Please don't blast me!

[SeaBlu]

Can we sail in AQ and request our Table Assignment in the MDR?

 

I know that there are many of you out there just waiting to jump all over me BUT we have read over and over the menus from both venues and we are not thrilled with either but we DO like the menus better in the MDR than in BLU. First of all there are NO chocolate desserts in BLU - what is up with that?? Second - we like beef and beef and pork, turkey, some seafood! We do NOT like fish and we do NOT like lamb. I realize that BLU has New York Strip steak on the "always available menu", but that seems silly.

 

But I would still like to go to BLU for breakfast - so I do not know what to do?

[Waterlily777]

Can we sail in AQ and request our Table Assignment in the MDR?

 

I know that there are many of you out there just waiting to jump all over me BUT we have read over and over the menus from both venues and we are not thrilled with either but we DO like the menus better in the MDR than in BLU. First of all there are NO chocolate desserts in BLU - what is up with that?? Second - we like beef and beef and pork, turkey, some seafood! We do NOT like fish and we do NOT like lamb. I realize that BLU has New York Strip steak on the "always available menu", but that seems silly.

 

But I would still like to go to BLU for breakfast - so I do not know what to do?

 

Yes, you can request MDR as your dining room, and Celebrity will do everything possible to accommodate you.

 

I totally respect your right to choose your dining room, but you might want to give Blu a try before ditching :).

 

The first night on both our Solstice cruises in Blu, there was the most fabulous filet mignon on the menu. It was every bit as good as the filet in Tuscan Grill. If you like beef, I'd at least stay for the first night :D.

 

The descriptions of the menu items in Blu are still a bit peculiar, and I was a little concerned that I wasn't going to like dining there, but the food was oh-so-much-better than the descriptions would lead you to believe. It's not "new age" cuisine...it's really good food, full of flavour, and the serving dishes are SO pretty.

 

Plus the service in Blu is really great. They will bend over backwards to accommodate you. I sailed with a friend who was all about dessert and if she asked the day before, they made her anything she wanted for dessert. She had chocolate desserts, she had bread pudding. (I got hooked on the ice cream, and ice cream is normally something I don't eat.) If you want chocolate, they will get you chocolate. I bet you could have a chocolate dessert every night if you want to.

 

Blu only has 130 seats compared to I-don't-know-how-many in the Grand Epernay. The service is SO good. One thing I really care about is having hot food served while it is still hot, and with its own kitchen, Blu managed to turn our entrees that always arrived piping hot.

 

Plus, the room is really pretty. One tiny point that I really liked...the amber glass crystals and the chandeliers are all mounted on springs, so even when the ship is stationery, they bounce and shimmer a little. It's magical. And romantic.

 

I don't want to over-inflate your expectations, but we would cruise Aquaclass just in order to dine in Blu.

 

The thing I especially love about Celebrity is they always try to give you what you want. So if you try Blu for the first night and it's not a good fit for you, I'm sure they will find a way to switch you to the MDR for the rest of your cruise.

 

This is just a guess, but I'm betting that even if you do switch, they will still let you have breakfast in Blu!

 

Enjoy your cruise, whatever you decide!

[uktog]

On our cruise (ended on 5 Feb) one of our table mates in the MDR were in Aquaclass and had requested the move. I am not sure their reasons but it was great to have them at our table. They ate in Blu each morning so absolutely on Equinox it was very possible. I think they get more requests to go from MDR to Blu so you are not going to have any difficulties with this one

[whitelilly]

I was very disappointed in the menu and food at Blu. My dh is also all about chocolate for dessert and that was a disappointment for him. I would have loved to have had bread pudding but we are not the type of people to ask for things that are not on the menu. We also didn't spend the time to go checking out the MDR menu everyday...too much work for a vacation. When I struggled two nights with my dinner decision no one offered me any other options (perhaps a line at the bottom of the menu indicating that they would also provide other items would be helpful). I did enjoy the breakfast at Blu (minus the no oatmeal) and the room is lovely. I have to say though if the differential in price is significant then I wouldn't do it again.

[pmsdebbie]

We also were AQ last year on Solstice and did not care for the menu in Blu. However, the food was good just not what we expected. Main dining menu was better. And of course Tuscan and Murano were fabulous!! I would recommend you at least give it a try and if you don't like it, then request MDR.

[teajak]

I was very disappointed in the menu and food at Blu. My dh is also all about chocolate for dessert and that was a disappointment for him. I would have loved to have had bread pudding but we are not the type of people to ask for things that are not on the menu. We also didn't spend the time to go checking out the MDR menu everyday...too much work for a vacation. When I struggled two nights with my dinner decision no one offered me any other options (perhaps a line at the bottom of the menu indicating that they would also provide other items would be helpful). I did enjoy the breakfast at Blu (minus the no oatmeal) and the room is lovely. I have to say though if the differential in price is significant then I wouldn't do it again.

