Will we regret this, traded big balcony for Blu? Also embarkation and Relaxation Room

[cangelmd]

OK, so I need some validation! We booked a last minute (for us, we are planners) cruise for Jan 2018 on the Equinox. After the Black Friday sale, I checked the prices again, and they had fallen a good bit from when we booked. Aqua Class was a little cheaper than what we paid for Concierge. Obviously no refund after we had paid, but we had a C2 with a larger balcony, and swapped for Aqua Class. Will we be sorry? We are big food and wine people, and while we really prefer traditional type dining because we like having the same waitstaff every evening, we thought we could get that in Blu if we ate at about the same time, and asked nicely? The menus in Blu and the more experienced staff posts appealed to us.

 

My concern about switching is we are now on Deck 11, and I'm afraid to even look to see what is over our heads now!

Also, our reason for getting Concierge Class was priority embarkation, according to the website, we still get that in Aqua Class, but it sounds like the "priority" all depends on when you get there.

Finally, tell me about the relaxation room, is it actually in the spa? Pardon my ignorance, but can you wear street clothes into this area, or is it bathing suits/skivvies/"I'm having a massage, thank you"? I told you it was a dumb question!

 

Thanks you guys are always the best.

[Mosttoyswin]

I don’t think you’ll regret it. The attention you get in blu from the servers is significantly higher than the main dining room. Also don’t forget about breakfast. We always end up with the same servers. We do arrive right after they open so we just that may be why?. After the first day the maître d’ knew our name and cabin number. Their ability to remember that information is spooky. Great attention from the sommelier. The first night we discussed our wine likes and dislikes. After that we would tell her what we’re having for an entrée and he or she would make recommendations. They were always spot on.

[JerseyGirlatHeart]

We try and book Aqua all the time, love Blu and Persian Gardens. Once you find a wait staff you like, just ask to be seated in their section ... no problem. Relaxation room is, just that, a room (usually empty) with comfy chairs, tea and water setup ... we use it once and a while. Persian Gardens is a small Spa like setting with heated loungers, sauna, steam room and specialty shower. I think you made the right move. Enjoy your cruise.

 

 

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[roseleblanc114]

OK, so I need some validation! We booked a last minute (for us, we are planners) cruise for Jan 2018 on the Equinox. After the Black Friday sale, I checked the prices again, and they had fallen a good bit from when we booked. Aqua Class was a little cheaper than what we paid for Concierge. Obviously no refund after we had paid, but we had a C2 with a larger balcony, and swapped for Aqua Class. Will we be sorry? We are big food and wine people, and while we really prefer traditional type dining because we like having the same waitstaff every evening, we thought we could get that in Blu if we ate at about the same time, and asked nicely? The menus in Blu and the more experienced staff posts appealed to us.

 

 

 

My concern about switching is we are now on Deck 11, and I'm afraid to even look to see what is over our heads now!

 

Also, our reason for getting Concierge Class was priority embarkation, according to the website, we still get that in Aqua Class, but it sounds like the "priority" all depends on when you get there.

 

Finally, tell me about the relaxation room, is it actually in the spa? Pardon my ignorance, but can you wear street clothes into this area, or is it bathing suits/skivvies/"I'm having a massage, thank you"? I told you it was a dumb question!

 

 

 

Thanks you guys are always the best.

 

 

 

We are booked in aqua class also. January 20th. It was a good price when we booked in February. Seems like forever ago. We have never cruised before. Blu looks amazing! Can’t wait [emoji4]

 

 

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[Vicjac]

We booked Aqua for the 1st. time in Feb on Eclipse.

 

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[Mr. Click]

We were booked in a 1A on the Silhouette in September 2016 with a nice big balcony. After final payment there was a huge price drop. After a bit of pushing our TA got us upgraded to A1 on deck 11. We loved Blu. The food was better, the wait staff was better and the atmosphere was much calmer and that was nice. We did have a few different waiters in the course of our cruise but they were all great. We did try the relaxation room once. Went in shorts and tee shirts with books in hand. It was nice and quiet for about 20 minutes and then others came in and felt it was appropriate to play video games on their phones at full volume so that was the end of reading and relaxing for us. We were below the pool but the noise never bothered us and not being sun lovers we enjoyed the shade the overhang of the pool deck provided. We really did love Aqua and if I ever find a reasonable price I will go back there in a heart beat but our recent trips the price for Aqua was more than $2000 over our 1A/2B prices.

