debbiedebdoo Posted February 27, 2016 #1 Share Posted February 27, 2016 We are in Aqua Class on the Equinox next February. We are traveling with a bunch of friends that aren't in Aqua Class and my question is, do we have to eat in Blu? We would like to join and be assigned to the tables are friends are at in the main dining room. Does anyone know the answer to this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruizen Susan Posted February 27, 2016 #2 Share Posted February 27, 2016 IF there is room, you can probably get the Blu Maitre' D to change you to the MDR. It would probably need to be coordinated with the Maitre' D in the MDR too. We love Blu, and will be dining in Murano and Tuscan as well a couple evening. But not the MDR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaudiaB Posted February 27, 2016 #3 Share Posted February 27, 2016 Best solution of course is everybody in the same cabin class. Too bad they're not in AQ cabins too because for me the main perk is eating in the smaller restaurant Blu. In my opinion it's steps above the MDR. If you've never eaten there you may want to at least separate for a night to try it. Or maybe they can upgrade.........;) I don't think it's a problem though, if you just want to be in the MDR. We know people who did that for your same reason you've asked. I suggest eating in the specialties too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkjretired Posted February 27, 2016 #4 Share Posted February 27, 2016 We are in Aqua Class on the Equinox next February. We are traveling with a bunch of friends that aren't in Aqua Class and my question is, do we have to eat in Blu? We would like to join and be assigned to the tables are friends are at in the main dining room. Does anyone know the answer to this? This is something that has to be done on the ship, can't be done before. You need to understand your assigned dining room is Blu and your friends are assigned to the MDR. You do not have a seat assigned to you in the MDR. It will be much easier to make the change if your friends have Select Dining as opposed to Traditional dining. As Susan said you have to coordinate this between the maitre'd's of Blu and the MDR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeaBag Posted February 27, 2016 #5 Share Posted February 27, 2016 If you want to eat with your friends, why not book another class of cabin? Concierge class would give you many of the same benefits as AQ, without the privilege of dining in Blu. You might save some money too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BosoxI Posted February 27, 2016 #6 Share Posted February 27, 2016 Yes, while Blu has its plusses and minuses, for us it's the main enticement for booking Aqua. If you're not eating in Blu, you might well reconsider Aqua and save money, as others have suggested Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbiedebdoo Posted February 28, 2016 Author #7 Share Posted February 28, 2016 Thank you all for your answers, a lot to think about. I don't think moving cabins is an option as our cruise is sold out (Mardi Gras 2017) but even if it changed the price would be so much more now as we got a really great price on ours compared to most as it was booked really early. So..... Does anyone know is "Blu" only for aqua class or can other passengers reserve there also for a fee or something? And is the seating assigned like the MDR? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR_T Posted February 28, 2016 #8 Share Posted February 28, 2016 We generally book Aqua Class but not for dining in blu, when want to eat in the main dining room we just show up at the select section and have always been seated without issue and never had a problem, I would say to do the above your friends would need to have select dining as I don't believe you would be able to do this at set dining! 🤔 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wine-O Posted February 28, 2016 #9 Share Posted February 28, 2016 I would ask your travel agent to link all of your bookings together for dining purposes. We were traveling with another couple back in 2012 and both booked in Blu. We had our reservations link together. A couple months before final payment we upgraded to a Suite GTY. When we arrived on the ship, we had every intention of eating together in Blu, but found that as a Suite pax, our dining venue at that time was set up in the MDR. Since our booking was linked for dining, they had us both set up for a table for 4 in the MDR, in spite of the fact that the other couple was in AQ. Celebrity sets up dining seating around 2-3 weeks prior to the cruise. If your travel agent links all of you together with your desires to eat together, Celebrity should set you all up in one table in the MDR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prim8keeper Posted February 28, 2016 #10 Share Posted February 28, 2016 Thank you all for your answers, a lot to think about. I don't think moving cabins is an option as our cruise is sold out (Mardi Gras 2017) but even if it changed the price would be so much more now as we got a really great price on ours compared to most as it was booked really early. So..... Does anyone know is "Blu" only for aqua class or can other passengers reserve there also for a fee or something? And is the seating assigned like the MDR? Blu is only for Aqua class guests and this is one policy Celebrity really enforces. Suite guest can also dine in Blu based on availability, however suites also have their own dining room, Luminae that they are assigned too. Blu is open seating like select dining in the MDR. Tables are not assigned, although you can ask to sit in the same waiters section each night if you get one you really