The Eastern Caribbean with Celebrity Equinox
We're tan and rested and the lady in the coffee shop was visibly concerned about how red our cheeks are -all signs we successfully spent our time aboard the Celebrity Equinox as we travelled from Miami to Puerto Rico to St. Maarten to St. Kitts and back to Miami. It was a 7 night trip, and honestly we could've stayed on this ship for another 7 nights. Our time together on the ship was filled with moments of us being in awe of the architecture, restaurants, and accommodations available. Our time off of the ship was filled with moments of us being in awe of the beautiful sights, smells, and culture of the Caribbean islands we visited. Everything about the week screamed romance and relaxation, and it gave us a much needed reboot to be ready for the rest of 2018. Thank you so so so much to Celebrity Cruises for making this possible!
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Sail Beyond Event! Check it out!
We wore a total of five appropriately short swimsuits, ate in four different fancy restaurants, used the fitness center only three times, tanned on two separate beaches, and had one deep tissue massage on board at Canyon Ranch that still has our bodies feeling like noodles (in a good way - we love noodles).
Two of our favorite restaurants were Murano and Sushi on 5. Murano, one of the fine dining restaurants on board, felt like any romantic fine dining restaurant on land... except right out the window was a massive and beautiful ocean. So cool! Sushi on 5 was better then any sushi we'd had at home. It was so fresh and perfect for a healthy lunch or nice dinner out.
We were shocked the fitness center was SO BIG and filled with a huge variety of up-to-date and well maintained equipment. The best part? You get to work out while staring out of a glass wall into the ocean. Definitely beats our normal routine of running and watching day time television - ha!
Given that it was our first time on a cruise, we really had no clue what to expect. We had questions like:
Q: Would we feel claustrophobic on the ship?
A: No this thing is pretty much the size of a city and we only probably got to explore half of it in ten days and our calves are looking real lit up from all the walking we've been able to do on board.
Q: Would we be able to control ourselves when presented with a dining and beverage package that includes access to several amazing bars and restaurants?
A: Hahahaha, no. Hahaha. Shout out to Murano, Tuscan Grill, and Sushi on 5 for the delicious food - and Executive Chef Alexander for being the man behind the whole operation!
Q: Would the very slight rocking of the ship at night lull us to sleep like we're in one massive cradle?
A: Weirdly enough, yes. Who knew this was a thing?
Q: Are we going to enjoy the nighttime shows on board?
A: OH OUR GOD YEAH. We were blown away by both the Topper and Life live shows. Completely stunned by the dancing, singing, and acrobatic skills we witnessed.
Q: Won't we get bored between ports?
A: Um. No. There's literally so much to do on board it gave us anxiety deciding how to spend our time. Some people don't even get off the ship when it docks and honestly *we get it.*
Seeing the islands was nothing short of incredible, as both of us had only seen the Caribbean as, like, Windows desktop wallpaper in 2003. It looks exactly the same tbh. Piercingly blue water, sand that feels like powder which was weird and amazing, palm trees that sway, and homes in a bunch of different bright colors.
Overall, our time on the Celebrity Equinox was wonderfully relaxing and romantic and we basically never wanted to leave but it became time for Mardi Gras in New Orleans so we had to sashay back to Louisiana.
Check out some shots from our time in the Eastern Caribbean below, and if you'd like to enjoy Celebrity Cruises for yourself definitely check out ways to save with their Sail Beyond Event!
On The Ship
Relaxation, incredible views, amazing food and drinks. Heaven. Seriously.
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Excursion: Old San Juan Food & Walking Tour. We got to try out fantastic coffee, savory dishes (like mufungo!!), and desserts from all around Old San Juan.
St. Maarten
Excursion: St. Maarten Beach Rendevouz. We took a guided bus tour along the beaches of St. Maarten and got to learn about it's history and culture, and then had a day at the beach and a fantastic local lunch.
St. Kitts & Nevis
Excursion: St. Kitt's Catamaran Sail & Snorkel. We took a catamaran to a snorkeling spot and spent the afternoon exploring the reefs and figuring out how to not accidentally inhale water through the snorkel (LOL). It was our first snorkeling experience and we LOVED it.
And that's that! Thanks for stopping by to check out our travels!
xoxo Matt & Beau