The Pros and Cons of Aqua Class on Celebrity Cruises: Is Aqua Class worth the price?

Filmed: March 2023
I answer the question: Is Aqua Class worth it on Celebrity Cruises? Specifically, I talk about whether or not Aqua Class on the Celebrity Edge is worth it.

[@TripswithAngie]

For more information, visit cruises.substack.com/p/is-aqua-class-on-celebrity-cruises

[@hilstorm3]

I am considering this cruise line. Your videos are very informative and detailed. Thank you😁

[@TripswithAngie]

So glad you find them helpful.

[@iloveanimals1662]

This was so informative,thankyou!👌🏻

[@TripswithAngie]

Glad it helped.

[@nickienew]

So helpful! Thank you!

[@TripswithAngie]

Thanks!

[@jonesboy201]

First time in aqua class next month (on Edge) looking forward to it after watching your informative video

[@TripswithAngie]

Bon Voyage!

[@drewfuerstenberger4675]

Fortunate had a friends and family discount and the difference between regular Veranda and AC was $23 a person for the entire trip. That small a difference was worth giving it a shot.

[@TripswithAngie]

What did you think?

[@joanclare9788]

Long time cruiser but never been on Celebrity. We decided to book New years Eve on the new Ascent. I hope we like it. I will watch more of your Celebrity reviews to get a feel for this cruise line

[@TripswithAngie]

New Year's Eve is such a fun time to cruise. The tour closest to the Ascent is the Edge: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pJbHZquhe7N1eK8

[@2guzzba2]

So looking forward to our first cruise! And on the Celebrity Ascent March 17th (Western Caribbean,)- for my 60th!!! Our children have shouted us the cruise and we have a Aquaclass stateroom, so I am so excited! We are travelling from the Gold Coast, Australia, so a bit of a trip flight wise, but I'm not complaining :). Any tips are welcome, thanks Angie for your great video !

[@TripswithAngie]

How exciting. I have a full ship tour of the Ascent coming soon. Australia is incredible. You'll love it.

[@tracywalker244]

How was the Aqua Suite on Ascent?

[@2guzzba2]

@@tracywalker244 Fabulous - well worth it, if like us we enjoyed the benefits of the Spa every day -amazing -and the Blu Restaurant (as I'm not a big fan of buffet).

[@user-ei6cy3zd2p]

Very helpful video. I am going to Greece on the Infinity and the Aquaclass was actually cheaper to book than the Veranda and Concierge Class for that sailing so it is going to be worth the money. The other perks are an added bonus.

[@TripswithAngie]

Yes! It's always good to check the price of all the categories.

[@pc1629]

I’ve sailed on 20 Celebrity cruises and managed to reach the dizzy heights of Elite Plus on their Captains club program. Only done 1 Aqua & the only decent perk I experienced was dining in the Aqua restaurant Blu. We didn’t use the spa not our thing. I’ve done 4/5 Concierge cruises due the price difference being very minimal to a balcony on a higher deck. Concierge provides the cabin with a afternoon plate of cold foods :- olives etc & 1 bottle of sparkling wine during the duration of the cruise (think we got same on our Aqua cruise) So I won’t book aqua again I cannot justify the higher cost. Celebrity pricing is very weird, I can fully understand sailing on the Edge class being more costly but I’ve recently booked a cruise on Infinity & the price was extremely high top $. I’m on the Equinox next week from Barcelona to Rome 9 nights great price ! Other price anomalies are on the drinks packages I like a beer or two especially the craft beers and I did try to upgrade my classic to a premium one however it’s not allowed as both members of the cabin have to have the same package ? Madness my wife only has a few G&T’s a day so the classic package is still more expensive compared to the drinks she has.

[@TripswithAngie]

Especially if your wife is also Elite Plus and gets the free happy hour daily. At least you only have to pay the difference.

[@anuenue58]

We will be sailing on Celebrity Edge from Sydney Australia in the Aqua Class for the first time. We received an email to choose the wellness items you mentioned that you did not get so we will see when we get there in April

[@TripswithAngie]

Oh! Let me know!!

