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In many yrs of doing AQ class and BLU we did have one bad experience on Refection and one "dreadful" experience..on another non E ship..sorry can't recall which one it was. On Reflection, pre Luminae, the Suite concierge walked in lines of suite guests while AQ guests just stood in our line..After a few nights and many complaints..that ceased! On the other cruise, kitchen service was terribly slow...while everyone waited for food, the Maitre d and sommelier catered to a few select lg round tables..most of them became very drunk.A big party vibe! Maitre d tried to stick others in the rear with poor and very slow kitchen and wait service. After a few nights we booked into the mdr which treated us like VIPs..great tbl, great service and the food was outstanding, We did not return to BLU for dinner on that cruise. When we let maitre d know at bkfst..he was pout faced but really did not care. Over the yrs BLU was our favored place..less salt, plainer food, more custom orders, great service etc..but not sure abt future,..On E class the mdrs are excellent! A good, well trained staff is the key to success!

Water is supposed to be warm..not too hot. Some have the rack seating..cant remember abt EDGE Some have overhead sprays, some no longer have them. Not real T pools with hydrotherapy stations and minerals..sure do miss those!

Overcrowding of BLU with added suite guests could be solved by enforcing the space available basis rule for suite guests to enter...and or have a suite guest sign up list limited to a few res per evening. Or give each suite a dinner voucher for a Specialty restaurant to provide guests variety. Sad Commentary on Luminae which was created exclusively for suite guests after the huge success of BLU for AQ guests. Maybe they should review the Luminae menu and add some items from the BLU menu,, That might limit those going to BLU because they prefer the BLU menu or are just curious or seek variety. I believe mgmnt is aware of these issues..there were once rumors that the 2 venues might at some point be combined on newer ships but it never happened

We have been in AQ Class from inception on a variety of ships and mostly enjoyed it..as good value compared to a suite. BUT it all depends on what you are looking, relative pricing, ship selection and cabin location...Here are my comments... AQ class is worth it if you enjoy dining in BLU which we did for many yrs ( with attentive service, nice menu, fewer children & usually a nice atmoshphere away from the din of the mdr)... OR worth it if you want unlimited access to Persian Gardens / thermal suite area, OR if you the need extra per night cruise points. Also has less crowded hallways, and some better cabins..but beware of location! Recently some of the previously good perks have waned. Preferred boarding is almost a fiction with many more suite guests. Concierge guests sometimes going on 1st for their luncheon. On our most recent, Concierge guests also had more special events and attention than those in AQ, and priority departure was a joke..Our entire AQ Class floor got the dead last departure groups..we all ended up at Guest Rel to change that. CAVEAT E Class : We did not enjoy BLU on Edge due to its lousy location along the hallway to EDEN beyond the creepy forest or alternative need to walk up a winding staircase. Blu did not have any real sea views, and they kept the draperies closed to block view of service items We eat early and experienced a very slow kitchen when we were there. It was also noisy....bad acoustics. We were so busy on our cruise that we only got the the amazing thermal suite area a few times. Did not get our value for that perk. And AQ on EDGE comes with a infinite Balc...not a real balc..we managed but room was small. Would not book a IV or AQ on E class againl On a subsequent cruise we ditched AQ Class.. and .loved our large Sunset Veranda cabin with a true balc, and the 4 mdrs (all superior to EDGE BLU) and we did not miss the thermal area. Next cruise..trying a small suite w/ Luminae..hope we manage ok with that

PS balc had nice loungers, was often sunny..small over hang. Great aft view.....sunrise, sunset and night sky.,

We had a middle SV on EDGE deck 7...great cabin, very large balcony. We heard some music from EDEN a few times in the bthrm hallway at night but .nothing disruptive. There was also some stray music from someplace else during the day....speaker or pool area??? We had no soot and our only annoyance was the cabin next door .They..crammed in lots of folks on their balc nightly from dinner to bedtime..party cruisers...but that can happen anywhere. Inside the cabin was just fine.... Not sure abt deck 11 SV ...but 7 was good

Great photos.. sorry for choppy seas and sickness. We took a ship's excursion on a bus .. long ride, some very nice scenery, along curvy steep roads! Could feel car sick at times. But was worth it! Loved the unique city...had a great historical walking tour which became a bit too long,. We went off on our own for awhile. Nice shopping (lovely Italian Pottery) & tasty lunch, all pricey. We had the bonus of seeing an Italian wedding group come out of church in all their finery.

Enjoy both.two of our favorites..each has its good points!

