Another Blu Question

[charlielinda]

I know many book AQ for Blu and am just wondering what the draw is. What is different about the room vs. MDR? What is the difference with the food and service? Thanks so much.

[CaroleLee]

I know many book AQ for Blu and am just wondering what the draw is. What is different about the room vs. MDR? What is the difference with the food and service? Thanks so much.

 

Having done 2 AQ cruises and booked for a 3rd this is my opinion.

Blu- dine with approx 120 of your closest friends as opposed to 1500+

service more personalized. Area is quiet-you can have a conversation. Menu is very

good to great-again IMHO. Again I noted more creative presentations of food & flavor than MDR

Blu shares kitchen with spec restaurants- so "special" requests are easier & quicker.

Its a matter of taste. Do the math if AQ is not within your budget- price out a similar bal cabin with dinner in Specialty restaurants x days of cruise- see what works for you

Have agreat cruise

Carole

[Lady Arwen]

My DH and I are among those rare people that do not care for Blu. The tables are VERY close together and you cannot have a private conversation. You feel that you should converse with your "neighbours". The service IMHO was only slightly better than the MDR and seems to be awkward due to the layout of the tables.

 

The food was different than the MDR, but not always in a good way. Unusual combination of foods served on the same plate. Fillet of salmon was served on a bed of lentils and nothing else was on the plate. Very unappetizing.

 

Many people will disagree with us and you may love Blu. We just feel that for the higher price of Aqua class, it's just not worth it. We actually now book Concierge class for the location of the cabins and enjoy the MDR and the specialty restaurants.

[I&J Cruisers]

Food is very subjective. I book aqua class only for blu. I think the rest of the perks are fluff. DH however loves the shower. He likes the teas and the constantly replenished water also, but would book only for the shower. I find I gain less weight eating in blu. I assume there is less salt in the food.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Up until this week we had an AS cabin on the Reflection this coming January. We had an AQ last January on the Reflection and dined in Blu perhaps 3-4 evenings.. quite thoroughly enjoying it. We arrived early (just before 6) each evening and thus had the same table and wait staff each time. It was a table for two, yet one of the very few which were not uncomfortably close to other small tables (it was for that reason alone that we dined early).

 

Yesterday one of our favorite Solstice class cabins became available - a hump CS. Switching from the Aqua Suite to this took a little thought... we'd be giving up the Blu option, but gaining a wonderful balcony. We already have four evenings booked in specialty restaurants (we don't do the MDR). I understand that suite guests can enjoy Blu, though it's a $5 cover. Has anyone else gone this route? I'd imagine that it will come down to availability as well, with arriving before "the crowd" likely being a benefit again.

 

Tom

[phoenix_dream]

I have only booked AQ once, so not sure if Blu is always the same experience as we had. One thing we absolutely loved was the breakfast - so much nicer than the buffet and more intimate and better prepared than the MDR. As to dinner, we also hated the tables on top of one another. It always seemed awkward - to talk, or not to talk to the people so close you can reach out and touch. You cannot have a private conversation at dinner that way - did not like that. We also had trouble getting a table during peak times (6:30-8:00). Had to wait as much as half an hour for a table for two. Assistant waiters were awesome. Regular waiters and sommeliers were hit or miss - at least once we had to literally get up and ask the hostess to find a waiter for us after we sat there ignored for over 20 minutes (I do not exaggerate this). Sommeliers were even worse - most times we were on the main course before we could finally get our wine. We enjoyed the food overall - only one dish we did not like (the aforementioned one on the lentils as it happens:)). Not sure about less salt - that dish was so salty the beans were literally inedible. Overall, though, we enjoyed the food.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

I have only booked AQ once, so not sure if Blu is always the same experience as we had. One thing we absolutely loved was the breakfast - so much nicer than the buffet and more intimate and better prepared than the MDR. As to dinner, we also hated the tables on top of one another. It always seemed awkward - to talk, or not to talk to the people so close you can reach out and touch. You cannot have a private conversation at dinner that way - did not like that. We also had trouble getting a table during peak times (6:30-8:00). Had to wait as much as half an hour for a table for two. Assistant waiters were awesome. Regular waiters and sommeliers were hit or miss - at least once we had to literally get up and ask the hostess to find a waiter for us after we sat there ignored for over 20 minutes (I do not exaggerate this). Sommeliers were even worse - most times we were on the main course before we could finally get our wine. We enjoyed the food overall - only one dish we did not like (the aforementioned one on the lentils as it happens:)). Not sure about less salt - that dish was so salty the beans were literally inedible. Overall, though, we enjoyed the food.

