Aqua Class Amenity Review

[SilkShirt]

I read this review by TMC007 and wonder if it's the normal experience.

 

 

Aqua class amenity review – 2 / 5 Overall

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Early Embarkation and Debarkation – 0 / 5

 

 

 

There was no such thing as early embarkation or debarkation. When we arrived at the port we asked for the AquaClass line and were curtly told there was no such line and we had to wait in the main line. Thinking we might have gotten bad information, the wife and I checked with two more people (each much nicer than the first) who politely told us that all check in and embarkation was in one line.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Priority Check In – 0 / 5

 

 

 

We were supposed to have our own Aqua Class Check in Counter, but again, that didn’t happen. Check in itself was not bad, the 0/5 rating only concerns the lack of on Aqua Class check in line.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Welcome Sparkling Wine, Fruit, and Flowers – 3 / 5

 

 

 

The sparkling wine was nice and cold when it finally arrived (around 8 p.m. due to the sanitation issues from the last cruise) and the fruit was a nice touch. This rating would have been a 5 except for two things: They did not bring us ice to chill the wine the next night when we were going to drink it and the flowers did not arrive until 4 days into the cruise, too long of a delay even considering the sanitation issues of the ship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Speciality Restaurant seating preferences – 0 / 5

 

 

 

Once again, we were told there was no such preference.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Expanded Room Service Breakfast Menu – 1 / 5

 

 

 

This amenity existed, and that is were the good news ends. The “expanded” menu included only a couple of fruit smoothies that were bitter and tasteless. The room service overall was good, but the 1/5 rating only concerns the extra Aqua Class smoothies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Daily Evening Hors d’oeuvres – 2 / 5

 

 

 

The snacks were only delivered on two of the nights and not daily as advertised. They were quite good little treats, but when we didn’t have them in our stateroom after returning from a day in port we were disappointed. Not that we went hungry, but when you are promised something you expect to get it and we didn’t.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. Celebrity Tote Bag – 3 / 5

 

 

 

We did get our nice basic tote bag with the celebrity logo on the third night of the cruise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. Oversized Bath Towels – 4 / 5

 

 

 

I really liked the towels here, they were a nice treat and were a good size and very plush.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. Binoculars, Umbrella, and Shoe Shine Service – 1 / 5

 

 

 

Once again, I was told there were no binoculars. The umbrellas were in the closet, but we had no use for them. I was really hoping for the binoculars when pulling in and out of port, so this was frustrating.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10. Blu Restaurant – 4 / 5

 

 

 

Blu is a good amenity, the food is quite tasty and served at the appropriate temperature. The tables are mostly 2 person tables that we enjoyed and the service (especially that of the Maitre’d) was very good. This would have been a 5/5 except for the fact that the amenities of the restaurants, like the bread baskets and veggies with dip, disappeared on the second day never to be seen again, and we had to ask whenever we wanted our water filled. Lastly, we booked a late seating (8:30) but when we boarded we were told that we didn’t have a set time and could come in whenever we wanted. Sounds great, right? The problem with this was that we had a different table and wait staff every time and the service was a little impersonal as compared to our previous Celebrity cruise where they knew us by name after the second day and knew our preferences. The Blu restaurant is a great place to go for breakfast and they do a wonderful job at that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11. Hansgrohe Shower Panels – 3 / 5

 

 

 

This is a normal shower head that has a massage feature and detaches. In addition, there is a bar running vertically that has some water jets on it that spray horizontally. A nice feature.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12. Aroma Scent – 4 / 5

 

 

 

This was a nice feature that helped the room stay fresh with a nice lemongrass scent, however it is only get in 4/5 because it took 3 days to get to our room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13. Pillow Menu – 0 / 5

 

 

 

Once again, an amenity that did not exist

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14. Complimentary Bathroom Amenities – 4 / 5

 

 

 

A nice selection of lemongrass scented shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer, and body wash.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15. Daily Bottled Water and Teas – 3 / 5

 

 

 

You get two water bottles daily plus a pitcher of HOT tea, not ICED tea. That would have been great as we could have just poured that over ice, but they never brought us ice without asking repeatedly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16. Personal Spa Concierge – 0 / 5

 

 

 

This person never contacted us and we could not find them. It wasn’t a real problem as we were able to book our spa appointments through regular means, but if an amenity is promised it should be delivered.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

17. Aqua Class Robes and Slippers – 4 / 5

 

 

 

We really used the robes and they were a good size and comfortable. They could have been a little more plush, but they were a treat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

18. Enhanced Personal Care Products – 1 / 5

 

