AQ is not what used to be

[ISABELLA]

We just came back from 10 days sailing in AQ on Equinox. This was my 5th time in AQ and I can say that Celebrity is scaling down even in comparison with TA we took in November 2015.

Cabin amenities: Towels are not as luxurious and large as used to be.

Toilet paper is 3d world country quality - FLL airport had better toilet paper.

Since I bring all my own toiletries - cannot comment on quality of provided in the cabin. No more daily bottles of water ( I know X discontinued bottled water sometime ago).

Persian Garden: Rules are not enforced, therefore people are taking naps there. I assumed that they oversold Persian Garden passes and AQ guests could not use PG at their leisure. There were always a wait for loungers - we've tried different times of the day.

BLU:VERY limited dessert menu: 2 items to choose from and even those are not creative or memorable, 6-8 flavors of ice cream. Ice cream is not dessert for an upscale restaurant.

They do offer the same boring 4 choices of " classic" desserts.

OV had better dessert choices. We were told that they got a lot of comments regarding limited dessert menu. I hope X is reading our surveys and make some changes for a better. Time will tell.

Last evening dinner choices were not very good. Fish was dry, meatloaf was missing flavors.

Bread choices for dinner are the same every day - consisted of bread sticks, cut baguettes and some days will be added 2 pcs of dark bread for 4 people - go figure....:rolleyes:

Breakfast was good.

Service was still very good.

In addition to AQ experience I would like to add, that there is NO more gourmet cheeses, dry fruit or nuts were offered in OV during the cruise.

Blu and PG were the main reason I would book AQ, but with these changes - it is not worth the price. 3 cruises next year - none in AQ.

Edited December 21, 2016 by ISABELLA

[Bo1953]

Thank you for your observations and comments, sorry much of it did not meet up to standards or requirements...

 

bon voyage

[morbihan]

We wouldn't sail aqua class again.

 

The food in Blu was not to our taste at all. So disappointing.

[LouisV]

We just came back from 10 days sailing in AQ on Equinox. This was my 5th time in AQ and I can say that Celebrity is scaling down even in comparison with TA we took in November 2015.

Cabin amenities: Towels are not as luxurious and large as used to be.

Toilet paper is 3d world country quality - FLL airport had better toilet paper.

Since I bring all my own toiletries - cannot comment on quality of provided in the cabin. No more daily bottles of water ( I know X discontinued bottled water sometime ago).

Persian Garden: Rules are not enforced, therefore people are taking naps there. I assumed that they oversold Persian Garden passes and AQ guests could not use PG at their leisure. There were always a wait for loungers - we've tried different times of the day.

BLU:VERY limited dessert menu: 2 items to choose from and even those are not creative or memorable, 6-8 flavors of ice cream. Ice cream is not dessert for an upscale restaurant.

They do offer the same boring 4 choices of " classic" desserts.

OV had better dessert choices. We were told that they got a lot of comments regarding limited dessert menu. I hope X is reading our surveys and make some changes for a better. Time will tell.

Last evening dinner choices were not very good. Fish was dry, meatloaf was missing flavors.

Bread choices for dinner are the same every day - consisted of bread sticks, cut baguettes and some days will be added 2 pcs of dark bread for 4 people - go figure....:rolleyes:

Breakfast was good.

Service was still very good.

In addition to AQ experience I would like to add, that there is NO more gourmet cheeses, dry fruit or nuts were offered in OV during the cruise.

Blu and PG were the main reason I would book AQ, but with these changes - it is not worth the price. 3 cruises next year - none in AQ.

 

So it's not just me. We got off the Equinox on December 9th and had a CC cabin. The first thing I noticed was the welcome drink. It used to be a glass of sparkling wine and now its down to 2 swallows. Maybe Celebrity should just scrap it....We asked for cheese and crackers (something simple that we could identify) for our afternoon snacks. We got saltines everyday. Our cabin steward said that Celebrity doesn't have any fancier crackers than that. The flower in the cabin is also gone. Our toiletries were mixed brands and weren't consistent. I know these are just small things but noticeable none the less. We'll still cruise Celebrity but times are changing for sure.

[hcat]

We are still sticking with AQ and BLU...but agree it has changed. The beautiful spa quality towels in cabin are long gone...no daily bottled water and BLU menu getting stale.

 

on our recent cruise on Inf in BLU was not up to standards...not enough staff, very poor service and Chef menu selections heavy on game...squab..horribly overdone pheasant etc. We ate elsewhere 4 of 9 nites..unusual for us..we actually booked into MDR for the last dinner after seeing the boring menu..MDR was excellent..service, food, etc

 

Breakfast in BLU still very good...and hopeful next time BLU will deliver its usually great experience.

