Have you even visited someplace and thought, "Wow, this is not at all what I expected!"? I bet you have. You may have headed home afterward wondering where you ever got that misimpression to begin with.We're all guilty of sometimes making judgments based on Internet rumors, office hearsay, or some amorphous uninformed "gut feeling." You know, it's the "I hate sushi" syndrome. You ask a friend if she likes sushi and she vigorously shakes her head and says, "Absolutely not. I haven't tried it, but I'm positive it's not for me." When it comes to travel though, sometimes you need to take a leap and book a trip that challenges your preconceived notions of a destination, hotel chain, or cruise ship.
That's exactly what I did at the end of July as I boarded Celebrity Cruises' new Solstice-class cruise ship, Celebrity Equinox. It's not that I didn't have a high opinion of Celebrity Cruises. After all, they are a favored—and award-winning—cruise line that caters to sophisticated travelers that are looking for a top-notch experience without paying the sometimes eye-popping fares commanded by the luxury cruise brands. This trip with Celebrity made me realize that I may have been a bit of a cruise prima donna in the past. Perhaps I've had on blinders that prevented me from seeing many of the redeeming qualities of some very important premium and deluxe cruise brands.
Celebrity Equinox
Prior to boarding the ship I wondered what my initial reaction to Celebrity Equinox, a massive ship housing 2,850 guests and 1,255 crew, would be. I had just disembarked Seabourn Odyssey, the new 450-passenger megayacht from the Yachts of Seabourn. How would I compare the intimacy and extraordinary service typifying Odyssey with the sheer magnitude of Equinox? It turns out I didn't have to. I was able to review each ship and cruise line on its own merits.
I will admit here and now that Celebrity Equinox and her crew stunned me. Celebrity won me over (so much so that my extended family is even thinking of booking a family reunion on Equinox, Solstice, or Eclipse (Celebrity's next Solstice-class ship debuting in 2010).
10 Mass-Market Myths & How Celebrity Equinox Measured Up
If you're like me and travel almost exclusively with the luxury cruise lines, you may agree with some of my perceptions of the deluxe and premium options. Read on to learn about my misgivings and whether Celebrity Equinox proved me right or wrong.#1. Super-size ships are inherently less aesthetically pleasing than smaller vessels or yachts.
Busted: Even the largest of cruise ships can be designed in a way that draws passengers in and makes them feel at home. I caught my first glimpse of Celebrity Equinox as we approached Southampton Cruise Terminal and she was brilliant—all 15 decks and 122,000 tons of her. Her interior was even more intriguing with an art collection—including works by Roy Lichtenstein, John Chamberlain, and Andreas Gursky—that would be the envy of any museum.
Celebrity Cruises is incredibly proud of its entire fleet and gives the designers of this ship a nod at the Solstice-class mini-site. If your interests lie in architecture, interior design, or art, I encourage you to read about the many design firms and in-house Celebrity staff that played a role in creating the gorgeous ship that is Celebrity Equinox.
#2. Chefs can't possibly prepare sophisticated and delicious menus for 3,000 guests each day.
Busted: When it comes to dining, Celebrity has a secret weapon: Jacques Van Staden. He's the cruise line's Vice President of Culinary Operations and, as a successful chef and restaurateur himself, he takes his job with Celebrity very seriously. I found the quality of the provisions and method of preparation to exceed several of the luxury lines I've sailed recently. Equinox chefs aren't afraid to use salt, pepper, and spices, and the result is a varied menu that's always tasty and leaves you wanting more.
The dining options aboard Celebrity Equinox include:
- Silhouette Restaurant—the usual main dining room, open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- Silk Harvest Restaurant—an Asian-inspired specialty restaurant (extra per person fee charged at all specialty restaurants)
- Blu—exclusively for AquaClass guests, Blu offers delicious and healthy menus at dinner
- Murano—this drop-dead gorgeous specialty venue serves Continental cuisine nightly
- Tuscan Grille—Equinox's onboard specialty steakhouse
- Oceanview Café & Bar—the ship's buffet featuring a little bit of everything at breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- AquaSpa Café—features light "spa cuisine," including salads, seafood, and lean cuts of meat
- Bistro on Five—another specialty restaurant offering up fresh sandwiches, salads, and crepes all day long
- Mast Bar & Grill—traditional pool grill fare
#3. Signing chits for every little thing is a drag.
Upheld: I will probably always prefer all-inclusive cruise packages. It's just a personal preference. On Celebrity, you'll need to purchase a soda package and pay for each glass of wine or alcoholic beverage you consume. Gratuities are also not part of the cruise fare, so you'll need to keep track of who you wish to tip and how much.
#4. Embarking and disembarking large ships means the tedium of long lines and mass pandemonium.
Jury's Out: While Celebrity seemed to be in complete control of the embarking and disembarking processes, I wonder how smooth it is when in a port that requires tender service. I like smaller ships because it's so easy to get on an off at port. There usually isn't much of a line. I look forward to sailing aboard Celebrity Equinox again in order to definitively answer this question.
