Aqua class - pros & cons

[island lady]

On 9/15/2024 at 1:49 PM, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

They produce wine in all fifty states

 

Yup, even Hawaii!  🙂   Been there done that...nice end to our bike ride down from the volcano.  

[LXA350]

The food in Blu over the years has gone down in quality and also the more healthy approach has disapeared, I assume lot's of complaints by american cruisers that didn't accept the healthy elements.

 

Anyhow on E class ships I don't see the added value as the dinning concept there makes the MDR experience much better. Whereas on M and S Clas ships with the one main dinning room I would always book Aqua Class.

[IDL]

10 minutes ago, LXA350 said:

The food in Blu over the years has gone down in quality and also the more healthy approach has disapeared, I assume lot's of complaints by american cruisers that didn't accept the healthy elements.

 

Anyhow on E class ships I don't see the added value as the dinning concept there makes the MDR experience much better. Whereas on M and S Clas ships with the one main dinning room I would always book Aqua Class.

That’s quite an assumption and disparaging of American cruisers.  I enjoy Blu, and eat healthy, as do many Americans. 

[catspaw1]

Sorry my phone autocorrected my word. I meant we did fixed dining because we didn't want to wait at select dining nightly. On a TA, we may get bad weather so cabin location may be important if we hit rough weather - hope not. Thanks for your input! I wasn't crazy about some of AQ menu items 

[wncretired]

8 hours ago, IDL said:

That’s quite an assumption and disparaging of American cruisers.  I enjoy Blu, and eat healthy, as do many Americans. 

You are 100% correct!! 🚢🇺🇸🚢

[zitsky]

I’m still waiting for the new onboard McDonald’s to open.  I had a dream about it last night, so I know it’s real.  😂

[Rina155]

On 9/15/2024 at 12:10 PM, NMTraveller said:

It can be, but does not have to be.  The best dessert wine I have ever tasted was the Far Niete Dolce wine.

Totally agree!  I have three bottles of the Dolce in my wine fridge!!  Love FN and N&N

[island lady]

Spent 12 years as a wine rep to area restaurants.  The waitstaff, during my training sessions I did for them...would ask what the best wine was.  I replied that they were wise to learn the "Golden Rule of Wine".   

 

"The best wine. ...is the wine you like the best".   

 

Be it White Zinfandel (IMHO yuck... 😬)....a fine Bordeaux...a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough (my favorite  🥰).... or a Cab from Napa Valley ...etc..  

 

It is whatever your customers like....that works for you $$ in tips.  Always helpful to make suggestions...but most of time...the customer is always right.  😉 

 

 

 

Edited Tuesday at 03:36 PM by island lady

[zitsky]

6 minutes ago, island lady said:

Spent 12 years as a wine rep to area restaurants.  The waitstaff, during my training sessions I did for them...would ask what the best wine was.  I replied that they were wise to learn the "Golden Rule of Wine".   

 

"The best wine. ...is the wine you like the best".   

 

Be it White Zinfandel (IMHO yuck... 😬)....a fine Bordeaux...a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough (my favorite  🥰).... or a Cab from Napa Valley ...etc..  

 

It is whatever your customers like....that works for you $$ in tips.  Always helpful to make suggestions...but most of time...the customer is always right.  😉 

 

 

I have a friend who only drinks French wine.  She is not French.  I've tried to offer her good California Central Coast wine or maybe Napa/Sonoma.  She drinks it, but she makes it obvious to anyone with a brain that she doesn't like it.  She always serves French wine when we go to her house.  When people come to our house we usually serve California or French or Italian wine. 

 

When not entertaining I'll drink wine from France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Greece or California, Oregon, North Carolina, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, but not Virginia.

 

(Hint, all the Virginia wineries in western VA we visited recently bragged about having a "French" winemaker.  It was the worst wine I've ever tasted.  The wines around Richmond were better.)

