Is Aqua Class worth it?

[Linco711]

I am booked in a deluxe balconey cabin. I keep reading about how wonderful the cabins are in Aqua class & CC class..but all the balconey cabins have the same sq. footage and same balconey size....right?:confused: I've been thinking of upgrading to Aqua but the cost woould be about a $700.00 difference....Is it worth it? Just wondering what you all think. I would probably use the spa facilities a little, but my hubby wouldn't. Thanks for your thoughts on this...I know the questions been asked before comparing Aqua and CC...but we've booked a deluxe balconey...:)

[Schplinky]

Aqua class has other inclusions. You get all the concierge class perks (flowers, champagne, etc) and you get assigned to Blu instead of the main dining room. The bathrooms in AQ are upgraded from the regular ones, too. Also, the cabins are limited to two people so the likelihood you'll be in a corridor full of noise is lessened, due to the inability of people to cram 4 in a room.

[Linco711]

Thanks for the information...I have one more question. Are you limited to eating in blu or can you also use the MDR too? Thanks:)

[Schplinky]

some people have negotiated their way into the main room but the presumption is you will eat in Blu. We plan to eat there for dinners except for the two nights we're booked in other specialty rooms. We'll have some breakfasts in Blu and some in the MDR.

[rolfecms]

some people have negotiated their way into the main room but the presumption is you will eat in Blu. We plan to eat there for dinners except for the two nights we're booked in other specialty rooms. We'll have some breakfasts in Blu and some in the MDR.

 

Try not to miss the filet on the first night and lobster tail on the last formal night.

[tom_uk]

I'll chime in with the opposite opinion: for me, the upgrade isn't worth it. We've chosen a standard deluxe balcony cabin for our September/October E Med. cruise.

 

We're not 'spa' people at all, so that aspect of Aqua doesn't attract us. Nor do the in-cabin extras. And probably most important the thing we enjoy most of all on a cruise is a joining a large table (6 or 8 diners) in the MDR and just getting to know lots of new people, and enjoying the company as the cruise goes on. We'll probably have one meal in a speciality restaurant, but we wouldn't want to eat there every night.

 

But that's just my opinion. The great thing is that the choice exists.

[d60kott]

We where on the Jan 18th cruise, my DW is a massage therapist and spa person, we found AC not worth the extra dollars. The Persian Gardens was no biggie and Blu was a bust with us. Although we did find breakfast was the best in Blu and we tried all the breakfast venues.

We had no problem eating in the mdr, just see the MD, but again, we found the food to be tastless. The buffet always looked and tasted the same. The hot dog and brat at the grill where the best ever.

In MHO the food has really fallen with Solstice, wow, I sound like a food snob, but really I just like good food.

 

The ship is beautiful and I was really surprised to enjoy The Lawn and the Glass Blowing, both of which I had expected to be a failure, but should be experienced.

 

I am a Home Based TA and I will be careful to whom I recomend this ship, as I believe this is not for everyone.

[CathyCruises]

I'll chime in with the opposite opinion: for me, the upgrade isn't worth it. We've chosen a standard deluxe balcony cabin for our September/October E Med. cruise.

 

We're not 'spa' people at all, so that aspect of Aqua doesn't attract us. Nor do the in-cabin extras. And probably most important the thing we enjoy most of all on a cruise is a joining a large table (6 or 8 diners) in the MDR and just getting to know lots of new people, and enjoying the company as the cruise goes on. We'll probably have one meal in a speciality restaurant, but we wouldn't want to eat there every night.

 

But that's just my opinion. The great thing is that the choice exists.

 

 

Tom, you sound like the perfect guy to share a table with! That's exactly how we feel--dinner is normally the highlight of our day. On Century in '07, we made fast friends with the Brits at our table and hope to be able to cruise with them again some day! We also had fabulous couples from Peru and Nicaragua--we were the last table to leave the d.r. each night!!!

 

And I should also mention that after a few false starts we had a great table on Summit in the Med this year--wonderful folks as well.

 

Cathy

[Fblack]

I have a Sunset Veranda cabin on the aft of the ship reserved on the Equinox for September. An Aqua Class cabin is about $800 more for the two of us. I just don't see the Aqua Class being worth an Extra $800. We are "Elite" past passengers and get plenty of extra perks anyway.

[wcal]

On our Summit cruise in 05 we had a CC cabin. We booked a regular verandah cabin for our Equinox cruise next February. We don't even think a CC upgrade is worth it so definitely would not book Aqua class.

