Can Aquaclass pax use MDR

[kasi1979]

Hi,

 

we are looking at the transatlantic cruise aboard Eclipse.

As we still Need to get a few t´s crossed it might be, that aquaclass is the category we will book.

I´ve read about the perks when booking AQ,

as I´m not sure DH would like Blu, is it also possible to use the MDR if you are booked in AQ?

[goody1]

Yes you can.

[dkjretired]

Hi,

 

we are looking at the transatlantic cruise aboard Eclipse.

As we still Need to get a few t´s crossed it might be, that aquaclass is the category we will book.

I´ve read about the perks when booking AQ,

as I´m not sure DH would like Blu, is it also possible to use the MDR if you are booked in AQ?

 

You may use it in the Select Dining portion, you are not assigned a seat in the MDR as Blu replaces the MDR for AQ guests.

[Piggeldy]

Kasi, I hope you can make it and join us on Eclipse... that would take the number of Germans to a minimum of four (assuming that you and your DH are both German) ;)

[kasi1979]

Thanks for your answers,

I really hope we can manage to be on this cruise.

[Tiggertastic]

We decided after the first night in Blu that we would rather eat in the MDR. The MTD told us that as we were Aqua, we were not allowed to eat in select as they were not set up to take those additional passengers.

 

One question to the Hotel Director and we were in. He assured us that anyone from Aqua wishing to eat in the MDR can do so whenever they wish to. The waiter said that the tips from us would be assigned to Blu and not to them and this is why the MTD had turned us away.

 

We had a word with guest relations and they said they were happy to transfer them to the MDR

[ghstudio]

Yes, you can eat in the MDR, however when/where you eat may vary. You should talk to the maitre d' in Blu to find out the procedure for your cruise. In most cases, they will tell you to just go to select dining, however on some cruises, they will arrange for you to dine at early or late seating due to overcrowding/overbooking in select. Check with the blu maitre d' when you get on board.

[Iamcruzin]

Hi,

 

we are looking at the transatlantic cruise aboard Eclipse.

As we still Need to get a few t´s crossed it might be, that aquaclass is the category we will book.

I´ve read about the perks when booking AQ,

as I´m not sure DH would like Blu, is it also possible to use the MDR if you are booked in AQ?

 

From what I have been reading on this board it seems that Blu is one of the major perks of booking AQ. Members have made comments that they book AQ just to eat in Blu. Perhaps you should search this site for someone who has posted the Blu menu and have DH look it over. I can't see spending the extra money and not use one of the major benefits. You can book CC and still have a lot of the perks.

[dkjretired]

From what I have been reading on this board it seems that Blu is one of the major perks of booking AQ. Members have made comments that they book AQ just to eat in Blu. Perhaps you should search this site for someone who has posted the Blu menu and have DH look it over. I can't see spending the extra money and not use one of the major benefits. You can book CC and still have a lot of the perks.

 

I agree and would take it farther, most don't know that many of the perks of CC and AQ are really nominal or available to every class of cabin.

[odysee]

Give Blu at least a try. My husband never really wanted to book Aqua and preferred normal balcony cabins as he was a bit sceptical about the "spa" and "healthy", etc, bits. When our TA proposed a free upgrade due to price drops a while ago, he agreed to give it a try, just because I really wanted to experience it once.

Now he is always the one to insist we book an Aqua cabin and this only for Blu, as he does not use or need the other perks anyway. We will be in our 6th Aqua cabin in a couple of weeks and are really looking forward to Blu again.

[Hlitner]

Using the MDR is possible, but the procedure can really vary. On one of our Silhouette cruises where we were in Aqua we decided to eat in the MDR one evening because we liked the MDR menu better then Blu's that night. So we went to the Select door only to be told that we could not eat in Select because we were assigned to Blu. So we walked over to Blu and talked to the Maitre'd and he said that we could only dine in the MDR on one of the assigned seatings and that he would have to make arrangements. He immediately called the MDR and arranged for us to be seated during the late seating, We had to report to the MDR assigned seating desk where they escorted us to our table for the evening.

