Celebrity Equinox

Ship Review by Matt Roseboom, August 2009

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Celebrity Cruises recently launched their newest ship and it’s a beauty. The Celebrity Equinox was officially named on July 30 in Southampton, England.

A very moving ceremony in the Equinox Theater highlighted the ship’s Godmother, Nina Barough, a breast cancer advocate. Then to officially name the new ship, Barough cut a pink ribbon, which was threaded from the theater to the top deck, where it released a champaign bottle to smash against the stack atop the ship.

The Equinox is the sister ship to the Solstice and the second in a line of five Solstice-class vessels. Like the Solstice, the Equinox is a treat for the eyes. The first thing you’ll notice as you board is the two story library. It’s the center of attention as you’re riding up in the elevator. Libraries are usually set off in a corner area on most ships, but on the Equinox, it’s a beauty that draws your eyes each time you pass by. That elegance is apparent throughout the ship. You’ll notice small touches like overhead lights that turn from blue to yellow as your elevator arrives, to the flat panel monitor in your room which is not only good for watching TV but also for surfing the Web. The grander showcases include the color changing fountains on the Resort Deck and the grand buffet in the Oceanview Cafe.

Yes, the buffet is worth talking about. The design of the Oceanview Cafe is clean, inviting and open. Even though the selection of food is huge, you never feel crowded as the many food stations (design your own pizza and pasta, oriental, Mexican, salads, etc.) leave plenty of room to get around. Besides the buffet, you’ll find many fine dining choices on-board.

Silhouette is the main dining room and offers the usual early and late dining options. But a new program called Celebrity Select will soon offer diners more flexibility in selecting a dining time.

The Equinox offers five other dining rooms. Murano ($30 per person) offers classic and modern continental cuisine. Tuscan Grille ($25) is an Italian steakhouse. Silk Harvest ($20) serves Far East cuisine. Bistro on Five ($5) is perfect for sandwiches, salads and desserts. And finally there’s Blu, which offers many delicious but healthy choices for breakfast and dinner. Blu is reserved for AquaClass guests, but suite guests can also dine here at $5 per person. The AquaClass staterooms share a deck with the AquaSpa relaxation room, and allow for specialized access to spa amenities.

Can’t be missed and unique to the Solstice-class ships is The Lawn Club. It’s a half-acre of real grass on the top deck. Guests can enjoy lawn games, picnics or just feeling the grass between their toes. Adjacent to the lawn is another first on a cruise ship, the Hot Glass Show. Watch as glassblowers from The Corning Museum of Glass create beautiful vases, pitchers and other works of art.

The Equinox is sailing out of Rome through October. She’ll then cruise from Ft. Lauderdale from November to May 2010 when she’ll return to Europe.