Never again Aqua!

[CathyCruises]

There's been talk about how many years ago the cruise prices were much higher than they are now, particularly when adjusted for inflation. Overall I agree with that statement, but having said that, on our cruise a couple months ago where we considered an advance booking for next spring I was seriously dismayed at how much higher the pricing was as compared to our cruise this spring, or in the past few years. We also considered an Alaska cruise, but those prices also were quite a bit higher than they have been recently. I know with the recession the prices were probably a bit lower than normal and some catch up is expected, but I would say on average prices were about a third more (again, this is on average, I am sure there may be an exception or two). I know Europe is cheaper now (I would guess the outrageous airfares contribute to that), but wow - couldn't believe the prices for Alaska or the Caribbean.

 

When one adds airfare, yikes!! An open jaw this summer between Chicago, Anchorage, and Vancouver ran over $1000 dollars before baggage charges on United, our airline of choice. Add that to several thousand dollars per couple for the cabin, and possibly some of the very high priced excursions in Alaska and that cruise could easily cost a couple $7,000+ for a balcony or CC cabin. I don't know about you, but with one of us out of work thanks to the recession (and dim job prospects at the age of 60) what was once a possibility is now out of the equation. And even though Europe cruises are priced attractively, when one adds airfare with baggage costs, and shore excursions and/or transportation, the total price is also very high. And that price is of course not even considering adding in some of the extras like Specialty restaurants and the like.

 

Am I the only one seeing these trends?? I love Celebrity and have cruised them 20 times, but am at the point now of seriously considering other cruiselines based on what I am seeing.

 

When I checked prices they did look high, but with Europe being over saturated the prices now are amazingly cheap. You can get a balcony cabin for under $1000 for a 12 night cruise. Europe can be much less expensive than Alaska because you can tour on your own in every port, and see a lot, vs the expensive Alaska tours. We always DIY in Europe after doing research in each port and using public transit. No baggage charges to Europe, either. You REALLY have to do your homework on airfares but we have been pleasantly surprised at how well we can do, although it does take serious computer time to get the great fares. But you CAN do it!!!

[wshami18]

Just came back from Infinity in Alaska. Had Aqua class. Thought the food in Blu was just okay. The service, ambiance, and food presentation were amazing. Overall, we actually decided to just eat in the MDR on some days and found the food to actually be comparable. My wife thought the food was a bit too salty in Blu and so we gave it up.

 

My thoughts in the end are: Its good to have the options in Aqua. You get an extra restaurant (Blu) in addition to the MDR. You almost dont want to do any specialty restaurants cause you already have 2 options for dinner. I think thats a plus.

[ghstudio]

Just came back from Infinity in Alaska. Had Aqua class. Thought the food in Blu was just okay. The service, ambiance, and food presentation were amazing. Overall, we actually decided to just eat in the MDR on some days and found the food to actually be comparable. My wife thought the food was a bit too salty in Blu and so we gave it up.

 

My thoughts in the end are: Its good to have the options in Aqua. You get an extra restaurant (Blu) in addition to the MDR. You almost dont want to do any specialty restaurants cause you already have 2 options for dinner. I think thats a plus.

 

We find that in the MDR, they really don't season anything and while it's very rare I used salt or pepper on the table, I found myself using it fairly often. Blu on the other hand does season their dishes and they are flavorful...it's one of the big differences we found. The one area where blu just shined over the MDR is in the quiet....you can actually talk to your table mate or even the folks at the next table in a normal voice. There is also far less clatter/commotion of busboys, food coming out for tables of 8 and so on. If the food were the same, I would book Aqua just for the quiet dinner atmosphere.

[Jade13]

 

Others want a private table for two and that's actually hard to get on any Celebrity ship other than in the specialty restaurants....

 

 

Are you saying that people who book Celebrity (in MDR) and request a 2 top typically do not get one? We have always requested one on HAL (set seating) and have always gotten one. On Celebrity we have always taken family members so requested a larger table. Or last cruise we traveled with friends and asked for a 4 top. We started booking AQU more recently so of course not a problem in BLU.

 

If we wanted a 2 top in the MDR and the cruise line (any cruise line) could not accommodate us, we would switch cruise lines.

[uktog]

Tables for 2 are not an issue, what people are regularly reporting is they are close together in the MDR and therefore they do not consider them private enough.