 

Other interesting things can happen when you dine in Blu. One evening we were approaching the Blu entrance when we were stopped by the Maitre d from the Tuscan Grill. He quietly asked us if we wanted to dine in the Tuscan Grill (that night) for half price! Good deal :)

 

Hank

[AGGSBAGGS]

Blu was fantastic and we had been sceptical. Wish I could afford it all the time :)

[CaroleSS]

We are cruising with family and will have 8 in our group. How do we go about getting a table for 8 in Blu?

[ghstudio]

We are cruising with family and will have 8 in our group. How do we go about getting a table for 8 in Blu?

 

when you get on the ship, go to Blu and find the maitre d' (or even a waiter)...tell them what you want and they'll accomodate you. I presume all are in aqua class. If any are not in aqua class or a suite, they will not be able to dine in blu. If any are in a suite, you may have to agree to dine outside prime dining hours.

[CaroleSS]

Thanks ghstudio!

 

Yes, we are all in Aqua class. We don't want to sign up for Select as that implies we will be eating in the MDR, but still wish to dine together in Blu every evening. We will more than likely eat at the same time every evening (my Mother's stomach is one a 'schedule'!)

 

We would just like to say,we'd like a table for 8 at 6 every evening. Hopefully they will come to know us as they do in the MDR....we like knowing that our tea will be there waiting for us!!!

[bigbenboys]

From what I have been reading on this board it seems that Blu is one of the major perks of booking AQ. Members have made comments that they book AQ just to eat in Blu. Perhaps you should search this site for someone who has posted the Blu menu and have DH look it over. I can't see spending the extra money and not use one of the major benefits. You can book CC and still have a lot of the perks.

 

I have looked at the menus online and on the ships. We are booked in Aqua on our next cruise. From the menus I saw I'm not sure if I'm going to like Blu. That being said I'm going to have a open mind. Richard

[richstowe]

We have an Aqua booking and on our booking it has us down for 6 PM dining.

I know Blu is any time dining so whats with the 6 PM dining time. Is this for MDR or is it just a default ?

 

BTW does the ordering of drinks in Blu under a drink package work the same as in the MDR ?

 

thanx

[ghstudio]

We have an Aqua booking and on our booking it has us down for 6 PM dining.

I know Blu is any time dining so whats with the 6 PM dining time. Is this for MDR or is it just a default ?

 

BTW does the ordering of drinks in Blu under a drink package work the same as in the MDR ?

 

thanx

 

The 6 pm time is only there because the celebrity billing system has never Been updated to reflect aqua class. Blu is anytime dining, irrespective of what your reservation says.

 

Drink package works the same way in blu as it does in the mdr.

[Cruise Gopher]

We are trying Aqua Class on the Summit because it was the same price as the other balcony categories, maybe like $50 more pp. I have looked at the Blu menus and I'm sorry but they look just awful, very limited selection and none of the good things I am used to from the MDR. I really don't think I or my traveling companion will like Blu. We will give it a try the first night but I will likely want to switch to the MDR for the rest of the cruise. Really hoping we don't get the run around on trying to switch. :(

[ghstudio]

We are trying Aqua Class on the Summit because it was the same price as the other balcony categories, maybe like $50 more pp. I have looked at the Blu menus and I'm sorry but they look just awful, very limited selection and none of the good things I am used to from the MDR. I really don't think I or my traveling companion will like Blu. We will give it a try the first night but I will likely want to switch to the MDR for the rest of the cruise. Really hoping we don't get the run around on trying to switch. :(

 

Have you looked at the mdr menus? They've changed and although some of the dishes sound good, sometimes there is little relation to what is served. Blu actually has a good selection and unlike the mdr, you can ask for a different vegetable...or if there is a salad with a lamb chop, you can ask for lamb chops as your main meal. Additionally, blu is actually pretty quiet so toucan actually talk in a normal voice. I wouldn't get too bothered by the menus...I think you'll be very pleasantly surprised, if you don't go in with a negative attitude ( which you seem to already have).

[cruiseri]

Reluctantly went AQ class with Blu as it was the same price as my Veranda stateroom. Didn't want to eat in Blu but gave it a try the 1st night-what a pleasant experience. On the second night we decided we didn't like anything on the Blu menu, the MD' got us what we really wanted that night. Bottom line, service in Blu surpassed anything ever seen in the MDR, waiters were right on anything; and breakfast was far better in Blu then the buffet or the MDR, ambience in Blu was fantastic.

