Blu on Connie review

[R&M1000]

We have just returned from our latest cruise on the Constellation. We have sailed on Connie 5 times, the last 4 being in Aqua Class on deck 11 since its existence. This past experience in Blu was so unlike the previous times on this ship or in Blu on any other ship.

 

What has changed on Connie since our last sailing on her in March of 2014 is the level of service, not the food. We had to wait for a table for 2, a minimum of 30 minutes each and every night, regardless of the time we showed up. One night we waited an hour for the beeper to go off. Why?

 

I have come up with 2 reasons why.

 

Reason number 1......On this sailing we witnessed the Michael’s Club host personally escort friends of ours to Blu. He delivered them to the hostess, Tijuana, and they were seated next. They didn’t have to wait more than 5 minutes on any night, while the rest of us AQ guests waited, and waited. The MC host we found out, had been encouraging everyone in MC to dine in BLU, and escorting them so they would not have to wait, creating the backup, even though Blu is available only to suites when conditions allow. Guess this rule has been forgotten and deemed not to have been important on this cruise, and the maître d didn’t care or was directed to overlook this.

 

Reason number 2…..On our previous 4 sailings in AQ, Alex was the maître d in Blu. Alex was responsible for the opening of Blu on the Constellation and had been there from its inception. While Alex was at Blu, he rarely had a hostess working with him. He did it all himself, and Blu was a fine tuned venue. It turns out Alex took a vacation this past year and has returned to the Connie as the maître d in Tuscan Grill. His replacement in Blu as maître d, Thelma, never was at the reception desk, never came over to us at our various tables during our entire cruise, and wasn’t really visible to us at breakfast or dinner. We found the wait staff for the most part to be very slow and not motivated, Miller being the exception, as he’s a five star employee who has been in this venue from day one. With Thelma not being able to handle this venue, in my opinion, the wait staff took liberties. This would probably be the reason we waited half an hour for juice one morning, and never were offered rolls or croissants that morning either.

 

If we hadn’t experienced Blu on other sailings, not just on the Constellation, we would have to say it’s just not worth it, as this was a terrible experience.

[kenevenpar]

Did they offer you to eat in one of the specialty restaurants? I seem to recall that being the policy?

[ghstudio]

Reason number 1 is correct. Since the announcement of the suite dining room, suite guests have apparently been seated when they arrive, just like aqua guests (although they deny this). We, like you have sailed in aqua multiple times and our last experience on the infinity TA this past fall was identical to yours....long waits every evening.

 

We are actually doing our next cruise in CC so we'll eat in the MDR...partially because of reason 1 and partially because after many cruises in Blu, we have memorized the 14 menus....it's become uninteresting and unexciting. We did book Aqua in 2017 in the hopes that things improve...or we'll just use the free cancellation out.

 

On the infinity TA, if you had to wait, you had the option of dining in any specialty restaurant that night for 50% off...in fact the offer was on the plastic holder for the puck they gave us each night so we didn't have to just sit outside Blu waiting....the lights signaled when a table was ready.

Edited January 20, 2015 by ghstudio

[R&M1000]

Did they offer you to eat in one of the specialty restaurants? I seem to recall that being the policy?

 

No offer was ever extended.

[phoenix_dream]

Wow - just booked a cruise on Connie in early March and I do not like the sounds of this! We were in Blu on Summit in December and it was absolutely wonderful, so we were very much looking forward to repeating the experience. I certainly hope they get this worked out. To have to wait over 30 minutes while they personally escort suite guests in is just WRONG. I am not usually a complainer (I think in more than 35 cruises I have only had to register complaints twice, and those were for some really bad circumstances - not on Celebrity by the way), but if I saw this happening I think I would have to find a way to report it to the manager in charge of restaurant operations. I understand it would likely be a mute point as he/she could be onboard with this process, but I think I would have to try anyway.

 

Interested in other recent Connie Blu cruisers. Did you have a similar issue?

