Eating in Blu if you aren't in Aqua Class

[Wine-O]

If signatures still showed up you would have seen that we have sailed on X more than 20 times and are Elite Plus so we know about breakfast in the MDR. But we also know through our experience, that service at breakfast in the MDR is the WORST on the ship IMO. We have had to wait up to 35 minutes for breakfast in the MDR and then wound up with cold food, rock-hard over easy eggs and waiting with an empty coffee cup for 10 or 15 minutes. On a line known for great service, this is the worst. I love every other thing about the service on an X ship, just not that.

 

As to the aft grille, we have walked by but to us, one of the things we love about cruising is the ambience of dinner being served by servers who take great care of us. I won't eat in a fast food restaurant on land. When I pay that much money, I want to have my order taken and my food brought to the table.

 

Jim

I could care less about anyone's cruise history. I was just giving suggestions since you wanted to eat with your friends, that's all.

[DrKoob]

I could care less about anyone's cruise history. I was just giving suggestions since you wanted to eat with your friends, that's all.

 

Your post implied that I had no clue that they served breakfast in the MDR. That's all. :) Love my friends and my brother and SIL but wouldn't suffer the service at breakfast in the MDR for anyone.

[hctkbt]

Haven't eaten in Blu. But if you ever have a chance and can book a Sky Suite (or higher if you can afford it I guess!), you'll be eating in Luminae. This might be the best restaurant at sea that we've ever used and we've been cruising since 1999. In fact it might even be better than many land-based 'top tier' restaurants. Worth a try!

[DrKoob]

So it seems that the bottom line is that you have to choose between a balcony that you like better or eating at Blu. It's just one of life's compromises. I sincerely hope that this is the most difficult decision in your otherwise tranquil life. :)

 

(I opted for Blu!)

 

That is correct. And someday I hope you get a chance to try an aft cabin on an M-class ship. This will be our 8th time and we love them. Especially when you are going places where you can see the shoreline (like this cruise). The MDR will do fine. My only purpose in posting this was to see if anyone had been able to do it before. If someone had, I was going to put my TA to work seeing if she could fix it for us. It appears that this is not the case, so I won't bother her.

 

Jim

[Love resorts and cruises]

That is correct. And someday I hope you get a chance to try an aft cabin on an M-class ship. This will be our 8th time and we love them. Especially when you are going places where you can see the shoreline (like this cruise). The MDR will do fine. My only purpose in posting this was to see if anyone had been able to do it before. If someone had, I was going to put my TA to work seeing if she could fix it for us. It appears that this is not the case, so I won't bother her.

 

Jim

 

Variety makes the world go round. I understand your affection for the stern balconies. The wake can be mesmerizing. Unfortunately, I suffer from just a bit of seasickness. It is only a problem after a couple of hours in the extreme stern or the extreme bow. Medicine would take care of it, but then alcohol is a no-no!! So that is one of my life's compromises! I'm happy with a midship AQ balcony.

[cruisestitch]

Sandtrap328 wrote:

 

"Also, given limited lunch menu of Luminae, on a longer cruise a lunch in Blu is a nice change."

 

 

Have never been on a cruise where Blu served lunch. Can you tell us when you have experienced this?

[johhnnyt]

The biggest advantages of Blu are the service and the atmosphere. The food is an upgrade from MDR, but not as good as a specialty restaurant. When you break down the price difference, you are paying for a specialty restaurant. I'd do it again. We were on the Constellation this summer and never had to wait. We always went between 7:15 and 8:00 pm.

 

I agree, Food is might be a little bit better than MDR, but the service and atmosphere is the advantage. Specialty dining venues have a much higher quality of food. One thing you can do is ask the maitre'd at Blu or MDR to make reservation for you at specialty dining, they can usually get you a 20-30% discount if you just ask them.

[DrKoob]

Variety makes the world go round. I understand your affection for the stern balconies. The wake can be mesmerizing. Unfortunately, I suffer from just a bit of seasickness. It is only a problem after a couple of hours in the extreme stern or the extreme bow. Medicine would take care of it, but then alcohol is a no-no!! So that is one of my life's compromises! I'm happy with a midship AQ balcony.

 

Sorry to hear you have that problem. It's not just the wake. When you are on Infinity, see if you can make friends with someone who has one so you can see the verandah. It's about twice the size of the cabin. Literally. You not only get two chaise lounges, you get two chairs and a table you could dine on. And there is still room enough to have a bunch of friends over. In Alaska we have had 20 people on that verandah on Infinity. We've had four different aft cabins on that ship, some twice.

