Blu restaurant closed due to short cruise ?

[scandun]

Someone has complained Blu restaurant on Millennium was closed last year during some Asian cruises ( Korea/Japan ) and the cruise line's explanation was that the cruise was a short voyage. Are they going to do it again this year ? Real shameful for Celebrity if that is true.

[CYNSport]

I have never heard of this and suspect, if it were true, there would be numerous angry posts on numerous threads. We have sailed in Aqua Class many times. How do you know about this "complaint"?

[WestLakeGirl]

Can you point us to a source, please?

[Northern Aurora]

I also am curious about the source.

 

We were on the two night "Taste of Modern Luxury" cruise on the Eclipse last May. We booked that two night cruise as we were on Eclipse cruises both before and after the "taster." Blu was certainly open, but since that cruise had several hundred UK travel agents on board for an industry meeting the Blu breakfast location was switched to one of the specialty restaurants one morning.

[scandun]

I have never heard of this and suspect, if it were true, there would be numerous angry posts on numerous threads. We have sailed in Aqua Class many times. How do you know about this "complaint"?

 

It is a cruise review on one of the biggest chinese online travel website/agency. They also served terrible food. They are dumping prices now. How they treated the Asian market last year is paying them back this year.

[CYNSport]

It is a cruise review on one of the biggest chinese online travel website/agency. They also served terrible food. They are dumping prices now. How they treated the Asian market last year is paying them back this year.

 

You seem to know more about it than you appeared to in your initial post.

[AdoraBelle]

Blu was open on a 5 night Carribean on Eclipse last December.

 

Troll thread.

[scandun]

You seem to know more about it than you appeared to in your initial post.

 

I read a lot of stuff about cruising.

[scandun]

Blu was open on a 5 night Carribean on Eclipse last December.

 

Troll thread.

 

This was a 4 day cruise starting from Feb. 21, 2015. If you can read chinese, here is the review:

 

http://you.ctrip.com/travels/kyushu291/2803236.html

[cruisestitch]

Was the ship chartered?

What was the itinerary?

Which ship was it?

[CYNSport]

I read a lot of stuff about cruising.

 

 

You probably know more than anyone who might post, unless someone who was on the cruise posts here :). It's surprising that Blu would be closed if passengers paid for Aqua Class on the cruise. Sadly, I can't read Mandarin, but when I select the English or French versions, I don't find any cruise reviews.

[cruisestitch]

Sorry I see it was Millie. But was it a charter?

[dkjretired]

Sorry I see it was Millie. But was it a charter?

 

That is probably the reason, have never read of any such complaints. Sometimes charters provide thir own entertainment and basically call the shots.

[Christine Frances]

Here are Feb/15 reviews and they look pretty good. Sounds like the Charter didn't come through for their clients. http://www.cruisecritic.com/celebrity-millennium-asia-cruises/rs/?page=8

 

We were on the Millie last Oct for 2 week visiting Japan and China and it was a fabulous cruise with great food.

[cle-guy]

If it was a charter, the chartering company implements the menus, pricing etc.

 

On my Atlantis charters, they change up the buffet (breakfast till 2pm, buffet open till 5 am then closes for an hour to clean, buffet selections were somewhat limited, for example no hash browns was my thing... LOL), allow anyone to use BLU and anyone to use Luminae for a $50 cover, even if not with a suite guest.

 

Possibly BLU was closed on the sailing noted by the OP for private use by the charter company staff or important guests, or maybe they got a price reduction on the charter in exchange for closing BLU.

 

Some charters let the ship operate as on any cruise, others change it up dramatically. But in any case, the charter company owns the ship that week and is free to do as they wish, Celebrity is nothing more than a hotel and catering company in these instances.

[KikisDad]

Well explained Curt, thanks

[scandun]

Obviously this is not a corporate charter sailing. It can be a retailer charter, or a joint/combined retailer charter, which has been dominating the Chinese market since 2011-2015, but came to a collapse afterwards. Whether or not it is such a charter, the sales is towards the general public, therefore there is no reason to close Blu, which has been advertised and included in the Aqua class fare. Promise not delivered.

[Cindy]

If it was a charter, the chartering company implements the menus, pricing etc.