[zitsky]

On 9/15/2024 at 12:06 PM, zitsky said:

 

I looked at the bars on M class yesterday and some look interesting.  The Martini Bar for example.  I see the Rendevous lounge which is a bit different than the Ensemble Lounge on S class.  On M class it seems more like a dance venue and on M class it's more a quiet jazz lounge.  Then there's Cellar Masters and a few others.  Since we have access to the Retreat Lounge, I'm not sure how many bars I'll visit, but we'll see.  And there's the Sunset Bar for meet and greets.

Quoting myself.  Is there anything like the S-class Ensemble lounge on M-class?  Quiet during the day and more like a jazz bar at night?

[goofysmom99]

I just checked prices for Aqua on Eclipse 10/20/25, 13 night TA out of Barcelona.  

 

Current cruise-only fares (for 2, including taxes):

Aqua A2 - $7086

Veranda (Deck 8):  $3266  

Concierge (hump cabin):  $3833

 

Wow, the food in Blu must be really good....$3820 more than a veranda?  And $3253 more than a hump C1 (my preferred location)?? 😲 Somebody at X has lost the plot.  That'd make specialties for every dinner a real bargain.  

[IDL]

8 minutes ago, goofysmom99 said:

I just checked prices for Aqua on Eclipse 10/20/25, 13 night TA out of Barcelona.  

 

Current cruise-only fares (for 2, including taxes):

Aqua A2 - $7086

Veranda (Deck 8):  $3266  

Concierge (hump cabin):  $3833

 

Wow, the food in Blu must be really good....$3820 more than a veranda?  And $3253 more than a hump C1 (my preferred location)?? 😲 Somebody at X has lost the plot.  That'd make specialties for every dinner a real bargain.  

That is insane pricing; wonder if the pricing will come down when they don’t get enough suckers at that price level.

[zitsky]

32 minutes ago, IDL said:

That is insane pricing; wonder if the pricing will come down when they don’t get enough suckers at that price level.

 

Prices do change.  For Aqua and other categories.  Even though I'm in Retreat, I watch the Aqua prices and I've seen them go down quite a bit for our Bali cruise in 4 months.  I've also seen strange things like a Sky Suite and Aqua Sky Suite at the same price, when Aqua SS is usually at least several hundred more due to the Spa access benefit.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

8 hours ago, goofysmom99 said:

I just checked prices for Aqua on Eclipse 10/20/25, 13 night TA out of Barcelona.  

 

Current cruise-only fares (for 2, including taxes):

Aqua A2 - $7086

Veranda (Deck 8):  $3266  

Concierge (hump cabin):  $3833

 

Wow, the food in Blu must be really good....$3820 more than a veranda?  And $3253 more than a hump C1 (my preferred location)?? 😲 Somebody at X has lost the plot.  That'd make specialties for every dinner a real bargain.  

 

Wow, that's a huge difference.  I guess I booked my AQ cabins before the pricing folks went gaga.  Mine were only a tad more than concierge and the private dining room is worth it to me for that.  Because I used to book suites before their prices went crazy.  But you're right, at that pricing differential, book a veranda and dine in specialties every night.

 

[zitsky]

8 hours ago, goofysmom99 said:

I just checked prices for Aqua on Eclipse 10/20/25, 13 night TA out of Barcelona.  

 

Current cruise-only fares (for 2, including taxes):

Aqua A2 - $7086

Veranda (Deck 8):  $3266  

Concierge (hump cabin):  $3833

 

Wow, the food in Blu must be really good....$3820 more than a veranda?  And $3253 more than a hump C1 (my preferred location)?? 😲 Somebody at X has lost the plot.  That'd make specialties for every dinner a real bargain.  

I’d be really interested to compare those with Sky Suite prices.

[goofysmom99]

Just now, zitsky said:

I’d be really interested to compare those with Sky Suite prices.

Sold out.

[Liao]

8 hours ago, goofysmom99 said:

I just checked prices for Aqua on Eclipse 10/20/25, 13 night TA out of Barcelona.  

