Eating in BLU everyday?!

[ghstudio]

We are new to Celebrity and will do 3 cruises Jan-March, 2016. On other ships, we could go to MDR for breakfast and order our food, as opposed going to the buffet upstairs. The only buffets we ever enjoyed were on Azamara and Oceania and the ships only held 670+- passengers, so it was still very nice and not overwhelming. Appreciate an answer to. Thank you.

 

Celebrity offers breakfast in the MDR as well but our experience is that it's highly variable service...and sometimes they make you wait until the entire table is filled if you don't ask for, or can't get a table for 2. Breakfast in the MDR really didn't work for us.

[Sloop-JohnB]

We too are die hard Concierge fans... We love the cabin locations, extra amenities and the bonus Captain's Club Points.

 

On our upcoming cruise on the Connie we were able to snag one of the newly added Aft Sunset Aquas on Deck 11 at a great price so we have decided to give Aqua Class a try

 

I admit we are a tad concerned about Blu... As it does seem that folks are in one camp or the other... Love it... Or leave it.

 

We are hopeful

 

Both that we either like the venue... Or we can find ways to eat off the MDR Menu if we aren't crazy about it (worse. Case scenario... I like the lighter fare, and Mr Sloop decides he prefers the MDR :(:confused: )

 

Lol, if we do like it... Guess it means we have "upped the game" and will be sailing Aqua in the future.

 

Cheers!

Edited September 21, 2014 by Sloop-JohnB

[2theship]

Keep in mind that every meal in Blu is made to order, like in a restaurant. They are not the pre-plated meals that are served in the MDR. You can say to your waiter that you'd like the meat from a certain entrée but nothing else appeals to you, what else could you have with it? Of course, that could vary from ship to ship.

 

We love Blu and are looking forward to 14 days in AQ next month. However, we probably won't eat there every night. We'll probably take advantage of the discount in the specialty restaurants on the first night and perhaps hit the buffet another night or two. We may even try the MDR, if it's available to us.

Edited September 21, 2014 by 2theship

[perico1206]

We have sailed in Aqua class the last four cruises and are never going back. Breakfast is Blu is much, much nicer than anywhere else...no congestion or racket early in the morning. Dinner in Blu is definitely declining but still preferred to the MDR for us. The wonderful cabin shower and the Persian Gardens (love those heated loungers) will keep us in Aqua for our next cruise to Alaska. Have a wonderful time on your cruise.

[chamima]

Have you ever eaten in Blu before? I only ask because we had not - but had thought about trying Aqua. When we had a suite we gave it a try and found that it was not for us. Breakfast was an A experience - dinner was a C+ - while on the same cruise the select dining room was a solid B. I'd hesitate to commit to 14 days without trying Blu first as you may, as we did, find it wasn't for you.

 

We usually travel in CC - and the one suite that we tried and of course loved. 14 days might be a long cruise if you find Blu not to your liking. I'll admit we only ate there for 1 dinner but the service was very slow and the food was bland although the breakfasts were wonderful - we went 2 or 3 times. You'll get the Blue lovers but I just want to point out that not everyone likes Blu. I'd be trying it on a shorter cruise - just my humble opinion.

 

We were on the cruise with Jane and her husband last year (we were Aqua ) and actually were their tablemates for that one dinner.

I agree with her that the service was slow (not only slow but the waiters were obviously understaffed and overwhelmed :( ) and the food was bland.

However, we also were Aqua class for 35 nights on the Solstice in 2013 and ate there about 33 of those nights. The food was wonderful and the service impeccable.

 

Breakfast was consistently wonderful on both ships.

 

We're trying Blu and Aqua again this winter for 25 nights on two different ships and are REALLY hoping last year was an aberration.

[Kevnzworld]

Agree with Ghstudio ( Don )

If one cruises on Celebrity a lot, the Blu menu does become repetitive . I like having the additional alternative of the MDR. The menus are posted in the afternoon, and we pick where we want to eat based on that. There are definitely some Blu menus that don't appeal to me....then it becomes a specialty restaurant night.

The breakfast in Blu is the biggest plus....provided you get someone to serve you. My last experience with the breakfast in Blu wasn't great from a service perspective.

[hulamoon]

Is Blu made to order still? We rarely attempt something different from the menu, but it seemed last I tried to mix and match there was some resistance. So we no longer draw outside the lines with the menu.

 

To the OP...you have opinions from people who have had an awful lot of Blu meals. So I think for the most part a first 14 night sailing it would be fine, and you could take an occasional night elsewhere if necessary.

 

In April I found Blu uncharacteristically salty of all things. I think it was a one off. I hope so.

Edited September 21, 2014 by hulamoon

[morbihan]

We are in aqua class for our next cruise and honestly, when you work it out, I wonder why we booked it. The cabin position I think. Most of the 'benefits' are just not interesting to us. Fools! Could it be pressure selling? Ha ha.

