Question About Blu

[cruiseaholic13]

Can someone tell me how Blu works... do you have an assigned dining time or can you just go whenever (like with "My Time Dining"?) Thanks!!

[kiwi_sparkles]

Yes its the same as Select/My Time so as long as you are in AQ class you can just go whenever you like. I think hours are between 6 and 9pm, but someone more knowledgeable will no doubt be along to confirm times shortly.

[dkjretired]

Yes its the same as Select/My Time so as long as you are in AQ class you can just go whenever you like. I think hours are between 6 and 9pm, but someone more knowledgeable will no doubt be along to confirm times shortly.

 

I believe those hours are correct You will receive a letter in your stateroom which explains that Blu is anytime dining. When you book an AQ cabin, they will ask you for a dining time, regular or late. This is only done as a procedural thing so you can just give them any seating, it doesn't matter. They do not have seatings and you generally will be seated with your party only, not like in the MDR.

[canucks4]

I have eaten at Blu in Bermuda - is that the same chain??

[cruiseaholic13]

I have eaten at Blu in Bermuda - is that the same chain??

 

No...Blu is a restaraunt on Celebrity reserved for the Aqua Class guests. It is where they eat instead of the MDR :)

[cruiseaholic13]

Yes its the same as Select/My Time so as long as you are in AQ class you can just go whenever you like. I think hours are between 6 and 9pm, but someone more knowledgeable will no doubt be along to confirm times shortly.

 

That's what I was thinking...thank you so much!!

[cruiseaholic13]

I believe those hours are correct You will receive a letter in your stateroom which explains that Blu is anytime dining. When you book an AQ cabin, they will ask you for a dining time, regular or late. This is only done as a procedural thing so you can just give them any seating, it doesn't matter. They do not have seatings and you generally will be seated with your party only, not like in the MDR.

 

Wonderful!! Thank you!!

[cruzadict]

Can Sky Suite guests also use Blu?

[helpthejuggler]

I recall that Blu hours were until at least 9:30 as we dined late a couple if times.

 

Sky suite guests can always use Blu for breakfast (very nice), and for dinner if space permits, which is mostly the case. Suite guests incur a $5 cover charge for dinner at Blu. No charge for AQ guests.

[dkjretired]

Can Sky Suite guests also use Blu?

 

All suite guests may eat in Blu for dinner on a space available basis at a charge of $5.00 per person..Some have reported they weren't charged. Suite guests may eat Breakfast in Blu for no charge....Blu is not open for lunch..

[genslim47]

Yes Blu is basically anytime dining, at busy times you might have to wait a few minutes. The only time when they ask you to come at a certain time, basically either first or second sitting times is on the first night of the cruise, but you will be notified of this in your stateroom on arrival

[noriboating]

Blu was fantastic. There were no reservations- not even on New Years eve and we never waited.

[Hlitner]

When we recently (late November) sailed on the Silhouette we were instructed to choose either early or late seating on our booking for an Aqua Class cabin and not use the select option. Upon arriving at our cabin on embarkation day there was a letter from Blu explaining that it was open seating but that for that first evening we had a confrimed reservation for 8:30 (the time of late seating in the MDR). We went to Blu about 8:15 and were immediately seated (nobody really cared about that first night reservation). For the remainder of the cruise we never made a reservation at Blu, just showed-up whenever we pleased, and were always immediately seated.

 

Hank

[wjb1969]

plus the food was excellent.

 

Probably the only thing that we didn't care for is that we met another couple (also AQ) as well as a third couple, and we all wanted to ahve dinner together one night. I went down to Blu to see if we could get our friends "in" with us and they said no. I even offered to pay the cover charge piece for them on my bill, and almost came close to trying the old "slip him a $20" routine to get a reservation. It would have been nice for us to be able to eat together.

[Lois R]

plus the food was excellent.

 

Probably the only thing that we didn't care for is that we met another couple (also AQ) as well as a third couple, and we all wanted to ahve dinner together one night. I went down to Blu to see if we could get our friends "in" with us and they said no. I even offered to pay the cover charge piece for them on my bill, and almost came close to trying the old "slip him a $20" routine to get a reservation. It would have been nice for us to be able to eat together.

 

The 3rd couple did not have a cabin in Aqua Class? I want to make sure

I understood your post. If that is what you meant? That is the

protocal. I was invited to dine with friends for breakfast and was denied.