 

We'll never go back to non AQ class if just for Blu.

 

Try it-you'll really like it.

[ghstudio]

We live in south florida where no one just orders a meal...everyone has a special modification to the dish....and that's almost become the "normal". Unfortunately, the rest of the world doesn't work that way....and over time, a special modification has become a complete rework of the dish on the menu. You aren't going to get that on any cruise ship....and really you don't get that even at restaurants here, but they've learned to cover it well :)

 

Many have confused healthier with healthy...they are very different. Blu is not a health spa....it's reasonably good food, prepared in a (slightly) healthier way...that is, less starch (potatoes/noodles) and more vegetable based sauces.

 

The menu at Blu has slightly fewer choices, however they do have some off menu items available such as onion soup. I am tempted, at least once each cruise, to eat in the MDR because of a menu item that looks wonderful. In every case, so far, the menu description has little relationship to what's served....and I really dislike the constant passing of waiters, bussboys, etc in the main dining room..and my major issue is the overall noise level in the MDR. Personally, I am a pretty flexible eater and I much prefer the surroundings in Blu to the MDR. The food is pretty good....far from great....but better than most competitive cruise lines.

 

Breakfast in Blu varies...but the eggs are hot when you get them which is not true so much in the MDR. The buffet is the buffet...if you like the crowds, go for it. Or you can have a nice, more or less continental breakfast at the elite breakfast (if you are elite, of course). I care much more about dinner than breakfast....as far as I'm concerned if I can get smoked salmon which is consistently wonderful on Celebrity, I'm content (without what they call bagels however).

 

We much prefer booking aqua and taking our chances (low risk) that we won't be able to eat in the MDR if something appeals. We don't want/need a suite, so our alternative would be MDR only...and given the noise and general feverish activity every time we're there, that just isn't enjoyable.

 

Our reasons to book aqua in priority order:

 

1) atmosphere in Blu

2) food in blu

3) demeanor in Blu (ok, that diplomatically means fewer kids running around)

4)iced tea in room

 

Things we don't care much about:

 

spa access (we read on our balcony)

bottled water in the rooms

 

Note: we are sort of migrating to Oceania at this point because the celebrity offering has been "cost reduced" to the point where we are willing to pay for what the old celebrity offered. We will continue to cruise Celebrity when we are with friends who prefer a celebrity priced offering...since it is, IMHO, by far the best of the more price competitive cruise lines.

[richstowe]

We live in south florida where no one just orders a meal...everyone has a special modification to the dish....and that's almost become the "normal". Unfortunately, the rest of the world doesn't work that way

 

Note: we are sort of migrating to Oceania at this point because the celebrity offering has been "cost reduced" to the point where we are willing to pay for what the old celebrity offered. We will continue to cruise Celebrity when we are with friends who prefer a celebrity priced offering...since it is, IMHO, by far the best of the more price competitive cruise lines.

Frankly I grew up with a mother who never met a restaurant offering that she didn't feel need changes.

I'm not sure I agree with your comment "Unfortunately, the rest of the world doesn't work that way'.

 

I thank you for you knowledgeable recap of Aqua class and Blu. Just to point out, we are the other half

that can afford Celebrity now that it has, to use your words, been "cost reduced" . We can even affort Aqua and are grateful.

[K.T.B.]

My wife and i were AQ on uor first Celebrity cruise. After 2 dinners and 2 breakfasts, we never went back to Blu. It was a combination of a few things, but mainly bad service. Besides, we both love the MDR experience of having the same waitstaff throughout the cruise and Blu was lacking in that.

 

Basically it just comes down to what you prefer in your dining experience. With the excpetion of Blu, our AQ experience was great.

[ghstudio]

Frankly I grew up with a mother who never met a restaurant offering that she didn't feel need changes.

I'm not sure I agree with your comment "Unfortunately, the rest of the world doesn't work that way'.

 

and I thought it was just a florida thing :) "up north" we used to eat what they served.

 

I thank you for you knowledgeable recap of Aqua class and Blu. Just to point out, we are the other half

that can afford Celebrity now that it has, to use your words, been "cost reduced" . We can even affort Aqua and are grateful.

 

I didn't say we were cruising as much...but there are different levels of cruising and for us oceania is worth some extra money, although we do cruise a bit less.