like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wine-O Posted February 28, 2016 #11 Share Posted February 28, 2016 Blu is only for Aqua class guests and this is one policy Celebrity really enforces. Suite guest can also dine in Blu based on availability, however suites also have their own dining room, Luminae that they are assigned too. Blu is open seating like select dining in the MDR. Tables are not assigned, although you can ask to sit in the same waiters section each night if you get one you really like. My guess is the OP, assigned to Blu, wants to sit with friends, assigned to the MDR, for traditional dining. This should not be a problem - just have the TA notify Celebrity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riredsox Posted February 28, 2016 #12 Share Posted February 28, 2016 (edited) We are in Aqua Class on the Equinox next February. We are traveling with a bunch of friends that aren't in Aqua Class and my question is, do we have to eat in Blu? We would like to join and be assigned to the tables are friends are at in the main dining room. Does anyone know the answer to this? There were 6 of us sailing together in Aqua, we ate there 2 times, the rest in the MDR and a couple of specialty. This was an 11 night cruise and we had no problem eating in the MDR. See you on the Mardi Gras cruise! Edited February 28, 2016 by riredsox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbiedebdoo Posted February 28, 2016 Author #13 Share Posted February 28, 2016 Thank you all for the information. It appears one of our friends travel agents is already on it and I found out I can eat in the main dining room and still do Blu at breakfast and if we want can eat there a couple of the nights, which is exactly what I wanted. So I knew I would get valuable input here, so again, thank you all very much, Very excited about this cruise and especially being able to see all my friends again, it's been way too long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbiedebdoo Posted February 28, 2016 Author #14 Share Posted February 28, 2016 So to all of you that have eaten in Blu, what is it like, what makes it different/special? Is it a healthier menu? Better service? I'm dying to know.:):):) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbiedebdoo Posted February 28, 2016 Author #15 Share Posted February 28, 2016 There were 6 of us sailing together in Aqua, we ate there 2 times, the rest in the MDR and a couple of specialty. This was an 11 night cruise and we had no problem eating in the MDR. See you on the Mardi Gras cruise! Hopefully we will meet you. 2nd time on celebrity, normally do RCCL but loved Celebrity when we went and our glad to be treating ourselves again and this looks like the perfect cruise as I've never been to New Orleans and it's always been on my bucket list. The roll call looks like it's going to be a pretty lively group.:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauracatherine Posted February 28, 2016 #16 Share Posted February 28, 2016 I personally really enjoy Blu and it's one of the main reasons we stay in AquaClass. The food options tend to be interesting and the portion sizes are in my opinion really good - not too small but not too big. The actual restaurant (Eclipse experience) is beautifully laid out with a very spacious feel, i also enjoy that it is next to the speciality restaurants as it always seems a bit brighter at the rear of the ship and being on deck 5 you don't feel too close to the water as you do on lower decks! I'm not saying that it is 100% perfect all of the time, as yes there are off moments but all you have to do is bring this to the attention of your waiter or the Maitre D and it is sorted quickly. I enjoy eating healthier and also the very personalised service you receive in the restaurant with the staff showing an interest in your plans when on board and when in port and then remembering to ask you about it when they next see you. Plus if for some reason the menu doesn't suit you one night, then you can have a lighter meal in the restaurant and then head up to the Ocean View which provides interesting options also - their sushi is usually good! Breakfast in blu is also lovely - their buttermilk pancakes are yummy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Crucero Posted February 28, 2016 #17 Share Posted February 28, 2016 So to all of you that have eaten in Blu, what is it like, what makes it different/special? Is it a healthier menu? Better service? I'm dying to know.:):):) - It is a more healthy cuisine (although you can order from the MDR menu also) - more tables for two - more space between most tables - pax tend to dress up more for dinner - quieter surroundings - wait staff even more attentive and experienced than MDR - it feels more like an intimate restaurant than the MDR We tried Aqua class once and became hooked on Blu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEcruzr Posted February 28, 2016 #18 Share Posted February 28, 2016 Next month we will be in a suite, our friends in a CC cabin. Our reservations have been linked. We have the same TA... she said that 2 to 3 weeks prior to our sail date she will contact X and request/confirm that all 4 of us are assigned to the MDR together. They could eat at Luminae IF there is room AND for an extra charge. We have requested MDR seating instead. It's not guaranteed yet. Fingers are still crossed that they will put us in the MDR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelerThom Posted February 28, 2016 #19 Share Posted February 28, 2016 We cruised two years ago with friends who were in AQ; we were not. We had Select (Any Time) Dining. A number of nights they dined with us in Select Dining. As