We totally agree. Breakfast was not great either. Bagel,had to request cream cheese,DH couldn't get corned beef hash with his eggs ( yes we did asK),dry hard toast.MDR next time for us.

[LuvSand&Sun]

because so many people request Blu..there should be no problem with your switch..Could you post a link to the menus for the MDR please??

 

Corinna

[SeaBlu]

Yes, you can request MDR as your dining room, and Celebrity will do everything possible to accommodate you.

 

I totally respect your right to choose your dining room, but you might want to give Blu a try before ditching :).

 

The first night on both our Solstice cruises in Blu, there was the most fabulous filet mignon on the menu. It was every bit as good as the filet in Tuscan Grill. If you like beef, I'd at least stay for the first night :D.

 

The descriptions of the menu items in Blu are still a bit peculiar, and I was a little concerned that I wasn't going to like dining there, but the food was oh-so-much-better than the descriptions would lead you to believe. It's not "new age" cuisine...it's really good food, full of flavor, and the serving dishes are SO pretty.

 

Plus the service in Blu is really great. They will bend over backwards to accommodate you. I sailed with a friend who was all about dessert and if she asked the day before, they made her anything she wanted for dessert. She had chocolate desserts, she had bread pudding. (I got hooked on the ice cream, and ice cream is normally something I don't eat.) If you want chocolate, they will get you chocolate. I bet you could have a chocolate dessert every night if you want to.

 

Blu only has 130 seats compared to I-don't-know-how-many in the Grand Epernay. The service is SO good. One thing I really care about is having hot food served while it is still hot, and with its own kitchen, Blu managed to turn our entrées that always arrived piping hot.

 

Plus, the room is really pretty. One tiny point that I really liked...the amber glass crystals and the chandeliers are all mounted on springs, so even when the ship is stationery, they bounce and shimmer a little. It's magical. And romantic.

 

I don't want to over-inflate your expectations, but we would cruise Aquaclass just in order to dine in Blu.

 

The thing I especially love about Celebrity is they always try to give you what you want. So if you try Blu for the first night and it's not a good fit for you, I'm sure they will find a way to switch you to the MDR for the rest of your cruise.

 

This is just a guess, but I'm betting that even if you do switch, they will still let you have breakfast in Blu!

 

Enjoy your cruise, whatever you decide!

 

Waterlily777 - Thank you very much for these excellent suggestions. I think perhaps we will try it the first night and see how we feel and how it goes.

I thank all of you for taking the time to answer my questions and your thoughtful answers. We are not sailing until June, but when we return I will let you all know how it went and what we did.

Our SIL is a Naval Officer and thus our grandchildren have lived in Japan, Sicily, and also traveled to many, many others areas of the world and they do eat a great variety of foods, the problem is that they both eat like birds. I hate for them to order food and eat 2 bites and waste it. But I suppose the Cruise Line is use to children and how they eat.

Our grandchildren have cruised before with their parents, but never with just us, and they are really excited (so are we)! :D

 

Again, thank you all!

[Host Anne]

SeaBlu ~ your question seemed like a very reasonable one. You should never be "blasted" on Cruise Critic for ANY question you ask. If that should ever happen (or you see it happen to someone else), please hit the red triangle at the top of each post and send us an alert. That's helps us keep the boards a friendlier place.

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[TomMMD]

One of our dinner partners is Blu would check out the MDR menu each evening and if it appealed to him, he would order one of the chocolate items from the MDR.

 

Our waiter was very happy to get it for us.

[Moeve]

Of course you can but you might want to look at a CC cabin instead because you are paying a premium for the BLU. It might be cheaper to cruise in a CC and then pay the daily fee or the weekly fee for the Persian Gardens if this is appealing to you. By the way the AQ cabins are not bigger and it is questionable whether the in cabin perks are really worth the extra money you are paying if you are not going to utalizie the BLU.

[ken85121]

I'm confused. I'm booked in AQ, have select dining rather than traditional and thought I could dine in either place - Blu or the main dining room. Is my understanding correct? Thanks.

[sptrout]

I'm confused. I'm booked in AQ, have select dining rather than traditional and thought I could dine in either place - Blu or the main dining room. Is my understanding correct? Thanks.

 

No, Celebrity's web site is really confusing. The dining section on their web site was designed for all passengers except AQ passengers. Instead of correcting this error, everyone has been on their own to figure out the "correct" answer to the traditional vs. select dining. Things may have changed in the past couple weeks (based on what I have read on CC), but the correct answer to the question was to select traditional NOT select, which will place you in the MDR.

 

Unless someone posts with information that is no more than a week or so old, I recommend that you change your selection to traditional and pick a preferred time slot (which for Blu no longer has any meaning).