Is Luminae worth the jump from Aqua?

[jabrown40]

For those of you that have dined in both, is Luminae a good enough reason to book a suite for a 7 day cruise? I am currently booked in an Aqua class, have never sailed with Celebrity, but thought about an upgrade. I am familiar with some of the other perks, but am most interested in thought about the different dining experiences. Any opinions are welcome!

[jelayne]

Luminae is very nice and we enjoy the extra space in the suite. For us it depends on the price difference -Luminae vs Blu. We like Blu a lot and on our last cruise dined in Blu 2 nights as we preferred their menu to Luminae or the MDR.

 

Our next 2 cruises are in Aqua as the price difference of $220 pp per day(with 1 perk) is not worth it to us.

[bitob]

My take

Food is very esoteric. If u don't like complicated food you won't like luminae

But you can also order from mdr menu and frankly they will make you anything you want whether it's on the menu or not. The small size is what we like

 

Blu is noisier and less intimate. We like the ability to choose depending on menu.

 

Also luminae open for lunch on sea days On port days you can in in bistro on 5 grAtis

 

The space and the butler are worth the jump

Edited January 16, 2016 by bitob

[jabrown40]

I was surprised to see that you had eaten in Blu, because I've read many times on these boards that only Aqua guests are able to dine in Blu. So, can suite guests also dine in Blu? And are you less inclined to book specialty restaurants with the ability to dine in these two venues?

[maggie.1008]

We always book AQ or Sky Suites. Unless you get a great deal on a suite I don`t think Luminae is worth it. Several nights there was nothing that wow`d me. We have been lucky in Blu with great food and service. Never found it noisy, but we sit towards the back of the room away from the window by the back wall. Having a butler and Michaels club are nice suite perks.

[bitob]

I was surprised to see that you had eaten in Blu, because I've read many times on these boards that only Aqua guests are able to dine in Blu. So, can suite guests also dine in Blu? And are you less inclined to book specialty restaurants with the ability to dine in these two venues?

 

 

Suite guests may dine in blu

The more options the better

 

 

We do not cruise for food. We love Qsine but the others we can take or leave

 

Michaels club is of no value to us at all

 

Everyone likes different things. That's good

Edited January 16, 2016 by bitob

[ClaudiaB]

We LOVED Luminae recently. The service is the best on the ship, in my opinion. The sommelier (Maggie on Eclipse) was wonderful and gave the most perfect suggestions. For us it's a wonderful perk of a suite.

On sea days we ate in Luminae three meals! Sometimes we split something for lunch and we had small breakfasts.

 

We've mostly been in sky suites lately and we love them best. We had a Celebrity Suite but we actually prefer the one room more open and the aft corner view of the S1 on the S class ship. Until Luminae we either ate in Blu or specialties, opting to NOT eat in the main dining room. We love Blu and as a suite guest it's a perk, but in our opinion it's not as good. We talked to people who liked Blu better. So you can try yourself and see.

 

Remember you also get Michael's Club with a suite, and there will be lots of fun opportunities. Just mention to the concierge there at the desk and she/he will be able to get you a bridge tour, an engine room control room tour, an exclusive galley tour -- really anything. If you want to eat with one of the captains, mention it and it will happen. Heli pad sail away? Any drink you want on the ship? Special mini concerts and tea? No problem. A bunch of Cokes or Evian to take to your cabin? Go right ahead!

 

Your butler for your suite can also bring you anything you want. A cart every afternoon is standard but we asked for our own particular favorites. We asked him to have shrimp, crackers (he just brought us an entire box of Carr's!!) and cheese and dried fruits, salmon -- alternating on days - and it happened. Berries in a bowl in the cooler? Yep.

 

We booked on the ship recently and were able to get 4 perks for our 2017 cruise. Combined with $650 on board credit from Celebrity it made the cruise pretty much all inclusive. Transferred to our online TA and now we have an additional $750 OBC. This is just for a sky suite on a 14 day cruise. Normally we use OBC to upgrade to premium beverage and get unlimited internet but since those were included already we will use it for tee times and excursions, maybe something in the stores...

[BosoxI]

There are certainly no absolute answers, as tastes and pocketbooks vary widely. Here's my take on dining on Celebrity.

 

We usually book Aqua because we liked the Blu venue, smaller, better service, less noisy than the MDR. We never thought the food in Blu was that wonderful. Our recent experience on Eclipse has given us pause. The service could be non existent depending on the waiter and the place was noisier than we ever experienced on previous cruises. Also, the food was no better than the MDR. Honest. To spend the extra money solely to eat in Blu would be a waste IMHO. Better to get a good balcony and eat regularly in a specialty restaurant.