 

 

If this means the q-tip and cotton balls in the bathroom, the q-tips were never delivered and the cotton balls only on the third day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

19. Unlimited Use of the Persian Garden and Relaxation Room – 3 / 5

 

 

 

The Persian Garden and the Relaxation room were great and would have easily been 5/5 amenities but for two things. In the relaxation room several people would carry on loud conversations not conducive to relaxing and staff would do nothing about it, and the Persian Garden was always full making it impossible to get a seat. We were able to get a seat once and that was nice, so it gets 3 / 5.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

20. Special Programming and Wellness Classes – 0 / 5

 

 

 

This was just sad. The listing makes this sounds like there will be special classes in the gym or spa for Aqua Class guests, but all this consists of is a couple of programs on your stateroom TV that really have no value.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

21. Lounge Seating on Verandah – 4 / 5

 

 

Nice seats and we spent some good times out here. Put a cushion on the chairs and you get 5/5.

[Fblack]

Why all the white space on your post? Is this for some sort of affect?

 

No one ever said that Aqua class had loads of great perks. Other than Blu, the perks are not much to get excited about. Elite's get nice perks though.

[clickmichelle]

Why all the white space on your post? Is this for some sort of affect?

 

The whitespace probably a browser artifact from copy/pasting from a review.

 

The review in question is located here

 

I can't speak to the reviewer's issues, but they won't stop me from booking AQ so I can see for myself. ;)

[gilmanalex]

This review sounds like every complaint I hear about people who pay for flying on domestic first class. Domestic first class is something that's really there for frequent business flyers who get it for free because we fly so much. I have to hear the same complaint every time someone sits next to me and tries to chat about "how terrible" the flight is.

It *is* nicer than sitting in the back but it's not going to change your whole world around. It's not like unicorns fly around farting delicious smelling candy rainbows.

It just sounds like some people stretch to get a few more amenities and realize it wasn't worth the costs to them and then they let it ruin their entire experience.

I'm sorry they didn't enjoy it. Do you think they would have had a better time on a Carnival cruise with and interior stateroom?

 

I think they would complain about everything.

[dkjretired]

Celebrity has special check in lines for Blu on every cruise, I would suspect that they did not do it due to the late check-in.

 

AQ passengers do not get priority reservations in Specialty restaurants, the writer misread Celebritys web site, it is not one of the benefit of AQ.

[Gonzo70]

I read this review by TMC007 and wonder if it's the normal experience.

 

 

You have asked about this same topic in another thread. The answer is the same; some of the Aqua Class perks are quite nice and meaningful, others are merely fluff. That is to be expected. If you go on your cruise believing that every perk listed on the website will be something tangible and something that will enhance your cruise, you will be gravely disappointed. Aqua Class is a nice concept and I would certainly rather sail in Aqua Class than Concierge Class or a regular balcony, but it is not leagues above a regular balcony - I would only do Aqua Class if the price difference was not great. I hope you are able to embark on your vacation with reasonable expectations or you are really going to set yourself up for a bad vacation experience.

[Janet524]

We were in AQ on the 1/16 Solstice cruise - the one just before the noro issues. Because of a price drop, we were able to get an AQ cabin for $200 less than the regular balcony cabin we had originally booked. While I thought AQ was certainly nice, and we did enjoy the champagne and daily cheese plates, I don't think I would pay extra for this category. Blu, while very inviting with good food and food service, suffered from poor front end management. The maitre d's never seemed to have a handle on getting guests seated promptly, and even though we were told to make a reservation for a specific time (which we did), we still stood in line for 10-15 minutes while they ran around looking for tables. As for use of the Persian Garden, it was difficult to find a vacant lounger.

 

Don't misunderstand...We had a fabulous time and these were very minor issues. But I'm not planning on paying extra for a like experience in AQ.

[curiouscat]

I'll have to throw my 2 cents or so in here.... I think a lot of amenities are "fluff" but we did enjoy them and did rebook AQ for our next cruise...

 

However, the amenities stated shoud be honored. The inconsisties I found were the canapes were not delivered the first nite till I complained. You may have not got them if you were not in the cabin since on the 3rd nite they put a note in our stateroom that if we weren't there they would not leave them..our cabin stewards would hold them for us some nites until we came back to the room and then deliver them..we requested a cheese plate and shrimp cockatail some nites...but again canapes offered should be honored

 

We got the binoculars... but no pillow menu, no spa concierge, no special seating reservations in specialty restaurants(and yes it's on the website)

 

We did get priority embarkation,a special line.

