Access to Blu for non-Aqua class pax

[dkjretired]

We booked the Aqua Class cabin mainly for the restaurant. We had hoped for a small,

quiet, healthy dining experience. If there are any passengers dining in this restaurant that are not Aqua Class and not Suite passengers, who make this dining experience unpleasant, we will complain immediately. We are paying extra for this restaurant and we will want a

refund if it becomes just another open, noisy restaurant.

 

Why are they not charging the surcharge of $25 or $35 dollars to equal the specialty

restaurants for non suite passengers? At least Cunard has both Specialty Restaurants available to all passengers for a fee, and three restaurants allocated based on your cabin.

The ones allocated to specific cabins are not open to passengers from other cabins. It did not matter if they were quiet at lunch, they just reallocated the servers.

 

Cunard chooses to have a class system on their ships, Celebrity does not.....

[emeraldcitycruiser]

If there are any passengers dining in this restaurant that are not Aqua Class and not Suite passengers, who make this dining experience unpleasant, we will complain immediately. We are paying extra for this restaurant and we will want a

refund if it becomes just another open, noisy restaurant.

 

I agree with Peteymil. Get over yourself.

[jwattle]

We just returned from two weeks back-to-back in Aqua Class and Blu. The Specialty restaurants use computers for reservations now and they ar centrally linked; if you make a reservation at one, your stateroom is shown, so Blu knows that you won't be there, but they do still ask for the courtesy of letting them know ( a failsafe in case you decide not to keep your specialty reservation). Hope this helps.:)

PS: The breakfasts and dinners in Blu were great for us; our server, Fehzy, and Asst. Waiter, Musfiin (in the morning, he was "Muffin") were outstanding. The whole dining room staff was great in there. They all went out of their way in the mornings to talk to you. Jose, Alexander, and the others all make you feel at home in their restaurant. Sosa, our sommelier was very knowledgable, which my husband loved.

[Linco711]

Are there only enough tables in Blu for the Aqua class passengers when Aqua class is sold out or are there more to accommodate others?

[hajekfam]

From my calculations, there are only enough tables in Blu for two seating of Aqua class passengers if aqua class is completely full and everyone in aqua class eats there. However, there are several options for dinner on Solstice class so the chances of all of Aqua class only eating in their dining room making it completely full on any one day is extremely rare.

[CathyCruises]

We booked the Aqua Class cabin mainly for the restaurant. We had hoped for a small,

quiet, healthy dining experience. If there are any passengers dining in this restaurant that are not Aqua Class and not Suite passengers, who make this dining experience unpleasant, we will complain immediately. We are paying extra for this restaurant and we will want a

refund if it becomes just another open, noisy restaurant.

 

.

 

You're kidding, right? I guess AQ pax and suite pax are all perfect ladies and gentlemen at all times, and those of us in steerage must be rowdy malcontents bent on turning your otherwise pleasant dinner into a boisterous melee? Give me a break. How would you even KNOW if someone you considered beneath you was in fact residing in the Penthouse? I see snobbery is still alive and well in 2009.

 

In case you didn't know, money does not equate to class.

 

Cathy

[beachseeker]

We were in AQ on the March 14th sailing and ate in Blu every night except one. Food was awesome. We had heard stories about how Blu was empty before the week was out on earlier sailings. We did not see empty tables for the early seating the entire week. The tables around us were the same passengers every night. We did ask about changing to the late seating in St. Martin since we had a late excursion and we did not sail until 11 PM. There was not a table for 4 available. We were told if we could be there by 7 PM there would not be a problem. We finished our dinner just in time to clear the table for the late seating.

[CUTTERSAM]

Did anyone notice in Blu if seating was set up like the MDR? My travel mate and I requested a large table because making new friends is one of the best parts of the dining experience. So did they follow the tradition?

[Mysticks1]

I found the attached while searching for a MDR seating chart. It is a little small and fuzzy but you can get an idea of the layout. There are not very many larger tables shown but the way the 2-tops are laid out you will feel like you have tablemates even if you are at a table for two.

[jwattle]

The two-tops are so close, that it's almost like getting a table for eight and a table for two all in one; we really enjoyed our table mates. The way they are laid out, you can just talk to each other or to the others as well.

[CUTTERSAM]

The two-tops are so close, that it's almost like getting a table for eight and a table for two all in one; we really enjoyed our table mates. The way they are laid out, you can just talk to each other or to the others as well.

 

 

But you can keep your bread basket to yourselves!!!

[cruzendude]

We booked the Aqua Class cabin mainly for the restaurant. We had hoped for a small,

quiet, healthy dining experience. If there are any passengers dining in this restaurant that are not Aqua Class and not Suite passengers, who make this dining experience unpleasant, we will complain immediately. We are paying extra for this restaurant and we will want a

refund if it becomes just another open, noisy restaurant.

 

Why are they not charging the surcharge of $25 or $35 dollars to equal the specialty

restaurants for non suite passengers? At least Cunard has both Specialty Restaurants available to all passengers for a fee, and three restaurants allocated based on your cabin.

