Help please! What is /is not included?

[Freckles49]

We are sailing on Millenium to Asia next month. Im trying not to let those negative reviews get to me!

 

Its our first Celebrity cruise and we are in an Aqua class cabin. My confusion is around what is and what is not included on the food and drinks front.

 

We dont have a drinks package, so realise we will have a bill here. I understand we have water freely delivered to our cabin but can we drink anything else free on the ship? Lemonade? Teas and coffees? Only in some places or everywhere.

 

I also realise you have to pay to eat in the speciality restaurants but what about the Aqua Spa Cafe? Cafe Bacio, sorry if thats misspelt also has a charge, i know.

 

And I think Ive read that icecream is complimentary. I dont mind if there is a cost attached to any of the above but I would like to be forewarned if possible.

 

Thanks

Jen

[warmwinds]

Aqua Spa café is free. Food (pastries, etc.) in Bacio are free, you have to pay for fancy coffee drinks (cappuccino, etc.). Coffee (and tea bag tea) in the buffet is free all day. Other drinks up there such as juices, etc., are also free, but they may switch them off after breakfast. Alcohol and sodas are always pay, either as you go or with a drink package.

 

In your cabin, yes you will get bottled water every day (blue bottles with pink tops), so don't confuse it with the bottled water on the desk with the candies and cookies, you will pay for that water along with anything in the mini-bars (desk and refrigerator).

 

We tasted the tea in the cabin the first day and did not like it - we have no idea whether they switched it out every day or if the same carafe was there for 2 weeks - next time we will tell them just to take it away.

 

Ice cream in the buffet is free, but there is a charge for the gelato at Bacio. The gelato is of course better, but load the buffet ice cream up with M&Ms or other treats and it's fine for a sweet fix.

Edited October 16, 2014 by warmwinds

[notjaded]

We are sailing on Millenium to Asia next month. Im trying not to let those negative reviews get to me!

 

Its our first Celebrity cruise and we are in an Aqua class cabin. My confusion is around what is and what is not included on the food and drinks front.

 

We dont have a drinks package, so realise we will have a bill here. I understand we have water freely delivered to our cabin but can we drink anything else free on the ship? Lemonade? Teas and coffees? Only in some places or everywhere.

 

I also realise you have to pay to eat in the speciality restaurants but what about the Aqua Spa Cafe? Cafe Bacio, sorry if thats misspelt also has a charge, i know.

 

And I think Ive read that icecream is complimentary. I dont mind if there is a cost attached to any of the above but I would like to be forewarned if possible.

 

Thanks

Jen

 

You will enjoy Aqua, but it does not include everything.

 

Cafe Baccio: Free food. Drinks cost.

Aqua Spa Cafe: Free food.

Ice Cream: free at MDR and Blu and buffet and Room Service

Tap water, coffee and tea: just like Ice Cream

 

Have fun!

[Lsimon]

A recap of no-extra-charge beverages included in your cruise fare:

 

Tap water, Brewed coffee (regular and decaf), instant coffee (taster's choice regular and decaf), Tea (good selection of about 8 or more popular tea blends including green, mint, etc), hot coca (Nestles instant mix), Milk (regular, chocolate and skim), juices, iced tea, lemonade, fruit punch.

 

All of these items are available in any dining area or from room service. They are available 24/7 from room service and from beverage stations in the buffet area although some items are not available at all times in the buffet: Some milks are only available during meals in the buffet and the dispensers used for juices during breakfast times are used for iced tea, lemonade and punch at other times.

 

For the most part there is an extra charge for any alcoholic, carbonated, or bottled beverage. Also most bars and lounges charge for any beverages served there. There are upscale versions of many no-extra-charge beverages available which do cost extra such as espresso based coffees, organic teas, bottled water, fresh squeezed OJ, etc.

[Lsimon]

There are lots of food choices included in your cruise fare:

 

For Aqua Class your assigned dining room is Blu and there is no charge to eat meals there unless you order extra charge beverages such as soda, bottled water or wine. Blu is open for breakfast and dinner. There is also the main dining room which is open to you for breakfast and lunch (lunch only served in the MDR on sea days). Dinner at the MDR is sometimes available to AQ guests on a space available basis and you should check with one of the dining managers in Blue or the MDR during your cruise for details.

 

Other no extra charge food: Aqua Spa Café, Buffet (Oceanview Café), the pool grill (hot dogs and burgers), and food items (but not beverages) at Café al Bacio. There is also no extra charge for most room service items including room service orders of main dining room menu items during related meal times.