 

Our only spa issues were attempted price renegs..but on M class PG does not have loungers...just seats and is interior and dark...less popular. We enjoyed it but showers were not functioning correctky and folks who paid for passes not happy..

[Bo1953]

So it's not just me. We got off the Equinox on December 9th and had a CC cabin. The first thing I noticed was the welcome drink. It used to be a glass of sparkling wine and now its down to 2 swallows. Maybe Celebrity should just scrap it....We asked for cheese and crackers (something simple that we could identify) for our afternoon snacks. We got saltines everyday. Our cabin steward said that Celebrity doesn't have any fancier crackers than that. The flower in the cabin is also gone. Our toiletries were mixed brands and weren't consistent. I know these are just small things but noticeable none the less. We'll still cruise Celebrity but times are changing for sure.

 

LV - on the toiletries and crackers would be a cause to visit the Hotel Director, to be sure...

[Cruise Raider]

We only tried AQ once and it was quite some time ago on the Solstice when we had gotten a group rate at a really great price. Wow....were we impressed.

Since then, AQ has always been out of our price range but I still look to see if there is a good discount for those rooms on a cruise that I want to book.

 

I have to say, I have read time and time again how the quality is just not worth the price any longer. I am kind of saddened by this but so appreciate your input as I probably won't have to continue on my quest for finding an affordable AQ room. Some of these things wouldn't bother me much but I did enjoy the priority boarding, bottled water, afternoon canapes and the extra amenities in the room (facial spray, chapstick, etc). I loved having a footstool out on the balcony, the persian gardens and the relaxation lounge. I also loved Blu but mostly because they didn't require formal dress any nights. Not sure if I have enough reasons to spend a lot of extra dollars on that category any longer.

 

 

The thing that struck me as odd about AQ rooms, though, is that some of the most expensive rooms on the ship, besides the suites, of course, are the A1 cabins which are located directly under the pool on the S class ships. I can only imagine it is because they are closer to the spa but I wouldn't want another room located under the pool deck under any circumstances again. I made that mistake once and only once ... it was not on Celebrity, though.

 

Sorry to hear about the diminishing attraction to AQ on your cruise. Sounds like a regular veranda cabin will be in my search criteria from now on.

[CallyCruzer]

We switched to Celebrity 4 or 5 years ago after cruising in Aqua on Reflection. We usually cruise twice a year in Aqua and I too feel that every time we get on board something has changed/deleted from the Aqua experience. However my biggest draw is Blu - I for one prefer the smaller dining room experience and short of booking a suite for Luminare or just specialty restaurants every night its the most cost efficient. Love Blu for breakfast - dinners have become less special but am hopeful since I am hearing of new menus. I for one always book the same rooms - A1 - love the hump cabins and in almost 10 cruises in those cabins - I have yet to have an issue with noise from the pool deck above. I wish Celebrity would stop penny pinching the experience though - bottled water, flowers, and come on - afternoon canapés have become a joke. I have even started bringing on my own crackers to have with my cheese and wine in the afternoons - saltines don't cut it!! Someone in corporate needs a shake up to understand that you may save a dollar or two - but you just end up losing your faithful following. It's the little things that make the experience.

[bphman]

With the premium they are charging for AQ on our particular cruise, they should be carrying you piggy-back down to Blu. We last sailed AQ 2 years ago on the Summit and were pleased. We used to sail in suites but the pricing is through the roof now with the amenities offered. When we booked a year before the suites were all booked so it wasn't even an option. We will have to see how the Silhouette is in July to decide about future plans.

[ISABELLA]

I forgot about flowers - there were none when we arrived. I got a rose from CC, but it was removed 2 days before the end of the cruise. I asked steward to bring it back and he did. Daily fruit was removed the morning of the last sea day. I just don't get these actions. Daily canapes were so tiny, not sure if they can be called one bite...We were told that there is a new menu in the works. Time frame was not clear. If Celebrity wouldn't stop cutting corners so much, they will become "nothing special" cruise line.

Maybe specialty restaurants are the future for a fine dining.

[Hlitner]

Isabella, we fully concur. Just off the Eclipse (last week) which was our 6th cruise (most of them 14 day cruises) in Aqua. Blu has disappointed us on our last 2 cruises with the quality and selection of the cuisine. And how they expect 2 wine stewards to handle a full Blu...is beyond me (and also beyond the wine stewards). Our next Celebrity cruise will be 21 days on the Reflection....but it will not be in Aqua :(. At this point the only way they would entice me back to Blu is to charge less for Aqua then a regular cabin.

 

Hank

[Iamthesea]

NO more gourmet cheeses, dry fruit or nuts were offered in OV during the cruise.

 

I noticed this on my last two cruises. I enjoy the items in my salads. Thankfully, i was able to get two standard cheese in the OV, but really miss the nuts and dried fruit.

