Is Aqua class worth it?

[Oxo]

We love Aqua, in fact that is all we book. Eating in Blu is the most important thing. You can eat when you want, not at a set time. Sometimes we just order the main and not all the other courses. You don't have to wait for everyone at a big table to finish all the courses. Mostly tables for 2 thought there are big tables. The other big thing is I do not take a suit or formal wear. Smart casual all the time.

 

Can't you accomplish the same with Select Dining? That is what we do.

[Rob the Cruiser]

The Celebrity Infinity had a separate, upscale breakfast room for Elite + when I last sailed. I assume this is true throughout the Celebrity fleet. The availability of this breakfast room was a pleasant perk and would further marginalize the benefit of Aqua's Blu restaurant.

Another factor further undermining the value of dining in Blu is the availability of discounted specialty restaurant packages. I have not been in Aqua or Blu, but I believe the Samsara class dining room on Costa is a similar experience. Assuming it is, I would much prefer the upscale dining in the specialty restaurants because the cost of these multi meal packages strikes me as significantly less than the cost of an upgrade from a reg veranda cabin to an Aqua class and the meal is much better. The spa admission, extra snacks, or one time flower offer, upscale soap, etc is of no importance to me.

 

For me, as an Elite+, combining a multi night specialty dining package with a reg veranda is a better value than popping for the additional cost of an Aqua unless that additional cost were on the order of $30 per day per cabin which I believe is typically a small fraction of the actual cost differential.

 

If you have not been to Aqua or Blu how can you say the value is marginalized??

 

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[OuiOnboard]

We have been doing AQ/Blu since 2009 (Solstice), but recently enjoyed 1A/SR pkg combination(Silhouette). We pick the deal that provides us the best dining price/benefit.

[Iamthesea]

The Celebrity Infinity had a separate, upscale breakfast room for Elite + when I last sailed. I assume this is true throughout the Celebrity fleet. The availability of this breakfast room was a pleasant perk and would further marginalize the benefit of Aqua's Blu restaurant.

.

 

What did you love so much eating breakfast in Blu? Thank you!

 

pmacher61 - Did this Elite breakfast include a full menu? The Elite breakfast that I have attended was only a Continental type breakfast. No cook to order anything.

 

That's what I love about Blu! A full cooked to order breakfast with fresh squeezed OJ. Brought out fairly quickly, hot, and with a smile. Also, the waiters take their time with us and like to strike up conversations.;)

 

We do not find this service in the MDR during breakfast. And Blu is certainly better than the buffet. If we have an early excursion, we can pop into Blu and have a full breakfast served to us relatively fast as compared to in the MDR where you are led to a table of 10 and have to wait for others to order. The waiters are so rushed there.

[Chitown12562]

The Celebrity Infinity had a separate, upscale breakfast room for Elite + when I last sailed. I assume this is true throughout the Celebrity fleet. The availability of this breakfast room was a pleasant perk and would further marginalize the benefit of Aqua's Blu restaurant.

Another factor further undermining the value of dining in Blu is the availability of discounted specialty restaurant packages. I have not been in Aqua or Blu, but I believe the Samsara class dining room on Costa is a similar experience. Assuming it is, I would much prefer the upscale dining in the specialty restaurants because the cost of these multi meal packages strikes me as significantly less than the cost of an upgrade from a reg veranda cabin to an Aqua class and the meal is much better. The spa admission, extra snacks, or one time flower offer, upscale soap, etc is of no importance to me.

 

For me, as an Elite+, combining a multi night specialty dining package with a reg veranda is a better value than popping for the additional cost of an Aqua unless that additional cost were on the order of $30 per day per cabin which I believe is typically a small fraction of the actual cost differential.

 

I don't know if I'd want to eat any place fancier than Blu. I found to be a peaceful, tranquile, and delicious place to have breackfast.

 

I also see Blu sort of as a specialty resturant. It's not Murano, but I don't think I'd want to eat in Murano every night. If you've never been I'd recommend checking it out.

 

Also I find the closeness of the two person seating by the windows to be just right. Far enought away for privacy, but close enough if you do want to talk to your neighbors. We met a very nice couple in Blu that we talked to several times at dinner and even agreed to meet at a jeweler in a port. Either way it's good that there is a venue for everyone.