[hylasgirl]

I am booked in a deluxe balconey cabin. I keep reading about how wonderful the cabins are in Aqua class & CC class..but all the balconey cabins have the same sq. footage and same balconey size....right?:confused: I've been thinking of upgrading to Aqua but the cost woould be about a $700.00 difference....Is it worth it? Just wondering what you all think. I would probably use the spa facilities a little, but my hubby wouldn't. Thanks for your thoughts on this...I know the questions been asked before comparing Aqua and CC...but we've booked a deluxe balconey...:)

 

 

I would say AQ has a lot of nice qualities, but I think $700 more is A LOT! $200 maybe... $700... that's a lot of wine or whatever:) Hell... that is even a lot of spa treatments really.

[jwattle]

We booked for our B2B when bookings first opened, and the difference between CC and AQ was only 40pp; we jumped on it, and can't wait to experience it!:)

[jackdiamond]

We believe that it is worth it; hence, we have booked a ten nighter on the Equinoix in AQ.

[Amerie]

We enjoyed the AquaClass amenities, but especially enjoyed Blu. We would book AquaClass again if only to secure Blu as our main dining room.

[CathyCruises]

Can someone tell me what spa amenities come with the AQ class? Treatments or just access to the facilities, which would be different in what way from what a non-AQ passenger would have access to?

 

Thx

Cathy

[Brad1185]

it's worth it. Blu is fantastic. All the bottled water you want, ice tea in your room, fruit basket, steam free bathroom mirror. Included steam room, flowers in room, upgraded towels and robes.

 

I can't imagine going back to the mdr.

 

Blu's menus are a big upgrade over the mdr. Very quiet and personal service.

[CaroleLee]

We enjoyed the AquaClass amenities, but especially enjoyed Blu. We would book AquaClass again if only to secure Blu as our main dining room.

 

Hi,

Would you pls comment on what made AQ special for you? Blu- favorite meal/dish

Did you have or felt you had priority service as far as boarding,tenders etc?

 

Thanks

Carole

[Amerie]

Hi,

Would you pls comment on what made AQ special for you? Blu- favorite meal/dish

Did you have or felt you had priority service as far as boarding,tenders etc?

 

Thanks

Carole

 

Hi CaroleLee:

 

I loved the ambience in Blu. It is prettier in reality than it looks in photos. CC poster nps001 has some nice shots of Blu on his website, but the restaurant has a quiet elegance that doesn't quite show up in pictures. The amber-coloured crystal light fixtures are mounted on springs and shimmer ever so slightly even when the ship is docked. You can see the windows from almost anywhere in the room, and at night they reflect the lighting in a lovely way.

 

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/569280534VzNfGT

 

At 130 seats, the restaurant is a nice size, it's quiet without being dull, and I don't miss the hustle and bustle of the main dining room, or the constant clink of china, not that that has ever bothered me, but the atmosphere in Blu is very relaxing.

 

The first night I ordered the filet mignon which was served with a light wine sauce and what seemed like a well-flavoured potato puree that they called a "fondant". It was delicious, and the steak was perfectly done (MR) and really flavourful. We ate at Tuscan Grille the next evening, and my Blu steak was every bit as tasty as the TG filet, which was great too! Another dish that I loved was Halibut served over a Lobster Chowder. It was much more wonderful than it sounds. I had a lamb dish one evening that was outstanding, and we really enjoyed the Lobster offering...it was a full tail. I found that sometimes the descriptions of the dishes were a little "flowery" or even a bit pretentious, but the food always rose above the descriptions :p. Honestly, I never had one dish that I didn't heartily enjoy. Appetizers and soups were great. I enjoyed very much their low-fat ice creams (cherry brandy comes to mind) and sorbets.

 

Our waiter's name was Slobadan, and I came to understand very quickly that I could absolutely rely on his recommendations. On two nights, he brought us a second entree "to taste"...(he brought the original entree that I had been considering before I went with his suggestion). I always liked what he suggested best. The only thing I tasted that I didn't love was a "taster serving" of the Kobe Beef Stuffed Pasta Shells. The beef stuffing was too rich for me, and I was glad that I had ordered Slobadan's suggestion.

 

There was always a "Salad Entree" and the Steak Salad arrived with a whole steak! And several of the diners around us really enjoyed the Cabernet Short Ribs (I hope I have the name right).

