aqua class,,BLU restaurant

[Luvcrusn]

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.

So sorry you had a disappointing experience in Blu. We were on Reflection in December in Blu and our experiences appear to be polar opposites. Our omelets arrived hot and properly made, the eggs benedict (DH favorite and he's picky) were perfect, and the salmon benedict were also wonderful. In the evenings we typically arrived between 6:30 and 8:00 PM and only were handed a pager one night. We waited under 5 minutes. The Reflection is Celebrity's largest ship, so I would expect that were there to be a problem it might appear there. I now feel that I'd be more likely to pay the extra for Aqua Class on M-class ships than on S-class since our favorite specialty dining venues (Ocean Liners/Murano) were removed from the M-class ships.

[AnOnymously]

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.

I share that sentiment about hopes high, especially from the glowing reviews on here, but alas Celebrity had its shot at our custom and blew it. There are too many other cruise lines out there to give a chance to without going back to one that let us and themselves badly down.

[Silkroad]

So sorry you had a disappointing experience in Blu. We were on Reflection in December in Blu and our experiences appear to be polar opposites. Our omelets arrived hot and properly made, the eggs benedict (DH favorite and he's picky) were perfect, and the salmon benedict were also wonderful. In the evenings we typically arrived between 6:30 and 8:00 PM and only were handed a pager one night. We waited under 5 minutes. The Reflection is Celebrity's largest ship, so I would expect that were there to be a problem it might appear there. I now feel that I'd be more likely to pay the extra for Aqua Class on M-class ships than on S-class since our favorite specialty dining venues (Ocean Liners/Murano) were removed from the M-class ships.

 

I suspect I wasn’t clear enough. We were in Blu on Summit, which is an M-class ship. On Reflection, we had a 1A veranda and dined in the MDR. We had a fantastic experience on Reflection in our veranda cabin and the MDR, so as I said, we would try Aqua again, but ONLY on a Solstice class ship like Reflection or Silhouette. Thanks for sharing your experiences in Blu on Reflection because you give me hope for better luck next time. We too mourn the beautiful Ocean Liners restaurants and can’t understand why they chose to replace them with Tuscan Grill!

[Luvcrusn]

I suspect I wasn’t clear enough. We were in Blu on Summit, which is an M-class ship. On Reflection, we had a 1A veranda and dined in the MDR. We had a fantastic experience on Reflection in our veranda cabin and the MDR, so as I said, we would try Aqua again, but ONLY on a Solstice class ship like Reflection or Silhouette. Thanks for sharing your experiences in Blu on Reflection because you give me hope for better luck next time. We too mourn the beautiful Ocean Liners restaurants and can’t understand why they chose to replace them with Tuscan Grill!

Agree about Tuscan. We just don't see the value and haven't felt that it was worth the upcharge. So, we look at it as Celebrity saved us money when we sail M-class ships. Q-sine for us is a one and done and DH hates sushi. So on M-class, we save money on specialty dining and are more likely to do Aqua. Now after reading your review of it we may reconsider that alternative as well.

[Silkroad]

I share that sentiment about hopes high, especially from the glowing reviews on here, but alas Celebrity had its shot at our custom and blew it. There are too many other cruise lines out there to give a chance to without going back to one that let us and themselves badly down.

 

I understand. We’ve decided to take the advice of experienced Aqua travelers and not rule out Blu without trying it on an S class ship. We did not have the experience you had with the food, or we might think differently. Most of the food was very good, though we did not find it better than the meals we’d had in MDR on Reflection only two months prior to our Blu experience. Not worse, but not better either. We did think the ambiance in Blu was better, and the service mostly excellent (though we had excellent service in MDR on Reflection as well). All in all, we’ve had enough positive experiences on Celebrity that we’re prepared to give them another chance to show us a proper Blu experience.

[Silkroad]

Agree about Tuscan. We just don't see the value and haven't felt that it was worth the upcharge. So, we look at it as Celebrity saved us money when we sail M-class ships. Q-sine for us is a one and done and DH hates sushi. So on M-class, we save money on specialty dining and are more likely to do Aqua. Now after reading your review of it we may reconsider that alternative as well.

 

Please do look at other reviews for Summit because she is lovely despite a little rust here and there:) If you’ve got a longer sailing history with Celebrity, you might do better in the competition for a table. Also, people may not be having the same experiences on other m-class ships sailing from other locations. We’re sad because Cape Liberty is close enough for us to drive. We would sail on Summit in her current location again, but only in Veranda, Concierge or a Suite. I have heard there are plans to make m-class OVC more like S-class, which would be a blessing! BTW Summit’s Rendevous Lounge was very nice indeed, though our favorite server (Shevorn) was moving to Equinox.

