Blu vs. MDR

[mit429]

It is my first time cruising in AquaClass and I am very excited to give it a try.

 

I've always really enjoyed the MDR, having the same waiter and wine steward throughout the cruise, and I have always found Celebrity's MDR food to be top notch.

 

I wanted to see what people's experience of Blu was, did you find the menu's intriguing and satisfying enough? Was it overly healthy?

 

I've heard that it can be possible to have the same waiter, but it is not always possible. What have been people's experiences with this?

[Northern Aurora]

Food tastes are such a subjective topic, but I've never found the offerings in Blu to be overly healthy! Bacon on the breakfast menu, filet mignon twice on a 14 day cruise, strip steak on the "every night" menu......

 

We are actually more interested in having the same sommelier each night, and have no problems being seated in his/her section. That means that we have the same wait staff team also.

 

Hope you enjoy Blu. We just left the Equinox yesterday following a B2B2B, with the first two cruises in Aqua Class and the last one in a Sky Suite in order to try Luminae. Our recent experience was that the service level and food quality was more consistent in Blu (excellent) and while Luminae can have excellent meals, when the Luminae meals or service are "off" Luminae is really abysmal.

[WEGL81]

It is my first time cruising in AquaClass and I am very excited to give it a try.

 

 

 

I've always really enjoyed the MDR, having the same waiter and wine steward throughout the cruise, and I have always found Celebrity's MDR food to be top notch.

 

 

 

I wanted to see what people's experience of Blu was, did you find the menu's intriguing and satisfying enough? Was it overly healthy?

 

 

 

I've heard that it can be possible to have the same waiter, but it is not always possible. What have been people's experiences with this?

 

 

We've only ever eaten in Blu so take it FWIW. As far as getting the same waiter, they service specific tables and if you want to keep the same waiter just ask to be seated at one of their tables. If you don't ask, you'll just get seated wherever there is an open table. Timing has a lot to do with it as well. Come during "rush time" (7-ish to 8:30, maybe?) and your favorite waiter's tables may be filled. There is only one sommelier. As to the menus, I definitely wouldn't call them too healthy. Food is such a subjective topic, though. One piece of advice I can give you is that when you order a beef dish, they will put some type of sauce/gravy on it unless you ask them not to.

[lawgeek]

We have only eaten in Blu or specialty restaurants on our prior two CCL cruises as well. On Summit this past summer, we had the same wait staff every night from the second day on. Jose waited on us most mornings as well at breakfast. As for Sommolier, we had Elvis every night and he is awesome!

 

This was not requested, it just was how it worked. I did have the impression that they arranged the same waiter as we sat in different places every time.

[Miaminice]

I wouldn't call the food healthier either... nicer presented and a bit more upscale, yes. However, the main difference in BLU is that it is more quiet and less rushed.

 

As some of the others said, you can have the same waiter when you ask for it. Workes 99% for us.

 

When you click on the link to our South America review in my signature, you can see quite a few pics of food in Blu.

 

I am sure you'll like Blu - it got us hooked on AQ

[bigbenboys]

I wouldn't call the food healthier either... nicer presented and a bit more upscale, yes. However, the main difference in BLU is that it is more quiet and less rushed.

 

As some of the others said, you can have the same waiter when you ask for it. Workes 99% for us.

 

Miaminice has said it right.

 

We normally have been booking Aqua for the anytime dining and no formal nights. With the new Evening Chic attire. We might go back to Select Dining when there are 4 or more of us. We seem to book Aqua or Concierge cabins.

[Hlitner]

On the S Class ships we think the Blu experience changes the entire atmosphere of the cruise. Instead of being around crowds, queues, noise, etc. you now head aft to the Alternative restaurant world! Once you walk through the passage into that aft area the lights are subdued, the bar is quiet/classy and everything seems a bit more refined. DW has remarked that cruising in Aqua (and Blu) and cruising in a regular balcony cabin is like being on two different ships. We have actually met passengers on the S class ships who have never been in the aft alternative area. It is a part of the ship not entered because those folks have no interest in the alternative restaurants, and with Michael's now relegated to the suite passengers, there is no reason for many folks to even go into that aft section of the deck. Personally, we spend more and more time in that quiet aft section. We enjoy the bar, laid back entertainment, Blu (for breakfast and dinner) and the Tuscan for the Elite Breakfasts (where we often go for cappucino and a bloody mary after having breakfast in Blu).

 

Hank

[hcat]

For us, BLU is the way to go....and if you stick to a fairly reg schedule you will get the same waitstaff or teams and same somelier...food is not health food per se, but less salty and for us more personalized ...

 

Love the other BLU perks too, and hoping to eventually try a top suite w/Luminae and Michaels...if only on a short cruise...

[ghstudio]

We much prefer aqua/blu to the MDR and have booked aqua on our past six or seven cruises. Our next cruise is our first in two years in a non aqua cabin...we're travelling with friends and of course want to dine together so we'll be in the MDR. Like others, we like Blu for their sit down breakfasts and the quiet non frantic service at dinner. The food is as healthy as you want to order...but if cholesterol is your thing, you can do that as well. The only downside to Blu is that after you've cruised six or seven times, you have memorized the menu and tried every dish you wanted to try....there is little, if any, change to the menus. You won't have that "problem".

 

There is one somellier, at least on the M-class ships and that can be a problem...just too many tables for one person. Occasionally they give the somellier a helper, but not always. Not sure if the free drink packages have helped or hurt here.

