Caribbean Cruise on the Celebrity Equinox
♦ Routes (free): Detailed travel itineraries in USA
All cruise lovers will agree with me that a week-long cruise passes by too quickly. You barely have time to board the ship, get to know its facilities and be impressed by them, visit 3-4 ports, and the cruise is already over and you have to say goodbye to all the fun and pampering and start planning the next cruise...
The destinations reached on a week-long cruise are also the most commercialized and touristy, as they are closer to the starting point in Florida, and all the ships sailing for 3-4 nights or a week reach them frequently. In the winter months, you can sometimes see 5-6 ships in the same port, and sometimes even 8-9 ships!
On a longer cruise, your ship will often be the only ship in port or at most with one other ship.
The cruise described in this article lasted 11 nights and was conducted on the Celebrity Equinox ship of the Celebrity company, which was chosen for eight consecutive years by the American magazine Travel Weekly as the best "premium" level cruise line in the world.
The Celebrity Equinox ship is about 122,000 tons, designed for a maximum of 2850 passengers and was built in 2009. It is one of five ships from the Solstice Class series of the Celebrity company. The ship has over 1200 employees and crew members, meaning for almost every pair of passengers on the ship, there is a crew member. This is well felt everywhere on the ship. There is no crowding, no queues, not in the dining rooms and buffets, not on the decks, and not in the halls and clubs. The service is fast, efficient, and kind, and the employees are smiling and welcoming.
Information about Celebrity Cruises and the ship Equinox:
This is the youngest company among the large companies. It was founded in 1989 by a Greek company and acquired in 1997 by Royal Caribbean.
Celebrity is known for its excellent meals and the professional service it provides to its passengers. Its ships are considered particularly elegant and have comfortable and spacious rooms above the industry average.
Entertainment programs in this company are more solid and include fascinating lectures by the best lecturers in various fields, such as: science, nature, economics, astronomy, photography, wine evaluation, information about the culture/history/geography of the destinations sailed to and even politics, alongside cooking demonstrations, art auctions, and bingo.
Of course, Broadway-style shows or guest performances by singers, musicians, magicians, etc., are held every evening in the ship's theater. The shows are high-quality and well-invested, and the ship's theater is comfortable and spacious, and from every seat you can see well what is happening on the stage, which includes the best technological advancements.
(About Celebrity's newer ship series, the Edge series, you can read in articles about Celebrity Beyond, Celebrity Ascent and Celebrity Xcel.)
There are of course also social games and activities by the entertainment crew, including quizzes, competitions, game shows and of course dancing.
There are no public announcements or broadcasts on the ship regarding the various activities in order to maintain a quieter and more relaxed atmosphere. Every day in the morning, the captain updates the passengers via broadcast about the weather, the route, what is seen along the way, and the person in charge of entertainment on the ship, the "Cruise Director," briefly updates what the main activities of that day are, but beyond that and important emergency announcements, everything is peaceful without background noise in several languages. The impressive and elegant ship is full of artworks, with the emphasis on modern and abstract art.
On the highest floor of the ship there are two innovations that exist only in this series of ships and not in any other ship: a sprawling lawn (real grass and not synthetic) named Lawn Club where you can play golf and other ball games or just sunbathe on the grass.
Adjacent to the lawn is located the demonstration room of the "Corning" company called The Hot Glass Show where every day glass blowing demonstrations are held by a skilled team whose only job on the ship is this. The demonstrations are accompanied by explanations and are sometimes integrated with music.
For those looking for climbing walls, ice skating, water slides, rope parks and more action - Celebrity is less suitable.
Although there are successful and modern kids' clubs, they are smaller than in companies like Carnival, Norwegian or Royal Caribbean and the number of children and teenagers sailing in this company is much lower.
Therefore, this is a company suitable for couples who do not want hundreds of children running around them.
Contrary to most cruise lines where an additional payment is required if you wish to be on a more exclusive deck with cabanas, in Celebrity anyone can pamper themselves free of charge in cabanas and particularly wide and comfortable lounge chairs adjacent to the indoor and heated pool, which is relatively large compared to other cruise ships' pools, and two Jacuzzis. This area is intended for adults only.
Of course there are two more pools and four Jacuzzis intended for all ages. The ship has a large and modern gym and a spa.
The ship has plenty of high-quality clubs with musicians, the two most impressive are the Sky Observation Lounge on the highest floor of the ship which has huge windows giving a nearly 360-degree view.
And the QUASAR on floor 4 which is active mainly for dance parties in various styles in the late evening and night hours.
An elegant shopping avenue is located on two floors: 4 and 5, and every day there are various deals.
