OnTheJourney

Same here...I don't see the advantage but would appear to be several disadvantages.

Great point. I think what maybe happened is that those who got window seats on the first night already as a result of this early opening probably wound up getting them the rest of the cruise.

Exactly...previous time it felt much more intimate and quiet. Oh well, post pandemic lots of things about cruising has changed.

I really don't care if I'm with the same waitstaff every evening or not. Yeah, they get to know your name, and that's nice and all, but you can wind up being stuck at a location in the restaurant that you really don't care for.

Let me address these points. I agree completely on the early queue. It was certainly not our choice to start getting ready for dinner by 4:00 but almost felt we had to if we had any chance of getting a window seat. Wouldn't and won't do it again. Probably won't do Aqua again. Yes...it was US cruise out of Bayonne. As for the bread, the situation with it not being ready is BLU's issue, not the passengers. Simple solution..don't "officially open" until 5:30, at which time the bread should be there and ready. I think another thing that was happening is that I suspect there were groups of people who all knew each other, and so many were seated on the benches outside the restaurant with their drinks, etc. chatting away. Just seemed like many people sitting next to each other on 2-tops all knew each other. OR....is Blu somehow catering to suite guests who they know are arriving that evening? You'd certainly want to give window seats to those folks before us lowly Aqua guests. 😆 I just think Blu is inviting more problems than advantages by opening as early as 30 minnutes before stated time. Apparently most here don't see it that way.

I'm only going by my previous experience with Blu. I've only done this twice so far. Got there by roughly 5:20 every evening and basically NO lines. Restaurant opened at 5:30 and everyone goes in. I think we had a window seat each time. And, your second statement, while it makes sense, didn't hold out that way. The last night there WAS a window seat open yet. We were the next couple to enter the room and the host did NOT take us to that seat. Instead, one of the next couples behind us got it. My faultl for not saying anything I guess. So I suspect they're trying to keep people at the same tables if possible so as to be with the same waitstaff. Had I not said something after the first night, we would have been stuck at a table right near the entrance next to a couple that would have driven me crazy every night. I think my largest complaint, besides this seating issue, is the barely warm food. All of this is probably an unfair comparison coming from a recent Viking cruise, which is simply a few steps up from X or RCL anyway. Admittedly, there was also a line that formed before dinner on Viking, but it didn't take long AND they only started seating at the stated time. Different situation entirely with far fewer passengers.

I don't agree with this at all. I think it makes for problems best avoided by sticking to a set opening time. Why no view? It's no different than the view from a balcony room on that particular side of the ship? No, it's not that. I really don't think you'd have as long a line forming if they stuck to the 5:30 opening time. How far will they go with this? Suppose the line starts forming at 4:00. Will they then start to open at 4:30? Then, a few cruises later the line might start forming even earlier, etc. Agreed that on this cruise there may well have been a good number of early eaters (us old folks!) I'll admit to part of my concern being to hopefully get a window seat, but also the waitstaff should not have to go around and apologize that the bread baskets aren't ready yet because of the early opening. We DO like to eat around 5:30 since then we can get to the 7:00 show. 9:00 show is later than we prefer. At home we eat by 5-5:30 and so prefer to continue doing so on a cruise. I fail to see why. In that case, what about the other restaurants? You'll get to the point where the stated dining (opening) times as listed on the daily planner are no longer accurate. Suppose the theatre would decide to start a show earlier just because a long line has formed? Now you've got people who'll be ticked off because they planned to get there close to 7 and the show has already started 10 minutes ago.

I seem to recall getting there about 5:30 the first time we did this, no lines or else very few waiting, got in, got a window table, and really enjoyed it. If the schedule says they open at 5:30, then if one arrives at 5:25 there should not be ANY passengers in the restaurant yet, let alone nearly full already with people well into their first course (but without bread cause, like I said, it wasn't ready yet). Not the Celebrity experience I was hoping for.

We really didn't like it and will surely say something on the survey! Agree completely. I think it's a problem too. And the last night, the hostess took us right by what was the only remaining window table and instead to a table near the back (2nd next to window). I really should have said something I guess. It made me wonder if someone had given specific recommendations for a window seat that they were honoring. First night they seated us at a table we really weren't happy with - the location nor the chatty couple next to us - but I had to say something or we would have wound up there every night. For that last evening meal, somehow our service got linked to the couple next to us at the window table. Our meal dragged on for two hours while these other people had like two appetizers and not sure what else, but it seemed our courses were delayed to coincide with when theirs arrived. That's not right either. DW and I are both thinking might as well go back to the MDR.

