Blu pros and cons....worth it over Veranda regular

[a.madruga]

just booked A1 veranda with BLU included and persian gardens

wondering if regular veranda is better deal

thanks to all

happy holidays too

[angelhelly]

1 minute ago, a.madruga said:

just booked A1 veranda with BLU included and persian gardens

wondering if regular veranda is better deal

thanks to all

happy holidays too

 

Depends what you are looking for and the price point difference.

 

How much money per day would you be willing to pay to have access to Blu (for breakfast and diner) and the Persian gardens?

 

If that price is more than you pay, you have a good deal.

 

If it's less, might not be.

 

Also, how much would it be to have a speciality dining package? 

 

We love having to eat anywhere else than the MDR. So for us, Blu is awesome. 

[a.madruga]

thanks

 7 day alaska cruise 3750 for A1 .....no perks

[TeaBag]

We like Blu but we never go to the Persian Gardens.  However, that price for 7 days is outrageous.  What is the saving for a regular balcony?  You could maybe put some of that money into Sp dining.  Is the sailing out of Vancouver or Seattle?  Is it one way or return? 

[Oville]

29 minutes ago, TeaBag said:

 

[cachouonacruise]

On our Alaska Cruise, we were in Blu and really enjoyed the experience and service on  Infinity. We also tried the Persian Gardens.... it was nice, but it’s not really our thing.

 

On our subsequent cruise, we were in a C2 cabin, and ate our meal in the MDR. Our table for 2 was in a nook, near the window at the back. We also loved our experience and service, this time on the Constellation.

 

In short, depending on your tastes and expectations and the price difference, it’s up to you to determine where it’s more important to spend your money.

 

Another minute difference, is the Captain’s Club points. If going up in status is something pertinent for you, an A1 cabin will give you more points than a verandah.

 

 

[kathynorth]

1 hour ago, a.madruga said:

thanks

 7 day alaska cruise 3750 for A1 .....no perks

 

Is this rate for 1 person or 2? Does the rate include port fees and taxes? If for 1 person then IMO it's very high, but the rate may be reasonable if for 2. We really like to book Aqua cabins, primarily to access Blu, but we only book Aqua over a regular veranda if the price difference is less than $125 pp. If it's more than that we stick with the regular veranda. 

[jelayne]

Looking at the difference between Aqua & Veranda pricing for Alaska the difference ranges from around $200pp to $600pp depending on ship and sailing date.

 

At $200pp I would do it but at $300pp I would buy a 3 or 4 night dining package and book the veranda. 

[terrydtx]

We booked Aqua aft facing cabin for our 2021 Spain and Portugal cruise on the Infinity for 10 days. It was $300pp ($30 per day) more than a Concierge class veranda but we wanted Blu and the 11th deck aft facing cabin and for us it was worth the extra cost. We also prefer the smaller dinning venue of Blu over the MDR and we hate the buffets for breakfast. We most likely will not use the Persian Garden with this very port intensive cruise. 

Edited December 11, 2019 by terrydtx

[hcat]

Depends on the ship..  S Class Persian Gardens are much nicer. In EDGE the Tgermal suite is small but upscale.  None have a real T pool.

 

On M and S Class BLU is nicer, quieter than MDR  On EDGE the 4 mdr plan is fine!

[Knighton]

I wouldn't book it as an original booking, but I made a moveup offer that made it worthwhile.  Just did the minimum and they took it.  Dinner in Blu was really good.  My son and I would compare main dining and blu menu each evening to see  which had more stuff we'd like.

[sjb317]

We did Aqua class for the first time on our TG week cruise on Infinity.  Blu was very busy and sometimes noisy, staff seemed super busy and we ate after 8pm each night which was supposed to be their less busy time.   Food was not any better than MDR, in fact, I recognized some dishes from MDR menu on other cruises we’ve done.  Just like MDR, some dishes were very good, some not so much. We only had breakfast once and thought it was unremarkable.

