Do AQ Guests have to default to Blu?

[Hlitner]

Folks need to accept that there can be some policy variations from ship to ship and even voyage to voyage depending on the onboard management.  When you book AQ, your "assigned" dining room is Blu!  On some voyages, if you simply show-up at the Select Dining (Open Dining) entrance to the MDR and you will be seated.  But on other voyages they will check your cabin number in the data base and refuse you entrance...telling you that you should go to your assigned dining room which is Blu (this has actually happened to us on the Silhouette). 

 

If you do not want to dine in Blu on a specific night or all nights the proper procedure is to first go to Blu and have a discussion with the Maitre'd or his/her representative who is working at the door.  At this point several things can happen.  Your wish will be granted, the Blu door staff will telephone the MDR Staff, and arrangements will be made.  Depending on the Maitre'd at the MDR, you will either be allowed to do to Select Dining or you might be told that you must go to either Fixed early or late dining (this has also happened to us).  This latter can happen when Select Dining is very full and they have room in Fixed.  On a few occasions, we have simply been told to report to the Fixed Dining entrance (MDR) at the normal time and we are then assigned to a table for that night based on where they have space.  You will usually find yourself at a table for 4 or more sharing with others who are actually on Fixed Dining.

 

My point is that there is no hard and fast policy for how this is handled...other then you should start by making a request to the Blu Maitre'd.   One Maitre'd explained to us that much of what happens is based on where there is the most empty space on that particular cruise.

 

Hank

[Luvcrusn]

6 hours ago, upwarduk said:

Any passenger can eat breakfast in the MDR.

You are absolutely right! It's been a long time since we've breakfasted in the MDR. Often our orders came cold or incorrect back then but perhaps after about 15 years we should give it another try when we're not booked in Blu. Thanks for the reminder. We truly haven't considered it in many years and forgot about it.

[dkjretired]

7 hours 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?

 

No guarantee they will have Prime Rib on the first night.

[dkjretired]

6 hours ago, Luvcrusn said:

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.

 

I think the issue here is they do not want to do it for one night but the whole cruise. That could be a problem if they want Select and it’s already full.

[helen haywood]

Guess I’ve been lucky in all of my Celebrity cruises then.  Not always listed correctly on the app nor the TV menu but on every Caribbean cruise I’ve taken, prime rib has always been on the first night’s menu.  If not we certainly have other options!

[upwarduk]

37 minutes ago, dkjretired said:

No guarantee they will have Prime Rib on the first night.

I’m sure that I have read that now a days Prime Rib is only served in the Speciality restaurants, like Murano.

[helen haywood]

Must be a recent change them.  Prime rib on Silhouette last month first night in MDR.

[Luvcrusn]

1 hour ago, dkjretired said:

 

I think the issue here is they do not want to do it for one night but the whole cruise. That could be a problem if they want Select and it’s already full.

Thanks. I realized that but was just giving an example of dining in the MDR when booked in Blu that didn't involve the Blu maître d. It only involved our friends changing their dining to Select and making a reservation for 4 in the MDR.

 

upwarduk, you may have read that about prime rib, but don't believe everything you read. We had it in Blu and in the MDR as recently as December.

Edited March 8, 2019 by Luvcrusn

[Covepointcruiser]

Never had a problem dining in the MDR instead of Blu or Luminae.    As crowded as it can be in Blu, they would probably .   We certainly never checked with the Matre D in Blu or Luminae.    You don’t have assigned seating or an assigned table so it’s no issue.    We don’t bother the Matre Ds with this.

[Straughn]

12 hours ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

 

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!!

This! This! This! Exactly  why I book  Aqua when I am solo and not in a suite. I would rather dine by myself than be at a table of couples or family traveling together and who don’t  want me there. It happened to me on my first two solo cruises. I prefer to eat solo in Blu with the potential to have a pleasant conversation with those at a nearby table.

[goofysmom99]

11 minutes ago, Straughn said:

This! This! This! Exactly  why I book  Aqua when I am solo and not in a suite. I would rather dine by myself than be at a table of couples or family traveling together and who don’t  want me there. It happened to me on my first two solo cruises. I prefer to eat solo in Blu with the potential to have a pleasant conversation with those at a nearby table.

 

I have always gone to the MDR maitre d' upon boarding to see about a table with other solos.  Happily, then I have someone to play with on the cruise, too.  I find being proactive works better for me rather than waiting to see who shows up at my table the first night.  But that's just what works for me.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

24 minutes ago, goofysmom99 said:

 

I have always gone to the MDR maitre d' upon boarding to see about a table with other solos.  Happily, then I have someone to play with on the cruise, too.  I find being proactive works better for me rather than waiting to see who shows up at my table the first night.  But that's just what works for me.

 

Which is great if you need “playmates”. I’m much happier on my own and not feeling tethered to anyone else or their schedule or likes. I have friends at home I am perfectly happy with (they just never can/want to travel the same time I do).

