Worried about Blu Menus

[cheryl20772]

You will not have any trouble getting a table for 2 in BLU. The tables are moved around in there according to how they are needed. If you have a larger group, you can request that the tables be pushed together, but generally, they are kept separated. Here's two of the layouts I cropped from the deckplan images for Solstice and Infinity. You can see all the tables for 2. That's how they are generally kept. There are some that look like table for 1, but those have a banquette or bench along the wall on one side. Notice that there usually is at least one or two tables for 6 ready for larger groups. It looks to me like Infinity will have more tables by a window than Solstice does.

 

[smellywax]

We ate in Blue on our Equinox cruise. We loved it. It is like eating in a specialty restaurant every night. They are really accommodating to any and all special requests. We often ordered a baked potato and I am a vegetable lover so I ordered extra veggies. They would bring incredible mixes of fresh warm veggies. The only thing I was disappointed with was the rack of lamb--which was fatty and unpleasant. The breakfast was awesome.

Glad you two ended up liking Blu and ordered the baked potato like Julio mentioned ;)

 

We loved it and will always book Aqua Class for our cruises if possible. They want you to be pleased. If you see a dressing on one salad that sounds better, they can change it. I you want them to take some of the meat from the meat entrees and cut it up over a salad, they will do that. Hubby got a baked potato every night and we always ordered extra stuff just to try. I will say it is a meat lovers dream. I am a fish lover and although they had fish several nights, most was not the kind I like....and neither is the kind in the main dining room...I like white fish (halibut etc) But the rest of the seafood items/apps/etc made up for it. I wish we would have eaten in Blu for breakfast more often. It was fantastic. I really enjoyed the Pecan Blueberry Pancakes!

[smellywax]

We are sailing in AQ on the Eclipse & are wondering.....

 

While we are very social, when it comes to food we always prefer a table for two. Will we have this every night in BLU?

 

While you can always get a table for two, there isn't a lot of privacy as the other seats are next to you. Try to get a table by the window at least to feel somewhat like you are in your own oasis.

[miXterOB]

We did the tables by the window...with the view while the sun's still up but our favorite was one on the back 40 right by a post and the third 8 top round table. That two top is prime real estate for us...and definitely the most imtimate in a great dining room...but that was for dinner. At breakfast, we ALWAYS sat by the window usually at one of the bench/sofa + chair deuces(two top)....

I loved the blueberry/pecan pancakes and omelets(sun dried tomatoes, spinach and cheddar), DW loved the incredible french toast as well as the muesli.

The pastry offerings were really excellent and always have unusual surprise components like the breadbaskets....if you balk/blink you'll miss the taste-treat fun.

 

I'm going to get personal and call out our waiter from the 12/18 Solstice cruise...Bernard.

The guy was great...he WILL be management soon...always joyous and enthusiastic and always keeping eyes on the patrons using his assistant to keep his always large station happy and the food/drinks coming. He was a super star. He was the air traffic controller on the back 40 for all the waiters.

[cruisemom42]

After reading some of the reviews of the AQ amenities and of Blu, I was considering booking a cabin, but now I'm concerned. I travel solo and at dinner I always enjoy sharing a table of 6 or 8. I don't particularly want to be seated at a table for 2, even if the other tables are close by, as I think it would feel a bit awkward.

 

Do they truly only seat passengers by party rather than having tables that share?

[miXterOB]

Do they truly only seat passengers by party rather than having tables that share?

 

Yes, you are seated by party but based on both cruises we've done, solo travelers have ALWAYS become friends with the tables around them because while they are mostly two tops, the tables are pretty close together and conversations between tables are commonplace and yes, you do make new friends frequently ending up with joined tables.

[Lois R]

After reading some of the reviews of the AQ amenities and of Blu, I was considering booking a cabin, but now I'm concerned. I travel solo and at dinner I always enjoy sharing a table of 6 or 8. I don't particularly want to be seated at a table for 2, even if the other tables are close by, as I think it would feel a bit awkward.

 

Do they truly only seat passengers by party rather than having tables that share?

 

Hi Cynthia,:) you probably know I sail solo. I was in AQ once and I

ended up only having dinner there 3 nights out of 7.

As to being seated with others? Nope, unless you meet folks and

go together, you will not be seated with anyone else.

[cruisemom42]

Yes, you are seated by party but based on both cruises we've done, solo travelers have ALWAYS become friends with the tables around them because while they are mostly two tops, the tables are pretty close together and conversations between tables are commonplace and yes, you do make new friends frequently ending up with joined tables.

 

Hi Cynthia,:) you probably know I sail solo. I was in AQ once and I

ended up only having dinner there 3 nights out of 7.

As to being seated with others? Nope, unless you meet folks and

go together, you will not be seated with anyone else.

 

Thanks for providing more details; I will have to think about AQ some more before I decide. It's tough because the Blu experience for dinner sounds very nice.

