If in Aquaclass, are the speciality restaurants worth visiting on a 10 night cruise?

[TeaBag]

We sail AQ most of the time and we never go to the Sp restaurants. However, if I were on Reflection I would make an exception and go to Lawn Club. This is the best restaurant at sea as far as we are concerned.

[Luvcrusn]

Following this thread with interest -

 

How late during the first day/evening can you get the discount to Murano, or even a reservation?

 

We are sailing Jan 20 on Equinox. We started out in Concierge, but switched to Aqua Class after the Cyber Monday sale. When we made our original booking, we reserved Murano on the last sea day at a prime time, because we enjoy dressing up and wanted to make that a special evening. Now that we are in Blu, I still want to try Murano, but we don't have the same incentive to make a particular evening special. At the same time, unlike an earlier poster, we enjoy having the same waitstaff and particularly the same sommelier each night, so I'm a little hesitant to not make that connection in Blu the first evening. Waiting in line the first evening would be a big turnoff for us, BUT we rarely go to the shows, so sitting in the bar and waiting out the line would probably not be a big deal.

 

So, see what the discount is looking like after we board and rebook Murano the first night, and cancel our current reservation afterward? I guess I'm assuming we can't walk past Blu when we are hungry, say no to the line, then go to Murano (that seems a little tacky, but hey!). As further background, we have some OBC left, but we do also want to do Chef's Table if we can get in... so yet another alternative would be to forgo Murano altogether and just do that.

We like dining late. We made a reservation in Murano once we boarded (about 1:00PM) for a 50% discount at Murano at 8:00 PM which is available to Aqua class diners the first night. The rest of the cruise we dined in Blu with the same waiter,assistant waiter and sommelier We only had a short wait one night (less than 5 minutes). Going to Murano the first night got us out of the first night rush in Blu and a wonderful quiet and lovely meal in Murano. Note that if you choose to dine in Blu the first night you will have a dining time on a card in your stateroom. That time is a suggestion only and if you choose to dine at another time you may go when you want.

[Luvcrusn]

Well, IMO, you "Blu" it! Lawn Club Grill is great. :D

 

Note to self: next cruise, remember to dine in Lawn Club Grill;)

[riclop]

It's all up to you.

[whatyouknowsays]

There will be no need for specialty dining . We just did an 11 night and the menu was just as good imo as the specialties. We had suite guest wanting to dine every night in Blu . Enjoy.

Cheers!

[Miaminice]

Only If you want to have a special experience like Lawn Club Grille for al fresco dining, QSine for a different style or Murano for fine dining, yes. Not because BLU isn´t any good.

 

We skip Tuscan - it´s no Italian, it´s not a proper steakhouse and IMHO not worth the money. We have dined there many times and found that it is just nothing special any more.

[Luvcrusn]

Only If you want to have a special experience like Lawn Club Grille for al fresco dining, QSine for a different style or Murano for fine dining, yes. Not because BLU isn´t any good.

 

We skip Tuscan - it´s no Italian, it´s not a proper steakhouse and IMHO not worth the money. We have dined there many times and found that it is just nothing special any more.

Agreed! IMHO X missed the mark removing Ocean Liners/Murano from the M class ships. We skip specialty dining altogether on those ships now.

[Mynki]

We will be on Reflection in June.

 

We will be Aqua and so will have Blu included. I’m just wondering is it worth paying extra to try the speciality restaurants?

 

Last cruise on Equinox, we loved the food and the ambience of Blu.

 

We like Italian, so Tuscan would appeal, as does Murano, being probably the nicest restaurant on the ship, bar the suite restaurant.

 

I’d be interested to hear others opinions.

 

For me I'd need a change of scenery. Even on a short 7 day cruise, so the answer would be yes. Interesting that you find Luminae better than Murano. For me, Murano just wins. :)

 

I like Blu, if you were to search my historical posts I've always been very positive about it. In it right now for the first ime in around 15 months. We've been in Luminae since, so we've gotten to see the new menus etc. They are very, very similar to the old ones though!