 

The upgrade to a suite, even a Sky suite, is a good sized jump. To do it solely for Luminae would not be worth it, although some S1 cabins on the Solstice class are really nice and might be worth the extra cost.

It is a hike from them all the way aft to the elevators and even worse to the theater.

 

Luminae is a very nice place. Tables are well separated, unlike Blu where neighbors' rear ends frequently attack my food as they exit or enter their seats. The service is wonderful. but not every meal is. My one so-so dinner in Luminae was the simplest on the menu. But overall it is an excellent experience. Still, it's an awful lot of money for a suite and I always wonder whether it's worth the cost.

 

As I said, for me the balcony/specialty combo is the best values, but DW has a say in this, too, so we'll be in a suite next trip. Hope she gets it out of her system soon, :)

Edited January 16, 2016 by BosoxI

[4774Papa]

For those of you that have dined in both, is Luminae a good enough reason to book a suite for a 7 day cruise? I am currently booked in an Aqua class, have never sailed with Celebrity, but thought about an upgrade. I am familiar with some of the other perks, but am most interested in thought about the different dining experiences. Any opinions are welcome!

 

We have done Aqua and BLU on Infinity in 2013 and a SS and Luminae on Millennium last year. Both times we were upgraded, paying nothing extra for the Aqua and a modest amount for the suite.

 

With the price differential between a balcony and either Aqua or a suite, we will never book higher than a balcony.

 

Both BLU and Luminae were great. Luminae was the better of the two, but in Aqua, you also get the spa benefits.

 

It is a personal choice, we we would never book the higher cost cabins.

[Ma Bell]

Delete

Edited January 16, 2016 by Ma Bell

[Ma Bell]

We LOVED Luminae recently. The service is the best on the ship, in my opinion. The sommelier (Maggie on Eclipse) was wonderful and gave the most perfect suggestions. For us it's a wonderful perk of a suite.

On sea days we ate in Luminae three meals! Sometimes we split something for lunch and we had small breakfasts.

 

We've mostly been in sky suites lately and we love them best. We had a Celebrity Suite but we actually prefer the one room more open and the aft corner view of the S1 on the S class ship. Until Luminae we either ate in Blu or specialties, opting to NOT eat in the main dining room. We love Blu and as a suite guest it's a perk, but in our opinion it's not as good. We talked to people who liked Blu better. So you can try yourself and see.

 

Remember you also get Michael's Club with a suite, and there will be lots of fun opportunities. Just mention to the concierge there at the desk and she/he will be able to get you a bridge tour, an engine room control room tour, an exclusive galley tour -- really anything. If you want to eat with one of the captains, mention it and it will happen. Heli pad sail away? Any drink you want on the ship? Special mini concerts and tea? No problem. A bunch of Cokes or Evian to take to your cabin? Go right ahead!

 

Your butler for your suite can also bring you anything you want. A cart every afternoon is standard but we asked for our own particular favorites. We asked him to have shrimp, crackers (he just brought us an entire box of Carr's!!) and cheese and dried fruits, salmon -- alternating on days - and it happened. Berries in a bowl in the cooler? Yep.

 

We booked on the ship recently and were able to get 4 perks for our 2017 cruise. Combined with $650 on board credit from Celebrity it made the cruise pretty much all inclusive. Transferred to our online TA and now we have an additional $750 OBC. This is just for a sky suite on a 14 day cruise. Normally we use OBC to upgrade to premium beverage and get unlimited internet but since those were included already we will use it for tee times and excursions, maybe something in the stores...

 

There are reports from people on board that Sky Suites have access to Michael's club for food, beverage and activities but not for Concierge Services, although it does say Concierge is available on the website.

Edited January 16, 2016 by Ma Bell

[rjrpar]

Just remember, you can eat in the specialty restaurants for about $70-100/day/couple, probably cheaper if you're a good negotiator. The SRs have much higher quality food vs Luminae. Now cabin size is another factor.

[jules815]

This is from the Celebrity website:

 

"When you stay in a Sky Suite, you'll enjoy the luxury of personal butler service. This includes assistance with unpacking and packing, in-suite lunch and dinner service, and complimentary in-suite espresso and cappuccino from Café al Bacio. And to top it off, the private Luminae restaurant and an exclusive Michael's Club lounge with dedicated Concierge."

 

If this isn't the case, is there another concierge on board? I'll be sailing on Connie in March in an S1. It will be our first time sailing with X. I was looking at deck plans and noticed a concierge on deck 3. Is that for anyone on board who doesn't have access to Michael's Club, or is that for Concierge staterooms?