 

Heated tiles? Blu ? Well, I liked both the buffet and the mdr. We will see. I can't wait anyway.

[chamima]

Is Blu made to order still? We rarely attempt something different from the menu, but it seemed last I tried to mix and match there was some resistance. So we no longer draw outside the lines with the menu.

 

To the OP...you have opinions from people who have had an awful lot of Blu meals. So I think for the most part a first 14 night sailing it would be fine, and you could take an occasional night elsewhere if necessary.

 

In April I found Blu uncharacteristically salty of all things. I think it was a one off. I hope so.

 

Sherrie,

My husband is a vegan so he virtually orders a "special" meal every night.

However, he DOES discuss and "order" his meal the evening before with the Maitre D' from Blu.

(It's another reason we prefer Blu - I think it's easier to do there than it would be in the MDR)

[k9x8]

We book cruises for the itinerary vs food, so we are on the Silhouette next month.

 

X did better in BLU but not outstanding. Given the difference in costs, we elected to simply book a balcony cabin on our 14 night cruise on the Silhouette in the eastern Mediterranean. We plan to eat in the buffet the entire cruise, we prefer that to the MDR or BLU on X.

 

Same here, especially for a med itenirary.

 

One of the downsides of a cruise, compared to a land trip, is the "Anywhere USA" selection of food and wine. On the last day of our last X cruise, we went to our favorite restaurant in Praiano, on the Amalfi Coast. The owners invited us in to dine with them, and it was an unforgettable, family style Sunday dinner. We skipped Blu that night and ate a light supper in the Oceanview. It was quite good and wonderfully peaceful.

 

That experience made us rethink our plans on our next cruise. We decided to concentrate on local food and wine in port, and it was all very, very good. (Each time I eat a Kalamata olive, I'm transported back to a mountainside meal in Delfi. Sigh.) We needed only a light supper in the buffet at night.

 

However, should we ever get to do a TA or other cruise with lots of sea days, we will be back in Blu, for the ambiance if for no other reason.

[hulamoon]

Sherrie,

My husband is a vegan so he virtually orders a "special" meal every night.

However, he DOES discuss and "order" his meal the evening before with the Maitre D' from Blu.

(It's another reason we prefer Blu - I think it's easier to do there than it would be in the MDR)

 

That is interesting. I ate gluten free because of a wheat sensitivity on our first two Blu cruises. By the second one, if it was not naturally gluten free there was no special order, they were merely telling me what would work and that was it. Sometimes there was no choice but one item.

 

By the third cruise they no longer picked up gluten free bread from Tuscan and I had the cold gluten free bread they offer in Blu.

 

Then the main dining room began their menu with Vegetarian and GF options.

 

Maybe there is hope.

Edited September 21, 2014 by hulamoon

[JanineM]

We were on a 13 nighter in Aqua Class last year and ate in Blu all but 4 nights - mainly because we prepurchased a specialty dining package. DH always finds something he likes in Blu, but I'm a bit pickier & tend to like plainer food. So some nights I order off the everyday menu (grilled chicken breast, steak, Caesar salad). As others have mentioned, breakfast is fantastic.

 

We wouldn't hesitate to book Aqua class for a 14 nighter, knowing that we could go to select dining is we didn't like the menu, or could also go to specialty dining or even the buffet. But we have truly gotten to the point where we don't see that specialty dining is worth the extra charge if we have Blu as our dining room.

 

Aqua class isn't for everyone.

Edited September 21, 2014 by JanineM

[JanineM]

We are in aqua class for our next cruise and honestly, when you work it out, I wonder why we booked it. The cabin position I think. Most of the 'benefits' are just not interesting to us. Fools! Could it be pressure selling? Ha ha.

 

 

 

Heated tiles? Blu ? Well, I liked both the buffet and the mdr. We will see. I can't wait anyway.

 

 

Why did you select Aqua Class if the benefits aren't of interest to you?

[MizDemeanor]

What has been touched on but not emphasized enough to be a sway to relief for anyone who is on the fence about Blu dining is the service levels. I recently posted on another thread that this venue is very much like the dining in the Haven dining room on NCL where the service levels are just outstanding for the suite guests. And here for AQ guests at a fraction of the cost.

[MizDemeanor]

We are in aqua class for our next cruise and honestly, when you work it out, I wonder why we booked it. The cabin position I think. Most of the 'benefits' are just not interesting to us. Fools! Could it be pressure selling? Ha ha.

 

Heated tiles? Blu ? Well, I liked both the buffet and the mdr. We will see. I can't wait anyway.

 

Waiting is hard.

[chamima]

That is interesting. I ate gluten free because of a wheat sensitivity on our first two Blu cruises. By the second one, if it was not naturally gluten free there was no special order, they were merely telling me what would work and that was it. Sometimes there was no choice but one item.

 

By the third cruise they no longer picked up gluten free bread from Tuscan and I had the cold gluten free bread they offer in Blu.