#5. Cabins on mass-market cruise ships are cramped, offer no storage room, and few upscale amenities.
Busted: I loved my AquaClass stateroom on Deck 11. Celebrity actually consulted with a panel of women prior to designing the Solstice-class staterooms. Celebrity's Leading Ladies—a travel agent, hotelier, travel writer, cruise newbie, and an experienced cruiser—gave detailed suggestions that helped designers create cabins that offered better views of the ocean, more storage space, luxury-style amenities, and comfortable beds and furniture.
Like many new ships, Celebrity Equinox was designed to offer the maximum number of ocean view (90 percent out of 1,466) and veranda (85 percent) staterooms. AquaClass staterooms are styled with the spa in mind. I loved the fact that all lighting in the cabin could be controlled with a dimmer switch. The Hansgrohe showerhead in the bathroom was terrific and the layout of the room in general was very smart. There was more storage space than we'd ever need and the roomy veranda was outfitted with very comfortable furniture.
#6. Mass-market suite categories aren't as impressive as those on luxury cruise lines.
Busted: Celebrity Equinox presents several categories of suites and each has its merits, including butler service, complimentary espresso and cappuccino, one or two specialty restaurant reservations, priority check-in and departure, and more.
- Penthouse Suite—1,291 square feet with a master bedroom and bath, separate living room with dining area, queen sleeper sofa, guest bath, baby grand piano, and veranda with whirlpool
- Royal Suite—590 square feet with a master bedroom and bath, separate living room with dining area, queen sleeper sofa, and veranda with whirlpool
- Celebrity Suite—395 square feet with bedroom, bath, and living room with sectional sofa queen sleeper
- Sky Suite—300 square feet with bedroom, living room with sofa queen sleeper, and bath
#7. Cousin Eddy from Chevy Chase's 1989 movie Christmas Vacation will be my tablemate on a mass-market cruise.
Busted: Okay, maybe Cousin Eddy is a bit of a stretch. The passengers that flock to Celebrity Cruises are smart, interesting, and well traveled. Still, with nearly 3,000 passengers you're bound to meet a few people that rub you the wrong way. But, hey, that could be the case on a 12-passenger yacht as well. Keep your mind open and you'll meet some terrific people during your travels.
#8. Kids will dominate the pool.
Busted: The pool deck aboard Celebrity Equinox features a beautiful outdoor pool with four hot tubs. Live musicians often entertain here and when they don't, lively recorded music is piped in to keep the mood upbeat. Adults and children happily share this area. However, if you walk forward of the main pool and cross through sliding glass doors you'll arrive at the oasis that is the AquaSpa Solarium. Here you'll find the adults-only pool and four more hot tubs, all accented by soft lighting, New Age music, floor-to-ceiling waterfall, dancing fountains, and lush vegetation.
#9. Shore excursions aboard mass-market lines are ho-hum.
Jury's Out: On my very short cruise to nowhere I wasn't able to sample a Celebrity shore excursion. My usual beef with mass-market excursion options is that they are designed to explore the most touristy attractions of any given port and focus more on shopping than on offering a glimpse into the true nature of the destination.
#10. The staff aboard mass-market ships isn't as attentive.
Upheld: The officers and crew aboard Celebrity Equinox are all incredibly friendly and good at their jobs. However, overall service standard are not designed to be the same as what you'd experience on a luxury cruise ship. For example, on a luxury line you may get to know your room steward and see him several times a day. You may call him whenever you need something. Same goes for pool deck waiters. On a luxury ship, a waiter will stop by often to bring you drinks, cool towels, snacks, etc. On Equinox it was sometimes difficult to flag someone down from the pool bar (i.e., just walk up to the bar yourself instead of being catered to at your lounge chair). Equinox crew members were generally excellent but they are not trained—or expected—to offer the same types of services that their contemporaries aboard luxury ships do.
Is Celebrity Equinox Right for You?
If you can look past the following things, you will find Celebrity Solstice-class ships to be an excellent value for your cruising dollar.
- Crowds. At capacity, you'll travel with 2,848 other guests. If you're used to sailing aboard smaller ships, will you miss getting to know more of your fellow cruisers? Can you put up with the sheer numbers that will surround you on a ship like Celebrity Equinox?
- Wait Times. With this many passengers, you'll need to wait in line for embarkation and tenders to some ports of call. Restaurants and shore excursions may also be more crowded.
- Children. The Solstice-class ships are very attractive options for families so you'll see your fair share of children onboard. If you prefer an adults-only experience, this may not be the right option.
For more information contact your travel agent or Celebrity Cruises at 1-(800) 647-2251.
Don't miss our Celebrity Equinox photo gallery!
Coming soon... my detailed review of Celebrity Equinox.
—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com
This story was originally published at the LuxuryCruiseBible.com website. Photo © Leonard Hospidor.
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