AQ worth the extra for Blu?

[PSCruiser]

Not a frequent X cruiser (Elite based on RC status), but have a TA booked on Equinox in the fall, and right now we're in a standard Veranda cabin.

With the thought of upgrading to AQ, I've been looking at the AQ perks, and none seem important to me other than the possibility of dining in Blu. However, I've looked at the Blu menus posted here recently, and when I compare with the standard menus, the standard look just as inviting. I'm not a breakfast person, so only dinner at Blu is important to me.

So, am I missing something about AQ that would justify the additional cost? Do the dishes at Blu "eat" better than they "read"? To be honest, my chief dining concern right now is the return of escargot to the menu!

[Spf12]

Not a frequent X cruiser (Elite based on RC status), but have a TA booked on Equinox in the fall, and right now we're in a standard Veranda cabin.

With the thought of upgrading to AQ, I've been looking at the AQ perks, and none seem important to me other than the possibility of dining in Blu. However, I've looked at the Blu menus posted here recently, and when I compare with the standard menus, the standard look just as inviting. I'm not a breakfast person, so only dinner at Blu is important to me.

So, am I missing something about AQ that would justify the additional cost? Do the dishes at Blu "eat" better than they "read"? To be honest, my chief dining concern right now is the return of escargot to the menu!

Was on the 11/6/2011 Silhouette cruise,Aqua class and ate in Blu every night on a 12 day cruise.Blu is overated.I just booked a Bermuda cruise and did not book Aqua class.On Formal nights, I'll book the Specialty Restaurants and eat in the MDR on the other nights.Don't get misled by BLU.

[SFCAcruiser]

...

So, am I missing something about AQ that would justify the additional cost? Do the dishes at Blu "eat" better than they "read"? To be honest, my chief dining concern right now is the return of escargot to the menu!

I've seen some last minute cruise fares in which AQ was heavily discounted. How much additional cost? $100/person? $500/person?

If the $ amount is what you consider to be "a lot more" than a standard balcony cabin, then you might be better off saving the money and using the savings to eat frequently in one of the specialty restaurants.

[ghstudio]

Was on the 11/6/2011 Silhouette cruise,Aqua class and ate in Blu every night on a 12 day cruise.Blu is overated.I just booked a Bermuda cruise and did not book Aqua class.On Formal nights, I'll book the Specialty Restaurants and eat in the MDR on the other nights.Don't get misled by BLU.

 

 

Yes, the MDR menu reads well. We have eaten in both and find that the food in Blu is much better seasoned, the meat is generally of better quality, the food is not bolstered by rice and potatoes..in fact you'll see few potatoes at all in Blu. The service is far better in Blu because the waiters cover fewer tables.

 

Now for the even more important difference...Blu is quiet enough that you can talk to your dining partner or the folks at the next table, if you choose to do so...in your normal voice. There aren't waiters rushing thru with 8-10 meals on huge platters, busboys setting tables as quickly as possible for the next diners...just less hustling around and far less noise. The MDR is a large dining hall and it can and usually is noisy. We have had meals in the MDR where there is a condiment (horseradish, mint jelly) where the condiment appeared after we had finished our meal....very inconsistent service...too many tables to handle.

 

Don't let the menu's fool you....anyone can write a menu to sound wonderful. We always eat in specialty restaurants, but on our last 11 day cruise on the equinox, we just enjoyed eating in Blu every night.

 

I never wore a jacket...just nice pants and an open collar shirt every night and I was never out of place. The head waiter greeted us by name (it's an amazing skill) and our waiters also used our names and were always around if we needed something. The food overall was pretty good and in our opinion, seasoned much better than in the MDR and better prepared and presented as well.

 

Finally, don't dismiss breakfast...Blu has much better coffee than the buffet area and there is never a question of finding a seat or having your food cold by the time you get back to your seat to eat it.

 

I suggest to everyone that they try Aqua once...and if they like Blu, they seem to always come back booking aqua on future cruises.

[seabreeze78]

Blu for service and food. Just a great intimate, surrounding. Had some of the most relaxing times around breakfast and dinnr with friends we met there.:)

[PSCruiser]

I've seen some last minute cruise fares in which AQ was heavily discounted. How much additional cost? $100/person? $500/person?

If the $ amount is what you consider to be "a lot more" than a standard balcony cabin, then you might be better off saving the money and using the savings to eat frequently in one of the specialty restaurants.