We have no issue ourselves with the proximity of the neighbours and if we wanted a really special private evening we would go to a Speciality

[wshami18]

We find that in the MDR, they really don't season anything and while it's very rare I used salt or pepper on the table, I found myself using it fairly often. Blu on the other hand does season their dishes and they are flavorful...it's one of the big differences we found. The one area where blu just shined over the MDR is in the quiet....you can actually talk to your table mate or even the folks at the next table in a normal voice. There is also far less clatter/commotion of busboys, food coming out for tables of 8 and so on. If the food were the same, I would book Aqua just for the quiet dinner atmosphere.

 

 

In Blu on the Infinity, all 4 of us felt the food was oversalted. I dont know if this is the norm and maybe we're just too sensitive. I gluttonously made sure we ordered every appetizer and entree that existed on the menu in both Blu and MDR. In the end, I think we felt it was best to just pick/choose which restaurant had the better sounding menu each night. But again, even when we did this, we still got burned with oversalted food.

 

In retrospect, we probably had really high expectations cause we dined in QSine the first night. After that, nothing else really compared.

[wshami18]

Unless you get a deal (which we did), I probably wouldnt spend a lot of money for it. I think we got it for around 1250pp which I couldnt refuse. Aqua class gives you the added benefit of an extra restaurant which is a nice backup if the MDR sucks. For us, we just checked both the MDR's and Blu's menu each day and followed the better sounding appetizers/entrees. For example, Lamb Shank (winner) vs Turkey Cordon Blue (loser), or Frog Legs (winner) vs Some crappy chicken disguised under the title of pheasant (loser).

[ghstudio]

Unless you get a deal (which we did), I probably wouldnt spend a lot of money for it. I think we got it for around 1250pp which I couldnt refuse. Aqua class gives you the added benefit of an extra restaurant which is a nice backup if the MDR sucks. For us, we just checked both the MDR's and Blu's menu each day and followed the better sounding appetizers/entrees. For example, Lamb Shank (winner) vs Turkey Cordon Blue (loser), or Frog Legs (winner) vs Some crappy chicken disguised under the title of pheasant (loser).

 

Since you apparently order every appetizer and entree, I'm sure there was something good at both restaurants every night. Sorry if you believe that pheasant is chicken....or, do you also think that quail are baby chickens;)

 

We actually cook with almost no salt at home and found that the food in Blu on the Equinox was seasoned quite well....unlike the food in the MDR on the eclipse. Perhaps it ship/chef/cood specific.....the old "season to taste" in the recipe.

[Hlitner]

DW and I have discussed this topic as we get ready to book another X cruise on a S Class ship. Having been in AQ on the Silhouette we have a good idea about the benefits of AQ as well as the negatives. To us, the only negatives are the cabin location of AQ and the cost. For us, its just a matter of comparing AQ with the cost of a normal balcony cabin. We finally decided that AQ is worth no more then $20 per passenger day (this is very subjective). We think having access to Blu is probably worth most of the $20 with the other amenities being not worth much. Since we are Elite, we tend to eat most of our breakfasts in the Elite lounge (usually Michael's) where we can get free drinks (Bellini's, Blood Mary's, Cappucino , etc). If we want a big breakfast we will go to Blu and stop by Michael's after breakfast. As to cabin amenities (for AQ) the shower head is fun..but no biggie....the ice tea is nice but not worth much....and the free bottled water is nice but we rarely buy water anyway. As to cabin location we would prefer a balcony a couple of decks below the AQ cabins since we enjoy the sun and want to get away from the overhang on the top decks (especially for the cabins under the pool deck).

 

If we book a regular balcony, part of the money we save would be used for a few dinners in the alternative restaurants (Murano and Qsine are much better then Blu). Just one couple's opinion..:)

 

Hank

[colkeena]

We also found the food at Blu very salty.Especially the soup.We try to have a salt free diet at home but realize that we can't control most chefs old fashioned love of salt.Wish low sodium but tasty was available.

[Joy2Day]

We also found the food at Blu very salty.Especially the soup.We try to have a salt free diet at home but realize that we can't control most chefs old fashioned love of salt.Wish low sodium but tasty was available.

