Sailing through Patagonia had been on my bucket list for years, so when I found a 14-night itinerary on Celebrity Equinox, I couldn’t wait to book it. I sailed in March 2026 from Buenos Aires through Patagonia, Argentina, and Uruguay with my parents and sister.
We paid about $3,000 each for a standard balcony cabin through a group rate with our travel agent, which included drinks, internet, and a refundable deposit.
Celebrity Equinox is part of Celebrity’s Solstice Class, which debuted in 2009. At the time, these ships were considered a major step forward in design, introducing features like the Lawn Club with real grass and a more modern, upscale feel.
Today, the newer Edge Class ships have raised the bar, the difference is much more noticeable.
I’ve sailed on other Solstice Class ships before, including Celebrity Silhouette in 2023 and Celebrity Solstice in 2025. When I sailed on Celebrity Silhouette a few years ago, she had recently been renovated and still felt fresh and updated.
On the other hand, when I sailed on Celebrity Solstice last year from Sydney to Singapore, the ship felt noticeably more worn. After experiencing Celebrity’s newest Edge Class, it definitely felt like a step back.
Although Celebrity Equinox is definitely showing her age, we really enjoyed the overall experience. The unique ports and breathtaking scenery were the true highlights of this sailing, making it much more about the destinations than the ship itself.
Here’s my honest review of Celebrity Equinox, including a closer look at the dining, entertainment, stateroom, ship design, and my overall impression of the ship.
First impressions: Celebrity Equinox looks a little tired and worn
After boarding Celebrity Equinox in Buenos Aires, my family and I all had the same initial reaction: the ship could use a little TLC. Although this didn’t really take away from our experience, it was very noticeable.
For instance, there were signs of wear and tear throughout the ship. While nothing felt neglected, it was clear the ship is due for a refresh. Our cabin felt a bit dated as well, although it was clean, functional, and well organized, which ultimately matters most on a longer sailing like this.
Having cruised on the newer Celebrity Edge just a few months earlier, stepping onto Celebrity Equinox did feel like going back in time. However, Celebrity recently announced a $250 million refresh for the Solstice class, and I would expect Celebrity Equinox to receive similar upgrades in the near future. She definitely needs it!
Overall ship design: Easy to navigate
Despite some maintenance needs, Celebrity Equinox has a very timeless and classic design.
The ship is mid-sized, which makes it incredibly easy to get around. Celebrity Equinox measures 122,000 gross tons and carries around 2,800 passengers at double occupancy.
Nothing ever felt too far away, and we quickly got into a comfortable routine onboard. The ship never felt overly crowded, except for the most popular production shows where arriving early was necessary to get a good seat.
Public spaces were generally well maintained, though you could spot areas that needed updating, like worn leather on chairs or small cosmetic issues. Even still, the ship has very good bones, and the design remains intuitive. Even if it’s not the most modern cruise ship, Celebrity Equinox still offers a classic cruising experience.
Dining on Celebrity Equinox: Some hits and misses
Dining on Celebrity Equinox is more traditional compared to newer ships, with fewer venues than you’ll find on Edge Class. Here’s a quick overview of the dining options on Celebrity Equinox:
Complimentary dining
- Main Dining Room (Silhouette Restaurant)
- Oceanview Café (buffet)
- Mast Grill
- Spa Café (AquaSpa Café)
- Café al Bacio & Gelateria (pastries included, coffee extra)
- Room Service (limited complimentary options)
Exclusive dining (based on cabin category)
- Blu (AquaClass guests)
- Luminae (suite guests / The Retreat)
Specialty restaurants (extra cost)
- Murano (French fine dining)
- Tuscan Grille (Italian steakhouse)
- Le Petit Chef (interactive dining experience)
- Sushi on Five / Silk Harvest (Asian-inspired, varies by sailing)
- Bistro on Five (crêperie-style dining, on some sailings)
Celebrity Equinox’s main dining room is beautiful and spans two levels, making it our go-to spot most evenings. Overall, the food was good, though not always consistent, as some nights were definitely better than others.
Regardless, the service was always warm and attentive, which we appreciated most. I’d rate the main dining experience around a 7/10.
