aqua class,,BLU restaurant

[misterkevin]

Anonymously is clearly a troll who finds pleasure in prodding people on these forums. Please ignore this person who's clearly a malcontent with nothing better to do than spread ill will.

[AnOnymously]

What do they serve in the MDR that is not available in BLU? What did you eat in BLU that was so terrible?

 

Also, what do you like about concierge class? If I was going to save money I would book a Verandah., not concierge. The cabins are the same size and you eat in the same MDR.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Beef Wellington and prime rib and we were on M class so the whole menu at MDR was mercifully available.

Most evening meals I have had better on other lines, I thought BLU was going to be the bees knees by reading this forum and was not.

 

My breakfast is well documented, but as you ask. It was supposed to be English back bacon that came as one screwed up rasher covered in brown grease and one breakfast sausage that was like a torpedo sponge and when prodded with a fork out poured more brown grease. The fish were treated that night because it went back and into that machine which swills up all the unused food and dumps it into the sea.

 

At least in the self service breakfast I could see what I was getting before choosing.

 

I think Concierge because of the lunch on embarkation and also the comments on here. But anything rather than pay expensively for what I thought, and especially with the comments on here, was going to be the best experience of my cruising career. Then with money saved use speciality restaurants.

 

 

Some have commented on mine being a minority opinion, but unlike many forums, if you read these it is people who like Celebrity and therefore the ones who had a bad deal, just don't bother coming on here, and they are heavily criticised for daring to comment adversely if they do.

[marieps]

If I were persuaded ever to use Celebrity again, I would book Concierge, save the money and use speciality restaurants. Much better food and BLU is useless for breakfast and the best meals we had in BLU were from MDR menu.

 

Useless for breakfast? I'm interested upon what your opinion is based. I personally love the breakfast in Blu, but certainly look forward to reading your perspective.

[dkjretired]

Beef Wellington and prime rib and we were on M class so the whole menu at MDR was mercifully available.

Most evening meals I have had better on other lines, I thought BLU was going to be the bees knees by reading this forum and was not.

 

My breakfast is well documented, but as you ask. It was supposed to be English back bacon that came as one screwed up rasher covered in brown grease and one breakfast sausage that was like a torpedo sponge and when prodded with a fork out poured more brown grease. The fish were treated that night because it went back and into that machine which swills up all the unused food and dumps it into the sea.

 

At least in the self service breakfast I could see what I was getting before choosing.

 

 

 

I think Concierge because of the lunch on embarkation and also the comments on here. But anything rather than pay expensively for what I thought, and especially with the comments on here, was going to be the best experience of my cruising career. Then with money saved use speciality restaurants.

 

 

Some have commented on mine being a minority opinion, but unlike many forums, if you read these it is people who like Celebrity and therefore the ones who had a bad deal, just don't bother coming on here, and they are heavily criticised for daring to comment adversely if they do.

 

I am one who has said your comments on Blu are a very minority opinion and I stand by that. If you read my previous posts I have criticized Celebrity a lot more than you have and don't criticize others for having a negative opinion. The worst I have ever said about your comments on Blu is it is a minority opinion. There is so much more negative criticism on this board than there was years ago so your comments are really without basis.

[Silkroad]

Also, what do you like about concierge class? If I was going to save money I would book a Verandah., not concierge. The cabins are the same size and you eat in the same MDR.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Concierge cabins are larger than veranda cabins on M class ships. On occasion, concierge cabins are the same price as similarly located veranda cabins. That is why I myself booked my first Concierge cabin for my next cruise, on Silhouette. We will enjoy the footstools on the veranda, and the embarkation luncheon.

 

I would have preferred an Aqua cabin (despite our less than impressive introduction to the class on Summit last year, we’re willing to try again on an S class ship) or a sky suite (to try Luminae for the first time) but the prices were significantly higher than Concierge or Veranda cabins. Incidentally, except for the most incredibly disgusting Eggs Benedict I’ve ever encountered, we thought the food in Blu (though never warm enough) good to very good. I cannot say we thought the food itself, with the exception of the table side muesli, was better than that served in the MDR on Silhouette, Reflection and Millennium.

