Anyone else looking forward to the aqua spa cabins?

If you are like me and took a chance of one of the aqua spa cabins, what are you looking forward to the most about this as-of-yet unknown experience? We love the idea of having a healthy dining option for dinner and the quiet lounge areas that are part of the package in the spa. The extra jets in the shower appeal to us also. Has anyone heard anymore about the different scents that are in the cabin? How do you think they will introduce those into each cabin? We have never had a concierge class cabin, but I understand that those amenities will be included in the AC cabins as well.

I am very much looking forward to some feed back from those who are booked on the Soltice this winter.

We have an Aqua for my mom's bday in Feb. I am really looking forward to Blu, and just having a girls spa vacation without having to stay on land. We are going to work out do yoga eat healthy and do spa treatments.

I have had a CC cabin and the extras are small but nice. Expanded bfast menu, pillow menue, Canapes in the eve. No biggie but nice touches,

I am curious about the aromatherapy....I can't wait to read a review.

I am really looking for information, and not knocking AC, but what exactly is it, and what do you get? I am only aware of Blu dining and unlimited aqua spa amenities (T-pool, Persian Gardens????)

These are priced higher than CC rooms, but below suites. I would imagine suite holders will have the same privileges that are afforded to the AC rooms, no?

We actually booked the AC cabin before the prices went through the roof. I doubt I would book one for what they are asking now. Having never stayed in a suite or CC class cabin, I can't compare the differences. It is my understanding the the AC cabins also are entitled to the CC amenities. I believe that Blu and the unlimited spa amenities are the big draw for many folks. We are on a TA cruise, so the ship is very much the destination for us.

We actually booked the AC cabin before the prices went through the roof. I doubt I would book one for what they are asking now.

Agree, the current prices are $2,500 more than we paid. Can't believe it. But that is for the inaugural. Prices probably aren't so bad on the other dates.

I guess I am just looking forward to something new.

Only the AC guests have Blu as their main dining room. If I understand correctly it is available to to others but only if there is an opening. Even the suites. Some people (not booked in AC) have said that the dining room looks drab and boring. That's OK I like the idea of the smaller quieter room.

We cruise to relax and have a fairly quiet time. We talk to people and enjoy their company, but that's not why we cruise. I know others go to meet people and party and that's great for them. The AC cabin looked so inviting becasue it seems like it will be a more relaxing cruise for us.

enjoy,

Duane

Can anyone list out what the ammenities are for AC? What about for CC? I'm having trouble understanding exactly what the difference is - thanks! ;)

When we considered a Solstice booking we checked out with X and were advised that suites will not get the spa perks that the Aquaclass cabins get. They will only have access to Blu after Aquaclass bookings are satisfied. This begs the question why would I book a suite on Solstice class apart from the space as the perks are limited to the butler. We are going to wait and see what the early cruisers feedback is like before making future decision on Aqauclass vs suite

A

Can anyone list out what the ammenities are for AC? What about for CC? I'm having trouble understanding exactly what the difference is - thanks! ;)

Controlled mood lighting, music, ambient sound, lavish scent selection, pillow menu, special access to spa amenities ie persian gardens, relaxation room, spa concierge, blu, hansgrohe shower head, daily fruit & canapes, fresh flowers, welcome champange, leather key ring, personal stationary, tote bag, frette bathrobes, VIP invites to events, early debark/embark; dining preference; preferred shore excursion, express luggage, shoe shine

I searched for the CC amenities and was unable to find them specifically, however, I believe it is what I listed above after the "shower head" Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

As I said before in a previous post, we have never been in CC class cabin so this seems to the best of both worlds for us. We love the spa experience and with 7 sea days on this cruise, our cabin choice really lends itself to the relaxation aspect of the trip.

We booked an Aqua Class cabin recently for a Greek Isles and Turkey cruise (May 2009). My main reason for booking AC is the hope that the food in Blu is along lines of the food in the Aquaspa on the M-class ships...tasty but fresh and healthy. We have always cruised Concierge Class on Celebrity, and have enjoyed the perks, so we look forward to having them included in AC. We have also purchased the Persian Gardens pass in the past and my husband has especially enjoyed those amenities, so AC seemed like a good fit for us.

At this point, I am waiting for the first reviews to come in, to see if there is reason to worry about being under the pool deck.

We weren't in a position to book when the Solstice itineraries were first released, so don't have any idea how much more we are paying for booking later. The current price for AC is $2899 pp on our cruise. Does anyone know what the 11 day Greek/Turkey itinerary was priced at when it was first released?

