Aqua Class

[anniegb]

We always book AQ but we generally do it very early. Since we're usually looking for new or unusual itineraries, the prices just keep going up after we book. Twice in the past year, by sailing time, a window cabin has been going for more than we paid. We're also pretty picky about our cabin location and booking early is the only way to get what we want.

 

I don't find eating more often in specialty restaurants to be a trade-off for Blu. The specialties have a single menu and it's much heavier food than I prefer. The food in Blu tends to be simply prepared and, although not as broad as the MDR, varied enough for us. Having said that, sometimes we check the Blu menu and decide to hit the buffet or select dining.

 

I've heard some folks say that they can order off the MDR menu in Blu, and others who say that they were turned down. I've never tried but there are "always available" options that aren't printed but the staff will tell you about them. All of the food is prepared to order, not banquet style like the MDR. Therefore you can opt for changes in preparation or sides without any fuss or bother.

 

Thanks for that - good to know.

 

I agree on pricing, an inside cabin solo occupancy was selling for more than my aqua cabin at one point.

 

I have a couple of food allergies and the food I can eat and enjoy is very simple - but requires a little bit of advance notice - marinading etc,

 

I will have a word with the Maitre D' and see if Celebrity can handle it this time - they never have in the past.

 

Annie

[TravelKnitter]

Our last cruise - was our first time in Aqua - and I was pretty sure Blu wasn't for me - but I wanted that deck 11 aft cabin for Alaska and so figured I could "get by" for a week.

 

Had to come back and report that I was so WRONG and loved, loved, loved Blu - and so did DH. :o I'll admit the rest of the Aqua perks don't matter to us - Persian Gardens holds no appeal but Blu - wow - worth the price difference right there. Not only is the food very good but the service is excellent.

 

Our next cruise we'll be in Luminae for the first time and looking forward to the comparison.

 

I must say, I agree. I cruised Celebrity for the first time in October, and I LOVE BLU! The Aqua Class price is worth it for Blu alone, although the room was lovely. I didn't do much in Persian Gardens (which on Summit does not have ocean views), but the little time I spent there, I enjoyed it. Blu, however, was the best.

[TravelKnitter]

We always book AQ but we generally do it very early. Since we're usually looking for new or unusual itineraries, the prices just keep going up after we book. Twice in the past year, by sailing time, a window cabin has been going for more than we paid. We're also pretty picky about our cabin location and booking early is the only way to get what we want.

 

I don't find eating more often in specialty restaurants to be a trade-off for Blu. The specialties have a single menu and it's much heavier food than I prefer. The food in Blu tends to be simply prepared and, although not as broad as the MDR, varied enough for us. Having said that, sometimes we check the Blu menu and decide to hit the buffet or select dining.

 

I've heard some folks say that they can order off the MDR menu in Blu, and others who say that they were turned down. I've never tried but there are "always available" options that aren't printed but the staff will tell you about them. All of the food is prepared to order, not banquet style like the MDR. Therefore you can opt for changes in preparation or sides without any fuss or bother.

 

I was able to order MDR items in Blu and, I was able to order Blu items in MDR. Whenever I did, I always gave advance notice.

[galavant3]

We love Blu and will only book Aqua Class on Celebrity. In my opinion, Blu, combined with the premium beverage package, approximates a luxury line at mass market pricing. We love the service, the atmosphere and the food. We have never found the menu to be limited nor have we ever been tempted to ask for items on the MDR menu.

 

The fact that some don't care for Blu helps to keep the demand, and hopefully the price, down.

 

 

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[Lealei]

We booked GTY Veranda room and finally got our room number. It turned out that we received Aqua Class cabin. I had already done couple of Select Dining reservations to MDR and now wondering what happens with those...

 

Are they cancelled automatically or do I have to cancel them myself? And if I don't cancel them do we then have the reservation to MDR those nights and we can go there? And if we don't go then will they turn us down at Blu since according to our dining reservation we should be eating somewhere else that night? :confused:

 

Does anyone have any experience or ideas about this?

[ChucktownSteve]

We booked GTY Veranda room and finally got our room number. It turned out that we received Aqua Class cabin. I had already done couple of Select Dining reservations to MDR and now wondering what happens with those...

 

Are they cancelled automatically or do I have to cancel them myself? And if I don't cancel them do we then have the reservation to MDR those nights and we can go there? And if we don't go then will they turn us down at Blu since according to our dining reservation we should be eating somewhere else that night? :confused:

 

Does anyone have any experience or ideas about this?

 

Congrats on your great cabin assignment. If you are in Aqua Class they will not be expecting you at the MDR. The on board computer will recognize you as eating in Blu. You will not be assigned a MDR seating regardless of what you previously reserved.

 

However if you do wish to eat in the MDR regularly or on a particular night, all you have to do is let the Matre'd at Blu know your preference. If there is room, they will accommodate you.

 

If you're on an M Class ship, you should be able to order anything off the MDR menu in Blu since they share the same kitchen. I did that on the Summit this summer. On S class ships I've heard you can't do that because the kitchens for the two are on different decks.

Edited November 13, 2016 by ChucktownSteve

[Duanerice1]

We love Blu and will only book Aqua Class on Celebrity. In my opinion, Blu, combined with the premium beverage package, approximates a luxury line at mass market pricing. We love the service, the atmosphere and the food. We have never found the menu to be limited nor have we ever been tempted to ask for items on the MDR menu.

 

The fact that some don't care for Blu helps to keep the demand, and hopefully the price, down.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

Exactly although we are fine with the classic package.

