, however, were mediocre at best. The onboard entertainers were impressive. Too bad the acrobats steals the show most of the times from the singers even though the singers were great. The cabin steward was good. However, I saw some stains on the leather sofa, crumbs on the table out on the balcony, and the shower room have soap and water stains. The embark and disembark also extremely smoothly. The ports, however, for eastern Caribbean can be better choices. While Nassau and San Juan were good, Punta Cana and Charlotte Amalie is just really for the beaches and some shopping. Maybe slightly more developed ports? Overall, the whole experience is superb. Read Less

Firstly, can I state the obvious, we all want different things from our cruises - so this is just my view of things having now done cruises with Royal Caribbean, P&O, Cunard and Celebrity (we sailed on Constellation prior to this) We chose Equinox because the reviews for this ship is consistently better than other ships (particularly P&O). Having now travelled on her I would summarise my thoughts as follows: Food - Main Dining Room (which used almost exclusively for every meal). A high standard but no better or worse than any other cruise line we have been on. We only used the "canteen" a couple of times but rated it the best we had been to. Food was generally hot, great choice and it didn't feel caotic. Entertainement - Not great. Having said that I should caveat the comment by saying that the shows were clearly geared for an American audience (and we are Brits). P&O provided a better variety of shows and the comedians were aimed at a British audience; so no surprise that we preferred it. I guess it can also depend on which week you are on the ship as to which acts are performing Service - Very mixed but generally poorer that we have experienced with any other company. The best service we received was in the main dining room. The worst was the bar service. There was always a queue for drinks, with too few bar staff on duty. In addition, on other cruiselines, there have been waiters wondering around taking drinks orders (be it on the sun deck or in the theatre). On Equinox they were virtually non existant. The strangest one for us is that on everyother ship, our room attendant has always made themselves known and have even occasionally done the infamous towel sculptures. On this cruise our stewardess never introduced him or herself. So our overall summary is that whilst we loved the layout of the ship, there wasn't anything that made us understand why Equinox rules the seas. Read Less

I had shopped a number of Eastern Caribbean cruises before choosing this one. Knowing we will always pay a little more for holiday cruises I was diligent in comparing what we were getting. I am Platinum level on Princess, have sailed with NCL and Royal Caribbean. I read the reviews, looked at the amenities and choose this one for the ports, cost, and value for the $$. We choose Concierge level with all of the perks- wifi, tips, drinks and OBC. Getting on and off the ship was a breeze- the cabin was perfect- nice shower, large bed, veranda, couch and coffee table, our cabin steward made the room up 3 times a day, afternoon snacks, chocolates on our pillows and always had a smile-he knew our names as we boarded the ship. We were pleasantly surprised to get a window table for the four of us at the early (6pm dining) seating. The menu always had a great variety and the staff would not let you leave unless happy with your meal! We also had a wine somelier who never let our glasses go empty. We were hoping for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, but at the end of the day we all ordered lobster or rack of lamb instead. LOL - They did offer a traditional dinner, we only enjoyed the pumpkin pie. We are good tippers and although tips were included we noticed that we received no special attention by leaving tips at the bars, in the room or dining areas. So we waited until the end of the cruise to leave money for our regulars. The buffet was better than any other I have seen - the quality, various selections, cleanliness was all very appealing. The ports were great- none of those cruise line owned islands that rip you off (NCL)- Our only complaint would be not enough day light in Puerto Rico - we arrived at 3:30 pm, and being unaware of the 30 minute tender time from the ship to Punta Cana - we almost missed our excursion. The ship entertainment was above average- like any other ship they had a variety of entertainers and a daily newsletter filled with things to do. Of the four of us 3 are smokers - places to smoke are getting smaller and smaller and in less and less areas. No cigar bar, no smoking in the casino, but as is almost everywhere else it is understandable. You will always hear an earful from other guests, both good and bad. All I can say is our friends who went with us and were not keen on taking a cruise asked me when and where I was booking out next Celebrity cruise .. I admit with the value we received I will not even look into other cruise lines again. I am hoping it is not because the Equinox is going in for a redo in a few months. Read Less

