Suite guests in Blu - enough!

[Globehoppers]

And lets don't forget that there are "Aqua Suites" now available.  

[Ma Bell]

On 2/6/2020 at 7:01 AM, terrydtx said:

I stand corrected thank you pointing this out. However under no circumstances should a suites guest be able to make a reservation in Blu as reported earlier and seated ahead of waiting Aqua guests.

 

Also how in one sentence can Celebrity say Exclusively for AquaClass® guests and in another Suite guests welcome upon availability.?  This hardly makes AquaClass use of Blu "Exclusive". 

Since it's upon availability, I would imagine they tell the suite guests when to arrive and have their name. We usually sail in Sky Suites and never use Blu. No reason to.

[Gracie115]

36 minutes ago, Alsmez said:

 

I don't think there's anything WRONG with Luminae per se, but having just completed a cruise where we dined all seven nights in Luminae, I do understand why some guests would choose to eat in Blu (or another venue) some nights. Luminae's menu is relatively limited, with only four entrée choices each evening, and very seafood heavy. If you are not a seafood person and don't realize that you can ask for off-menu items, Luminae could get boring in a hurry (especially on a B2B where menus are repeated). Furthermore, the Luminae menu is frequently described as overly fussy or "too frou frou" for picky eaters, non-foodies and/or "meat-and-potatoes" types. A friend of mine just sailed Equinox in a suite - she LOVED Luminae, while her picky husband hated it and ate most of his meals in the buffet. They didn't try Blu, but I am guessing they would have found it a better compromise to satisfy both of them.

 

I agree with you fully that the service is better in Luminae and the overall food quality is higher, but there were a couple of menus that didn't impress us at all. Normally on those nights, we would go to Murano, but we were on Summit so we didn't have that option. We didn't think to go to Blu, but next time we would consider it on those lackluster nights in Luminae.

 

One-third of suite guests does seem like quite a high number, but then again, suite guests are probably more likely to be doing long cruises and or B2B cruises where extra variety might be welcome. There could also have been a poor chef in Luminae on that particular sailing. 

 

 

The thing is......if you don't like what's on the menu in Luminae they will get you something else.  Outside of the Edge class they will allow you to choose from the MDR menu anytime (including lunch).  I've also heard they will serve from the Blu menu, although I've never seen that done.   That's my point if you don't like the Luminae menu they will help in anyway they can to get you something you like.  

 

 

[hcat]

30 minutes ago, Ma Bell said:

Since it's upon availability, I would imagine they tell the suite guests when to arrive and have their name. We usually sail in Sky Suites and never use Blu. No reason to.

Isn't that a reserved time, although for AQ class guests it is Select Dining..no res!

[hcat]

33 minutes ago, Globehoppers said:

And lets don't forget that there are "Aqua Suites" now available.  

 

Where are these?

They   used to have them on Reflection but these were reclassified to Suite Category...

[Alsmez]

23 minutes ago, Gracie115 said:

The thing is......if you don't like what's on the menu in Luminae they will get you something else.  Outside of the Edge class they will allow you to choose from the MDR menu anytime (including lunch).  I've also heard they will serve from the Blu menu, although I've never seen that done.   That's my point if you don't like the Luminae menu they will help in anyway they can to get you something you like.  

 

 

I am aware of this, but not every passenger is, nor do most of them read Cruise Critic to find out. 

[Ma Bell]

3 minutes ago, hcat said:

Isn't that a reserved time, although for AQ class guests it is Select Dining..no res!

So would it be better if everyone just showed up? That's the point isn't it? It's up to management to make it work or change the rules.

[Gracie115]

1 minute ago, Alsmez said:

 

I am aware of this, but not every passenger is, nor do most of them read Cruise Critic to find out. 

 

True enough...  

[Gracie115]

40 minutes ago, Globehoppers said:

And lets don't forget that there are "Aqua Suites" now available.  

There haven't been any Aqua suites for at least 3 years.

[Ma Bell]

1 minute ago, Alsmez said:

 

I am aware of this, but not every passenger is, nor do most of them read Cruise Critic to find out. 

If everyone in Luminae made special requests every night it wouldn't work either. Fortunately there are less "picky" people....at least that used to be true. It's a changing world. The staff always do their best to satisfy.

[hcat]

It originally worked  ok with suite guests lining up in a sep line.  .After the AQ guests on line were all seated, the suite guests were seated from their line.  If there was no hope of suite guests  geting in..they would be turned away.  Getting a reserved time for BLU in advance is not " subject to availability".   

[Gordoncruickshank]

49 minutes ago, Globehoppers said:

And lets don't forget that there are "Aqua Suites" now available.  

Aqua suites were converted into sky suites when suite class started, otherwise you had another 70 cabins visiting blu on the Reflection.. 

[Gordoncruickshank]

4 minutes ago, hcat said:

It originally worked  ok with suite guests lining up in a sep line.  .After the AQ guests on line were all seated, the suite guests were seated from their line.  If there was no hope of suite guests  geting in..they would be turned away.  Getting a reserved time for BLU in advance is not " subject to availability".   

We did 3 suites where we ate in Blu, the last one being in 2015 before Luminae started and we never ever saw two lines waiting on each of these. We just joined the end of the queue and waited.