[AnOnymously]

Concierge cabins are larger than veranda cabins on M class ships. On occasion, concierge cabins are the same price as similarly located veranda cabins. That is why I myself booked my first Concierge cabin for my next cruise, on Silhouette. We will enjoy the footstools on the veranda, and the embarkation luncheon.

 

I would have preferred an Aqua cabin (despite our less than impressive introduction to the class on Summit last year, we’re willing to try again on an S class ship) or a sky suite (to try Luminae for the first time) but the prices were significantly higher than Concierge or Veranda cabins. Incidentally, except for the most incredibly disgusting Eggs Benedict I’ve ever encountered, we thought the food in Blu (though never warm enough) good to very good. I cannot say we thought the food itself, with the exception of the table side muesli, was better than that served in the MDR on Silhouette, Reflection and Millennium.

And table side muesli gone

[Mynki]

I am one who has said your comments on Blu are a very minority opinion and I stand by that. If you read my previous posts I have criticized Celebrity a lot more than you have and don't criticize others for having a negative opinion. The worst I have ever said about your comments on Blu is it is a minority opinion. There is so much more negative criticism on this board than there was years ago so your comments are really without basis.

 

Don, our friend booked an X cruise in the UK. Didn't get the best deal he could have due to a lack of homework and has been feeling the butt hurt ever since.

 

Check his posting history it speaks volumes. Some people just don't know how to enjoy themselves. :D

 

No one takes him seriously. ;)

[Silkroad]

And table side muesli gone

 

I had delicious table side muesli offered daily, on a Summit ten-day cruise last June.

[Silkroad]

Don, our friend booked an X cruise in the UK. Didn't get the best deal he could have due to a lack of homework and has been feeling the butt hurt ever since.

 

Check his posting history it speaks volumes. Some people just don't know how to enjoy themselves. :D

 

No one takes him seriously. ;)

 

Ow! You almost made me spill my drink laughing:') Fortunately, it was only coffee, not the glass of Pinot Noir with which I intend to reward myself for getting through a trying day without losing my temper:halo:

[Hidden Minnie]

Beef Wellington and prime rib and we were on M class so the whole menu at MDR was mercifully available.

 

My breakfast is well documented, but as you ask. It was supposed to be English back bacon that came as one screwed up rasher covered in brown grease and one breakfast sausage that was like a torpedo sponge and when prodded with a fork out poured more brown grease.

 

Thankfully, none of those are items we eat, so we are very much looking forward to the yogurt parfaits and muesli for breakfast, and an interesting selection of fish and lighter desserts for dinner. We inevitably tire of heavy rich foods onboard after a few days, so we're hoping to avoid that eating in Blu.

 

If anyone has images of current menus, I would love to see some. Most of the images I can find online are rather old.

[AnOnymously]

Thankfully, none of those are items we eat, so we are very much looking forward to the yogurt parfaits and muesli for breakfast, and an interesting selection of fish and lighter desserts for dinner. We inevitably tire of heavy rich foods onboard after a few days, so we're hoping to avoid that eating in Blu.

 

If anyone has images of current menus, I would love to see some. Most of the images I can find online are rather old.

No table side muesli last September on Constellation in BLU, just stuf that looked and tasted like wall paper paste. Good luck.

[ghstudio]

Anonymously...there must be something you liked in blu. How about the breadsticks..

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[shipshape sam]

I had delicious table side muesli offered daily, on a Summit ten-day cruise last June.

 

They have breadsticks in BLU? We were only offered a some bread slices. Muesli was not served table side, if I understand table side to mean preparation there. It came from kitchen and had yogurt added. I liked the Oceanview Cafe version much better. Breakfast, if I got the eggs, sausages, hash browns, beans, english bacon were very good the 2 times I had them in BLU, otherwise it was the gruel (muesli). Never had the pastries. Grapefruit juice was excellent as it was the same as the Elite breakfast in Tuscan Grill area.

 

I can see if you don't like something/place or had/having some issues, you can start to look for the bad/mistakes vs balance view.

 

Many sing the virtues of BLU, but I was not overly impressed and not sure we would use again. Not saying it was bad, just not what I had expected, especially for dinner. Service was always very good and most times we sat towards the back and had the same service providers. Window seating area was of no value to us being dark outside for dinner. We were on Silhouette this past January

Edited February 19, 2018 by shipshape sam

[shipshape sam]

Anonymously...there must be something you liked in blu. How about the breadsticks..

