Is Blu open to non-AQ and non-suite passengers?

[MiamiCruiser52]

Will be sailing Equinox in July in CC and want to know if Blu is open to non-AQ and non-suite passengers such as us. Thanks.

[Hollywood Traveler]

Will be sailing Equinox in July in CC and want to know if Blu is open to non-AQ and non-suite passengers such as us. Thanks.

Sorry, but no. It is restricted to AQ, and suites on a space-available basis.

[Lois R]

Nope, AQ passengers only with Suite Passengers on a space availibility

basis at 5.00 per person.

 

Blu is THE dining room for AQ class cabins and although those passengers

can dine elsewhere, passengers in other cabin categories cannot dine

there.

[JFontaine]

Are you sure if you approached the host during a non-busy time, explained that you would like to try it at a time convenient to them (and perhaps are interested in AQ in the future), and are willing to pay the gratuity they would turn you away? I'm not sure - and I think if you are interested it is worth a shot asking. It's in their interest to make AQ popular.

[MiamiCruiser52]

Are you sure if you approached the host during a non-busy time, explained that you would like to try it at a time convenient to them (and perhaps are interested in AQ in the future), and are willing to pay the gratuity they would turn you away? I'm not sure - and I think if you are interested it is worth a shot asking. It's in their interest to make AQ popular.

Good idea, MLevine. I will try that approach. I think it may work.

[elpam]

I understand that Blu is available for breakfast, open to anyone who wants to try it. Their breakfasts are great, and the OJ is fresh!

[Member123]

Sorry, people, I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, but I've personally witnessed people being turned away from Blu. They check your stateroom number each and every time you dine there; there's a computer program that they punch in your stateroom and the table that they gave you on the seating chart. There are some pretty tight controls... if being turned away wouldn't embarass you, then... it's your call.

 

All Blu seating... breakfast.... dinner.... is available only to AQ stateroom passengers. You'll find people on here making comments that they ate in Blu... weren't turned away...

 

From personal experience, I can tell you that we were AQ, dining in Blu, and I wanted to have a non-AQ, non-suite passenger dine with us. The manager told me that I had to pick another venue; I couldn't pay the charge for my guest; not available. I think that says a lot about someone just popping in and being seated when I couldn't even get a guest at my table. For what it's worth...

[Gonzo70]

That has been my experience too, that Blu is very strict about not permitting non-AQ, non-suite guests from dining there. I guess it does not hurt to ask, but I would not get my hopes up. Keep checking your cruise for price drops, occasionally AQ drops significantly.

[uktog]

Even suite guests are not guaranteed entrance - we were unable to dine there any night on our cruise on Equinox last year

[cruisestitch]

MLevine wrote:

 

Are you sure if you approached the host during a non-busy time, explained that you would like to try it at a time convenient to them (and perhaps are interested in AQ in the future), and are willing to pay the gratuity they would turn you away? I'm not sure - and I think if you are interested it is worth a shot asking. It's in their interest to make AQ popular.

 

 

 

I don't think this would work. It would open up a huge can of worms for the cruise line. It is more in their interest to keep BLU available to the people who have paid extra for it, and to the suite passengers, then to expose other diners to it on an occasional basis.

[dkjretired]

That has been my experience too, that Blu is very strict about not permitting non-AQ, non-suite guests from dining there. I guess it does not hurt to ask, but I would not get my hopes up. Keep checking your cruise for price drops, occasionally AQ drops significantly.

 

They are very strict, I tried to bring Lois in with wife and I for Breakfast and they said absolutely not. They are very strict...

[hcat]

The seating is just too limited to make exceptions.....on some nights there is a line at the door--just for those in AQ...

 

Breakfast can also be busy, esp. on sea days..

[Lois R]

They are very strict, I tried to bring Lois in with wife and I for Breakfast and they said absolutely not. They are very strict...

 

Hi Don:) I remember that too.