On floor 4 also resides the ship's casino with a variety of gambling tables and slot machines for those who want to donate more money to the cruise company...
Celebrity Equinox has two main dining rooms, one with a flexible time and one in the traditional method at a fixed time with a permanent waiter and server.
Additionally, there is a sprawling buffet with varied and high-quality food named Ocean Cafe (on the 14th floor) and a particularly high-quality coffee shop named Café Al Bacio on floor five, open at all hours of the day and evening and serving, besides high-quality and special coffee and tea (for an extra charge for those without a drink package), also wonderful cakes (without extra charge).
On floor five are also located three restaurants where you can eat for an extra charge: the most prestigious of all is the French MURANO,
For Asian food lovers it is recommended to eat one evening at the Silk Harvest restaurant, an Asian fusion restaurant
For meat and pasta lovers it is worth eating at Tuscan Grille.
All three are usually open for dinner.
Guided tour "behind the scenes" on the ship:
In order to get to know the ship deeply, beyond everything I described, to learn how this huge floating hotel operates and functions, to reach parts of the ship intended only for the crew and learn about the lifestyle of the employees on the ship, it is highly recommended to join (for a fee) a guided tour "behind the scenes". It is usually held on one of the last sea days for a limited number of participants, so it is advisable to inquire about it already at the beginning of the cruise. A great experience where you visit the command bridge,
On the bow deck where the anchor and ropes for tying the ship are located
In the engine room, in the warehouses, in the refrigerators, in the dining and entertainment rooms and crew corridors, in the main kitchen, behind the scenes of the theater and more.
The cruise itinerary:
The cruise departs and returns to Fort Lauderdale Florida and includes four sea days (not even two sea days in a row) and five different ports, in one of them, Cartagena in Colombia, the ship is there for two days. Every destination reached is different in its character and attractions and belongs to a different country. Thus you will travel through five different countries in 11 days including two islands in the Caribbean and Central and South America without unpacking the suitcases even once in the middle and without internal flights, car rentals and hassle.
Cruises of 10-11 nights to the Caribbean take place on this ship only in the winter months: November to April
In the spring, the ship sails to Europe and does varied routes there until October. When it cools down in Europe, the ship returns (on another transatlantic cruise) to the warm Caribbean.
Cozumel
After a fun day in the heart of the sea, the ship arrives at the port of Cozumel - an island in the Caribbean belonging to Mexico. This is a destination reached by most ships sailing a short route to the Western Caribbean and therefore it is crowded with ships and tourists, but everything works well and is perfectly organized.
Attractions and tours in Cozumel
Booking tours in Cozumel for cruise ship passengers in the article: Tours in Cozumel
Cozumel Island has beautiful beaches which can also be reached by taxi for a few dollars to vacation on. A particularly recommended beach is Paradise Beach where for a modest fee at the beach you get lounge chairs, umbrellas and free use of water mattresses, kayaks, snorkeling equipment and inflatable water facilities.
For those looking for activity beyond a beautiful beach, it is highly recommended to visit Chankanaab Parque - this is the number 1 attraction in Cozumel. Chankanaab (whose name means: "small sea") is a national park with lagoons and seawater pools (containing sixty different types of sea animals). Adjacent to the lagoons is an archaeological park, a reconstruction of an ancient Mayan village and botanical gardens. The park is known mainly for its marine animals, dolphins, sea lions, manatees, turtles and more. The most popular activity in the park is swimming with dolphins. The activity includes much more than swimming. You will hug and kiss the dolphin, shake its hand and even sing with it.
You can also swim and spend time with sea lions and Manatees. The park located adjacent to the sea is also considered a successful site for snorkeling and diving, especially for families and beginners. The entrance fee to the park also includes tequila tastings and a sea lion show.
Near the cruise docks are plenty of shops and stalls with a large selection of typical Mexican souvenirs and a pleasant atmosphere. A real celebration for shopping lovers. Don't forget that you are in Mexico and must haggle!
The third day is another day in the heart of the sea where you enjoy the ship and its facilities. On sea days the selection of activities, shows, amusements and lectures is much larger than on port days. I especially liked in this cruise the fascinating lectures by Dr. Dave about dolphins, sea turtles and whales.
Puerto Limon
The fourth day is in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica. The ship is there from morning until evening.
This day will give you a taste of Costa Rica, one of the most charming and successful countries in America that deserves a separate trip of at least 10 days. Puerto Limon itself is a large and unattractive port city and there isn't much to look for in it. It is recommended to take a guided tour and experience the nature of Costa Rica, especially to get to know the characteristic animals in the green and pleasant country.
