In my first blog from Celebrity Cruises’ new Equinox I talked about the largely excellent dining experience. After all, isn’t food one of the most important parts of any cruise? Another important  part of a cruise is, of course, the ship itself. Make no mistake, the Equinox is big. It’s 122,000 gross registered tons and can carry 2,850 passengers. It’s 1,033 feet long so it also takes a while to get to and from your cabin.

But the ship doesn’t seem big in the way that ships of similar size often can. Here, there are no long corridors stretching off into infinity, and there are plenty of smaller spaces where you can find some quiet time alone or with friends. Even in the soaring atrium, rooms and spaces on different decks provide cozy gathering places. The large two-level library off the atrium has nice small areas for reading. While soaring upward almost the full height of the ship, the atrium takes advantage of the space in a unique way. Halfway up and suspended in the space is a full-size living ficus tree. It’s growing in a planter encrusted with multi-colored Swarovski crystals. The living tree provides a pleasant accent and seems to make whole atrium more natural.

Speaking of living plants, nothing quite prepares you for the site of the perfectly trimmed green lawn you’ll find at the Lawn Club at the top of the ship. While you can’t quite believe what you’re seeing at first, in a few minutes a real lawn at sea seems perfectly normal and you wonder why it’s taken so long to put one on a ship. You can play ring toss, bocce ball, or just hang out on the emerald green living carpet. It’s also the perfect place to lie down and watch the clouds or the stars.

The Lawn Club is also the site of the Corning Museum of Glass Hot Glass Show that offers regular demonstrations of the art of glass blowing. Yes, they actually have a furnace on board. Celebrity worked with the museum to design the first glass furnace at sea. It’s electric instead of gas and the demonstration by artists from Corning is fascinating. True artisanal glass-blowing by artists of this caliber, isn’t something you can see everyday and Celebrity deserves a lot of credit for making the effort to create something unique and interesting. There’s also a small display that explains the role of the Corning Museum of Glass.

There are plenty of other opportunities to be entertained onboard. I found the small cabaret acts in the lounges and the chamber music group to be excellent. There is, of course a large show lounge. The sound and lighting system in the two-level theater is one of the best I’ve seen and heard at sea. The sight lines are excellent. And there’s a system of moving devices on the ceiling from which actors can “fly” high above the audience, creating interesting effects. The show I saw had heavily costumed and dramatically lit scenes with acrobats and dancers who did plenty of flying. It was beautifully staged and costumed. A receptive audience met each number with applause.

Then there are the ship’s cabins. I’ll go out on a limb and say they are some of the best and most comfortable I’ve seen anywhere. I’m not talking about suites, but regular cabins. And except for suites, all the cabins on Equinox are basically the same and share the same layout. Balconies have two very comfortable lounge chairs and a small table suitable for light meals and snacks.

There’s plenty of storage both in the cabin and bathroom. Lighting is good, and there are plenty of electrical outlets. A 32-inch flat-screen television is attached to the wall. Colors are muted and very restful.

All this is the result of a unique project Celebrity undertook when designing the cabins. They recruited five women from different backgrounds and careers who were not cruise line employees or interior designers to advise them on features. Women are widely regarded as the decision makers when it comes to travel so this panel worked with the cabin designers and the results are reflected in the functional layout of the cabins. Amazing what happens when you listen. Aqua Class cabins have the same layout as the other cabins but have some added amenities. There’s a pillow menu, special toiletries, and a five-jet shower.

Another perk for those upgrading to the AquaClass cabins is unlimited access to the AquaSpa’s Persian Garden aromatherapy steam room, featuring heated ceramic loungers, and the Relaxation Room, which offers vistas from comfortable loungers. Also with these cabins comes unlimited, complimentary access to Blu, where I had a memorable meal.

There are 130 AquaClass cabins out of 1,426 staterooms. Eighty five percent of the cabins on the ship have private verandas. Although all the cabins share the same layout and basic features location can be an issue on a large ship since some locations can be a long walk away from your favorite activities. If you’re interested in the spa, AquaClass cabins are well located.

Although I was told the ship was designed with wireless Internet access throughout, on this early cruise, reception was spotty at best. Also be sure you don’t need wireless the night before your cruise ends. I wasn’t alone in finding that service was terminated early on our last night. It’s a small thing but something to note if you’re planning to send email on that last night. There are always small things that don’t work on the early cruises of any new ship but I applied my one unfailing test of the quality of a cruise on my last morning – I did not want to get off.

Celebrity has created two exceptional ships. I’d sail on either the Equinox or her year-old sister ship the Solstice anytime. Both prove that you can indeed supersize good service and amenities.