 

Jim

[dkjretired]

I never stayed in a suite but stayed in AQ many times. Wasn't it prior to Luminae, which only been around 2 or 3 years, suite guests dining room was BLU? I seem to recall this family on a Fall, 2014 Eclipse Azores/Canary Island cruise , with several small children, who was down the hall from us in a suite had both breakfast and dinner in BLU.

 

 

Also, since Suite can dine in BLU (space available) can AQ dine in Luminae (space available)? Just asking :D

u

 

Suite guest dining room was never Blu., it has always been the dining room of AQ guests who get priority over suite guests. Initially, suite guests could not eat in Blu but after a year or so they were allowed in for 5pp. The fee was eliminated a couple years ago.

[TeaBag]

Dr Koob, since you are not sailing till next Fall, I would suggest you check the 5 aft cabins on deck 11, daily, to see if one becomes available. They are AQ class. Then you could have your cake and eat it too.......in Blu.....with your friends! :D Good Luck. People do change their minds and give up their nice cabins.

[jsea]

We did the aft corner balcony once on Infinity and it wasn't our cup of tea. I understand the appeal for some, but I much prefer the light and greater airiness of a standard balcony cabin where the water has a more significant presence in the sliding glass doors. We also didn't like the exposure and lack of privacy when along the far railing of the aft balcony. Additionally, sometimes smokestack soot was an issue. But we did enjoy the added space afforded by the sitting room.

 

Beyond that, for us, the solitude and smaller venue offered by Blu is something we wouldn't want to forego.

 

 

Last cruise we found Luminae to be subpar in terms of service and food and ended up in either Blu or an alternative restaurant.

[keesar]

Beyond that, for us, the solitude and smaller venue offered by Blu is something we wouldn't want to forego.

.

 

Solitude in Blu? What ship is that? It is a small venue but I would not not consider any Blu on an S-class ship as having that characteristic ---unless you were coming from Times Square.

[villauk]

Solitude in Blu? What ship is that? It is a small venue but I would not not consider any Blu on an S-class ship as having that characteristic ---unless you were coming from Times Square.

 

We've only had the Elegant Tea served in Blu, but every time we go, I feel those tables are just too close together. I literally feel like I'm sitting on the person's lap next to me. I would imagine it's fine if you want to meet new friends every evening and are a couple, however the rows of 2 seats virtually touching encroach on my personal space too much. Each to their own and that's why it's good we have so many choices. The location of many of the Aqua cabins would also not be of my choosing.

 

I agree, Food is might be a little bit better than MDR, but the service and atmosphere is the advantage. Specialty dining venues have a much higher quality of food. One thing you can do is ask the maitre'd at Blu or MDR to make reservation for you at specialty dining, they can usually get you a 20-30% discount if you just ask them.

 

You can get those discounts yourself if you ask at the restaurant of choice. We've never paid full price at a specialty. The afts are also our favourite on M class, be it CC or the corner FVs - the balconies are worth it alone.

 

Regarding admittance to Blu when not in Aqua, you obviously haven't been following the other current Blu thread :evilsmile:.

[gold1953]

Solitude in Blu? What ship is that? It is a small venue but I would not not consider any Blu on an S-class ship as having that characteristic ---unless you were coming from Times Square.

 

We find that even tough the tables in Blu are close together it is so much quieter which is most important. I personally find the MDR very crowded and noisy

[DrKoob]

Dr Koob, since you are not sailing till next Fall, I would suggest you check the 5 aft cabins on deck 11, daily, to see if one becomes available. They are AQ class. Then you could have your cake and eat it too.......in Blu.....with your friends! :D Good Luck. People do change their minds and give up their nice cabins.

 

Thanks for the advice but the added-on, deck 11 cabins are nothing like the original aft cabins on an M-class ship. It isn't being on the aft but the size of the verandah. The verandah's on those new added-on Aqua cabins are in most cases smaller than a standard cabin and have the Sunset Bar right below them with its attendant noise and clatter. The aft cabins that were built with the ship originally have HUGE verandahs. That's what we are after.

[TeeRick]

We did the aft corner balcony once on Infinity and it wasn't our cup of tea. I understand the appeal for some, but I much prefer the light and greater airiness of a standard balcony cabin where the water has a more significant presence in the sliding glass doors. We also didn't like the exposure and lack of privacy when along the far railing of the aft balcony. Additionally, sometimes smokestack soot was an issue. But we did enjoy the added space afforded by the sitting room.

 

Beyond that, for us, the solitude and smaller venue offered by Blu is something we wouldn't want to forego.

 

 

Last cruise we found Luminae to be subpar in terms of service and food and ended up in either Blu or an alternative restaurant.

 

 

That is very surprising. We have found Luminae food and particularly service to always be outstanding on 4 different ships that we sailed suites. What ship were you on?

