My wife and I have completed over fifteen cruises and this was out first time on Celebrity. We choose Aqua Class primarily for the Blu restaurant and were not disappointed. We drove up from Oregon so we did not stay in Seattle pre or post cruise. The embarkation was easy as we dropped off our bags at the pier, my wife waited while I drove to the parking lot which was nearby. Hopped on the shuttle and back to the pier. A short wait (15 minutes) to check in and we were on our way onto the ship. Greeted with a glass of champagne and settled into the Ensemble lounge until the cabins were ready. This was about 1:00 PM.

Our AQ cabin, Penthouse Deck 1623, was on the starboard side with the bed near the balcony. The amenities were nice and the spa shower was refreshing. Bottled water for the first day and after that you need to pick it up at one of the bars. The canapes served were the biggest disappointment, just toast and spread, Celebrity should be embarrassed even to serve these. The balcony was very nice with footstools and a table included with the lounge chairs. There are nightstands for each side of the bed, which were very handy. The room was quiet with only occasionally hearing talking when others were on their balconies. Room stewards were friendly and efficient. We are going on this same itinerary next year on the Solstice but switched to the starboard side. I don’t know why but all of the sightings of whales and such were on that side. Also, the starboard side is the dockside in each port, so more activity to spy on.

The Blu restaurant is so worth the upgrade. The staff is fantastic and they get to know you after your first visit. While they can’t work miracles they aim to please. The tables for two near the windows are very close together. Depending on your desire to be social these can be a boon or an annoyance. I loved it since we were able to share experiences with fellow cruisers we otherwise would not have met. We made some new friends and we were able to invite them share our private excursion we had booked in advance. The menu is limited and eclectic but we always found something to enjoy. The rack of lamb was excellent as well as the lobster tail with an orange based sauce. Breakfast was very pleasant with a broad menu. We never went to the MDR for dinner so other than one lunch there I have no review for it. We did eat in Murano one night and it was excellent with over the top service. Several shipmates commented on the Tuscan Grille and they were not impressed. Silk Road got better reviews from them. I hate buffets but due to scheduling we did eat there a couple of times for lunch and I was pleasantly surprised at the variety and quality of the choices. My DW said the tuna salad was superb. The pizza was also very nice, thin crust and always fresh since it was gone as soon as it was placed on the buffet. Room service was fine but they did lose our order one time when I used the automated system. Read more