 

There also seems to have been a reduction in staff. As a result, I'm not the fan of Blu I once was based on our Summit experience. Previously we've never really waited for a table, though that could be down to our choice to eat early. This time there are queue's outside the restaurants with people being given pagers and told to go for a drink in Cellar Masters. Last night (chic night) the problem was particularly bad. DW heard one maitre 'd say to the other "We need to get people out of here" refering to the crowd of people building in outside the restaurant. It looked bad...

 

Once inside service has been fairly slow. We've finished starters before the sommelier has made it to our table. I appreciate service can vary wildly between ships, but Summit is very poor compared to the other ships where we've experienced Blu.They appear to have drafted in help from staff who normally work in the crew restaurants and those from the MDR. However there easily six waiters and one sommelier short if they want to deliver good service. I even said exactly the same thing to a maitre 'd when asked how the service was stating that the hotel director needs to find you more staff. The pained expression on her face said it all.

 

She explained that if we were to come between 5 and 6 pm we'd almost have the place to ourselves which I believe, but few people want to eat that early and it seemed a poor excuse as they should be resourced to deal with passenger habits IMHO. Sommelier and bar service could be much improved, but this is purely down to a lack of staff. For the hard of thinking on here, the staff themselves are working extremely hard as can be seen by everyone. Their workloads at peak times must be exhausting for them as they just never stop.

 

On the flip side service has been superb in the specialty restaurants which have been very quiet! So no surprises there then. Tuscan was bordering on excellent. Ironically service in Tuscan on Eclipse in february was so bad I nearly didn't bother going! :D

 

As for the Blu menu, these are my very personal thoughts.

 

Maybe when the idea of 'Blu' was conceived it was decided that the food would be cleaner and healthier etc. It isn't now! If people are expecting it to be spa like food they will be disappointed.

 

The menus feature a lot of lamb and game. This is grat for me as I like meat with flavour. There are huge amounts of beef served all over the ship but almost all of it is very bland, mass produced grain fed crap. Those from parts of the world who enjoy aged, grass fed beef will undoubtedly find most of the beef on Celebrity bland and with little flavour adding to the Blu menu's attraction.

 

Blu is the second best place to go for breakfast on the ship. Only Luminae beats it. It has a better menu than the MDR and is a far more realxing place to be than the cattle market x chimps tea party that is the Oceanview Cafe.

[cangelmd]

Thanks to those who answered my specific question, I think our plan now is to first see if the Chef's Table is happening, and then re-book Murano onboard if we still want to go (probably do the first night)

[Fmitchy]

MizDemeanor , I agree with you ! Your on Vacation and you can eat all day long if you please (eating just to Eat) The idea of looking forward to trying a new restaurant and getting a little cleaned up can be enjoyable. Plus the Specialty restaurants have better trained servers that make the difference. Anyways , being on vacation means you get to do what ever you want . Try ordering a Grilled Cheese for Room service , perfect mid day meal.

[Duanerice1]

Our first cruise a long long time ago (Ok, maybe only 12 years ago), we went to Murano. Haven't been back to a specialty restaurant since.

 

Even with plenty of OBC and discounts, it never really interests us. Blue is fine as is the MDR. Heck, even the buffet is fine in the evening. And yea, there were nights in Blu where nothing appealed to me. I could have eaten in the MDR but liked our servers and staff in Blu. Heck, I found something and it's not like I needed more food :)

 

Food just isn't that important to us. As long as it's good that's OK with us. As you can see though, it's a lot more important to others. So wait until on board then check it out for yourself.

 

enjoy

[kjwinston2019]

For wife and me absolutely yes. Murano is so much better than Blu in every way and Qsine, which we avoided like the plague for many cruises, now has a certain appeal.

 

I have to agree with this! If you want the regular food, and the wait staff is wonderful, then stick with it. We in the regular donning ask out waiter the day before for lobster the day before and it was wonderful! now when we went to Murano it was even better,,,better cut, and larger piece of steak. Was it worth it? I would say yes! Yes, ir cost more, but you get what you paid for! We are diners, and like to take to take time, to talk to the staff, like to enjoy the meal, and mot of all enjoy ourselves. So if you want a high end experience go to the specialty restaurant!! Me for at least twice during a cruise I go. Take your time enjoy life!!