 

Again, I can see the frustration of the inconsisties... this is where I think RCCL excels..they are consistent and X isn't always.

 

But again we loved the room, amenities and blu...so we did pay extra for our next cruise but I know how to speak up and ask...albeit a nuisance on my vaca:p

 

CC

[Gonzo70]

Where on the website does it reference special seating reservations in specialty restaurants? I just went to the website and the closest verbiage to this I was able to find stated: "Priority seating in Blu, a specialty restaurant created just for AquaClass guests that also serves complimentary healthy continental breakfast daily." Unless I am missing something, I do not see anything about special seating in specialty restaurants other than Blu.

[sghetrick]

It falls under the Concierge Class section:

Main and specialty restaurant seating preferences

http://www.celebritycruises.com/plancruise/media.do;jsessionid=0000CwaePxvmTqP5jEwNWls9lvh:12hdebf7u?pagename=staterooms&cS=SIDENAV

[gskimmel]

Was in Aqua Class on the Eclipse last month and we LOVED it. Everything that was advertised was provided to us. Below are my comments to your numbered points:

 

1. Early Embarkation and Debarkation – I don't recall ever seeing anyone having early embarkation and debarkation.

 

2. Priority Check In – We had our own Aqua Class check-in line.

 

3. Welcome Sparkling Wine, Fruit, and Flowers – Everything was there when we entered the room. Fruit and flowers were changed daily.

 

4. Speciality Restaurant seating preferences – Never heard of this

 

5. Expanded Room Service Breakfast Menu – the menu was perfect for eating on the balcony

 

6. Daily Evening Hors d’oeuvres – delivered daily...we didn't even have to be in the room as advertised...they were waiting in the room for us

 

7. Celebrity Tote Bag – Got this the night before our first port. I like that it doesn't have the Celebrity logo on it.

 

8. Oversized Bath Towels – Just as advertised

 

9. Binoculars, Umbrella, and Shoe Shine Service – Umbrella and binoculars were in the room. Had my shoes shined on day 1 and had them returned within a couple of hours.

 

10. Blu Restaurant – Was terrific. They even remembered who served us and made sure we were in their section. Only one night we were in a different section because we requested a different location.

 

11. Hansgrohe Shower Panels – For a cruise ship bathroom, this was a nice feature.

 

12. Aroma Scent – Was in the room each day.

 

 

13. Pillow Menu – This was a great amenity. The menu is in the cabin's welcome package. Received the requested pillows on the same day as requested.

 

14. Complimentary Bathroom Amenities – I think "complimentary" is the wrong word here. The bathroom amenities are identical to the other rooms. What is different is the two sets of moisturizer, lip balm, and face refresher that was waiting for us when we checked-in.

 

15. Daily Bottled Water and Teas – Iced tea and 2 bottles of water were delivered to us daily along with a bucket of ice. We never asked for anything.

 

16. Personal Spa Concierge – The personal spa concierge is right outside the relaxation room. I spoke with them but never really used them for anything.

 

17. Aqua Class Robes and Slippers – Frette robes were provided. A plush robe does not make them the best. Frette robes are considered to be among the best robes but are not plush. What makes Frette great is how it absorbs the water from your body after your shower.

 

18. Enhanced Personal Care Products – Everything was in the room as promised.

 

19. Unlimited Use of the Persian Garden and Relaxation Room – Had it, tried it. The best feature of the Persian Garden is the steam room. I thought the heated loungers could have been heated more, but that is just personal preference.

 

20. Special Programming and Wellness Classes – Was available just as promised..nothing more and nothing less.

 

21. Lounge Seating on Verandah – Nice seating with ottomans. No complaints.

[Gonzo70]

It falls under the Concierge Class section:

Main and specialty restaurant seating preferences

http://www.celebritycruises.com/plancruise/media.do;jsessionid=0000CwaePxvmTqP5jEwNWls9lvh:12hdebf7u?pagename=staterooms&cS=SIDENAV

 

Thanks. Yeah, they probably should remove that from the website.

[floridatravelersforlife]

Maybe it was a Solstice thing but on our Dec 2010 Eclipse Cruise

Was in Aqua Class on the Eclipse last month and we LOVED it. Everything that was advertised was provided to us. Below are my comments to your numbered points:

 

1. Early Embarkation and Debarkation – I don't recall ever seeing anyone having early embarkation and debarkation. WE got on at 12 Noon

 

2. Priority Check In – We had our own Aqua Class check-in line. Ditto

 

3. Welcome Sparkling Wine, Fruit, and Flowers – Everything was there when we entered the room. Fruit and flowers were changed daily. Ditto

 

4. Speciality Restaurant seating preferences – Never heard of this

 

5. Expanded Room Service Breakfast Menu – the menu was perfect for eating on the balcony

 

6. Daily Evening Hors d’oeuvres – delivered daily...we didn't even have to be in the room as advertised...they were waiting in the room for us Depends on cabin Attendent we changed to shrimp every day and got it.

