During a 10-night Eastern Mediterranean cruise – during which my husband and I felt so welcomed and looked after that we got used to a standard of living far beyond that which we provide for ourselves – we didn’t want to ever leave our ship, the Celebrity Equinox. How easy would it be to stow away, we wondered?
If Celebrity won’t adopt us, then our only other option is to win the lottery and become the type of people who spend six months of the year sailing the seven seas on Celebrity Equinox, one of five ships in the line’s top-of-the-range Solstice class.
Every cruise line is different and every cruise is different – that’s part of the fun. From the moment we landed in Rome airport and passed passport control there were Celebrity staff to greet us and escort us to our transfer coach, which then took us to our embarkation port of Civitavecchia. And on every day of our holiday, that high standard of care and service continued.
When we came back from day excursions, we were greeted with much-appreciated cold towels and drinks. Who could have thought an ice-cold fruit punch could be as welcome as vintage champagne? But to us it was, especially after a day in the vibrant Turkish town of Kusadasi, five days into our cruise. With June temperatures reaching the mid-30s Celsius, we had spent a sweltering few hours declining good-natured offers to buy ‘genuine fake Rolexes’. A cold towel and a drink were just what we needed before we boarded the ship again.
That day, we had decided not to book an organised excursion, preferring to discover the town ourselves. We repeated that attitude of independence on the Greek island of Rhodes, with its charming walled Old Town, busy and bustling with tourists and souvenir sellers, as well as in lively Mykonos. But other days we were all too pleased to take an Equinox excursion and let the experts guide us.
Our first port of call had been the Italian port of Messina in Sicily – you could say that the chance to sign up for a tour entitled ‘In the Godfather’s Footsteps’ was an offer we couldn’t refuse. In the historical town of Savoca we saw Bar Vitelli, where Francis Ford Coppola shot scenes for the Godfather movie. And in the small village of Forza d’Agro, high up in the hills, we retraced some Al Pacino’s steps from Godfather III.
In Athens we opted for a three-hour city tour, only leaving the comfort of the coach for photo stops, since we’d been to this fascinating capital city before and so were happy to just be reminded of the highlights. Docking in Naples, we left the ship early for a tour to colourful Sorrento.
On crescent-shaped Santorini island, another Greek port of call, we visited the village of Oia, perched on top of a craggy cliff in the north. If you’ve never before seen the whitewashed clifftop houses of Santorini with their blue roofs shimmering beneath an azure sky, or sipped a local wine in one of its tavernas, put it on your ‘to do’ list now. It’s one of the most beautiful of all the Greek islands.
We loved the fact there was a good variety of full-day and half-day tours at all the destinations – taking in everything from ancient ruins in Athens to swimming in hot springs in Santorini, plus beach transfers in the more touristy resorts.
At the end of yet another fun-filled day, we would retreat to the comfort of our stateroom, with its private balcony, and get glammed up for the evening meal. We knew from speaking to veteran fellow passengers that Celebrity is famed for its food, from speciality dining to its Silhouette room, where the lavish fixed seating dinners are held.
With a 14-day menu, you’ll not be faced with the same dishes twice. Where else would you be treated to that level of gourmet choice? We also discovered the ship’s many bars and lounges, including the chic Martini Bar.
If you don’t want to get dressed-up for Silhouette’s formal and smart-casual nights, the Oceanview Café offers a huge variety of buffet-style options in a more casual atmosphere, boasting everything from Mexican nachos to pizza.
At the three speciality restaurants, you pay a small cover charge but it’s really worth it, thanks to some amazing views (especially at sunset), an exclusive ambience and exquisite food. Choosing one was difficult – should we go for contemporary French cuisine in Murano or the Italian steakhouse Tuscan Grille?
After much deliberating we opted for Silk Harvest and emerged two hours later after having dined on one of the best Asian meals we’ve ever had, filled with delicate steamed dumplings; fresh, light sushi; fragrant red curry and a trio of amazing desserts. Top marks, too, to the sommelier for suggesting a fruity white wine which complemented the subtle Asian ingredients perfectly. Not only did we dine like Oriental emperors, we learnt something about vino too. It’s often said that you put on one pound in weight for every day of a cruise, but on Equinox, I think it’s possible to end your holiday fitter and healthier than when you started. After a morning swim in the over-18s only Solarium pool or a gym work out, I’d often eat a light lunch in the pool-side Aqua spa café, on dishes such as poached chicken and steamed fish – a healthy bite after a hearty breakfast.
With all the amazing food, activities, port lectures and events, you could only be bored if you stayed locked in your room with the TV (with its free on-demand movies) switched off and the curtains drawn.
Of a morning, we’d pass guests playing croquet on the real grass of the top-deck Lawn Club, taking a salsa class or playing ping-pong. Evenings can be devoted to everything from shopping in one of the boutiques, trying your luck in the casino, taking in a show or throwing some shapes on the dance-floor.
The phrase ‘something for everyone’ has become hackneyed, but we felt that Equinox, with its emphasis on modern luxury, really did offer just that.
Thoroughly spoilt by our fantastic stateroom attendant Francisco, our Equinox experience was beyond what we could have hoped for. Back home again, we longed for those mornings when we woke up in a new port with fresh adventures ahead of us. Now if Celebrity could just do something about the rest of our lives.