[Ozzmund]

We have only experienced Blu in S class ships (Reflection, Eclipse and Equinox) and have enjoyed each experience. The ambiance, service and food have not disappointed.

[Silkroad]

We have only experienced Blu in S class ships (Reflection, Eclipse and Equinox) and have enjoyed each experience. The ambiance, service and food have not disappointed.

 

That’s very encouraging. Thanks:)

[Bostonluvs2cruise]

This opinion is in the minority. I accept that the poster has a dislike for Blu, but 99.9% of everyone else has a favorable review.

 

 

 

They also don’t seem to like Celebrity...

 

 

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[AnOnymously]

They also don’t seem to like Celebrity...

 

 

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i am pleased that other people have what they regard as good/exceptional experiences with BLU. But it was that high preponderance that led me to expect that and it was far from it. So I think that visitors here should hear about that experience so they can form their own judgement, if more people who have not been satisfied had posted before I booked I might have done something different.

 

As to Celebrity, I was, as I am with any organisation, prepared to take them as I find them, so my anti-Celebrity stance is of their own making and the way they have conducted themselves in relation to me and my holiday. Ask me about other holidays and some have been fantastic, some average and some awfull and I have said so on here and on Trip Advisor. Cruise lines, TA's, holiday companies do only get one chance at impressing me. I have neither the money, nor the holiday time left to risk another poor holiday from one that has delivered that already, and so I am willing to give other companies a chance. My next three cruises are with 3 different companies and none are Celebrity.

[Mynki]

Please do look at other reviews for Summit because she is lovely despite a little rust here and there:) If you’ve got a longer sailing history with Celebrity, you might do better in the competition for a table. Also, people may not be having the same experiences on other m-class ships sailing from other locations. We’re sad because Cape Liberty is close enough for us to drive. We would sail on Summit in her current location again, but only in Veranda, Concierge or a Suite. I have heard there are plans to make m-class OVC more like S-class, which would be a blessing! BTW Summit’s Rendevous Lounge was very nice indeed, though our favorite server (Shevorn) was moving to Equinox.

 

If you were to trawl through my posting history over the last few years you would find many favourable posts about Blu and aqua class in general.

 

However late last year I did back to backs on Summit, the first in concierge class (a first for us as we've only ever sailed aqua or suite class before) and the second in aqua.

 

This gave is chance to compare the MDR and Blu fairly well. I have dined in the MDR previously and always found seervice and food to be better in Blu than the MDR. Luminae is a definite step up from both and as I've said before in this day and age, you'll only experience the best Celebrity has to offer if travelling suite class.

 

The MDR was frustrating because I hate the idea of fixed dining times. I have no idea when I'll be wanting dinner so prefer anytime dining. As a result we were regularly given a beeper and had to wait to be seated. The service from our waiter and his assistant was very good. The sommelier was a typical 'pretend sommelier' employed by celebrity who provided hit and miss service. The food was ok, good some evenings too.

 

However I looked forward to transferring to Blu. Unfortunately we found the service to be poor. During our first breakfast there the wait team got our order wrong three times. I had a quick word with the maitre d' who assured us things would improve.

 

During our trip in aqua class it became very apparent that service standards had slipped and the quality of food had been reduced. One night I decided to return to the MDR. We had been seated for 19 minutes or so when the Blu maitre 'd asked if he could speak to us. It turns out that when an aqua guest checks into a nother restaurant they can tell via their computer system. He asked if everything was ok and advised that he goes looking for people when checking into the MDR to ensure everything is ok.

 

I advised that I thought the service had nosedived. I told him that the food quality was noticably poorer than previous trips to Blu and stated that he needed an additional four waiters and an additional sommelier. Blu had been drafting in staff from elsewhere to cope with the pressure and everyone in there was aware.

 

I felt sorry for the guy because he'd clearly been let down by management and whilst he made it very clear that he was limited to what he could say, he agreed with what I was saying. As a gesture he said we could order anything from the Blu or MDR restaurant and from that point on we were always presented with both menus which was appreciated. And yes, I'm well aware this is not normal practise but he really didn't like to see aqua guests in the MDR.

 

So... I'm not impressed with Summit. There are many other areas that were less than impressive though it did have its good points too. But I'd certainly not rush to book on there again.

 

I believe Celebrity offer a good product. But not nearly as good as their marketing suggests. I believe it is very much a two tier service line. Suite class is considerably better and priced accordingly.