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

 

Duplicate post.

[AnOnymously]

Anonymously...there must be something you liked in blu. How about the breadsticks..

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Leaving I liked

[Ozzmund]

No table side muesli last September on Constellation in BLU, just stuf that looked and tasted like wall paper paste. Good luck.

 

Have yet to taste wall paper paste, I will have to take your word on it.

[Luvcrusn]

Whenever I make a purchase and look at reviews to help me evaluate the item I'm buying, I read the reviews. I look at the number of positive and negative reviews. I believe it's human nature that those unhappy with their purchase experience will be more likely to write a review. Those who are happy, will likely just go off into the sunset and enjoy their purchase without taking the time to share. I also read the negative reviews. Sometimes what makes someone unhappy, will be important to me, other times not so much. I also look at the consistency between both the positive and negative reviews. Are the negatives all complaining about the same problem with the product? Then I use the reviews to help make an informed choice. When there are multiple negative reviews about the same product, all written by one reviewer, and few or no other negative reviews I generally decide that the negative reviewer had a bad experience and had an axe to grind. Either they got a bad product that's an anomaly, or they are not pleased because the product was not to their liking.

[AnOnymously]

have yet to taste wall paper paste, i will have to take your word on it.

lol

[crazee4cruzin]

Can't wait to try Blu! Some people are just snobs. I throw out their opinions until I try it for myself.

[I_r_a]

Hey Luv,

 

> Either they got a bad product that's an anomaly, or they are not pleased because the product was not to their liking.<

 

Also, they have been paid to write a negative review - alas.

 

Ira

[Luvcrusn]

Hey Luv,

 

> Either they got a bad product that's an anomaly, or they are not pleased because the product was not to their liking.<

 

Also, they have been paid to write a negative review - alas.

 

Ira

I've heard of folds being paid for positive reviews, but being paid for a negative one?! What's this world coming to? That speaks to all kinds of corporative sabotage.

[Vagabond Knight]

Whenever I make a purchase and look at reviews to help me evaluate the item I'm buying, I read the reviews. I look at the number of positive and negative reviews. I believe it's human nature that those unhappy with their purchase experience will be more likely to write a review. Those who are happy, will likely just go off into the sunset and enjoy their purchase without taking the time to share. I also read the negative reviews. Sometimes what makes someone unhappy, will be important to me, other times not so much. I also look at the consistency between both the positive and negative reviews. Are the negatives all complaining about the same problem with the product? Then I use the reviews to help make an informed choice. When there are multiple negative reviews about the same product, all written by one reviewer, and few or no other negative reviews I generally decide that the negative reviewer had a bad experience and had an axe to grind. Either they got a bad product that's an anomaly, or they are not pleased because the product was not to their liking.

 

Yes, you are very wise to look at both good and bad reviews, and to consider them in the "perspective" of which they were written. We all have different tastes, preferences, and motivations, and our opinion of something can even change based on what mood we're in and what else was going on in our life when we encountered that product. One person may wake up in a great mood after a wonderful evening, with everything seeming right in the world. Another person may have just had a fight with his/her spouse, gotten an aggravating email from work, and had the toilet back up in their cabin. In addition to their normal personality differences, these two people are probably going to react differently if the service is a little slow or the eggs are not done to their liking at breakfast. The person having the good day will probably just tuck it away as one less-than-optimal meal out of 21 or more that week, while the other person may turn it into their defining opinion of that dining room, that ship, or that cruise line.

 

You can sometimes figure out the perspective from which someone is writing a review by reading others they've written, or by knowing something about the product yourself. I am also an avid timeshare owner and my timeshares resorts are oceanfront, but it's the resort that's oceanfront, not ALL the units. A few of the non-owner exchange visitors who end up in non-oceanfront units (sorry, owners get first dibs on those) will tend to find anything and everything wrong with the unit they're assigned, trying to get management to move them to an oceanfront unit. Usually, this is unsuccessful due to the number of owners who actually use their weeks. Some of the initially disgruntled exchangers will accept that once they understand the pecking order (because they're timeshare owners themselves), but others will write scathing reviews about the resort and then have the audacity to demand a comped week at that same resort to "make up for their horrible vacation." (Interesting logic there, eh?)