 

I don't even know if we'd need the service of a concierge, but it would be nice if there was some consistency from ship to ship.

[ghstudio]

Just remember, you can eat in the specialty restaurants for about $70-100/day/couple, probably cheaper if you're a good negotiator. The SRs have much higher quality food vs Luminae. Now cabin size is another factor.

 

You can eat in the specialty restaurants every night for $29 a day per person....the ultimate dining package. It's an interesting alternative to Luminae and perhaps an alternative to even booking aqua and dining in Blu. The downside is that the ultimate dining package only covers dinners...so you lose the ability to have breakfast in Luminae or Blu. How much is breakfast worth?

 

Other than that, you get more space with suites and some additional perks (drinks if you go to Michaels club).

 

Everyone will decide what works for them....we don't need more space, we have the "free" drink package...and we eat a civilized breakfast in the MDR vs the buffet madness....and yes, we actually are real foodies. We don't see the need to pay 50% more for a suite. Your mileage may vary...

[TommyD3]

Just remember, you can eat in the specialty restaurants for about $70-100/day/couple, probably cheaper if you're a good negotiator. The SRs have much higher quality food vs Luminae. Now cabin size is another factor.

 

Actually they have the Ultimate Dining Package for only $29 pp/pd. There are only a limited number available but even those in an inside cabin can purchase if desired. Sky Suites are 3X the cost of an inside. I would spend the $29 pp/pd and eat in specialty every lunch and dinner:)

[asctony]

We LOVED Luminae recently. The service is the best on the ship, in my opinion. The sommelier (Maggie on Eclipse) was wonderful and gave the most perfect suggestions. For us it's a wonderful perk of a suite.

On sea days we ate in Luminae three meals! Sometimes we split something for lunch and we had small breakfasts.

 

We've mostly been in sky suites lately and we love them best. We had a Celebrity Suite but we actually prefer the one room more open and the aft corner view of the S1 on the S class ship. Until Luminae we either ate in Blu or specialties, opting to NOT eat in the main dining room. We love Blu and as a suite guest it's a perk, but in our opinion it's not as good. We talked to people who liked Blu better. So you can try yourself and see.

 

Remember you also get Michael's Club with a suite, and there will be lots of fun opportunities. Just mention to the concierge there at the desk and she/he will be able to get you a bridge tour, an engine room control room tour, an exclusive galley tour -- really anything. If you want to eat with one of the captains, mention it and it will happen. Heli pad sail away? Any drink you want on the ship? Special mini concerts and tea? No problem. A bunch of Cokes or Evian to take to your cabin? Go right ahead!

 

Your butler for your suite can also bring you anything you want. A cart every afternoon is standard but we asked for our own particular favorites. We asked him to have shrimp, crackers (he just brought us an entire box of Carr's!!) and cheese and dried fruits, salmon -- alternating on days - and it happened. Berries in a bowl in the cooler? Yep.

 

We booked on the ship recently and were able to get 4 perks for our 2017 cruise. Combined with $650 on board credit from Celebrity it made the cruise pretty much all inclusive. Transferred to our online TA and now we have an additional $750 OBC. This is just for a sky suite on a 14 day cruise. Normally we use OBC to upgrade to premium beverage and get unlimited internet but since those were included already we will use it for tee times and excursions, maybe something in the stores...

 

Please don't take tis the wrong way. With all the OBC $1,400 what did that cruise cost you without deducting the OBC from the total price?

Four (4) perks + $1,400 OBC.

If you don't want to say, I fully understand.

Thank you

[Nachosdelux]

Just remember, you can eat in the specialty restaurants for about $70-100/day/couple, probably cheaper if you're a good negotiator. The SRs have much higher quality food vs Luminae. Now cabin size is another factor.

 

I respectfully disagree with you on this point.

 

Of course food is subjective.

[jabrown40]

Food is subjective, which makes it so hard to advise others! I appreciate all of the input though, will just have to see what the budget, and perks offered allow. I think for the upcoming Caribbean, we will stay with AQ, and try blu. We have reservations already at Tuscan, Murano, and qsine. I know there are varied opinions about each restaurant, and I could have saved some money by trying for discounts when on board, but since it's our first time with Celebrity, I wanted to make sure they all had openings. We actually changed cruises because we had trouble with the restaurants being completely booked, and I didn't want to miss out the first time on board. We have booked a 12 night British Isles cruise in AQ for 2017, and hopefully will have our own opinions after our upcoming trip. Also thinking of purchasing another trip while onboard for the Summit next March. We just have to see if Celebrity is the right cruise line for us!