 

So if you go, ask for your favorite meal like NY strip and Lobster, and watch they will do it for you! Now your talking!

[Cruise a holic]

Note to self: next cruise, remember to dine in Lawn Club Grill;)

 

We love the lawn grill! We sail in suites but still enjoy the lawn grill and typically go twice on silhouette or reflection. We always take a specialty dining package. Blu doesn’t compare with other specialty restaurants on board. However a step up from MDR as it is less crowded.

[Mynki]

We love the lawn grill! We sail in suites but still enjoy the lawn grill and typically go twice on silhouette or reflection. We always take a specialty dining package. Blu doesn’t compare with other specialty restaurants on board. However a step up from MDR as it is less crowded.

 

Blu isn't, never has been and never will be a specialty restaurant. ;)

[Cruise a holic]

Blu isn't, never has been and never will be a specialty restaurant. ;)

 

 

Agree never said Blu was a speciality restaurant-- I believe AQ is getting less popular now- On many sailings the price has come down and is less then or about the same a Concierge class. I have said this previously, if you cannot swing a suite, get a nice balcony, which on S class ships the same size as AQ, and dine nightly in specialty restaurants. Have been on over 30 celebrity cruises, in balcony through Celebrity suite cabins, multiple times and Blu is fair to good. If the price of an AQ cabin is about the same as a balcony and you like the location, book- if a poor location- under the pool deck- better of in a balcony cabin with cabins above and below towards the center of the ship. Enjoy your cruises.

Edited December 16, 2017 by Cruise a holic

[Mynki]

I believe AQ is getting less popular now- On many sailings the price has come down and is less then or about the same a Concierge class.

 

There have been a few postings on Cruise Critic advising that Blu pricing can drop from the initial opening prices close to that of Concierge and even on rare occasions regular verandahs but in the real world this is still rare. A quick search on a comprehensive third party price monitoring website like CF will show Aqua Class rooms costing considerably more than regular balconies in particular.

 

I have said this previously, if you cannot swing a suite, get a nice balcony, which on S class ships the same size as AQ, and dine nightly in specialty restaurants. Have been on over 30 celebrity cruises, in balcony through Celebrity suite cabins, multiple times and Blu is fair to good. If the price of an AQ cabin is about the same as a balcony and you like the location, book- if a poor location- under the pool deck- better of in a balcony cabin with cabins above and below towards the center of the ship. Enjoy your cruises.

 

It isn't neccesarily a case of can and can't for many people. It's more a question of value for money. My last two X cruises...

 

14 night exotic southern caribbean this january. Booked nearly two years in advance in a sky suite. I did this as it's a very popular itinerary at peak time I believed the pricing would increase. Just before sail date an aqua class room was around $700 more than what we paid with less perks.

 

Right now, In aqua class. The cost to upgrade to a sky suite was more than four times what I paid for the A1 room. That would have given me just 50 square feet of cabin space more. All things are relative so it depends entirely on the individual sailing....

 

Talking of Aqua Class pricing, most consider Azamara a step up from Celebrity. Pricing has increased significantly on AZ in recent times. But for those with the tenacity, patience, IT skills and perhaps an analytical mind, you can find a quality Azamara sailing working out at $180 per person per night in a balcony or just $300 per person per night in a suite! I can find you many aqua class rooms at more than that!

 

Sadly DW has business commitments which means I can't book it, but I certainly would if it was possible! :D

[AidenL]

So where is the 50% discount for Murano for the first night available from?

[Cruise a holic]

So where is the 50% discount for Murano for the first night available from?

 

If available, as soon as you board the ship, you will see restaurant employees at desks by the boarding area- they will set you up. Of course times may vary and availiability is dependent upon how booked up the restaurant is. We are fussy about dates and times and book a package which can save you 35%- or more, months prior to the cruise.