Restaurant was great- dont need to go to upscale restaurants- ship is poorly layed out. there were 5 ports of call. Porta Cana was terrible- water to rough and took 30 minutes by boat to get there-each way. Nothing to do on ship when there is a port stop. Everything closes and there are no activities. Game shows are in a very small area with few seats. Late game show as to late- most people had gone to bed. Not only do they want $14.95 per day for tip they also want an additional $8.50 for wait staff, $3.59 for room stewart and $2.00 per day for clean up staff. We are talking $400. thats like $400-$500 just for tips. REALLY! The shows were good except for one comedian. Cruise director was great but just not enough activites on board. Cabin was good although when you asked for extra towels or washcloths they balk. I would go again but with other people added because it was boring Read Less

Background Information: This was my 16 cruise and most expensive. I wanted to take my daughter with us but she had weight loss surgery and a significant other at the time. So it was my Wife (59), my son (32) and myself (61). Life is to short to I prefer a suite. The adults in a room made the difference is categories of suites. We choose the "Celebrity Suite" due to an enclosed master bedroom vs. a "sky suite'. If there are e in the room go "Sky Suite"; 3 in the room go "Celebrity Suite"; and with 4 go "Royal Suite". Let start this review with three facts. 1) No cruise or vacation is perfect; 2) You get out of your cruise, what you put into it. I did a lot of due diligence to make sure the cruise was great and my families attitude was great throughout. 3) I book my wife's 60 birthday present cruise for November 2, 2019 on the Equinox in the Royal Suite with three of her friends. Please keep all this in mind when you read on. Hotel Pre-Cruise: I traveled a lot in my life. I always come in the day before a cruise to be safe and reduce stress. I booked the Kimpton EPIC Hotel 5-star hotel on Priceline.com for $125.00 per night. We Ubered from the Miami Airport to the hotel at 5:00 PM to miss the traffic. We Ubered from the hotel to the port the day of the cruise. It was 5 minutes to the port. Always look at Miami traffic patterns. Remember due diligence. Embankment: 10 minutes and on the ship. It helped we were in a suite. Remember to tip the baggage guy at the port entrance and make double sure ALL your bags have your name and cabin number on them. This this luggage guy a tip. They can make or break your cruise, believe me. The Celebrity Staff escorted us to Michael's Club for ship snacks and a adult beverage. Michael's Club is a private on-board club for frequency Celebrity Cruisers of Suite Guests. Cabin: As indicated above, we choice the "Celebrity Suite" on purpose (See above). The suite was GREAT. Lots of room, plenty of storage, large doubled sized deck with table chairs/plus two lounge chairs and a bottle of wine for my wife. Please know my pre-instructions to the butler was to empty the refrigerator and cabin from any up sale beverage & food items. Also the brand and type of wine my wife liked. The butler accommodated us. Room was ready at 1:00 PM. Dining: The suites only dining room called the Luminae was absolutely GREAT in every way. The food was made to order, they would get you anything from the main dining room if you wanted also. The staff was outstanding with a few exceptions. The person in charge of selling the specialty restaurants was over selling like crazy. I did not like this or any other overselling on any cruise. The specialty restaurants were average at best. Save your money. The Tuscan Grille is a total pass. How do you do bad veal in an Italian steakhouse???? The Ocean View Café buffet was plentiful and average to below average except for breakfast which was simply OK. The Mast Gill by the pool for burgers was 2 best burger on the ship except for the Luminae Burger. The main dining room we did not visit but heard it was so, so. Entertainment: Awful. But I knew that before we go on this or any other ship. Spa: Sorry to say this but the Canyon Ranch who runs the spa was just average. We got 7 massages online. My wife had 3 and I had 4. The representative of the spa met us in Michael's club on day one. I bough my massages during a pre-cruise spa flash sale. When on bourd I wanted to get access to something called the Persian Gardens an extra place with privacy, sauna and steam rooms. The representative told me my flash sale price was not in effect because I did not buy four massages each. Day one, I checked and double check my facts before cruising. I was pissed off. So I called Canyon Ranch from my cell phone and they took care of it. So I would pass on more then one massage, I would never get the Persian gardens again, it was a waste of money. Finally, I hate the upsell, hate it. I should have spent the $1100.00 I paid for Massage Envy who also upsell like crazy. I expected more. Butler: Comes with the suites. She seemed a bit overwhelmed at times. However, she was very good. We had the premium beverage package so every day the room was stocked with bottle water and soda. A few days he brought more wine. Bars: Again, we had the premium beverage program with the suite as a perk. So all drinks were part of that program. Best Bar was the Martini Bar. Worst was the pool bar which my wife had to wait over 20 minutes to get a drink. They took everyone except her. So I gave a pool service $5.00 and said, DON'T let her get thirsty. He never missed and even said thank you. The bar across from the fancy jewelry store is my second best bar. The Fancy Jewelry Store: The rudest people on the ship. My wife went in without me three times and it was as if she was invisible. So, hate to say this but, I went in then with my Rolex Presidential Platinum, got a salesman by flashing the watch and called my wife to join me. They saw her then. I am serious here, go to the better stores on the island, rude is rude. Unlimited Internet: Not great but needed. Prepaid Tips: Minimum, if someone did a great job, give them a bit more. Like butler, servers and the occasional tips for bar workers. Best Idea: First do the glass blowing for two, very cool. Second use the coffee shop with the fresh baked deserts every day and twice a day. HUGE success. One more story, has to do with communication. When I got my wife and my cards they did not include the perk of the premium beverage package. The representative said it might be because the third person in the room I was getting really mad. Remember, I am a detail guy, I don't miss this stuff. Then she saw my face and said the right thing. "Let me take your card and call the land office". Perfect, fixed in 10 minutes. Not her fault. Should not have happened. But not HER fault. I did the best I could do on this review. I left out the ports because I have been there so many times before. It is all about the ship for me. Remember, I booked the Royal Suite for my wife's 60 Birthday. If I did not have a great time, I would never have done that. But unless we are all transparent in our reviews with a third party source, we don't help each other. Hope you like my review. Read Less