 

Some charters let the ship operate as on any cruise, others change it up dramatically. But in any case, the charter company owns the ship that week and is free to do as they wish, Celebrity is nothing more than a hotel and catering company in these instances.

 

Great explanation of how charters work. Thanks!

 

Obviously this is not a corporate charter sailing. It can be a retailer charter, or a joint/combined retailer charter, which has been dominating the Chinese market since 2011-2015, but came to a collapse afterwards. Whether or not it is such a charter, the sales is towards the general public, therefore there is no reason to close Blu, which has been advertised and included in the Aqua class fare. Promise not delivered.

 

Since I can't read Chinese I still haven't seen anything that shows BLU was closed on a sailing where it was sold as included in the Aqua fare. Without that, I think your post is just hearsay since you weren't on the ship. If this was anything other than an isolated incident because of an agreement with a chartering company, I think the outcry on Cruise Critic would be immediate and loud!

[AdoraBelle]

Great explanation of how charters work. Thanks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since I can't read Chinese I still haven't seen anything that shows BLU was closed on a sailing where it was sold as included in the Aqua fare. Without that, I think your post is just hearsay since you weren't on the ship. If this was anything other than an isolated incident because of an agreement with a chartering company, I think the outcry on Cruise Critic would be immediate and loud!

 

 

I'm still trying to figure out why OP decided to post a thread about a review they found online that is about a cruise that happened back in 2015. But people are responding, so I guess it worked.

[CYNSport]

I'm still trying to figure out why OP decided to post a thread about a review they found online that is about a cruise that happened back in 2015. But people are responding, so I guess it worked.

 

In fairness to OP, the signature shows OP is booked on a similar cruise (Millennium in Japan) next month. I assumed this post was to try and gain additional information about whether this happens frequently.

[timtrek]

Thought I would give a Chinese to English application I have and found this in the post directly under the pics of the Feb 21 Celebrity Today:

 

A bit of a clunky translation, but I get what is being said about Blu.

 

 

The so-called spa balcony room, means there can do the spa where

the fine cruise room away from that place relatively close ,

rather than a room with a spa , spa , should be charged ,

but in the Persian gardens Khan, steam and spa lounge in rest

free. Further spa balcony room can enjoy free Blu Blu-ray

Features Restaurant ( it is strange that this restaurant

throughout the voyage did not open the door, said to be a few

days longer voyage will open , and the main restaurant are

together because , in order to split dining before opening ) .

Look at the rest of the room photo ~

[cle-guy]

Obviously this is not a corporate charter sailing. It can be a retailer charter, or a joint/combined retailer charter, which has been dominating the Chinese market since 2011-2015, but came to a collapse afterwards. Whether or not it is such a charter, the sales is towards the general public, therefore there is no reason to close Blu, which has been advertised and included in the Aqua class fare. Promise not delivered.

 

I am fairly certain there was lots of talk last year about a bunch of millennium charters, being bought out by Chinese travel companies and marketed by those companies. I may be mistaken....but swear this was a big deal late 2014/early 2015 here.

 

From what you describe here, last year was the last of these types of things, and this year it's just in general sale.

 

Here's a link to one of the threads I was remembering.

[scandun]

I am fairly certain there was lots of talk last year about a bunch of millennium charters, being bought out by Chinese travel companies and marketed by those companies. I may be mistaken....but swear this was a big deal late 2014/early 2015 here.

 

From what you describe here, last year was the last of these types of things, and this year it's just in general sale.

 

Here's a link to one of the threads I was remembering.

 

This year there are still many chartered sailings, because contracts were signed long time ago ( half a year, one year or more before ). It was a big win win for the travel companies and cruise lines under those charters until mid of 2015, when MERS ( a virus ) broke out in South Korea. What a mess it caused to travels to S. Korea, both for land based tours ( with flights ) and for cruises with stops there. Many Japanese ports are too small to receive big cruise ships. Some of the charters even ended up floating on sea for the whole journey, resulting in angry passengers asking for money back. When this virus was put under control a little over a month later, land based travels recovered rather quickly, but never did cruises. You can all imagine what can happen between the travel companies and the cruise lines. Cancel charter contracts ? No way says cruise lines. Go to court, spend a lot of money and don't know result in short time ? Cruise line take back unsold cabins and sell by themselves ? What price can be sold at ? Dumping prices but what about the cruises unchartered with similar itineraries ? Expecting good hearted cruise lines to compensate part of the huge losses ? Maybe, but how to calculate each one's losses ? Pay a small fine to cruise lines to cancel the charters may seem a win win solution ? But fines are already paid if passengers do not reach an agreed number for each voyage. This only one of a kind way of selling cruise in the world ( only country in the world ) is meant to come to an end.

