We opted for OV over AQ--would we do it again?

[retiredslug]

Brief background--experienced cruisers, disappointed with Princess and HAL, loved Oceania but not the prices, tried Celebrity and found a home. Finally Elites, really enjoy AQ and Blu but tried to save a few bucks on Eclipse TA in April and booked OV deck 3, select dining MDR. This was a test for us because after the TA and spending ten nights in London we would again be back in AQ for an Ireland/Iceland adventure.

 

Actually the OV cabin was quiet and convenient but oh how we missed Blu and all the subtle differences in AQ. While dining in the MDR it all came back to us why we became so disappointed with other similar cruise lines. We avoid fixed dining, prefer select, and dining was the biggest difference for us. Mass production--done fairly well but so impersonal and occasional wait lines we have not experienced in Blu. Even though we choose not to pay for specialty restaurants we now understand why so many do.

 

It's interesting to us that many don't see the value in Blu and we are truly grateful.

 

This was our fifth crossing and second on Eclipse. Both Eclipse crossings had scheduled stops in Bermuda (one each direction) and both were canceled due to storm activity.

 

This was the friendliest, most polite group with whom we have sailed.

 

Currently in London, will report back after visiting Iceland (and AQ).

[rubinstein2r]

We have done AQ twice most recently for a November TA. For us there is no going back to "coach" after cruising first class. Are there further improvements that could be made? Always. But I don't want the cruise to be SO good that I can't go home. [emoji4]

[chemmo]

Brief background--experienced cruisers, disappointed with Princess and HAL, loved Oceania but not the prices, tried Celebrity and found a home. Finally Elites, really enjoy AQ and Blu but tried to save a few bucks on Eclipse TA in April and booked OV deck 3, select dining MDR. This was a test for us because after the TA and spending ten nights in London we would again be back in AQ for an Ireland/Iceland adventure.

 

Actually the OV cabin was quiet and convenient but oh how we missed Blu and all the subtle differences in AQ. While dining in the MDR it all came back to us why we became so disappointed with other similar cruise lines. We avoid fixed dining, prefer select, and dining was the biggest difference for us. Mass production--done fairly well but so impersonal and occasional wait lines we have not experienced in Blu. Even though we choose not to pay for specialty restaurants we now understand why so many do.

 

It's interesting to us that many don't see the value in Blu and we are truly grateful.

 

This was our fifth crossing and second on Eclipse. Both Eclipse crossings had scheduled stops in Bermuda (one each direction) and both were canceled due to storm activity.

 

This was the friendliest, most polite group with whom we have sailed.

 

Currently in London, will report back after visiting Iceland (and AQ).

 

I think sometimes you have to step back (or forwards) to see what is important for you....I am sure you will now board your next cruise and enjoy Blu all the more!

 

Have a great time in London (hope the weather improves) and enjoy your next cruise.

[cocker2]

Brief background--experienced cruisers, disappointed with Princess and HAL, loved Oceania but not the prices, tried Celebrity and found a home. Finally Elites, really enjoy AQ and Blu but tried to save a few bucks on Eclipse TA in April and booked OV deck 3, select dining MDR. This was a test for us because after the TA and spending ten nights in London we would again be back in AQ for an Ireland/Iceland adventure.

 

 

 

Actually the OV cabin was quiet and convenient but oh how we missed Blu and all the subtle differences in AQ. While dining in the MDR it all came back to us why we became so disappointed with other similar cruise lines. We avoid fixed dining, prefer select, and dining was the biggest difference for us. Mass production--done fairly well but so impersonal and occasional wait lines we have not experienced in Blu. Even though we choose not to pay for specialty restaurants we now understand why so many do.

 

 

 

It's interesting to us that many don't see the value in Blu and we are truly grateful.

 

 

 

This was our fifth crossing and second on Eclipse. Both Eclipse crossings had scheduled stops in Bermuda (one each direction) and both were canceled due to storm activity.

 

 

 

This was the friendliest, most polite group with whom we have sailed.

 

 

 

Currently in London, will report back after visiting Iceland (and AQ).

 

 

 

Sums up exactly why my DH and I cannot go back to Concierge or below ! Blu is magnificent from Maitre D to Soux Chef. Of course there is also Persian Garden to enjoy daily also.

[Phxazzcruisers]

We absolutely love(d) Blu. For us, it was always Aqua Class or better to be able to dine in Blu. However, we now absolutely love dining in Luminae. As they say, it is always hard to go back once you have tried the best. That being said, the last sailing we were on, our friends were in Aqua Class so we did have some of our meals with them in Blu. It was still as good as we remembered. That being said, we would always be very happy in either Blu or Luminae.