The ones allocated to specific cabins are not open to passengers from other cabins. It did not matter if they were quiet at lunch, they just reallocated the servers.

 

My, my..aren't you just a bit full of yourself.....contrary to what some who book Aqua Class wanted and posted here, Blu IS open on a space available basis to anyone on board ... :eek:...when you operate your own cruise ship then I guess you can make the rules, until then you will have to deal with those in place! :D

 

And the reason they don't charge $25 to eat in Blu is because it IS NOT a specialty restaurant, its a regular assigned dining room for AS pax...:rolleyes:

[kittyluvrnurse]

Hubby AND I would definitely have sprung the 200 dollar difference for AQ if the rooms hadn't been directly under the pool. Dining in Blu nightly isn't worth that. I'd rather check if space is available and go there.

Q: Are spots in Blu available (if there's a spot) for ALL meals of the day? Could we go dine in Blu for breakfast in lunch, if there is a table available?

[Duanerice1]

Hubby AND I would definitely have sprung the 200 dollar difference for AQ if the rooms hadn't been directly under the pool. Dining in Blu nightly isn't worth that.

 

What a shame, you missed a great opportunity. We didn't have a lick of noise from above but we picked the cabin under the hair salon. Also had the benefit of a huge balcony.

 

Enjoy Blu if there is space available. For the most part we had great meals there. That is the reason I would book AQ again. They spoiled us as we don't particularly care for the MDR experience.

enjoy,

Duane

[CUTTERSAM]

Hubby AND I would definitely have sprung the 200 dollar difference for AQ if the rooms hadn't been directly under the pool. Dining in Blu nightly isn't worth that. I'd rather check if space is available and go there.

Q: Are spots in Blu available (if there's a spot) for ALL meals of the day? Could we go dine in Blu for breakfast in lunch, if there is a table available?

 

We are in AQ 1632 and the only thing above us is other rooms. Check for a room aft rather than forward.

[katjam]

hajekfam - we were on the Solstice March 22nd sailing and ate in Blu's early seating every night. The busiest night was the first night, which I don't think I saw an empty table, The quietest night was the San Juan night where only 1/3rd of the tables were used on the first seating. The rest of the nights I would say they were 2/3rds full for first seating.

 

kittyluvnurse - we were in AQ1548, noise from above was not an issue, except one night I heard something like chairs being dragged. Mind you, we went back to the cabin 12:00-1:00 almost every night.

[kittyluvrnurse]

hajekfam - we were on the Solstice March 22nd sailing and ate in Blu's early seating every night. The busiest night was the first night, which I don't think I saw an empty table, The quietest night was the San Juan night where only 1/3rd of the tables were used on the first seating. The rest of the nights I would say they were 2/3rds full for first seating.

 

kittyluvnurse - we were in AQ1548, noise from above was not an issue, except one night I heard something like chairs being dragged. Mind you, we went back to the cabin 12:00-1:00 almost every night.

 

When we were on a Carnival ship, we had a room under the lido deck. You could hear them drag chairs constantly in the cafe and pool and the deck party at 2 AM one night was out of control! I voted I would never have a room that wasn't sandwiched between 2 floors of rooms.

[jelbssj]

Just returned from our Solstice cruise on Sunday. We were SS class and there is a $5 charge for Blu - But they were going to arrange for our party of 8 to eat there and only two were AQ class. And they were not going to charge any of us the $5 surcharge. They seemed very anxious to accommodate our party so that we could all eat together there. The rest of the week we all ate in the MDR even though two of us were assigned to Blu. There was no problem getting a table for 8 instead of for 6 in the MDR. You just have to see the maitre d' in the MDR when you board and let him know you would like to eat in the MDR. We did notice that Blu was not fully occupied on many evenings and anyone from the ship can eat there - just see the maitre d' ahead of time. Also, SS passengers do get a complimentary dinner at a specialty restaurant, but that does not include Blu. In fact, we ate in a specialty restaurant twice, and we were not charged a surcharge either time.

[dkjretired]

Just returned from our Solstice cruise on Sunday. We were SS class and there is a $5 charge for Blu - But they were going to arrange for our party of 8 to eat there and only two were AQ class. And they were not going to charge any of us the $5 surcharge. They seemed very anxious to accommodate our party so that we could all eat together there. The rest of the week we all ate in the MDR even though two of us were assigned to Blu. There was no problem getting a table for 8 instead of for 6 in the MDR. You just have to see the maitre d' in the MDR when you board and let him know you would like to eat in the MDR. We did notice that Blu was not fully occupied on many evenings and anyone from the ship can eat there - just see the maitre d' ahead of time. Also, SS passengers do get a complimentary dinner at a specialty restaurant, but that does not include Blu. In fact, we ate in a specialty restaurant twice, and we were not charged a surcharge either time.

 

From all these posts about them not charging people, I would speculate that they are hoping that future cruises will be booked by these people in AQ class. Actually a good advertising trick, they only lose 5 bucks..