Love celebrity. Very loyal customer.our grown children and their daughter had a great time. Celebrities staff are almost always tremendously helpful . We are 70 and 80, but I sing in a rock band and my husband works out daily, rides his bike 20 miles and races sailboats,so we are not typical for 70 and 80 years old. The ship Is going to be refurbished in a few months and it is time. There was one big problem on the ship and one only, our room, the sky suite number 7356, had tremendous engine noise and vibration. There was nothing to be done about it. My husband could probably sleep through a bomb dropping but I had very poor sleep on the cruise. That’s The reason for the three rating. this was our 3rd time in a sky suite on the corner, and the first time with a problem. They gave us a nominal credit of 600$ for the inconvenience. My personal uneducated theory is that we motored faster than was good for theship , since on the short runs the noise was much less. Otherwise, the cruise was great. My daughter and family are vegetarians and they loved the food. My husband would like to eat in luminaire forever. We were treated like royalty. My granddaughter was over the moon. I wanted to cruise on the edge, but I feel the sky suites are overpriced . In fact, our suite was expensive, which I was ok with until I found out they were offering them to people at a reduced price after we booked through a bidding process. I also find that the captains club is pretty useless. We are now elite. So yes I’m pretty picky but then again I’ll probably be back. But not in the corner! Gym is heaven! Entertainment great. Read Less

