Aqua Spa Cafe

[soonercruisers]

My wife and I just returned sailing on the Connie 2/18-25/06. We found the restaurant areas for Breakfast and Lunch to be just perfect. Each area had its own uniqueness and purpose. My wife and I had pre-arranged a seating area and met there after we selected the food we preferred from many of the various selections available from each of the serving areas. There was never a challenge to find the seating in the dining area of our choice. We didn’t find this to be an inconvenience as it enabled us to review each of the food selections available and pick and choose as we went along. You have the Aqua Spa for total peace, quiet, and solitude with chilled wine available if you so desired to have a glass with your meal. Its location forward also minimized the crowds of people eating en-masse. In addition, walking between the dining areas is good for the heart and we all know you need every excuse to exercise on a cruise.

My suggestion to Celebrity, keep the restaurants where they are and don’t mess up a good thing.

You may have noticed that I didn’t mention the Dinner. Here’s where they can improve the eating experience. Do away with the pre-arranged early and late seating. No advantage to this schedule. For the late seating we often found ourselves leaving the dining room 10:30 –10:45. The early seating is much too early especially after returning for shore excursions. Food and service in the Main Dining room was deplorable but that’s another topic to be discussed later on.

[ArtM]

Count us among those who enjoy wandering among the various venues to find the perfect lunch on a particular day.

 

One reason I like the Aqua Spa grill, and the Pool side grill as well, is that they are NOT part of the mob scene at the buffet at lunch time, although I will make an exception to get something from the Pasta bar.

 

FWIW, 98% of the time the air in the AquaSpa area seems pretty decent.

 

Another reason the AquaSpa grill is separate is because its staff comes from the specialty dining room, rather than from the main dining room.

 

Art

[Lois R]

My wife and I just returned sailing on the Connie 2/18-25/06. We found the restaurant areas for Breakfast and Lunch to be just perfect. Each area had its own uniqueness and purpose. My wife and I had pre-arranged a seating area and met there after we selected the food we preferred from many of the various selections available from each of the serving areas. There was never a challenge to find the seating in the dining area of our choice. We didn’t find this to be an inconvenience as it enabled us to review each of the food selections available and pick and choose as we went along. You have the Aqua Spa for total peace, quiet, and solitude with chilled wine available if you so desired to have a glass with your meal. Its location forward also minimized the crowds of people eating en-masse. In addition, walking between the dining areas is good for the heart and we all know you need every excuse to exercise on a cruise.

 

My suggestion to Celebrity, keep the restaurants where they are and don’t mess up a good thing.

 

You may have noticed that I didn’t mention the Dinner. Here’s where they can improve the eating experience. Do away with the pre-arranged early and late seating. No advantage to this schedule. For the late seating we often found ourselves leaving the dining room 10:30 –10:45. The early seating is much too early especially after returning for shore excursions. Food and service in the Main Dining room was deplorable but that’s another topic to be discussed later on.

 

Hi, sorry your dining room experience was deplorable. In my 7 previous X

cruises, I happily cannot say the same thing. My dining room food and service

have all been wonderful:)

 

As for getting rid of the pre-arranged times, personally I think

that would be a total mess. I think they have 2 dining times

to accomodate everyone....as well as the wait staff.

 

I enjoy eating late....going to the bar for pre-dinner drinks and

enjoying the evening. You are correct, most times we didn't leave

the dining room till about 10:30...our choice. I always take

late seating as dinner is one of my most fun experiences of my

cruise!

[JeriNP]

The chlorine/salt/gym aroma around the Cafe didn't bother me at all, except one day when they had apparently JUST re-chlorinated the pool and hot tubs. It was absolutely blindingly strong! Other than that, no issues w/the air. We discovered the Aqua-Spa on the second day of the cruise and ate there at least once every day of our 14 day cruise. I loved the peace and quiet, the selection of food, the juices, the fact that it was down the hall from our room(!!!), eating in my bathing suitand robe, NOT having to fight our way thru hordes of people stuffing themselves at the buffet (talk about a sociological study), etc. I loved that it was away from everything else. I have to agree with Babylene about some people spending their entire cruise in the thalassotherapy pool (ewwwww). Other than that, I found it a delightful alternative to the usual Bacchanal of mass-produced food that's usually the buffet fare aboard cruise ships.