[Alsmez]

IMO AQ is much, much nicer than Concierge, simply because of Blu and the Persian Gardens. I would trade a larger balcony for AQ in a heartbeat.

[hcat]

We gave up the large midships balconies for AQ class when it started...we weren't sure about trading up but never looked back. Always book AQ.. Not always perfect in BLU but much less hectic than MDR...enjoy your cruise! Relaxation room and PG are also nice perks..aling with the fancy shower...

[PhD-iva]

I strongly prefer Aqua class for access to Blu. Last Celebrity cruise in December 2013 on Reflection we went with an aft balcony cabin (loved it!) and therefore we were relegated to the MDR. What a disaster! Cold food, poor service, huge disappointment. The bad experience Helped to convince my husband to upgrade the next cruise to Oceania (now my favorite cruise line!). We’ll join his family for an Alaska cruise in 2018, and I made sure to book Aqua class! You won’t regret it!

 

 

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[cangelmd]

We are booked in aqua class also. January 20th. It was a good price when we booked in February. Seems like forever ago. We have never cruised before. Blu looks amazing! Can’t wait [emoji4]

 

 

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That is the cruise we are on! Can't wait. We picked this itinerary for the month, the 3 sea days and St Maarten :(. Sadly no St. Maarten, but we will still have an awesome cruise. I think we are only getting off the ship to drop a little money into the local economy and go hiking in St. Kitts - I plan on spending a lot of time in the Relaxation Room and on those heated tile beds.

[Cruise Raider]

I concur with those that say you won't regret it. We've only booked in the A2 class so there were always cabins above us but Celebrity has done a good job with soundproofing their rooms so hopefully you won't hear anything from above.

Anyhow, I questioned this once, too, about giving up a great balcony for AQ but now my DH wants it all the time ... although, most of the time, our travel budget doesn't allow for it.

I love the relaxation room ... I know some people might say it is really nothing but it is one of my favorite places on the entire ship. We've not experienced noisy people in there even once ... but I don't disbelieve those that haven't had a most relaxing time in there. It a room that AQ passengers and anyone else that booked a spa service can use. I've just gone in wearing the clothing I had on but you could go in a robe if you choose. Either way, you won't feel out of place. They have nice cushioned chaise lounges as well as infused water and the makings for a cup of hot tea. Here's the best part, though ... best place to experience a sail away ... well, it has been in Alaska anyway. You are pretty much right under the bridge (is that right?) so you have the same view the captain does. We tried sail away from there once and we were hooked. It is very relaxing ...so much so that we both fell asleep up there while reading.

I also love the Persian Gardens but my DH doesn't ... so sometimes go by myself ... just not that often.

 

Blu is awesome ... it is just not as chaotic as the MDR. I like the food and the sommelier service as well. It's a beautiful restaurant, even though I really have no problem eating in the MDR.

 

Sure, you get priority boarding in concierge but if there is a delay, AQ goes before concierge anyway. I don't think you've made a mistake at all. I hope you love it as much as I do. Don't forget you can request any kind of pillow that you like to sleep with and the showers are also nicer in AQ as well. Not sure it you still can order smoothies from the room service menu but a couple of those are awesome.

 

Just sailed on the Equinox a couple of weeks ago ... I think you will like her. She's an awesome ship!

[roseleblanc114]

That is the cruise we are on! Can't wait. We picked this itinerary for the month, the 3 sea days and St Maarten :(. Sadly no St. Maarten, but we will still have an awesome cruise. I think we are only getting off the ship to drop a little money into the local economy and go hiking in St. Kitts - I plan on spending a lot of time in the Relaxation Room and on those heated tile beds.

 

 

 

This cruise is our honeymoon which is another reason we booked aqua class. We just want to relax. We have never been to any of the islands before so we plan on just walking around old San Juan, then I’m thinking a beach day in St. Thomas and we aren’t sure yet about what we will do in St. Kitts. We are counting down the days. We are flying into Miami a few days before as we have never been to Florida either [emoji3]. Just looking forward to escaping the cold Canadian weather. Can’t wait!!

 

 

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[dkjretired]

The Relaxation Room looks out over the front of the ship with a nice view, they have nice loungers and ice teas in the room. It is a nice room to relax and read or just look out to the sea. One other point on the relaxation room is that they used to say it was exclusively for AQ patrons and spa appointments. This is no longer the case as they don't say on the web site it is exclusive anymore and my last few cruises they certainly did not enforce it.

