Why is Celebrity selling tables at Blu?

[SoberJulie]

This just came through my newsfeed on Facebook, Celebrity advertising last minute gift ideas: a table for 2 at Blu. 

I’m mighty confused. 

I thought Blu was only for aqua class passengers. 

 

[jagoffee]

Maybe if you click on it, you are required to book a cruise in Aqua Class?

coukd you actually purchase it?

[Jim_Iain]

8 minutes ago, jagoffee said:

Maybe if you click on it, you are required to book a cruise in Aqua Class?

coukd you actually purchase it?

I just visited the link and it takes you to Specialty Dining and doesn't even have a link to Blu.   Hmmmm

[CHEZMARYLOU]

If you select "Load More" Blu comes up and it says" exclusively for Aqua Class guests"  Going further it states cost included. Luminae also comes up with the restrictions.

[George C]

We were told suites can also eat there depending on room . Back 8 years ago they charged suites 5 dollars to eat there this was before luminae 

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Unless there was a recent change, suite guests can eat at Blu on a space available basis.  They no longer charge $5.

[cruiserhal]

OK, I'm confused (Celebrity does this to me at times).  If you have to be in Aqua class to buy the tables then they are selling tables in Blu for non-Aqua passengers then I'm not happy if true.   Blu  is full enough already, especially if you dine between 6 and 7.   Any which way to make a buck.  

[CHEZMARYLOU]

I don't think Celebrity is selling tables in Blu.  This seems to be just a very poorly thought out ad on fb.

[Alakegirl]

I think people are mis-reading the attempt to be clever.  The table in Blu comes with the Aqua room.  Like saying “you too can have your own butler”and then the small print says “just book a suite”. 

[dkjretired]

1 hour ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

I don't think Celebrity is selling tables in Blu.  This seems to be just a very poorly thought out ad on fb.

 

I agree, sometimes I think Celebrity tells people to put things on the computer and since those putting it on the computer may never have sailed on a ship they don't know particulars.  Blu has always been AQ customers and suite customer if space available.  This is actually one rule they have never strayed from and enforce strickley. 

[hcat]

WOW..That sure got everyone's attention!.

Esp for EDGE..on which they converted more rooms to AQ Class from Concierge, plus there are many more suite guests on board who can request space available  admission if the desire.

 

(Wonder if the will be adding more  staterooms to AQ when they update the M and S Class ships thus crowding more people in to BLU???)

 

Anyhow,  re the ad....To get the table  in BLU you have to book AQ Class or a suite...and there are no res taken. Seems a bit misleading. Folks who see  the blurb will now insIst they can pay to book BLU..an ongoing inquiry and issue.

 

There was a way to post a comment but the click on did not work for me,  Hope someone posts a correction soon!

[chucknmarilyn]

The ad is for a whole cruise in AC, not just Blu.

[Cruise Raider]

1 hour ago, dkjretired said:

 

I agree, sometimes I think Celebrity tells people to put things on the computer and since those putting it on the computer may never have sailed on a ship they don't know particulars.  Blu has always been AQ customers and suite customer if space available.  This is actually one rule they have never strayed from and enforce strickley. 

 

I agree ... we had some friends book with us once (we all booked regular balcony cabins).  They were so excited about trying Blu.  I was confused as to why they thought that they would be going to Blu.  It wasn't the case .... we did purchase a specialty dining package and of course, as you and I know, Blu wasn't one of the options.  

[STLCRUISIN]

1 hour ago, hcat said:

(Wonder if the will be adding more  staterooms to AQ when they update the M and S Class ships thus crowding more people in to BLU???) 

 

I have read on another board that they are adding AQ staterooms to the forward section of the M Class ships during the refurbishment thus taking out mens/womens shower and sauna areas. Don't know what else is coming out or areas being reduced.

No talk of additions to S Class except adding high end suites next to Sky lounge.

[hcat]

3 hours ago, STLCRUISIN said:

I have read on another board that they are adding AQ staterooms to the forward section of the M Class ships during the refurbishment thus taking out mens/womens shower and sauna areas. Don't know what else is coming out or areas being reduced.

No talk of additions to S Class except adding high end suites next to Sky lounge.

Wow..wonder where or  what they will do about the thermal suites...On M class they are interior and fairly small...

[villauk]

12 hours ago, dkjretired said:

 

 This is actually one rule they have never strayed from and enforce strickley. 

 

 

Unless your name is Bo 🤐 😆.

[DrKoob]

As a graphic designer of almost 40 years (who designs ads like these) I can tell you exactly what happened. (Total conjecture here but I truly believe this is the case.) 

