Is Aqua Class worth the extra money?

Has anyone booked the aqua class? Just wondering what the benefits are and if it's worth the extra cost? :)

Has anyone booked the aqua class? Just wondering what the benefits are and if it's worth the extra cost? :)

On the roll call for my Equinox cruise most of us booked Aqua Class. It is not that much more expensive than other balcony cabins and it seems like there are good perks. Nobody will really know until Solstice starts sailing and we begin hearing feedback from those that actually experience it. Here are some of the perks:

*Complimentary admission to the Persian Gardens (part of the spa that has steam rooms and heated ceramic loungers)

*Complimentary dinners in Blu (a specialty restaurant).

*Special Pillows and Shower-head for room.

*Incorportation of spa elements into your stateroom.

*Priority boarding / leaving off the ship.

*Express luggage delivery.

*Special Robes, Hor Dourves, and Fresh Fruit in stateroom

*Complimentary bottled water and iced tea.

*Extra cruise credit towards Captains Club status.

And more.

There's a great thread already going on this topic, that might give you the insight you're looking for:

Link to Aqua Class thread

I've booked AC for an Equinox Med cruise next year. It's actually not that much more money than a Concierge Class, which I was going to get anyway...AC comes with all CC amenities PLUS the AC amenities.

To me, the KEY benefit of AC is having your main dinner seating in Blu, rather than the main dining room. This is, of course, assuming that Blu will be at the same quality levels of Celebrity's other specialty restaurants, which are widely considered to be significantly better than the main dining room.

But the other AC stuff sounds great too. :)

This is what I said about AC in the other thread (if you don't feel like wading through that whole thing.

Here's what attracted me to the AC cabin, in order of importance (noting that I've blended AC and CC benefits together, since you get both):

 

1) Main dining seating in Blu. Now to me, the "healthiness" of the menu is not the big deal...it's the overall quality of the food. I'm going under the impression that Blu is a "specialty restaurant", and as such, the food will be on par with their other specialty restaurants -- meaning, way better than the main dining room food. As for the "healthy menu options" - to be honest, that's NOT what I'm looking for. I eat healthy all year - when I'm on vacation, I want to splurge and indulge. The last thing I want to find on my dinner menu is a bunch of salads and steamed veggies and boneless skinless chicken breasts and flavorless low-cal stuff. So I called Celebrity, and they assured me that it is NOT like the Aqua Spa cafe -- while the Blu menu will have more healthy options than you'd find in the main dining room, they will have indulgent, exciting menu options as well. The difference is that they will focus more on "fresh and flavorful" ingredients - reduction sauces rather than cream sauces, things like that.

 

2) Priority dining preference - I'm assuming this means that we'll get priority for making reservations in the specialty restaurants. We really want to avoid the main dining room - I've just read too many negative reviews about the mass-produced dining room food on Celebrity ships, and too many FABULOUS reviews about the superlative dining experiences in Celebrity's specialty restaurants. So we plan on eating at least half our dinners in the specialty restaurants. Hopefully this benefit means we'll be able to get all the reservations we want.

 

3) Expanded breakfast menu - we prefer to order room service breakfasts on days that we're doing a shore excursion, and I would NOT be happy if the menu was extremely limited.

 

4) Exclusive access to the Aquaspa Relaxation Room. This is a room on the same floor as the AC cabins, and ONLY open to the AC cabin pax. It sounds like it might be a lovely way to escape the crowds on such a large ship.

 

5) Comped access to the Persian Gardens and Solarium. I probably wouldn't pay extra for these if I didn't have them included with the cabin, but it will be nice to have them available at no extra charge.

 

6) The "atmospheric indulgences" of the AC cabins: controlled mood lighting, music and ambient sound, lavish scent selection, shower heads, pillow menu, etc. I have no idea how these will translate to real world experiences, but I'm looking forward to finding out.

 

The rest of the AC and CC benefits seem like fluff to me - the canapes don't sound too exciting in the reviews from other ships with CC, and I doubt they'll be anything we'll want to eat, wanting to save ourselves for the fabulous dinners we will hopefully be experiencing in Blu and the other specialty restaurants. I've read that the welcome champagne is a cheap, bulk-produced (not method-champanoise) sparkling wine, although we can use it to make mimosas! I don't really know what the "VIP invitations to events" means - what events? What kind of VIP invitations? Fresh flowers in the room sounds nice. Don't really care about the fruit - with all the eating I do on a cruise, I rarely feel the need for a snack.

