Pros and Cons of Bidding Up from Verandah to Aqua

[sakigemcam]

Hello - 

 

We are heading out on Silhouette in March and have a hump cabin with large verandah. 

 

We're considering Aqua bids if available and not crazy $, mostly bc of Blu. The MDR has stopped impressing us over the years and we only really like a few specialties - this was supposed to be an Edge cruise but they changed ships on us - we've sailed Edge before and enjoyed the dining options. We love the Silhouette but would have liked different food options. 

 

So - is it worth losing the midship cabin with larger verandah for likely a forward Aqua, just for Blu? We do prefer healthier eating and although I would be happy grabbing a plate in Oceanview and eating outdoors in shorts nightly, DH likes being served nightly....

 

I'm certain opinions vary but would like to hear them. Thanks!

[canderson]

We just finished our post-shutdown cruises, and our assigned DR was Luminae.  We ordered off the MDR menu several times due to some really nice options we found there.  Wouldn't discount it entirely.

 

Do you have interest in the Spa?  Would certainly factor into the decision if we were looking at that move.

[neverlaysup]

If you like Persian Garden access, then AQ is a good bid. It all depends on the price versus buying spa time. BLU is certainly another consideration but on our last two cruises in AQ, I found myself ordering from MDR menu about 40% of the time. The only thing that I really enjoyed from BLU was our Sommelier pouring wines that were nowhere to be found on the drinks by glass menu. That was a good surprise and quite enjoyable.

[TeaBag]

Blu is what we enjoy best about booking AQ.  You will also get 2 more tier points/day.  

[vms]

I just sailed in Aqua for the first time, and while I loved Blu for dinner, the breakfast didn't impress me and I didn't use the Persian Garden as much as I thought I would. The best parts were Blu dinner, afternoon canapes, and the room location (which you wouldn't get to choose with a Move Up bid). You also wouldn't get the extra points/day with the Move Up.

 

I personally would keep the room with the larger balcony in a location you know you love and spend my extra money to book the specialty dining package for the length of cruise, but I love the specialty restaurants, and I know you only like a few of them.

 

Good luck deciding!

[neverlaysup]

34 minutes ago, TeaBag said:

Blu is what we enjoy best about booking AQ.  You will also get 2 more tier points/day.  

Not if you upgrade via Move Up.

[chemmo]

The speciality restaurant choices on Silhouette are excellent. We enjoyed the variety and quality in September. The addition of Lawn Grill and Porch do add variety to the usual Murano and Tuscan on S class, especially if you want ‘special’ dining but not ‘formal’ dining…
 

If the Persian garden offerings are not important to you I would book room service for breakfast each day and enjoy your present bigger balcony then add some speciality restaurants to enliven your MDR experience.

 

All depends on what is important to you…

[sakigemcam]

Thanks for all the replies! CC is so awesome.....appreciate it. 

 

It's such a toss up. After several S-class cruises we (okay, I) really only enjoy Tuscan (for the view), Lawn Club, Sushi on Five and plan on trying The Porch this time. Murano, I don't know, we're over it. MDR, service is always so wonderful but it's always the same choices and maybe feels a little hectic. Love the buffet for breakfast bc of the variety but also because love sitting outside.

My husband said if we bid up for Aqua then we could skip the specialities bc Blu would be our specialty. I'm not so sure....

Going to go out and ask for a recent Blu menu - everything out there is currently from 2+ years ago although I doubt much has changed. 

Access to the Persian Garden would be very nice but not a deal breaker. We are so rarely in the cabin that bidding up was never a desire, accommodation-wise. 

 

But yes, the bigger verandah....sigh.....

 

The irony of these "problems" when the world is so crazy, right?

[drakes2]

18 minutes ago, sakigemcam said:

Thanks for all the replies! CC is so awesome.....appreciate it. 

 

It's such a toss up. After several S-class cruises we (okay, I) really only enjoy Tuscan (for the view), Lawn Club, Sushi on Five and plan on trying The Porch this time. Murano, I don't know, we're over it. MDR, service is always so wonderful but it's always the same choices and maybe feels a little hectic. Love the buffet for breakfast bc of the variety but also because love sitting outside.

My husband said if we bid up for Aqua then we could skip the specialities bc Blu would be our specialty. I'm not so sure....

Going to go out and ask for a recent Blu menu - everything out there is currently from 2+ years ago although I doubt much has changed. 

Access to the Persian Garden would be very nice but not a deal breaker. We are so rarely in the cabin that bidding up was never a desire, accommodation-wise. 

 

But yes, the bigger verandah....sigh.....

 

The irony of these "problems" when the world is so crazy, right?

Love the larger verandah and mid ship location to enjoy breakfast every morning on the balcony.  Never dined in Blu but have done Persian Gardens as Elite member. Wasn't really fussed about it.

[cookiersmom]

We had a cruise on another ship that we got upgraded to Aqua and we did not like the cabin at all.  It was high on the ship, and had a huge overhang that impeded our view and was claustrophobic.   Not sure on your ship.

 

[sakigemcam]

24 minutes ago, Stealthdog said:

 

Im posting the the Aqua menus in my current Silhouette sailing thread.  Here are the first two nights.  Ill keep posting them there.

 

1 minute ago, cookiersmom said:

We had a cruise on another ship that we got upgraded to Aqua and we did not like the cabin at all.  It was high on the ship, and had a huge overhang that impeded our view and was claustrophobic.   Not sure on your ship.

 

Fabulous info on menus from Stealthdog if anyone else is interested, and Cookiersmom, thank you - this is a major consideration around not choosing our own cabin...!

[marieps]

We are just off Reflection in our 11th AQ cruise.  We always order escargot from the MDR, and this cruise also found beef carpaccio and beef wellington only offered in the MDR, so we ordered that as well.  They were excellent.  We enjoy Blu breakfast, but frankly I prefer the locker room sauna to the PG as it is a higher temperature and towel-at-most dress code as opposed to a swim suit.  

 

As for location, we always sail forward for close proximity to the gym and Spa cafe.  

 

Bottom line is the Blu menu is losing a bit of its shine...and we are migrating to suites on our next three =X= cruises.  If AQ is new to you, however, you may be tickled by it.  Again, it's a first-world problem.  Good luck with your decision.

[wrk2cruise]

2 hours ago, TeaBag said:

You will also get 2 more tier points/day.

 

Not with MoveUp.   You get the CC points of your original booking.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

I would never give up that fabulous balcony for AQ!  I find dining in Blu to be highly over rated.  On a ship where it was possible, I ordered off the MDR menu most nights in Blu.