 

The person doing that web ad was told to do 6 or 7 web ads about alternative dining. That person had artwork for a number of the specialty restaurants. They are working trying to get done so they can go home and celebrate the holidays, see their kids, whatever. But here’s the real key...that person has never been on a Celebrity ship. In fact they have never been on a cruise. They don’t know Blu from Smoo. They just know they have artwork (that gorgeous photo), Blu rhymes with “table for two” and it did make a great looking ad. So they did it and sent it up the line to their web administrator to put online. 

 

That administrator has never been on a cruise either. And they too are trying to get out the door. Besides, if you know nothing about cruising, how do you even know there is anything wrong with this ad. 

 

That’s my conjecture because I have done pretty much the same thing myself. All of us immediately know it is wrong. The people with Celebrity (who are really busy launching the Edge) know it is wrong but they never see all of them. If you saw it on Twitter or Facebook, those ads are placed by bots.

 

Jim

[AuroraRose]

17 hours ago, STLCRUISIN said:

I have read on another board that they are adding AQ staterooms to the forward section of the M Class ships during the refurbishment thus taking out mens/womens shower and sauna areas. Don't know what else is coming out or areas being reduced.

No talk of additions to S Class except adding high end suites next to Sky lounge.

 

I think this is true based on a dummy booking I just did for AQ on Mille in August next year. We are booked in a sweet 16 and I keep price comparing to see if it's worth upgrading. Today I did a mock booking and the first suggested AQ room that came up was 1024. When selecting "Choose my stateroom" I see 1024 selected, and it shows me a map of the current pre-Revolution deck 10 that has no staterooms on it. See screenshots attached. I thought it was an interesting data point. The list view shows 13 available rooms to book on Deck 10. 

[STLCRUISIN]

8 hours ago, AuroraRose said:

I think this is true based on a dummy booking I just did for AQ on Mille in August next year. We are booked in a sweet 16 and I keep price comparing to see if it's worth upgrading. Today I did a mock booking and the first suggested AQ room that came up was 1024. When selecting "Choose my stateroom" I see 1024 selected, and it shows me a map of the current pre-Revolution deck 10 that has no staterooms on it. See screenshots attached. I thought it was an interesting data point. The list view shows 13 available rooms to book on Deck 10.

Interesting. We will be on the Milly (in a Sweet Sixteen also) on the February 16, 2019 sailing, just after the refurbishment, so we will see first hand what actual additions have been made to her.

[hcat]

How long was the cruise?

Seems expensive..AQ Class is going up up. up!

[AuroraRose]

@hcat it's a 7 day one way Alaska cruise. And it's still way too expensive compared to what we have booked currently. 

 

@STLCRUISIN I am very interested to see what they do with the sweet 16's; please post an update after your cruise! 

Edited December 24, 2018 by AuroraRose

[villauk]

8 hours ago, hcat said:

How long was the cruise?

Seems expensive..AQ Class is going up up. up!

 

 

What worries me more is the overcrowding once all of these additional cabins have been added after the ‘revolution’. Some of the M class already have had several extra cabins added since their inception (the interiors in the centre where the library used to be and the conference rooms etc.), and now the added Aqua and suites. I really don’t want them to feel like Reflection did when we sailed on her.

[hcat]

Reflection has a slightly larger BLU....than M and S Class ships

 

When they re classified the AQ suites to reg suites, that cut down on  the # of those regularly assigned to BLU a big plus.

 

Once they add more AQ class cabins to the ships it would be a good time to eliminate the BLU option for suite guests,  as they now have their own beautiful dedicated restaurant. The BLU option started when they did not have Luminae..but now it is well established.

 

Staffing in BLU is another issue.  Our last 2 cruises were on Infinity and BLU was understaffed...noticeable declline in service....long waits for food..etc.  BLU was  a great  innovation for X..but they have to keep it special.

 

Hope it is great on EDGE!

Edited December 24, 2018 by hcat

[STLCRUISIN]

11 hours ago, villauk said:

 

 

What worries me more is the overcrowding once all of these additional cabins have been added after the ‘revolution’. Some of the M class already have had several extra cabins added since their inception (the interiors in the centre where the library used to be and the conference rooms etc.), and now the added Aqua and suites. I really don’t want them to feel like Reflection did when we sailed on her.

 

Don't forget that after the last refurbishment of the M class ships (Solsticetizing) they added deck 11 Aqua cabins aft just over the Sunset bar.

 

18 hours ago, AuroraRose said:

I am very interested to see what they do with the sweet 16's; please post an update after your cruise!  

 

I will report back. We love the size of those balconies!!!!

[villauk]

3 hours ago, STLCRUISIN said:

 

Don't forget that after the last refurbishment of the M class ships (Solsticetizing) they added deck 11 Aqua cabins aft just over the Sunset bar.

 

 

I will report back. We love the size of those balconies!!!!

 

 

Yes, those were my etc. 😉. More and more cabins have been added on those ships.