 

One other benefit of the AC cabins is that they are on a floor with double-occupancy only cabins, which presumably will mean fewer children in the cabins around you. This could be important on shorter, summertime, or Caribbean cruises, but since our cruise is 13 days in Oct. in the Med, there probably won't be that many kids anyway.

 

Our cabin is directly under the pool. I've read of some concerns about the possibility of noise overhead, but I sleep with ear plugs so unless its deafening, it won't bother me...or so I hope! If it's really bad at all times, impacting our ability to enjoy our room when we're not sleeping, that could be a problem. I guess I'll find out.

You also get daily deliveries of bottled water, tea and juice.

Thanks for all of your info!!! I have booked AC for Mar.09:D

What dates?

Gonzo70: Here's another thread that talks about AQ you might find interesting: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=784582

Gonzo70: Here's another thread that talks about AQ you might find interesting: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=784582

Thanks :)

We currently have a concierge class room booked for our Alaska northbound trip. Apparently, we can change this to aqua class with no real price difference. But, I'm cocerned that if we change to aqua class, although we may get more ship amenities we may be sacrificing a great location on the ship. Since view in cruises to Alaska is quite important, I' m wondering if I should bother making the change. Location wise, can anyone tell me about the room location for the ac.

We currently have a concierge class room booked for our Alaska northbound trip. Apparently, we can change this to aqua class with no real price difference. But, I'm cocerned that if we change to aqua class, although we may get more ship amenities we may be sacrificing a great location on the ship. Since view in cruises to Alaska is quite important, I' m wondering if I should bother making the change. Location wise, can anyone tell me about the room location for the ac.

Quite an old thread:confused:, but current question.

Are you in a specif CC cabin, and is the upgrade to a specif cabin or a GTY? If spec cabin, you can look at the deck plans, or ask here for an opinion on the desireability of the new cabin.

in my humble opinion its not worth the extra

Since you say it is the same price and by moving to AQ, youwould retain all of the CC perks and add the AQ perks, it would easily be worth it. The food and dining experience in Blu were head and shoulders above the hub-bub of the Main Dining Room. Also, you will get two cruise credits. AQ rooms run the length of the ship, so it really depends on where your old room is and where you would be.

I wanted to change from CC to Aqua class but it was going to be $1,000 more for our cabin to do so and our CC cabin is on port side which is where I wanted to be for our southbound Alaska cruise on June 22. The only available Aqua Class were on starboard side so that made the decision for me. Didn't think eating in Blu was worth $1,000 more.

No, not worth it. IMHO

I don't know if the side of the ship would really be a factor but $1000 extra is not worth it for a 7 day cruise. Do the math $150 extra per day for what? Dining in Blu? We have sailed on the S class and M class in AQ. The S class in AQ is way better than what is offered in M class but neither one is worth that extra amount. You can dine in the specialty restuarants and buy a lot of water, smoothies, OJ, and drinks for that amount. The Persian Gardens on M class is a joke. Other than Blu the so called extra perks are fluff. Save your money to spend as you want not for false useless perks.

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miched:

Thanks for making me feel better about it. That was the conclusion that I had come to also.

I don't know if the side of the ship would really be a factor but $1000 extra is not worth it for a 7 day cruise. Do the math $150 extra per day for what? Dining in Blu? We have sailed on the S class and M class in AQ. The S class in AQ is way better than what is offered in M class but neither one is worth that extra amount. You can dine in the specialty restuarants and buy a lot of water, smoothies, OJ, and drinks for that amount. The Persian Gardens on M class is a joke. Other than Blu the so called extra perks are fluff. Save your money to spend as you want not for false useless perks.

 

 

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That was my thinking too, it was just easier to say not worth it

At $50.00, per couple per day, I believe that it is a good deal. Above that, then beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I just changed my room from Concierge Class to Aqua Class. The difference in price was only $50 per person - or $100 for the two of us. (I'm not sure why someone previously stated $1000 difference.) Our original Concierge Class reservation was Starboard side (for a Northbound Alaska cruise) on the 8th deck, to Starboard side on the 11th deck - 6 cabin-lengths further back.