Having sailed on The Equinox before we know the quality of service we would receive and we were not disappointed. From the minute we walked on the ship, till the minute we walked off, we knew this to be true. Calli in Michael’s Club, Jamey, our butler, Victoria, in Luminae, Yan, our Sommelier, Sara and Rai in Michael’s Club. We always think no ship can compare. Thanks to all that smiled and said Good Day everyday. The ship needs a “spit shine” and it will happen next May. Can’t wait to see her renewal. Our cabin, in the aft, was amazing with a wonderful balcony. Weather was perfect, that always helps. Itinerary was great. Miami has changed dramatically over the years. The Brickell area has some good restaurants but the other areas nothing special . The Sky Lounge has become quiet but I understand it will change to suites. Martini bar was exciting, as always with some of the most fun staff at sea. Read Less

Had this cruise picked for me by fellow travellers. I was told it was the best of the best. In fact, I was not impressed. Started off with being charged £250 for 11 days wi-fi, then balcony partitioning panel between rooms was broken. Followed by being charged $29 per day for tips we hadn’t sanctioned. Next up the service at the a la Carte restaurant was slow, as was the service at the bars, due to card system. The shows were ok, not brilliant, same for the bands. The islands were nothing flash either, a few decent houses but mainly shanty towns. The touts on Antigua were horrendous. On the top deck is a jogging track, so there is always about 6 idiots walking round, getting in peoples way, especially the stewards. Sunloungers were too tightly pushed together, not much room to manoeuvre. Our first cruise and probably our last, not value for money. I don’t suppose this review will get past the sensors, but that’s life Read Less

Wanted to try it for first time , loved it , need better info on how your packages work especially the drinks package , would prefer more shore time but imagine it’s governed by tides etc . Food was excellent especially the service from staff in silhouette restaurant.was not impressed with one of our bags getting separated with the other ones on disembarkation , and poor communication for our trip and it didn’t do what leaflet stated arrived far too early for airport departure. Tv package not very good needs more stuff to watch gym needs more classes putting on .drinks packages need more choices and better quality to choose from and it was hard to understand what you can have and how it works.hygene was super , we did have issue with toilet failure and nobody told us had to report it and then later had to re ask what was wrong it was block issue Read Less

Maybe I got carried away with the hype of celebrity being a step up from the other cruise lines and my expectations were too high but I can honestly say this was the worst cruise I have ever done. The ship does not seem able to handle its amount of passengers very well at all. Myself and my party often felt invisible at the bars where service was very slow and a lot of the staff just seemed like they would rather be anywhere but there ( maybe a lot are coming to the end of their contract and are counting the days down). There was a couple of exceptions but overall it was a big disappointment. Also on that note maybe it’s time for ALL cruise lines to have separate pool bars for cocktails and beer. It’s so frustrating waiting long periods while the staff faff around making all these fancy cocktails when all you want is a bottle of beer! Just a thought for the powers that be of cruise ships. I also found the bar areas inside to be all on top of each other with everybody congregated in such small areas, it was very noisey and crowded and again very poor bar service. The food in the dining room was excellent but I booked this cruise some 16 months in advance with the any time dining option so was not happy on embarkation day with a note in cabin saying that due to ship being very busy we advise you arrive at 20.30! Not my problem, don’t sell it if you can’t deliver on it. The buffet upstairs had a great choice but the food was never very warm. The organisation with the shore excursion left a lot to be desired queuing us up like school children when it was apparent the sky’s were going to open up any minute. Heavens forbid they should just tell us a coach number to make our way, no they waited until we were soaked to the bone before walking us to the coach in the rain. Not a great start to the long tour. I could go on and on but you catch my drift. I love cruising but thank the lord this was not my first cruise because if it was I would never cruise again. So it’s back to ncl and rcl for me because I can not do justice in describing just how bad the service was on this ship. Before I go praise to the cabin person, she was fabulous and always happy to chat with you. Something a lot of the other staff could learn from. So in a nut shell, too big a ship with inadequate facilities and space to cope with passenger load. Read Less