[Northern Aurora]

Aquaclass lost some of its value for me when the daily delivery of bottled water was discontinued.

[Wine-O]

Aquaclass lost some of its value for me when the daily delivery of bottled water was discontinued.

 

I know, it's the little things. On my last cruise, our stateroom attendant kept the water flowing without even asking. If it was gone, he replenished it. We never said anything.

[bigbenboys]

We book suites or Aqua cabins. If I cant justify the cost of the sky suite we then book aqua. I've always been able to find something to eat in Blu. I'm a non-game eater. Also wont eat lamb or veal. The service is always very good. If we dont like Blu in May 2017. The money I saved not booking a suite I can spend on specialty restaurants, drink packages. We have one more suite before 3 cruises in aqua. Then back to suites.

[hulamoon]

There are many times I think I should switch my A1 for a 1A, so far it hasn't happened. With the last changes we mostly go Aqua or SS and its price dependent and extended balcony dependant. I know longer cruise with expectations that anything will be as good as it once was. This makes me a more price sensitive cruiser.

[ghstudio]

There are many times I think I should switch my A1 for a 1A, so far it hasn't happened. With the last changes we mostly go Aqua or SS and its price dependent and extended balcony dependant. I know longer cruise with expectations that anything will be as good as it once was. This makes me a more price sensitive cruiser.

 

We've done just that....we sailed on about 7 cruises in Aqua and we enjoyed Blu but the menus got stale, the somelier service was almost non existent and we started to experience longer and longer waits for tables. For our last four or five cruises, we now book either C2 (at C3 price) or 1A's...and on S-class ships we only book 1A's.

 

We find the main dining room food is different, but very similar in quality....and we've had great waiter service there as well. The only thing we miss is breakfasts in Aqua, but we just use the MDR or elite event for breakfast.

 

I would still pay about $200 a person more for aqua on any of the ships, but no more...it's just not worth it. Part of that statement is the takeaways...the daily water, the towels, the flowers, the canapes which were for a time almost disgusting, the fruit bowl with a choice vs today's three apples that are never changed.

 

It's reasonable to guess that aqua was created to sell some of the least desireable cabins on the ships...directly under the pool deck with huge overhangs...and that worked for us because the total product offered was worth something. Our last cruise would have cost over $500 more per person to sail in aqua (S-class) and we had a wonderful 1A cabin on the slant with the extra large balconies. Blu isn't worth that, the cabin location certainly isn't worth that, and the cabin amenities aren't worth that. However, as long as people are willing to pay extra for less, Celebrity HQ doesn't and won't care. They sell the sizzle and people seem to not care when they find the sizzle is mostly marketing. That's business....

[Ron_L]

Well... I WAS looking forward to our first cruise in an AQ cabin.

 

Now, not so much...

[riclop]

We just came back from 10 days sailing in AQ on Equinox. This was my 5th time in AQ and I can say that Celebrity is scaling down even in comparison with TA we took in November 2015.

Cabin amenities: Towels are not as luxurious and large as used to be.

Toilet paper is 3d world country quality - FLL airport had better toilet paper.

Since I bring all my own toiletries - cannot comment on quality of provided in the cabin. No more daily bottles of water ( I know X discontinued bottled water sometime ago).

Persian Garden: Rules are not enforced, therefore people are taking naps there. I assumed that they oversold Persian Garden passes and AQ guests could not use PG at their leisure. There were always a wait for loungers - we've tried different times of the day.

BLU:VERY limited dessert menu: 2 items to choose from and even those are not creative or memorable, 6-8 flavors of ice cream. Ice cream is not dessert for an upscale restaurant.

They do offer the same boring 4 choices of " classic" desserts.

OV had better dessert choices. We were told that they got a lot of comments regarding limited dessert menu. I hope X is reading our surveys and make some changes for a better. Time will tell.

Last evening dinner choices were not very good. Fish was dry, meatloaf was missing flavors.

Bread choices for dinner are the same every day - consisted of bread sticks, cut baguettes and some days will be added 2 pcs of dark bread for 4 people - go figure....:rolleyes:

Breakfast was good.

Service was still very good.

In addition to AQ experience I would like to add, that there is NO more gourmet cheeses, dry fruit or nuts were offered in OV during the cruise.

Blu and PG were the main reason I would book AQ, but with these changes - it is not worth the price. 3 cruises next year - none in AQ.

 

Quality seems to be going down all over.

[hulamoon]

We've done just that....we sailed on about 7 cruises in Aqua and we enjoyed Blu but the menus got stale, the somelier service was almost non existent and we started to experience longer and longer waits for tables. For our last four or five cruises, we now book either C2 (at C3 price) or 1A's...and on S-class ships we only book 1A's.