[@pamelaluis579]

Thanks for the info. We will be sailing from Sydney, Australia to Hawaii for 17 nights so the Aqua class is what we are doing. We leave April 14, 2024

[@TripswithAngie]

Have a great cruise!

[@kevbama5827]

Wow. Lamb and pheasant. Sounds wonderful

[@TripswithAngie]

It's definitely a different menu than the other dining rooms which is fun.

[@lindaerickson376]

I believe we have done Aqua for all our cruises with Celebrity and have waited for a sale to book it each time, so booked a veranda and moved up or an ocean view and moved up. We liked having Blu, more restaurant like atmosphere, than the main dining room, we could talk and hear each other, met some wonderful people. Could get things from the main dining room without a blink of an eye but we did book a night or two at a specialty restaurant as well especially with a longer cruise, a few became favorites. If we had an early excursion we did use the OV Cafe for breakfast a few times and it was great but very busy, we like to sit and relax for breakfast. My husband liked the thermal suite, I did not use it but I used the showers, we are on Apex this time so I intend to use this area a bit more. Service was great, always got a table in Blu and our room steward has been wonderful and didn't have to wait. I think a person has to weigh it on needs/wants/costs and what they plan to do on the cruise. Enjoy! Celebrity does a great job.

[@TripswithAngie]

I really like the thermal suite on the Apex.

[@purposedpa]

​@@TripswithAngiehow does the thermal suite on Apex compare?

[@Mary-ph9ut]

Thank you for that great piece of information about Aqual class. My question is does the liquor package included with the aqua class?

[@TripswithAngie]

It can be if you book the All Included package

[@bobcarr5497]

We have sailed in Aqua Class in 2023 our fist time on Celebrity & Equinox and it was good.We got a good price as Aqua class and Conceirage pricing was really close so we took Aqua class for the restaurant Blue and the thermal suite since the price jump was minimal. We are getting ready to do a 11 night cruise In Europe in October 2025 on Ascent our first time on a edge class. I reserved a prime Aqua Class on Deck 10 but haven't sealed it yet as my pricing has gone higher since 2023 for 11 nights $ 9,500 dollars that includes basic wifi , basic beverage package and prepaid Gratuities. My wife and I love the spa but being this cruise is port Intensive and I herd tours can go 8 hours thinking maybe steeping to a lower cabin category because of time restraints. Besides we already have another cruise booked on Ascent for mid March 2026 in a Aqua Sky Suite for our 11 night Panama Canal & Southern Caribbean cruise. Thanks for the great review.

[@TripswithAngie]

Bon Voyage!

[@shaungregory1789]

Weve been in Auqa class many times on all M, S and E class Celebrity ships and they are great, but agree that the four restaurants on the E class ships are very good and maybe an option into retirement, but definitely on M and S we would definitely book aqua class as much better service and food restaurant.

[@TripswithAngie]

I agree. I think the main dining on Edge class is more interesting. On Edge class, we book Aqua for the spa. It's so much better than the Millennium or Solstice class.

[@jaymolina4452]

Really was expecting an upgrade with Aqua class, but I was disappointed with the experience. If you can get a discount where it is not that much more, then it is worth it, but not for the regular price. Blue was a major disappointment. I ended up ordering from the main dining room menu most of the time. It was nice to be able to have a choice. If you're a foodie, then I guess it's ok, but for me it wasn't worth the price. Also being further away from the main kitchen meant our food service was incredibly slow and took almost 3 hrs every night. We didn't mind it most of the time because we were cruising with a group and enjoyed each other's company, but a couple of nights we were late to show we wanted to see because the service was so slow. We had to ask for the things we had selected before the cruise to be delivered to our room. Some didn't get there until the 3rd night of our cruise.

[@TripswithAngie]

Great point about checking Blu's menu. It is a frustrating experience to eat main dining room food in Blu.