 

Beside Blu I love the shower and body jets in AC.

Edited January 16, 2015 by Chitown12562

[Oxo]

pmacher61 - Did this Elite breakfast include a full menu? The Elite breakfast that I have attended was only a Continental type breakfast. No cook to order anything.

 

That's what I love about Blu! A full cooked to order breakfast with fresh squeezed OJ. Brought out fairly quickly, hot, and with a smile. Also, the waiters take their time with us and like to strike up conversations.;)

 

We do not find this service in the MDR during breakfast. And Blu is certainly better than the buffet. If we have an early excursion, we can pop into Blu and have a full breakfast served to us relatively fast as compared to in the MDR where you are led to a table of 10 and have to wait for others to order. The waiters are so rushed there.

 

Been to the MDR many times and never been led to a table of 10 and had to wait for others to order. At the door, they ask what you want. Table for 2! Thank you!

Very rare for a waiter to take their time with us and even talk to us. Never in a hurry. The MDR does serve a full cooked to order breakfast. Don't drink fresh squeezed OJ. Only the unfresh one. LOL

Thanks for your reply.

[Iamthesea]

I didn't say that the MDR didn't serve a full breakfast. The Elite dining was Continental.

 

When we are asked how many are dining for breakfast in the MDR, and we say 2, we are usually led to large tables. This especially on embarkation day. Occasionally, if we have a larger party of 4-6, we are seated at our own table. Sometimes even our larger party has been paired with 4 others. That's our experience. ;) Glad you like the MDR...we love Blu and apparently we are not alone. :)

Edited January 16, 2015 by Iamthesea

[Oxo]

I didn't say that the MDR didn't serve a full breakfast. The Elite dining was Continental.

 

When we are asked how many are dining for breakfast in the MDR, and we say 2, we are usually led to large tables. This especially on embarkation day. Occasionally, if we have a larger party of 4-6, we are seated at our own table. Sometimes even our larger party has been paired with 4 others. That's our experience. ;) Glad you like the MDR...we love Blu and apparently we are not alone. :)

 

What ship were you on on Embarkation Day to have breakfast in the MDR? It must have been a B2B? Glad you like Blu, too. Enjoy Blu and the cruise.

[pmacher61]

If you have not been to Aqua or Blu how can you say the value is marginalized??

.

It's easy. I hit the keys on my keyboard and the words appear.

p.s. Do you know what marginalize means? I don't have to know Blu to make that statement. All that one needs to know is that the specialty restaurants are better than the MDR and to the degree they are, Blu's benefits are marginalized.

 

pmacher61 - Did this Elite breakfast include a full menu? The Elite breakfast that I have attended was only a Continental type breakfast. No cook to order anything.

 

That's what I love about Blu! A full cooked to order breakfast with fresh squeezed OJ. Brought out fairly quickly, hot, and with a smile. Also, the waiters take their time with us and like to strike up conversations.;)

 

We do not find this service in the MDR during breakfast. And Blu is certainly better than the buffet. If we have an early excursion, we can pop into Blu and have a full breakfast served to us relatively fast as compared to in the MDR where you are led to a table of 10 and have to wait for others to order. The waiters are so rushed there.

I don't question that the breakfast menu served in Blu is far superior to either the MDR or the Elite+ menu though I would not be surprised if the service were similar to that of the Elite+ room (table service was quite good). The Elite+ breakfast was an elaborate Continental spread, e.g., various fresh fruits, fresh squeezed juices, espressos, cappuccino, cereals warm and cold, muffins, croissants, cold cuts, cheeses, etc., that I found excellent and, frankly, a better way for me personally to start my day.

It comes down to cost benefits which of course can be highly personal and depends upon how much extra one has to pay for Aqua.

 

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Edited January 16, 2015 by pmacher61

[Northern Aurora]

The Celebrity Infinity had a separate, upscale breakfast room for Elite + when I last sailed. I assume this is true throughout the Celebrity fleet.

......

 

There was no separate elite + breakfast area on last fall's transatlantic on the infinity. Perhaps this is something new, or something they tried on your cruise.

