Menu in Blu

[Lady Lexus]

Thinking about a Celebrity Cruise and there are so many decisions to make. I've read about the amenities of Aqua class. I would like more definite information about the menus in Blu. People seem to really love it, but i have seen no menus nor any mention of what is served. This information will help with my decision. Thank you all, kind readers.

[4cats4me]

Thinking about a Celebrity Cruise and there are so many decisions to make. I've read about the amenities of Aqua class. I would like more definite information about the menus in Blu. People seem to really love it, but i have seen no menus nor any mention of what is served. This information will help with my decision. Thank you all, kind readers.

 

Short ribs, risotto with Kobe beef and truffles, steak tar tar, chicken this and that , fish dishes, lobster, fancy schmancy names for everything. Someone used to have the link to menus. Sorry, but it is so difficult to go from memory, but all four of us loved most everything. Lots of wonderful soups, salads accompaniments.

 

Maybe use the search feature and search for Blu menus

 

http://www.beyondships.com/sitebuilder/images/m_blu_app-678x965.jpg

 

 

http://www.beyondships2.com/uploads/8/2/4/5/8245255/7182431.jpg?690

 

http://www.beyondships2.com/uploads/8/2/4/5/8245255/5693239.jpg?707

Edited January 3, 2014 by 4cats4me

[20pluscruises]

Kobe "style" beef is no longer on the menu and also gone from the 7 day cruise steak tar tar.

 

Main dishes...Duck breast, rib eye, lamb shank, arichoke pasta dish, mushroom rissoto, chicken, tenderloin tornados, sea bass, halibut, salmon, rock lobster

 

Appetizers...soft shell crab, frog legs, goat cheese, seared tuna salad, corn totilla soup, asparagus soup, smoked trout, beet salad.

 

Desert...creme brulee, apple crisp, ice cream, berries

Edited January 3, 2014 by 20pluscruises

[4cats4me]

Kobe "style" beef is no longer on the menu and also gone from the 7 day cruise steak tar tar.

 

Main dishes...Duck breast, rib eye, lamb shank, arichoke pasta dish, mushroom rissoto, chicken, tenderloin tornados, sea bass, halibut, salmon, rock lobster

 

Appetizers...soft shell crab, frog legs, goat cheese, seared tuna salad, corn totilla soup, asparagus soup, smoked trout, beet salad.

 

Desert...creme brulee, apple crisp, ice cream, berries

 

 

Huh? No more Kobe? :eek:Oh well, things change. I'm sure I can find something else, but this French person won't be eating goat cheese or frogs or soft shell crabs.

Edited January 3, 2014 by 4cats4me

[akowilm]

Does the menu in Blu stay the same on both S class and M class ships? Also, does it vary according to the itinerary? I imagine the Caribbean sailings would differ from the European/Asia sailings?? I have 2 upcoming trips in Aqua and would love to see recent Caribbean menus from anyone that has sailed Connie or Summit.

[Janet987]

Not current ones, but see my post #25 here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1963826

I hope to post a complete set from my sailing on the 11th.

[akowilm]

Not current ones, but see my post #25 here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1963826

I hope to post a complete set from my sailing on the 11th.

 

OH, please do! Are you on the Summit Southern Caribbean? Have a great cruise!:)

[ozark74]

Thinking about a Celebrity Cruise and there are so many decisions to make. I've read about the amenities of Aqua class. I would like more definite information about the menus in Blu. People seem to really love it, but i have seen no menus nor any mention of what is served. This information will help with my decision. Thank you all, kind readers.

 

If you go to the Celebrity website and go to the onboard experience. Then go to restaurant and click Blu. They have sample menu's. Have seen all the items listed at different times. Blu is the best part of Aqua.

[cynbar]

http://eclipse2011ta.webs.com/blumenus.htm

 

Here is a link to 10 days of Blu menus from a transatlantic cruise. A recent poster looked them over and said this was pretty much what they had on their cruise, so it doesn't seem there have been too many changes. We were in AQ on Eclipse and have booked it for our May Reflection cruise, we loved the ambiance and the service, and frankly found that most of the menu items tasted better than they sounded, and were prepared more to order than in the MDR.

Edited January 3, 2014 by cynbar

[Bently57]

Apparently they have meatloaf in an exquisite cat food shape. Can't wait!

[jackdiamond]

Awhile back, some kind soul posted some pictures of various meals in Blu; and, said pictures were fantastic.

Edited January 3, 2014 by jackdiamond

[20pluscruises]

Apparently they have meatloaf in an exquisite cat food shape. Can't wait!

 

The kobe "style" meatloaf was not on the menu this past week...thank gawd! I had it in the spring of 2013 and actually asked if it was spam...it was NASTY!!!

[20pluscruises]

Huh? No more Kobe? :eek:Oh well, things change. I'm sure I can find something else, but this French person won't be eating goat cheese or frogs or soft shell crabs.