[Rob the Cruiser]

If this is the trend I will switch to Concierge. Blu is the only reason we book AQ.

[rolfecms]

Interested in other recent Connie Blu cruisers. Did you have a similar issue?

 

We were sold on the concept of Aqua Class and Blu when we first tried it on the Solstice during her inaugural season in 2008 (See link in signature below).

 

So it came as a pleasant, welcome surprise when Celebrity introduced Aqua Class on the M-class ships.

 

With this in mind we were excited to book an AQ cabin on the Millennium for her first transpacific via Russia and Alaska last year in April 2013.

 

For us the Blu experience was not unlike the op's on the Connie: Not enough tables to serve those who wanted to dine during the peak hours. While a few minutes wait can be expected at such popular times, the situation was compounded by a certain travel agent and her husband who were traveling in a suite.

 

The rules are (were?) supposedly that suite passengers had access to Blu on a space available basis. Said travel agent had an agreement with the maitre 'd for her very own table each evening which the she and her husband would occupy while entertaining invited guests during which time she spent many hours soliciting their business. Of course this was at our expense as well as all those who could not be seated during that time.

 

How do I know this? My wife and I had the unfortunate opportunity to be 'invited' to sit at her table on one of the first nights out. She boasted about her 'reservation' in Blu and kissed the maitre d' as she thanked him when we entered Blu. Over a very extended dinner she proceeded to hard sell us her travel agent services, at one point pretending to cry in a vain attempt to pull us in emotionally and seal the deal.

 

It was dreadful, to say the least. And we overheard her disgusting spiel (together with faux tears) repeated again and again on successive nights when we were unfortunate enough to be within hearing distance of her table.

 

I'll admit we should have reported her and the maitre 'd right then and there. In any case it soured us on Blu, at least on the M-class.

 

Take this as a warning: Until suite passengers have a dining room of their own you too may face delays accessing a table in Blu.

[hcat]

Thanks for the heads up...we sail this coming Sat.

 

If this happens to us and someone is walked in ahead of us while we wait at the door, we will be making a big stink and speaking with the hotel director asap., This would be a big change in dining protocol for suites in AQ which are given space in Blu only subject to availability.., We have never been given a beeper for Blu on any ship. I am diabetic and plan meals for an approx set time.

 

Hope you reported this on board your cruise, and that the Celebrity Official reading cruise critic sets this right,.

 

If they offer an alt venue at half cost, we may jump on that...

[Northern Aurora]

We were on the Constellation TA last April and thought that Alex was marvelous. With Alex at the helm we never had to wait more than four or five minutes for a table, but we generally attend the early show and proceed to dinner after.

 

I find the MDRs on the M-class ships extremely noisy. That din is particularly wearing. It was miserable on a Connie TA in 2010 (Miami to Hamburg) -- we were at a table for eight on the upper level port side and you could only converse with the person sitting right beside you. All of us at the table were having the same problem hearing each other so we simply rotated positions every night. But given the noise level in the M-class dining rooms I can understand why Suite passengers, when given the option, jump to Blu.

[chicagopaul]

So sorry to hear your bad experience. Absolutely unacceptable in my opinion. Our first time in Blu was on our recent Eclipse cruise. We witness the hostess Anita making suite guests wait while she seated Aqua class. Suite guests were not happy but she was doing exactly what she was suppose to. We never had to wait more than 5 minutes.

 

We have booked a suite for our next cruise but we pushed it out to make sure the new suite restaurant will be open.

 

As previous people have said, I hope the celebrity official on here reads this and passes this on to the proper ranks.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[hcat]

Based on the warnings, we decided to stop in before BLU opens the first night to make sure policy correction was made.

 

we usually go early to dinner so it should not involve being handed a beeper.We like to stick to same time schedule as at home

 

we are big fans of BLU and are still looking forward to a good experience,..

[Mrs_Tiki]

Based on the warnings, we decided to stop in before BLU opens the first night to make sure policy correction was made.

