Celebrity Equinox Eastern Caribbean Review: Day Four

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Magen’s Bay, St. Thomas

Day four on the Celebrity Equinox was another port stop, this time in St. Thomas (U.S. Virgin Islands). St. Thomas is known for its beautiful beaches and so our plans for the day involved a trip to the famous Magen’s Bay Beach. We grabbed a quick breakfast in the buffet before getting off the ship in St. Thomas. We didn’t book an excursion, opting to travel to the beach via an open-air cab. The cost from the Crown Bay cruise ship terminal to Magen’s Bay is $10 per person one way. There are lots of cabs to choose from just outside the cruise port but the rate is a flat rate and doesn’t vary.

The ride to Magen’s Bay was very interesting, to say the least. You basically go up one mountain and down the other. The roads are narrow and full of twists and turns, with no sidewalks and steep cliffs. Our cab driver was a woman and she was lovely & did a great job of getting us there safely, but I personally wasn’t a fan of the drive itself. However, it did lend itself to some beautiful views of St. Thomas!

St Thomas Magen's Bay

The view from the taxi!

The group of tourists traveling on our cab made plans with our driver to pick us up at the beach in three hours. Once we got to the beach, we separated from the group and walked down to grab a lounger in front of one of the bars. We spent about three hours lounging in the shade, swimming, and enjoying the view. I have to be honest, though – Magen’s Bay is rated one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, but it wasn’t our favourite. I can’t explain why and I’m glad I went there, but I don’t feel the need to go back again.

St Thomas Magen's Bay

Magen’s Bay Beach

Supper and Martini Bar

After we got back to the ship, we decided to grab burgers at Mast Grill for a quick afternoon snack. We then spent some time reading on the pool deck before heading back to our room to get ready for supper. I recall watching the view of the sunset that day and just feeling so happy and grateful to be there. Ever get those moments where you think “Is this real life?”. That’s how I felt that day.

Celebrity Equinox Review

Lounging in my favourite place with my favourite drink. Docked next to a Royal Caribbean ship!

St Thomas

A beautiful evening with the sun setting on the boats!

For supper that night I had the creamy butternut squash soup as my appetizer. I couldn’t decide between the rigatoni and the grilled branzino so Reggie brought both and I’m so glad he did as the branzino was amazing and not to be missed! Jordan had the caprese salad for his starter and steak and chips as his main. For dessert, Reggie brought us a chocolate mousse cake to celebrate our honeymoon! It was very tasty and needed to say, we were absolutely stuffed. I think we are both in agreement that this was our favourite meal of the cruise.

Celebrity Equinox Food

After supper, we went to the martini bar for drinks. We tried quite a few different martinis and got a little tipsy that night! I think we finally went to bed around 11:30pm which is late for us, especially considering we had an early rise the next morning for our excursion in Tortola.

Celebrity Equinox Martini Bar

Martinis from the Martini Bar

Celebrity Equinox Review

Spruced Up Labrador Intensive Hand Cream Review

Sunday, February 16, 2020

With every year that passes it seems that my skin gets a little drier. My job also requires frequent hand washing and use of hand sanitizer, which means that my poor hands are often really dry. Add in the cold winter air and I’m frequently left with red, cracked skin on my hands.

After many years of searching for the best hand cream, I can finally say I’ve found it. The Labrador Winter Intensive Hand Cream from Spruced Up Labrador is hands down (pun intended!) the most effective hand cream I’ve used. It comes as no surprise as Labrador is known for its brutally cold winters with average winter temperatures around -20°C/-4°F.

Spruced up Labrador is a small homemade business based out of (you guessed it!) Labrador. The products literally fly off their website as quickly as it is restocked, so your best bet is to join the mailing list to know when each restock will happen. I know they are planning another restock soon so keep an eye out!

Made of shea butter, argan oil and local spruce gum, this hand cream packs a punch of moisture. While the first two ingredients are commonly known, the spruce gum has a longstanding history. Typically referred to as “sap”, its history can be traced back to ancient Egypt where it was used to treat burns, wounds, ulcers, and more. Your average hand cream definitely doesn’t have locally sourced spruce gum in it, and that’s what I attribute the goodness of this one to.

Spruced up Labrador Review

I used to moisturize my hands multiple times a day but I only have to use this cream once every few days. My hands are soft, smooth, and have experienced no painful cracking thus far this year. I’ve also applied it to my arms and legs when they have gotten painfully red and scaly.Even Jordan swears by this hand cream and he hates using any type of cream. I will warn you though – it doesn’t have the prettiest scent. It’s very medicinal or herb-y, so probably best to apply it before bed.

I honestly wish I could buy a massive bottle of this! However, as I only need to use a small amount every few days, it will definitely last me through this winter. If you suffer from red, dry and cracked skin, I highly recommend trying it.

What I Bought in January 2020

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

January isn’t normally a month where I buy a lot of unnecessary items. Given that it falls right after Christmas, I usually don’t need anything or have any money left to shop. However, we actually made some big purchases this year. Obviously I’m not doing this to brag or whatever (I hate that I have to say that at the beginning). I personally just find these posts interesting & helpful! Post contains affiliate links.