All elites had the same breakfast area.

 

On the Constellation April 2014 TA the Elite and above breakfast was divided into two different venues. We are Elite+ and our breakfast location was in Tuscan. The food offerings were the continental breakfast type. This was one of the cruises in which there were so many Elite and higher Captains Club members that we were issued vouchers for the nightly cocktail gathering.

 

We were B2B on the Century last fall, and only one breakfast location was used.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

There is absolutely no comparison between breakfast in Blu and the Elite or Elite+ breakfast. Apples to oranges. Give me the Blu breakfast any time.

 

There are several large tables in Blu. I've met more interesting people dining in Blu than I ever did dining in the MDR. It's small and you quickly get to know others.

 

[Rob the Cruiser]

It's easy. I hit the keys on my keyboard and the words appear.

p.s. Do you know what marginalize means? I don't have to know Blu to make that statement. All that one needs to know is that the specialty restaurants are better than the MDR and to the degree they are, Blu's benefits are marginalized.

 

-

 

I do know what it means. Your usage of the word means you have no idea what you are talking about.

[wallie5446]

Now that they have added back the promotions to March sailings, I called and found out that I can pay extra to upgrade my cabin. There isn't a huge difference in the cost of concierge and aqua class. Is Aqua class worth the extra money? I may eat breakfast in Blu, but I love having a big table in MDR for dinners. Thoughts?

 

The major reason to book Aqua is for Blu, makes no sense to upgrade to Aqua if you are not going to eat dinner there.

 

Bingo! Well and there is the Persian Garden use too, but Blu is the #1 reason to book an Aqua cabin.

[LisaDfromNYC]

We're looking at Aqua room 9099 on the Constellation in March and I am just concerned that it is under the pool/deck area and will be noisy, especially in the morning. Most reviewers don't mention this as an issue but there seems to be some doubt as well. Any experience and/or suggestions? Thanks!

[Iamthesea]

I would go for one of the newer AQ's on Deck 11 if there is one available. That way, you have nothing above you but a public deck that not many use. It has no chairs on the Constellation and no jogging allowed. The area under the pool will have some noise from crew moving lounges around early in the morning and cleaning/stacking in the evening.

 

pmacher61 - My mention of Blu breakfast was in response to OXO about why I liked Blu. ;) The Elite breakfast is very nice when I don't need protein. I cannot remember. Do they serve lox?

 

OXO - LOL...I meant to say disembarkation morning.

Edited January 17, 2015 by Iamthesea

[Oxo]

I would go for one of the newer AQ's on Deck 11 if there is one available. That way, you have nothing above you but a public deck that not many use. It has no chairs on the Constellation and no jogging allowed. The area under the pool will have some noise from crew moving lounges around early in the morning and cleaning/stacking in the evening.

 

pmacher61 - My mention of Blu breakfast was in response to OXO about why I liked Blu. ;) The Elite breakfast is very nice when I don't need protein. I cannot remember. Do they serve lox?

 

OXO - LOL...I meant to say disembarkation morning.

 

OK, you must be human since you made a real mistake. LOL

[soxfan2013]

Depends on the cost difference, but I would upgrade from CC to AQ just to eat breakfast in Blu. We love dinners there, too.

 

I was intending to mostly eat dinners in the specialty restaurants and almost never in the MDR.

 

Is Blue that good?

 

I do like fresh OJ, and like the idea of a more relaxed breakfast...I hate the large breakfast buffets.

 

Is Aqua still worth it?

[Chitown12562]

I was intending to mostly eat dinners in the specialty restaurants and almost never in the MDR.

 

Is Blue that good?

 

I do like fresh OJ, and like the idea of a more relaxed breakfast...I hate the large breakfast buffets.

 

Is Aqua still worth it?

 

To me Blu is like a speciality resturant. I love the variety of dishes offered for dinner and the tranquility and freshness of breakfast. So to me Aqua is worth it.

 

You may find this article interesting too.