 

Presentation was excellent and Blu has an assortment of lovely dishes that really add to the artistry and elegance of the meal.

 

Breakfast in Blu has an enhanced menu, and everything we tried was excellent. I hear the smoothies are really good, although I didn't have one. Our waiter from dinner (late seating) served us breakfast as well. Blu is not open for lunch.

 

We had a wonderful sommelier named Diego who was very charming and attentive, and it certainly wasn't because of our wine purchases, as we were drinking very modestly priced wines. Diego was lots of fun and added a lot to our enjoyment of Blu. We had one Elite coupon for 20% off a second bottle of wine, and one Classic coupon for 10% off, and we used both. Do remember to bring the coupons with you to the restaurant, as you need them in order to get the discount.

 

As far as priority service is concerned, there was a separate embarkation line for AquaClass, which had no one in it when we boarded (c. 11:30 am), and we were on the ship less than 10 minutes after we entered the Cruise Ship Terminal. Best embarkation ever. We didn't have any tender ports.

 

AQ has a separate concierge for Spa appointments, which saves you having to wait in line. The service and attitude of the staff in the Spa was the best I have had on any cruise. There was no hard sell whatsoever of products after the massage. They had some good promotional prices at different times, and we used a Captain Club coupon to get 10% off the massage. It never seemed overly busy any time when I was in the Spa.

 

The stateroom is lovely, and the whole AQ area is very quiet. We enjoyed the non-fog mirror in the bathroom and the premium shower (rain-type head and additional shower jets). There is an aromatherapy scent in the room which I stopped noticing after about 30 minutes. We enjoyed the flavoured teas that are provided daily, and you are given 2 free bottles of water that are replaced as often as you use them. There were extra-fluffy terry robes and "hotel slippers" provided for each AQ guest.

 

Sorry to have rambled on so long. If you have any other questions, I would be happy to try to answer them.

[Brad1185]

We were telling the m'd every night how pleased we were with Blu. She told us that one couple after the 2nd night said a hamburger excited them more that the food in Blu and they transfered to the mdr.

 

Guess it goes to show you cant please everyone.

 

I still can't get over how great Blu was. What an experience. Celebrity has really gone beyond what I expected.

[Stella Jules]

Just got off the 1/25 sailing.

We were in room #1521..Loved Aqua Class.

 

Blu is a fantastic restaurant. We live in NYC and are accustomed to access to the finest dining and Blu lived up to our standards. Soups were excellent (and I am not a soup person) Tuna on first night was delicious, lamb chops, short ribs, lobster, all excellent. Service was top notch.

 

We were at a table for 2, but easily made friends with the couples at the tabels around us and we all had a wonderful time laughing, chatting and enjoying the comraderie.

 

Would never go less than Aqua Class moving forward.

[CaroleLee]

Hi CaroleLee:

 

I loved the ambience in Blu. It is prettier in reality than it looks in photos. CC poster nps001 has some nice shots of Blu on his website, but the restaurant has a quiet elegance that doesn't quite show up in pictures. The amber-coloured crystal light fixtures are mounted on springs and shimmer ever so slightly even when the ship is docked. You can see the windows from almost anywhere in the room, and at night they reflect the lighting in a lovely way.

 

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/569280534VzNfGT

 

At 130 seats, the restaurant is a nice size, it's quiet without being dull, and I don't miss the hustle and bustle of the main dining room, or the constant clink of china, not that that has ever bothered me, but the atmosphere in Blu is very relaxing.

 

The first night I ordered the filet mignon which was served with a light wine sauce and what seemed like a well-flavoured potato puree that they called a "fondant". It was delicious, and the steak was perfectly done (MR) and really flavourful. We ate at Tuscan Grille the next evening, and my Blu steak was every bit as tasty as the TG filet, which was great too! Another dish that I loved was Halibut served over a Lobster Chowder. It was much more wonderful than it sounds. I had a lamb dish one evening that was outstanding, and we really enjoyed the Lobster offering...it was a full tail. I found that sometimes the descriptions of the dishes were a little "flowery" or even a bit pretentious, but the food always rose above the descriptions :p. Honestly, I never had one dish that I didn't heartily enjoy. Appetizers and soups were great. I enjoyed very much their low-fat ice creams (cherry brandy comes to mind) and sorbets.