 

The soft shell crab was the best thing on the menu. These were excellent!!!

 

I think one night DH had duck leg (leg of something) and that dish was very good

 

The duck breast was cooked to a perfect temperature but was dry and bland, even with the pistachio nut crust

 

DH said his beef tenderloin tornados was good but it's a very small portion

 

Rib eye was gawd awful

 

Sea bass was very good but only 1/2 inch (if that) thick

 

Halibut was very very dry but a good portion size

 

Lamb shank was very good

 

I can't remeber the other meat DH had but it was really bad (if it comes to me I'll let you know)

 

Lobster...not a fan of rock lobster but was better than it had been in the past

 

Goat cheese app was good

 

Rack of lamb was not good. Dry and tough

 

Frog legs were moist but has the odd spicy sauce

 

Most pasta dishes (a side order) were pretty bland with the exception of the artichoke, goat cheese, sun dried tomatoes dish...very tasty

 

Smoked trout app was good IF you didn't mix it with the grapefruit slices.

 

Also, ask for pats of butter for the bread basket...the butter dishes on the table tasted like a mix of butter and crisco and had a grainy/mushy texture...it was just plain weird. Maybe due to being set out and put back in the fridge night after night??????

[4cats4me]

The soft shell crab was the best thing on the menu. These were excellent!!!

 

Not the best thing if you are allergic like I am though. , but I'll take your word for it.

[Eloise4Ever]

http://eclipse2011ta.webs.com/blumenus.htm

 

Here is a link to 10 days of Blu menus from a transatlantic cruise. A recent poster looked them over and said this was pretty much what they had on their cruise, so it doesn't seem there have been too many changes. We were in AQ on Eclipse and have booked it for our May Reflection cruise, we loved the ambiance and the service, and frankly found that most of the menu items tasted better than they sounded, and were prepared more to order than in the MDR.

 

We were on the 13 night Eclipse TA in Nov 13 and the Blu menu was very similar to this one. It was our second time to cruise in AQ and dine in Blu and unfortunately the experience did match up to the first time round. After our first AQ cruise we were convinced we would only ever book AQ from then on, purely so we could eat in Blu. Now, our next Celebrity cruise will probably be in a regular balcony cabin and we will book a specialty restaurant package.

 

The reason we enjoyed Blu so much the first time round proved to be its downfall on our most recent cruise. That is, we really enjoyed the smaller venue, the intimate atmosphere and more personal service first time round. Unfortunately that doesn't work so well when there are difficult customers nearby on a nightly basis and a Maitre D'/Hostess that don't care how that is affecting your experience. In a larger venue such as the MDR these things are more easily overlooked but in Blu it is impossible to do so. I really don't want to be more specific about these issues as it was a somewhat sensitive situation and while everyone I met on the ship was aware of it, as far as I am aware nobody else has mentioned the specifics on Cruise Critic and I would also rather not do so.

 

Leaving that aside, the issues we encountered in Blu this time that could happen anytime are: queues for entry, even after 8pm, and honestly, the food is not that special. The hostess told me that they had a lot of suite guests eating in Blu and that was the cause of the waiting time. When I said I thought that suite guests could only eat in Blu on a space available basis (and on the basis of my experience there didn’t appear to be any space available), she said that was the "policy" but in reality they could not turn suite guests away.

 

To my surprise and disappointment, there were some nights when I struggled to find anything I wanted to eat on the Blu menu. Another issue was with the menu descriptions, on occasion the food did not match the description. For instance, the chocolate fondant dessert which would commonly be understood to be a hot cake with a melting centre was served as a cold mousse. This was one of several similar misfires but I can't recall the details of others right now. We mentioned it to the Maitre D’ but he said that the recipes come from Miami and individual ships had no input into the presentation of a dish.

 

In summary, Blu, for better or worse, does have an intimate atmosphere. The wait staff, without exception, are extremely pleasant and capable and we had good fun with some of them. In fact, I feel these wonderful people were let down by the average food and lacklustre Blu management. As I said earlier, I will certainly cruise with Celebrity again but maybe not in AQ unless the cost differential vs a regular balcony is not very great. Obviously this is very much a personal opinion and I am actually sad that my previous extremely high opinion of Blu has been soured by my most recent experiences, as it was the highlight of my previous AQ cruise.

[OMK&Belladonna]

OH, please do! Are you on the Summit Southern Caribbean? Have a great cruise!:)

 

I was on the Summit a few weeks ago and dined in Blu nightly.

 

I'll share what I remember seeing on the menu throughout the week.

