Do AQ Guests have to default to Blu?

[DebInAntigua]

Can you get an AQ cabin and refuse Blu as your dining assignment? Would love the other amenities but want the same dining assignment as a Conceirge cabin. 

 

Wonder if anyone has been successful in doing that for AQ. 

[cruiserchuck]

Blu is so much better than the MDR.  However, I am sure that if you inquire onboard, you would be able to eat all your meals in the MDR.  

 

On our first cruise on an S class ship, we booked AQ because it was the lowest cost veranda, for some strange reason.  We had concerns about Blu before the cruise, but enjoyed it so much, we have never gone back to the MDR, except for lunch.

Edited March 8, 2019 by cruiserchuck

[jelayne]

The best  perk of Aqua is having Blu as your assigned dining room.  Without Blu you are paying a premium for access to the Persian Garden and a jetted shower.  Concierge has the same other extras as Aqua (footstools on veranda, afternoon canapés, bottle of sparkking wine) and Concierge has a embarkation day lunch in the MDR.

 

If you aren’t interested in Blu you may want to price booking a Concierge cabin and purchasing a pass for the Persian Garden, it may be less expensive.

[Luvcrusn]

I have to agree with what others have said. The best perk of Aqua class is the dining in Blu. You may absolutely dine in the MDR on any given evening, but Blu is a much smaller venue with good food and outstanding service. In addition, Blu is much better equipped because of its size to accommodate special orders. I'd not recommend booking Aqua if you don't want to dine there. We also find the breakfasts in Blu to be so much nicer than dining in the OVC. It's lovely to be shown to a cloth covered table and served rather than gathering food and finding a table. 

[MizDemeanor]

I don't want to offend and I am going to preface by saying I am prefectly OK if you say its none of your business, but I will be so bold as to ask why you would prefer to avoid Blu? 

 

Am wondering, are you sailing with others who are not in AQ and would prefer to join them for dinner? 

Edited March 8, 2019 by MizDemeanor

[goofysmom99]

I travel solo and occasionally book Aqua.  When I do, I normally opt for an 8-top in MDR because Blu is never as much fun by yourself.  And having eaten in Blue and MDR on successive long cruises, the food was actually the same but the presentation was nicer in Blu.  In the days before recorded history, I was a military food service officer (learned how to cut up a side of beef which I have NEVER used again) and learned lots of presentation tricks.  Blu is definitely a quieter, less frenetic dining experience as a rule.  So OP,  yes, you can eat in MDR with no problem.  Go see MDR maitre d' as soon as you board.

Edited March 8, 2019 by goofysmom99

[dkjretired]

7 hours ago, MizDemeanor said:

I don't want to offend and I am going to preface by saying I am prefectly OK if you say its none of your business, but I will be so bold as to ask why you would prefer to avoid Blu? 

 

Am wondering, are you sailing with others who are not in AQ and would prefer to join them for dinner? 

 

Agree, you can do it but why even book AQ if you’re not going to eat in Blu.

[upwarduk]

7 hours ago, Luvcrusn said:

. It's lovely to be shown to a cloth covered table and served rather than gathering food and finding a table. 

Any passenger can eat breakfast in the MDR.

[mfs2k]

I get it. Some people are just used to the MDR big room experience on a cruise and like it. It’s more of a party in their brain. 

 

I had the same question a few months ago because I booked concierge and got a free upgrade to Aqua after final payment. After reading so many positive comments about Blu I’m looking forward to It but I may want to try the MDR too. 

[cruisestitch]

"Can you get an AQ cabin and refuse Blu as your dining assignment? Would love the other amenities but want the same dining assignment as a Conceirge cabin. "

 

Not going into the relative merits of Blue and the MDR, just taking your question at face value that you want to dine with friends, the MDR is probably going to be available to you, but you should go through the Blu maitre D to make the arrangements.  If you try just showing up at the MDR you will be politely told that you are at the wrong place and will be directed to Blu (they can tell by the color of your card right off the bat that you are Aqua).  It might take a day to get it all sorted out.  

 

Are your friends who are staying in a Concierge rooms doing Select or Traditional Dining?  If traditional, they may have to change tables, too.  

[ricka47]

I would imagine that it could be arranged.  Maybe your travel agent can set you up with a table in the MDR?  But, unless you want to be with non-Aqua friends in the MDR, Blu is the only reason to book AQ.  Heck, I'd let my friends eat in the dining room and catch up with them later after I went to Blu!

 

 

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

6 hours ago, goofysmom99 said:

I travel solo and occasionally book Aqua.  When I do, I normally opt for an 8-top in MDR because Blu is never as much fun by yourself.  And having eaten in Blue and MDR on successive long cruises, the food was actually the same but the presentation was nicer in Blu.  In the days before recorded history, I was a military food service officer (learned how to cut up a side of beef which I have NEVER used again) and learned lots of presentation tricks.  Blu is definitely a quieter, less frenetic dining experience as a rule.  So OP,  yes, you can eat in MDR with no problem.  Go see MDR maitre d' as soon as you board.

 

See, I'm a solo cruiser who HATES being put at "solo dump" tables or tables with just couples in the MDR. Give me my own table where I can relax, read on my nook if I choose, and have a peaceful dinner and I'm super happy. I'm very excited to have Aqua and Blu on my first Celebrity experience in February!!

[hcat]

AQ class has other perks that some cruisers enjoy in addition to BLU

 

Enhanced shower set up, access to Thermal Suite/ Persian Garden, Relaxation Room, more  Loyalty Points,  ...only 2 per cabin in the hallways .