 

As a result of our very mediocre 21 day experince I've decided not to book any additional cruises until I've tried Oceania, Azamara and even RCL. I may love the other lines and never come back. I may hate them and end up achieving Zenith level captains club status (highly unlikely really). I don't know. But I have noticed a substantial number of seasoned Celebrity cruiseres stating on here that the cut backs and price hikes make the line a lot less appealing. Many people are noticing Blu taking a nose dive and beoming less appealing too.

 

I'm booked in AQ late this year, followed shortly by an Edge suite in january and probably will complete both bookings. If Blu on Millennium matches our Summit experience it's highly unlikely I'll book a non suite experience with X again. Big things are expected from Edge, but being realistic and understanding the importance of standardisation across the fleet I really don't think Blu will be any better on Millennium or Edge. After all, the menus are created in Miami. The products are sourced by Miami with the chefs given very limited chances to creat their own meals, even then this is only allowed in the MDR and crew restaurants.

 

So in short, I'd expect to see less positive feedback from those who've been dining in Blu for some time.

 

I would add that the food and service in Sushi on 5 was excellent on Summit though. I don't think it coincidence that the place was regularly feeding officers and Captain Kate. We went three times, every time was great. Tuscan was decidedly average. Our local steak houses have it beat on every level here on land.

[Silkroad]

I'm booked in AQ late this year, followed shortly by an Edge suite in january and probably will complete both bookings. If Blu on Millennium matches our Summit experience it's highly unlikely I'll book a non suite experience with X again. Big things are expected from Edge, but being realistic and understanding the importance of standardisation across the fleet I really don't think Blu will be any better on Millennium or Edge. After all, the menus are created in Miami. The products are sourced by Miami with the chefs given very limited chances to creat their own meals, even then this is only allowed in the MDR and crew restaurants.

 

So in short, I'd expect to see less positive feedback from those who've been dining in Blu for some time.

 

I would add that the food and service in Sushi on 5 was excellent on Summit though. I don't think it coincidence that the place was regularly feeding officers and Captain Kate. We went three times, every time was great. Tuscan was decidedly average. Our local steak houses have it beat on every level here on land.

 

We’ve three cruises booked with Celebrity, all in Concierge, which we’ve not tried before. I booked Concierge only because the fares were the same as a 1A Veranda for one, $20 pp less for another, and perhaps $30 pp more for the last. I was prepared to book Aqua or a Sky Suite on the first two, but prices were out of line IMO. As for our spring TA on Edge, we wanted an Infinite Veranda (and knew the other cabin prices would be stratospheric).

 

We’re still satisfied with the Celebrity product, but we’ve always considered trying Azamara and Oceania. Viking interests us also. We’ve considered Princess as well, but only for specific itineraries. My brother and SIL had a dreadful experience on RC a few years ago, so I’m wary of the line. The recent Celebrity increases have inspired us to look around a bit more, but we’re not yet ready to ditch Celebrity. Taking three cruises within a year will be an interesting (and new) experience for us, and a test for Celebrity, though I wish I’d felt able to book a suite and Aqua cabin for comparison. I intend to finally “give back” to the community of reviewers by posting some form of review for each cruise, though it may not be live.

 

Thank you for posting your experiences in Blu on Summit. It may be true that we’ll see fewer positive posts about Blu in future, but there are currently many Blu fans, who sometimes morph into fanatics. When I posted (on an older thread) some portions of our issues with Blu on Summit (to date, our sole Blu experience) I sometimes felt as though I was being interrogated. It was as though my account was fabricated, or I was unreasonable. Having seen other posters subjected to such treatment, I was unsurprised. In fact, compared to some, I was treated gently (perhaps because I had many positive things to say as well). Unfortunately, none of the people who shared our negative experiences posted, though one or two people who had a positive experience did post. The review that comes to mind was quite balanced, and I agreed with everything it said, except the five star reviews of the entire Blu experience. The reviewer had obviously sailed with many of the Blu staff for years, so it’s not surprising that his or her experience was better than ours.

 

I agree with you that Summit’s Sushi on Five was very good. Having only had one good meal out of three in Tuscan Grill on previous cruises, we didn’t bother with the one on Summit.

 

Should you try one of the other lines, I’d be quite interested in your assessments, especially if you compare them with similar Celebrity Cruises. Cheers!

[Mynki]

 

Should you try one of the other lines, I’d be quite interested in your assessments, especially if you compare them with similar Celebrity Cruises. Cheers!

