Today’s blog is about the Blu restaurant. This is a specialty restaurant that is open primarily to guests staying in AquaClass® staterooms and is located on Deck 5. It’s a smaller dining venue that is open for breakfast and dinner.
When you enter Blu, you immediately notice the ambience of the room. The whole back wall is dominated by pristine white on white roses. The opposite side has windows to enjoy looking out at the snow-capped mountains of Alaska, and we took advantage of the beautiful view every morning. Even though most of the tables seat two, the design of the room is such that you can easily talk to the adjacent tables. We had no problem meeting people and engaging in a lively conversation.
To have a truly fine dining experience, you must have great service, and they do not disappoint at Blu. Our waiter Michael and his assistant Fabiola were truly fabulous. We found them engaging, warm and energetic. They made wonderful recommendations and seemed to know exactly what we would like. We also have to mention the maitre’d, Jovel. He was professional, courteous and accommodating to all of our requests. There is also no fixed time for seating at Blu, so you don’t feel rushed and have time to relax and enjoy your meal.
The whole concept of Blu is “healthy choices,” but this definitely does not mean bland food. The breakfast menu does not change daily, but it is quite extensive. One of my personal favorites was the muesli, which is prepared right at your table. They also have a variety of smoothies, which are both healthy and flavorful. I would absolutely recommend trying the blueberry smoothie.
The dinner menu offers new selections every night along with a few classics that remain on the menu nightly. When the meals were served, we were blown away at the presentation of the food.
We have tried everything from fish to filet mignon, and have found each dish to be full of flavor and cooked to perfection. We would highly recommend the grilled mushroom Napoleon appetizer as well as the French Onion soup, which is available every night. Some of our favorite entrees included the short ribs and filet mignon.
Desserts—where do we start? You can’t go wrong with any of the choices. We have sampled all of them, which was not too hard to do. One of the desserts we would highly recommend is the coconut crème brûlée with Mango curry.
The portions are a perfect size; we never left feeling hungry or overly full.
The overall experience of dining at Blu restaurant has been such a positive experience, that it has spoiled us! Other restaurants will find it hard to compete with this unique, delightful dining experience.
Norm Schwartzman
Captain’s Club blogger currently on Celebrity Millennium
Our sailing date has finally arrived, and we are extremely excited to fully experience AquaClass® on Celebrity Millennium. The check-in process was so surreal as we were given VIP status and were whisked through all the checkpoints. Before we knew it, we were entering our room.
Today’s blog will be about the AquaClass rooms, which are located on the 11th deck. As I’m sure everyone is aware by now, the AquaClass concept is spa-inspired. The cabin itself definitely looks updated and upgraded. The room is spacious and warm, with lots of natural light coming through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The layout of the room is very functional, and the closet space is more than adequate, with plenty of drawer space inside the closet as well. There is more cupboard space provided below the desk, and there are two nightstands beside the bed with even more drawer space. There is even one completely mirrored wall that makes the room feel brighter and more open.
The private balcony contains two comfortable chairs and a table that is perfect for having breakfast, sitting and relaxing, and admiring the fabulous view. What truly sets the room apart from others are the spa elements infused into the stateroom experience. As soon as we entered the room, we noticed the fresh spa-like atmosphere. In the larger-than-average bathroom, we immediately took note of the unique double-doors for the shower. The shower contains a Hansgrohe “shower tower,” which can be used as a rain shower and/or a full body shower. The controls do take some getting used to, but once we figured it out, it was worth the effort. Also included were Hydro-Minera’le aquatic spa therapy bath products, which included lip balm, face and foot mist, body wash, shampoo and lotion. Another nice touch to the bathroom was the plush AquaClass Frette bathrobes and slippers.
There are also plenty of other in-room amenities that help enhance the spa “experience”. A pillow menu is available for you to choose your perfect pillow, and there are daily deliveries of both bottled water and a pitcher of tea. There is an extended room service selection that includes healthy menu option, and a wellness channel with On-Demand AquaClass programming is also available. One of the most important features of any room is the bed, and our AquaClass bed was so comfortable that we had a fantastic night’s sleep. Now we can’t wait to experience the rest of what being in AquaClass has to offer!
Norm Schwartzman
Captain’s Club blogger currently on Celebrity Millennium
Greetings from the sunny Bahamas!!
This is Sheldon, your Hotel Director from the beautiful Celebrity Millennium, bringing you the action as we go through the amazing Solsticizing process.
As I walked on board the ship, wonderful memories of fantastic friends that I have made here and all of the exciting places that we have been came flooding back to me. I have spent nearly 5 years of my career with Celebrity on Celebrity Millennium, starting in the year 2000 when I was a part of the opening team that brought the ship out of the yard in St Nazaire, France. I have done contracts here as an Assistant Maitre D’, Food and Beverage Manager, and Hotel Director, covering itineraries in Northern Europe, Mediterranean, Alaska, Caribbean, South America, New Zealand and Australia. This will be my fourth dry dock on this ship after having done previous ones in Palermo, Sicily, Sydney, Australia and Victoria, Canada. So as you can see, I am very happy to be here and to be a part of a new chapter in Celebrity Millennium’s life.
So far, Celebrity Millennium’s dry dock has been extremely successful. This has been achieved through our usual dedication to planning, communication and support for one another. It is really a great experience to be a part of the Celebrity family; everyone’s voice is heard and all feedback is considered so that we can move forward with positive momentum.
Recently I was telling one of my colleagues a wonderful story of how one crewmember’s keen eye for detail contributed to enhancing the beauty of Celebrity Summit during her Solsticizing: I was walking around, speaking with the crew on fire watch, and this particular crew member stopped me and asked if a portion of the ceiling was going to be painted, as it did not fit in with the new décor. I relayed that concern back to the design team, and the very next day scaffolding was being erected and the ceiling was painted. Amazing!
The ship left Miami on April 21st for the short trip to the Shipyard in the Bahamas. Captain Alevropoulos and his team of bridge officers did a great job of getting the ship into the dry dock under very challenging weather conditions. The lifeboats were lowered into the water and were taken away to be completely overhauled and repainted. The remaining water was then drained, leaving the ship high and dry on the blocks. Although some of the Solsticizing work began shortly after leaving Miami, this period is the time when the gangway is placed and the remaining contractors come on board, which means full steam ahead.
It is great to see that most of the people involved in this dry dock are the same from Celebrity Summit and Celebrity Infinity’s dry docks. Everyone is familiar with each other as well as the ship, and they are all absolute professionals. I am looking forward to keeping everyone updated over the next few weeks as we work through to completion and welcome our guests on board in Miami on May 12!
Best Regards
Sheldon Thompson
Hotel Director
Celebrity Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