[FlorenceItaly]

Thank you for your post. We were booked in an OV guarantee for a 9 night Feb 2017 Summit, at at GREAT price(assigned Deck 2). Within a week of booking, I upgraded us to AQ guarantee at a good price. We have been assigned a room on Deck 9. I have been wanting to try AQ and BLU. This is an anniversary cruise for us, and also I am trying to accumulate points. I regret not upgrading us to Concierge or AQ for our TA cruise last month on the Constellation. We were in OV, 3112, and loved the location. Also, we really enjoyed our MDR experience on the TA. We had the BEST service, and the meals were good. Thank you for confirmation that I am making a good decision for AQ despite the big increase in price for us.

 

 

Marie

[Wiltonian]

Unless one is uber-rich, surely price must be a factor?

 

We're relative novices, have done a Med cruise in AQ and a Norway cruise in OV. To have gone AQ to Norway would have doubled the cost, and made it effectively unaffordable. So, OV to Norway, or wait a year for the next cruise? No brainer, frankly.

 

AQ is great, and we loved Blu, but, especially for a Northern European cruise in the spring, a balcony is not as lovely as in the Med.

 

For the Adriatic, this year, we booked an OV, and upgraded to a balcony when prices fell. But we'd have happily taken the OV had prices not dropped.

 

Stuart

[TeaBag]

We absolutely love(d) Blu. For us, it was always Aqua Class or better to be able to dine in Blu. However, we now absolutely love dining in Luminae. As they say, it is always hard to go back once you have tried the best. That being said, the last sailing we were on, our friends were in Aqua Class so we did have some of our meals with them in Blu. It was still as good as we remembered. That being said, we would always be very happy in either Blu or Luminae.

We love AQ too. We have just completed a B2B2B. The first segment we ate in Luminae and while we enjoyed the experience, we both felt we liked AQ better. Luminae food is very rich and the desserts are just too big. Yes, I know you don't have to eat it all but I dislike wasting food. I could have done with the palate cleanser for dessert, and often did. When we had our first meal in Blu on the second segment, we felt we had come home. Enjoyed it to the very last meal. Those Short Ribs....yum! Service was great.

[ghstudio]

We did six or so aqua class cruises in a row and our last cruise in a 1A on the equinox eating in the MDR. Our first cruises in blu were generally wonderful....but as cost cutting occurred, the waiters had more tables so they had less time to be friendly or to be helpful. The wine steward tried to work the room alone and never had time to pour a refill for us...nor did the waiter. (I don't expect this every time, but once a cruise would be nice). Once Luminae was announced and suite guests were elevated to sainthood, there seemed to always be a wait for tables...our experience was that Blu was no longer reserved for aqua first and suite passengers only if there was room.....and I hated the wait every single night. And my pet peeve is that the Muse Bush or whatever the three little bowls of carrots/celery sticks and dips that are on the table when you sit down never changed. Food gets dull...why not change the dip, serve olives one night, etc. Great if it's your first or even second cruise in aqua...but after five or six cruises of the same thing every night....please.

 

We actually found the MDR refreshing and enjoyed the slant, larger balconies on the s-class ship...enough that we booked the same 1A cabin next year. We booked select dining with a reservation made each night...very little wait for a table, even at 7PM. We'll be back in aqua in a week (iceland) and perhaps we'll rediscover blu, but I suspect not on the S-class ships. On the M-class, the A2's are generally under something potentially noisy (including deck 11 now that they have put the theater above), so we may book concierge where the cabins are better located and "suffer" with select dining in the MDR.

 

Don't get me wrong...I still recommend that folks new to celebrity book aqua but for us, we're actually back to dining with the unwashed on future s-class cruises.

Edited May 1, 2016 by ghstudio

[Lois R]

quote:

"It's interesting to us that many don't see the value in Blu and we are truly grateful."

 

The value? Some categories are much more money than many people

can afford. There are many cruisers who book inside cabins, windows

and yes even "regular old balconies". AQ is much more $$$ so as

for value? There is no value to many of us.

[phoenix_dream]

quote:

"It's interesting to us that many don't see the value in Blu and we are truly grateful."

 

The value? Some categories are much more money than many people

can afford. There are many cruisers who book inside cabins, windows

and yes even "regular old balconies". AQ is much more $$$ so as

for value? There is no value to many of us.

 

Hi, Lois. We agree again. While I love balconies, and love AQ cabins and Blu, sometimes money is definitely a factor. In the past year or so, IMHO the prices of balcony and above categories have skyrocketed (at least for the sailings we have been interested in). We have an upcoming B2B Vancouver/Seward and we chose an OV because the price was literally double to get any kind of balcony. So we had to choose - one cruise in a balcony, or a B2B to Alaska in an OV. That was a no-brainer. In our case, both Celebrity and the TA were also offering outstanding perks to go along with it. I don't usually quote $$'s on these boards, but we were adding up our OBC on the first leg of our B2B as we were preparing for our activities, and it totaled over $500. And that is not counting the perks of free grats and the classic package. It was strictly OBC. How could we not go for a deal like that! I am not sure I could ever go back to an inside (too claustrophobic for me, and heaven forbid you get quarantined due to illness:eek:) but all things considered I will include OV cabins in my choices depending on itinerary. For Alaska we usually prefer going up on deck for panoramic views rather than the balcony anyway. For warm cruises, balcony will be of more value for us.