[varoo]

Luminae is very nice and we enjoy the extra space in the suite. For us it depends on the price difference -Luminae vs Blu..... .

We feel much the same way. We enjoy both Luminae and Blu, but the main reason we have been willing to pay more for a suite has been for the extra space, even before they had Luminae or Blu.

 

For us, whether or not to book a suite depends on a combination of factors, the major ones being the price difference and the itinerary.

 

With different people having different priorities, it is just about impossible to know how much more a suite should be worth to someone else.

 

Some love having a butler and consider that to be a big plus. We are do-it-yourself types who could not care less about having a butler.

Also, Michael's Club is not that important to us as we spend very little time there, while others hang out there for hours.

 

 

........... I'll be sailing on Connie in March in an S1. It will be our first time sailing with X. I was looking at deck plans and noticed a concierge on deck 3. Is that for anyone on board who doesn't have access to Michael's Club, or is that for Concierge staterooms?

 

I don't even know if we'd need the service of a concierge, but it would be nice if there was some consistency from ship to ship.

That concierge is available to everyone on the ship, not only those who book concierge staterooms.

 

We have seldom needed their services, but they were very helpful the few times when we did.

 

[breezy1200]

This is from the Celebrity website:

 

"When you stay in a Sky Suite, you'll enjoy the luxury of personal butler service. This includes assistance with unpacking and packing, in-suite lunch and dinner service, and complimentary in-suite espresso and cappuccino from Café al Bacio. And to top it off, the private Luminae restaurant and an exclusive Michael's Club lounge with dedicated Concierge."

 

If this isn't the case, is there another concierge on board? I'll be sailing on Connie in March in an S1. It will be our first time sailing with X. I was looking at deck plans and noticed a concierge on deck 3. Is that for anyone on board who doesn't have access to Michael's Club, or is that for Concierge staterooms?

 

I don't even know if we'd need the service of a concierge, but it would be nice if

there was some consistency from ship to ship.

 

Well this is interesting. Thanks for posting Jules. We were in a sky suite a year ago and were real sure that we did not have acces to Michaels Club. At the time, we the inormation we had was that Michaels was available to those staying in Celebrity suites and above. Of course, we never actually tried to enter there, thinking it was not part of our package.

 

Were we wrong, or is this a recent change?

[bitob]

Recent change. Mc just became available to guests in sky suites

[breezy1200]

Good to know. Thanks.

[Northern Aurora]

We were on a B2B2B series last fall on the Equinox with the first two legs in an Aqua Class stateroom and the third leg in a Sky Suite. So we were able to compare Blu and Luminae on the same ship.

 

We are two of the rather rare folks who weren't as enamored with Luminae as most. We found that when Luminae is good they are wonderful, but when they are poor they are lousy. We had extreme highs and lows, both in the meal quality and service in Luminae. While Blu didn't have the extreme wow factor it was more consistent.

 

In September we will be joining the Solstice in Hawaii for a B2B. Given the number of sea days in that first cruise we have booked a Celebrity Suite and are interested in trying Luminae on another ship.

[Host Jazzbeau]

I have heard complaints that "the menus in Blu don't change" -- not having experienced it yet I don't understand this. MDR has 14 menus so they are never repeated on any cruise <15 days -- but the menu list hasn't changed in years. Do people mean that there are fewer than 14 menus in Blu, or that they expect it should have menu renovations every few years? What about Luminae -- are there 14 menus there? I ask because of the suggestions that you could book a Veranda and dine in specialties every night -- but their menus never change and as much as I love Normandie I really don't want to dine there more than 3x per cruise [and Qsine? once].

[prim8keeper]

I have heard complaints that "the menus in Blu don't change" -- not having experienced it yet I don't understand this. MDR has 14 menus so they are never repeated on any cruise <15 days -- but the menu list hasn't changed in years. Do people mean that there are fewer than 14 menus in Blu, or that they expect it should have menu renovations every few years? What about Luminae -- are there 14 menus there? I ask because of the suggestions that you could book a Veranda and dine in specialties every night -- but their menus never change and as much as I love Normandie I really don't want to dine there more than 3x per cruise [and Qsine? once].

 

 

There are 14 Blu menus, it's that they have not changed in years. We started cruising aqua class in 2011 and while there have been some minor changes in that time, the bulk of the menu has stayed the same. We cruise 2-3 times a year and we have started alternating suites to eat in Luminae or concierge occasionally to eat in the specialty restaurants. As you pointed out though their menus don't change much either. My DH says the solution is to cruise less... [emoji14]