They had AQ and I did not. And on another cruise I had AQ and I wanted

to dine with friends who were not in AQ and they were not allowed.

The Maitr'd will not take your money to allow folks in....Blu is strict

about who is allowed to dine there and who is not. If all of you wanted

to dine together? You would have to choose another venue for that evening.

[subtchr]

The only time when they ask you to come at a certain time, basically either first or second sitting times is on the first night of the cruise, but you will be notified of this in your stateroom on arrival

 

arriving at our cabin on embarkation day there was a letter from Blu explaining that it was open seating but that for that first evening we had a confrimed reservation for 8:30 (the time of late seating in the MDR). We went to Blu about 8:15 and were immediately seated (nobody really cared about that first night reservation). For the remainder of the cruise we never made a reservation at Blu, just showed-up whenever we pleased, and were always immediately seated.

 

Hank

 

On our December cruise on Solstice, the letter in our cabin specifically said it was open seating in Blu every night, including the first night. There is no means to make reservations in Blu any night. Although you "choose" a dining time online prior to the cruise, you can go anytime it is open, even the first night. I remember reading before we left that we could be asked to honor the chosen time the first night, but we were happy to see that was not so. That actually would have made no sense, to ask people to show up at either 6 or 8:30 - the flow at Blu works MUCH better if groups of diners arrive staggered throughout the evening.

 

We arrived at different times throughout the week and never had to wait for a table.

 

I just checked my dailies (posted and linked in my signature, if you are interested), and Blu was open 6:30 - 9:45 the first night (we had a delayed departure from FLL), and 6:00 - 9:30 every other night.

We LOVED Blu!

[AliceS]

Would they seat a single with others in Blu?

[jackdiamond]

Would they seat a single with others in Blu?

A few times I ate dinner alone; and, I was always seated at a table alone. Howeve, I never requested to be seated with others.

[2theship]

plus the food was excellent.

 

Probably the only thing that we didn't care for is that we met another couple (also AQ) as well as a third couple, and we all wanted to ahve dinner together one night. I went down to Blu to see if we could get our friends "in" with us and they said no. I even offered to pay the cover charge piece for them on my bill, and almost came close to trying the old "slip him a $20" routine to get a reservation. It would have been nice for us to be able to eat together.

 

You could have all dined together in the Select area of the Main Dining Room. We did that last month.

 

the flow at Blu works MUCH better if groups of diners arrive staggered throughout the evening.

 

We arrived at different times throughout the week and never had to wait for a table.

 

 

I agree that it would be best with staggered arrivals. However on the Equinox transatlantic this year, Blu opened at 6:00 p.m. and every table was filled by 6:10 p.m. We didn't stand a chance of getting a table until 7:30. The maitre d' told us that during the Med cruises this summer, no one showed up to eat before 8:00 so it will vary from cruise to cruise. But, it was worth it, we loved Blu.

[Lois R]

Would they seat a single with others in Blu?

 

Automatically? No. It is set up like a regular restaurant. Unless you

go in together (with other folks) the Maitr'd will probably seat you at

a deuce.

[wjb1969]

The 3rd couple did not have a cabin in Aqua Class? I want to make sure

I understood your post. If that is what you meant? That is the

protocal. I was invited to dine with friends for breakfast and was denied.

They had AQ and I did not. And on another cruise I had AQ and I wanted

to dine with friends who were not in AQ and they were not allowed.

The Maitr'd will not take your money to allow folks in....Blu is strict

about who is allowed to dine there and who is not. If all of you wanted

to dine together? You would have to choose another venue for that evening.

 

yes -- you understood. we were just disappointed. wanted them to see what it was all about. This was probably the most disappointing thing of the whole trip.

[Hlitner]

yes -- you understood. we were just disappointed. wanted them to see what it was all about. This was probably the most disappointing thing of the whole trip.

 

We are sorry you were disapponted that Celebrity followed its own (well publicized) rules regarding Blu. From the point of view of somebody who recently booked Aqua Class and dined in Blu, we appreciated that we never had to wait for a table and that the restaurant was limited to only those who met the requirements. If they started making exceptions for friends of diners, it would just be a matter of days until Blu would be over crowded as nearly everyone brought various friends to "see what it was all about." On our particular cruise we even witnessed the occupants of the Penthouse Suite turned away from Blu one evening for lack of space and a reservation.

 

Hank

[Lois R]

Hi Hank:) I agree with you.....if they are going to have rules at least

they are enforcing them.