7. Celebrity Tote Bag – Got this the night before our first port. I like that it doesn't have the Celebrity logo on it. Ditto

 

8. Oversized Bath Towels – Just as advertised

 

9. Binoculars, Umbrella, and Shoe Shine Service – Umbrella and binoculars were in the room. Had my shoes shined on day 1 and had them returned within a couple of hours.

 

10. Blu Restaurant – Was terrific. They even remembered who served us and made sure we were in their section. Only one night we were in a different section because we requested a different location. They treated us like royalty

 

11. Hansgrohe Shower Panels – For a cruise ship bathroom, this was a nice feature. Definitely a step up from regular shower, though not a aqua Spa Treatement not expected

 

12. Aroma Scent – Was in the room each day. Ditto

 

 

13. Pillow Menu – This was a great amenity. The menu is in the cabin's welcome package. Received the requested pillows on the same day as requested.

 

14. Complimentary Bathroom Amenities – I think "complimentary" is the wrong word here. The bathroom amenities are identical to the other rooms. What is different is the two sets of moisturizer, lip balm, and face refresher that was waiting for us when we checked-in.

 

15. Daily Bottled Water and Teas – Iced tea and 2 bottles of water were delivered to us daily along with a bucket of ice. We never asked for anything. Askewd for more water and got it

 

16. Personal Spa Concierge – The personal spa concierge is right outside the relaxation room. I spoke with them but never really used them for anything. WE did our own planning

17. Aqua Class Robes and Slippers – Frette robes were provided. A plush robe does not make them the best. Frette robes are considered to be among the best robes but are not plush. What makes Frette great is how it absorbs the water from your body after your shower. Not an issue for us

 

18. Enhanced Personal Care Products – Everything was in the room as promised. Ditto

 

19. Unlimited Use of the Persian Garden and Relaxation Room – Had it, tried it. The best feature of the Persian Garden is the steam room. I thought the heated loungers could have been heated more, but that is just personal preference. Used steam room but like M Class better

 

20. Special Programming and Wellness Classes – Was available just as promised..nothing more and nothing less.

 

21. Lounge Seating on Verandah – Nice seating with ottomans. No complaints.

did not use too busy

 

WE are doing Aqua Class again in Aug for the Baltics. Same cabin Same ship.

[jackdiamond]

gskimmel,

Your experiences mirror ours on our two prior ten night AQ cruises on the Equinox.

[Janet987]

Gskimmel. Thank you for posting a point by point response...I felt the same about every amenity but didn’t have the patience of Job you do to write it out. Will only add....

 

Expanded Room service breakfast....it has more AQ specials than just smoothies, e.g. Grilled Vegetables with Cypress Grove Goat Cheese. Just counted on my copy, it has about 75 items...somehow we could survive with those but Blu was even better.

 

Binoculars..they are in a small black case, highest shelf to right of TV. If not there when you arrive, ask the attendant for a replacement or you could be charged.

 

Hansgrohe Shower only has a “normal shower head” if normal at your home is the newer rainfall-style large 6” round. Alas mine is not, so a rainfall spa shower with panel of jets was a 5/5 to me.

 

Enhanced bathroom amenities...there are a few more than remembered from a regular veranda; the nail care set, lip balm

 

Special programming...unless you like to meditate with 50 new best friends in the gym class, having the wellness programs in your cabin on demand is not sad in the least.

 

Lounge seating...no complaints at all, but if you need a cushion, the throw pillows on the couch work well.

 

I had an amazing two weeks in AQ and everything, but especially Blu, exceeded my expectations. Asked for Nina the first two nights, and from then on, the maitre’ds knew we wanted table in her section w/o asking. Have never felt so pampered..every server in Blu, and I got to know them all at breakfast..was delightful and aimed to please.

 

As another poster said, it appears some of criticisms were related to the norovirus situation, e.g. removing the bread basket is SOP to control its spread but you only need to ask the waiter and bread will be served to you. Others are of the type which could be corrected if one just asks, and with an unresponsive (maybe overworked due virus)stateroom attendant, then ask guest services.