[dkjretired]

Yes, you are very wise to look at both good and bad reviews, and to consider them in the "perspective" of which they were written. We all have different tastes, preferences, and motivations, and our opinion of something can even change based on what mood we're in and what else was going on in our life when we encountered that product. One person may wake up in a great mood after a wonderful evening, with everything seeming right in the world. Another person may have just had a fight with his/her spouse, gotten an aggravating email from work, and had the toilet back up in their cabin. In addition to their normal personality differences, these two people are probably going to react differently if the service is a little slow or the eggs are not done to their liking at breakfast. The person having the good day will probably just tuck it away as one less-than-optimal meal out of 21 or more that week, while the other person may turn it into their defining opinion of that dining room, that ship, or that cruise line.

 

You can sometimes figure out the perspective from which someone is writing a review by reading others they've written, or by knowing something about the product yourself. I am also an avid timeshare owner and my timeshares resorts are oceanfront, but it's the resort that's oceanfront, not ALL the units. A few of the non-owner exchange visitors who end up in non-oceanfront units (sorry, owners get first dibs on those) will tend to find anything and everything wrong with the unit they're assigned, trying to get management to move them to an oceanfront unit. Usually, this is unsuccessful due to the number of owners who actually use their weeks. Some of the initially disgruntled exchangers will accept that once they understand the pecking order (because they're timeshare owners themselves), but others will write scathing reviews about the resort and then have the audacity to demand a comped week at that same resort to "make up for their horrible vacation." (Interesting logic there, eh?)

 

Good post, love to read the reviews of those people on the Carnival Cruise this week.....

[shipshape sam]

Can't wait to try Blu! Some people are just snobs. I throw out their opinions until I try it for myself.

 

Come back once you have tried and let us know your experience. For sure, your opinion is the most important for you!

 

We tried AQ/BLU and now have an experience tailored to our likes/wants/needs.

 

For sure, it is also nice to read good and bad reviews/opinions. I actually like balanced reviews/opinions, not trashing or gushing, but that is me.

[Silkroad]

Many sing the virtues of BLU, but I was not overly impressed and not sure we would use again. Not saying it was bad, just not what I had expected, especially for dinner.

 

I don’t recall breadsticks in Blu on Summit, but there were tasty breadsticks in the MDR on Reflection (both last year). We did have muesli made tableside on several mornings. Other than the appalling Eggs Benedict I mentioned earlier, the breakfasts were fine. The hot food was never more than tepid. In fairness, it’s possible this may be a problem only on M class ships, on which Blu was added during retrofits. We enjoyed the more relaxed experience of breakfast in Blu, but I missed the hot, made to order omelettes and hot crisp bacon in OVC. Due to the very limited hours in Blu, we skipped it the mornings after a couple very late nights and went to OVC instead.

 

I’d have to say I’m in sympathy with your assessment, as our experience in Blu was mixed. Some experienced Aqua PAX assured us that we shouldn’t judge Aqua by that cruise on that ship. They recommended trying it on an S class ship, but high prices prevented me from booking Aqua for our current cruises. We too had high expectations based on the hosannas from friends and people on these boards. Our service was mostly excellent, and dinners were usually very good. We met some lovely, interesting people and did usually enjoy our dinners once we were finally seated.

 

Our problem was that, regardless of when we turned up, most nights we were given a pager and told to expect roughly a 20 to 45 minute wait. This has already been thoroughly discussed on another thread, but we know our cruise had an abundance of higher echelon CC members (we were only Select) many of whom filled Aqua cabins and Suites, many of those suite members preferred Blu, and many of them sail on that ship quite often. This might explain, though not excuse, the fact that many Aqua PAX who were new to the ship were pushed into last place, as it were. I certainly understand why staff who have relationships of long standing with regular PAX, and who know they’ll receive thumping great additional tips from them, would favor them over all of us who were unknown quantities. Nonetheless, we did not have the fantastic, relaxing experience in Blu that we’d been led to expect, and had dared to hope was possible. Perhaps it is possible for us, but it’s not likely on that ship, or any ship sailing from Cape Liberty. Our expectations were high, but not unreasonable or unrealistic. When I find a reasonable fare on an S class ship, we’ll try again and hope for better luck.