soon as they gave their stateroom number, the Select Maitre d' knew they were in AQ, and there was never a problem with them getting in. My understanding is that the system allowed them to eat in Select any time they wanted to. Thom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Hlitner Posted February 28, 2016 #20 Share Posted February 28, 2016 IF you want to eat all your meals in the MDR,,,why are you paying extra for Aqua? In many cases you are getting a cabin for more money that is not in a particularly great location. But getting back to the dining situation, being in an Aqua you are automatically assigned to Blu. If you want to eat in the MDR the normal procedure is to speak with the Blu Maitre'd who can usually make alternative arrangements for the MDR....but it would be on a space available basis. Hank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleckle Posted February 29, 2016 #21 Share Posted February 29, 2016 We are in Aqua Class on the Equinox next February. We are traveling with a bunch of friends that aren't in Aqua Class and my question is, do we have to eat in Blu? We would like to join and be assigned to the tables are friends are at in the main dining room. Does anyone know the answer to this? On the S-class ships the Aqua Class cabins are not any larger than the regular veranda cabins. For most passengers, the main reason to book Aqua Class is to eat in Blu. No, you don't have to eat in Blu. But as mentioned, it would be a lot easier to join your friends for dinner if they are booked in Select dining instead of traditional dining. For breakfast and lunch in the main dining room it would not matter because they are open seating with no assigned tables. If you do not plan to eat in Blu at all but have booked Aqua Class for the spa access, it could be worth comparing the cost of your Aqua Class cabin to booking a regular veranda cabin and buying spa passes. Occasionally aqua class cabins are even priced lower than regular veranda cabins, but cabin location is a consideration for most. When they drop the prices to sell out the remaining unsold aqua class cabins, those are usually the ones in the least desirable locations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Aurora Posted February 29, 2016 #22 Share Posted February 29, 2016 So to all of you that have eaten in Blu, what is it like, what makes it different/special? Is it a healthier menu? Better service? I'm dying to know.:):):) While I prefer the food in Bu over the MDR, Blu is just so much quieter than the MDR. Blu is more comparable to a restaurant while the MDR reminds me of a noisy banquet hall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisin4kicks Posted February 29, 2016 #23 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Don't feel like starting a new thread and I think my question could probably be answered here by all you experienced Aqua/Blu cruisers Booked a Concierge Class cabin over a year ago on the Solstice for the April Honolulu to Vancouver repo. After final payment, prices dropped quite a bit and I contacted my TA and upgraded to an Aqua cabin this afternoon at no extra charge. Our original booking says we have Select Dining. Among other things, part of the reason we upgraded was to try out Blu and see why everyone seems to rave about it. If we wish to eat at Blu, do we just show up at the door? Does the fact that our booking still says Select Dining cause any issues? Thanks for any information you are able to provide. Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Hlitner Posted February 29, 2016 #24 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Don't feel like starting a new thread and I think my question could probably be answered here by all you experienced Aqua/Blu cruisers Booked a Concierge Class cabin over a year ago on the Solstice for the April Honolulu to Vancouver repo. After final payment, prices dropped quite a bit and I contacted my TA and upgraded to an Aqua cabin this afternoon at no extra charge. Our original booking says we have Select Dining. Among other things, part of the reason we upgraded was to try out Blu and see why everyone seems to rave about it. If we wish to eat at Blu, do we just show up at the door? Does the fact that our booking still says Select Dining cause any issues? Thanks for any information you are able to provide. Tim What your booking says has no relevance when you are in an Aqua Class Cabin. Blu is essentially open seating (call it Select if it makes you feel better) all the time at both breakfast and dinner. You just show-up during the open hours (this info will be in your cabin) and you will be seated...sometimes immediately and other times after a short wait. They sometimes will leave a note in your cabin with a suggested Blu dining time for the first night, but you can choose to ignore that and just go to dinner when you please (during the open hours). Hank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkjretired Posted February 29, 2016 #25 Share Posted February 29, 2016 What your booking says has no relevance when you are in an Aqua Class Cabin. Blu is essentially open seating (call it Select if it makes you feel better) all the time at both breakfast and dinner. You just show-up during the open hours (this info will be in your cabin) and you will be seated...sometimes immediately and other times after a short wait. They sometimes will leave a note in your cabin with a suggested Blu dining time for the first night, but you can choose to ignore that and just go to dinner when you please (during the open hours). Hank Absolutely, the computer needs to have something on it for the booking, simple as that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now