 

I'll post some reviews. It won't be for a while though. I have three cruises including two with X between now and next january as well as land vacations so it will be 2019 before trying AZ and O. We are on RCL in a few months. I've booked because an extended family group are sailing and it is an itinerary I want to do. My perceptions are that Independence of the Seas will feel crowded as we've never sailed on a ship as big. I don't expect service or food quality to be as good as comparable dining rooms on X but I do expect the ship amenities to keep us busy. Then again I've always said that a vacation is what you make of it and who you're with is what really matters. So we shall see.

 

I've never sailed Princess and never really paid them any attention. I've met fellow cruises onboard X that have and all say that X is just a slight step up. I suspect I'd find the reverse if I were on a Princess ship though. In reality I think they's be little difference between non suite class with X beating them in suite class from what I have read. I'm sure Princess fans would have much to say about that!

 

Azamara, I think if I had to sum up their entire appeal in one word it would simply be 'itinerary'. The ships don't really appeal and I'd not be looking to book an AZ TA or TP as I suspect I'd be bored quickly as they're not known for their entertainment. The balcony rooms look small and the bathrooms less than impressive. I'd expect service and food to beat Celebrity's MDR and Blu offerings but don't know how they will compare to Luminae or the specialty restaurants. They do however beat most lines in terms of itinerary appeal so I do fully intend to try them.

 

Oceania, the accomodations look good, I hear great things about the food and service. Again I don't expect much entertainment wise so I currently perceive this to be a step up from Celebrity. Again though, I don't know how a Celebrity suite experience would stack up against a similarly priced Oceania balcony room. I note there are a small number of O fan boys forever stating that O is so much better and similarly priced when everything is factored in. However when I've tried to compare as closely as possible (Room class, itinerary, time of year) their claims don't stack up. I suspect this only applied to a handful of itineraries at certain times.

 

As for the Blu fan boys and girls, you'll find them on here as well as the haters too. The great thing about Cruise Critic is that it has hundreds of reviews. This thread demonstrates the view of a hater perfectly, so I'd advise all to discount the worst ten percent and the top ten percent of reviews and look for trends amongst the more objective thoughts in between.

 

In rare cases I've seen aqua class priced less than regular verandas, sometimes very closely priced to them and occasionally considerably more. I'd suggest AQ is worth a bit more, but not much. If you don't use the spa and the cost is more than a specialty dining package I wouldn't book AQ these days as the dive in service and food quality have really detracted from it's appeal IMHO.

 

I'll look forward to reading your reviews of O and AZ in the future hopefully. :)

[Silkroad]

I'll look forward to reading your reviews of O and AZ in the future hopefully. :)

 

I’ll look forward to your comments on your RC cruise, as well as your two on X. You won’t see my reviews of the other lines anytime soon, because we have three booked on X during the next year, as well as a couple of family gatherings.

 

I agree with you about the Azamara cabins. They look very small. We have friends who began with RC, moved to X, then moved to Azamara and never looked back. He is a foodie, and they both enjoy the food. One thing they mentioned is that if you have “that guy” (or the female equivalent) on your cruise, you may have difficulty avoiding him or her because the ship is smaller. I’m interested in Azamara’s Iberian Peninsula sailing that docks at Seville, not Cadiz. Their Asian itineraries also look very interesting. I know less about O, but Riviera and Marina look lovely. Both lines have their cheerleaders, but, like you, I throw out the highest and lowest reviews and evaluate the rest. It’s the same with Viking Ocean. I really appreciate honest and even-handed reviews illustrated with practical information and examples. I give those reviews the most weight when I’m evaluating a cruise line or an itinerary. My challenge will be to live up to the example set by my favorite reviewers when I write my first review:). Fingers crossed;)

[NantahalaCruiser]

I appreciate the Blu reviews - good, bad and in-between.

 

My wife and I have enjoyed the food and service in Blu on all 5 of our AQ cruises, including the most recent last September on the Equinox. However, AQ and Blu is no longer affordable for us - so the level of service and quality is a moot point.

 

Instead of an A1 or A2, we are currently booked in a 1A (with 1B loyalty fare) on the September 6, 2019 12N Iberian Peninsula cruise on Reflection. We had considered AQ, but the difference in price between 1B and A2 fares is $900 pp. With that price difference, we could instead each purchase 2 specialty restaurant packages and eat 2 dinners in two different restaurants each night (perhaps 2 or 3 courses in each :cool:) for all 12 nights of the cruise and still have $276 pp left over to spend on shore excursions.

[gogo65]

I’m not sure that 99.9% of people like Blu...

Ive done Aqua class 3 times and concierge twice, I’m currently booked in a 2a balcony for my next cruise with specialty dining booked.

