Blu and MDR

[Miaminice]

Details an pictures of Blu menu and food... we love it!

 

[YOUTUBE]IZ5eFfLRz0k[/YOUTUBE]

[Fishkillbill]

You are aware there are three everyday items on the menu. I generally eat pretty much some type of steak, never had a problem in Blu.

 

Same here. Had steak almost every night. Six nights in Blu last October and eight nights in MDR last week.

 

In Blu, I always ordered one of their meals, with the steak as a backup. Remember, you can order as many different meals as you like. Heck, order them all. In Blu, the portions are so small anyway.

[merinski]

Thanks, I am aware, just don't want to get tired of the same thing either, but the video was good and does show some good food. I will have to try to be more adventurous!:D

[lori-annk]

Thanks for sharing the Blu video! Beautifully done Miaminice!

[mandygal00]

We were aqua class and only had dinner in Blu 1 night, although we did do Blu breakfast a few times. The lamb was amazing! (See picture). We were in the MDR for dinner 2 nights, and had no problem walking in the select dining and getting a table within 5 minutes. I felt the MDR dinner was better. Our favorite was Murano though- amazing!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Luvcrusn]

Hi,

 

I just upgraded to Aqua class. I have reservations each night under select dining. Should I cancel them or keep the reservations? I know that Blu does not accept reservations.:D

Cancel them. If you want to dine on a given night in the MDR, simply make a reservation for that night or show up. You can also ask the maitre d in Blu to do it for you if you do it early enough. On our last few cruises we've asked our waiter if we could see the menu for the next night's dinner (we tend to dine late and noticed them changing menus once). If we don't care for the choices, we make other plans.

[NantahalaCruiser]

I've been looking at the menu's online and I'm afraid that we will not like much of the food. We like regular food..meat and potatoes..:eek:

I guess that means you will also not be using any of the specialty restaurants since they do not serve "regular" food. :)

[sanger727]

What FishLover says was also what I was told when I called Celebrity and asked about the dining situation. Select diners are "suggested" to make a reservation each evening they dine to avoid a long wait, but few people bother to make a reservation, and everyone shows up during the peak times expecting an open table. I was told that most people who are assigned to Blu or Luminae usually don't eat in the MDR, so the amount of Aqua and Suite guests dining in the MDR is minimal. I have always preferred most dinners in MDR, they have always been such nice, elegant rooms. But DH is intrigued by and looking forward to Luminae, so I guess that is the plan.

 

 

NCL only offers freestyle dining which is like 'select'; no set dining times, no reservations needed in the MDR. And they don't run into anywhere close the issues celebrity does with the waits for dinner. Since all passengers are on freestyle sufficient MDR space (all of it) is allocated for this purpose and natural spacing of passenger dining preferences keeps there from being long waits. If celebrity is running into very long waits at peak dining times then they have more passengers eating in select than the MDR space allowed for it will fit. So either they are allowing too many people to choose select (very likely) and/or allowing too many non-select people to eat there as they please (also very likely).

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[MixerDave]

NCL only offers freestyle dining which is like 'select'; no set dining times, no reservations needed in the MDR. And they don't run into anywhere close the issues celebrity does with the waits for dinner. Since all passengers are on freestyle sufficient MDR space (all of it) is allocated for this purpose and natural spacing of passenger dining preferences keeps there from being long waits. If celebrity is running into very long waits at peak dining times then they have more passengers eating in select than the MDR space allowed for it will fit. So either they are allowing too many people to choose select (very likely) and/or allowing too many non-select people to eat there as they please (also very likely).

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

I have Select Dining on the 5/26 Equinox - I have made all my reservations, but I just checked - I could change to 8:30 for traditional. 6PM is listed as unavailable, and other select times are wait listed.

[ColoradoKaren]

I'm traveling solo in Aqua class. Has anyone dined solo in Blu? If so, what was your experience. Is there an option to dine with others?

[NantahalaCruiser]

I'm traveling solo in Aqua class. Has anyone dined solo in Blu? If so, what was your experience. Is there an option to dine with others?

The tables for two at the portholes have another table for two right next to them; only a thin waiter would be able to slip between them. So even if you are dining alone, you will almost always be able to strike up a conversation with the couple adjacent to you. This is one of the many things we like about the Blu - you get to meet many wonderful people during dinner over the course of a week or two.

Edited May 7, 2017 by NantahalaCruiser

[ozziebound]

Any recent experiences to share? Especially on solstice...

We're on in less than four weeks

We have two specialty restaurant reservations but the other five nights my wife would like to be in the MDR instead of Blu

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[So Cal John]

We cruised on Silhoutte this past Christmes. Booked in AQ1 and our son was booked in a standard veranda cabin. We booked through a TA. When the booking came through it said we were in the early seating. All the comments earlier about the software issues apply here. I asked the TA to get the booking changed to Select. He thought that was crazy and questioned why we would want to dine in the MDR vs Blu. After reminding him that I was the customer and he was my agent, he contacted Celebrity to make the change. Turns out that because of that software issue the TA has to speak to Celebrity to make that correction. They can't do it in their system without making a phone call. I learned that from calling Celebrity to figure it out for the TA.

 

With a AQ cabin and a booking that said Select we were covered for whatever we wanted to do. We dined in Blu some nights, the MDR others, as well as Murano and Tuscan. It is your vacation that you are spending a lot of money on. Go and enjoy it how you want to. By the way, the cruise was sold out and I never saw anyone wait more than 5 minutes to be seated in any of the venues.

 

We are off to the Baltic this summer and a British Isles cruise next summer - all with a new travel agent.

[takemeaway2008]

Last time we sailed AQ, we decided to go to MDR one night. We were told to go anytime. I like the MDR to meet new people at dinner because it's a short period of time but it's nice to talk to other people occasionally. Well, we ended up sitting alone and service was soooo slow, and the place was noisy. Couldn't wait to get back to Blu. Pretty funny.

[Luvcrusn]

Any recent experiences to share? Especially on solstice...

We're on in less than four weeks

We have two specialty restaurant reservations but the other five nights my wife would like to be in the MDR instead of Blu

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Please don't take this question as a criticism, it's not meant that way. I'm curious is the only reason I ask this. If you don't want to dine in Blu, why did you book Aqua class? It's been my understanding that Blu is the main reason people select Aqua and pay extra for it. Do you have another?

[ozziebound]

It's ok I understand it's a common question...

We like Persian gardens and the relaxation room

We like the shower in aqua class staterooms

I like the canapés (or the cheeses they bring me since I'm vegetarian and most of the regular canapés aren't)

We like blu for breakfast

Booking aqua let us keep the perks we got when we booked onboard (actually for a different ship and itinerary but when we switched we had to stay at concierge or aqua or above or lose our perks)

More captain's club points

I think that's it

 

I do realise we could take a regular balcony and save money

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk