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Is it possible to book Blu by paying an extra fee?

momofmeg

By momofmeg,
in Celebrity Cruises

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Jane2357

Jane2357

Posted
Posted

A specific dietary need is about choices and we all have to make choices. Your choices are to either book 2 Aqua cabins - and make healthy choices in Blu OR book a standard cabin and make healthy choices in the MDR OR book a suite and make healthy choices in Luminae. No one restaurant is the answer for any one dietary need - the choices are yours to make - no accommodation for you is needed.

 

I'm on a very low carb diet - I understand what my limitations are and I'll order my food choices accordingly, knowing that I can do so no matter the venue.

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villauk

villauk

Posted
Posted
I like that idea of ordering extra veg as a side dish. Some evenings you are lucky if you get a carrot and a couple of beans with the main course. Do you get a varied selection each night? I really miss some good healthy vegetables on my cruises so I will give it a try. :)

 

The variety is usually the same most evenings, but there were carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and beans on the plate (occasionally asparagus) so plenty of choice. We shared them out around the table as my kids always have vegetables with their meal ;). After the first couple of nights, the waiter was excellent and brought them out without being asked :).

 

 

Pushka,

 

I have to disagree about the seating in the MDR, as it does depend on where you are actually seated. I had no one behind or around my seat (obviously apart from the people on our table), however, when I went for the Elegant Tea in Blu, I could virtually touch the person sitting next to me. I hadn't realised how close the tables were before as the tea is usually held in the Tuscan Grill. I think it's probably more noticeable because the rectangular tables are in rows of twos rather than the different size circular tables of the MDR.

 

In Blu, I'm presuming you can hear the conversation from the table next to you quite well?

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Pushka

Pushka

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Posted (edited)

I tend to focus on my conversation so I dont usually hear others. Last cruise on ATD the seats in the MDR were really close. We were seated in an area of two's but really it was like one long trestle table with a small space between. I was worried Blu would be worse but I neednt have. And maybe because Blu is quieter generally maybe people speak more quietly.

Edited by Pushka
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keesar Great Review Rare

keesar

Posted
Posted

In Blu, I'm presuming you can hear the conversation from the table next to you quite well?

 

In Blu, you can hear the conversations on either side of you in the tables for 2 area. In fact, on one cruise, people on the other side of us apparently were listening to our conversation and joined in. It is real close.

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Rob the Cruiser

Rob the Cruiser

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In Blu, you can hear the conversations on either side of you in the tables for 2 area. In fact, on one cruise, people on the other side of us apparently were listening to our conversation and joined in. It is real close.

 

Way too close.

 

In one of our recent cruises DW and I were discussing "Downton Abbey", next thing the know, a woman seated next to us said "We love that show!" Then from the table on the other side came "We love Downton also! We can't wait to watch Maggie Smith with her snarky comments!" We had a fun conversation about Downton, as well as the dreaded "where are you from, what do you do" but we prefer to stay to ourselves.

 

Even with the lack of privacy, we still consider Aqua the only way to go.

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Muushka

Muushka

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Which is a very easy problem to solve in the MDR. Divide your food when you start ordering into reasonable portions, and don't eat more than that.

 

I've lost weight every cruise I've taken. Don't eat just because food is available. Don't order dessert unless it is something you really want to be eating, I never settle for a dessert that doesn't sound fabulous because it is the best of the available choices. And if you are able, take the stairs every time, not matter how many decks you have to go.

 

If only losing weight at home were this easy. I fall into convenience foods at home because there are fewer choices and no one is preparing food for me. On the ship, I have choices and will pick whatever I want to eat, but only eat a reasonable amount of it.

 

I agree 100%! Especially your last paragraph. Sometimes we go to Disney World after a cruise. It is so difficult to maintain low carbs when paying full price for you food. Which is why we stopped eating in the parks.

 

Over Christmas and NYE we did a 14 night cruise. We stayed on the 12th floor. I can't tell you how many steps I went all down and half up over the course of 2 weeks. I ended up losing 4 pounds!

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welshtiger

welshtiger

Posted
Posted (edited)

Could I ask what you can't get in the MDR that you can in Blu?

Jenny I can answer that for you.

on the last cruise on equinox we had a suite and we dined in blue three times .

You get better service, you have a different menu. You have a different dining expereince

and its nice.

We only used luminare three times , two speciality meals in tuscan grill , which I thought was outstanding , the rest of the time we shared a large table with other guests in the MDR

because we like to meet different people and chat.

Its all about choice,

The meals in blu I felt were far better than the MDR thats my personal view

also anyome wearing marigolds are not allowed in :)

 

also when you walk in they ask you a question

whats your favourite colour

and if you say

Blue

they let you in :)

 

Oh yes and I am also on a

gluten free

carbohydrate free

protein free

vegetable free

vitamin free

food free diet

 

so they give me a special plate to look at

which makes me feel special

 

i wish these people woud just stay in the house and have a packet of crisps

Edited by welshtiger
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cruiseerf

cruiseerf

Posted
Posted

Hello there:

 

I lurk on these boards and have sailed all the major cruiselines for the past 40+ years. Blue was visionary because it created the "small ship" within a big ship feel that you received on Silversea or Seabourn. In the beginning, on these boards, most people said, I am not paying extra for food, another way for the cruiselines to make money, blah blah blah..etc.