♦ Guided tours in Puerto Limon for cruise ship passengers
Purchase from Viator website, including collection from the port
A particularly recommended tour is to the "Sloths" sanctuary named Sloth Sanctuary located at a driving distance of about 35 minutes from the cruise dock of Colon.
It is mandatory to book places for the tour in advance because it is intended for small groups and is held only twice a day. It is also recommended to order a round-trip shuttle from the ship.
Colon
On the fifth day the ship arrives at Colon port, Panama. The main and most impressive attraction in Panama is the Panama Canal. There are two canals, the original one built by the Americans and the new wider canal, in which large cruise ships (like the Celebrity Equinox) could also pass, which is still under construction and expected to open for ship passage at the end of 2016. The Panama Canal is an impressively powerful technological wonder and watching the ship rise and fall in the locks is a highly recommended experience.
Additional information in the article: Panama-Travel-Guide.
The city of Colon itself is an unpleasant and unsafe city and it's really not advisable to just travel and wander in it. It is highly recommended to take a private or ship tour outside the city. Although Panama City is a beautiful, impressive city and most of the country's attractions are located in it - I do not recommend reaching it from Colon. The drive is long and exhausting and traffic jams can be terrible.
Cartagena Cartagena
On the sixth day the ship arrives at the port of Cartagena Cartagena Colombia in South America. The ship stays in this port until the next day in the afternoon, which allows experiencing properly the most visited city in Colombia. A charming, colorful, fascinating and safe city that will constitute the highlight of the cruise trips. Already the entrance to the port is impressive because you enter through a relatively narrow opening between fortresses and fairly quickly you can see the many high-rises along the shore.
The port itself is a real surprise. One of the best-kept and most entertaining cruise ports I've seen in the world. In the port there are plenty of trees and green vegetation and lots of local animals, starting with monkeys, through peacocks and a host of other birds and winged animals. Of course there is also a restaurant and bar and a large shop in the port.
The port is located at a distance of about 10-15 minutes drive from the city center.
In the late afternoon hours of the seventh day the ship leaves Colombia back towards the Caribbean. Don't miss the departure from the bay where Cartagena is located, the fortresses and the receding skyscraper view.
After four port days full of sights, tours and experiences, the eighth day of the cruise is a relaxed sea day suitable for recharging the batteries and rest or for those who like action to enjoy the variety of shows, activities and action that the ship offers.
Grand Cayman Grand Cayman
The ninth day is the last port: George Town port in Grand Cayman Grand Cayman in the Caribbean. In this port, unlike the other ports so far, the ship does not tie to a dock but stands on anchor in the sea and the passengers go down to the shore in small boats called "Tender". The duration of the cruise from the ship to the dock is about 10-15 minutes, depending on where the ship stands. Grand Cayman port is also a very popular destination among cruise lines and at least 4-5 ships anchor there daily in the winter months, sometimes even much more.
Booking tours and excursions in Grand Cayman from Viator website:
Please note, in this port, for those who purchased a tour of the ship there is priority and precedence in going down to the shore, which saves time when leaving and returning to the ship. Additionally, since the boarding back onto the ship takes a longer time than in other ports, one must take into account a longer buffer time for returning to the ship before the sailing time.
The most famous and popular attraction on the island is "Stingray City" - considered one of the most unique underwater attractions in the world. A short cruise in a tour boat (sailboat, motorboat or catamaran) will bring you to a shallow area in the sea, north of the island, where you can swim, pet and feed large, domesticated and friendly stingrays, and also snorkel near them.
The stingray colony is located in shallow water at a depth of about a meter in the north of the island at a distance of about 3 km east of its north-western tip. Stingrays have no teeth and they suck their food powerfully. Some are quite large and their diameter reaches 2 meters. Their only means of defense is their tail containing venom. They should be treated gently and not lifted by the tail.
There are plenty of tours that include Stingray City in combination with other attractions and activities such as: snorkeling at the nearby reef and then spending time at the successful beach "Seven Mile Beach"
Or combining with a visit to the sea turtle farm and the town of "Hell" which is very popular because of its name. Tourists love to stop in this tiny town, send postcards from its post office to friends with the stamp "Hell" and buy shirts and souvenirs with the inscriptions "I was in Hell". Near the town there are jagged rocks called: Ironshore.
The tenth and last day - sea day:
Last opportunity to enjoy the ship's facilities, the wonderful food and the service that has no equal and also to consult with the Future Cruises department which cruise to order for the next time...
It's hard to believe how 11 nights flew by...
