Aquaclass: Blu vs dining room

[montereybob]

For those of you who have done Aquaclass, which food do you like better? Blu or main dining room.

[lel5344]

And not just for the food (although we thought the food was wonderful).

 

We loved the service and the atmosphere. It was the best part of our Solstice cruise.

 

We'll book Aqua Class on any Celebrity ship that offers Blu!

[natshala]

Loved everything about Blu, including the lack of a crowd.

[ozmarlene]

We sailed our first Celebrity on Eclipse and did a aqua suite and ate in the Blu for every meal they served. We were spoiled and love the food. It's healthier and everything we had was top notch. Service is unbeatable and atmosphere was best. We are from Kansas and hardly ever eat beef when away from home (we have some of the best) but our waiter wanted us to try their steaks one night. All 4 of us did and it's hard to believe, but it was better than kansas beef.

You will love it!

[marydallas]

Thanks mariene for your description. Makes me wish i had booked aqua class instead of the cc2. Cabins. Marydallas

[momzcruzing]

Food quality, service & quiet. You can converse without raising your voice. Loved EVERYTHING about it!!

[LPast50]

It's all a matter of Taste....please don't burn me at the stake but I prefer the MDR menu. I love the atmosphere & service in BLU but prefer the taste/flavor of the food that is served in the MDR for Dinner. If you like what the MDR is having for dinner versus BLU, just tell your waiter what you'd like & they will gladly bring you what you have ordered. Guess I'm not that crazy about healthy food:o

 

For breakfast BLU offers a great breakfast & it's never crowded. We had breakfast every morning in BLU last year when we did a B 2 B on the Solstice.

[SilkShirt]

We just got back from 11 nights AQ on the Equinox. All the restaurants had good food and service.

We only eat 5 of the nights in Blu . The food and service were fine. We didn't like the menu on most nights.

I would go down and compare the menus in the afternoon.

Because we paid all the tips in advance we got the select dining benefit.

We had assigned seats saved for us each night in the MDR. We ate there one night and enjoyed the meal and the table mates.

We liked the menu, food, and service best in the Tuscon Grill.

Regarding breakfast, Blu is much quieter and relaxed than the buffet.

We really appreciated it on the last morning.

Each morning room service would bring us tea and coffee to start the day.

We would then go the the fitness center. Half the time Blu would be closed for breakfast(9am) by the time we finished our workouts and got ready. The food in the buffet was equal quality with more choices. Watching the cook make my eggbeater omlette, didn't make it taste any different than getting it from a waiter.

Regards of where you eat on the Equinox, the food is really good.

[Duanerice1]

For the most part we like the Blu menu better but not always. Last cruise we did eat one night in the main dining room because we liked the menu better.

 

But, we love the atmosphere in Blu compared to the MDR. The night we ate in the MDR was a PR port night and it was less than half full. It was still very noisy. Actually the only thing we are not thrilled with in cruising is the whole MDR experience. Don't really like it much. That's why we liked Aqua Class so much.

 

enjoy,

Duane

[havepassportwilltravel]

BLU closes for breakfast by 9 a.m.? Even on sea days? Guess I'll be healthy later in the day. ;)

[djandnic]

Blu by far!! Best food we've ever had on a cruise ship, other than the specialty restaurants. And the service is much better than the MDR.

[Hollywood Traveler]

Blu.

Just got off the Solstice (Aqua) and on the 2nd day booked a future cruise for a C1 aft cabin for the view. On the 5th day upgraded to Aqua just for Blu. We ate in the MDR one dinner, and the food was excellent. But as other posters have said, the food, the service and the atmosphere in Blu are superb. It would not have been nearly as memorable a cruise without Blu.

[Grandma Rambo]

Thanks mariene for your description. Makes me wish i had booked aqua class instead of the cc2. Cabins. Marydallas

 

Hi, Marydallas

I believe we sailed together on Constellation NE/Canada. Will you ever forget the torential rain we had in Boston and then the bllizzard in Quebec?

 

We did book aqua class just to be able to experience Blu. Really looking forward to this cruise on this new, beautiful ship. The bonus is that we can drive, or be driven, to the port.

 

See you in November

Jennie

[bighairtexan]

I love the room and very individualized service in BLU but I find the menu lackluster so I'll no longer book BLU and instead pay more to be in a C1 and enjoy the MDR.

[retiredtogolf]

Just back from Apr. 1 Equinox sailing - in AQ. We paid gratuities in advance and had Celebrity Select Dining. We could eat in MDR if we wanted any night. We did once early in cruise but found it crowded and more noisy than BLU. You may get a little more choice of entrees in MDR, but we loved BLU.........

[ncgolferette]

We were in an AQ cabin on the Equinox in February and enjoyed Blu. The service and atmosphere were wonderful. On most evenings the food was very good but there were many evenings when we just were not that impressed with the menu selections. Four of the 11 nights we ate in the alternative restaurants. We are booked on the Eclipse for 2012 (the Baltics) and have decided to book a regular balcony cabin and save the $1500 dollars -the itinerary was a factor in our decision. We will also probably wind up eating six or seven nights in the specialty restaurants. Three of the 14 nights we will be docked in ports until midnight or later. Factors beside the actual food can weigh in on a decision.