 

The TA is 13 days, we're in the lowest Veranda at $1199 base. AQ is starting ar $1749 - that's $1100 diff!

[Christine Frances]

Sounds like you were up in Select - I have watched the action from below. None of that hustle bustle of turning tables in Traditional, we were known by name on the second night, could talk in a normal voice to everyone in our table of 6 and we all loved the new menus. Actually I think we have a little too much fun at dinner (with each other and the waiters) and we might not be appreciated in Blu:o:D

[ghstudio]

Sounds like you were up in Select - I have watched the action from below. None of that hustle bustle of turning tables in Traditional, we were known by name on the second night, could talk in a normal voice to everyone in our table of 6 and we all loved the new menus. Actually I think we have a little too much fun at dinner (with each other and the waiters) and we might not be appreciated in Blu:o:D

 

We have eliminated fixed dining as a choice...it's just too early or too late for dinner....so yes, I am comparing select which gives you the same flexibility as Blu.

 

You are correct, if you are boisterous, you would probably get a few frowns in Blu....just because you are bothering everyone else. We had a group of asians who ate in blu one night and were partying at two large tables...yelling across to each other, oblivious to anyone else. It was awful for everyone else. Stuff like that does happen.

 

If you like eating at 6:00 no matter what else you are doing or whatever excursion you were on...or you like starting dinner at 8:15/8:30 every night, then you can enjoy fixed time dining. As I said, that doesn't work for us.

[helpthejuggler]

The TA is 13 days, we're in the lowest Veranda at $1199 base. AQ is starting ar $1749 - that's $1100 diff!

 

On a T/A you might get more value from the persian garden. We have only ever sailed AQ but at $30 pppn I would skip Blu and use the money elsewhere.

[YOW]

We had a group of asians who ate in blu one night and were partying at two large tables...yelling across to each other, oblivious to anyone else. It was awful for everyone else. Stuff like that does happen.

 

Just curious, why does their ethnicity matter? :confused:

[ghstudio]

The TA is 13 days, we're in the lowest Veranda at $1199 base. AQ is starting ar $1749 - that's $1100 diff!

 

Aqua/Blu is not worth that big a difference. We're willing to pay $20 or so a day pp. Keep a lookout for lower Aqua rates during sales. If it drops to $1399 or so, jump on it. On some cruises they have trouble selling Aqua. On our cruises out of Singapore next january on the Millenium, Aqua is already sold out. $1199 is a great fare for a TA....and those are the cruises where they sometimes drop the price on aqua a bit.

 

If I remember correctly, our equinox Aqua cabin on this spring's TA on the Equinox was $1199 and it dropped to that after final payment.

[islandgirlejfan]

Blu is awesome! Food and service is fantastic, loved the atmosphere and enjoyed our time with friends socializing at long breakfasts and intimate dinners. Loved the staff there! :)

[avid]

Agree wholeheartedly..was just in Aqua to Bermuda..ate in MDR ONCE for a special occasion with other non aqua members of my party..it was in select dining section..which was smaller than regular MDR..but it was still a zoo with long lines to get in..poor service and mediocre food..Blu on the other hand was equivalent to specialty dining experience every nite..and when we wanted a particular item on MDRmenu..all we had to do was ask.

We booked aqua primarily for the newly constructed staterooms on our M class ship..but Blu won has me over for good !

 

Avi

 

Yes, the MDR menu reads well. We have eaten in both and find that the food in Blu is much better seasoned, the meat is generally of better quality, the food is not bolstered by rice and potatoes..in fact you'll see few potatoes at all in Blu. The service is far better in Blu because the waiters cover fewer tables.

 

Now for the even more important difference...Blu is quiet enough that you can talk to your dining partner or the folks at the next table, if you choose to do so...in your normal voice. There aren't waiters rushing thru with 8-10 meals on huge platters, busboys setting tables as quickly as possible for the next diners...just less hustling around and far less noise. The MDR is a large dining hall and it can and usually is noisy. We have had meals in the MDR where there is a condiment (horseradish, mint jelly) where the condiment appeared after we had finished our meal....very inconsistent service...too many tables to handle.

 

Don't let the menu's fool you....anyone can write a menu to sound wonderful. We always eat in specialty restaurants, but on our last 11 day cruise on the equinox, we just enjoyed eating in Blu every night.