[Solstice23]

Wow

 

we had pillow menu

we had a line for Aqua Class

As for room service the Concierge and Aqua Class do have other food thats not on the main room service menu

 

They offer seating preference to people wanting late or early, if you book and put on a wait list you do get put in a better order for that list

 

But in all honesty the real reason we book Aqua class is BLU! by far the best main dining form any cruise we have sailed.

[curiouscat]

Again, from our varied experiences...inconsistencies...and that to me is what should be corrected. A product should be consistent and not vary ship to ship or sailing to sailing

 

But again I do love AQ... I would only book AQ or higher:p

 

 

C

[bighairtexan]

Regarding the seating in the restaurants. Nothing is noted in the AQ category, but in the Concierge Class benefits it says:

Main and specialty restaurant seating preferences

 

First of all I'm not sure what that means. It doesn't say priority or guarantee. It's kind of vague. But at any rate I don't even see how that pertains to AQ. There is no need for a preference for the "MAIN" restaurant as the MDR is not used for AQ, there are no seating times assigned in BLU so how does "seating preferences" even apply to AQ? There are almost all two tops, but they would put them together if you asked. I just don't see the relevance here. In Concierge they are assigned to the MDR so I can see how it's germane in that class.

 

I'm not sure what kind of enhanced room service breakfast would get a 5/5 or what kind of shower panel would be needed to earn a 5/5 or what kind of robes or relaxation programming.

 

Lastly, perhaps things such as binoculars were being sanitized due to the illness onboard. I'd rather do w/o than to use contaminated binoculars. Why then was the umbrella there? Maybe it had been sanitized or more likely, no rain so unlikely it was used. No sense cleaning countless umbrellas that had most likely not been touched. Prioritizing their efforts would preclude this.

 

And I think I should also say that I'm not an AQ nor a Celebrity apoligist. I was in AQ on the Solstice and I feel that what I received was "as advertised." I've just come to the conclusion that the perks are not something that interest me. Different strokes etc.

[SkystheLimit]

Could anyone please explain the aroma scents? Are these in the cabin? How do these impact those with allergies?

 

Thank you.

[Sun&Sand52]

Could anyone please explain the aroma scents? Are these in the cabin? How do these impact those with allergies?

 

Thank you.

 

It is a small bottle of aromatherapy with reeds that release the scent. It sits on the desk. We had it removed from our cabin as my DH is super sensitive to smells. The cabin steward removed our bottle and we never saw it again for the duration of the cruise.

[alexsarasota]

I'm sorry but I'm chuckling at the OP review regarding AQ. We were on the Eclipse on 1/15 and found it a most delightful experience. I just shook my head when I read the complaints about the Canapes, Blu Restaurant seating arrangement, embarcation line...yada yada yada....

 

Dear future sailors...read other reviews which will give you a truer experience of AQ class.

 

As an added note, all opinions and reviews are all subjective.

 

We are scheduled again soon on Eclipse in AQ....

[gilmanalex]

I'm sorry but I'm chuckling at the OP review regarding AQ. We were on the Eclipse on 1/15 and found it a most delightful experience. I just shook my head when I read the complaints about the Canapes, Blu Restaurant seating arrangement, embarcation line...yada yada yada....

 

Dear future sailors...read other reviews which will give you a truer experience of AQ class.

 

As an added note, all opinions and reviews are all subjective.

 

We are scheduled again soon on Eclipse in AQ....

 

We're doing AQ on Equinox... some of those reviews seem like the people are just never happy. A little dose of reality would do them good. I'm not talking about them doing a tour of duty (although it may help build perspective). But seriously if you're not enjoying it there's something wrong with you.

 

I mean I can understand "0" if you got stabbed by your butler because you asked him to get ice but c'mon. What do they live like at home?

[SkystheLimit]

Margar,

 

Thanks for the reply on aroma scents. I have the same issue as your husband. Just wanted to make sure it was something that did not permeate the cabin.

[newtocruising63]

We're doing AQ on Equinox... some of those reviews seem like the people are just never happy. A little dose of reality would do them good. I'm not talking about them doing a tour of duty (although it may help build perspective). But seriously if you're not enjoying it there's something wrong with you.

 

I mean I can understand "0" if you got stabbed by your butler because you asked him to get ice but c'mon. What do they live like at home?

 

I loved AQ on the Equinox and would do it again. Everything I expected I received plus some. I couldn't have been happier and felt the staff went out of there way for anything I requested. I would have found a spa conciege coming to my door selling services very annoying. I could have very easily walked down the hall or picked up the phone. Some people are crazy.

[bighairtexan]

LOL @ being stabbed by my butler. I hate when that happens.