  1. First of all, if you follow me on Instagram then you know I picked up this adorable hat which was locally made and looks like it cost way more than it did! Give her a follow on Facebook and enter her contest to win one of your own! Or you know, just buy one.
  2. We’ve needed a new sofa for a long, long time. Our animals absolutely destroyed our other sofa over the past five years but I really didn’t want to shell out the money for another one, especially as we paid a lot for the first one. Long story short.. we found a good deal on this one and bit the bullet. While I was initially quite resistant, I’m now very happy about it. Also, I don’t care if they are trendy or not – I don’t think I’ll ever not have a sectional. They are my favourite.
  3. If that wasn’t enough, we picked up a kitchen island as well. We first seen it at a friends house and actually thought they had it built, only to discover it was from Canadian Tire! It doesn’t match our kitchen so I’ve debated painting it but regardless, it gives us some extra storage space as well as counter space. Plus the leaf is extendable, which makes it great for parties. We bought it on sale and it’s totally worth the price. It feels much more expensive than it is! For Living Kitchen Island.
  4. I bought snowshoes (not this exact pair) from a coworker, however, I haven’t used them yet. Good intentions, bad follow through. Here is a similar pair from Amazon.
  5. I accidentally bought the regular Marcelle Face Powder when I meant to buy the illuminating version. I also accidentally bought it in shade “medium”. Surprisingly, it actually works as it’s still quite transparent, even on my ghost-like skin. You get a ton of product here – I’m convinced I’ll be using it for the rest of my life. So far I like it but I still want to try the glowy version.
  6. The L’Oreal Pro Glow foundation has been around for a while but it has taken me this long to try it. I love the Pro Matte version and I had high hopes but my initial thoughts were disappointing. I will definitely be testing it out again so fingers crossed that the second time is a charm!
  7. I can’t even find the NYX Bare With Me Primer on their own site and I’m not sure why as I believe it’s a new product. There is a jelly version, however, this is the regular non-jelly primer. I’ve only used it once yet as I’m trying to finish my other primer first.
  8. I was also in need of a new concealer, so I grabbed the Essence Camouflage + Matt Concealer for a change. This isn’t available on Amazon Canada so if you’re curious, go to your local Shoppers Drug Mart. It costs $5 or less and so far, I really like it.
  9. Not pictured, but I also picked up a few items at the thrift store. I’m planning to show those on Instagram soon, so follow me there if you are interested!

Okay, that’s it for January! If there’s anything that you’d like to see a review on, leave me a comment below. Most of the makeup (except the powder), I haven’t really used it as I’m trying to finish up my other products first (nearly there!). Also let me know if you like this type of post or not! I like to keep track of my purchases and share my thoughts & opinions so I’d totally be down for continuing this each month if you guys are interested.

Celebrity Equinox Eastern Caribbean Review: Day Three

Saturday, February 1, 2020

Land at Last

By Day 3 on the Celebrity Equinox, I was ready to put my feet on land but unfortunately we weren’t due to arrive in San Juan until late afternoon. We started our day with a late breakfast at the buffet, then spent the early afternoon lounging in the Solarium. Our port stop for San Juan was scheduled for 3:30-11pm, which was a first. Typically you are in port during regular business hours (for example, 7am-3pm, 8am-4pm, or 9am-5pm depending on the itinerary). This was also our first time visiting San Juan. We attempted to do an Eastern Caribbean cruise in 2017 on the Norwegian Escape but the route was changed to Western Caribbean due to Hurricane Maria. Needless to say, we were thrilled to finally visit some new countries after three Western Caribbean cruises!
Celebrity Equinox Review

Living my best life on the Celebrity Equinox!

San Juan, Peurto Rico

Celebrity Equinox Review

Finally, we see land!

We arrived in San Juan at 3:30pm and got off the ship around 4pm, once the initial crowds dispersed. We didn’t have a plan except to find some wifi (we never buy internet while cruising) and a place to eat. There is a Starbucks located a few steps away from the cruise port terminal, so we went there for a cold drink and wifi. We like to visit local spots when cruising but Starbucks is a sure bet for wifi in the Caribbean.
Celebrity Equinox Review

Sailing into San Juan, Peurto Rico

It was really strange to see the baristas in Starbucks dressed in santa hats considering it was scorching hot. In Canada, I associate Christmas with snow and cold. Christmas décor aside, it was a nice reprieve from the heat and we were able to get in touch with family & friends back home. I was also able to pick up the Starbucks “Been There” Peurto Rico mug! I’ve been collecting them for a few years and try to grab one whenever we visit someplace new.
San Juan Colorful Buildings

I love all the colorful buildings and beautiful architecture

San Juan Umbrella Street

The famous umbrella street in San Juan

After Starbucks, we set our sights on a local bar that I had found on Google before we left Florida. We were hoping to visit a brewery but couldn’t find one directly in San Juan. However, this bar promised over 50 beer on tap and over 100 bottled varieties. After a lot of walking and map-studying, we finally stumbled upon La Taberna Lupulo. Thanks to the expansive beer list, I was able to find my first sour beer in the Caribbean and I enjoyed it with some delicious tacos and chips. The service was great and it was nice to visit a local spot away from the hubbub of the cruise port. I will definitely go back there on another trip to San Juan!
La Taberna Lupulo

Delicious food at La Taberna Lupulo

Hot Tubs and Pool Deck

Celebrity Equinox Solarium

The Solarium water display at night

Once we left the bar it was getting dark, so we decided to head back to the ship. Thankfully the walk back was all downhill and slightly cooler! We got back on board around 6:30pm and decided to go for a dip in the Solarium hot tub. I think we had the whole Solarium to ourselves at that point, since most people were still ashore!
Celebrity Equinox Review

Pool deck at night

It was a beautiful evening so we decided to lounge poolside after we left the hot tub. They had live music playing – a duo that sang folksy cover songs. We had a few drinks by the pool then went to the Sunset Bar on the aft of the ship for sailaway. It was beautiful sailing out of San Juan after dark and we were already looking forward to visiting again the following week.
San Juan Cruise Port

Beautiful view of San Juan at night

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Celebrity Equinox Review

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