DW and I just did the May 6 sailing on the Summit out of Bayonne. It was the 2nd time we elected to do Aqua Class being that the first time, several years ago, we really enjoyed eating there. This time, however, it wasn't quite the same experience. My main complaint is that, instead of opening at 5:30 as stated, they decided to always open much earlier because of the line of people that forms. What seems to have happened on the cruise is that people start hanging around already by 4:30, and by 4:45 there's already a line. That's crazy. I think Blu got themselves into a bad situation by opening early for these folks. Then, if you get there by like 5:15 or even shortly after 5:00, forget about any hechance of getting a window seat, which is one of the things we really enjoyed the first time. I was dumbfounded to get there one of the first nights close to 5:30 and saw that the restuarant was not only already open but basically nearly every table full. I questioned it several times but was always told that "since there's a long line that forms they decide to open early". I say...the heck with these people that show up nearly an hour early. Let 'em wait! I think they should stick to the 5:30 time. People would quickly come to realize that there's little point of gathering with their cocktails that long before the scheduled opening time! It was most disappointing. We're thinking that we might not even do it again and instead go back to MTD unless it still only starts at 6:00. So another issue is that, by letting people in early, they're really not ready. Several evenings the wait staff came around apologizing that the bread wasn't made yet and so would arrive a bit later. My wife had salmon the one night that was way undercooked. Another somewhat unrelated issue is that the food was, for the most part, barely warm most of the time. Same for breakfast. Everything cooled off really quick. We've never done suite level so maybe that would be worth a try. NO complaints about the service in Blu (except for being considerably longer between courses than was the case on other cruises) and the food was, generally speaking, quite good. As to Aqua in general, not sure it's worth it as much as before. We don't use the spa at all, and I generally get to the persian garden at least once. We chose Aqua both times basically for Blu. Used to be (really good) iced tea in the room each day and always some sort of 'nibbles' brought to the room in the afternoon. This time, nada. I realize all lines have cut back on amenities, but, what was I paying all the extra money for? Several nights I ordered from the MDR menu anyway. It just was not quite the experience we expected for the extra money. Anybody else experience similar?

I'll check in on the thread especially having never cruised with NCL. Wishing you fair winds and following seas...

Good one Andy!!!

Are there mini-bar / fridges in the (non-suite) rooms? Coffee makers? Been 4 years since we cruised with X so not sure anymore. We're in Aqua and I recall getting iced tea every day but I don't see that mentioned anymore.

Thanks...but someone mentioned that the classic package is canned Rain....

But, again, does the can have a way to close it, or is it like a soda can with a pull top?

So how is the "Rain" water packaged in the Classic Drinks Package. Are these flip top cans and thus not resealable once opened or is there a screw-on lid like a pastic bottle?

I think we'll opt for bringing along our own (empty) plastic bottles and filling them as needed.

Hear, hear! I agree totally....

I think Canada / NE is probably my favorite cruise. Have loved everyone we've done. Overnight in Quebec is awesome.

LOL...some crew member gets the job of holding them over the side during precipitation and filling 'em up....😆 So when you go on an excursion you also get a can of water instead of a bottle?

Unbelievable!! Looks like a tang that he pulled up there. Wonder if he brought along a knife and whatever else to gut it? Maybe a little hot plate too. OR...take it down to the MDR and ask if they'd cook it for him? Hey...it's the party cruise line..

lol....😆 DW and I are pretty much done with some of those parties. Never sailed with Cunard, but Celebrity does their "Captain's Club" events and so forth. One of the last times they boasted about how much food there'd be. We never even got a bite of anything. Wind up sitting there, maybe chatting with another couple, and then basically just waiting for the Captain and senior staff introductions, etc. It's ok, but have gotten to the point where I'd rather just be out walking on the deck. Like you said, pretty much a 'dull' event. Sit around there and smile, pretending to look interested. Before the thing opens, people start gathering in line like 45 minutes ahead of time, and then, as you finally get up close to the doors and they're ready to open, a whole bunch of already half-inebriated folks come charging out of the elevator and butt in line. Saddest thing, though, was one poor old guy that must have had dementia...kept asking his wife in front of us, "what are we doing here"? So she tells him something akin to 'waiting for the party to start'. And then he goes, in quite audible volume...."Awww, forget it!!!"

How very true. My condolences on the death of your friend. 😟

So am I! Thanks. It went on for 18 hours - through the overnight and into the next morning. Those Norwegian CHC pilots must have been exhausted afterwards. Can't imagine trying to hold the choppers steady - over the ship - taking off one or two people at a time, during those strong wind conditions. But then those guys are undoubtedly top drawer and trained for such conditions as mentioned here. http://www.chcheli.com/VikingSkyRescue I cannot be thankful enough for what they did, as well as the crew of the Sky. The final report on the incident is still forthcoming. Here is the initial report - quite interesting: https://www.dsb.no/globalassets/dokumenter/rapporter/assessment_of_the_viking_sky_incident.pdf

Not sure what you mean by "it's already over"? As in...too late to even use them? Barring some catastrophic accident or other situation, I'd think there's plenty of time to load boats with life jackets already on. (Can't envision crew telling people to have a vest with them but then be sure to put them on once you're in the boat!) I suspect it wouldn't be that fast a process anyway. When it came time to start evacuating the Viking Sky, we had our life vests on and stood in the stairwells for hours, slowly making our way up to the top deck for helicopter evac. Those who stayed on board needed to wear them the entire rest of the day and, I think anyway, even overnight till the emergency was pretty much declared over.