Aqua Class MUST dine in BLU?

[Gr8ful One]

Hello! I am taking my family on the Reflection in January 2015. You see, they all moved home to help me get thru that awful year of treatment for cancer. So, we are celebrating my VICTORY over cancer with a cruise! Hubby and I are in this AQ, but the kids, (24 & 21) are not.

I want to spend time with my family on this cruise, of course, so if Hubby and I are eating in a different dining room, this does not work for me!

Is that the case? We must eat in the BLU dining and the kids cannot, and we cannot eat in the Main Dining Room?

I sure appreciate any answers or direction!

Thanks!

Sissy

[WestLakeGirl]

Your assigned dining room is Blu and unless your family is booked in a suite they can't join you. You MIGHT be able to eat in the dining room but the problem would be getting the time slot you want. Sometimes one or more of the three sell out. You'll need to coordinate with the Blu head waitstaff to make the main dining room arrangement for you and get your tips correctly reassigned.

 

Congratulations on your victory, have a great cruise.

[Gr8ful One]

Thanks so much, this helps a great deal. I don't want to dine separately from the kids. I guess I will call the cruise line and change the type of room.

[Wine-O]

Just talk with the Maitre'd once you get on board, and they will seat you together. I recommend you have your travel agent link your reservation together and request from Celebrity to be seated in the MDR.

 

I was in a Suite (MDR dining), and my brother was AQ. We had our reservations linked, and when we boarded, we had a table for 4 in the MDR. We had to tell them we were both eating in Blu so they could free up the table.

 

You shouldn't have a problem.

[Wine-O]

Thanks so much, this helps a great deal. I don't want to dine separately from the kids. I guess I will call the cruise line and change the type of room.

 

No, stay where you are at. Dining together will not be a problem.

[Northern Aurora]

Are the kids in select dining or traditional dining? We are great fans of Blu, so dine there each night that we are not dining in a specialty restaurant, but have been on cruises in which Aqua class passengers moved back and forth between Blu and the MDR; when they choose to dine in the MDR they were seated in the select dining area.

[cruisestitch]

You still might find that you are causing a problem if, as is the case more and more, one dinner seating time (Select, Early Traditional or Late Traditional) is overbooked. If your family has chosen a time which is sold out, it might not be so easy to transfer from Blu to the MDR. if you really have no interest in dining in Blu, why pay the extra for Aqua Class? Drop down to a regular verandah and see if you can't get rooms near to each other, and use the difference in fare to give yourselves a well-deserved treat.

[fleckle]

Thanks so much, this helps a great deal. I don't want to dine separately from the kids. I guess I will call the cruise line and change the type of room.

A very sensible plan, if you can switch to a nice regular cabin that you like and save some money.

Either that, or else book an AQ class cabin for the kids.

 

For many of us, the main reason we are willing to pay more money to book AQ class is to eat in Blu.

So when we go on cruises with companions who are not eligible to dine in Blu, we do not book AQ class.

 

Congratulations on your recovery and best wishes for continuing good health.

 

[Cruise Raider]

Although the rest of your family will not be able to eat in Blu, if they book the select dining, you will absolutely be able to have dinner with them as often as you choose. You don't have to eat in Blu but you may want to eat some of your meals in there.

If you want to have all meals with your family and not eat in Blu at all, then you may want to save the money and book a regular cabin. If not that much more, there are also some other benefits to the Aqua Class.

Congratulations on beating that awful disease!! Hope you enjoy your cruise!

[WestLakeGirl]

What if Select Dining is sold out or overbooked? These AQ passengers would be taking up space which others want and might be wait listed for. Thise passengers can't even the system out, so to speak, by eating in Blu. Yes the AQ passengers may be allowed to go to Select Dining but not at the times they might want. They may be told that they have to eat very early or very late. When passengers who have signed up for Select, for which they were required to prepay their grats, face long lines and long wait times, it really isn't fair for AQ passengers who have their own assigned dining rooms to take up posts in the MDR is it? So really, if

Blu isn't a priority, why pay extra for AQ?

[Wine-O]

You will be able to get a table for you and your family in the MDR. Maybe not early or select seating, but for sure at the late seating. Just talk with the MDR Maitre'd. I would keep your AQ stateroom. You may enjoy the amenities and the breakfast in Blu.

[cruisestitch]

If there are many non US passengers on the ship, the Late Seating might be the one that is unavailable. If there are many families, EARLY might be the one that's hard to transfer into.

[Orator]

Really very simple to dine together in Select. Just go to the MDR after boarding. You will see someone usually at a stand on the Port side handling reservation changes and requests. Just tell them what you want to do and they will handle it for you. I've done this many times and never had a problem. I've dined many times in Select while in AQ. Just gave my room number and was taken to a table. Have a great victory cruise with your family.

Edited July 9, 2014 by Orator

[gek]

The problem is that there is never any guarantee that an Aqua class passenger will get a table in the MDR. If the worst happens then you could always dine together in a specialty restaurant so long as you are willing to pay the extra.

