Reservations at Blu?

[cambriah]

Our first Aqua Class Cruise with Celebrity. Two questions:

 

Can you make dinner reservations?

What are the hours for breakfast -- at sea/in port?

 

Thanks in advance.

[jelayne]

No reservations at Blu just show up when you are ready to dine. Normally a very short wait, however if you show up right after the 7:00 show ends there may be a line. We have never waited more than 10 minutes for a table.

 

Breakfast hours on sea days are 8:-9:30 port days can vary by docking time but generally 7-8:30.

[edgee]

No reservations at Blu just show up when you are ready to dine. Normally a very short wait, however if you show up right after the 7:00 show ends there may be a line. We have never waited more than 10 minutes for a table.

 

Breakfast hours on sea days are 8:-9:30 port days can vary by docking time but generally 7-8:30.

 

Agree that never waiting more than 10 minutes applies to dinner on S Class ships. However, we recently completed an Aqua Class cruise on the Infinity (M Class) and a few evenings we showed up at Blu after 7 p.m., asked for a table for two and were given a beeper and had to wait in the lounge for 35 minutes. We adjusted our schedule a bit and arrived by 6:15 and were seated right away the remainder of the cruise. We had a similar experience on the Summit (another M class ship) a few years ago. On several recent S class cruises (Eclipse 2 cruises, Solstice, Reflection 2 cruises) we never had to wait more than a couple of minutes to be seated in Blu. Seems to have to do with the capacity of the restaurant and number of tables for 2. If you are willing to share and sit at a larger table, I believe you will rarely have to wait on either class of ship. Breakfast in Blu on our recent cruise was 7:30 to 9 on sea days and 7 to 9 on port days.

[lawgeek]

As others have said, we waited (:15 - :20) for Blu most nights around 7:00, while on Summit with party of four. On Connie with only two, no wait at similar times. On Equinox, no wait ever with party of four.

[hcat]

Agree that never waiting more than 10 minutes applies to dinner on S Class ships. However, we recently completed an Aqua Class cruise on the Infinity (M Class) and a few evenings we showed up at Blu after 7 p.m., asked for a table for two and were given a beeper and had to wait in the lounge for 35 minutes. We adjusted our schedule a bit and arrived by 6:15 and were seated right away the remainder of the cruise. We had a similar experience on the Summit (another M class ship) a few years ago. On several recent S class cruises (Eclipse 2 cruises, Solstice, Reflection 2 cruises) we never had to wait more than a couple of minutes to be seated in Blu. Seems to have to do with the capacity of the restaurant and number of tables for 2. If you are willing to share and sit at a larger table, I believe you will rarely have to wait on either class of ship. Breakfast in Blu on our recent cruise was 7:30 to 9 on sea days and 7 to 9 on port days.

 

How was the service and food on Infinity? Did they serve Prime Rib? Did they have enough staff? We had an overall bad expetience there last Oct after being BLU fans for many cruises...Going to be back again ...hoping it has improved.

Agree that going early avoids a wait...or ultra slow service.

[CaroleSS]

Our experiences in Blu have been on the S class ships, so don't have specific details on the Infinity, but we've always had positive experiences. Service has always been great and we've never had a wait.

 

BUT.....we usually cruise with a group (6 to 8) so we arrive early (6:30-ish). We are usually at the same table the entire cruise, so we have the same waitstaff every day. They are attentive and know our preferences after day 1. Our drinks are delivered to the table without us asking. My mother is a Caffeine free Diet Coke drinker. On one cruise she was told that they were not available, but the waitstaff combed the ship for them so one was always available for her at dinner!

 

We've never done a table for 2 or 4, but know there are plenty of those available. Knowing we are a large group, we try to be accommodating and Blu has never let us down. I think they do a great job working people in and I've rarely seen a long line at the door.

 

I do hope your aqua class experience is good....we did it once and were hooked!! I'm afraid to try a suite!!! :eek:

[ghstudio]

Generally, the wait for a table in Blu is at most 10 minutes these days...but there was a period when Suite guests were using blu more often because luminae wasn't ready....and although suite guests are only supposed to be admitted to blu for dinner if there is space available, they were seating them as if they were aqua passengers. Fortunately, Luminae is now finished, so that little blip has gone away. There are still two peak times.....1) when the early show ends and 2) at 7pm when the elite cocktails end.

 

Wait's are not all bad...we were on either the millenium or infinity and if there was a wait, they gave us a beeper....and the beeper had an option on it that if we preferred not to wait, see the maitre d" to dine at a specialty restaurant that night for 50% off. We took them up on it one night.

[edgee]

How was the service and food on Infinity? Did they serve Prime Rib? Did they have enough staff? We had an overall bad expetience there last Oct after being BLU fans for many cruises...Going to be back again ...hoping it has improved.

Agree that going early avoids a wait...or ultra slow service.

 

Did not see prime rib in Blu, but we ate in Tuscan Grill 2 nights so may have missed it. We ate in Blu 9 nights of 11 night cruise. Once we were seated service was always excellent.

[hcat]

Sounds promising and more like the BLU we enjoy!

[NantahalaCruiser]

Have not seen prime rib, but the pan seared filet mignon is wonderful; and it is on the menu twice in the 14 day cycle, so once on a seven day cruise.

[cawags]

How was the service and food on Infinity? Did they serve Prime Rib? Did they have enough staff? We had an overall bad expetience there last Oct after being BLU fans for many cruises...Going to be back again ...hoping it has improved.

Agree that going early avoids a wait...or ultra slow service.

 

We were on Infinity B2B in March. Service was very good. Late dining was the busiest. Many late diners on that cruise.

[bigbenboys]

Have not seen prime rib, but the pan seared filet mignon is wonderful; and it is on the menu twice in the 14 day cycle, so once on a seven day cruise.

 

The 1st night the MDR normally has Prime Rib. Blu has Filet Mignon. So check the menu's out on the 1st night and if you want Prime Rib go the the Select Dining area of the MDR.