We are also looking forward to a healthy eating option, the Aqua cafe food is wonderful and it appears they will offer similar choices in Blu. I have never had the opportunity to experience the persian gardens. Please explain what that area offers.

We chose a AC cabin that is located in the aft of the ship, therefore, we have cabins above us. I was a little wary of something under the pool deck. I am sure we will hear what others have to say when they get off the ship at the end of the year.

Understandably, a port intensive cruise will cost more pp, we only have 6 port days and the price for our 13 night trip was approx $1800 pp including taxes and fees.

We have never booked anything this far in advance, but could not resist the new ship with all the exciting amenities. I love the look of the cool, clean and modern lines to the interior of the ship.

People are already beginning to complain about the grass on the top deck and the glass blowing exhibition. Clearly you will not be able to please all the people all the time, but being negative about a ship that has not even been built is beyond me.

We are also looking forward to a healthy eating option, the Aqua cafe food is wonderful and it appears they will offer similar choices in Blu. I have never had the opportunity to experience the persian gardens. Please explain what that area offers.

 

We chose a AC cabin that is located in the aft of the ship, therefore, we have cabins above us. I was a little wary of something under the pool deck. I am sure we will hear what others have to say when they get off the ship at the end of the year.

 

Understandably, a port intensive cruise will cost more pp, we only have 6 port days and the price for our 13 night trip was approx $1800 pp including taxes and fees.

 

We have never booked anything this far in advance, but could not resist the new ship with all the exciting amenities. I love the look of the cool, clean and modern lines to the interior of the ship.

 

People are already beginning to complain about the grass on the top deck and the glass blowing exhibition. Clearly you will not be able to please all the people all the time, but being negative about a ship that has not even been built is beyond me.

Lucky you! You received a wonderful rate by booking early! The AC cabins are sold out on your cruise, but the Concierge Class cabins are at $2700 pp now, so the AC would probably be at least $2800 now, if they were still available for that cruise.

I hate to think that we paid so much more because we couldn't book early, but we just didn't know what time we would have available when the itineraries were first published. Oh well, you win some, you lose some, or as my mother would say, what you win on the swings, you lose on the roundabouts. :rolleyes: We've always had really good pricing on Celebrity cruises up to now, so I have no complaints.

With respect to the Persian Gardens, according to the Celebrity website....

Persian Garden

As you enter the Persian Garden, the exotic aroma of healing eucalyptus envelops your senses. Wrap yourself in the caressing steam and cleansing heat as you recline on a marble lounge. Luxuriate in the ambiance of calming new age music as you enjoy the warmth of a steam or your own private sauna. Surrounded by beauty and serenity, relax and renew your sense of wellness in this exotic retreat.

The Persian Gardens also have larger showers and my husband regularly used them in preference to the one in our CC stateroom. The cost to use the Persian Gardens was $99 pp for our 14 day cruise on the Summit, and less for shorter cruises.

I think the Lawn on the top deck might be really relaxing and bocce is always fun...it will be interesting to see how it works out. I was just thinking that the turf and the water to keep it alive must be really heavy surface treatment, and therefore a costly addition.

I love watching glass-blowing exhibitions, and hope they will be selling some of the products of these demonstrations on board. We are big fans of Dale Chihuly and the Tacoma Glass Museum, so we're looking forward to this new activity (with only the slightest amount of apprehension :o).

What I'd like to see added to the onboard activities are more art classes. On all of my Celebrity cruises so far, I have never been to a painting or drawing class, and would love that activity on sea days. I also miss the computer classes (Photoshop, etc.) that the Onboard Computer centre used to offer, and wish they would add those back.

Looking forward to our AC cabin. I love the idea of a smaller quieter dining room. We have one under the spa.

We booked an AC cabin on Equinox for the Ancient Empires cruise in Oct. '09. I've done a lot of research into the whole AC concept, to see if it would be right for us. Price-wise, it's not that much more than the non-AC cabins on our cruise - not sure why. In fact, it's barely more than the CC cabins, and in fact is LESS than some non-CC cabins (the ones that are facing aft), even tho according to all descriptions I can find, the cabins and verandas are identical in size. So I really don't understand the pricing.

The posts above pretty much list what you get with AC and CC (and yes, all AC cabins get CC benefits). One CC benefit that sounds great is express luggage service, although I'm not sure how effective that really is. I've read varying reports on its effectiveness on other ships - some people have said they really didn't notice any difference as to when they got their luggage. Same thing with priority embarkation - I've read some reviews indicating that, while CC is supposed to offer that, it doesn't really happen. I guess that remains to be seen.

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.

Very nice post Lee. We booked CC cabins for the first Soltice cruise in December and now I'm wishing we had booked AC. I'm talking myself into going on the Equinox for the Christmas and New Years Holidays 2009 and will book an AC cabin for that. I think the AC amenities and Blu will add to a nice romantic holiday getaway for DW and I. I'm thinking the AC class is geared more for couples traveling on their own. I think if I was with a group or taking the kids we'd bypass AC. Since these are big ships and I'm anticipating that both these sailings are going to be full, with quite a lot of families, it would be nice to have the spa access and access to the AC lounge area for some quiet time.

2) Priority dining preference - I'm assuming this means that we'll get priority for making reservations in the specialty restaurants.

A question to all Captain's Club members. I am assuming that you can still book the Specialty restaurants 60 days out.

Has anyone heard any thing to the contrary?

I'm happy to see that everyone here is thinking along the same lines. I think cruising is often a wonderful way to travel, however, it is always interesting when something original is added to the mix. I look at these new cabins as improving on the already great experience we have when we are on board a ship. We look forward to the unexpected surprises that Celebrity has in store for us.

I am new to Celebrity and went for the AQ Class cabin. I thought with it being dark by 5 pm it would be a great place to relax before getting ready for dinner. Also with three sea days I would use it during the day. Plus no children near the cabins.

The smaller DR means to me better service- I hope. Plus good food..

I'm afraid there are going to be some disappointments. There are overlapping benefits with AQ, suite, CC and Captain's Club benefits and with that many people having the same perks, not everyone will be able to be accommodated.

I would suggest that everyone go to the Celebrity website and read each stateroom category's benefits carefully and then read the Captain's Club benefits.

I'm sure there will be plenty of lovely experiences for all but I hate to see anyone setting himself up for disappointment.

Controlled mood lighting, music, ambient sound, lavish scent selection, pillow menu, special access to spa amenities ie persian gardens, relaxation room, spa concierge, blu, hansgrohe shower head, daily fruit & canapes, fresh flowers, welcome champange, leather key ring, personal stationary, tote bag, frette bathrobes, VIP invites to events, early debark/embark; dining preference; preferred shore excursion, express luggage, shoe shine

 

I searched for the CC amenities and was unable to find them specifically, however, I believe it is what I listed above after the "shower head" Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

 

As I said before in a previous post, we have never been in CC class cabin so this seems to the best of both worlds for us. We love the spa experience and with 7 sea days on this cruise, our cabin choice really lends itself to the relaxation aspect of the trip.

Thanks for the explanation of the benefits. Every time I tried to do a search on Celebrity's website, I'd only get a few of the items you listed - never a complete list.

I'm afraid there are going to be some disappointments. There are overlapping benefits with AQ, suite, CC and Captain's Club benefits and with that many people having the same perks, not everyone will be able to be accommodated.

I would suggest that everyone go to the Celebrity website and read each stateroom category's benefits carefully and then read the Captain's Club benefits.

 

 

Agree completely. I began to picture the folks from the 130 AQ cabins (that's 260 people) all trying to use the "unlimited" Relaxation Room lounges or Persian Gardens (along with the regular, spa-paying guests who bought a pass to the Gardens)...

 

We chose, instead, a Concierge Class on the Equinox, ON THE STERN (Our favorite place on an M-Class ship), which was $50 (yes, just $50 at the time we booked - today it's $100 which is still less than $10/day difference - hardly covers your AQ "complimentary bottled water"!!!) less than the Aquaclass for the WHOLE 11-NIGHT Caribbean cruise in January 2010. Seems that without any REAL difference in price -- we figure AQ can't REALLY be offering a whole lot more than CC class...

 

(Perhaps it's a big marketing ploy to get that deck of cabins underneath the pool deck all booked up...)

 

And no one yet knows if the stern cabins will have oversize balconies as on the M-Class ships. All the customer reps I've spoken with concede that, yes, they have been told that "all the balconies - sides and stern - are the same," but say, yup, we'll all have to wait to see the ships for real-- because: After all, X brochures and websites still, after all the years, list stern Concierge Class cabins' balconies on M-Class as the same 54 sq. ft. or so that they are on the sides! We all know better!!!!!!!!!