 

The Blu staff are eager to please and if you want to change the vegetables or mix and match the entrees (or appetizers), just ask. They have a number of items that aren't on their menu but are almost always available. onion soup, escargot, Caesar salad come to mind as well as some desserts. At breakfast you can sometimes get corned beef hash and occasionally they will make eggs Benedict (neither on the menu).

 

On some cruises where there is a long wait at blu, they may offer a discount (50%) if you dine at a specialty restaurant instead of waiting for a table in blu. If they don't offer, you can always ask.

 

Enjoy your cruise...

[ClaudiaB]

We love Blu! They're really good, also, about customizing your meal. In other words, if you want some broccoli on the side, just ask. They're only serving a few people as compared to the main dining room. It's more personal service.

If you go about the same time every night and you sit in the same general area, you should have the same team. It's never really mattered to us, however. As suite guests we always just sat where it was available, and always gave the Aqua Class people deference.

Some of the descriptions of the food items, particularly the starters, sound a bit different. But when you get it, it all makes sense and it's not as exotic or unusual as the descriptions might sound. I love most of their starters. Love their soups - they are all served piping hot.

[lovemylab]

We dined in Blu for the first time on the Reflection last month.

 

We found the food to be less salty. It was also a much quieter dining experience and the service was better. While we've always had great service in the MDR, we noticed the staff in Blu aren't as rushed.

 

We were always offered the same waitstaff; however, on one night there would have been a wait so we switched to a different section. We ended up liking that area more (due to the location) so we dined the rest of the cruise there.

 

Enjoy your cruise and Blu!

[DZalumni]

We cruised Aqua class in April & with a group of 6 had the same waiter each night. Note, we only saw 3 tables of six in Blu.

 

I find the food isn't "healthier" just right sized portions.

 

Blu is much quieter, heading out on a family holiday cruise, we booked Blu so family member with hearing aids doesn't have to turn aid off. Too much ambient noise in MDR.

 

We <3 Blu, but it's not for everyone.

[Perthguy]

We got back from an 18 night cruise on Solstice a few weeks ago. We tried the MDR twice and were disappointed, food cold, not as good standard as Blu. We had 2 Somelliers and only had to wait once when we turned up at about 730pm. They gave us a buzzer and we waited in the bar for no more than 10 mins. Servings were not large and you could easily have 3 courses. Several of the dishes we ordered were "WOW" including lobster night when we were offered seconds! For us Aqua was only $300 more each over 18 nights than Concierge and we were so glad we did it.

[sunshine nana]

We loved eating in Blu on Equinox, but on Constellation, it was way too crowded and there were no windows. Blu on S class has a wall of windows and we were always seated next to it if we got there early enough. On Constellation, the room seemed closed in and was way too crowded. We also enjoy MDR if we book traditional to have the same wait staff whether we are on S class or M class.

[eadien7]

We loved eating in Blu on Equinox, but on Constellation, it was way too crowded and there were no windows. Blu on S class has a wall of windows and we were always seated next to it if we got there early enough. On Constellation, the room seemed closed in and was way too crowded. We also enjoy MDR if we book traditional to have the same wait staff whether we are on S class or M class.

 

When were you on the Connie? There were certainly windows in Blu in January of 2014? Also on the Infinity the fall of 2013?

[Miaminice]

BLU on M-Class (Constellation)

 

 

Note the large round window on the right - actually the same windows as in MDR...

Edited November 11, 2015 by Miaminice

[Hlitner]

Always smile when folks talk about windows in dining rooms. We normally dine at dinner time (which means its dark outside) and can seldom see anything through the windows. But we do enjoy Blu for breakfast on the S Class ships and appreciate the view (unless a blinding sun is shining in the windows.).

 

Hank

[warmwinds]

And if all the M-class are the same, it is not just that one window as show in the link above, but rather the entire room has the windows running the length, with a table next to each one. I'd guess 5 or 6? of those big round windows.

[GinnyJo]

We have been on two cruises where we could eat in Blu -- aqua and suite -- and honestly I didn't find the food or service any better overall than in the MDR. The benefit to us was having a choice based on which menu (Blu vs MDR) we preferred on any given evening.

[hcat]

We had windows...and enjoyed BLU on Connie

[margsipie]

As an aqua guest, how far in advance do you need to let the Blu maitre d' know if you want to eat in the MDR one night? I know you are supposed to arrange it through them, but can this be done the same afternoon or does it need to be a couple of days in advance?

[Ozzmund]

margsipie,

 

Last year (March) on Reflection we notified the Blu maitre d' at breakfast that we wanted to dine in the MDR that night. We had no probleem.

[margsipie]

Great news, thanks for the response!

[Hlitner]

As an aqua guest, how far in advance do you need to let the Blu maitre d' know if you want to eat in the MDR one night? I know you are supposed to arrange it through them, but can this be done the same afternoon or does it need to be a couple of days in advance?

 

We have given no advance notice. As a habit, when we are walking around the ship we will often glance at the MDR menu. Once in a while when we get to Blu (where the menu is usually posted right outside the room) we might decide we would prefer the MDR. At that point we simply ask whoever is working on the Blu door if they can arrange for us to get in the MDR. The answer has always been yes. They telephone over to the MDR and sometimes we are told to just go to the Select dining door, and other times we are told to report to the door for the late Traditional Dining (we always eat late).

 

Hank