Value of Persian Gardens post-Pandemic?

[downsmead]

Silhouette for the UK season required reservations for all, including those in Aqua class with an hour limit though this was not checked or enforced 🤷‍♀️. Supposedly limited to 6 in the facilities and on one day we were required to wear our masks whilst on the beds 🙀, though that was only one day. Not required for the other days we were there.

[dateacher]

While I can't answer your question about the Blu and the Persian Gardens, we have always found the MDR on Silhouette very nice. I can't remember any meal (this will be our 5th Celebrity cruise) that we thought we had enough of the MDR food.  If you don't like what you order, ask for something else.  We do "anytime" dining and after the first night, we make reservations for the following nights.  We don't get the exact time but close to it and have the same waiter. We also don't share a table with anyone else. For that $800 you can alternate to the specialty dining rooms for variety. 

[NanaChar]

First, congratulations on your marriage.  What a great Honeymoon!
If you are in Aqua Class, you don't have to dine in Blu.  I'm not sure what you mean by a more "authentic" experience.  That might give me a better idea if Blu really misses the spot so bad.  

I agree with the others that booking a AQ might be a better bet.  

If you decide to keep your cabin, DH and I usually book suites and once we are on-board, book the Persian Garden pass.  It was never been that high of a price. 

If you decide to gamble and wait until you get on-board to buy a pass, I would make the Spa the first stop, because the book up fast.  

[zitsky]

I agree with the others.  Aqua is nice.  Blu is nice.  But it's not worth $800 to go to the Persian Gardens.  Spend the money on a massage instead.

[soobs]

We were looking at booking Aqua until reading this post so thank you all. We may or may not get full use of PG not sure OH would go in more than once particularly if busy nor me as that's not the aim of a spa and if I work out the extra £400 each to upgrade means paying £26 pppn to eat in Blu - anyone agree that best going for normal balcony and experience other dining? How much is alternative dining? Thank you 

[OysterD]

31 minutes ago, soobs said:

We were looking at booking Aqua until reading this post so thank you all. We may or may not get full use of PG not sure OH would go in more than once particularly if busy nor me as that's not the aim of a spa and if I work out the extra £400 each to upgrade means paying £26 pppn to eat in Blu - anyone agree that best going for normal balcony and experience other dining? How much is alternative dining? Thank you 

 

On our Reflection cruise next month specialty restaurant prices are as follows (currently a special offer on if you book them now, prices quoted include the current roughly 8% discount):

 

Murano £54.02 pp

Le Petit Chef £54.02 pp

Tuscan Grille £48.98 pp

Lawn Club Grill £44.03 pp

 

Or, if you want to eat at multiple specialty restaurants they sell packages ranging from a 3 night package for £141 up to 10 nights for £357. These are also currently on offer and those prices reflect the approx 8% discount being offered.

 

There are a few other benefits of AQ class, which may or may not be of any value to you. Taken as a whole, we thought it worth the slight upgrade price from a regular balcony cabin to AQ for our cruise. 

 

Hope that helps!

 

Oh one more thing to add, the menus in the specialty restaurants are the same every night but the menu in Blu does change every day, so it's not like you'll be sat in Blu ordering the same food every night.

Edited August 9, 2022 by OysterD

[chemmo]

Aqua is worth paying for if…

 

You enjoy a quieter sit down serviced breakfast and want to avoid the buffet.

You would enjoy a smaller evening dining venue and it’s menu appeals to you.

You are likely to use Persian Gardens.

 

You are better booking a balcony room if…

 

You are happy with MDR, buffet or room service breakfast.

You would enjoy a mix of MDR and speciality restaurants.

You may be happy just looking at the Persian Gardens on boarding and possibly booking a day pass.

 

 

 

 

 

[chamima]

2 hours ago, chemmo said:

Aqua is worth paying for if…

 

You enjoy a quieter sit down serviced breakfast and want to avoid the buffet.

You would enjoy a smaller evening dining venue and it’s menu appeals to you.

You are likely to use Persian Gardens.

 

You are better booking a balcony room if…

 

You are happy with MDR, buffet or room service breakfast.

You would enjoy a mix of MDR and speciality restaurants.

You may be happy just looking at the Persian Gardens on boarding and possibly booking a day pass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would also add that if you prefer a large, somewhat glitzy dining room with lots of activity then go for the balcony cabin.

If you prefer quieter dining in a smaller, somewhat more intimate dining room then it's AQ.

[miched]

We enjoy AQ and the Persian Gardens.   It depends on the price point over a veranda.   The service is nice in Blu but it is also in the MDR and as others suggested you can use the savings towards a specialty restaurant. 
 

For 7 days we might us the Persian Gardens 3 times.   Laying on the loungers is nice but  I can’t do it every day   The sign says limit to 30 minutes and if there are empty loungers we may stay longer but rarely more than 45 minutes.   There have been times when we went and all the loungers were full.  Left and got involved something else and skipped it that day.  
 

it is now just a added bonus if we are in AQ.   We also get to use it on one port day as a benefit of the Captain Club status, excluding the Edge class, and sometimes we don’t use it.  
 

if it is true about making a reservation I think it is sometimes needed.  There were a few times where all the loungers were full.  We were told to come back in 30 minutes.   Tried again and they were all full.   This time I took a picture on my phone.   We went back and the same people were still on the loungers.  I showed the picture to the staff.   She went in and reminded them about 30 minutes.   No one moved.  She said people have been waiting over 30 minutes.   Deaf ears.  
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[zitsky]

I'll use it when my husband tells me to.  I can only sit on those heated loungers for 15 minutes then it gets uncomfortable.  I'll try to be quiet this time, I promise.

[Fly and Sail]

4 hours ago, chamima said:

 

 

I would also add that if you prefer a large, somewhat glitzy dining room with lots of activity then go for the balcony cabin.

If you prefer quieter dining in a smaller, somewhat more intimate dining room then it's AQ.

 

Not sure what ship this description would be suitable for. I have yet to see any "glitzy dining room" on Celebrity and lots of activity is certainly not a selling point.

[chamima]

25 minutes ago, Fly and Sail said:

 

Not sure what ship this description would be suitable for. I have yet to see any "glitzy dining room" on Celebrity and lots of activity is certainly not a selling point.

 

 

Top image is the 2 story MDR and bottom is Blu.

We prefer the quiet but I've spoken to lots of people who like the ambience of the MDR.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 9, 2022 by chamima

[kwokpot]

38 minutes ago, Fly and Sail said:

39 minutes ago, Fly and Sail said:

 

Not sure what ship this description would be suitable for. I have yet to see any "glitzy dining room" on Celebrity and lots of activity is certainly not a selling point.

 

I don't the OP necessarily meant glitzy in the pejorative sense.