For lunch, we actually preferred the main dining room over the Oceanview Café, especially on sea days (which we had quite a few on our sailing). The buffet was fine, but it was often crowded during peak times. For something quick, the Mast Grill was great for a casual burger with fries.
One of my favorite spots onboard Celebrity Equinox was Café al Bacio for my morning latte. In the mornings, they offered pastries like Nutella croissants, dulce de leche croissants, and sticky buns. After colder port days, we loved grabbing a hot chocolate or coffee there as the perfect afternoon treat.
In the afternoons and evenings, they had a rotating selection of cookies, cakes, tarts, and other desserts. While specialty coffee costs extra, all the pastries are included.
We also tried two specialty restaurants on Celebrity Equinox: Tuscan Grille and Murano.
For us, Tuscan Grille was a highlight. The steaks were excellent, and the carbonara was one of the best dishes we had on the entire cruise. However, dinner stretched to nearly four hours, and service felt slow at times. My dad’s steak also came out at the wrong temperature, which required a remake.
Additionally, Murano was a bit more disappointing, mainly because our expectations were so high. The experience was still very nice, and the food was good, but it didn’t quite live up to the hype we had read beforehand.
Again, my dad’s steak wasn’t cooked as requested, though it was corrected quickly. The Grand Mariner Soufflé was a highlight for all of us!
Celebrity Equinox Bars and Lounges: Some room for improvement
Celebrity Equinox has a wide range of bars and lounges onboard, including the following:
- Martini Bar
- World Class Bar
- Ensemble Lounge
- Passport Bar
- Craft Social
- Sky Observation Lounge
- Pool & Mast Bar
- Sunset Bar
- Café al Bacio
- Slush (closed during our sailing)
- The Retreat Lounge (suite guests only)
Bar service was one of the more inconsistent parts of the experience, which really surprised me. For all of my other Celebrity cruises, I’ve had very solid bar experiences without any issues.
For example, I ordered a mojito on the first day, which is my go-to cocktail, and it just didn’t taste right. I tried again at a different bar, thinking it was a one-off, but the second one was also bland. If I had been paying $15 for the drink, I would have been disappointed.
Later at dinner, I tried to order a third mojito, and it still didn’t taste right! And I promise, I am really not picky when it comes to drinks!
It took me about halfway through the sailing to find a bartender at Craft Social who made one the way I like it. Because of that, I ended up ordering different drinks more often than usual, which honestly wasn’t a bad thing.
Bar service was generally quick, but the quality of drinks varied depending on who made them. In the end, we found the best service each night at Ensemble Lounge during Elite Happy Hour. This ended up being our go-to spot in the evenings, and we enjoyed the live music there, too.
Celebrity Equinox Entertainment: Worth showing up early
Entertainment might vary based on your cruise, but here’s what we experienced on our South America cruise.
Main theater production shows
- Topper: Enjoy the whimsical world of Sir Stuart Peabody, his oversized hat, and his cast of eccentric friends. This award-winning show draws you into their quirky adventures and imaginative storyline. We really enjoyed the entire production, and highly suggest attending!
- Tango Cervila: A traditional tango show that tells the story of two people meeting across different eras, traveling through the tangos and milongas of yesterday, today, and always. We loved seeing this show, as it was our first time watching a classic Tango in South America.
- Aibazshow: Around the World: This show follows a young boy’s journey across a vast, ever-changing world, where he makes friends, grows up, and experiences love while exploring different cultures and landscapes along the way. Unfortunately, we missed this performance due to a longer dinner one evening.
- Broadway Cabaret: This intimate concert-style performance features the ship’s production cast singers alongside the orchestra. Focused entirely on powerhouse vocals, the show highlights well-known musical theater favorites from Broadway and beyond. It was simple but very well done, especially if you enjoy strong vocal performances.
- Life: A feel-good concert centered on life, light, and love, this show was a lot of fun with modern music and energetic dancing—we really enjoyed it!