 

we usually go early to dinner so it should not involve being handed a beeper.We like to stick to same time schedule as at home

 

we are big fans of BLU and are still looking forward to a good experience,..

 

We are sailing on the Connie in the next few weeks and are quite concerned to read this review. Not at all what we have experienced in Blu on previous cruises.

 

hcat, please check back and let us know what your experience is. Have a great cruise, and thanks in advance!

[Patrick IL.]

 

 

Reason number 1......On this sailing we witnessed the Michael’s Club host personally escort friends of ours to Blu. He delivered them to the hostess, Tijuana, and they were seated next. They didn’t have to wait more than 5 minutes on any night, while the rest of us AQ guests waited, and waited. The MC host we found out, had been encouraging everyone in MC to dine in BLU, and escorting them so they would not have to wait, creating the backup, even though Blu is available only to suites when conditions allow. Guess this rule has been forgotten and deemed not to have been important on this cruise, and the maître d didn’t care or was directed to overlook this.

 

 

QUOTE]

 

I would also be upset and demand a meeting with the hotel director.

[miched]

 

 

Reason number 1......On this sailing we witnessed the Michael’s Club host personally escort friends of ours to Blu. He delivered them to the hostess, Tijuana, and they were seated next. They didn’t have to wait more than 5 minutes on any night, while the rest of us AQ guests waited, and waited. The MC host we found out, had been encouraging everyone in MC to dine in BLU, and escorting them so they would not have to wait, creating the backup, even though Blu is available only to suites when conditions allow. Guess this rule has been forgotten and deemed not to have been important on this cruise, and the maître d didn’t care or was directed to overlook this.

 

 

QUOTE]

 

I would also be upset and demand a meeting with the hotel director.

 

I suggest the same but you bet me to it. I overheard a guest that was in a suite talking to the Maitr d about having friends dine with them in Blu and he told them he would make arrangements. I told the Hotel Director and she was upset and said she would talk to him. never seen those passengers again

 

happy crusing 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌞

[flames9]

Over the years I have read people had issues.....then people ask what did someone at Celebrity say? Nothing...as they never brought the issue up while on-board the ship......Would only take a few people complaining about this issue, to probably have it fixed.

[Iamthesea]

Thank you for bringing this issue to light! Hopefully, someone from Celebrity will see it and the kinks will get worked out until the Suite dining opens.

 

Our last 2 Celebrity cruises (March and May of last year) were on the Connie and we had excellent service in Blu. Never had to wait for a table during breakfast or dinner hours (8:30ish). We also had Alex and Miller. The other servers were also excellent.

 

Alex was to leave the ship the week after our March cruise. Imagine our surprise when he was still at the podium to greet us in May.:D He told us that he had to extend his contract when his replacement didn't show and that he would be training a replacement towards the end of that cruise in May. His replacement did come on board, and he did take over a couple of nights. Things went just as well with this gentleman.;)

Edited January 21, 2015 by Iamthesea

[R&M1000]

Over the years I have read people had issues.....then people ask what did someone at Celebrity say? Nothing...as they never brought the issue up while on-board the ship......Would only take a few people complaining about this issue, to probably have it fixed.

 

We did voice our displeasure at guest services. We asked for the hotel director to contact us regarding our issues. He didn't contact us. Instead we received a voicemail in our cabin from Bogdan, the MC host that our concerns were forwarded to him. There was no change that evening in Blu.

[chamima]

We did voice our displeasure at guest services. We asked for the hotel director to contact us regarding our issues. He didn't contact us. Instead we received a voicemail in our cabin from Bogdan, the MC host that our concerns were forwarded to him. There was no change that evening in Blu.

 

Next time (and I really hope you don't have the unfortunate experience of a "next time") leave a written and sealed note to the hotel director. That way he/she will actually probably get it.

[hcat]

Does anyone have the name of the current Hotel director.?

 

Sounds like hanky panky with maitre d and or Michaels club concierge as per the posted reports,

 

maybe Celebrity Official can chime in here with assurances..

