Should I upgrade?

[streetspirit]

Hi all,

 

I've booked an accessible stateroom with balcony on the Eclipse for a cruise next year. It's the same room that we had last year (6135) towards the bow port side and it suited our needs very well. For an extra £200 each I could book an accessible aquaclass room (1524/1526).

 

As I understand we would then eat in Blu instead of the MDR and are not fixed to a time slot. Also I would assume it would be less crowded and from what I've read the food is a similar standard to eating in a speciality restaurant?

 

Is Blu open for lunch? I also wanted to ask what other benefits there are from booking Aquaclass other than the room size being 10sqm larger than the one I have booked. I've looked at the location on the deck plans and it similarly place but starboard rather than port side and I imagine higher up.

 

so it is worth paying the extra £400?

 

Thanks,

Jamie

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

That's a lot of money. To me, it wouldn't be worth it. If you're concerned about dining in the MDR, that money would buy you a lot of dining in the specialty restaurants. And my understanding is that all balcony cabins are the same size on S class ships, so you would not be buying any extra room.

[Orator]

Hi all,

 

I've booked an accessible stateroom with balcony on the Eclipse for a cruise next year. It's the same room that we had last year (6135) towards the bow port side and it suited our needs very well. For an extra £200 each I could book an accessible aquaclass room (1524/1526).

 

As I understand we would then eat in Blu instead of the MDR and are not fixed to a time slot. Also I would assume it would be less crowded and from what I've read the food is a similar standard to eating in a speciality restaurant?

 

Is Blu open for lunch? I also wanted to ask what other benefits there are from booking Aquaclass other than the room size being 10sqm larger than the one I have booked. I've looked at the location on the deck plans and it similarly place but starboard rather than port side and I imagine higher up.

 

so it is worth paying the extra £400?

 

Thanks,

Jamie

 

AQ is my cabin category of choice. I enjoy Blu, the free bottled water and Persian Gardens. That being said I doubt that I would pay that much extra. The cabins are basically the same. The difference is in the AQ shower. You could use the extra money to enjoy the specialty restaurants. In the end it's really up to you.

Blu only open for breakfast and dinner. No lunch served in Blu. Breakfast is wonderful!

[aquaclass]

I've booked an accessible stateroom with balcony on the Eclipse for a cruise next year. It's the same room that we had last year (6135) towards the bow port side and it suited our needs very well. For an extra £200 each I could book an accessible aquaclass room (1524/1526).

 

As I understand we would then eat in Blu instead of the MDR right and are not fixed to a time slot alco correct. Also I would assume it would be less crowded and from what I've read the food is a similar standard to eating in a speciality restaurant? The dining room for Blu is more intimate and the food is excellent.

 

Is Blu open for lunch NO, but a yummy breakfast? I also wanted to ask what other benefits there are from booking Aquaclass other than the room size being 10sqm larger than the one I have booked In my opinion, the room will seem a bit nicer, better linens, towels, shower, free bottled water, also you have the persian garden available to you as well as full access to the relaxation room. I've looked at the location on the deck plans and it similarly place but starboard rather than port side and I imagine higher up deck 11.

 

so it is worth paying the extra £400? No easy answer for that ..... if you are the type that would prefer the type of "clean" meals of BLU, would use the persian garden regularly as well as the some of the other benefits on your cruise, then maybe. Myself, 400 euro or about $525 would be a bit high.

[Cruise a holic]

Hi all,

 

I've booked an accessible stateroom with balcony on the Eclipse for a cruise next year. It's the same room that we had last year (6135) towards the bow port side and it suited our needs very well. For an extra £200 each I could book an accessible aquaclass room (1524/1526).

 

As I understand we would then eat in Blu instead of the MDR and are not fixed to a time slot. Also I would assume it would be less crowded and from what I've read the food is a similar standard to eating in a speciality restaurant?

 

Is Blu open for lunch? I also wanted to ask what other benefits there are from booking Aquaclass other than the room size being 10sqm larger than the one I have booked. I've looked at the location on the deck plans and it similarly place but starboard rather than port side and I imagine higher up.

 

so it is worth paying the extra £400?

 

Thanks,

Jamie

 

I would highly recommend Aqua Class. First, not sure if your current cabin is concierge class, with Aqua Class, you get priority embarkation and disembarkation, extra cruise credit points, bottled water in your stateroom, which you can bring with you on and off the ship. Other nice in cabin amenities which you should check out on the celebrity website, but best of all is Blu dining. It is a private restaurant feel vs eating in a huge banquet hall atmosphere. The service typically is excellent, more relaxed. Blu is only open for Breakfast and Dinner.

[d4m]

Hi all,

 

As I understand we would then eat in Blu instead of the MDR and are not fixed to a time slot. Also I would assume it would be less crowded and from what I've read the food is a similar standard to eating in a speciality restaurant?

 

Thanks,

Jamie

 

You would be assigned to Blu. However, should you find the meals not to your liking or if you want a change of pace, you can also eat in the MDR. That info as per other guests and also according to the new CEO.

[Orator]

I would highly recommend Aqua Class. First, not sure if your current cabin is concierge class, with Aqua Class, you get priority embarkation and disembarkation, extra cruise credit points, bottled water in your stateroom, which you can bring with you on and off the ship. Other nice in cabin amenities which you should check out on the celebrity website, but best of all is Blu dining. It is a private restaurant feel vs eating in a huge banquet hall atmosphere. The service typically is excellent, more relaxed. Blu is only open for Breakfast and Dinner.

 

You also get priority embarkation and disembarkation with Concierge. So do Elites and Suite Guests. That benefit is worth little to nothing.

[Lsimon]

...Also I would assume it would be less crowded and from what I've read the food is a similar standard to eating in a speciality restaurant?...

 

We really enjoyed the food in Blu and I'd personally place it inbetween the levels of the MDR and the specialty restaurants but more like the MDR than the specialty restaurants. There are lot of Blu fans on these boards who feel the same way but there are also others who do not like the menu in Blu and prefer the MDR. So it is not a given that you'll enjoy Blu more.

 

Since the dining room is a lot smaller than the MDR it never seemed as crowded overall but I wouldn't say that a particular area around a table is any less crowded than the MDR. For example almost all tables for 2 are inches from the next table for 2 separated only enough for someone to squeeze between the tables to seat themselves.

 

We liked AQ primarily because of Blu and would pay extra for it because of that. But 400 GBP, or about $650, is a big premium and I'd have to think about that. Of course this would be easier to accept for a 14 night cruise than a 7 night cruise.

[ORDMan]

£200 each-that's £400 total and $650 for those of us in the colonies.

 

Personally that's quite a sum of money and to me not worth it. The Persian Gardens is available on a day-pass basis and isn't somewhere most people spend all day, every day.

 

Blu is good! But for this sum two people could eat every night in Murano for the whole cruise. And I know people who do that.

 

Being higher up in the ship is nice though.

[bighairtexan]

I vote along w/ Linda (and others). I don't feel the perks of AQ are worth that much extra (and yes I've been in AQ).

[jackdiamond]

If it is a 10 night, or longer cruise, I believe that it is worth it. I would be ambivalent if it was only a seven night cruise.

[streetspirit]

Thanks for all the feedback.

 

It's a 14 night cruise Jack however due to the mixed response we will probably stick with what we have unless there is a price decrease. We do tend to book speciality restuarants on at least 3 nights of the cruise and eat in the Oceanview once or twice for dinner as well depending on what we're doing on that particular day.

 

Thanks again,

Jamie