[Jane2357]

I read this thread with interest - as we cruise on May 27th - Millie - Vancouver to Seward and the first time in Aqua for us.

 

I started out in an OV many years ago, moved on to a balcony, then to Concierge, tried a aft wrap S1 (before Luminae) and now Aqua, next year is P.C. in a Celebrity Suite -- so I've been all over the map. :)

 

I wanted on the aft for Alaska and booked the day that the itinerary opened - Aqua 1 was cheaper then a Concierge 1 so I though why not give it a try. We had dined once before in Blu (when in the S1) and I wasn't a big fan - we hoped that was just a bad night.

 

We have #1138 and I've been reading that deck 11 is not being impacted with noise from the movie area on 12 - I do intend to report back on this issue but my main concern is dining in Blu. I'm not a big meat eater although not a vegetarian - and Blu seems very heavy on the meat so hope that the fish or vegetarian choices will get me through.

 

The comment about the Sommelier does cause me some concern. We've had excellent Sommelier service in the past (yes I'll admit the wine to me is more important than the food ;)) and will expect excellent service this cruise also but at that time we were purchasing by the bottle. As we have upgraded already to the premium pkg I'm not sure we will but I do find that tipping early in the cruise insures a full glass - we will see.

 

Blu may be a one and done for us after this cruise - we will see but I will come back with a review and my thoughts as a Blu newbie.

[stleda124]

What would you pay for AQ. Currently I am booked in two cabins for a January Eastern Caribbean cruise. We are in two AFT Sunset Veranda cabins. The cost to go to AQ is about 400 pp (2000 total).

 

I keep seeing rave reviews but I feel 400 pp is a little extreme for a restaurant.

[swigso]

What would you pay for AQ. Currently I am booked in two cabins for a January Eastern Caribbean cruise. We are in two AFT Sunset Veranda cabins. The cost to go to AQ is about 400 pp (2000 total).

 

I keep seeing rave reviews but I feel 400 pp is a little extreme for a restaurant.

 

Why not look at the specialty dining package $29 per day

7 days is $193pp.

[WS80]

We're also big AQ/Blu fans! Last summer we upgraded to a suite to try Luminae. It was lovely, but we prefer Blu. The food is much lighter and I also prefer the decor. It feels more modern to me.

Of course it was nice to have the extra space in the suite, but the Aft A1 balconies on the M-class ships are quite amazing as well.

I would even doubt if they offer me a SS in a less preferable location for free.

[Peteymil]

We did six or so aqua class cruises in a row and our last cruise in a 1A on the equinox eating in the MDR. Our first cruises in blu were generally wonderful....but as cost cutting occurred, the waiters had more tables so they had less time to be friendly or to be helpful. The wine steward tried to work the room alone and never had time to pour a refill for us...nor did the waiter. (I don't expect this every time, but once a cruise would be nice). Once Luminae was announced and suite guests were elevated to sainthood, there seemed to always be a wait for tables...our experience was that Blu was no longer reserved for aqua first and suite passengers only if there was room.....and I hated the wait every single night. And my pet peeve is that the Muse Bush or whatever the three little bowls of carrots/celery sticks and dips that are on the table when you sit down never changed. Food gets dull...why not change the dip, serve olives one night, etc. Great if it's your first or even second cruise in aqua...but after five or six cruises of the same thing every night....please.

 

We actually found the MDR refreshing and enjoyed the slant, larger balconies on the s-class ship...enough that we booked the same 1A cabin next year. We booked select dining with a reservation made each night...very little wait for a table, even at 7PM. We'll be back in aqua in a week (iceland) and perhaps we'll rediscover blu, but I suspect not on the S-class ships. On the M-class, the A2's are generally under something potentially noisy (including deck 11 now that they have put the theater above), so we may book concierge where the cabins are better located and "suffer" with select dining in the MDR.

 

Don't get me wrong...I still recommend that folks new to celebrity book aqua but for us, we're actually back to dining with the unwashed on future s-class cruises.

 

I am glad to read your post. Our last 6 cruises have been in Aqua, and while I love the room itself, I don't think the food is as good as it used to be, especially on a longer cruise. 1A was a lot cheaper so we are going to give the MDR a try.

I would go back to Aqua if the price difference wasn't huge, but For this cruise it wasn't worth it.