[lawgeek]

Thanks for the advice but the added-on, deck 11 cabins are nothing like the original aft cabins on an M-class ship. It isn't being on the aft but the size of the verandah. The verandah's on those new added-on Aqua cabins are in most cases smaller than a standard cabin and have the Sunset Bar right below them with its attendant noise and clatter. The aft cabins that were built with the ship originally have HUGE verandahs. That's what we are after.

 

 

 

This is not true. The deck 11 aft cabins (at least the four in the middle) are very large, at least twice as deep as regular. The cover over bar keeps most noise out and allows privacy. I rarely heard noise and slept a lot on my deck in 1138. Another plus is short walk downstairs to sunset bar and close stairwell to quick coffee and bagel from buffet in morning (yes also available from room service if you wait or plan ahead).

 

 

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[DrKoob]

This is not true. The deck 11 aft cabins (at least the four in the middle) are very large, at least twice as deep as regular. The cover over bar keeps most noise out and allows privacy. I rarely heard noise and slept a lot on my deck in 1138. Another plus is short walk downstairs to sunset bar and close stairwell to quick coffee and bagel from buffet in morning (yes also available from room service if you wait or plan ahead).

 

 

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I guarantee you they aren't as big as the ones below them.

[C 2 C]

 

Beyond that, for us, the solitude and smaller venue offered by Blu is something we wouldn't want to forego.

 

 

Last cruise we found Luminae to be subpar in terms of service and food and ended up in either Blu or an alternative restaurant.

 

We like Blu as well for the lack of MDR noise and continuous traffic.

 

Which ship gave you lacklustre experience in Luminae?

[Wine-O]

I guarantee you they aren't as big as the ones below them.

Keep your big balcony and eat in the MDR. Meet your friends at Café al Bacio after dinner for dessert and after dinner drinks.

[gimletgal]

I guarantee you they aren't as big as the ones below them.

 

Totally agree!!! (y)(y)

[hcat]

Thanks for the advice but the added-on, deck 11 cabins are nothing like the original aft cabins on an M-class ship. It isn't being on the aft but the size of the verandah. The verandah's on those new added-on Aqua cabins are in most cases smaller than a standard cabin and have the Sunset Bar right below them with its attendant noise and clatter. The aft cabins that were built with the ship originally have HUGE verandahs. That's what we are after.

 

Sounds like you have made your choice...and in raising the issue allowed good info to be exchanged!

[jsea]

That is very surprising. We have found Luminae food and particularly service to always be outstanding on 4 different ships that we sailed suites. What ship were you on?

 

We like Blu as well for the lack of MDR noise and continuous traffic.

 

Which ship gave you lacklustre experience in Luminae?

Solstice. We were taken aback at how noticeable the service difference was, as it felt very haphazard. There was little, if anything, polished about it. This came as a surprise as we had nothing but good experiences in the past at Blu on multiple vessels. We assumed Luminae service would be as good if not better. The sommelier tended to "hide" out of sight (we usually had to ask our waiter to find him after we placed our order), you could wait for minutes with several staff passing you at Luminae reception before even being given a nonverbal acknowledgment, let alone being told someone would seat you.

 

I don't consider myself fussy, and I'm sure this post makes me seem that way (;p), but Blu was a night-and-day difference. Everything about Blu was polished in its execution. Thankfully, we can still have the benefits of being in a suite with the stellar service of Blu.

 

I'll give Luminae another shot, as I realize experiences can vary greatly ship to ship and maitre d' to maitre d', but definitely won't wait as long to take advantage of Blu if we are disappointed again.

[BellKat]

Variety makes the world go round. I understand your affection for the stern balconies. The wake can be mesmerizing. Unfortunately, I suffer from just a bit of seasickness. It is only a problem after a couple of hours in the extreme stern or the extreme bow. Medicine would take care of it, but then alcohol is a no-no!! So that is one of my life's compromises! I'm happy with a midship AQ balcony.

 

Do I have the product for you! I'm Kathleen, DrKoob's wife and I have had a couple of bouts of very severe seasickness. A friend gave me her relief band when she saw how sick I was on a excursion & it was a miracle. It can be found on Amazon (of course) and is called Relief Band Motion Sickness Device. It looks like a watch & gives you a little electrical stimulus. You can set it from 1 to 5 depending on how you feel. It is pricey but if you suffer every time you sail, it's well worth it. No medications!

[Ozzmund]

DrKoob,

Could not agree with you more about the spaciousness of the balconies on the C-1 Aft cabins on the M-Class ships.

We enjoyed one on our Summit and Connie sailings.

While we are AQ customers on the S-Class ships, we only do Aft C-1s on the M-Class. While we really enjoy Blu, that balcony can not be beat.