Switching from Aqua Class to Ocean View Cabin

[KiRiMi]

On our first Celebrity Cruise in July we booked an Aqua Class Cabin. While on board we booked another cruise for next summer to the Baltic on the Silhouette, also in Aqua Class. We are thinking of moving to an ocean view which would save us quite a bit of money, should be enough to pay for most of our airfare. Is a balcony cabin worth it in the Baltic? We aren't sure the weather will be nice enough to use the balcony much. While we enjoyed Blu on our cruise to Bermuda, we didn't meet many people on the ship. It might be nice to eat in the MDR at least some of the nights and try specialty restaurants a few nights.

 

Anyone have thoughts about an ocean view vs. Aqua Class on the Silhouette?

 

We also aren't sure what we would have to give us to move our cabin class. we received a beverage package and gratuities for booking on board.

[Chitown12562]

I admire your strength of will. I don't think my girlfriend and I could ever walk away from Blu and I must have the shower setup in AQ.

 

But what about getting at the very least a veranda?

 

Well I sure you'll get very informed answer to your question.

 

Enjoy your next cruise!

[Dr65]

on a port intensive cruise such as the Baltic you wont be in the cabin that much. Also the weather can be sketchy at times. I think your choice of an outside is prudent.

[dkjretired]

On our first Celebrity Cruise in July we booked an Aqua Class Cabin. While on board we booked another cruise for next summer to the Baltic on the Silhouette, also in Aqua Class. We are thinking of moving to an ocean view which would save us quite a bit of money, should be enough to pay for most of our airfare. Is a balcony cabin worth it in the Baltic? We aren't sure the weather will be nice enough to use the balcony much. While we enjoyed Blu on our cruise to Bermuda, we didn't meet many people on the ship. It might be nice to eat in the MDR at least some of the nights and try specialty restaurants a few nights.

 

Anyone have thoughts about an ocean view vs. Aqua Class on the Silhouette?

 

We also aren't sure what we would have to give us to move our cabin class. we received a beverage package and gratuities for booking on board.

.

 

Just be careful you don't lose any perks you might have received.

[bar_20]

We had Aqua class and loved it. However we booked and ocean view for our next cruise to save money and felt a balcony cabin on a late season cruise in Alaska wouldn't get much use. When we ate in BLU we did meet people as we were on a 28 day cruise, it was hard not to. We have had assigned seating and were glad when the cruise was finished to be rid of one of our table mates on our New England cruise. BTW we met more people playing trivia on the ship than any place else.

[Kevnzworld]

Good move. The price difference of AQ is over $100 per night, Blu isn't worth that.

Definitely get a Veranda though , the scenery is beautiful and the weather can get warm., even in May .

[Ex-Airbalancer]

For the money you are saving you could do the ultimate dining package of $30

Where is your cabin, a friend had a bow cabin and said it was very noise and very very bright in the morning, ( it was a eastbound TA)

[Shake]

For the overall experience we have never passed on a balcony.

 

The price difference is too large to keep Aqua vs. Veranda. :)

[Phxazzcruisers]

It all depends on your budget. For us, Blu is worth the difference and we definitely need a balcony when we cruise. We would be too claustrophobic without the balcony. There is nothing more special than having breakfast on the balcony overlooking the sea.

Whatever you chose, enjoy your cruise

[miched]

There is a little bit of difference between AQ on the S class and on the M class. On the S class The Persain Gardens is a lot nicer and you also get foot stools on the balcony in AQ. You may not like the buffet for breakfast opposed to being served in Blu.

 

All of the standard cabins are the same size on the S class.

 

$100 per day is too much. I value AQ on the S class at about $35 max pp/day.

 

Cruise on 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[TMLAalum]

While we enjoyed Blu on our cruise to Bermuda, we didn't meet many people on the ship. It might be nice to eat in the MDR at least some of the nights and try specialty restaurants a few nights.

 

A great way to meet people is via the Cruise Critic Roll Call for your sailing! Aside from the "Connections" Party sponsored by Celebrity for Cruise Critic members, there are often informal gatherings such as meeting for sail-away or participating in cabin crawls or slot pulls. Also, roll calls are a great place to learn about and join private tours, where you will meet others. And for restaurants like Qsine, where the more the merrier, you might seek other roll call members to join you.

 

The only time DH & I cruised as a couple we were seated at a table for 2 in the MDR, even though we'd requested to be at a larger one. When our waiter asked where we are from, he introduced us to a couple at a nearby table who happened to be, like us, from a suburb of Cleveland! We've since developed a friendship with them, thanks to Meskut! When we did eat in Blu that cruise (lucked into a SkySuite), we were able to strike up conversations with those seated at adjacent two-toppers.

 

Re: OV cabin- we had our 1st on our last cruise. We selected 7003 on the Millennium, which was huge. If you make the move to an OV on the Silhouette, you should be elgible for the 1 category Captain's Club upgrade, so I suggest choosing one of the forward-facing Cateogory 7s on Deck 8 (or 7)- these are BIG cabins!!

[phoenix_dream]

Once I started sailing in balconies, it would be very, very hard for me to go back to an ocean view even though I sailed those many times prior. To me, just having the patio doors makes the room seem so much bigger, even if you don't sit on the balcony a lot. As to AQ, I really like it but there is something to be said for saving money. I consider an upcharge of $100-$200 pp per cruise about what I would pay for the privilege.

