Is it possible to book Blu by paying an extra fee?

[hcat]

The idea makes sense, that on a space available basis, Blu would be available for a fee. They must be able to see in their computer system when Aqua passengers have 'booked out' and chosen a specialty restaurant. In theory, each time this happens it would leave spaces available in Blu.

 

I can't see myself ever booking Aqua class (unless the deal was really, really good) without having an idea what the food was like. I'd gladly pay a fee one night so we could try it without booking a cabin and being stuck there every night.

 

With suite guests already having access on a space available basis, there really is no space left for more guests....BLU is small compared to MDR and cramming more in , keeping track etc just not feasible...plus as mentioned, why would we pay a premium for AQ if BLU is open to all...?

 

It would be the same as asking for access to Michael's or suite dining for a fee without booking a suite......those who want to test out BLU can book a shorter cruise and see if they like it...and if not go to MDR or specialty dining..

 

Those who cannot do BLU because they are more than 2 per cabin can eat healthy in other venues, including buffet, MDR and specialties...I follow my diabetic meal plan wherever I go..,..no choice!

Edited September 15, 2015 by hcat

[Bo1953]

The problem is, sometimes a small family wants to eat healthy. I have diabetes. My daughter has prediabetes. My husband is trying to lose weight. We are willing to pay extra but not for my daughter to pay single supplement on an aqua room.

 

 

It looks to me an easy solution would be if you book concierge rooms you can opt out of afternoon snacks (which we always do since we do not eat them) and for an extra fee eat in Blu since concierge does have rooms for 3.

 

If Celebrity offered this they would get our business back.

 

I think that you would be able to better manage your diet in the MDR quite well, and at the buffet too. Lunch time you can go to AquaSpa to eat.

 

For samples of the menus in each venue visit celebritycruises.com. You can also do a search here about special diets.

 

bon voyage

[wally_bushy]

I can spend $210 to have unlimited specialties with all that unhealthy food but because there are 3 of us we can't eat healthy.

 

You are right. Their game, their rules but I don't have to buy their product if I am not satisfied with their rules do I?

 

You can still eat healthily without going to Blu.

I think the healthy line is good marketing.

If you have some willpower it is not too hard to eat properly elsewhere.

JMO

 

Just read a number posts saying the same thing

Edited September 15, 2015 by wally_bushy

[Lois R]

I remember when AQ came out and BLU's menu were released and they

said it was "cleaner food"......their vision of clean and mind are different.

I have been in AQ twice over the years and the menu is NOT "healthy" (in my opinion).

I enjoyed it but there are regular items on the menu.....filet mignon for

one and duck is on there too.....I love duck but it is one of the

fattiest birds out there....so in my opinion, not what I consider "cleaner"

dining.

Personally, I think you can get a healthier menu eating in the main

dining room and speaking to the Maitr'd about any special items you

need for your particular issues.

Edited September 15, 2015 by Lois R

[midwestchick]

The OP is preaching to the wrong choir. :rolleyes: There's nothing anyone on here can do to help her.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

I've found the buffet to offer good, healthy, lower calorie choices if you choose wisely.

A go to for me at lunch is a Cesar salad, with a bit of dressing on the side of the plate and grilled chicken or salmon. They also have stir fry stations where you can get veggies cooked in very little oil.

 

Blu is not a healthier dining choice and I've found a lot of their food to be over salty for my tastes.

 

Since Aqua only holds 2 passengers, the other option is an S2.

[skittl1321]

The healthiest thing I've seen about Blu is the portions are smaller than the MDR.

 

Which is a very easy problem to solve in the MDR. Divide your food when you start ordering into reasonable portions, and don't eat more than that.

 

I've lost weight every cruise I've taken. Don't eat just because food is available. Don't order dessert unless it is something you really want to be eating, I never settle for a dessert that doesn't sound fabulous because it is the best of the available choices. And if you are able, take the stairs every time, not matter how many decks you have to go.

 

If only losing weight at home were this easy. I fall into convenience foods at home because there are fewer choices and no one is preparing food for me. On the ship, I have choices and will pick whatever I want to eat, but only eat a reasonable amount of it.

[flyingv4me]

I think the solution is to book a suite. You can have all three of you in the room, eat in Blu on a space-available basis, and even have you own dining room for suite guests if you don't want to use the MDR or buffet.