Edited February 11, 2020 by Gordoncruickshank

[terrydtx]

59 minutes ago, hcat said:

Getting a reserved time for BLU in advance is not " subject to availability

Thank you, as an AQ passenger I would not be a happy camper if the Suites passengers got reservations in Blu while AQ passengers can not.

[Dr. Pam]

We will be in a suite (RS) and for anyone reading, I certainly do not announce it on board....LOL.  AND, I certainly do not feel entitled to dining at BLU. I have no none intention of dining at Blu!  We have enough options to dine elsewhere on board and this restaurant should be for Aqua guests only. 

IMO....this thread has been going on too long......

 

Happy and Safe Travels,

 

Pam

Edited February 11, 2020 by Dr. Pam
spelling

[Globehoppers]

9 minutes ago, Dr. Pam said:

We will be in a suite (RS) and for anyone reading, I certainly do not announce it on board....LOL.  AND, I certainly do not feel entitled to dining at BLU. I have no none intention of dining at Blu!  We have enough options to dine elsewhere on board and this restaurant should be for Aqua guests only. 

IMO....this thread has been going on too long......

 

Happy and Safe Travels,

 

Pam

Agree.  We are sailing in a suite this coming cruise on Reflection - appears it is one of those "former" Aqua suites based on some of the comments.  Have no intention of eating in Blu, which is one of my favorite restaurants on board and THE reason we have sailed in Aqua.  We do not, and will not, eat in the MDR.  Far too noisy, crowded with many less-than-good meals experienced.  Will dine in the buffet if Luninae is not to our liking, or in the Tuscan Grill.

[Pushka]

I didn’t realise the menu in Luminae was so heavily oriented towards seafood. And being on a Edge the choices aren’t there to order from the MDR. I might have to use Blu more than I wanted to or expected to. I don’t mind white fish but don’t at all like shellfish, can’t swallow them in fact. And was very ill after eating oysters at a restaurant in my home town. 

[warmwinds]

4 minutes ago, Pushka said:

I didn’t realise the menu in Luminae was so heavily oriented towards seafood. And being on a Edge the choices aren’t there to order from the MDR. I might have to use Blu more than I wanted to or expected to. I don’t mind white fish but don’t at all like shellfish, can’t swallow them in fact. And was very ill after eating oysters at a restaurant in my home town. 

There was meat/pasta/chicken on the Luminae menu every night.

 

[Pinboy]

10 pages on this subject -- yup, 10, and in my observation it seems that we are the only couple that does not stay in a suite.

Is it possible that " posters " call every cabin a suite ????  

[Dr. Pam]

I will reiterate  

IMO....this thread has been going on too long......

 

Please, first world problems...Let us move on.  Just my thoughts.

 

Thanks,

 

Pam

[Pushka]

25 minutes ago, warmwinds said:

There was meat/pasta/chicken on the Luminae menu every night.

 

As I’m on a carb restricted diet that leaves  chicken and meat. Is this the ‘always available’ item that is prepared the same way each night or a differently prepared item?  Hoping for the latter 

[Pushka]

2 minutes ago, Dr. Pam said:

I will reiterate  

IMO....this thread has been going on too long......

 

Please, first world problems...Let us move on.  Just my thoughts.

 

Thanks,

 

Pam

Maybe don’t click on the title? 
 

10 pages on this subject -- yup, 10, and in my observation it seems that we are the only couple that does not stay in a suite.

Is it possible that " posters " call every cabin a suite ????  

 

 

I mentioned earlier I’ve not yet travelled in a suite and next July will be my first and likely only time as somehow I was able to book a Sky for less than an SV in a recent sale. 

Edited February 11, 2020 by Pushka

[Dr. Pam]

5 minutes ago, Pushka said:

Maybe don’t click on the title? 

Perhaps but I think perhaps other CCers have.... and  maybe you might like to initiate a thread that encompasses your thoughts and contributions on the available restaurants and your dietary restrictions that has nothing do to with BLU and suite guests. Just sayin'  I think it could be a valuable discussion?

 

Pam

Edited February 11, 2020 by Dr. Pam

[misterkevin]

8 minutes ago, Pushka said:

As I’m on a carb restricted diet that leaves  chicken and meat. Is this the ‘always available’ item that is prepared the same way each night or a differently prepared item?  Hoping for the latter 

You can pretty much request anything in Luminae if you are nice about it and give the kitchen at least one day advance notice. If you want chicken prepared different ways every night, tell them. They will do their best to accommodate you. Some people just want a filet and a baked potato every night, and that's what they can order. Others have reported having the Luminae chefs prepare a complete Indian feast of the chef's whim which certainly wasn't on the menu. The motto in suites from a service standpoint is always say yes. As long as the requests aren't demands nor outlandish, you should be fine.

[Pushka]

12 minutes ago, Dr. Pam said:

Perhaps but I think perhaps other CCers have.... and  maybe you might like to initiate a thread that encompasses your thoughts and contributions on the available restaurants and your dietary restrictions that has nothing do to with BLU and suite guests. Just sayin'  I think it could be a valuable discussion?

 

Pam

Pleas read the earlier post and you’d find I’m going in a Suite but if I can only get seafood in Luminae then I likely be eating in Blu which is exactly pertinent to this topic. Thankyou to those people who are helping me avoid cramping up Blu unnecessarily. 

Edited February 11, 2020 by Pushka