MDR vs. BLU

[LB_NJ]

24 minutes ago, Miaminice said:

 

Since the question was about Constellation, your dislike of Blu on Apex does not really relate to the topic and shouldn´t unsettle the OP. 
That being said, we enjoyed Blu on 4 cruises on Apex. We go for service and food and not for the view. When we go to dinner it´s dark anyway. The noise in Blu is relative - since it´s always more quiet than any MDR, I can live with it.

On Constellation Blu is narrow and long so you are closer to a window then likely in the MDR.

 

Also, don’t forget breakfast and the nice smoothies.  More likely to get a window table.

[Miaminice]

1 hour ago, LB_NJ said:

On Constellation Blu is narrow and long so you are closer to a window then likely in the MDR.

 

Also, don’t forget breakfast and the nice smoothies.  More likely to get a window table.

Yep! Which is why the comparison to Apex is irrelevant 🤷🏻 And the question was about Constellation.

[Mermen]

On 2/14/2024 at 1:16 AM, keesar said:

Blu will be your assigned dining room.  If you want to have a meal in the MDR, speak to the maitre d' and arrangements will be made for that evening.

 

On 2/13/2024 at 11:19 PM, Lost in Italy said:

Considering booking Aqua Class on upcoming Constellation cruise.  We enjoy late fixed time dinner in MDR. IF we choose Aqua, can we choose/book fixed late dining in the MDR and still enjoy Blu when we choose? 
 

 

To answer the poster’s question, keesar covered it completely. I remember once when we were in Blu, wanted a lobster dish that was on the MDR menu. We were told to see the MDR Maitre’D. What we enjoy about dining in Luminal is that if  we see something on the MDR menu, it’s served without a problem! Doesn’t happen often as we enjoy this venue most, but sometimes you have a craving for what is on offer elsewhere. 😊

[Lost in Italy]

Thank you all for your frank opinions. We did choose Aqua. Majority of you had positive experiences.  We have been happy with Concierge Class in the past, but our TA happened to have a group rate for Aqua that was hard to pass up. We’re not very frequent cruisers and value fellow cruisers experiences. 
 

[NMTraveller]

Save the money and book specialty dining.  The two tops in Blu are too close together.  Fine if you want to dine with another couple...

 

 

[NMTraveller]

9 hours ago, RichYak said:

Most likely financially too. My understanding is that the wait staff portion of your automatic gratuities go to wherever you dine.

So that is why they get miffed when you dine in specialty dining ...?

[NMTraveller]

11 hours ago, bizeemom4 said:

We hated Blu on Apex. There is NO view and it's very loud. We spent most of our 9-night cruise trying all the other free dining options. The maitre'd gave us a very hard sell on how great Blu is and turned himself inside out trying to please us on the one night we came back for dinner. They really take it personally when you don't dine in Blu if you're AC.

E class.  IMHO most of the ship is loud and crowded ...

[the penguins]

18 hours ago, RichYak said:

Most likely financially too. My understanding is that the wait staff portion of your automatic gratuities go to wherever you dine.

that is a definite issue. The waiters in Blu are totally dependent on Aqua guests dining in Blu. If you eat in the buffet/speciality restaurant fine, but chose the MDR and the waiter in Blu loses one nights tips. 

[RichYak]

3 hours ago, the penguins said:

that is a definite issue. The waiters in Blu are totally dependent on Aqua guests dining in Blu. If you eat in the buffet/speciality restaurant fine, but chose the MDR and the waiter in Blu loses one nights tips. 

I'm not sure why you single out eating in the buffet/specialty as being fine. If one doesn't check in at the podium to dine in Blu, that daily tip amount in all likelihood doesn't go to Blu.

[LB_NJ]

14 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

Save the money and book specialty dining.  The two tops in Blu are too close together.  Fine if you want to dine with another couple...

 

 

I didn’t have a ruler but on Constellation I don’t think the tables in Blu were that much closer than the tables in the Italian restaurant.

 

You can very easily order off the MDR menu although I don’t eat lobster so there is always a chance that might be an issue if it was on the MDR menu and not on Blu that day.

 

So if the price is about the same I would definitely book Aqua, try for deck 11.

 

One thing though is that there is no fixed seatings and NO reservations.

 

On my cruise there was definitely a wait at certain times.  Like right after shows let out.