 

But then again, I am diabetic and haven't gained a pound on my cruises or had blood sugar issues. I eat well in the MDR and specialty restaurants, and even the buffet (gasp!). It is all about choices.

[cruise kitty]

To the OP:

 

Our last 3 Celebrity cruises have been in AQ, dining in Blu, & I have to tell you, we still have to work at getting a healthy meal just like we would in the MDR.

 

The only reason we book AQ is that we like the quiet ambience of Blu & don't wish to share tables.

 

We have to ask that no bread or breadsticks be served, we get a large salad to start with dressing, just a fresh lemon to squeeze & request a little salt. Order an appetizer each & split a entree, or if we each order an entree, we make sure we only eat half of it. No dessert, or if we order one, I let the server know ahead of time that we each will be having one bite & then leaving the rest. If a meal comes with a starch, leave the starch.

 

We'd have to employ the exact same methods if we ate in the MDR or if we ate in the buffet, or in a Specialty restaurant, the MDR will go over meals with you the day before so that you don't make bad choices when you're hungry & ready to eat.

 

Hope you find a great cruise no matter what line you choose :)

[justcrusn]

We have eaten in Blu on our last 3 cruises, and frankly love it. You can eat healthy or unhealthy anywhere on the ship.

On our last cruise, (a 2 week transatlantic) DW had a doctor appointment immediately before, and again after our cruise. Her weight was EXACTLY the same after the cruise as before. I know its not just BLU, but most people add pounds on a cruise. We did not visit the gym either, its vacation, lol.....

[ptrpanpens]

My motto: lots of exercise, do not eat it unless you REALLY want it, limit desert and bread, only mainly drink water, iced tea, and skim milk. I am lucky I do not like wine or hard liquor so that is one place I can really save calories but this obviously will not work for most people.

 

And don't worry about eating everything on your plate just because it is there. Much better to waste food than calories!

 

Blu may be healthier but it is not Healthy unless you make good choices.

 

Take advantage of all the walking and other opportunities for being active and you wont gain weight if you exercise some discipline. It is really very simple. I have lost weight on every cruise I have ever taken.:)

Edited September 15, 2015 by ptrpanpens

[Got2Cruise]

If you are eating in the MDR, the menu is marked with a special icon what the healthy choices are.

 

A funny story. One day there was a choice on the dessert menu of molten chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. Our waiter warned us that the portion was very small, which it was. Just recently I saw someone post a picture of this same exact dessert on the Blu thread! Moral of the story is that with careful choosing you can have selections from the BLU menu or very close from the MDR

 

Same with breakfast. Order the egg white omelette with turkey bacon from the MDR.

[gold1953]

We sailed a 12 night cruise in AQ. Every morning at breakfast they stand in front of you holding a tray of pastries .. ready with tongs in hand.. How healthy is that!!!

[4cats4me]

Respectfully, although we love BLU, it is not what I would deem as heart-healthy or diabetic friendly. It is all about choices, where ever oje chooses to eat. To me, diabetic meals would be more like veggies, protein of some sort, low or no carbs, no fat ladened sauces, and Blu is too much of a temptation. We would have been much better off in the MDR! Blu was so delicious, we ate way more than we usually would have eaten No matter which dining room you dine in, tell the maitre d and you can have a heart healthy of a low carb meal. It is interesting that some people seem to perceive Blu as some sort of twigs and berries and bark establishment

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[bigbenboys]

People are paying a hefty extra charge for booking an Aqua cabin and that's mostly for Blue. If you started allowing anyone in at a cost it's suddenly not so special and most folk would just book a straight balcony and save the money paying a supplement for Blue. Never going to happen.

 

We have booked Aqua for less than Concierge Class. I like the size of the Blu restaurant and the service.

[shot2bits]

No, it's that you aren't getting the responses that benefit you. You have gotten your answer several times, yet you continue to argue your case.

 

Time to let it go.

 

 

 

Now look what you've done, put that damn tune in my head for the rest of the day!

[searoses]

Choices,choices,choices....they are everywhere....I struggle but not because there is nothing healthy available.....and those chairs in Blu look too close for me....so no Blu envy here...

[casper106]

Perhaps a cruise isn't the right choice. All you need to do is discuss your dietary concerns with the maitre d' and the staff will do whatever you request. On one cruise, I saw someone eat a piece of grilled salmon and steamed broccoli everynight for dinner. No appetizers or salad or soup or dessert. You can eat breakfast in the dining room and avoid the buffet temptations and also for lunch on the days when the MDR is open.

