Aqua vs Concierge vs Sky suite

[cruzin4sun]

Hi: We were recently on Equinox in Aqua class and loved it so much that we booked 14 days Southern Caribbean on Eclipse while onboard. Need cabin help please. As much as we enjoyed Aqua class we booked concierge for one reason only - location. I cannot tell you how much I love aft facing cabins and we cannot get that with Aqua class. Also have to tell you that DH is a chef and really enjoyed Blu so ... Our dilemma:

 

Love Aqua class, love perks, love love love Blu. Cost to upgrade to Sky suite is about $2000 but would give us access to Blu plus access to new suite restaurant. I know it is a great cost and one I do not take lightly but please keep in mind DH is a chef.

 

So my question is - aqua in an unfavorable location but perks and Blu vs concierge in prime location and within budget vs sky suite giving access to Blu and new suite restaurant- which would you choose?

 

I would truly appreciate your opinion. Thank you.

[Gracie115]

I don't think the SS is worth it....but I too love Blu....I'd sacrifice the location probably for AQ and try to get a hump cabin, 1610, 1608....etc...which really are wonderful locations.....

 

You just have to decide which is more important to you...location or dining venue....

[cruiserone]

Yes, we love AQ also. We just came off The Summit to Bermuda and booked a CC as we also love the aft cabins. I understand they are putting AQ cabins in the aft now! I personally love the SS for the room when we are sailing more than 7 nights. I like the space to move around and we snagged one of the the aft SS for our next cruise. We also love Blu and really missed eating there on the Summit. Next 2 cruises we did not like the location of the AQ so took SS. It's all about Blu with us now.

 

Happy Sailing!

[Phxazzcruisers]

We would probably go with Aqua Class Cabin as we really love eating in Blu also. We book Penthouse or Royal Suites when we can, as we do not have a problem getting into Blu with those Suites. We have talked to people in other Suites that have had difficulty getting into Blu, depending on what time they like to eat. For Suites, it is always subject to availability and if you enjoy eating at "prime" dining times, it can be difficult. Just our opinion

[miched]

Keep the CC and sign up for the ultimate dining package when you board. It is $29/ day pp and you dine all of your meals in the specialty resturants. Unlimited in Bristol on 5, Porch if avail. and etc. You have to sign up on the first day for every day of the cruise.

 

 

🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[Gracie115]

Keep the CC and sign up for the ultimate dining package when you board. It is $29/ day pp and you dine all of your meals in the specialty resturants. Unlimited in Bristol on 5, Porch if avail. and etc. You have to sign up on the first day for every day of the cruise.

 

 

 

Not worth spending the over $800 for the spec. rest. Same menus every day, and Qsine certainly not good enough to go more than once. Muranos okay, Tuscan Grill the only one we would do more than once on any cruise and that's more about the view than the food. There is no Porch on Eclipse.

 

Would prefer Blu to this option anytime....

[willma]

Just wondering, when the suites have their own dining room, will they still have the option to dine in Blu?

[Gracie115]

Just wondering, when the suites have their own dining room, will they still have the option to dine in Blu?

 

According to Celebrity news release they will, but, of course, still on space available basis....I would think it will make Blu much quieter venue than it has been the last few years when MANY MANY suites have been using it too...

[cruzin4sun]

Thank you everyone. Many good points raised, I am giving

it more thought

I appreciate all of your opinions.

[need2bespoiled]

I agree with others.

 

You need to decide your priority:

 

Budget

Location

Blu

 

If location, it is CC and then EITHER splitting up dining in the MDR (glorified banquet food, but often with fun tablemates) and Specialty on a night by night basis OR the ultimate specialty package.

 

OR Splurge on the SS and get all of the above (Blu, Suite Restaurant, MDR when you want it, 2 specialty dinners, plus maybe a 3 - 5 dinner package and you'd have quite a bit of variety PLUS more more and a bathtub and butler.

 

OR if you really want Blu, then you're giving up location.

 

Decisions, decision.

 

Please let us know what you decide.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

[cruzin4sun]

I agree with others.

 

You need to decide your priority:

 

Budget

Location

Blu

 

If location, it is CC and then EITHER splitting up dining in the MDR (glorified banquet food, but often with fun tablemates) and Specialty on a night by night basis OR the ultimate specialty package.

 

OR Splurge on the SS and get all of the above (Blu, Suite Restaurant, MDR when you want it, 2 specialty dinners, plus maybe a 3 - 5 dinner package and you'd have quite a bit of variety PLUS more more and a bathtub and butler.

 

OR if you really want Blu, then you're giving up location.

 

Decisions, decision.

 

Please let us know what you decide.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

 

To be honest we will likely upgrade to a suite. Location is top priority but so is Blu. Thank you all for your input.

[Cruising89143]

Not worth spending the over $800 for the spec. rest. Same menus every day, and Qsine certainly not good enough to go more than once. Muranos okay, Tuscan Grill the only one we would do more than once on any cruise and that's more about the view than the food. There is no Porch on Eclipse.