 

Then the main dining room began their menu with Vegetarian and GF options.

 

Maybe there is hope.

 

Did you actually attempt to speak to the Blu dining room manager to order something for the next night and he/she turned you down?

Also, did you ask for the bread from Tuscan and were refused?

[ClaudiaB]

We mix it up a bit. We eat in Blu most evenings and about half the breakfasts.

Other nights we go to specialty restaurants. On 14 night cruise we typically eat 4 in specialties. We always get room service on busy port mornings. Occasionally we'll go to the buffet but usually Blu.

Many people eat there the entire cruise.

[Ohana Travel]

For our first cruise, we lucked in to Aqua and now feel spoiled. The first night we took advantage of the discount and ate at Murano. Can't remember why we ate in MDR another night, but all it did was confirm that BLU or specialty was the only way for us -- too much ruckus and mass confusion. I much preferred the intimate attention in BLU. On our cruise, the staff made it memorable. Highly attentive and genuinely concerned that our dining experience was what we wanted it to be. The food was good - but that is always up to individual perspectives and expectations. We were not expecting perfection and were more than happy with the choices offered.

 

If I had the opportunity for a 14 day cruise, I know I would want to be Aqua. However, I would count on a few specialty nights and base the timing of those around the menu in BLU. I would hate to book it in advance and then see that the carpaccio was offered in BLU that night.

[bighairtexan]

Have you ever eaten in Blu before? I only ask because we had not - but had thought about trying Aqua. When we had a suite we gave it a try and found that it was not for us. Breakfast was an A experience - dinner was a C+ - while on the same cruise the select dining room was a solid B. I'd hesitate to commit to 14 days without trying Blu first as you may, as we did, find it wasn't for you.

 

DITTO.

For me, since 2010 it's been 3 tries, 3 strikes for BLU.

[Oville]

DITTO.

For me, since 2010 it's been 3 tries, 3 strikes for BLU.

 

Why did you keep goiing back if you were unhappy the first time? I'm not trying to be critical but curious. Thanks.

[bighairtexan]

I first tried w/in the first few months that it was offered back in 2010. And disliked it. Fast forward 2 years later and, I don't know about you but, I find that things change in 2 years. I tried it again. I didn't like it any better. Then when I was in a Suite earlier this month (I'd never book AQ again) about 4 years after the 1st attempt, I tried again. That's why. I've seen things change and hoped they'd change for the better and IMHO they didn't. 3 tries spread out over 4 years. New menus. 3 different ships.

[catugirl]

We love Blu and Aqua Class. Even my picky DH loves Blu. We have experienced superb service, a quiet and intimate dining room and great and creative food choices. We tried the MDR one day for lunch on our last X cruise; we were so disappointed. The food was mediocre, the atmosphere was chaotic and our waiter was not friendly at all. Then we knew we chose correctly when we booked AQ.

 

We also like the other amenities in AQ. Love the Persian Garden; those heated loungers with an ocean view are so relaxing. The shower with all those jets feels great. We like having bottled water provided, as well as iced tea every day. We even enjoy the canapes, although after a few days we asked our cabin steward to bring us cheese and crackers instead. The special bath products are nice. The fresh flowers are a nice touch. We could do without the fruit bowl and the sparkling wine, however.

[youwash]

Our last two cruises have been in Aqua and the number one reason would be the smaller dining room with more attentive service. The cruise before these was select dining and it was terrible. We always ended up in a corner or next too the bus\waiter stand or door to the kitchen. The whole experience was disappointing.

[4cats4me]

We recently returned from a cruise on another cruiseline, and all I did the whole cruise was compare the food to BLU. Twice we've done AQ And we are really spoiled. The food has always been excellent. I don't like a lot of food, but I can always find something excellent in Blu The vegetables were prepared so nicely, and everything seemed freshly cooked and not pre plated

Nice sauces. Excellent flavoring

 

It was a nightmare on this other having to go to the buffet for breakfast after having had nice breakfasts in Blu

[goofysmom99]

I did a 27 day B2B earlier this year and, even though I dined elsewhere a few times, I was pretty tired of the menu in Blu by the 14th day. I do like the quieter ambiance in Blu, however. I'm getting ready to do the same length B2B next month and, based on my previous experience, decided to break it up this time with 1st cruise in Blu and 2nd in MDR. I don't care that it entails changing my cabin either. (I'm also throwing in gluten-free soy sauce for stir fry a few nights in the buffet; you can add stuff from the salad bar and it's really good.) Every night in Blu, they brought the following night's menu so I could order whatever I wanted prepared GF. They surprised me most nights with off-the-menu desserts which was charming. Never was offered anything but that sad, sad, prepackaged GF bread, though. I hope changing dining rooms makes gluten-free more interesting and palatable this go-round. We shall see.

 

Edit: I did send food back in Blu because the dishes were overly salty. They got better over time.

Edited September 22, 2014 by goofysmom99