 

 

Filet mignon

New York strip

Soft shell crabs

Lamb shank

Anise duck breast

Seared tuna steak

Pumpkin gnocchi

Seafood ceviche

Macadamia nut seared scallops

Beef stuffed ravioli

Eggplant stuffed with vegetable medley

Frog legs

Halibut with some type of sauce

Risotto

Lasagna primavera

Lobster

Crab bisque

Beef carpaccio

 

 

I can't remember anything else. This was on a Southern Caribbean itinerary.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

[Feelin' Nauti']

Not current ones, but see my post #25 here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1963826

I hope to post a complete set from my sailing on the 11th.

Nice photos... but difficult to read :cool:

[keesar]

In summary, Blu, for better or worse, does have an intimate atmosphere.

 

The definition of "an intimate atmosphere" are rows of 4 tables each for 2 separated by 12 inches so you can clearly hear conversations on either side of you. In my opinion, this is not intimate dining. On the other hand, if one was referring to Murano or Tuscan Grill, that is another story.

[leeamorris]

I was wondering if it was just me... First time Aqua Spa (not first time cruisers!) and with me not being a fan of seafood, I had trouble most nights finding something on the regular menu in BLU. I wound up having chicken 3 times! I'm really not that picky.

 

On the plus side, I thought the steak on the menu everyday was cooked excellently and tasted as good if not better than the the lawn club.

 

Not sure Aqua class is our cup of tea, because I think the MDR does just fine. In fact one night when I couldn't find anything on the BLU menu we went down to the MDR. It was good!

[20pluscruises]

The soft shell crab was the best thing on the menu. These were excellent!!!

 

Not the best thing if you are allergic like I am though. , but I'll take your word for it.

 

Sorry to hear this. We have a very close friend who is also allergic. He has to be very careful....meats have to cooked in a seperate pan at restaurants as some fish is also cooked along with meat on the grill. And forget having anything fried........you just never know.:(

[ClaudiaB]

We've always loved Blu and have been *those* suite guests who were never turned down. OK, we've heard that it's space available and we've never gone to Blu and taken the very last table in the room. There were always plenty of spaces at the times we went (over 5 cruises of 10-14 days) so we weren't taking the places of AQ pax. It's up to the maitre d' to say yay or nay, we always followed the rules, typically eating about 8:30 or so.

 

As far as the menus, they're great. The descriptions are often a lot more flowery and complex, but when the dishes arrive they are just delicious.

 

A couple of times we couldn't decide so DH would order one thing, I'd order another, and we asked the waiter to just bring a TASTE of a third. And they did! Not an entire 3rd entree but a few bites each, which was perfect. I love the short ribs and the little bites of cheese appetizer with the sweet coating (I forget the name but they are wonderful).

 

What makes Blu particularly special is the individualized attention. It's a small restaurant compared to the MDR which is a large banquet hall. Both are good but different. If you like something in particular and mention it to them they will bend over backwards to accommodate. I'm not talking unusual things -- I happen to like broccoli and sometimes it's just what I preferred to the night's offering. I like a simple small dish of fresh berries -- they have always been able to accommodate me.

 

The close proximity of tables can be mixed. The one thing we have missed about the MDR is the great table connection with new friends every evening. You can get that in Blu because the tables are close. There are times, though, when it's clear the people next to you aren't interested in conversation. Sometimes people want to engage with all the people nearby and sometimes they don't. We always do, and it's great fun.

[cynbar]

Well, it's certainly up to the maitre d' to enforce the rules, I can't blame suite passengers for trying. We'll be in AQ on the Reflection in May, and I have already heard that Blu is more crowded due to the addition of the extra cabins. We wouldn't be happy to have a wait, especially a lengthy one, and then hear that suite passengers were seated ahead of us. It really doesn't matter if there are empty tables when you arrive, once Blu is full and there are suite passengers taking up tables, it means a wait for AQ passengers who have paid to eat there. I'm sorry if this offends the suite cruisers, but personally I would like to see Celebrity enforce the policy about this that they advertise. I know Celebrity reads these boards, hope they are listening.

[4cats4me]

 

Sorry to hear this. We have a very close friend who is also allergic. He has to be very careful....meats have to cooked in a seperate pan at restaurants as some fish is also cooked along with meat on the grill. And forget having anything fried........you just never know.:(

 

:( I know. I really miss lobster, crab; , shrimp I can eat. Went to lunch two days ago and poured fish sauce over my cold noodles, have eaten it before with no problem , but started having a reaction , got scared , quit eating it. I better google what is in fish sauce. Boo hoo!

[DisneyShar]

Just spent 7 days on silhouette and ate every night in Blu. Everything was wonderful, no Kobe beef, but it was not missed in my mind. Sampled most of everything on the main menu and all in our party were impressed.

Edited January 5, 2014 by DisneyShar

[snow bunny]

On our two previous AQ sailings there was one night where the menu had nothing that appealed to us. Would love to see a seven day menu for the Silhouette so I can pick what night to go to the Grill!

 

snow bunny