 

The price for us was $60 higher for A1 than an regular balcony which seemed like a deal. I would not book Aqua again if the price was significantly higher.

 

Sherri🙂

 

 

[a.madruga]

It’s 220 more than regular veranda for the two of us and yes price includes taxes and port fees for the two of us

[hcat]

Not worth it.. you can do some Specialty Dining instead..

[Pentlands]

Waste of time Aqua, get a regular veranda and go speciality...much better in my experience.

[kathynorth]

Just my opinion, but for $220 for 2 of us we'd go with Aqua. We enjoy breakfast in Blu and we'd visit the Persian Gardens a couple times since access is included with the Aqua room. 

[lamondys]

Is AQ worth $300pp more than inside cabin? Jw if its worth the value. Don't see any regular veranda available on the sailing I'm looking at

Edited December 12, 2019 by lamondys

[SeasideMemories]

For $220 total for 2 I would definitely consider it depending on where the cabin is located. Some of the Aqua cabins are in less than desirable areas but others are not bad at all! Just do your research to see what’s above and around the cabin you’re looking at.

 

We don’t mind the MDR at all but enjoyed the quieter and more intimate atmosphere in Blu for dinner and breakfast every day. Last few cruises for us the difference has been $400+ per person over veranda which was too much for us. We have not taken advantage of Persian Gardens but have heard it’s a bit better on the S-Class ships than on the M-Class so that may matter to you, too!

Edited December 12, 2019 by SeasideMemories

[critterchick]

5 hours ago, TeaBag said:

We like Blu but we never go to the Persian Gardens.  However, that price for 7 days is outrageous.  What is the saving for a regular balcony?  You could maybe put some of that money into Sp dining.  Is the sailing out of Vancouver or Seattle?  Is it one way or return? 

Alaska is expensive. We paid that for 7 nights in a junior suite on a Royal Caribbean ship in 2004. No added perks, just more space. That same cabin would be over $5000 today. So I don't think that's an outrageous price at all, for that market.

1 hour ago, a.madruga said:

It’s 220 more than regular veranda for the two of us and yes price includes taxes and port fees for the two of us

 

Do it. It's a small investment to see if you'd like it. I really enjoy Blu - we've always seen lines at the Select MDR when we go to dinner and usually are seated right away in Blu.  I'm not a Persian Garden fan, but do enjoy a smaller venue for breakfast. And if I can score an aft cabin on the M class, I am one happy camper!

[VikingRob]

We almost always book Aqua and love Blu and the staff and service. You will get all kinds of opinions. If the difference is in your budget give it a try and decide for yourself!  Happy cruising!  Kim

[Oville]

2 hours ago, a.madruga said:

It’s 220 more than regular veranda for the two of us and yes price includes taxes and port fees for the two of us

If it’s $220 for the entire  cruise absolutely do it.

[Oville]

2 hours ago, hcat said:

Not worth it.. you can do some Specialty Dining instead..

I’d do it just for the breakfast, quieter dining room and Persian garden and think $220 for the whole cruise is worth to me.

Edited December 12, 2019 by Oville

[a.madruga]

6 hours ago, Oville said:

6 hours ago, TeaBag said:

 

Van to van $220 difference 

 

6 hours ago, TeaBag said:

We like Blu but we never go to the Persian Gardens.  However, that price for 7 days is outrageous.  What is the saving for a regular balcony?  You could maybe put some of that money into Sp dining.  Is the sailing out of Vancouver or Seattle?  Is it one way or return? 

 

[bikerunner]

Personally at that price difference do the a1.  I personally use the Persian gardens every day    Blu is comparable to mdr but the breakfast is much better in blu.  Location be careful of the a1.  All depends what you want.  

[SeasideMemories]

Also thought of one more tiny difference between Aqua and Veranda that may/may not matter to you... On M-Class Aqua cabins are slightly larger than Veranda. On S-Class no size difference. Wouldn’t matter to me when booking but is a difference.