 

Or you can rent a nice condo at a destination of your choice and vary your meal choices between eating in or out.

[laslomas]

Could I ask what you can't get in the MDR that you can in Blu? I've never cruised in Aqua so I honestly don't know what is on their menu. However, when you mentioned healthier options, it's still possible to obtain these in the MDR. Every evening we request a plate of steamed vegetables to accompany our main dish (which, in my case, is usually a fish or meat dish without sauces). There are also a few salads available in the starter listing, and you can always request a chicken salad for a main course. There is always salmon available and fruit options for dessert.

 

I like that idea of ordering extra veg as a side dish. Some evenings you are lucky if you get a carrot and a couple of beans with the main course. Do you get a varied selection each night? I really miss some good healthy vegetables on my cruises so I will give it a try. :)

[jonsmum]

'To me, diabetic meals would be more like veggies, protein of some sort, low or no carbs, no fat ladened sauces, and Blu is too much of a temptation.'

 

My son has been Type 1 Diabetic since he was 18 - nineteen years ago. I now know that there is no such thing as a special 'Diabetic diet'. All a diabetic needs to do is to follow exactly the same Healthy Eating Guidelines as everyone else. And 'yes' they DO need carbs - the quantity depends upon the type of diabetes and the treatment plan. It is refined/added sugar that is the main problem. Bread, pasta, potatoes are good carbs as far as a diabetic is concerned. This is possible just about everywhere - even MacDonalds believe it or not!! It is all about choices and Blu (which we love and always book Aqua for) offers healthy eating choices, just like the MDR. Healthy eating is particularly easy in the Buffet.

 

As far as I am concerned - the only reason to book Aqua is for the lovely quiet atmosphere in Blu, Persian Gardens (on S class) and quieter corridors. If anything else is important, then don't bother with Aqua.

 

Just my opinion I hasten to add!!!!

[Compass Rose Monica]

The only thing I find “healthy” in Blu is the fact that they have smaller portions (except one time I had a lamb shank that was huge!!) and foods are not drenched in heavy, creamy sauces. You can order healthy foods anywhere on the ship. I find the staff on Celebrity to be very accommodating.

 

You can go to the aqua spa café for breakfast or lunch. I love their chicken salad, which is made with a yogurt dressing instead of mayo. You can ask your waiter in the MDR for specific, healthier foods.

 

Someone mentioned similar desserts. I agree that Blu will have similar dishes. Rack of lamb, osso bucco, crème brulee, shrimp cocktail, NY strip, etc.

 

I’ve sailed in aqua class cabins a few times now and pay for the enjoyment of dining in Blu. Celebrity would never make exceptions or allow non-aqua passenger to pay a fee to dine in Blu. Most times when I go to dinner, the place is packed and several times we’ve had to wait quite a bit.

 

Monica

[maxsales]

The problem is, sometimes a small family wants to eat healthy. I have diabetes. My daughter has prediabetes. My husband is trying to lose weight. We are willing to pay extra but not for my daughter to pay single supplement on an aqua room.

 

 

It looks to me an easy solution would be if you book concierge rooms you can opt out of afternoon snacks (which we always do since we do not eat them) and for an extra fee eat in Blu since concierge does have rooms for 3.

 

If Celebrity offered this they would get our business back.

 

You can request special, health related meals in the main dining room. Let's leave Blu for those that book aqua class.

:)

[pinkrosesdeb]

I think you are "assuming" Blu is healthier...from the menus I have seen I think you can find as healthy or healthier options in most venues onboard. I am not sure why you are so focused just on Blu...is it just because you know you can't go there? As many have posted, we have always seen the "healthy option" posted on every menu on Royal Caribbean so I wonder if Celebrity might not have the same thing?

[rockdoctor]

Some years ago, I went into a chicken fast food restaurant. I noticed that the single chicken breast mean had the American Heart Association seal of approval. The two breast meal had no such seal of approval. I asked why. The answer was - the bigger meal had too many calories. If you watch your intake, you can eat just as healthy in the MDR.

[hcat]

No, it's that you aren't getting the responses that benefit you. You have gotten your answer several times, yet you continue to argue your case.

 

Time to let it go.

 

 

OP s first post shows many cruises and over 160 days at sea....I am sure they will manage without BLU or will move up to a suite....