Buy Up Verandah to AQ - Location and Cost

[sakigemcam]

We're considering bidding on an upgrade to Aqua on our S-Class cruise just for the sake of trying Blu. I've read mixed reviews of Blu on CC so don't want to go "overboard" and want to make a rational decision. 

 

What would you all say is a reasonable additional bid for a 9 night cruise? We've already purchased a 3-night specialty package. 

 

Our Verandah cabin is in a great location on Deck 8 - the AQ cabins showing currently available are on 11 under the pool deck, Solarium and fitness center. Is there a noise concern when under those areas? We've always been under cabins only. 

 

Thank you! 

[flarad]

We love Aqua and choose to book it for Blu when we can. That being said, carefully select your cabin. We were under treadmills one time and while it didn’t bother  either of us you could occasionally hear them early in the am. Also, under the pool deck sometimes you can hear chairs being moved in am. Try to find a room under the spa, it’s a much quieter area.

[jelayne]

One of the downsides of the Move Up program is you can’t select your cabin and you can’t decline the move if you don’t like the assigned cabin.  In like if you book a guarantee and don’t like the assigned cabin you can move to another available  cabin in the same category.  It has been reported that with the Move Up you can’t move to another available cabin either; what you are assigned is your only choice.

[mayleeman]

Bidding on an upgrade will not allow you to be careful on cabin choice. No changing afterward. People say that the ones under the pool bar are among the noisiest, so one of those could well be the one assigned in a bid if successful. 

 

You should look at a variety of cabin reviews in the S class spreadsheet pinned at the top. Find a deck plan, see what numbers have a likely busy venue above them, then go to those numbers on the spreadsheet, and look at the comments about noise. I did that with the Reflection A1 we had that was under the bar that reviews said was noisy, and before final switched to an A2 under Persian Gardens. Very quiet--and cheaper.

 

If noise is a concern, I would just pay for an upgrade to a cabin of your choice.

 

edit: posted at the same time as @jelayne

Edited December 14, 2019 by mayleeman

[keesar]

1 hour ago, sakigemcam said:

We're considering bidding on an upgrade to Aqua on our S-Class cruise just for the sake of trying Blu. I've read mixed reviews of Blu on CC so don't want to go "overboard" and want to make a rational decision. 

 

What would you all say is a reasonable additional bid for a 9 night cruise? We've already purchased a 3-night specialty package. 

 

Our Verandah cabin is in a great location on Deck 8 - the AQ cabins showing currently available are on 11 under the pool deck, Solarium and fitness center. Is there a noise concern when under those areas? We've always been under cabins only. 

 

Thank you! 

 

I would pay $125 per person.  If you are not bothered by noise, go for it.  I prefer to pay more and choose my room

[miched]

Normally we put our limit at $30 / day pp when booking a cruise on the S class and that is the chance to pick our own cabin in AQ for a large balcony on the slant over 1A also with a large balcony on the slant.

 

Blu is nice but we found dining in the MDR for breakfast just as good.   The MDR has more on the menu and offers the same pastries and juices.  Many times passengers in Blu will also try to order off of the MDR menu during dinner.  Depending on your server and ship you may get it.  

With a dining pack for 3 nights out of 9  you have to consider what you are getting extra and what is is worth to you.  Maybe a footstool on the balcony. Persian gardens that you may use 3 or 4 times max.  A bottle of water,  shower panel in the shower with body jets that is nice,  bottle of bubbly,  a better tote bag, CC holder, slide in slippers that are about size 20, Plus a lot of useless verbal fluff.  No extra CC points if that is what you are after
 

I would say $20/day pp would be max and that is pushing it but more reasonable is $15.  Remember you are placing a bid and there is no guarantee that you will get it or that it is available.  
 

Plus  you need to see what the cost differential  would have been.
 

hope this helps 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

 

 

 

 

Edited December 14, 2019 by miched