 

Did you attempt to order a low-sodium diet? For medical reasons, I need very low-sodium, so I end up pre-ordering my dinner the night before. This is my 1st Celebrity cruise, but I have done this before on several lines with inconsistent results. My requests are fairly simple .... a decently prepared protein that is tasty and is not the consistency of shoe leather, steamed veggies, maybe a simple baked potato .. I've had some chefs go above and beyond to make me tasty soups and sauces, but I've also had some very poor results that have left me in tears from the frustration of trying to get a meal I can eat.

 

 

We are booking Summit and the AQ prices are the same as CC for our sailing. I'm thinking (hoping?) that Blu will be able to handle my requests more easily.

[uktog]

Joy2day

Blu is a much better place to have special diet requests handled. My DH has a nut allergy and the MDR just became a lottery which was way too risky. Blu on the other hand the team were brilliant, each night we would agree what would be specially cooked the next day for dinner so he was able to enjoy versions of the main menu most of the time.

You have IMHO made a very wise decision

[gatormom0524]

Thanks for the info. Switched to 1108 as 1106 wasn't available for our upcoming Alaska cruise on the Infinity.

 

Hello. I was trying to find out information about Cabin 1108 on the Celebrity Infinity. Have you taken your cruise yet? We were upgraded to that room and I want to make sure it is ok. We are doing the 11 day British Isles cruise May 13, 2013. Thanks so much.

 

Paulette

[Lois R]

Hello. I was trying to find out information about Cabin 1108 on the Celebrity Infinity. Have you taken your cruise yet? We were upgraded to that room and I want to make sure it is ok. We are doing the 11 day British Isles cruise May 13, 2013. Thanks so much.

 

Paulette

 

Hi Paulette, since this thread is quite old, (the last post was May 2012)

I clicked on Allie's name and did a search for you. I found where she

said they went on their cruise last summer.....July.

[booklady26]

Did you attempt to order a low-sodium diet? For medical reasons, I need very low-sodium, so I end up pre-ordering my dinner the night before. This is my 1st Celebrity cruise, but I have done this before on several lines with inconsistent results. My requests are fairly simple .... a decently prepared protein that is tasty and is not the consistency of shoe leather, steamed veggies, maybe a simple baked potato .. I've had some chefs go above and beyond to make me tasty soups and sauces, but I've also had some very poor results that have left me in tears from the frustration of trying to get a meal I can eat.

 

 

We are booking Summit and the AQ prices are the same as CC for our sailing. I'm thinking (hoping?) that Blu will be able to handle my requests more easily.

 

Talk to the Blu maitre'd as soon as you can. You will find that they are very accomodating to both dietary needs and personal preference.

 

We always asked to see the next night's menu every night at dinner. If there was nothing we liked, we could pre-order filet mignon from the maitre'd. It is not on the always available menu and it's not highly publicized.I found it out from these boards.

[OuiOnboard]

I sometimes resorted to making up my own sodium-reduced plates at the buffet on our recent cruise on Eclipse.

[Joy2Day]

Talk to the Blu maitre'd as soon as you can. You will find that they are very accomodating to both dietary needs and personal preference.

 

We always asked to see the next night's menu every night at dinner. If there was nothing we liked, we could pre-order filet mignon from the maitre'd. It is not on the always available menu and it's not highly publicized.I found it out from these boards.

 

While the Blu maitre'd was fabulous, I did not find the menu all that good for me ... esp since I have to contend with a fresh fish allergy. We ate in Blu 5 nights ... and I had the steak on 3 of those nights ..... I would pre-order from the menu, but really didn't find much that intrigued me .... When we dined early, the steak was fine. When we dined later, the steak picked up a lot of sodium from the grill ....

[Alli Cruiser]

Hi Gator Mom,

What is your question regarding this cabin? if I can help, I'd be glad to.

[gatormom0524]

Hi Gator Mom,

What is your question regarding this cabin? if I can help, I'd be glad to.

 

We just got upgraded to room 1108 and I was curious about the size of the balcony. Also, it seems to be close to the elevator and wanted to know if this was a problem. My husband and I are light sleepers. Before the upgrade, we were in a Concierge connecting room and I was worried about noise from the other room. We were in an adjoining hotel room once and we heard them talking half the night plus we heard their tv.

 

We just sailed on the Summit last week in the Southern Caribbean and were in a non-adjoining Concierge room and it was great!

 

Thanks for replying.

 

Paulette

[gatormom0524]

While the Blu maitre'd was fabulous, I did not find the menu all that good for me ... esp since I have to contend with a fresh fish allergy. We ate in Blu 5 nights ... and I had the steak on 3 of those nights ..... I would pre-order from the menu, but really didn't find much that intrigued me .... When we dined early, the steak was fine. When we dined later, the steak picked up a lot of sodium from the grill ....

