Month: August 2022

Carefree Caribbean Cruising Aboard Celebrity Equinox

Friday, August 26, 2022

It was only a couple weeks ago when we boarded the Celebrity Equinox for an 8-night journey across the Eastern Caribbean.  We had used the last of our Covid-era Cruise Credits for the trip.  Our ports-of-call were old favorites: San Juan, Puerto Rico; Charlotte Amalie, USVI; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Tortola, B.V.I; and Nassau, Bahamas.  We have visited all these islands many times before—some as recently as last March!!!  

The Celebrity Equinox
(Marc Ryckaert (MJJR), Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)

So, “Why?” you might ask did we opt to do this again?

We would answer: “Simply, because being on a cruise ship is a joy!!!”  We love being on the sea.  The atmosphere of a cruise liner is one of calm, elegance, universal friendliness, and mutual respect between crew and passenger.  It is so easy to fall into a comfortable routine (unique to every passenger) that brings a sense of contentment to your day.

Every journey will be different, and for your RovingRaconteurs this cruise turned out to be one of rest and relaxation.  We awoke with the sun every morning and enjoyed the view of the sparkling sea as we prepared for the new day.  Day 2 was a sea-day so we began the day at the Café al Bacio for a Cappuccino and tasty pastry.  The café is in such a pleasant and comfortable area; we chose to linger over a second cup before moving-on to check out the ship.  While exploring the amenities onboard, we were able to decide where we would like to spend our time:  maybe the spa, perhaps the putting green or bocce court, perchance the pool to work on a tan and get a little exercise.  We found a spot to sit and read; we checked-out the shops and bought some “gotta-haves;” we assessed the casino; found the art gallery; and looked at all the venues for eating and drinking.   Ahh, we found the Tuscan Grill where a Food and Wine Pairing was set to begin!!!  We ended the day with dinner at Le Petit Chef in Qsine and learned that Celebrity has added a wine pairing to this unique dining experience.  Nice!!!

On Day 3, we arrived in San Juan to an overcast, blustery, and rainy day.  We chose to stay warm and dry on board the ship.  Day 4, in Charlotte Amalie, we docked at Crown Bay rather than our preferred Hanvensight which is larger and offers better shopping and dining.  Bummer!!!  And so it went; gradually, day by day.  We continued to enjoy our cappuccinos; read and enjoy the tropical view while sitting at a comfortable nook on the back deck.  Plus, we made it a point to sample the many different eating and drinking venues on board. 

And that, dear Readers, is how we wound-up cruising the Caribbean without ever leaving the ship!!! 

Here are some photos:

Cafe al Bacio is a great way to start the day.
(Joe Ross, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic)
The putting green aboard the Celebrity Equinox.
The library inventory leaves a lot to be desired.
This is the glass studio. One may take classes in glass blowing aboard the Celebrity Equinox!!! What a unique experience!
Evening entertainment in the Equinox Theater.
We are not sure why anyone would want to reserve one of these. They look hot and uncomfortable. Well, come to think of it, we never saw anyone using them!!!
The OceanView Bar became one of our favorite spots aboard the Equinox. We found the atmosphere, view, and service perfect for reading or eating or visiting with others.
Qsine features the Le Petit Chef dinners.
This dining experience is based on “projection mapping” and is extremely entertaining.
It begins with a dark, sparse table.
But once the projection begins, the table comes to life!!!
That tiny little chef is quite entertaining…
…and the food is quite good.
The addition of a wine pairing is new. For $25.00/pp additional, 3oz. servings of professionally selected wines accompany each course.
We were expertly served by Lizardo and sommelier, Mila.
Eating in the Murano Restaurant is a fun experience. Our server rolled a gas grill to our table to prepare our meal!!! Watching the preparation was as enjoyable as consuming the meal!!!
Silhouette is the main Dining Room on Celebrity Equinox.
Our servers, Regie and Andrian along with sommelier, Sladjan, took excellent care of us.
We ate there twice…
…and both meals were as well-prepared and delicious as any of the specialty restaurants. The biggest difference is that the Silhouette serves many more diners at a time and cannot provide the level of personalization and entertainment as the for-a-fee venues.
Now, having said that, we will confess the Tuscan Grill was a little disappointing.
The food at the Tuscan Grill was good but not exceptional.
Or maybe we were just disappointed that there was no entertainment factor !!! The Tuscan Grill merely serves good Italian food accompanied by fine wine.
But it was in the Tuscan Grill that we enjoyed a well-presented wine pairing.
We learned how different categories of foods and spices will influence the flavor of wine…
…Nicely presented by Antonio.
Craft Social is one of the many, many bars scattered around the ship.
And Witt takes good care of his guests!!!
Our day in San Juan was dark, windy, and soaked with rain.
Even Pigeon Park was empty!!!
This is the Crown Bay docking area in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas USVI.
A view of downtown Philipsburg, St. Maaarten as seen from the ship.
Tortola, B.V.I.
Paradise Island, Nassau, Bahamas

Quite honestly, we do apologize for the lack of destination detail on this posting; but if you would like more info on these ports, please use the search button to find posts from previous visits.                

Never, ever, have we spent so many days simply being on a cruise ship!!!  Must confess, the experience was pleasant!!!  There is a different rhythm—call it a more subdued vibe—on a docked cruise liner.  Mmm….we once spent 10 days in Civitavecchia, Italy between cruises and that experience was similar:  spending every day simply “being in the moment.”  No scheduling or planning involved:  waken, eat, wander, eat some more, meet friends, converse, learn, read, take a nap (hey, why not!!!), eat and drink again, and then repeat the next day with a slightly different, impromptu mix!!!  A very pleasant experience. 

This was a pleasant cruise.

And now, we wish you a very pleasant and carefree weekend!!!