Sky suite/Luminae versus Aqua/Blu

[zitsky]

I know the room is not much bigger.  Is it worth it for the Retreat?  X makes a big deal about Daniel Boulud dinners.  Price is about 40% more.  Is the included sparkling wine any good or just a gimmick?  Cabins I’ve checked are on 6, 8, and 9.

 

This would be on Infinity out of Lisbon but we may switch to Barcelona.

Edited June 27, 2021 by zitsky

[SbbquilterUT]

I would not spring for that on a Med cruise as you spend so little time on board that you may not get the full benefit of the Retreat areas, a Caribbean or warm weather cruise or TA would be different consideration.

[sofietucker]

Just now, zitsky said:

I know the room is not much bigger.  Is it worth it for the Retreat?  X makes a big deal about Daniel Boulud dinners.  Price is about 40% more.  Is the included sparkling wine any good or just a gimmick?  Cabins I’ve checked are on 6, 8, and 9.

 

This would be on Infinity out of Lisbon but we may switch to Barcelona.

On the Edge, the Daniel Boulud dinner appears to be a single/standard app, entree and dessert on the menu, not varied dishes... At least, the same ones were repeated on last night's and tonight's menus.  Carrot/ginger veloute, Moroccan tagine 1/2 chicken & couscous, raspberry pistachio vacherin. Yummy but not likely to order again on this cruise.  And... what included sparkling wine?

Edited June 27, 2021 by sofietucker

[cangelmd]

28 minutes ago, sofietucker said:

On the Edge, the Daniel Boulud dinner appears to be a single/standard app, entree and dessert on the menu, not varied dishes... At least, the same ones were repeated on last night's and tonight's menus.  Carrot/ginger veloute, Moroccan tagine 1/2 chicken & couscous, raspberry pistachio vacherin. Yummy but not likely to order again on this cruise.  And... what included sparkling wine?

I think those are just the Daniel Boulud everyday selections. I think the dinner is the Chefs Table on the ships that have added the Daniel Boulud selections

[NCHPcruiser]

Luminae and The Retreat are worth it for us.   After sailing in Aqua with my mother, sister and aunt on several cruises I finally convinced my husband to go on a cruise.   Of course to make sure he loved to cruise as much as I did, I booked a sky suite.   It worked.    We love Luminae and The Retreat on the Edge  (and Michael’s Club on other ships).    I have Champagne many nights in Luminae and have always been pleased.     As far as the Daniel Boulud selections they did not stand out although we enjoyed our meals in Luminae.   

[Cdresser]

There is another recent thread on this topic you might want to read - Sky Suite vs Aqua. I think the prevailing opinion was that Sky suites are worth it depending on the price difference. 

[George C]

While I will agree you don’t get as much usage of suite restaurant Luminae and suite lounge we still think it’s worth it , service in Luminae is there totally great . For Europe I would do sky suite for Caribbean I would consider something larger.

[jelayne]

The Infinity has not been revolutionized so there is no Retreat Sun Deck. Luminae & Michaels Club/Retreat Lounge are there.  The Sky Suites on the M Class ship are about 240 sq ft  vs 300 sq ft on the other ships.  We spent 4 weeks in a Sky Suite on the Infinity and we’re disappointed in the space,  small balcony, torn drapes and banged up furniture.

 

We also have been in a Celebrity Suite on the Infinity, it was a large Suite with a huge living area & separate bedroom.  Although the decor is dated and soft goods were worn it was a great Suite.

 

We were booked on the Infinity for a Lisbon to Barcelona cruise that was just cancelled.  We had booked one of the aft facing Aqua cabins on Deck 11.  Personally I wouldn’t pay 40% more for a SS vs Aqua on the Infinity or Constellation until they are revolutionized, and probably wouldn’t pay that premium except for the E class.  

 

The included bottle of sparking wine in Sky Suites & Celebrity Suites is  same that is in the Concierge and Aqua cabins. 

Edited June 28, 2021 by jelayne

[Cruise a holic]

No comparision.  First, the AQ cabins are regular balcony cabins with a few IMO silly extras.  You get access to Blu, which is a smaller dining room then the MDR.  The tables for two are in a long row with a few inches between them.  We used the Persian garden  once or twice on a sea day for about 10 minutes,  and found it a hot boring  small room.  Having tried on all the Celebrity class ships at least once, the food isn't great in Blu either..  