 

If we got seated at 6:30 we would make the second show.

[hcat]

15 hours ago, Lost in Italy said:

Thank you all for your frank opinions. We did choose Aqua. Majority of you had positive experiences.  We have been happy with Concierge Class in the past, but our TA happened to have a group rate for Aqua that was hard to pass up. We’re not very frequent cruisers and value fellow cruisers experiences. 
 

Good Choice!  and maybe book 1 or 2 specialty rest to break things up!

 

For early excursions if you go to the buffet you can get waffles!

[the penguins]

2 hours ago, RichYak said:

I'm not sure why you single out eating in the buffet/specialty as being fine. If one doesn't check in at the podium to dine in Blu, that daily tip amount in all likelihood doesn't go to Blu.

Speciality is covered by a separate grats system. Buffet staff are covered in auto grats - if you eat in either the wait staff in Blu retain that nights tips. If you eat in the MDR (select dining) the waiters there get that nights tips not the staff in Blu.

[RichYak]

3 minutes ago, the penguins said:

Speciality is covered by a separate grats system. Buffet staff are covered in auto grats - if you eat in either the wait staff in Blu retain that nights tips. If you eat in the MDR (select dining) the waiters there get that nights tips not the staff in Blu.

Fair enough. We disagree on this. I've read too many accounts of Maitres'd in the buffet looking for passengers who hadn't been to their dining room. To me, clearly an attempt to recoup whatever nightly gratuities remain.

[the penguins]

10 minutes ago, RichYak said:

Fair enough. We disagree on this. I've read too many accounts of Maitres'd in the buffet looking for passengers who hadn't been to their dining room. To me, clearly an attempt to recoup whatever nightly gratuities remain.

this used to be the case for passengers on Set Dining for 2 reasons:

1) if passengers never intended to use the dinning room it freed up space that could be used for diners who wanted to change from say early to late or just didn't like their original table.

2) the end of cruise survey in which, at one time, staff needed a high % of likes which could be difficult if say 4 people out of a table of 10 chose never to eat in the MDR. Once it was established that the passengers weren't eating in the MDR because of problems with the wait staff then the actual number eating in the MDR  was used e.g the table with 4 missing passengers was now recorded as a table of 6 giving the waiter 100% occupancy.

The introduction of more and more Select Dining has meant a change in the way that X  uses the surveys.

if you dont' think it matters to the Waiters just watch what happens if you have Select Dining and arrive at the table unescorted by a crew member carrying a little slip of paper. This slip not only tells the Escort which table to bring you to but is the receipt for the Waiter to make sure they get their tips. If the Slip is missing the Waiter will immediately head for the Check in Desk to get a copy.

[NMTraveller]

9 hours ago, LB_NJ said:

I didn’t have a ruler but on Constellation I don’t think the tables in Blu were that much closer than the tables in the Italian restaurant.

 

You can very easily order off the MDR menu although I don’t eat lobster so there is always a chance that might be an issue if it was on the MDR menu and not on Blu that day.

 

So if the price is about the same I would definitely book Aqua, try for deck 11.

 

One thing though is that there is no fixed seatings and NO reservations.

 

On my cruise there was definitely a wait at certain times.  Like right after shows let out.

 

If we got seated at 6:30 we would make the second show.

Is Connie Blu different from Millie?

 

In Blu on Millie there were about 3 or 4 two tops 2 feet away from each other.  If you looked left or right you would see another table two feet away.

In Tuscan on Millie the two tops were back to back spaced about 5 feet apart.  

 

[Cruisegirl6]

You are assigned Blu but you can eat at any of the MDR.  On the Beyond, we dined at Blu the first two evenings, had not good service overall, it was very loud in that room also, and we were not allowed to choose items from the MDR menu.  We had our remaining dinners at the MDR, tried different ones with NO problems.  

On the Equinox, Blu was overall outstanding and they gave us the MDR menu also if we wished to order anything from there.  On this ship, we wouldn't even dream of going to the MDR.  

I say give Blu a try a night or two then make a decision.

Edited February 17 by Cruisegirl6

[onlyslightlymad]

15 hours ago, the penguins said:

that is a definite issue. The waiters in Blu are totally dependent on Aqua guests dining in Blu. If you eat in the buffet/speciality restaurant fine, but chose the MDR and the waiter in Blu loses one nights tips. 

That's awful.  The poor staff.