From what I can tell, the $100 difference is definitely worth it. If we were in CC and wanted to eat in a specialty restaurant, that alone would be $80 for the two of us. If we were in CC class and wanted to buy a bottle of water every day, that would be about $50 for the two of us (it's included in the Aqua Class). So it essentially isn't costing us any more than the CC would.

I haven't found any downside to the Aqua Class, so I booked it. Trip is next month. If anyone wants further info, I can report back.

I just changed my room from Concierge Class to Aqua Class. The difference in price was only $50 per person - or $100 for the two of us. (I'm not sure why someone previously stated $1000 difference.) Our original Concierge Class reservation was Starboard side (for a Northbound Alaska cruise) on the 8th deck, to Starboard side on the 11th deck - 6 cabin-lengths further back.

 

From what I can tell, the $100 difference is definitely worth it. If we were in CC and wanted to eat in a specialty restaurant, that alone would be $80 for the two of us. If we were in CC class and wanted to buy a bottle of water every day, that would be about $50 for the two of us (it's included in the Aqua Class). So it essentially isn't costing us any more than the CC would.

 

I haven't found any downside to the Aqua Class, so I booked it. Trip is next month. If anyone wants further info, I can report back.

The difference in the amount for AQ isn't constant. It varies according to the cruise and when it is booked. Many times AQ is less than CC sometimes less than a reg balcony. It also depends on what cabins are selling and what is available. I booked a AQ for a 12 day cruise for $1600. It was about $200 more than a balcony. A few days later the balconies dropped to $1300 and the AQ jumped to $1800. Now the difference is larger. Then the balconies increased to $1800 and AQ to $1900. So who got the best deal on AQ? I paid $200 more but someone that paid $1900 thoughtn they only paid $100 more, but still paid $100 more than I did. But the person that paid $1300 for a balcony saved $300 initially and would have had to spend $600 extra to upgrade at a later date.

if you want the unlimited water, the relaxation stuff and blu then maybe its your thing.

If you are like me and have a drinks package then unlimited water is a bit redundant, I am typical bloke and have no interest in spas and relaxation therapy and very happy in the MDR and specialties, then don't bother.

Also AQ cabins have an overhang of the deck above which I am not in favour of.

Completely not worth it!

It is several hundred dollars more than a regular veranda- for what??? The amenities and waters/teas are worth pennies.

Blu is nice but Le Bistro and the other specialty places are way better- why pay extra for something your already getting more of at regular price?

Obviously AQ is not for everybody but it's been a total game-changer for us. We love it's little perks but the Blu dining experience makes cruising so much more pleasurable. Blu's menu and food are so much better than the MDR but the service and sophistication is light years ahead of the MDR.

It's more intimate and fits our lifestyle.

As for cost...Miched already pointed out, the cost fluctuates and if you are a careful cruise shopper, you can get the price at the identical level as CC as we have done on our previous two AQ class cruises. In fact, the reason I booked the first was that AQ was less expensive than CC so I jumped all over it....wasn't much lower but I knew enough to give AQ a try and we were sold.

AQ makes cruising really special.

I just changed my room from Concierge Class to Aqua Class. The difference in price was only $50 per person - or $100 for the two of us. (I'm not sure why someone previously stated $1000 difference.) Our original Concierge Class reservation was Starboard side (for a Northbound Alaska cruise) on the 8th deck, to Starboard side on the 11th deck - 6 cabin-lengths further back.

 

From what I can tell, the $100 difference is definitely worth it. If we were in CC and wanted to eat in a specialty restaurant, that alone would be $80 for the two of us. If we were in CC class and wanted to buy a bottle of water every day, that would be about $50 for the two of us (it's included in the Aqua Class). So it essentially isn't costing us any more than the CC would.

 

I haven't found any downside to the Aqua Class, so I booked it. Trip is next month. If anyone wants further info, I can report back.

I hope you enjoy AQ and Blu as much as we do.

Bon Voyage

Blu's menu, food, and ambience are so much better than the MDR that on our last cruise we ate in the MDR 2/3's of the time.