Aqua is Ok, but we found on our last cruise, we were heading to the MDR for a change, service was no different in MDR or Blu, I did like the breakfasts in BLu but just as happy for breakfast in the MDR.

Ill book Aqua purely for the CC points, as I’m nearly elite, but I certainly wouldn’t go out of my way or pay extra for it, the only value to me is the points...

[Silkroad]

NantahalaCruiser, I agree with you. I should have said that while I appreciate all reviews, I don’t find the ones that simply say, I loved it or I hated it, as useful as the ones that state why they loved or hated it. Though we’re willing to give Aqua & Blu a second chance, the prices were definitely too high on the three cruises I’ve booked since our initial Aqua experience. BTW I truly wish I could book that 2019 Iberian Peninsula cruise! I’ve done mock bookings on it several times (DH is threatening an intervention lol) but September & October bookings are simply too dodgy for us because of his work project cycles. Of course, an unanticipated work schedule gap and subsequent cruise booking could occur at any time;). Please do post your impression of your cruise and the itinerary once you’ve returned:). I notice you’re in Western NC. The NC mountains are quite lovely. BTW, my DH is from Eastern NC.

 

Gogo65, I’m with you on this. Though we’d like to give Aqua a second try (on an S class ship) the price difference is too large. We’ve three cruises booked in Concierge cabins. Compared with a similarly located Veranda cabins, one of our Concierge cabins cost slightly less, one cost slightly more, and one was the same price. We’ll reach Elite level on our next cruise (really looking forward to the laundry and internet minutes benefits lol) and thereafter we’ll once again be making fare assessments similar to yours and NantahalaCruiser’s. Last year, we spent 16 nights in a lovely 1A Veranda (on the hump angle) during a TA on Reflection. Would we have appreciated the extra space our friends had in their corner aft Sky Suite? Absolutely. Were we miserable or unhappy with either our cabin or our entire cruise experience? Absolutely not. BTW Sydney is on our short list, along with Australia in general, of places we want to visit when we can take enough time to make the brutally long flights worthwhile. Based on photos and video, the Sydney harbor must surely be one of the most beautiful in the world!

Edited February 23, 2018 by Silkroad

[vadell]

When we booked Aqua worked out less than the 1a we usually book so for the first time we will be trying Blu, are there anytime classic starters as well? as these are not shown on any Blu menu I have seen posted.

[Mynki]

When we booked Aqua worked out less than the 1a we usually book so for the first time we will be trying Blu, are there anytime classic starters as well? as these are not shown on any Blu menu I have seen posted.

 

That happens sometimes when veranda rooms have sold better than aqua class. It's not common but certainly makes sense to take up the offer when it does as you have the flexibility of dining in Blu or the MDR.

 

As for starters, yes. The same ones on the MDR menu are also available in Blu and also Luminae.

[dkjretired]

When we booked Aqua worked out less than the 1a we usually book so for the first time we will be trying Blu, are there anytime classic starters as well? as these are not shown on any Blu menu I have seen posted.

 

Yes, steak, chicken and fish are also on the menu every night

[2theship]

When we booked Aqua worked out less than the 1a we usually book so for the first time we will be trying Blu, are there anytime classic starters as well? as these are not shown on any Blu menu I have seen posted.

 

Yes, steak, chicken and fish are also on the menu every night

Also, escargot, French onion soup, caesar salad and shrimp cocktail are always available. Cheesecake for dessert as well.

 

I just did a count and we've sailed AQ six times so I guess we like it. Have we ever had a bad meal? Yes. Have we ever had poor service? Yes. Have we ever had to wait a long time for a table? Yes. However, in balance, the good to outstanding experiences have far outweighed the bad ones. We've got two more cruises in AQ booked.

[phoenix_dream]

I am embarking on my 40th Celebrity cruise as I write this, and anyone reading my past posts will learn I am not afraid to say it like it is - both good and bad.

 

Overall we love Blu and try to book AQ every time (would love suites, but the pricing is way too high nowadays). I would guess we have sailed in AQ more than a dozen times. In all those cruises we have never had an overall bad experience in Blu. On one cruise we did have issues with service, so bad that we decided to report it. It was recognized, addressed quickly, and service was very good after that. As to food - some ships are truthfully better than others as far as food is concerned but we have never had consistently bad food in Blu. We always love the breakfasts - way better than fighting the crowds in the buffet or even the MDR morning seating.

 

Having sailed X since 1992, I am one who believes that overall the product is not what it used to be, but that said it is still very, very good and remains our line of choice.

[vadell]

Thank you for all your replies.