[dennbr9]

We were in an AQ cabin on the Equinox in February and enjoyed Blu. The service and atmosphere were wonderful. On most evenings the food was very good but there were many evenings when we just were not that impressed with the menu selections. Four of the 11 nights we ate in the alternative restaurants. We are booked on the Eclipse for 2012 (the Baltics) and have decided to book a regular balcony cabin and save the $1500 dollars -the itinerary was a factor in our decision. We will also probably wind up eating six or seven nights in the specialty restaurants. Three of the 14 nights we will be docked in ports until midnight or later. Factors beside the actual food can weigh in on a decision.

 

Probably not worth $200+ a day for Blu to many here, but as you say depends on your other Cabin Choice options, etc. If comparing to Concierge Cabin, difference may be more acceptable. Nice to have choices:D

[dennbr9]

Just back from Apr. 1 Equinox sailing - in AQ. We paid gratuities in advance and had Celebrity Select Dining. We could eat in MDR if we wanted any night. We did once early in cruise but found it crowded and more noisy than BLU. You may get a little more choice of entrees in MDR, but we loved BLU.........

 

 

You can eat in Blu and enjoy the atmosphere and still order items from the MDR. Best of both worlds right?

[LouisianaMamma]

We were in an AQ cabin on the Equinox in February and enjoyed Blu. The service and atmosphere were wonderful. On most evenings the food was very good but there were many evenings when we just were not that impressed with the menu selections. Four of the 11 nights we ate in the alternative restaurants. We are booked on the Eclipse for 2012 (the Baltics) and have decided to book a regular balcony cabin and save the $1500 dollars -the itinerary was a factor in our decision. We will also probably wind up eating six or seven nights in the specialty restaurants. Three of the 14 nights we will be docked in ports until midnight or later. Factors beside the actual food can weigh in on a decision.

 

This is such an insightful post, and it expresses my feelings about Blu perfectly. There are always many factors to consider and what is good for one cruise might not be the right choice on the next one.

[Eileenrae]

For those of you who have done Aquaclass, which food do you like better? Blu or main dining room.

 

 

Blu!!!! No question!!!

[Daisy Ray Cruiser]

Pluses:

The food in Blu is excellent. The choices are fewer than in the main dining room but the quality of the meals much better. Anything from the MDR menu can also be added to any meal.

The atmosphere is as much a plus as the food. The room is small, so the dining is a little more intimate. The service is superb.

Minuses:

The dining is a tad too intimate. The tables almost touch each other, even if you are not traveling together. For couples desiring a secluded romantic dinner, this may not work out that way.

As a solo traveler, there is no option for table sharing. Tables are mostly for two only. Couples can have two or three pushed together if traveling in a group.There were a few larger tables by the door for groups of six. These were not for table sharing.While I met wonderful people at dinner, I would have preferred the table sharing option. On formal nights I went to the MDR. That said, I prefer AQ and Blu. Quieter, more relaxed, better food and service. If you prefer more choices, more activity, entertainment..do MDR.

[spammie]

You can eat in Blu and enjoy the atmosphere and still order items from the MDR. Best of both worlds right?

 

Just got back recently from our first Celebrity cruise on Equinox and stayed in Aqua Class and ate in Blu. We loved it so much we booked the same cruise, in Aqua Class just for Blu for next year. I asked one night if I could order an entree from the MDR because I really didn't find anything on the Blu menu I was interested in. I was told "no, we aren't allowed to do that any more". I don't know if it makes a difference who your server is or what ship it is.

[rogfam]

Very familiar with the menus in the MDR, could someone please mention what is on the menu in Blu for the three meals. Thanks

[Cruisini]

Just got back recently from our first Celebrity cruise on Equinox and stayed in Aqua Class and ate in Blu. We loved it so much we booked the same cruise, in Aqua Class just for Blu for next year. I asked one night if I could order an entree from the MDR because I really didn't find anything on the Blu menu I was interested in. I was told "no, we aren't allowed to do that any more". I don't know if it makes a difference who your server is or what ship it is.

 

Hi Wanda! Nice to see a friendly, familiar face :D

Were you and John select dining or did you have assigned time in Blu? We booked AQ for our Panama Canal trip next April and I am still a little confused about the times. Did you guys choose a table for two?

[John73]

I think it also depends on the atmosphere you are looking for on your cruise. I did Aqua Class & Blu on my last Solstice cruise but found that I missed the joy of meeting and making new friends in the MDR. I think Blu would work great if it were a group of people looking to dine together, but it was a bit limiting in terms of meeting new people. I much preferred the set companions in the MDR and the opportunity to make new friends there vs Blu, especially as a solo traveler.