[scandun]

Thought I would give a Chinese to English application I have and found this in the post directly under the pics of the Feb 21 Celebrity Today:

 

A bit of a clunky translation, but I get what is being said about Blu.

 

 

The so-called spa balcony room, means there can do the spa where

the fine cruise room away from that place relatively close ,

rather than a room with a spa , spa , should be charged ,

but in the Persian gardens Khan, steam and spa lounge in rest

free. Further spa balcony room can enjoy free Blu Blu-ray

Features Restaurant ( it is strange that this restaurant

throughout the voyage did not open the door, said to be a few

days longer voyage will open , and the main restaurant are

together because , in order to split dining before opening ) .

Look at the rest of the room photo ~

 

The woman (review writer) was talking here about Aqua class benefit that she came to know from whatever sources. She says Aqua does not mean you can do spa in your room, but Aqua cabins are close to the spa room on the ship. Spa is not free, but it is free to enjoy sauna in Persian garden and rest in the lounge. Then she says Aqua guest can enjoy free meal in Blu restaurant ( she shows the paper "Modern Luxury" in chinese which includes the description of Blu for Aqua class guest ) She feels very strange that Blu is closed throughout the voyage ( which is against what she was informed about Blu ). Then she says the reason she heard was on longer voyage it is open and it is next to the main dining room (is it correct ? I have not checked deck plan ), and when too many people dine in the MDR, Blu will open to split the flow. Whoever told her these bull**** excuses, she has been fooled like other guests and just accepted as she was told. She is not an experienced cruiser, this is only her 2nd cruise and first time on Celebrity. Poor woman, imagine if this happens in America ??? But it won't happen in America, as Celebrity dare not fool Americans in this way. That's why none of you folks have heard about this kind of thing.

[cle-guy]

Then she says the reason she heard was on longer voyage it is open and it is next to the main dining room (is it correct ? I have not checked deck plan ), and when too many people dine in the MDR, Blu will open to split the flow. Whoever told her these bull**** excuses, she has been fooled like other guests and just accepted as she was told. She is not an experienced cruiser, this is only her 2nd cruise and first time on Celebrity.

 

Yes on the M class ships, as Millie is, BLU is by MDR.

 

But if we are talking about any Millie cruises from the end of last summer, they were full ship charters, under the control of the organization (likely asian travel agencies) chartering them, who took the business risk, and had to determine how to handle their guests. In my prior reply, I posted just 1 thread of where people who had booked that sailing were canceled by Celebrity because of the full charter, and there were at least 1 or 3 other full asian charters, not just Groups within normal non-group people sailing, they were fully chartered out.

 

In your other reply, you noted a ship never docking its entire voyage (wasn't Celebrity), and MERS causing people not to book thus ships had issues, which is on the backs of the organization that contracted out the entire ship.

 

To cancel a charter would cost the organization millions of dollars, and they can't simply just cancel and expect X to then market and refill the ship in such a short time. Chartering organizations have to pay up front a huge portion of the contract, and enter into a letter of guarantee to fulfill the rest of the contracts. There was a case last year where a charter canceled and X tried to refill the ship but couldn't so canceled it entirely and did a non-scheduled drydock instead ( I was one of those who booked last minute and then got canceled cruise).

 

Again her explanation that BLU would open for overflow, indicates to me that the chartering organization had determined that they did not want to cover the costs of BLU and instead contracted to leave it closed, opening for overflow since those guests had no seats in MDR.

 

The issues lie with the organization who ran the charters in the case of your friend, it's not Celebrity screwing its asian clientele in any way, they Chinese market is important to Royal Caribbean as is noted in their financial filings and investments in that region.

 

The good news for you, is your sailing this year is definitely NOT a full charter as many of these were last year, so I'd expect BLU to be open and all typical Celebrity activities happening.