 

http://www.beyondships2.com/celebrity-silhouette-blu-review.html

[wallysdtr]

Yesssssssss, Yes, Yes! We love Aqua. The only reason I didn't book my next sailing on Infinity in an Aqua cabin is because there are 3 of us. I did however score a corner aft family veranda. I will miss Blu and hope I'll be able to have dinner and breakfast at least one morning and night there. For our 2016 Equinox Transatlantic sailing we have booked AQ again. Grab it and enjoy!

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Forums mobile app

 

We had aqua spa on the Connie and just upgraded from Concierge to Aqua for the march cruise.

I don't think that Blu is available to anyone that doesn't have aqua spa rooms. Maybe people in suites but only if there is availability. you might want to check to make sure you can.

[wallie5446]

We had aqua spa on the Connie and just upgraded from Concierge to Aqua for the march cruise.

I don't think that Blu is available to anyone that doesn't have aqua spa rooms. Maybe people in suites but only if there is availability. you might want to check to make sure you can.

Any and all in an Aqua class room dine in Blu, and have access to the Persian Garden. The spa is a totally different matter.

[renaroo]

I booked a cruise to Alaska this summer. Since I had some flexibility in my schedule, I was able to book a sail date where the aquaclass stateroom was cheaper than both a regular veranda and concierge class. In addition, I got all 3 offers in the 123go promo.

 

I'm really looking forward to the perks, epecially Blu. It should make eating healthy a little easier. :) I think this is going to be the nicest cruise I've ever been on!

[Oxo]

I booked a cruise to Alaska this summer. Since I had some flexibility in my schedule, I was able to book a sail date where the aquaclass stateroom was cheaper than both a regular veranda and concierge class. In addition, I got all 3 offers in the 123go promo.

 

I'm really looking forward to the perks, epecially Blu. It should make eating healthy a little easier. :) I think this is going to be the nicest cruise I've ever been on!

 

You are very lucky!!!! With the two crises we have book for this year on Celebrity to go from a 2B Deluxe Oceanview w/Veranda to an Aqua it would cost us $1,306 and $2,500 per cruise more for two people. To us that is not worth the extra costs as we both have Classic Package and $600 OBC.

 

Enjoy your good fortune.

[bvocruise]

To me Blu is like a speciality resturant. I love the variety of dishes offered for dinner and the tranquility and freshness of breakfast. So to me Aqua is worth it.

 

You may find this article interesting too.

 

http://www.beyondships2.com/celebrity-silhouette-blu-review.html

 

Wow, what a great article pertaining to Blu. We are booked in Aqua on the Reflection in May. I've heard the Blu on this ship is not as good since it is very overcrowded. The changes in April may help with the overcrowding.

[renaroo]

You are very lucky!!!! With the two crises we have book for this year on Celebrity to go from a 2B Deluxe Oceanview w/Veranda to an Aqua it would cost us $1,306 and $2,500 per cruise more for two people. To us that is not worth the extra costs as we both have Classic Package and $600 OBC.

 

Enjoy your good fortune.

 

Oxo, enjoy your beverage package on OBC. This will be our first cruise with a beverage package and it's exciting! I don't drink a lot of alcohol, but I do enjoy some. It'll be nice not to think about it. I drink a ton of water and coffee.

 

The pricing on this particular cruise is a little odd. If we selected a veranda cabin instead of the aqua, we'd pay $620 MORE for the two of us. Plus, we would only get 1 of the 3 123go perks whereas in aqua we get all three. I'm curious about why this one cruise has this kind of pricing. It's the only sailing I've seen where the aqua class is cheaper than the veranda. Curious, but thrilled!

[Oxo]

Oxo, enjoy your beverage package on OBC. This will be our first cruise with a beverage package and it's exciting! I don't drink a lot of alcohol, but I do enjoy some. It'll be nice not to think about it. I drink a ton of water and coffee.

 

The pricing on this particular cruise is a little odd. If we selected a veranda cabin instead of the aqua, we'd pay $620 MORE for the two of us. Plus, we would only get 1 of the 3 123go perks whereas in aqua we get all three. I'm curious about why this one cruise has this kind of pricing. It's the only sailing I've seen where the aqua class is cheaper than the veranda. Curious, but thrilled!

 

Glad you got such a deal. They are out there. But, far and few between. Enjoy!!!!