Aqua class, classic bev pkg, cabin questions.....newbies

OK so we're new Celebrity customers, having sailed mainly with Princess, but also RCL, Carnival over the years. We're on board the Infinity Oct. 1st for it's California coastal coming up in Aqua class cabin 9038. Having never sailed either Celebrity, Infinity or aqua class, we have a few questions. We picked that cabin 1.5 years ago when we saw this local cruise available as I see it has a larger balcony, though it looks well covered by the deck above. Does anyone have any information on it we should know....? Looking forward to Blu, we received the classic beverage pkg with our booking...are smoothies available at the Spa cafe with this package...? I'm hearing conflicting reports, my wife would like that but do we need to upgrade one of us for that...? I also heard that Blu is rather chaotic on the first night.....it this true..? Should we do something else that night. Oh, and does aqua class have any tender advantages....? This sailing has four tender ports.....thanks to all the experts.

OK so we're new Celebrity customers, having sailed mainly with Princess, but also RCL, Carnival over the years. We're on board the Infinity Oct. 1st for it's California coastal coming up in Aqua class cabin 9038. Having never sailed either Celebrity, Infinity or aqua class, we have a few questions. We picked that cabin 1.5 years ago when we saw this local cruise available as I see it has a larger balcony, though it looks well covered by the deck above. Does anyone have any information on it we should know....?

 

We stayed in the same cabin on the Millennium last fall. It was very nice having the larger balcony - more room to stretch out. The window cleaning equipment was parked in front of the cabin to our right - was not even a partial obstruction, but it was visible from our balcony if you were near the railing. All of the Aqua Class cabins on deck 9 are under the overhang from the extension of the Resort (pool) deck above. 9038 is below the Solarium - it was relatively quiet with occasionally a little noise in the morning from towel carts or lounge movement. But we felt the minor noise was well worth it for the larger balcony.

 

Looking forward to Blu,

 

We loved the Blu, we felt it had the same quality of food and service as the limited number of specialty restaurants on the M-class ships - much nicer atmosphere than the MDR.

 

we received the classic beverage pkg with our booking...are smoothies available at the Spa cafe with this package...? I'm hearing conflicting reports, my wife would like that but do we need to upgrade one of us for that...?

 

The smoothies were available on the Classic last fall - but I have also seen the other reports - so do not know now.

 

I also heard that Blu is rather chaotic on the first night.....it this true..? Should we do something else that night.

 

Our fall cruise was a B2B and we had no problem getting a table for 2 at the porthole on both embarkation days. You just need to be there at least 15 minutes before they open to make sure you do not have more than 2 to 4 couples in front of you. By the way, you may see a note with a time for you to eat in Blu on the first night - ignore it - it is only a suggested time - you may eat any time you wish. If you plan on eating an hour after they open you would probably have to wait for a table. The alternative is that you will probably receive an offer for a discount at a specialty restaurant.

 

Oh, and does aqua class have any tender advantages....?

 

My recollection is that the tender benefit is only for suites and for elite loyalty level

 

This sailing has four tender ports.....thanks to all the experts.

Enjoy your cruise.

It looks like you've scored a good cabin. I'm not crazy about the AQ cabins on Deck 9 because of the overhang but you've avoided that and if the deck plans are accurate, you shouldn't have much noise from the Solarium Pool above you.

We've never had a problem the first night in Blu. You'll get a note in your cabin with a suggested time for that night but we've always gone when we wanted. Now that the suites have Luminae, I think the demand for Blu has diminished. Personally, I like Blu on the M-Class ships like the Infinity better than on the S-Class. I'm not sure why, I just do.

I'm not sure about the tender situation. I don't see it listed as an AQ benefit. I'm also not sure about the smoothies at the Spa Cafe. The one time I asked, they weren't included in my classic package but I've heard otherwise since then. I'm not sure if it's worth upgrading your package to get one. Perhaps just buying them would be a less expensive option.

Be sure to check out the Persian Gardens. It's not quite as elegant as on S-Class ships but then, it's never crowded, either. It's so close to your cabin it would be a shame not to use it. Go up one flight of stairs and into the spa, Persian Gardens will be on your left. Your AQ cabin gives you unlimited use of the space.

No tender priority for Aqua. If you head to Blu right after the early show there may be a wait. When there is a wait they give you a beeper and you can go have a drink in one of the bars.

Just wait until you're onboard and see if the smoothies are included...if so...you're good! If not, then you can decide if you need to upgrade for a smoothie now and then.

You will also get off earlier (usually) if you book Celeb excursions,,.we have them for all ports except Ensenada,,staying on ship..

We are E plus and will get tender tix just in case some excursions meet on the pier...

I would not upgrade just to get smoothies,..they aren't that great! Others may disagree..

We are also on deck 9 on the same cruise. Our cabin is under the front of the buffet, hopefully it's not too noisy, but after a few Martinis I can usually sleep through just about anything;) Your questions have been answered already (except smoothies) so just relax and enjoy! Basically everything is covered by the classic package just not 100% covered if it's over $9. You just pay the difference. I typically upgrade to premium because I like good Single Malt Scotch and Martinis. As far as tender tickets go the will announce where they are passing them out and it's a good idea to get there early or there can be quite a line. If Blu is chaotic the first night you can always order your meal and have it delivered to your cabin. Eat it on that huge balcony you have! Also, the MDR usually has Prime Rib night 1 and it's normally quite good.

In the event you want to see the "wines by the glass" lists for the classic and premium beverage packages, I will attempt to post them here. If the images don't show, just search the Celebrity threads and you should be able to find them.

The reason that the prices are different/higher than the beverage package limits is related to the inclusion of the gratuity in the cost shown. Don't worry about that - these are covered under the packages shown. I found these images and haven't yet found the images for the USA originating cruises.

There is another thread on cruise critic in which the OP created a list of drinks that are available on the classic and premium beverage packages. The link to her post and the PDF files she created are here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/newre...ply&p=53030316

Classic beverage package drink list: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/attac...3&d=1494308109

Premium beverage package drink list: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/attac...4&d=1494308109