 

I understand where BLU could be lonely for a solo cruiser but tables are close together and  most guests are friendly !  Even if OP does MDR for dinner, still has access to a nice BLU breakfast!

[cynbar]

I agree that you can probably eat in the MDR, it would be arranged through the Blu miatre d' because that is your assigned dining room. But keep in mind that the different dining options on Celebrity are capacity controlled, with x amount of diners assigned to early and late traditional seatings as well as anytime dining. There have been some reports here of guests being denied anytime because it was full and assigned to one of the traditional seatings (although they may well have been able to change once onboard.) Anyway, although they can probably work it out so an AQ guest can dine every night in the MDR, it seems much simpler to book a cabin that is designated for MDR dining. 

[helen haywood]

I am in an Aqua cabin.  I made reservations for the MDR for the first night on X’s website because my DH loves the prime rib on that night.  Am I not all set for that night?  I have an email confirmation.  Are you saying still need to talk to the Maitre D first?

[Rob the Cruiser]

2 hours ago, ricka47 said:

I would imagine that it could be arranged.  Maybe your travel agent can set you up with a table in the MDR?  But, unless you want to be with non-Aqua friends in the MDR, Blu is the only reason to book AQ.  Heck, I'd let my friends eat in the dining room and catch up with them later after I went to Blu!

 

 

Nailed it.

[Luvcrusn]

11 hours ago, DebInAntigua said:

Can you get an AQ cabin and refuse Blu as your dining assignment? Would love the other amenities but want the same dining assignment as a Conceirge cabin. 

 

Wonder if anyone has been successful in doing that for AQ. 

In December we sailed on Silhouette in Aqua. Friends booked the same cruise about a year after us and booked a verandah with traditional early dining. Once onboard they changed to select dining. We did dine with them (one evening) in the MDR. It was no problem and didn't involve the Blu maitre d at all. We simply made a reservation for 4 for our desired time and showed up at the Select dining entrance of the MDR at the appropriate time and were seated.  No one told us we were at the wrong place.  If our friends hadn't changed to Select it would not have worked since they'd have had an assigned table.

[friendswithdave]

We are considering an upgrade to Blu but I have this concern having never been on celebrity before: I understand Blu offers "healthier options". I don't want healthier options. I want regular non-healthy options. Will there be a number of "regular" options to choose from if I dine in Blu? If there is something I really want from the MDR menu in Blu will they serve it to me? That would be my reason to consider the MDR over Blu.

[goofysmom99]

On my recent Silhouette TA, the MDR maitre d' put together a 6-top of experienced solo cruisers (Elite, Elite+ and Zenith) and I have to say, it was one of the best dining experiences of all the cruises I've ever taken.  One of them was Aqua.

[MizDemeanor]

16 minutes ago, friendswithdave said:

We are considering an upgrade to Blu but I have this concern having never been on celebrity before: I understand Blu offers "healthier options". I don't want healthier options. I want regular non-healthy options. Will there be a number of "regular" options to choose from if I dine in Blu? If there is something I really want from the MDR menu in Blu will they serve it to me? That would be my reason to consider the MDR over Blu.

 

For you...

 

 

[Luvcrusn]

4 minutes ago, friendswithdave said:

We are considering an upgrade to Blu but I have this concern having never been on celebrity before: I understand Blu offers "healthier options". I don't want healthier options. I want regular non-healthy options. Will there be a number of "regular" options to choose from if I dine in Blu? If there is something I really want from the MDR menu in Blu will they serve it to me? That would be my reason to consider the MDR over Blu.

DH shared your concerns the first time we booked Aqua/Blu. I promised him that if he wasn't happy we'd eat in the MDR. We've booked Aqua/Blu every cruise since. Blu doesn't serve sauceless, rabbit food type spa cuisine. You can get the standard appetizers nightly such as French onion soup, Caesar salad,  shrimp cocktail and escargot. Also available nightly are salmon, chicken and strip steak. If you are on an M-class ship you may be able to get items from the MDR because they share a kitchen. S-class doesn't share a kitchen, they are on different decks, so other than the everyday items you can't order from the MDR In Blu. Also the appetizer items I mentioned aren't listed on the menu, but are available nightly if you ask. 

[friendswithdave]

Thanks Miz! At first glance, there is something I would like every day as an entree. If the service and experience are better in there, seems like a great choice.

 

[Luvcrusn]

1 hour ago, helen haywood said:

I am in an Aqua cabin.  I made reservations for the MDR for the first night on X’s website because my DH loves the prime rib on that night.  Am I not all set for that night?  I have an email confirmation.  Are you saying still need to talk to the Maitre D first?

You don't. Just go to the Select dining entrance side with reservations and you'll be seated.

[cruisestitch]

Duplicate.

 

 

Edited March 8, 2019 by cruisestitch

[cruisestitch]

While that may work, it also may not work. Remember that select dining is the choice of diners who had paid for that, and are not happy when others who have reservations in other restaurants show up and take their tables, causing them to wait.

 

After all, they cannot go to Blue in your place to balance out the load

 

Sometimes select dining is oversold. That’s another issue that comes into play.

 

 By going through the maître d’, you can be directed to a time when there is likely to be a space in select available for you .

 

Finally, I don’t think it is possible to make MDR reservations on the website if you are assigned to blue. It may look like it’s possible, but I think that is just an artifact of the Celebrity website, and it doesn’t actually make you a MDR reservation.