 

The sky suites are much larger.  Better storage, you get a butler to help make reservations, and they are available for other functions if you desire.  You get priority seating, boarding disembarkation and a host of other perks.  The suite deck, on most ships is wonderful, especially on the Edge.  Comfortable seating, not crowded and excellent bar service   You can also order a light lunch.  The suite lounge is also great- a special place for daily tea service.  Drink service all day and also snacks available should you desire.  The suite concierge is also typically great and assists  making all of your reservations for dinner, spa and shore x's.  Luminae is great- true spacious tables.  Service 5 star and the food excellent.  You have accesss should you desire, to the MDR menu also or special orders .

 

If you aren't sure or have budgetry constraints, I would rather have a well located balcony cabin, mid ship cabins above and below, and dine nightly in  a specilty restaurants.  You can purchase the package in advance. However the food in the MDR is good, and even if we are in a suite and in Luminae, we often order some items from the MDR menu.

 

 Enjoy your cruise.

 

 

Edited June 28, 2021 by Cruise a holic

[zitsky]

7 hours ago, jelayne said:

The Infinity has not been revolutionized so there is no Retreat Sun Deck. Luminae & Michaels Club/Retreat Lounge are there.  The Sky Suites on the M Class ship are about 240 sq ft  vs 300 sq ft on the other ships.  We spent 4 weeks in a Sky Suite on the Infinity and we’re disappointed in the space,  small balcony, torn drapes and banged up furniture.

 

We also have been in a Celebrity Suite on the Infinity, it was a large Suite with a huge living area & separate bedroom.  Although the decor is dated and soft goods were worn it was a great Suite.

 

We were booked on the Infinity for a Lisbon to Barcelona cruise that was just cancelled.  We had booked one of the aft facing Aqua cabins on Deck 11.  Personally I wouldn’t pay 40% more for a SS vs Aqua on the Infinity or Constellation until they are revolutionized, and probably wouldn’t pay that premium except for the E class.  

 

The included bottle of sparking wine in Sky Suites & Celebrity Suites is  same that is in the Concierge and Aqua cabins. 

 

We were on the 11/7/21 rebooked to 10/12/22.

 

Thanks all for the advice.  I will look for that other thread. 

[sofietucker]

12 hours ago, cangelmd said:

I think those are just the Daniel Boulud everyday selections. I think the dinner is the Chefs Table on the ships that have added the Daniel Boulud selections

Good to know, thanks. Though we no longer do the Chefs Table--simply too much food, even if we can restrain ourselves beyond just tasting a few bites of each course, lol.

[AF-1]

Hello,  I have never sailed with Celebrity but am looking to book a suite in Oct for a four day Caribbean sailing.   Do we have to eat in Luminaire or can we eat in the main dining room too?  The ship we are looking to book is Summit.  I read this was the first ship to get upgraded in 2019. We are looking to book a Celebrity Suite.  Thanks for you answers. Cheers

Edited June 28, 2021 by AF-1

[Tee & Chilli]

1 hour ago, AF-1 said:

Hello,  I have never sailed with Celebrity but am looking to book a suite in Oct for a four day Caribbean sailing.   Do we have to eat in Luminaire or can we eat in the main dining room too?  The ship we are looking to book is Summit.  I read this was the first ship to get upgraded in 2019. We are looking to book a Celebrity Suite.  Thanks for you answers. Cheers

You may eat in the MDR also. 

[TeeRick]

1 hour ago, AF-1 said:

Hello,  I have never sailed with Celebrity but am looking to book a suite in Oct for a four day Caribbean sailing.   Do we have to eat in Luminaire or can we eat in the main dining room too?  The ship we are looking to book is Summit.  I read this was the first ship to get upgraded in 2019. We are looking to book a Celebrity Suite.  Thanks for you answers. Cheers

The CS on Summit is a really nice suite.  Very large. Separate bedroom.  But note that it is not considered a Premium suite.  So it gets the same benefits as a Sky Suite.  But that includes just about everything including The Retreat and meals in Luminae which is just as good as even the Specialty restaurants on board (IMO).  Yes you can eat in the MDR and also Blu (Aqua Class) if you make a reservation.  On Summit you can eat in Luminae and order from the MDR menu as well as the Luminae menu.  You have lots of options.  The more "premium" suites allow unlimited dining in Specialty restaurants but these are limited on Summit.