[MizDemeanor]

6 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

 

Which is great if you need “playmates”. I’m much happier on my own and not feeling tethered to anyone else or their schedule or likes. I have friends at home I am perfectly happy with (they just never can/want to travel the same time I do).

 

We have sailed with 'groups' and agree. We do not like being tethered thoughout the day. But in the evening, at wind down, and at the perfect time for meals and conversation about what ever the topic may be, there is nothing like making friends with othera who enjoy comraderie and time to converse and share.

Edited March 9, 2019 by MizDemeanor

[keesar]

4 hours ago, upwarduk said:

I’m sure that I have read that now a days Prime Rib is only served in the Speciality restaurants, like Murano.

 

Prime rib was served in the MDR two weeks ago.   There was no prime rib in Murano.  Chateaubriand is an option in Murano as well as filet mignon.

[cruisestitch]

COVEPOINTcruiser, You are correct that it isn’t an issue for Blu or Luminae when you choose to eat elsewhere. You are leaving those locations.  The issue comes up that the main dining room now has extra diners coming to it. Sometimes select is sold out. Sometimes early traditional is sold out.  When you move from your assigned dining room into the main dining room, it does have the potential to cause a problem there.

Edited March 9, 2019 by cruisestitch

[goofysmom99]

50 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

 

Which is great if you need “playmates”. I’m much happier on my own and not feeling tethered to anyone else or their schedule or likes. I have friends at home I am perfectly happy with (they just never can/want to travel the same time I do).

In the words of Martha Steward, friends are "a good thing."  😁  And for sure, traveling solo is fun = you get ALL the drawers, and it's easier to find an empty chair and say "may I join you?"  Actually, I've never been tethered to anyone except my DH on a cruise, and even then not until dinner and not always on tours.  I enjoy setting up small group tours on my roll calls and especially enjoy meeting new people.  Makes gathering at dinner to converse with others about what we've all done during the day a treat, and also provides a ready pool of folks to go to specialty restaurants with.  As a widow, dinner conversation is one of the things I miss most.  I can't remember a cruise in over a decade when I didn't already know several people, mostly from being on a previous tour or a tablemate.  And because I live in Orlando (if you move here, they will come), some of my cruise friends have become welcome additions to my friends at home.  It's all good.  

 

Whenever I opt for MDR rather than Blu, I run it by the MDR maitre d', not Blu's.  The only time they requested I stay in Blu was when I had successive nightly issues with gluten in the MDR and they wanted me with the same waiter in Blu for the duration.  That was in 2014 and Celebrity has come a long way with gluten free since then.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

6 hours ago, MizDemeanor said:

 

We have sailed with 'groups' and agree. We do not like being tethered thoughout the day. But in the evening, at wind down, and at the perfect time for meals and conversation about what ever the topic may be, there is nothing like making friends with othera who enjoy comraderie and time to converse and share.

 

Again, great if it works. I have found that it usually does not for me.

[villauk]

22 hours ago, mfs2k said:

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. 

 

 

Not everyone likes the close proximity of the seating in Blu either. Remember that the Aqua cabin choice is also not to everyone’s liking - most of the cabins are below the overhang and under the pool deck. Aqua was an excellent marketing idea for those cabins in less desirable areas: provide a separate dining area and throw in the PG access and success! Very similar to the S3 cabins on Edge where the MC is situated directly outside their view. Same principle: pax book to get the suite access in a less desired cabin (location wise).

[OnTheJourney]

On 3/7/2019 at 10:19 PM, cruiserchuck said:

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.

 

Is wine offered when eating in BLU?  

[Luvcrusn]

3 minutes ago, gretschwhtfalcon said:

 

Is wine offered when eating in BLU?  

It isn't complimentary  but there is a sommelier just like in the MDR.

[Iamthesea]

We seem to get better wine service in both Blu and Luminae over the MDR.

[OnTheJourney]

1 hour ago, Luvcrusn said:

It isn't complimentary  but there is a sommelier just like in the MDR.

 

Darn...got spoiled by having wine every night on the Sky I suppose.....

[justcrusn]

My wife and i both chuckled at the title of this thread and had the same question.

Why would anyone NOT want to eat in the better restaurant?

I know reasonable minds may differ, but we believe Blu to be head and shoulders better than the MDR and can’t imagine switching.

YMMV

[OnTheJourney]

OK then...looking forward to trying it on the Summit. It surely comes highly recommended. 

[Luvcrusn]

1 hour ago, gretschwhtfalcon said:

 

Darn...got spoiled by having wine every night on the Sky I suppose.....

If you have a  Classic or Premium beverage package, that will cover wine by the glass in Blu, the MDR, or any other on board restaurant or bar. FWIW, from one PA lady to another, DH was very skeptical when we booked Aqua the first time about eating in Blu. He's not a "spa food" type eater, and I promised him we'd go back to the MDR if he was unhappy. Suffice it to say, we've only been back to the MDR once. That was to dine with a friend on board in a verandah cabin who was celebrating a birthday, so we joined our friend in the MDR since they didn't have the option of enjoying Blu.