 

Would prefer Blu to this option anytime....

 

Goes to show how different we all are when it comes to food. We love the specialty dining venues and Qsine We will dine there at least twice on a seven night cruise. I have looked at the menu in Blu and it does not appeal to me. Different strokes. :)

Edited July 2, 2014 by cruisingator2

[sdnich]

To be honest we will likely upgrade to a suite. Location is top priority but so is Blu. Thank you all for your input.

 

We had an aft SS on Reflection in March and loved it.When we came home the 2015 Europe itineraries came open within weeks .We had said we would go with aqua class but after a few days of thinking we decided for a 13 day cruise we would spend the extra for the SS and got 1665 Equinox aft facing.We also got obc drink package and gratuities.With the added suite restaurant we could not be happier! I would say go for it !!! :D

[LadyL1]

Just try to avoid any suite directly under the buffet restaurant, especially towards the after of the deck!

[Gracie115]

Goes to show how different we all are when it comes to food. We love the specialty dining venues and Qsine We will dine there at least twice on a seven night cruise. I have looked at the menu in Blu and it does not appeal to me. Different strokes. :)

 

As you say...different strokes...I think we wore out our interest in the specialty restaurants a few cruises back....can't think of any other explanation than that....and we loved the attentive service of Blu and the fact that over the course of a cruise the whole staff in Blu seems to get to know you and make you feel so welcome.....the food is good, sometimes very good, and we will still go to Tuscan Grill, as that is our favorite. But it's nice to have options...if we all liked the same thing what a boring world it would be!!!:)

[cle-guy]

To the OP, since your hubby is a foodie, consider also that with a sky suite come April 2015, you will have access as well to the Suite Dining room one would surmise will be even a step above BLU, thus you get both Suite Dining Room and BLU, and your corner aft cabin as well with extra room.

 

Is it worth $83.33 per person per day extra...only you can decide! (like how I broke it down to the smallest charge to make the $2000 not so scary! or how about calling it an extra $27.77 per person per meal... LOL)

[Gracie115]

To the OP, since your hubby is a foodie, consider also that with a sky suite come April 2015, you will have access as well to the Suite Dining room one would surmise will be even a step above BLU, thus you get both Suite Dining Room and BLU, and your corner aft cabin as well with extra room.

 

Is it worth $83.33 per person per day extra...only you can decide! (like how I broke it down to the smallest charge to make the $2000 not so scary! or how about calling it an extra $27.77 per person per meal... LOL)

 

Not sure if the suite dining room will be ready by then on Eclipse. It goes into drydock on the cruise AFTER the OP's and I suspect that is when it will get done...not scheduled for any down time other than that before April 15. X has said the Suite dining room will debut in April 15, but I don't think they have set an actual date in April for that.... But you make a good point IF it is done!!!:):D (oh and if you have inside info that it WILL be please let us know!!!:D)

[cle-guy]

Not sure if the suite dining room will be ready by then on Eclipse. It goes into drydock on the cruise AFTER the OP's and I suspect that is when it will get done...not scheduled for any down time other than that before April 15. X has said the Suite dining room will debut in April 15, but I don't think they have set an actual date in April for that.... But you make a good point IF it is done!!!:):D (oh and if you have inside info that it WILL be please let us know!!!:D)

 

They have published a list of dates the dining room will be open. On Eclipse it's "go live" date is April 12. All the ships go live within about a week of each other (between 4/4 and 4/13/2015). Here's the link (be aware there is a typo as to Summit the year should be 15 not 14)

 

http://www.creative.rccl.com/Sales/Celebrity/General_Info/Flyers/14037410_CEL_Suites_FAQs.pdf

 

I have posted in a few threads that I don't believe the Suite dining room needs a dry dock to accomplish, they can do it at sea with proper planing and a "task force" team to do so. Really all it is is put up a couple prefabricated walls (which computer CAD programs make simple these days, especially with ship builders) some new carpet and tables and chairs and decor. Won't take but 2 days max I say. I imagine they load on each sailing all the necessary tools and decor items, and then move a task force team from ship to ship while at sail that week to make them all happen. I imagine 2 teams actually, 1 for M class and another for S class, since each layout is basically the same within each class, though M to S will vary between the 2 classes considerably. I bet they put a few cabins as unsellable on each ship that period for the task force team to sleep in, and maybe some sorry for the dust signs in the work spaces.

 

There's simply no way all 9 ships go for a dry dock that week, so there is no doubt they won't need dry dock to do the dining room either.