 

I never wore a jacket...just nice pants and an open collar shirt every night and I was never out of place. The head waiter greeted us by name (it's an amazing skill) and our waiters also used our names and were always around if we needed something. The food overall was pretty good and in our opinion, seasoned much better than in the MDR and better prepared and presented as well.

 

Finally, don't dismiss breakfast...Blu has much better coffee than the buffet area and there is never a question of finding a seat or having your food cold by the time you get back to your seat to eat it.

 

I suggest to everyone that they try Aqua once...and if they like Blu, they seem to always come back booking aqua on future cruises.

[miched]

AQ is nice. Persian Gardens is a nice plus on the S class. You get a few more perks in AQ as you may have read but most are fluff and meaningless.

 

For the $1100 difference I don't think it is worth the extra. That will buy a lot of water, drinks, and alternate dining.

 

Save your money and keep the cabin you have.

 

 

.

[Gracie115]

Blu is worth it to me. The food is better, the service is better, it is quieter, you get to know the staff and they you, it's just a great venue and the staff is so accommodating, I haven't been in a MDR in 4 X cruises now because Blu has been that good.

[Gonzo70]

Even though Blu and the MDR have similarly appealing menus to me, I find the food quality and ambiance to be superior at Blu. The MDR looks nice, but it operates like a large banquet hall. It is generally extremely noisy, lots of hustle and bustle and much of the food is preplated/prepared in advance. Blu has the vibe of dining in an actual restaurant. Quieter and more intimate and the food is cooked to order. Some of the meats and fishes seemed to be better quality cuts as well in Blu. I used to love the MDR, but for the past few cruises I have started to gravitate towards Blu and just do not find the MDR nearly as enjoyable. The food is pretty good at the MDR, but the ambiance not so much. The only thing that would make the MDR fun for me would be having some very lively and personable tablemates.

[sunshine nana]

We enjoyed Blu for the quiet atmosphere and attentive waiters, but the food itself was good, but not great. I would go $20-30 per cabin per day extra mostly for the calmness for breakfast and dinner. Any more and you can eat at a specialty or Bistro.

[Toronto Guy]

If it is less than a couple hundred dollars per person extra to upgrade I think it is well worth it. Otherwise, the additional money goes a long way to eat in the other specialty restaurants which are even better - and you'll still have extra money left over! I do love Blu though!

[xhasox]

I have only been on two cruises (so far :p) in which the latest one were in a AQ cabin on Silhouette. The entire cruise were heavily discounted and we managed to get a AQ for not much more than an inside cabin.

 

We enjoyed Blu very much and the food were great (I would grade myself as a little bit more than average interested in food)

The difference is that in Blu the food is good AND feels "fresh" and "light" compared to the food in MDR which also is great, but you can feel that they have not saved on the fat and sugar...

 

That is a much more relaxed enviroment in Blu.

 

I would probably go for an AQ again if the price difference would be 20% or less. The perks are nice, but not worth more than that to me.

[weejock]

We have cruised Aqua Class twice. Once on Eclipse and recently on refurbished Infinity. We would always pay extra for Blu. It is quieter, better service, fantastic food and presentation.

[Compass Rose Monica]

DH, friends, and I enjoyed dining in Blu for the first time (and not the last time) on the Summit recently. We loved the atmosphere, the quality of the food, and the exceptional service. I agree with other posters that the MDR can be horribly noisy along with waiter moving back and forth so fast to take care of so many tables/passengers. Blu is quiet, elegant, yet comfortable. I really enjoyed the foods in the MDR on my past Celebrity cruises, but Blu is so much better.

We also loved being able to enjoy the Persian gardens and T-pool whenever we wanted to. I’m looking forward to my fall TA in AQ!

Monica

[CateW]

Just back from Bermuda (AQ class); there will be no going back for us; we loved Blu, both the food and the service were outstanding.

[CathyCruises]

The food was good in Blu, but DH and I really missed having a tabe full of new friends to chat with each night. That is one of the big benefits of cruising to us and it just wasn't as fun in Blu--so even on our last cruise when AQ was just a little bit more than CC, we chose to stay with the MDR and a large table and late dining--had a wonderful time, too!

[Patrick IL.]

We loved blu, like others we were worried about not meeting new friends. We found they seated us in about the same area each night, so we had the same waiters. We met many new friends in our area who we would see nightly and at breakfast.

The service was incredible and they will accomidate any request :)