 

Current cruise-only fares (for 2, including taxes):

Aqua A2 - $7086

Veranda (Deck 8):  $3266  

Concierge (hump cabin):  $3833

 

Wow, the food in Blu must be really good....$3820 more than a veranda?  And $3253 more than a hump C1 (my preferred location)?? 😲 Somebody at X has lost the plot.  That'd make specialties for every dinner a real bargain.  

While my cruise is March 2025, it is a 13 night TA on Apex.  This pricing you show here makes me feel good about what I booked:

 

Cruise only + tax + grats - AQ deck 9; $4206

Separately I purchased:

prem. wifi + non-alcohol bev pkg + unlimited spec. dining; $1306

Total: $5512

 

Now in hind sight I know I should not have gone the Blu option but it is what it is, seeing what my cruise prices are going for now, +$1800 from what I paid and the prices of fall 2025, I'm good.

 

[NMTraveller]

9 hours ago, goofysmom99 said:

That'd make specialties for every dinner a real bargain.  

That is the best way to go anyways.  The last time I was in Aqua I was in specialty most nights.  The two tops are too close in Blu ...

[zitsky]

Are they trying to keep the riff raff out of Aqua now?  If so, I may be in trouble.

[Pushka]

On our cruise the price of the sky suite is double that of Aqua. Of course that includes the premium alcohol package.  

[Victory!]

On 9/1/2024 at 6:43 PM, TommyD3 said:

Yes you can. On the first night I had both the Prime Rib from the MDR AND the Filet Mignon from the Blu menu !!!

Is there an additional cost for ordering both? We will be on our first Celebrity cruise in November.

[Iamcruzin]

I just upgraded my Prime Concierge room to a Prime Aqua class room. I called Celebrity to inquire about the price and was shocked when the rep told me it would be $88 total including tax to upgrade two people. That up bid system the scam I thought it was. The lowest bid at the advertised price of 50% off would have been $110 each and I wouldn't be able to pick my room. My cruise is 11 days out and I noticed that there were several prime Aqua rooms available so I picked one and called. For the record there was a short wait and I was talking to someone in the United States. Probably Miami.

[zitsky]

1 hour ago, Iamcruzin said:

I just upgraded my Prime Concierge room to a Prime Aqua class room. I called Celebrity to inquire about the price and was shocked when the rep told me it would be $88 total including tax to upgrade two people. That up bid system the scam I thought it was. The lowest bid at the advertised price of 50% off would have been $110 each and I wouldn't be able to pick my room. My cruise is 11 days out and I noticed that there were several prime Aqua rooms available so I picked one and called. For the record there was a short wait and I was talking to someone in the United States. Probably Miami.

 

You mean $88 for the entire cruise total to upgrade both of you?  Seeing as a spa pass can be $300 per person that's a good deal.  Plus you're getting Blu.

 

I got prices from my TA to go from SS to CS or RS.  I was thinking about it because it would only be $1500 more factoring in lost OBC.  But balconies are small.  I may wait for move up and try that.

[Iamcruzin]

4 minutes ago, zitsky said:

 

You mean $88 for the entire cruise total to upgrade both of you?  Seeing as a spa pass can be $300 per person that's a good deal.  Plus you're getting Blu.

 

I got prices from my TA to go from SS to CS or RS.  I was thinking about it because it would only be $1500 more factoring in lost OBC.  But balconies are small.  I may wait for move up and try that.

Yes and I asked is it $160 total $80 each? She said no $80 for both. I was hoping it would be less than the up bid but my jaw dropped when she told me the price.

[zitsky]

24 minutes ago, zitsky said:

 

You mean $88 for the entire cruise total to upgrade both of you?  Seeing as a spa pass can be $300 per person that's a good deal.  Plus you're getting Blu.

 

I got prices from my TA to go from SS to CS or RS.  I was thinking about it because it would only be $1500 more factoring in lost OBC.  But balconies are small.  I may wait for move up and try that.

 

Just to clarify, I was quoted about $1500 for SS to CS.  RS would have been more, obviously.