[bob brown]

We did the tables by the window...with the view while the sun's still up but our favorite was one on the back 40 right by a post and the third 8 top round table. That two top is prime real estate for us...and definitely the most imtimate in a great dining room...but that was for dinner. At breakfast, we ALWAYS sat by the window usually at one of the bench/sofa + chair deuces(two top)....

I loved the blueberry/pecan pancakes and omelets(sun dried tomatoes, spinach and cheddar), DW loved the incredible french toast as well as the muesli.

The pastry offerings were really excellent and always have unusual surprise components like the breadbaskets....if you balk/blink you'll miss the taste-treat fun.

 

I'm going to get personal and call out our waiter from the 12/18 Solstice cruise...Bernard.

The guy was great...he WILL be management soon...always joyous and enthusiastic and always keeping eyes on the patrons using his assistant to keep his always large station happy and the food/drinks coming. He was a super star. He was the air traffic controller on the back 40 for all the waiters.

We were on the last cruise of the Silhouette. Our first time in Aqua. Thanks to a recommendation on these boards, we requested to be seated in Bianca's station upon entering the first night, and Orlando, the maitre'd smiled and seated us at the table you mentioned,or perhaps one like it (was in the closest section to the entrance), beside the pole. We called it 'our table', as we were there every night of the cruise since.

In the morning, if we got there early enough we sat at a window table, if not, 'our table'. We befriended a single traveler that we sat near one morning, and had no problem conversing. She seemed to have no problems conversing with others as well, and sometimes they would have their tables put together...

The snippets of deck plan in the post above show a different table arrangement then we had on the Silhouette.

[Lois R]

Thanks for providing more details; I will have to think about AQ some more before I decide. It's tough because the Blu experience for dinner sounds very nice.

 

Cynthia, drop me an email and I will explain more indepth about that

particular cruise to you. Click on this link:

lo1958@hotmail.com

[Lois R]

Yes, you are seated by party but based on both cruises we've done, solo travelers have ALWAYS become friends with the tables around them because while they are mostly two tops, the tables are pretty close together and conversations between tables are commonplace and yes, you do make new friends frequently ending up with joined tables.

 

I am quite outgoing but that scenerio did not happen for me.

I ended up only dining there 3 out of 7 nights.

[kat228]

If it helps, I have pictures of everything we ate in Blu in my review (link in signature.)

[cruisemom42]

Cynthia, drop me an email and I will explain more indepth about that

particular cruise to you. Click on this link:

lo1958@hotmail.com

 

Thanks, Lois -- very kind of you. You have mail. :)

[jackdiamond]

Yes, you are seated by party but based on both cruises we've done, solo travelers have ALWAYS become friends with the tables around them because while they are mostly two tops, the tables are pretty close together and conversations between tables are commonplace and yes, you do make new friends frequently ending up with joined tables.

That was always our experience on three ten night cruises in AQ. Also, we were delighted with the intelligence and educational level of the folks with whom we chatted.

[The Big Booper]

We were on the cruise with Bob and have put up an album of pictures devoted to the ship. Here are five pictures of Blu.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Somehow I missed some sections of this lovely room, including Bob"s table, but these give you an idea of the flavor.

 

These were taken in the middle of the day when the room is not used. With all the attention devoted to AQ and Blu on Cruise Critic, I should go thru and see if I have any more pictures of the room.

 

Friends of ours who were on this sailing were in AQ and liked Blu.

[Pack My Bags]

Does anyone have the menus?

[librarylady19]

Here's a link to menus. The food and service were great. I have more information and photos in my Eclipse review.

 

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/59368763@N07/sets/72157627905504343/with/6303120023/

[FM]

Hubby and I have learned to enjoy and embrace the MDR menus and make them our own.

 

We have booked AQ for the first time and I am worried about the Blu menus. From what I can see the menus move from "meat and potatoes" style to fine dining - not really our style.

 

Will Blu really be flexible enough to get us the meals we want if the daily menu just isn't to our liking. I have to order special meals the night before anyhow since I have a dietary need that needs catering to.

 

We thought we'd try Blu at the urging of Chef Pier Paolo and our vacation planner - now we're not really sure.

 

Thoughts?

 

Judy

 

(I'm already looking at upgrading to a suite because I'm so nervous!)

 

You should have no difficulty ... a comment we made on a previous post ...

Yes, you can certainly request items from the MDR. Due to my wife's dietary needs / restrictions, we ended up ordering from the MDR menu on a number of occassions - did not matter if it was an appetizer, soup, salad, entry or dessert! On two occasions, I even had an entree from both Blu and the MDR as I could not resist some of the choices from the MDR - AND both were GREAT! Blu is indeed quieter and more intimate - and we loved the service - warm, attentive and personable. Blu would be one of the reasons we will always go Aqua from now on with Celebrity - and this was our first time on Celeb

 

 

... and we had no difficulty changing up some of the items off the Blu Menu ... i.e. a baked potato instead of the sides offered with the entree; once I asked for the steak to be "blackened" and so forth ... my DW is exactly like you, more "meat and potatoes" than "fine dining" ;)