[Gracie115]

They have published a list of dates the dining room will be open. On Eclipse it's "go live" date is April 12. All the ships go live within about a week of each other (between 4/4 and 4/13/2015). Here's the link (be aware there is a typo as to Summit the year should be 15 not 14)

 

http://www.creative.rccl.com/Sales/Celebrity/General_Info/Flyers/14037410_CEL_Suites_FAQs.pdf

 

I have posted in a few threads that I don't believe the Suite dining room needs a dry dock to accomplish, they can do it at sea with proper planing and a "task force" team to do so. Really all it is is put up a couple prefabricated walls (which computer CAD programs make simple these days, especially with ship builders) some new carpet and tables and chairs and decor. Won't take but 2 days max I say. I imagine they load on each sailing all the necessary tools and decor items, and then move a task force team from ship to ship while at sail that week to make them all happen. I imagine 2 teams actually, 1 for M class and another for S class, since each layout is basically the same within each class, though M to S will vary between the 2 classes considerably. I bet they put a few cabins as unsellable on each ship that period for the task force team to sleep in, and maybe some sorry for the dust signs in the work spaces.

 

There's simply no way all 9 ships go for a dry dock that week, so there is no doubt they won't need dry dock to do the dining room either.

 

 

Oh I didn't mean ALL the ships were in drydock that week, just thought it was the logical time for the Eclipse because of its previously scheduled dry dock. But I'm sure you're right that it won't be that difficult to accomplish, that means the OP should have it for at least part of their cruise!!!:):D

[bighairtexan]

I like how supposedly the suite restaurant is going to serve more "locally sourced" food and regional selections, as well as food that you can't get anywhere else on the ship including the specialty restaurants. The suggestion that, on a space available basis, a suite passenger can invite others to dinner in the Suite Restaurant for a mere $50!!!! makes me think/hope that the food will be a notch above BLU or the MDR. All this is speculation, since no one has yet been in a position to come back and report on the Suites restaurant. But it definitely factored into my cabin choice on my 2015 TA.

[cle-guy]

Oh I didn't mean ALL the ships were in drydock that week, just thought it was the logical time for the Eclipse because of its previously scheduled dry dock. But I'm sure you're right that it won't be that difficult to accomplish, that means the OP should have it for at least part of their cruise!!!:):D

 

No worries, I understood what you were saying. DryDock is really for maintenance of parts of the ship inaccessible during sailing (i.e. underneath it) and hinge projects.

 

To dry dock for a simple remodel makes no financial sense, that means an empty ship for say 2 days no revenue, loss of hundreds of thousands (perhaps millions) of revenues just to install a restaurant that won't generate any money. I found a full dry dock schedule elsewhere for Celebrity and some ships (reflection) aren't even on the schedule, it's so new, and Equinox had its done earlier this year, and isn't on a schedule either, so those 2 ships have no suite ding room, but also have no dry dock time either, so again, it's clear Suite dining is being done without a dry dock fleet wide, especially with the rollout dates all within 10 days of each other.

 

Eclipse will go to dry dock I think just after suite dining is done, but before it makes its crossing to England, right?

 

I further speculate they will install Slush (frozen drink bar by the pool) and GastroBar (replacement for cellar masters) in the same fashion at this same point in time, if they find the venues suitable for a rollout after testing on Equinox this season, which as they are generating revenues, I'm sure that they will.

[cruisetrail]

Hi: We were recently on Equinox in Aqua class and loved it so much that we booked 14 days Southern Caribbean on Eclipse while onboard. Need cabin help please. As much as we enjoyed Aqua class we booked concierge for one reason only - location. I cannot tell you how much I love aft facing cabins and we cannot get that with Aqua class. Also have to tell you that DH is a chef and really enjoyed Blu so ... Our dilemma:

 

Love Aqua class, love perks, love love love Blu. Cost to upgrade to Sky suite is about $2000 but would give us access to Blu plus access to new suite restaurant. I know it is a great cost and one I do not take lightly but please keep in mind DH is a chef.

 

So my question is - aqua in an unfavorable location but perks and Blu vs concierge in prime location and within budget vs sky suite giving access to Blu and new suite restaurant- which would you choose?

 

I would truly appreciate your opinion. Thank you.

 

 

The Eclipce algorithm: choose the best regular cabin.

Skip aqua and concierge gimmickry.

$ 2000 for upgrade to mini-suite is out of the question.

 

For money you saved on gimmicks enjoy extra charge restaurants.

I wouldn't skip formal nights in MDR.

 

This is how to get best value for money on the Eclipse.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

Edited July 3, 2014 by cruisetrail

[Cruising89143]

To be honest we will likely upgrade to a suite. Location is top priority but so is Blu. Thank you all for your input.

 

Good choice. :) suite all the way.

[Gracie115]

Eclipse will go to dry dock I think just after suite dining is done, but before it makes its crossing to England, right?

 

I further speculate they will install Slush (frozen drink bar by the pool) and GastroBar (replacement for cellar masters) in the same fashion at this same point in time, if they find the venues suitable for a rollout after testing on Equinox this season, which as they are generating revenues, I'm sure that they will.

 

Hope so on all accounts....as we are booked on our first TA on the Eclipse next April and lucky enough to have gotten a great deal on a CS BEFORE they really jumped in price! The Gastropub sounds like great fun to me!:)