 

Also, it was mentioned about priority embarkation with Concierge and Aqua, it is really only a benefit if there is a delay in boarding which is not common. Under most conditions it is only a separate line to check in, many times the regular lines are shorter.

 

We love AQ and Blu and think you made a good choice, great for a special occasion.

[Flatbush Flyer]

OK, so I need some validation! We booked a last minute (for us, we are planners) cruise for Jan 2018 on the Equinox. After the Black Friday sale, I checked the prices again, and they had fallen a good bit from when we booked. Aqua Class was a little cheaper than what we paid for Concierge. Obviously no refund after we had paid, but we had a C2 with a larger balcony, and swapped for Aqua Class. Will we be sorry? We are big food and wine people, and while we really prefer traditional type dining because we like having the same waitstaff every evening, we thought we could get that in Blu if we ate at about the same time, and asked nicely? The menus in Blu and the more experienced staff posts appealed to us.

 

 

 

My concern about switching is we are now on Deck 11, and I'm afraid to even look to see what is over our heads now!

 

Also, our reason for getting Concierge Class was priority embarkation, according to the website, we still get that in Aqua Class, but it sounds like the "priority" all depends on when you get there.

 

Finally, tell me about the relaxation room, is it actually in the spa? Pardon my ignorance, but can you wear street clothes into this area, or is it bathing suits/skivvies/"I'm having a massage, thank you"? I told you it was a dumb question!

 

 

 

Thanks you guys are always the best.

 

 

 

If you're "food and wine people," you may want to move up to Oceania.

 

 

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[2theship]

I'm not sure if the OP is clear on the fact that the Relaxation Room is different from Persian Gardens. The Relaxation Room is all the way forward on Deck 11, the same deck as your cabin. It's very pleasant and, as dkjretired mentioned, now open to everyone. In the spa on Deck 12 is Persian Gardens and you must present your cabin key to the spa staff to gain access. There are heated tile loungers plus a sauna, steam room and showers. The whole room looks out on the ocean through large windows. On a good day, it's a quiet place to relax and my personal experience it's like that more often than not.

 

To answer another of your questions, most people wear a swimsuit and cover up in Persian Gardens.

[cangelmd]

This cruise is our honeymoon which is another reason we booked aqua class. We just want to relax. We have never been to any of the islands before so we plan on just walking around old San Juan, then I’m thinking a beach day in St. Thomas and we aren’t sure yet about what we will do in St. Kitts. We are counting down the days. We are flying into Miami a few days before as we have never been to Florida either [emoji3]. Just looking forward to escaping the cold Canadian weather. Can’t wait!!

 

 

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Congratulations!

Since you are in Aqua Class, try a massage, maybe a couples' massage :cool:. I lounged on one of those heated stone beds once on a cruise it was incredibly relaxing, all the way to a nap.

 

We did not book this cruise for the ports, only St Maarten (boo!) because we went on a Southern Caribbean cruise last Nov with family and did all the ports that we are now visiting. We live close to one of the best beaches in the world, so beaching in the Caribbean is not a thing for us. We spent a day and a half in San Juan before sailing in 2016. There are great restaurants and bars, the fort is fascinating, excellent pastries and friendly people - don't know what it will be like now, though, sadly. The beaches are likely a good bet, they recover faster than other infrastructure, though don't be surprised if there aren't many trees, and the sand is a little skimpy - part of that "best beaches in the world" includes hurricanes, we know what that can do. St Kitts is all about the volcano hike if that is your thing, we were all geared up ready to go, but it was raining, uh, like it can rain in a tropical place, and the hike was cancelled. We ended up going on the rum tasting tour at Fairview GreatHouse, and I think we will try a hike, but a less strenuous hike this time. I don't think St Kitts was hit too badly by the storms, so it should be relatively normal.

Have a wonderful cruise and honeymoon and enjoy the warm weather, Miami will be awesome.

[cangelmd]

I'm not sure if the OP is clear on the fact that the Relaxation Room is different from Persian Gardens. The Relaxation Room is all the way forward on Deck 11, the same deck as your cabin. It's very pleasant and, as dkjretired mentioned, now open to everyone. In the spa on Deck 12 is Persian Gardens and you must present your cabin key to the spa staff to gain access. There are heated tile loungers plus a sauna, steam room and showers. The whole room looks out on the ocean through large windows. On a good day, it's a quiet place to relax and my personal experience it's like that more often than not.