 

It did seem like once the sommelier was aware that we had the premium beverage package, and were ordering wine by the glass, they were much less inclined to drop by and check on us.

 

Tom

[bigbenboys]

My DH and I are among those rare people that do not care for Blu. The tables are VERY close together and you cannot have a private conversation. You feel that you should converse with your "neighbours". The service IMHO was only slightly better than the MDR and seems to be awkward due to the layout of the tables.

 

The food was different than the MDR, but not always in a good way. Unusual combination of foods served on the same plate. Fillet of salmon was served on a bed of lentils and nothing else was on the plate. Very unappetizing.

 

Many people will disagree with us and you may love Blu. We just feel that for the higher price of Aqua class, it's just not worth it. We actually now book Concierge class for the location of the cabins and enjoy the MDR and the specialty restaurants.

 

I agree with the above. The breakfast is very good in Blu. Our next cruise we are back in Concierge and Select Dinning. Our Alaska cruise next May we are back in Aqua. We wanted a C2 but we are getting a A1 for less than a A2 or C1. We will just have to eat in Select Dining on Prime Rib night. Love that Prime Rib rare. Richard

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

I agree with the above. The breakfast is very good in Blu. Our next cruise we are back in Concierge and Select Dinning. Our Alaska cruise next May we are back in Aqua. We wanted a C2 but we are getting a A1 for less than a A2 or C1. We will just have to eat in Select Dining on Prime Rib night. Love that Prime Rib rare. Richard

 

They can likely make that appear in Blu.

 

We dine every night in the Steakhouse when we sail on Carnival. Two evenings in the MDR they serve Prime Rib. On those evenings that's what I request in the Steakhouse.. they manage to get me quite a cut!

 

Here's a pic of one I enjoyed on the Breeze in March (I bring our own horseradish):

 

 

While that one was "good", here's one from the Freedom in August -- this one was PRIME GRADE to boot!!!

 

 

It likely strikes them as very odd - someone that's paying $35 pp to dine in there wants an entree from the MDR ! :)

 

Tom

[ozark74]

It did seem like once the sommelier was aware that we had the premium beverage package, and were ordering wine by the glass, they were much less inclined to drop by and check on us.

 

Tom

 

We had the opposite experience. After showing the sommelier our card the first time, we never had an empty glass. The service was great in Blu overall. Because of Blu we are only booking Aqua.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

We had the opposite experience. After showing the sommelier our card the first time, we never had an empty glass. The service was great in Blu overall. Because of Blu we are only booking Aqua.

 

That certainly seems the more proper approach. There's no telling what factors were in play for our sailing.

 

Tom

[bigbenboys]

We had the opposite experience. After showing the sommelier our card the first time, we never had an empty glass. The service was great in Blu overall. Because of Blu we are only booking Aqua.

 

Our sommelier in Blu on our last cruise on Solstice was great. He came by and talked to us every night more than once just to talk. We didn't have a drink package and we never order wine. He was a nice person. That type of service you can get at Blu. The service was great in Blu but not always the food. Richard

[Dave85]

We just got home from Aqua Class on the Silhouette's last sailing (9/26) and Blu was far and away the shining star of a cruise experience that was otherwise quite mediocre. I hope to have time in the coming days to write a review to expound on that. However, we loved both the food and service in Blu so much that we would only sail Celebrity again in Aqua Class. I must admit that going in I didn't see the appeal or appreciate what could possibly justify the price difference, but I stand corrected!

 

Sure, food is subjective... in so far as some people don't appreciate excellent food. ;);):p Blu's food was excellent. We live in New York City and have access to some of the best restaurants in the world. We are quite confident that if Celebrity opened a stand alone Blu in New York it would be successful.

 

The only caveat I have to offer is that I've only had one cruise in Blu and it was on the Silhouette. If Blu presentation / quality / experience vary from X ship to ship then that's not something I would be aware of. I'm simply speaking from my experience the past two weeks in Blu on the Silhouette, which was simply outstanding in every way.

[4774Papa]

Having done 2 AQ cruises and booked for a 3rd this is my opinion.

Blu- dine with approx 120 of your closest friends as opposed to 1500+

service more personalized. Area is quiet-you can have a conversation. Menu is very

good to great-again IMHO. Again I noted more creative presentations of food & flavor than MDR

Blu shares kitchen with spec restaurants- so "special" requests are easier & quicker.

Its a matter of taste. Do the math if AQ is not within your budget- price out a similar bal cabin with dinner in Specialty restaurants x days of cruise- see what works for you

Have agreat cruise

Carole

Great response