[George C]

1 hour ago, AF-1 said:

Hello,  I have never sailed with Celebrity but am looking to book a suite in Oct for a four day Caribbean sailing.   Do we have to eat in Luminaire or can we eat in the main dining room too?  The ship we are looking to book is Summit.  I read this was the first ship to get upgraded in 2019. We are looking to book a Celebrity Suite.  Thanks for you answers. Cheers

I doubt you will want to eat in MDR after trying Luminae, but you can. Summit has been refurbished, we were supposed to sail Summit this Saturday but switched to the Edge .

[AF-1]

4 hours ago, TeeRick said:

The CS on Summit is a really nice suite.  Very large. Separate bedroom.  But note that it is not considered a Premium suite.  So it gets the same benefits as a Sky Suite.  But that includes just about everything including The Retreat and meals in Luminae which is just as good as even the Specialty restaurants on board (IMO).  Yes you can eat in the MDR and also Blu (Aqua Class) if you make a reservation.  On Summit you can eat in Luminae and order from the MDR menu as well as the Luminae menu.  You have lots of options.  The more "premium" suites allow unlimited dining in Specialty restaurants but these are limited on Summit.

Thank you very much for your honest feedback.  Have a great day

[AF-1]

4 hours ago, George C said:

I doubt you will want to eat in MDR after trying Luminae, but you can. Summit has been refurbished, we were supposed to sail Summit this Saturday but switched to the Edge .

Thank you very much for your feedback.  Appreciate it.  Have a wonderful day

[talljules1]

For us, no contest (admittedly - we've done standard balcony, concierge and aft corner sky suite but not aqua).

Would pick sky suite every time.

[Orator]

Depends on price for each category. Personally on a Med. cruise I'd take a balcony and use the money to upgrade the drink package and dine in a speciality each evening unless you see something special on the MDR menu. Everybody is different.

[phoenix_dream]

For us, a 40% difference means Aqua Class every time.  I love suites, but we cruise 6-8 times a year now that we are retired (pre and post Covid of course) and this is one case where I would prefer quantity over quality as it were.  I happen to love Blu, and in fact DH and I like their menu much better than the Luminae menu - to each their own.  I do think Luminae has slightly better service and has a bit more space between tables.  

 

On a revolutionized M or S class ship, the Retreat deck is a big plus, if you plan to spend much time there.  We're not big pool people and are happy sitting out on our balcony so that is not a game changer for us - certainly not 40% more $$ worth.  I could give a hoot about a butler, but the extra space in a suite is a big plus.  Personally, I prefer the ambiance and overall décor of the old Michael's Club much, much better than the icy cold décor in the Retreat Lounge but the service is nice.

[Cruise a holic]

9 hours ago, AF-1 said:

Hello,  I have never sailed with Celebrity but am looking to book a suite in Oct for a four day Caribbean sailing.   Do we have to eat in Luminaire or can we eat in the main dining room too?  The ship we are looking to book is Summit.  I read this was the first ship to get upgraded in 2019. We are looking to book a Celebrity Suite.  Thanks for you answers. Cheers

The celebrity suites have been redone.  They are very spacious and comfortable.  You will enjoy the suite.  Yes you can eat in the MDR.  However, in Lumanie, you can also order from the MDR menu should you desire- no need to dine in the MDR, unless you want to join guests not in suites.  On the summit, best to dine in Lumanie.  

[AF-1]

12 hours ago, Cruise a holic said:

The celebrity suites have been redone.  They are very spacious and comfortable.  You will enjoy the suite.  Yes you can eat in the MDR.  However, in Lumanie, you can also order from the MDR menu should you desire- no need to dine in the MDR, unless you want to join guests not in suites.  On the summit, best to dine in Lumanie.  

Thank you very much for your reply.  Have a wonderful day