 

We paid for AQ and dining in BLU as we do for all our cruises...,..suites have their own set of perks...and will soon have sep dining...but not yet! BLU is only on an avalable basis for them...and guests not in AQ or suites are not included.

 

can't post while on bd but will do so when we get back!

Hope folks keep the thread going...

[Patrick IL.]

We've very rarely had an issue when we have had to interact with guest services. The one time was a billing issue that went on for 4 days, promises it would be rectified by midnight each time. The fourth day, for the fourth time, my wife went down there, waited her turn, talked to the same women again, demanded to see an officer. Lady says she'll leave the officer a message. My wife says I'll wait right here with you for the officer. There was a bunch of people behind her, guest services was stunned. Food and Beverage Manager was there immediately, they all have cell phones. Problem was resolved.

[miched]

Does anyone have the name of the current Hotel director.?

 

Sounds like hanky panky with maitre d and or Michaels club concierge as per the posted reports,

 

maybe Celebrity Official can chime in here with assurances..

We paid for AQ and dining in BLU as we do for all our cruises...,..suites have their own set of perks...and will soon have sep dining...but not yet! BLU is only on an avalable basis for them...and guests not in AQ or suites are not included.

 

can't post while on bd but will do so when we get back!

Hope folks keep the thread going...

 

That is exactly what the Hotel Director told me when I told her about what I heard. She said that passengers in AQ pay extra for that priveledge and it will not be abused by anyone and she was grateful that I contacted her about it.

 

happy crusing 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌞

[Arubalisa]

After reading this thread and knowing there are more suites on the Reflection than other "S" class ships, as a guest booked in AQ class I am ➡ VERY concerned. We did not pay for AQ to be treated in the manner that the O.P. was treated. :(

 

I was discussing this thread with my husband and he said without skipping a beat that he would have headed straight to the Hotel Manager. Maybe my glass is half empty, but I reminded him there are NO guarantees that problems will be rectified. Of course suite passengers would have priority in some cases, however when a person is paying specifically for a specified service such as the Blu restaurant, I do take issue with this.

 

I sincerely hope that this was an isolated incident and that AQ passengers are not being relegated to 2nd class citizens until the new suite dining room comes into being.

[hcat]

We also attend events where sr officers are present, meet them, and enjoy chatting with them.. Most if them are very interesting people who truly love their jobs and serve with pride.

If an issues comes up we have a name and face to access although we have not had many issues over the years,

 

going with a positive outlook but glad for the heads up...

[hcat]

After reading this thread and knowing there are more suites on the Reflection than other "S" class ships, as a guest booked in AQ class I am ➡ VERY concerned. We did not pay for AQ to be treated in the manner that the O.P. was treated. :(

 

I was discussing this thread with my husband and he said without skipping a beat that he would have headed straight to the Hotel Manager. Maybe my glass is half empty, but I reminded him there are NO guarantees that problems will be rectified. Of course suite passengers would have priority in some cases, however when a person is paying specifically for a specified service such as the Blu restaurant, I do take issue with this.

 

I sincerely hope that this was an isolated incident and that AQ passengers are not being relegated to 2nd class citizens until the new suite dining room comes into being.

 

We sailed on Reflection in Nov,.we had .no overcrowding issues and enjoyed great food, staff and service in BLU, probably new staff by now. They beautifully organized a dinner we had with 10 members if cruisecritic who were in AQ....it was great fun.

 

I am suspecting this is a one ship issue...

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

I also suspect this is a one ship issue. We were on the Connie in November and December and the MDR was awful. Not at all like being on a Celebrity ship. The only decent meal and service we had was when we dined with the captain.

 

I'm sure Bogdan had lots of complaints from his high level suite cruisers. His job is to keep them happy. A good short-term fix would have been to comp those folks in the specialty restaurants if Blu was overcrowded.

 

Frankly, I think the HD should fix the issues in the MDR. We quit going. Stuck to the specialties and dinner in the cabin.