 

To answer another of your questions, most people wear a swimsuit and cover up in Persian Gardens.

 

Thanks! Yes, I had looked at the deck plan and some of the website photos, and understood that the 2 areas were on different decks. The website acts like both are a part of the spa, but the deck plan would lead to a different conclusion, which you all are confirming. Swimsuit and coverup was also what I was thinking, but again, the website strikes with lots of pics of beautiful people in robes.. (not a good look for me ;)). I did the heated stone bed thing once on Princess after a facial and it was incredibly relaxing. In that case, though you were wearing your regular pants and a thin salon type robe, as if you were having a perm or color at the salon. I think DH and I might spend a fair amount of time in the Relaxation Room!

[roseleblanc114]

Congratulations!

 

Since you are in Aqua Class, try a massage, maybe a couples' massage :cool:. I lounged on one of those heated stone beds once on a cruise it was incredibly relaxing, all the way to a nap.

 

 

 

We did not book this cruise for the ports, only St Maarten (boo!) because we went on a Southern Caribbean cruise last Nov with family and did all the ports that we are now visiting. We live close to one of the best beaches in the world, so beaching in the Caribbean is not a thing for us. We spent a day and a half in San Juan before sailing in 2016. There are great restaurants and bars, the fort is fascinating, excellent pastries and friendly people - don't know what it will be like now, though, sadly. The beaches are likely a good bet, they recover faster than other infrastructure, though don't be surprised if there aren't many trees, and the sand is a little skimpy - part of that "best beaches in the world" includes hurricanes, we know what that can do. St Kitts is all about the volcano hike if that is your thing, we were all geared up ready to go, but it was raining, uh, like it can rain in a tropical place, and the hike was cancelled. We ended up going on the rum tasting tour at Fairview GreatHouse, and I think we will try a hike, but a less strenuous hike this time. I don't think St Kitts was hit too badly by the storms, so it should be relatively normal.

 

Have a wonderful cruise and honeymoon and enjoy the warm weather, Miami will be awesome.

 

 

 

Thanks!! 46 days and counting until vacation starts [emoji1]

 

 

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[rotoal]

Last year we upgraded to Aqua because there was a huge price drop, and I knew that we planned to buy week long Persian Garden passes anyway. The only downside is that this year the price difference was quite significant, but since we loved Blu and knew that we like the Persian Garden, I just ignored the price difference and booked Aqua again, different ship, same time of year.

 

We've always been happy with the MDR, but found that Blu was nice and cozy, and the food was wonderful. Last year we had OBC to spend and couldn't bring ourselves to skip Blu one night and eat dinner anywhere else.

 

I must have gotten this idea from CC years ago, because I don't think that I would have thought about this on my own. For anytime dining, either in Blu or the MDR, if you like your servers on the first night, just ask to sit in the same area. We are stubborn enough (and never too hungry), that we are prepared to wait. On one cruise it took until the third night of a 7 night cruise before we found the right servers, having nice servers who welcome you back every night really makes the experience special.

 

So, the only downside of Aqua is that it might end up costing you much more money on future cruises.

[JerseyGirlatHeart]

Last year we upgraded to Aqua because there was a huge price drop, and I knew that we planned to buy week long Persian Garden passes anyway. The only downside is that this year the price difference was quite significant, but since we loved Blu and knew that we like the Persian Garden, I just ignored the price difference and booked Aqua again, different ship, same time of year.

 

We've always been happy with the MDR, but found that Blu was nice and cozy, and the food was wonderful. Last year we had OBC to spend and couldn't bring ourselves to skip Blu one night and eat dinner anywhere else.

 

I must have gotten this idea from CC years ago, because I don't think that I would have thought about this on my own. For anytime dining, either in Blu or the MDR, if you like your servers on the first night, just ask to sit in the same area. We are stubborn enough (and never too hungry), that we are prepared to wait. On one cruise it took until the third night of a 7 night cruise before we found the right servers, having nice servers who welcome you back every night really makes the experience special.

 

So, the only downside of Aqua is that it might end up costing you much more money on future cruises.

 

 

 

Agree!

 

 

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[GordonJasmine]

We have never booked anything other than Aqua for all the reasons mentioned above. Love it!!!!