 

The Oceanview café has some sort of food offering from early in the morning until very late at night. At the buffet you should tour the entire area, including the area at the very back of the buffet, before getting in lines on the M class ships as there are many options that you might not notice if you get in line immediately at the front of the buffet. The items in the buffet area include a great ice cream bar, pizza, pasta bar, and salad bar all of which are open from just after breakfast until very late at night. The daily program will also list times that other items are available in the buffet.

 

Extra cost food on the Millennium include the Olympic restaurant (same menu as Muranos on other ships), Qsine and Bistro on Five. There are sample menus for all of these on the Celebrity web site. There is also a gelato station next to Café al Bacio which has an extra cost. In the past year or two they've also added a few extra cost items on the room service menu although most room service items remain no-extra-charge.

 

There may also be special events around the ship which have complimentary food including some of the theme parties in the lounges or poolside. These will be mentioned in the daily program.

Edited October 16, 2014 by Lsimon

[BSinPNS]

Are free as are the sparkling wines, wines, etc. at the Captain's Toast usually on the first night at sea.

[TeaBag]

Maybe you were asking about food related charges/free but I would like to add that Persian Gardens is free for you in AQ class, if that is to your liking.The burgers and fries at the grill are also free and very good.

 

I thought the lobster on formal night in AQ on Millennium was the best I have ever had on any cruise. Enjoy your cruise.

[Freckles49]

I love this site!

 

Many thanks for your speedy replies.

 

I will print this all off so I have it to hand.

 

Jen

[coldweathergirl]

Also to note, the fresh squeezed juices at breakfast in Blu are great and complimentary. They also have complimentary smoothies available in Blu as well.

 

Unless the room service menu has changed for Aquaclass staterooms, there is also fresh squeezed orange juice available by room service along with a slightly complimentary expanded menu. You can always order additional juice and keep them in the room " fridge" for later use.

 

It seems hit and miss about the number of bottles of complimentary water in Aquaclass staterooms. I like to drink a lot of water. On some sailings the cabin attendant has provided me with additional bottles when asked and on others they've said no just two bottles per cabin per day.

 

Not sure if you still get a complimentary bottle of sparkling wine as well. When we sailed AQ in April we got one but not sure if that's been discontinued.

 

 

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[gold1953]

Not all the food in the Aqua Spa Café is free. Some will have prices . If you don't see a price then it is free. There is also a menu board and the free foods are listed on one side

[wallie5446]

We are sailing on Millenium to Asia next month. Im trying not to let those negative reviews get to me!

 

Jen

 

Jen, take a moment and read this thread 'Live" from the Millie.,

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2109695

[suekay]

Don't let the negative reviews get to you. We were worried about the negative reviews before our Millennium Asia cruise earliet this year, but enjoyed every minute despite being on code red for norovirus for the full 2 weeks

[DYKWIA]

We also found free punch, water, still lemonade and ice cream around the pool grill on the Eclipse, we found the punch and lemonade tasty and refreshing. We found the free coffee in the Oceanview cafe generally fine, not coffee shop quality but nevertheless not coffee shop prices either! My wife took her favourite blend of instant with her (on the Eclipse when cruising from Southampton you get kettles in your cabin) and as well as making coffee in her room occasionally made her own coffee in the Oceanview Cafe.

 

We weren't on a drinks package either - my wife doesn't drink and I don't drink much. We found the free drinks on board fine, we took 2 bottles of wine on board with us and I had bottle of spirits as part of the cabin set up - which was not cheap but still good value. I also found wine and beer were good value during happy hour.

 

We ate in the Main Dining Room and were initially tempted to book some specialty dining. We put it off and didn't regret it. We had great table mates on our fixed time dining and each night enjoyed our meal in the MDR.

Edited October 16, 2014 by DYKWIA

[TeaBag]

Oh, how could I forget, the Muesli made tableside (unless they can't fit the wagon at your table and then you have to get up and tell the server what you want in it) is awesome. Order some fresh berries to go with it. Hopefully you will get them.

 

You can order hot entrees off the menu at Aqua Spa cafe also for free. It is a limited selection that repeats fairly often but good nonetheless. I loved the Arctic Char and the Miso salmon is good too.

[Freckles49]

Jen, take a moment and read this thread 'Live" from the Millie.,

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2109695

 

Thanks, have followed these ardently!

[phoenix_dream]

Two additional comments on the above - I personally loved most of the tea varieties they served in our cabin, and they were different each day. Everyone's tastes are different. The water in AQ is not supposed to be limited to two bottles. If you have any issues with that and your cabin steward insists it must be two I would raise the issue to their manager. Perhaps the person who mentioned this did that and was not successful - I am not meaning to criticize them - but as this is a pretty big perk for me with AQ, I would take it up the chain as far as I needed to if it came to that.