 

Blue was half empty most nights and for the first six months it was idyllic as they used a slightly higher quality food and cooking for less people was easier and came out better all around. Buuut.....Then Blue took off and people realized that another couple of hundred dollars was worth it to have the intimacy and better food.

 

Then Blue went to same quality food as the main dining room, it was launched and accepted already and honestly most people didn't notice.....But the issue of crowding in blue was terrible....getting wine refills etc. As of course the suite guests who had Really Paid big $$$ for their cruise thought they deserved it....which I agree with. Thus the birth of Luminae..... The all suite dining room. Which is so far---for our last 4 cruises.....fabulous.

 

My advice is to skip Aqua...The cruiseline took on too much for the amount of space there and ultimately on enough cruises, you learn to skip it. My two cents. Main dining room food is fine when you eat there....no complaints and many options.....

 

Enjoy cruising. Many changes are coming on the new cruise ships being built.

 

Safe sails.

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Miaminice "Live from...." Rare

Miaminice

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Posted
Hello there:

 

...But the issue of crowding in blue was terrible....getting wine refills etc. ...

 

My advice is to skip Aqua...The cruiseline took on too much for the amount of space there and ultimately on enough cruises, you learn to skip it. My two cents. Main dining room food is fine when you eat there....no complaints and many options...

 

Maybe this was your experience...

We just got back from a cruise on Reflection last week. We did find BLU a bit more hectic on Reflection than on Silhouette, Infinity and Constellation. Maybe due to the larger number of AQ staterooms.

 

However, we still liked it more than the MDR, were very happy with the food and extremely happy with the service. No waiting for wine refills! On the contrary!

 

I am not saying MDR isn´t good. But I would always go for BLU and AQ. Exception: travelling with friends who would not book AQ.

 

To get back to the topic... I did ask if we could invite friends to BLU for one night and pay for it on the cruise last week: simple and clear answer: NO!

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  • 3 weeks later...
momofmeg

momofmeg

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Maybe this was your experience...

We just got back from a cruise on Reflection last week. We did find BLU a bit more hectic on Reflection than on Silhouette, Infinity and Constellation. Maybe due to the larger number of AQ staterooms.

 

However, we still liked it more than the MDR, were very happy with the food and extremely happy with the service. No waiting for wine refills! On the contrary!

 

I am not saying MDR isn´t good. But I would always go for BLU and AQ. Exception: travelling with friends who would not book AQ.

 

To get back to the topic... I did ask if we could invite friends to BLU for one night and pay for it on the cruise last week: simple and clear answer: NO!

 

One of my issues with the main dining room is when we can go with our daughter (a teacher) is we are packed in like sardines.

 

I do not like the pay extra restaurants because they give me way too much food, especially Tuscany. The waiters do not get that some of us do not eat that way. I am not asking for a lesser fee for the privilege of eating there, just understand if I say I do not want that much food to not bring it to me. Why do they want to pile 2000 calories on your plate? I want quality not quantity. I would rather have a small amount of very good food than a large amount of good food but not very good food.

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momofmeg

momofmeg

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One of my issues with the main dining room is when we can go with our daughter (a teacher) is we are packed in like sardines.

 

I do not like the pay extra restaurants because they give me way too much food, especially Tuscany. The waiters do not get that some of us do not eat that way. I am not asking for a lesser fee for the privilege of eating there, just understand if I say I do not want that much food to not bring it to me. Why do they want to pile 2000 calories on your plate? I want quality not quantity. I would rather have a small amount of very good food than a large amount of good food but not very good food.

 

Maybe the answer is for the pay extra restaurants offer a couple of "aqua" type meals. You know, less calories/sugar for the health conscious. If they did I would gladly pay $210 extra (7 day cruise) to eat in them instead of the main diningroom

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wallie5446

wallie5446

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Posted (edited)
Well again the feature of offering Blu to only couples (unless you book a skysuite) does not appeal to me I guess.

 

That is not it at all. We have 6 in our party in Nov. BLU is the dinning venue for those booked in a Aqua category cabin, or as you mentioned, it is available/offered as an option to those booked in a Suite. But few are going to BLU with the addition of Luminia (sp) which friends and many report here on CC as being one of the best dinning experience's in years on Celebrity.

 

Bottom line, you want to dine in BLU, you book a corresponding cabin catorgy.

Edited by wallie5446
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thebutlerdidit

thebutlerdidit

Posted
Posted
Okay, what if you book a family oceanview? that is more expensive than concierge. Is it possible to book blu for an extra fee from there?

It is not possible to book Blu for an extra fee. Not from any cabin category. If you need to dine there you need to book Aqua Class or a Suite. This fact has been stated over and over.

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