Lurking, Lurking - Questions

[Karen@Steve]

I've been lurking lately on the Celebrity board as I'm doing research for an upcoming cruise - hopefully! We (DH and I) have sailed a couple of times in the last 15 years or so on Celebrity and RCCL. We like Celebrity for a number of reasons including more adult type cruises, non-smoking preferred, higher quality of service, food, etc. I can't book yet since DH is on an assignment which doesn't have an end date as of yet so it can be anytime between now and no later than Sept/Oct. I'm pretty resolved to having to do a last minute reservation and pick something that will fit my timeframe/geographic (i.e. airfare, can we get there from here, connections, etc) limitations. That being the case I want to be pretty sure about what we want do so I'll know it when I see it. I don't think I'll have a lot of time to research then and maybe not a lot of choices. I'd like something over 7 days but not more than 14...around 10 days would be great.

 

So now to the questions and I'd love for you to share your knowledge and expert opinions.

 

I'm thinking mostly about the M-class ships. The largest ship we sailed was the Galaxy, the smallest the Zenith. I think the M-class might be nice step up since I'm not sure I'm ready for a mega ship. What do you think? Are there real advantages to the S-class ships?

 

We definitely want a veranda and conceirge class would be wonderful but it depends on the price differiental. I know the conceirge verandas are slightly larger than the standard verandas, are the aqua class rooms the same size as the conceirge class verandas on the m-class ships (at least those that have them)?

 

I've read that the aqua class give you priority access to Blu. I'm assuming (?) that you are still required to pay the upcharge for Blu for lunch and dinner. I'm I correct?

 

Still working on the beverage packages. I'm not sure we would get the selection of wine we would want by the glass. We usually buy bottles on the cruise but I like the idea of not ending up with a giant bar bill at the end. Um....

 

Any other things I should work on while I'm waiting to get a go date? Thanks for helping!

[subtchr]

You are a bit confused about how Blu works.

 

Blu IS the dining room for Aqua class. There is no upcharge for Aqua guests. The only other people who may dine in Blu are those in suites, on a space available basis for dinner, for a $5 service charge. (Some suite guests report never being charged the $5).

 

Breakfast is served in Blu, but not lunch. Breakfast is open to both Aqua and suite guests.

 

We have only cruised X once, in Aqua, and adored Blu. Wonderful service, atmosphere, and food.

 

We also had the premium beverage package, and it was wonderful, especially at dinner, where we could each have different wines, plus aperitifs, liqueurs, etc. Not to mention the specialty coffees, sodas, bottled water for ports (although there is complimentary bottled water in Aqua cabins, as well), and of course the wonderful concoctions at the martini and Molecular bars.

 

We loved it!

[Karen@Steve]

Thanks, I knew I was confused about Blu. I want to find a sample menu and see if it's something we would enjoy. Do you still have the option to dine in the MDR if you wanted to or are you confined to Blu?

[subtchr]

Sorry, I did not get copies of the menus in Blu, but if you do a search there are some floating around somewhere. We LOVED the food, always found something delicious on the menu.

 

Aqua class guests may dine in the MDR in the Select Dining section if there is space available. We loved Blu so much we never tried it, but I have read that other cruisers have been able to do that with no problem.

[JFontaine]

While the S class is bigger than what you have been on, it is not a mega-ship class size compared to the true mega- ships of other lines. The additional size is more than compensated by additional amenities. That said, I would focus your search on itinerary and price, and not on ship, because the Celebrity product is nearly the same across the line. So pick the itinerary that appeals to you at the right price. And you might find a special that would put you into a suite, which is always great. In fact, I will take the suite and not care about which ship or where it is going; I spend a lot of time on my quiet balcony.

 

All the best on your planning.

[Wine-O]

Welcome to Cruise Critic. WOW, someone else from Toms River, home of the 1998 Little League World Champions!!!

 

We love both the S-Class and M-Class -- If you're looking for longer than 7 days, look into a transatlantic. We've done 3 in the last 2 years and have one booked this November. Love the Westbound and the 6 25-hour sea days.

 

There are some S-Class that do 10-12 day Caribbean, if that's what you're looking for.

 

Go for AQ if you can afford the extra bucks. Blu is great.

[Karen@Steve]

Thanks for the information. I'm going to have to wait to book until I can get a viable date. Transatlantic sounds great as does chilling out on a balcony. DH and I have been separated by most of the continental US this year so some quiet time will be fine. The ports are nice too but time together is most important. Much will be up to the fates as to what's available when the time comes.

 

Keep the suggestions coming and I'll be lurking out there. I'm going try to get some brochures and look at the different ships but it will still likely be driven by what's available.

[Hapytocruise]

While the S class is bigger than what you have been on, it is not a mega-ship class size compared to the true mega- ships of other lines. The additional size is more than compensated by additional amenities. That said, I would focus your search on itinerary and price, and not on ship, because the Celebrity product is nearly the same across the line. So pick the itinerary that appeals to you at the right price. And you might find a special that would put you into a suite, which is always great. In fact, I will take the suite and not care about which ship or where it is going; I spend a lot of time on my quiet balcony.

 

All the best on your planning.

 

Could not agree more:). Both MClass and SClass ships are wonderful so base your decision on itinerary and price. If you don't mind sea days Transatlantic offer great pricing and interesting ports.