 

Happy cruising!

I'm afraid there are going to be some disappointments. There are overlapping benefits with AQ, suite, CC and Captain's Club benefits and with that many people having the same perks, not everyone will be able to be accommodated.

 

I would suggest that everyone go to the Celebrity website and read each stateroom category's benefits carefully and then read the Captain's Club benefits.

 

I'm sure there will be plenty of lovely experiences for all but I hate to see anyone setting himself up for disappointment.

Yes, that was what I was thinking. Who can

really tell what AS Class will really offer until the first group reports back.

Birders & MaBell: Although I appreciate that fact that you responded to my thread, it was really directed to folks that actually booked an AC cabin, not people who booked other cabins and felt the need to warn us that we might be disappointed by the experience. I am quite sure that the glass-half-full way of looking at life is much more pleasant that glass-half-empty response that we find on these boards so often. I tend to be open minded about these things and quite frankly, the only thing that would disappoint me about a cruise, would be NOT getting on board.

I am sure most folks that booked these cabins or even entertained the thought, realized that with all new things, there may be some glitches. However, it seems to me, the good will far outweigh the bad. Only time will tell, but I'd rather approach this new cabin experience in the mindset of how they were offered, for a great "spa experience" with everything that is included.

It's wonderful that we have choices in life and the cruise lines offer each of us the opportunity to make decisions based upon one that fits our travel lifestyle. Thanks again for all the input.

I certainly am not taking the glass half empty perspective. If anything I am always considered too positive about my Celebrity experiences and I'm sure AC cabins will be lovely.

What makes you think I haven't booked an AC cabin? We have a Sky Suite on the cruise with you but it's not the only cruise we have booked.

I would just hate to see people expecting that they are going to have their luggage delivered first, get all the specialty reservations they want, be the first on and off the ship, have exclusive use of spa amenities, etc. As I said, I'm sure there will be a lot of wonderful experiences for all.

There are a lot of AC, CC and Suite cabins aboard not to mention all the Captain's Club members. I would just hate for people to be upset because they don't have all the facts.

For me the benefits would be Blu dining, having a cabin in an adults only area, spa access and the upgraded shower. The other benefits are really going to be subject to availability. Suites also have spa access included.

Birders & MaBell: Although I appreciate that fact that you responded to my thread, it was really directed to folks that actually booked an AC cabin, not people who booked other cabins and felt the need to warn us that we might be disappointed by the experience. I am quite sure that the glass-half-full way of looking at life is much more pleasant that glass-half-empty response that we find on these boards so often. I tend to be open minded about these things and quite frankly, the only thing that would disappoint me about a cruise, would be NOT getting on board.

 

It's wonderful that we have choices in life and the cruise lines offer each of us the opportunity to make decisions based upon one that fits our travel lifestyle. Thanks again for all the input.

Hey, threads have a way of expanding and evolving!! - A couple of newbies to Celebrity posted on Your Thread with questions such as "Just what are the differences between CC and AQ"; Ma Bell made what I thought was a good point, particularly for people asking about facts; we're all just joining the discussion, using our experience the way we were helped SO MUCH by posters when we were new to cruising! Research has paid off in many very satisfying, wonderful cruises -- I'm sure that Your Thread's title is catching the attention of MANY who are trying to decide between AQ and CC and who are seeking informative input.

So, again: HAPPY Cruising to all! :)

(13 X cruises; 2 Royal Caribbean; 4 HAL; 1 NCL; 2 River Cruises)

Birders & Ma Bell: Thanks again for your input. I guess I was just hoping to find like-minded people who were as excited about this new concept as me. And, I was trying to keep the thread up-beat, I'm sure you know that some of them can take a turn for the worse.

When I am on a ship, very little disappoints me. I don't place all my expectations on the cruise line for an enjoyable experience, the trip is really what each person makes of it. I listed all the amenities because someone had posed a question and I wanted to assist them, as we all do on these boards, with any additional helpful information that I may have had access to. It would be foolish to expect X to be 100% up to par on all things at all times. The reality is that it just won't happen, but I am more than willing to the take the chance. Thank goodness we avoided one of the possible pitfalls and booked a cabin in the aft section of the ship. I would be a little concerned if a public area was above us. But, you never know, they may have planned for just that issue and put into place something that will alleviate that problem. Too bad we all have to wait until December to get some answers to our questions.

In the meantime, I will keep looking forward to this cruise and the 2 we have planned between now and then.

A cruising we will go.... :)