Guest & variety acts
- Magicians
- Comedians
- Vocalists
- Violist
- Instrumentalists
- Mime Artist
- Illusionist
- Specialty acts (like sand artists or visual performers)
Other entertainment around the ship
- Live music in lounges (Ensemble Lounge, Passport Bar, Sky Lounge)
- Nightly game shows (Majority Rules, Buddy System, Whisper Challenge, True or False, Totally 80s, Say IT!)
- Trivia (Daily general trivia and music trivia)
- Theme nights and dance parties, including silent disco and ABBA party
- Crafts
- Dance classes
- Glass blowing classes (extra cost)
Overall, we really enjoyed the entertainment on Celebrity Equinox. There was something different every night, which we appreciated, and the variety kept things interesting throughout our 14-night sailing.
The main production shows were well done and drew large crowds, so we made a point to arrive early for seats. In addition to the main shows, there was a good variety of entertainment throughout the cruise, including a magician, sand artist, vocalist, aerialist, and comedian.
We also really enjoyed the trivia sessions, especially the music trivia with the DJ. He brought great energy and made the experience fun and engaging, which made it a highlight on sea days.
It wasn’t the most cutting-edge entertainment I’ve seen at sea, but it was enjoyable.
One area that could be improved was the location of the game shows at the “Entertainment Court”. These were essentially held in the main foyer of the ship, which meant there was no seating and the space often felt crowded and congested.
It would have made more sense to move these into a larger venue, like a lounge or even the Quasar nightclub (which never seemed to be used).
Cabins: Comfortable, but in need of updates
We booked balcony cabin 8209 on Deck 8 for this cruise, and it was a great experience overall. Our location was fantastic, and we never heard any noise from our neighbors.
The stateroom was spacious enough for both of us to fully unpack, and we stayed organized using magnetic hooks on the walls, which made a big difference.
The biggest issue was the balcony itself. It looked extremely worn, with peeling paint and visible damage. At one point, the chair I was sitting in actually broke when a screw came loose. Luckily, I wasn’t hurt, but it was another sign that the ship needs some updates.
Inside the cabin, everything was functional and comfortable, but the design and finishes definitely felt dated compared to newer ships.
Operations: Smooth and well executed
From an operational standpoint, the cruise ran very smoothly. For a port-intensive sailing, this is something that I always appreciate.
Given the complexity of sailing through Patagonia and more remote regions of South America, I was impressed with how well everything was handled. The captain kept us informed throughout the journey, and we only had one missed port of call, which is common for this itinerary.
For instance, when the weather was looking iffy to visit the Falkland Islands, the captain made multiple announcements regarding the plan. Luckily, we were able to visit this remote island and it was one of the best days of our cruise! The other ship that was supposed to visit on the same day ended up cancelling, but we were able to still safely tender ashore.
A surprising highlight: Onboard shopping
Personally, one of the unexpected highlights of our Celebrity Equinox cruise was the onboard merchandise. I did more onboard shopping on this cruise than any other sailing!
The onboard shop even had a small display with details about the local artist from South America. I was able to find locally crafted items like a ceramic penguin and a handmade, Patagonia-themed Christmas ornament.
In addition, I purchased a stuffed penguin for our goddaughter, a llama plush for my own collection, and a cute penguin t-shirt for our neighbor.
Since prices in port were often quite high, it was nice to have more affordable options onboard that still felt destination-specific.
I would sail on Celebrity Equinox again for another port-intensive cruise.
Overall, I would sail on Celebrity Equinox again, especially for another port-intensive itinerary. In fact, I already have another cruise booked on the ship this fall with my husband in the Mediterranean.
While I still prefer Celebrity’s Edge Class ships, Equinox remains a very nice ship with a lot to offer.
Yes, the ship is showing its age, and certain areas clearly need refurbishment. At the same time, it offers a comfortable layout, strong service, and a classic cruise atmosphere that still holds up.
We did have a few hit-or-miss moments throughout the experience, but that honestly feels fairly standard across the industry right now.
Even so, we had a great cruise. The itinerary, service, and overall experience made it worthwhile. For a destination-focused sailing like Patagonia, where the ports and scenery are the main attraction, Celebrity Equinox absolutely delivered.
With a refresh likely on the horizon, I’d be very interested to see how the ship evolves in the coming years.
