Blu

[tigermom2016]

If we choose an AquaClass category, will we also have the option of dining in the Main Dining Room?

[dkjretired]

If we choose an AquaClass category, will we also have the option of dining in the Main Dining Room?

 

Yes, on a space available basis usually in the Select Dining portion of the dining room. Your assigned dining room is Blu, you will not have a space allotted for you in the MDR. Just see your Matre'd to eat in the MDR.

Edited March 19, 2016 by dkjretired

[cl.klink]

If you are Aqua class, the only dining venue off limits is Luminae. Blue is, technically, you dining room. But, anyone can do to MDR for open seating. Tell the Maitre D. I do think that the Blu staff are under some pressure to keep people in Blu, though usually you will not feel this pressure. Just know it exists.

 

- Joel

[warmwinds]

If you do not want to dine in Blu, I can only wonder why you have booked an AQ room? Was it THAT much cheaper than any other category? Do you like the other perks but have friends, say, who are in the MDR?

 

They try to allocate space amongst the various dining venues (so no one is too crowded), and if you book AQ (Blu) yet want to eat every night in the MDR, it sort of throws their numbers off.

[bigbenboys]

If you do not want to dine in Blu, I can only wonder why you have booked an AQ room? Was it THAT much cheaper than any other category? Do you like the other perks but have friends, say, who are in the MDR?

 

They try to allocate space amongst the various dining venues (so no one is too crowded), and if you book AQ (Blu) yet want to eat every night in the MDR, it sort of throws their numbers off.

 

I book Aqua for the shower wall. Blu is ok. We just got home from Reflection and had S1 Sky suite. The cabin was a old Aqua suite. It had the shower wall in the bath tub.

[keesar]

I book Aqua for the shower wall. Blu is ok. We just got home from Reflection and had S1 Sky suite. The cabin was a old Aqua suite. It had the shower wall in the bath tub.

 

I book Aqua for those beautiful slippers. ;) And those late afternoon canapes.

[jabrown40]

We just finished our cruise ion silhouette one week ago. We loved Blu! Now I'm not sure if I would enjoy the main dining room. We should have tried it at least once to be able to plan for future cruises.

[NantahalaCruiser]

We just finished our cruise ion silhouette one week ago. We loved Blu! Now I'm not sure if I would enjoy the main dining room. We should have tried it at least once to be able to plan for future cruises.

 

We were in Blu on the Silhouette last December and the entire staff were outstanding!

[David Owl]

If you are Aqua class, the only dining venue off limits is Luminae. Blue is, technically, you dining room. But, anyone can do to MDR for open seating. Tell the Maitre D. I do think that the Blu staff are under some pressure to keep people in Blu, though usually you will not feel this pressure. Just know it exists.

 

- Joel

 

According to the latest brochures Aqua enjoys "dining in Blu for breakfast and dinner, in addition to dining in our Main Dining Room"

 

No mention of having to tell, or ask, anyone.

[keesar]

According to the latest brochures Aqua enjoys "dining in Blu for breakfast and dinner, in addition to dining in our Main Dining Room"

 

No mention of having to tell, or ask, anyone.

 

You can have breakfast and lunch in the MDR by just walking in. That is not a problem. However, if you are looking for dinner, then that is a different story. You should make arrangements at least earlier that day and be prepared to wait. You may not be able to just walk in and be seated or be guaranteed a particular time.

[thebutlerdidit]

We chose to make arrangements for eating one meal in the MDR through the maitre'd of Blu. He phoned the MDR and told us to enter on the lower level at 6:30. When we got there we were seated at a great 4-top on the lower level. I have no idea why this centrally located table was empty that evening, but it sure beat waiting in the select dining line.

[cruisestitch]

The brochures don't mention needing to ask to dine in the MDR, but experience tells us that it isn't a good idea to just show up there and expect to be seated right away. Select Dining is often overbooked these days. Those who chose Select Dining are finding that there is often a wait time to enter the dining room. Adding AQ passengers just creates more pressure on that area of the dining room (and after all, Select Diners can't just go to BLU to balance things out).

 

By telling the BLU staff that you would like to eat in the MDR and asking them to contact the dining room ahead of time, you might find that you will be asked to come to Traditional Dining, and seated at a table where the people assigned to that table are eating in a Specialty that night. That may be what happened so that a great 4-top was available.

[Adventurous Grandmom]

I just sailed on the Solstice and had Select dining in the MDR--If you are in Aqua class and can eat in Blu-consider yourself very lucky. The dinners in the MDR were not good for the most part. We had Prime Rib the first night that we couldn't cut and the food didn't improve after that. I would have loved to had the choice of eating in Blu. By the way I have cruised on Celebrity before and loved the food in the MDR. I have no idea why it was so bad this time. Many of our fellow diners agreed. kathy

[dkjretired]

According to the latest brochures Aqua enjoys "dining in Blu for breakfast and dinner, in addition to dining in our Main Dining Room"

 

No mention of having to tell, or ask, anyone.

 

 

Answered the same question from you the other day in another thread, answer is the same and has been that way since the Solstice class ships with Blu came out several years ago.