[Hlitner]

We have cruised in Aqua a few times and dined in the MDR on a few occasions. The procedure is to simply stop over at Blu and tell the Maitre's (or whoever is on the desk) that you want to dine in the MDR. The Maitre d will usually call his counterpart in the MDR and make arrangements. Sometimes we have been told to go to Select dining, and other times we have been directed to the late fixed seating (we like to dine late). It all depends on where they have the most available space in the MDR.

 

Hank

[welshfamily]

Please listen to the posters who are telling you to change cabins.

Either change the children to Aqua.....we love Blu, or if cost is a problem move your cabin to the same category as theirs.

We travel in peak season...we have been refused seating in the main dinning room. Once because we preferred the menu in the MDR....fine not the end of the world you can't starve on a cruise ship. The second time we were more upset as 12 of us had had the most fabulous two day tour in St Petersburg, we'd signed up through the roll call, we'd all really got on and one member of the party tried to organise a evening meal ...the other 8 were in Select ...no deal we couldn't join them even though we had 6 more days of the cruise left and would have taken any night. Select was FULL...end of conversation. We were mostly all novice cruisers admittedly these days I would have tried harder to resolve the problem. However, after all you have been through, you must want to enjoy your holiday hassle free so please don't leave things to chance.

[Miaminice]

I guess I will call the cruise line and change the type of room.

 

There is no reason to do so just because of this issue. You can dine in MDR - no problem as previously said...

 

However, why would you want to pay extra for AQ if you are not going to dine in BLU. If any of the other amenities are worth the extra price to you - stay where you are. If not, safe the money and spend it on speciality restaurant together with your party..

 

Many, many others will tell you that BLU is just about the only good reason for AQ. I would not really disagree...

Edited July 9, 2014 by Miaminice

[bigbenboys]

The Reflection is the only ship so far in the S class to have a additional floor with more Aqua cabins. They did not make Blu any bigger. I'm not a big fan of Blu, but it has have some very good points.

 

In your case I would do what it takes to have both cabins together. IE side by side. You can then open the divider on the balconies and have a larger balcony. You will see your kids more. Get your cruise reservations linked.

[cbr663]

We are also traveling on the Reflection in Jan and have Aqua Class. This is our first cruise with Celebrity and we are looking forward to dining in Blu.

 

I didn't pay much attention to dining options when I booked the cruise. Our dining preference is Traditional Dining 6:00 pm. Does this refer to dining at Blu or the MDR? Can I take this to mean that we have reservations at Blu at 6:00 pm?

 

Many thanks.

[WestLakeGirl]

Not really. You have run into an artifact of the Cekebrity booking system. Blu is open seating each night. The booking systems forces a choice but it is meaningless for Aqua passengers

[Orator]

OP:

I absolutely agree with those who have advised you to switch to a regular balcony cabin. I love AQ and Blu; however, it doesn't make much sense to book AQ unless you desire the Blu option. AQ cabins are poorly located with potential noise from above. The shower and bottled water are nice, but not worth a premium price. Save some $ and take the family for a dinner in a Specialty Restaurant.

[dkjretired]

The Reflection is the only ship so far in the S class to have a additional floor with more Aqua cabins. They did not make Blu any bigger. I'm not a big fan of Blu, but it has have some very good points.

 

In your case I would do what it takes to have both cabins together. IE side by side. You can then open the divider on the balconies and have a larger balcony. You will see your kids more. Get your cruise reservations linked.

 

They did make Blu larger by 24 seats and the ship is wider although there have been a lot of comments about it not being the same as the other ships.

 

http://www.celebritycruisespresscenter.com/viewRelease.php?id=560

 

I also agree that she should switch especially if she paid a premium for Blu. Makes no sense to keep it for a couple bottles of water and a fancy shower, Blu is the biggest attraction of AQ.

Edited July 9, 2014 by dkjretired

[dkjretired]

We are also traveling on the Reflection in Jan and have Aqua Class. This is our first cruise with Celebrity and we are looking forward to dining in Blu.

 

I didn't pay much attention to dining options when I booked the cruise. Our dining preference is Traditional Dining 6:00 pm. Does this refer to dining at Blu or the MDR? Can I take this to mean that we have reservations at Blu at 6:00 pm?

 

Many thanks.

 

As Westlake Girl said, it is a fluke of the computer system, you will get a letter in your room asking you to come at the designated time on the first night but you do not have to even do that. Blu is anytime dining, all the time. One other thing, Blu replaces the MDR for AQ patrons, you will not have a spot assigned for you in the MDR.

Edited July 9, 2014 by dkjretired

[cbr663]

Thanks WestLakeGirl and dkjretired. There is so much to learn about a new line and ship. We are really looking forward to the cruise.

[sealover155]

If you do decide to switch cabins take a look at the category C2. Currently there are "hump" cabins available on all of Reflection's January sailings. These cabins have very large balconies which you might enjoy as you are traveling with your family. A celebratory toast may be appropriate.

 

And, I'd like to add my congratulations as well.