 

We find the main dining room food is different, but very similar in quality....and we've had great waiter service there as well. The only thing we miss is breakfasts in Aqua, but we just use the MDR or elite event for breakfast.

 

I would still pay about $200 a person more for aqua on any of the ships, but no more...it's just not worth it. Part of that statement is the takeaways...the daily water, the towels, the flowers, the canapes which were for a time almost disgusting, the fruit bowl with a choice vs today's three apples that are never changed.

 

It's reasonable to guess that aqua was created to sell some of the least desireable cabins on the ships...directly under the pool deck with huge overhangs...and that worked for us because the total product offered was worth something. Our last cruise would have cost over $500 more per person to sail in aqua (S-class) and we had a wonderful 1A cabin on the slant with the extra large balconies. Blu isn't worth that, the cabin location certainly isn't worth that, and the cabin amenities aren't worth that. However, as long as people are willing to pay extra for less, Celebrity HQ doesn't and won't care. They sell the sizzle and people seem to not care when they find the sizzle is mostly marketing. That's business....

 

Nice assessment GHStudio, it is the missing amazing breakfast, but if the dining room is going to be open that makes it better. I do like the private dining room of Blu and in suites sometimes it makes no sense for the upgraded dining room price wise especially now since you must buy the specialty separate. With an 1A you can choose to eat in specialty or not and not worry about the uncharge. Do you mean 200 pp a week? I love everyones financial assessments on cabin categories!

 

I will say, especially for you Ron L, (I still remember your awesome review from the Summit a few years ago) you are probably going to love Aq the first time. If you like the PG find the times that work for you, or go to dinner late and be there when it is likely empty. The dining room can be very nice and an easy place to make friends. The waiters do want to make you happy and the food in September was pretty good and better than many. There were less game choices than years ago. You also will not be burdened with your memories of what it was and can appreciate what it is.

[Duanerice1]

Well... I WAS looking forward to our first cruise in an AQ cabin.

 

Now, not so much...

 

I would if I were you. We just got back (today) from 10 days on the Eclipse in AQ. We liked it. We had a flower but I think it was from CC or something. Didn't need the water as we had a drink package but if not I would have asked. Ice tea was OK and I did eat the fruit they left :) Nice toiletries too. And yea they discontinued the nice towels but the shower was fantastic. Not all the little jets but the shower itself was great. I just brought towels from the pool as they were big.

 

We love Blu. The service and presentation were fantastic as always. The food... although good, there were times when I really couldn't find anything I really wanted. But I wouldn't give it up for the MDR. No way! We had the same table and servers every night. We had lunch one day in the MDR, my what a difference. So loud and hectic compared to Blu.

 

I agree, the Persian Gardens are a disappointment. I did use the sauna a few times but that's it. No hot tub or T pool is a let down. Even Carnival has one in their spa.

 

We've been in AQ 3 times now and would book again. But, we only book when the price is right. Last two times we booked another category until the AQ price fell.

 

enjoy

[anniegb]

Aquaclass lost some of its value for me when the daily delivery of bottled water was discontinued.

 

Just returned from the Millie - the 1st time in my Aqua - my comment - where is the value??

 

Annie

[Leandros]

We started in 2013 with AQ on the Summit, which was great: stateroom, service and food + great staff all over the ship.

 

We did some other cruises in AQ in between and the last this April on the Eclipse. We did feel some decline in service as well.

 

-We had to ask our cabin steward for almost everything (can't remember his name, but it was a guy from India), bucket of ice, towels for the loungers, etc. we found that a bit annoying.

 

- Blu: The first two nights, the service was awful, my DW and did not want to experience this for the remaining days. Luckily: On the second night we discovered a great waiter and assistant in a different area, so for the rest of the cruise we asked to be seated in this area to get the same waiter each night, he treated us very nice and we really enjoyed each night in BLU.

 

Food was satisfying for us. We have been provided also with an additional vegetarian menu each time, to provide a broader selection.

 

Bottom line for us, there is no standard service/skill level for the personnel, Celebrity should change that and pay more attention when selecting and educating their staff.

 

For our next cruise in Oct 2017, we have been lucky to get a SS1 at a great price on the Reflection. I am really keen to see the differences to AQ, Luminae, Michael's, etc.

But if suites will not be in our price range, we would definitely go for AQ again.

[Wineart]

We've also noticed the changes in AQ. We've sailed AQ at least 5 times, but on our last cruise in AQ last January, we were so disappointed in Blu that we ate in specialty restaurants most nights. Just booked another cruise, and opted for a regular verandah cabin because AQ just isn't worth it to us anymore.

[benne1ej]

Well... I WAS looking forward to our first cruise in an AQ cabin.

 

Now, not so much...

 

I was thinking the same thing! Taking my first cruise ever on Reflection in April and getting a little nervous now..