 

I wanted to invite 2 folks to join me when I was on Solstice in Sept and

was told nope.....so we ate in the main dining room together instead.

 

So I agree, they do follow the policy of AQ guests only.

[jackdiamond]

Will be sailing Equinox in July in CC and want to know if Blu is open to non-AQ and non-suite passengers such as us. Thanks.

No.

[djmutters]

Also without sounding snooty it's hardly fair if your paying extra AQ to use Blu and then let anyone in who's willing to par a surcharge,from reading the boards alot of people book AQ just to use Blu.

[cruisecrasy]

Also without sounding snooty it's hardly fair if your paying extra AQ to use Blu and then let anyone in who's willing to par a surcharge,from reading the boards alot of people book AQ just to use Blu.

 

When u pay to use something u don't want others able to bargain their way in...simple! Why wld that be considered 'snooty'? Anyone can purchase an AQ cabin & have the use of Blu...again simple!

 

If the cruiseline wants to allow their suite pax in when there is extra space available which doesn't keep their AQ pax out and they make a small amt also by charging them $5 ea (don't even offer it as a perk and they pay fortunes for their suites) no problem but not other pax..There are just too many of them..

 

If u want to try Blu - u will have to book an AQ cabin and I highly recommend it! :)

[MiamiCruiser52]

Also without sounding snooty it's hardly fair if your paying extra AQ to use Blu and then let anyone in who's willing to par a surcharge,from reading the boards alot of people book AQ just to use Blu.

I can understand if Celebrity does not want non-AQ passengers to use Blu because it dilutes the perk offered to AQ passengers (although the perk is not exclusive to AQ passengers since suite passengers can also dine there for a nominal fee), but there is nothing "unfair" about making Blu available to non-AQ passengers, so long as AQ passengers are not denied a table. Seriously, does the presence of a paying non-AQ passenger lessen the experience for you?? I doubt it.

[Orator]

Are you sure if you approached the host during a non-busy time, explained that you would like to try it at a time convenient to them (and perhaps are interested in AQ in the future), and are willing to pay the gratuity they would turn you away? I'm not sure - and I think if you are interested it is worth a shot asking. It's in their interest to make AQ popular.

 

Under NO circumstances will you be allowed to dine in Blu. A staff member was terminated for allowing a couple to dine in Blu who were not AQ or suite. I am on a ship now and the story has been confirmed by the maitre'd in Blu.

[Hollywood Traveler]

We were Aqua on our last cruise and liked Blu. We booked a C1 aft cabin for a December cruise, then after two more nights in Blu went back and paid a $260 upgrade to Aqua to be able to dine in Blu again. It sounds reasonable at first to think they could make an exception for others so they could try Blu. But it was explained to me that once you start making exceptions, they never end when there are 3,000 people on board. It would be a horrible business practice, and they are too smart to do it.

[travelpeon]

If you'd like to dine in Blu, the way to get this benefit is to move to Aqua Class. You're guaranteed a seat in there that way!

 

Exclusivity as a marketing gimmick and perk is a peculiar bird. I'll put it this way - if YOU had paid for an expensive AQ (let's say price is several hundred dollars per person more than CC for this sailing) would YOU mind if someone who didn't adhere to the policy was allowed in? Especially if you were told the only way to gain entrance to Blu was to book that AQ or suite and gamble on capacity? Not "just two people" but several people. I'm guessing most people who buy an exclusive product would like entrance criteria to be observed, whether it impacts their experience or not, because of "ownership". If the policy was changed mid-cruise to allow paying non-AQ to dine in Blu and I'd paid for exclusivity, I doubt I'd pay for such exclusivity in the future and be upset that the exclusivity agreement was not honored.

 

Maybe they'll gradually allow each AQ cabin to bring two guests or offer up a lunch similar to the Champagne tea in time. Changes like this could impact Blu capacity and therefore impact staffing, seating, food ordering and supply, and revenue.