 

Thanks for the info. I am a very picky eater and usually cannot find anything on the menu that I like. I will definitely do that!

[ghstudio]

We just got upgraded to room 1108 and I was curious about the size of the balcony. Also, it seems to be close to the elevator and wanted to know if this was a problem. My husband and I are light sleepers. Before the upgrade, we were in a Concierge connecting room and I was worried about noise from the other room. We were in an adjoining hotel room once and we heard them talking half the night plus we heard their tv.

 

We just sailed on the Summit last week in the Southern Caribbean and were in a non-adjoining Concierge room and it was great!

 

Thanks for replying.

 

Paulette

 

It is impossible to find a room where you won't be bothered by inconsiderate folks. If they yell in the hall outside your door, they yell at each other in their room because they aren't wearing their hearing aids, they sit on the balcony with the door open and the TV on full volume, they sit outside on the balcony and talk all day, their kids run up and down the hall and so on.

 

On the solstice ships (other than the reflection), the adjoining door is in the hall, not in the wall of your room so it is quieter. On the reflection and the other ships, the door between connecting cabins is in your room and there is more risk of noise. However, you biggest potential problem is as I described above.

 

Of course you do want to be sure you aren't directly under a noisy area.

[vermonter16]

I didn't realize that you could request low sodium in Blu.... DH has heart disease and everything is low sodium/low fat in our house. Although on a trip he gets to eat whatever he wants though he still is mindful and tries to be smart about it. So - that is really good news. Maybe after we board the ship, the maitre'd will be around?

 

Oh yeah....we picked Aqua for the room location primarily. We like to be high up on the ship and are on deck 11. Plus, we like the Persian Garden. Most people don't like the cabin locations....and I hear that 11 is quiet....but I don't think 9 would bother us with noise. We've been under the buffet before, etc. and heard rolling carts a lot, parties at the pool.....apparently noise just does not get to us and believe it or not, we are really quiet people.

[Alli Cruiser]

Hi Paulette,

Overall, we enjoyed 1108. Upon boarding there were some serious issues that needed to get resolved so we could fully enjoy our cabin. This took talking to Jr Officers before guest relations stepped in. They had a chain of command before you could talk to the Head of Housekeeping, you had to speak to the Asst. etc... This resulted in our first couple hours not being very pleasant or relaxing. We had asked to speak to the Hotel Manager and they reported a whole algorithm before one could speak to that person.

 

Briefly, the sliding glass door was cracked in multiple places obscuring visibility, there were no lamp shades just bare light bulbs and others clothes in the closet near the lifejackets.

 

They were able to replace the glass (after previously reporting this would be impossible), find some lamp shades, and we were able to enjoy our cabin.

 

The location fine. Short trip to the buffet for tea or coffee. The balcony size was fine for us. As for noise, when in the bathroom, I could hear the people in 1106 talking but we weren't bothered by elevators. We are light sleepers as well as early risers.

 

I hope you have a great cruise. We did the British Isles cruise several years back and loved it.

[Joy2Day]

I didn't realize that you could request low sodium in Blu.... DH has heart disease and everything is low sodium/low fat in our house. Although on a trip he gets to eat whatever he wants though he still is mindful and tries to be smart about it. So - that is really good news. Maybe after we board the ship, the maitre'd will be around?

 

 

I put in a request to Special Needs for the low-sodium dining so that my reservation is marked. However (regardless of what cruiseline I'm on), that information doesn't always find its way to the maitre'd. We were eating in QSine on the 1st night, so we stopped by the speciality dining table outside the buffet (where they are trying to get people to sign up) to get our reservation marked for low-sodium. Then I wandered over to Blu to do the same thing. Each night, I would look at the next night's menu so they could modify my choices. And there was never a problem getting a baked potato and steamed veggies as side dishes.

 

On one night, my steak and sides were heavily salted so I had to send them back. I'm guessing it was a mixup or lack of communication in the kitchen. The replacement steak was better, but still salty, especially the edges.

 

Best of luck!

[New Hampshire]

A number of people have remarked that they switched back and forth between Blu and MDR. How do you do that? Does booking an Aqua cabin also allow you to go to Select Dining whenever you want?