[tigermom2016]

I do appreciate all the feedback, and it is great to hear that people are happy with Blu. My reason for asking is simply that this will be our first cruise on this ship, and I thought it would be fun to try the main dining room one night!

[keesar]

I do appreciate all the feedback, and it is great to hear that people are happy with Blu. My reason for asking is simply that this will be our first cruise on this ship, and I thought it would be fun to try the main dining room one night!

 

I have found that there are more options for entrees in the MDR. In Blu, there is usually one night that we have found that there are no items that we really like. So we head to a specialty restaurant or eat in the Oceanview. The lines have been rather lengthy for walk up dining in the MDR.

[Wine-O]

I have found that there are more options for entrees in the MDR. In Blu, there is usually one night that we have found that there are no items that we really like. So we head to a specialty restaurant or eat in the Oceanview. The lines have been rather lengthy for walk up dining in the MDR.

 

On Silhouette they would let you get an item from the MDR menu if they didn't have an entrée in Blu that you didn't care for.

[chamima]

We chose to make arrangements for eating one meal in the MDR through the maitre'd of Blu. He phoned the MDR and told us to enter on the lower level at 6:30. When we got there we were seated at a great 4-top on the lower level. I have no idea why this centrally located table was empty that evening, but it sure beat waiting in the select dining line.

 

On Silhouette they would let you get an item from the MDR menu if they didn't have an entrée in Blu that you didn't care for.

 

 

I think that is up to the Maitre D' in Blu. Some are ok with it and some not.

 

How did you know what was offered in the MDR? (Did you go by both Blu and the MDR in the afternoon to check?)

 

I'm asking for a personal reason - NO FLAMES please! :o

I love the souffles on Princess and recently complained that I've never had one on Celebrity. We sail in Aqua and are very happy in Blu but I'd love to know if a souffle was offered in the MDR without checking every single day.

[rjrpar]

I just sailed on the Solstice and had Select dining in the MDR--If you are in Aqua class and can eat in Blu-consider yourself very lucky. The dinners in the MDR were not good for the most part. We had Prime Rib the first night that we couldn't cut and the food didn't improve after that. I would have loved to had the choice of eating in Blu. By the way I have cruised on Celebrity before and loved the food in the MDR. I have no idea why it was so bad this time. Many of our fellow diners agreed. kathy

 

 

Agree, we just got off the Eclipse and the MDR food was bad, both in preparation and quality . Never have been served a 1/2 inch sirloin steak before, an incredible reduction in food quality

[spammie]

We just got back from our first Celebrity cruise not staying in Aqua Class. We really, really missed Blu. The service and atmosphere in Blu just can't be beat. We tried eating in the MDR on one of our Aqua Class cruises just to try something different. The Maitre D made it so difficult we walked away and ate in the Ocean View. Our experience has been when you assigned Blu they really want you to eat there. :D Can't wait to be back in Aqua Class and Blu in November. :)

[Wine-O]

I think that is up to the Maitre D' in Blu. Some are ok with it and some not.

 

How did you know what was offered in the MDR? (Did you go by both Blu and the MDR in the afternoon to check?)

 

I'm asking for a personal reason - NO FLAMES please! :o

I love the souffles on Princess and recently complained that I've never had one on Celebrity. We sail in Aqua and are very happy in Blu but I'd love to know if a souffle was offered in the MDR without checking every single day.

 

They post the menu outside of Blu right after breakfast, and outside the MDR sometime in the afternoon. Twice we ordered main course from the MDR.

 

Once we found out from the Maitre'd that we could order something from MDR menu, we checked both out every day.

[El Crucero]

How did you know what was offered in the MDR? (Did you go by both Blu and the MDR in the afternoon to check?).

 

Yes, we always check both menus during the day. That is part of our fun. Occasionally we will order a MDR entree in Blu and it has always been granted, never a problem.

[jabrown40]

I was thinking of booking a balcony on Reflection next March, and just eating more in the specialty restaurants. After much consideration and reading about declining quality in the MDR, we are going to stick with Aqua class again.

[Blondie008]

I can see why one would go for ordinary balcony + UDP.

Although we are booked in AQ for our forthcoming cruise - we booked it before we had sailed Celebrity Equniox (Oct 15) - we booked AQ for both

I think had we not already booked (remember UK cant change lose deposit etc) - we would not go AQ.

BLU is lovely - we dine late so always found a very private table for two - most always the same table - by the window.

BUT - with Select Dining etc - I don't see much point in AQ - The spa is appalling -what a major let down that is compared to other Spas at sea. Its so bright - no ambience - and no Jacuzzis or thallasotherapy pool (not the solarium pool a proper spa pool). It was very poor. We used it a couple of times but very disappointing. Certainly not worth the difference we paid (in balcony to Aq). BLU really is the only reason worth booking AQ.

I don't think IF we come back to X after our Alaska cruise - that we would book AQ again - I think it would be ordinary cabin with select and UDP.

We like a true SPA at SEA experience - and unfortunately - Celebrity have fallen down big time on that one - SPA is hopeless :(