[djmutters]

Great reply :)

 

 

If you'd like to dine in Blu, the way to get this benefit is to move to Aqua Class. You're guaranteed a seat in there that way!

 

Exclusivity as a marketing gimmick and perk is a peculiar bird. I'll put it this way - if YOU had paid for an expensive AQ (let's say price is several hundred dollars per person more than CC for this sailing) would YOU mind if someone who didn't adhere to the policy was allowed in? Especially if you were told the only way to gain entrance to Blu was to book that AQ or suite and gamble on capacity? Not "just two people" but several people. I'm guessing most people who buy an exclusive product would like entrance criteria to be observed, whether it impacts their experience or not, because of "ownership". If the policy was changed mid-cruise to allow paying non-AQ to dine in Blu and I'd paid for exclusivity, I doubt I'd pay for such exclusivity in the future and be upset that the exclusivity agreement was not honored.

 

Maybe they'll gradually allow each AQ cabin to bring two guests or offer up a lunch similar to the Champagne tea in time. Changes like this could impact Blu capacity and therefore impact staffing, seating, food ordering and supply, and revenue.

[dennbr9]

I can understand if Celebrity does not want non-AQ passengers to use Blu because it dilutes the perk offered to AQ passengers (although the perk is not exclusive to AQ passengers since suite passengers can also dine there for a nominal fee), but there is nothing "unfair" about making Blu available to non-AQ passengers, so long as AQ passengers are not denied a table. Seriously, does the presence of a paying non-AQ passenger lessen the experience for you?? I doubt it.

 

 

It does not lessen the experience, but negates the reason for me to pay for an AQ Cabin if it is just another Speacilty Restaurant. As mentioned, seating is very limited and with 130 or so two person cabins assigned to it, I would bet it stays fairly busy or else some of the Suite Passengers would not be turned away.

 

Book it or let it go, plenty of other dining venues to choose from I believe.;)

[MiamiCruiser52]

It does not lessen the experience, but negates the reason for me to pay for an AQ Cabin if it is just another Speacilty Restaurant. As mentioned, seating is very limited and with 130 or so two person cabins assigned to it, I would bet it stays fairly busy or else some of the Suite Passengers would not be turned away.

 

Book it or let it go, plenty of other dining venues to choose from I believe.;)

Allowing non-AQ passengers in "negates" the reasons for you booking AQ class ONLY if Blu is so overbooked that you are denied entry or are otherwise inconvenienced. I still fail to understand, if there is an empty table at Blu and all AQ passengers are accommodated, how any AQ passengers are deprived of their "exclusive" (but not really exclusive) perk or otherwise put out. Frankly, if the Blu maitre d' seated my wife and I in violation of what appears to be a concrete and unyielding corporate policy, you'd never know it ... at least until I ordered a doggie bag for leftovers. Then I'd be revealed for the true scoundrel CC class passenger that I am.

[FrankLasVegas]

Booked in AQ for my Silhouette and Reflection cruises.

 

For the very reason of Blu's popularity and suite passengers wanting the perk, they have added AQ Suites (34) to the Reflection. They are putting them on deck 12 and current deck 12 and above will shift up 1 as they are adding an additional deck to the ship.

 

The AQ Suites are almost the same size as Sky Suites with all the same perks as Sky Suite plus Blu. When I priced the AQ Suites onboard Equinox last sailing, they are priced about 2 times what the normal AQ staterooms are. I seriously thought about it but the price and the fact the AQ Suites will only have a tub/shower combo (not a shower stall) settled it for me. I went with a regular AQ Stateroom on the hump.

 

Frank

[easy spirit]

Are you sure if you approached the host during a non-busy time, explained that you would like to try it at a time convenient to them (and perhaps are interested in AQ in the future), and are willing to pay the gratuity they would turn you away? I'm not sure - and I think if you are interested it is worth a shot asking. It's in their interest to make AQ popular.

A BIG NO... I have tried it a couple of times (once at the Equinox & other at the Eclipse) to no avail.