 

Our waiter's name was Slobadan, and I came to understand very quickly that I could absolutely rely on his recommendations. On two nights, he brought us a second entree "to taste"...(he brought the original entree that I had been considering before I went with his suggestion). I always liked what he suggested best. The only thing I tasted that I didn't love was a "taster serving" of the Kobe Beef Stuffed Pasta Shells. The beef stuffing was too rich for me, and I was glad that I had ordered Slobadan's suggestion.

 

There was always a "Salad Entree" and the Steak Salad arrived with a whole steak! And several of the diners around us really enjoyed the Cabernet Short Ribs (I hope I have the name right).

 

Presentation was excellent and Blu has an assortment of lovely dishes that really add to the artistry and elegance of the meal.

 

Breakfast in Blu has an enhanced menu, and everything we tried was excellent. I hear the smoothies are really good, although I didn't have one. Our waiter from dinner (late seating) served us breakfast as well. Blu is not open for lunch.

 

We had a wonderful sommelier named Diego who was very charming and attentive, and it certainly wasn't because of our wine purchases, as we were drinking very modestly priced wines. Diego was lots of fun and added a lot to our enjoyment of Blu. We had one Elite coupon for 20% off a second bottle of wine, and one Classic coupon for 10% off, and we used both. Do remember to bring the coupons with you to the restaurant, as you need them in order to get the discount.

 

As far as priority service is concerned, there was a separate embarkation line for AquaClass, which had no one in it when we boarded (c. 11:30 am), and we were on the ship less than 10 minutes after we entered the Cruise Ship Terminal. Best embarkation ever. We didn't have any tender ports.

 

AQ has a separate concierge for Spa appointments, which saves you having to wait in line. The service and attitude of the staff in the Spa was the best I have had on any cruise. There was no hard sell whatsoever of products after the massage. They had some good promotional prices at different times, and we used a Captain Club coupon to get 10% off the massage. It never seemed overly busy any time when I was in the Spa.

 

The stateroom is lovely, and the whole AQ area is very quiet. We enjoyed the non-fog mirror in the bathroom and the premium shower (rain-type head and additional shower jets). There is an aromatherapy scent in the room which I stopped noticing after about 30 minutes. We enjoyed the flavoured teas that are provided daily, and you are given 2 free bottles of water that are replaced as often as you use them. There were extra-fluffy terry robes and "hotel slippers" provided for each AQ guest.

 

Sorry to have rambled on so long. If you have any other questions, I would be happy to try to answer them.

 

Thank you for your answer. Traveling with DF(their 1st cruise) & I don't want them to be disappointed. I can't wait. Again many thanks

Carole

[Duanerice1]

Loved Aqua Class, more specifically Blu. I cannot imagine going back to the MDR for dinner. I know I will have to sometime but gosh Blu spoiled us. The difference is like eating in a nice restaurant or eating at a nice wedding. They are both nice, just different experiences. We did try the MDR one night because they had Grouper that sounded good (an boy was it!). But, the noise and commotion was a shock since we were in Blu the previous 2 nights. We both prefer the more subdued experience of Blu.

 

It is not just about the atmosphere either. The food, for the most part, was fabulous. Sometimes the descriptions were a bit too flowery but the food itself was great. The presentations were great. Always something to look forward to.

 

The AQ cabin was nice as were the amenities but for $700 you can buy a lot of amenities :)

I'd go for Blu, but not just for the room.

 

enjoy,

Duane

[Solstice23]

I found the food to be great in Blu, this is what makes cruising so great everyone can choose on what they like. Sometimes dinner mates SUCK!!!! and sometimes couples do not want to cruise and sit with a huge group or with children. Most of the time when we have booked CC was only 50-100.00 more person and it was worth it for us. But usually we like Cc for the aft Balcony rooms, and Sky Suites.

 

I will say this......with the econmomy the way it is and the low low prices I see advertised we cannont expect the level and assortment of food to be there, all the time. we cruise this March on summit and I have never had a sky suite for so cheap. We realize that you pay for what you get. And one week can be different from the next!

 

Happy Cruising

[Solstice23]

ohh and next March AQ is only 50.00 more per person then CC ??? so thats worth it for us? and 800.00 per person cheaper then the SKY Suite

[Gerrym]

Aqua class has other inclusions. You get all the concierge class perks (flowers, champagne, etc) and you get assigned to Blu instead of the main dining room. .

 

 

I have heard from some that getting assigned to Blu is like a downgrade!!