[TravelKnitter]

Congrats on your great cabin assignment. If you are in Aqua Class they will not be expecting you at the MDR. The on board computer will recognize you as eating in Blu. You will not be assigned a MDR seating regardless of what you previously reserved.

 

However if you do wish to eat in the MDR regularly or on a particular night, all you have to do is let the Matre'd at Blu know your preference. If there is room, they will accommodate you.

 

If you're on an M Class ship, you should be able to order anything off the MDR menu in Blu since they share the same kitchen. I did that on the Summit this summer. On S class ships I've heard you can't do that because the kitchens for the two are on different decks.

 

That's good to know. I was on Summit on my last cruise, but I'll be on Eclipse for the next. Are the kitchens on separate floors on Eclipse?

 

Many thanks.

[hcat]

If there is something on the MDR menu you want to eat........They WILL get it for you in Blu........Yes if you want that Prime Rib..........you WILL get it.....

Main advantage in Blu is that it is QUIET and refined dining and your waiters give EXCELLENT service

 

Not so on Infinity in Oct... we missed out on the Prime Rib.. it was the land of no can do..

 

although we are long time exclusive BLU fans, sad to say BLU was not at all quiet and refined. Finding staff was like ghost hunting and those who were around were scurrying.

 

From reading many recent posts, i am convinced we hit a bad week or whatever...so we are still loyal to BLU..even a great restaurant hits low periods now and then. Wish we could have gone to Tuscan every night instead..

[hcat]

We booked GTY Veranda room and finally got our room number. It turned out that we received Aqua Class cabin. I had already done couple of Select Dining reservations to MDR and now wondering what happens with those...

 

Are they cancelled automatically or do I have to cancel them myself? And if I don't cancel them do we then have the reservation to MDR those nights and we can go there? And if we don't go then will they turn us down at Blu since according to our dining reservation we should be eating somewhere else that night? :confused:

 

Does anyone have any experience or ideas about this?

 

I'd cancel them so the spots can be filled by someone else..we ate out of BLU 4 out of 9 nights and were lucky to get an MDR res for 2 at the last minute one night...they were very booked in select.....congrats on the upgrade

[LuAnn]

Just back and the food in Blu...was the best we thought in all the years we have been booking Blu...since it was started!!!!

 

Loved the food/the wait staff...and the entire experience was the best yet.

 

Re the "bottle water"...I asked our room steward about that when we boarded and he said just ask if you want more...and we did that...and received bottles as requested...to me...a better solution than many, many bottles piling up in the past..."ask and you shall receive" seemed to work...at least for us!!! And we declined the "ice tea"...maybe a trade off? And we asked to not have the fruit delivered and the "munchies" during the late afternoons...so maybe X can make up $$ from one or two items declined and others asked for?

 

TBH...we won't sail X anymore without AQ...just to have "Blu"....to us the MDR is just too loud and crowded...we don't use the "spa" aspect...as DH has a pacemaker and his cardio doc says no to any of the spa treatments...which is fine with us...it is "Blu" all the way with AQ in our book! LuAnn

[BosoxI]

Main advantage in Blu is that it is QUIET and refined dining and your waiters give EXCELLENT service

 

Obviously, you weren't near the foursome who frequently sat near us on an Eclipse cruise last December. One of them should have been yelling "cockles and mussels, alive, alive-o":eek:

 

The noise level in Aqua can be quite loud, we've taken to asking for a table away from the windows on S class ships. It seems a bit quieter and my hearing ain't what it should be.

 

Finally, (and I really don't mean to take issue with you) on two separate occasions on two different ships, we left Aqua without eating because we and others near us were completely ignored by all staff until, that is, we neared the exit, when suddenly the maître d'hôtel appeared from nowhere begging us not to leave. I had my Irish up and continued to the buffet. So Aqua can be a challenge but DW prefers it still to the MDR. I find the staff just as harried as in the MDR

[Northern Aurora]

.....

 

The noise level in Aqua can be quite loud, we've taken to asking for a table away from the windows on S class ships. It seems a bit quieter and my hearing ain't what it should be.

 

.....

 

I prefer Blu on a M-class ship over the S-class ships. Just smaller on the M-class ships and we've tended to find Blu quieter on the M-class ships as compared to the S-class ships. We've had several experiences in Blu on S-class ships when Blu has louder than general. On the Equinox in the fall of 2015 there were a surprising number of groups traveling together who wanted to dine together in Blu (i.e., they wanted tables pushed together to make one long rectangle). This wouldn't have been a problem except that members of one group would try to converse down the length of that table, which meant that they were essentially yelling down the table.

[2theship]

I prefer Blu on a M-class ship over the S-class ships. Just smaller on the M-class ships and we've tended to find Blu quieter on the M-class ships as compared to the S-class ships.

 

I agree. However, I haven't been on an S-class ship in almost three years (how did THAT happen? :eek:) After I'm on the Equinox in February, I may change my mind. I'm hoping that Luminae for suite cruisers will lessen the demand for Blu. That seems to be the case on M-class. I regularly use Persian Gardens and while the lovely loungers on S-class are amazing, I love the uncrowded PG on the M-class ships.

[stillhott]

suite guests were never allowed Blu on a regular basis

and there was a surcharge

[bertrande]

suite guests were never allowed Blu on a regular basis

and there was a surcharge

 

I think the surcharge has been removed. The new CEL suites programme rollout last year removed the surcharge although I believe Suite passengers can still only dine on an as-available basis.