Same for us,. The SV was awesome...larger cabin, huge balcony, awesome views . Fairly private location..we did not mind the walk to/ from the elevator. We find that most Royal C cabins have always been a bit small. No matter what, if we ever go back to Royal, we would pick an older ship and NO IV.....it may have a "Veranda" but it's NOT a balcony

We managed with an IV on EDGE...but the cabin was too small overall and never had the feel of a balcony. Would not book again!

Not much anyone can do... storms have to be avoided and Fiona packed a wallop..still raging as it heads way north. Damaged pier can take awhile to be repaired!

Great video.. size looks fine for a single!

I 'd keep the IV single.. You can leave the the inner bi fold doors open, face the chair inward. Overall gives more room in the cabin ...and you can still open the half window for sea air, photos etc, I would feel very confined with just a window. Hope you have a nice view and that the bathroom is large, like all others on E class. Can always manage storage issues...

Did not know they offer lunch in Luminae..On E Class we usually go the the Bistro..upcharge, or EDEN cafe no upcharge Dh will love the crabcakes..if they taste as good as they look. Desserts look great which I can't have..maybe just a spoonful!

I let the therapist know right away that I have more Elemis at home than she has,,If she can't discount more than 15% don't bother..I get that discount online with free shipping. I have gotten some good prices in the cosmetics store.....

Off topic sorry,....Suggest you look at Venice and Nokomis area...all quite nice. It was seriously hot and humid this summer..worse than NY. Amost everything in Venice is pet and people friendly.....avg age of residents decreasing..not just for seniors anymore. Dog parks, dogs welcome at some beach areas and outdoor cafes. Venice Beach is known as the shark tooth capital.....not many hi rises....yet! Smaller down town on Venice Island than Naples but great shops and places to eat..diff types of cuisine/food. There's a local live theatre, museums etc, We "live" off the island in a nature preserve area..but enjoy it all....esp off season when crowds go away and you can find a place to park. Not far from Sarasota.. we love it!

I get that Pickle ball is the new rage..but it is very noisy when the paddle and ball connect , and the sound def travels! Would hate to have a cabin anywhere near that activity.

Glad you are now FREE! Not very good treatment by Celebrity and sounds like your Butler and X in general did not go out of the way for you...maybe afraid of catching Covid???? Hope there is a FULL recovery from Covid and " mistreatment trauma!"

Pet Talk: Our neighbor, mostly watches pets in our Community in Venice Fl , all breeds. Our community is very pet friendly with several dog parks and owners gathering with their dogs at various areas just to chat. I know folks by the names of their dogs. Dh and I are catlovers but no pets right now..we go back and forth as snowbirds so not practical. When we were cruising frequently sbd had our cats, we had a great pet sitter a vet tech that came in 2x day but we still felt guilty Where are u headed in Fla?

Glad you enjoyed the spa..great deal. Elemis products mean not Canyon Ranch..I like the "new" company better and prefer Elemis products...now easy to buy on the internet with deals and samples! Enjoy the helipad.. wear good shoes..can be awkward getting there!

That's a great price for the spa service..does the port pricing discount apply ? I would guess not. I usually book a massage at start of a cruise and facial towards the end. We too have much OBC..so that would be a good use for that. Is it Canyon Ranch or the new provider Enjoy! Our next door neighbor in Fla does pet sitting...sometimes at her house or at the owners..We enjoy meeting the pets, mostly dogs. She now has a new dog of her own, a rescue who could not adjust to a household with children. Seems everyone gets along...most of the time!

it will be interesting to see the 5 day menu for BEYOND , rt Port Ev. If we learn Luminae does not offer the Prime Rib, we will try one of the mdrs,,, We expect there will be only 1 chic night..

OP HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! It's who you are with not where you are that counts. Once all is well...Celebrate in Style!

In our IV cabin on EDGE, we turned the chairs and table inward..made an extended seatIng area as the cabin itself is small. We never closed the bi fold doors ..too confining. The huge amount of Hoppen pillows will yield many options for footstools! It was not terrible. .Area was a cute " wintergarden" but a one and done for us. We only opened the window to take pics and look out for a few minutes while standing. One plus was that it was quieter than being next to a real balc cabin. One neg was bathing suits have to drip in the shower stall...cabin has a real floor in the IV area, . Much preferred the Sunset Veranda...larger cabin and a huge outside balcony!.

Wow..I love this one. It draws the eye in....water so blue! Food ? ..i never heard of ground chicken kabobs?????