[smtcan]

We have cruised in balcony, inside and outside cabins and have no difficulty switching between them. We will have a balcony if the price is right and if we have several sea days in a warm climate. An inside is fine for a port intensive cruise and enables us to cruise more often. Oceanview is our least used choice, because if we can't have fresh air we don't need to see outside. The few times we have selected one is when the additional cost is lower than than the cost of an included drink package. If we ever found Aqua class affordable (in the context of wanting to cruise several times a year) we would be happy to try it, but I can't imagine a suite on our horizon.

 

We hardly ever use our balcony to admire the view - we want to see all around, so usually go to an upper deck.

 

Sheila

[JordanF]

We typically sail with a balcony. Our last cruise was AQ. However, a few years ago we took a Baltic cruise and had inside cabins (we needed two cabins, as we took our teenage sons). We put the extra money into excursions, as it was a very port intensive trip (one sea day?). This was one of our favorite cruises. We were fine with the less expensive cabin. Basically, we spent almost all day, every day, in port. So, to each their own, but for us, the trip was fantastic even though we had the cheapest possible cabin.

[varoo]

On our first Celebrity Cruise in July we booked an Aqua Class Cabin. While on board we booked another cruise for next summer to the Baltic on the Silhouette, also in Aqua Class. We are thinking of moving to an ocean view which would save us quite a bit of money, should be enough to pay for most of our airfare. Is a balcony cabin worth it in the Baltic? We aren't sure the weather will be nice enough to use the balcony much. While we enjoyed Blu on our cruise to Bermuda, we didn't meet many people on the ship. It might be nice to eat in the MDR at least some of the nights and try specialty restaurants a few nights.

 

Anyone have thoughts about an ocean view vs. Aqua Class on the Silhouette?

 

We also aren't sure what we would have to give us to move our cabin class. we received a beverage package and gratuities for booking on board.

We are among those who really enjoy having a balcony.

We thought it was worth having a balcony on a Baltic cruise just for cruising through the Stockholm archipelago.

 

The ship entered the archipelago early in the morning, and the scenery went on for hours.

It was so nice opening our eyes to be greeted by that view, and then sitting out there enjoying breakfast on the balcony in our bathrobes as we cruised along, not needing to rush to get dressed or go anywhere else.

 

We also enjoy dining in Blu, and would like to try the new suite dining room next year, but how much extra a suite or Aqua Class is worth would depend on the price difference.

 

However, what matters to me or anyone else may not matter to you at all.

Different people's budgets and priorities vary greatly.

 

Edited July 21, 2014 by varoo

[Cruise Raider]

While I love AQ for so many reasons, I would go for saving the money -- especially if it covers a big expense such as your airfare and maybe even an excursion or two.

In order to keep your beverage package and gratuities, I think you will have to choose at least an oceanview. You are still on the ship and the indoor pool area is fabulous if there is a little view from your room. The sky lounge and the observation lounge are also quite amazing.

Even when we booked the Aqua Class, we still ate some meals in the main dining room and even in the buffet and loved Blu but didn't want to eat every meal in there.

I think you will make the most of it regardless of which room you pick. Again, if it were me, I would save the money to spend on something else amazing.

[texasgirl29]

My husband loves having a balcony, almost to the point of superstition. On our first cruise, an oceanview, he got chicken pox, probably contracted before we left home. Then, a few years ago, we went on another cruise, again, in an oceanview cabin. He developed pneumonia and was sick for half of the cruise. He feels like it was the absence of fresh air, and now has to have a balcony. He enjoys sitting on the balcony, reading, while I go off to a show or a movie with one of our daughters.

 

But on our last cruise, I stopped by and chatted with him on the balcony, then left, locking the sliding glass door out of habit. He had his cruise card with him, and had to wait until someone showed up on an adjoining balcony so he could hand over his card and they could come into our cabin and let him out!

 

JoAnn

[ecslady]

I did the Baltics in an outside. it is such a port intensive cruise, I honestly do not know when I would have been able to enjoy the balcony. We were constantly on the go. If I ever have the chance to do another Baltic cruise, I would go with an outside again and save the money.

[PoppyandNana]

I did the Baltics in an outside. it is such a port intensive cruise, I honestly do not know when I would have been able to enjoy the balcony. We were constantly on the go. If I ever have the chance to do another Baltic cruise, I would go with an outside again and save the money.

 

A few weeks ago we got off the Constellation to Norway and the Arctic Circle. We booked a balcony which was a huge mistake. Weather was consistently bad, cold, rainy and windy. Think we actually sat out there once in 12 days. Should have saved the bucks and gone with an OV.

 

On our upcoming Baltic we booked another balcony simply because the only OV left were obstructed views.

[TomTN]

The weather most likely will be nice/warm during the summer. We went to an inside on a ship that did not have that many balconies a few years back. We missed the balcony.:(

[NJ Fred]

While my wife and I enjoy the privacy a balcony affords, we sometimes get realistic and let the weather the vessel will most likely encounter assist in our purchasing decision.

 

On a recent November transatlantic the mercury (wind velocity considered) was too low for us to be comfortable on our balcony. Had we purchased a well-located ocean view stateroom, the money savings would have been substantial.

 

Sometimes, the cost difference between a balcony and an ocean view is negligible. In such circumstances we opt for the balcony.

 

A personal choice that merits consideration from several viewpoints.

[KiRiMi]

For the money you are saving you could do the ultimate dining package of $30

Where is your cabin, a friend had a bow cabin and said it was very noise and very very bright in the morning, ( it was a eastbound TA)

 

Our Cabin is AQ2 on Deck 11 - cabin number 1623 on the port side. We have no idea if this is a good cabin or a not so good cabin. If we decide to stay in Aqua Class we would appreciate anyone giving us information about the cabin and its location - should we request a different cabin in AQ2?

Edited July 22, 2014 by KiRiMi