[Cruise a holic]

There have been a few postings on Cruise Critic advising that Blu pricing can drop from the initial opening prices close to that of Concierge and even on rare occasions regular verandahs but in the real world this is still rare. A quick search on a comprehensive third party price monitoring website like CF will show Aqua Class rooms costing considerably more than regular balconies in particular.

 

 

 

It isn't neccesarily a case of can and can't for many people. It's more a question of value for money. My last two X cruises...

 

14 night exotic southern caribbean this january. Booked nearly two years in advance in a sky suite. I did this as it's a very popular itinerary at peak time I believed the pricing would increase. Just before sail date an aqua class room was around $700 more than what we paid with less perks.

 

Right now, In aqua class. The cost to upgrade to a sky suite was more than four times what I paid for the A1 room. That would have given me just 50 square feet of cabin space more. All things are relative so it depends entirely on the individual sailing....

 

Talking of Aqua Class pricing, most consider Azamara a step up from Celebrity. Pricing has increased significantly on AZ in recent times. But for those with the tenacity, patience, IT skills and perhaps an analytical mind, you can find a quality Azamara sailing working out at $180 per person per night in a balcony or just $300 per person per night in a suite! I can find you many aqua class rooms at more than that!

 

Sadly DW has business commitments which means I can't book it, but I certainly would if it was possible! :D

 

We were on a two week cruise on the eclipse in January- loved it! In a sky suite-

[Luvcrusn]

So where is the 50% discount for Murano for the first night available from?

On our last cruise on Reflection on embarkation day we were walking by the Gelateria and I inexplicably happened to be holding my seapass card in my hand Owe were in Aqua Class). The woman working at the Gelateria counter noticed it and offered us 50% off the first night. She worked in Moreno during the evenings. She also made the reservation for us.

[Momsez]

On our recent cruise on Eclipse, we were in Aqua Class. The manager in Blu got us reservations in the specialties at a discount. Plus, there was a "first-night deal" for 30% off a specialty, which, since they couldn't seat us that night, they extended to the next night they could seat us. We did Murano [fabulous] and Qzine [interesting and very good].

:)

[Fogfog]

Murano is hands down our favorite and one week ate there 3 times

Tuscan Grille has nice offerrings

Qsine is fun with a group--they offer so much food that sampling many is problematic. Too many great choices.

 

 

We are sailing AQ on our next voyage--and have been concerned to read some reviews that indicate Blue can be crowded first night and at some preferred dining times...

[Luvcrusn]

Murano is hands down our favorite and one week ate there 3 times

Tuscan Grille has nice offerrings

Qsine is fun with a group--they offer so much food that sampling many is problematic. Too many great choices.

 

 

We are sailing AQ on our next voyage--and have been concerned to read some reviews that indicate Blue can be crowded first night and at some preferred dining times...

We like to avoid the main dining venues of either the MDR or Blu the first night to avoid the chaos of everyone finding their way for the first time and book specialty restaurants. It's a win-win, avoid the hassle and get a great discount.

[GIZMO81]

Only If you want to have a special experience like Lawn Club Grille for al fresco dining, QSine for a different style or Murano for fine dining, yes. Not because BLU isn´t any good.

 

We skip Tuscan - it´s no Italian, it´s not a proper steakhouse and IMHO not worth the money. We have dined there many times and found that it is just nothing special any more.

 

After reading all post, this is the winner. 😎

[K12Guy]

Only If you want to have a special experience like Lawn Club Grille for al fresco dining, QSine for a different style or Murano for fine dining, yes. Not because BLU isn´t any good.

 

We skip Tuscan - it´s no Italian, it´s not a proper steakhouse and IMHO not worth the money. We have dined there many times and found that it is just nothing special any more.

I'm a bit amazed by the number of people posting about Tuscan. We tried it, just once, aboard Solstice and decided to not go back. Now we have a reservation for Tuscan one night aboard Eclipse next month. Just to see if it's the same experience. I would think that with so many negative posts about Tuscan, across the cruise line, managers would have looked closely to see what's going on and why they are losing so many potential customers. Maybe I'm being foolishly optimistic. We shall see. We also booked Murano for three nights, I believe. We've never had even a 'routine' meal experience at Murano.