[@barryhaley7430]

Just looking at 10 day Caribbean Silhouette for December. A lower cost season. The difference between a Veranda (including tips) and Aqua Class is $1,800 pp 9:26 . If you aren’t enthralled with the Spa, which we would not use much, that’s a lot for booze and specialty restaurants. I don’t see the value.

[@TripswithAngie]

That is a big difference. That $1,299.50 pp for a balcony guarantee is a great rate for December 4th. Taxes and fees are not included. Taxes and fees are $136 pp. I am offering an extra $50 on board credit on that sailing for cruises booked with Trips with Angie. [e-mail]

[@franklinrwful]

Do you get priority boarding and disembarkation as with the MSC Aurea Experience?

[@TripswithAngie]

I haven't sailed MSC yet.

[@tangilajefferson9224]

Hi Angie, You mentioned there are offering on the App where you could request things like a weighted blanket, I can't seem to find it on the App. Can you give me more information to help me find it?

[@TripswithAngie]

I think I covered it in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5ncfqCubLV0fJY They may also have removed it since they didn't have the items.

[@tangilajefferson9224]

Thank you! @@TripswithAngie

[@lauraeckels3576]

Hi there! Today it is 2/12/24 and I am wondering a bit about the amenities with the Aqua class. We will be sailing on a Solstice ship in 1/25. Do you get any drink package with this category? Is the daily bottled water still included and what size is the bottled water? That would be a benefit to me but not so much on the drink package. Please advise. Thank you.

[@TripswithAngie]

Please ask the travel agent you are using to book this cruise. Different things are available based on what package you book.

[@simulationlab]

Is the thermal suite crowded with people? Is there a time limit?

[@TripswithAngie]

It can be on Sea Days. No time limit.

[@robe4632]

If you have the classic drink package do you also get anything on the zero package?

[@TripswithAngie]

You can find the full details of the drinks packages inclusions on the Celebrity Cruise website.

[@cruisingforone]

I'm confused about the Spa concierge, I would think you would have already booked your spa reservations before sailing. I'm booked on Celebrity Eclipse Aqua Class next year which will be my first Celebrity cruise.

[@TripswithAngie]

I usually don't book my spa reservations in advance because the spa offers specials throughout the week.

[@eddihaskell]

I am paying alot for an Aqua Class cruise in August to the South Caribbean and I hope I am not going to experience the equivalent of Golden Corral food by the time I sail. What exactly is a "rib steak butchered weird" anyway?

[@TripswithAngie]

I've never been to a Golden Corral so I can't speak to the comparison. The ribeye steak had very different width from one end to the other leading to an issue with temperature. One end was well done, the other medium rare.

[@steveriley263]

So disappointed not to see a hydrotherapy pool in the spa.

[@TripswithAngie]

You can see them in my ship tours.

[@pinkorganichorse]

For 7 days on Apex, Aqua class for 2 people is $1000 more. Worth it? If i cannot get a babysitter, we will have our 7yo on our 10 year anniversary. 😢 if so, would he be totally bored. Is there any drop off place for kids for activities? He would love cooking class.

[@cheri4232]

Aqua Class is for max two people per cabin

[@TripswithAngie]

Yes. There is a limited supervised kids' program.

[@butalina]

I have been sailing with Celebrity since 1990...Aqua Class started when the line was sold to Royal Caribbean...I cannot tell you how much they have cut from Aqua Class. So many amenities are gone...Also, I believe they are starting to phase out the canapes...At this time Aqua class is not worth it on the Edge class ships...Reason is they have 4 different main dining rooms, the food was outstanding in all 4 different region restaurants (Greek, French, American and Italian) If you are not that big about the thermal spa then Aqua Class is a waste...Also if you take a cruise in Europe, Aqua Class is a waste because just about all excursions are 8 hours and longer...you really do not have that much time on the ship each day....most 8 or 9 day cruises in Europe has just one sea day....In closing I can name 12 amenities that have since been eliminated in Aqua Class since its introduction. Also, the prices of a Celebrity cruise has soared...Blu Restaurant on most ships have been extremely crowded...service at time can be very slow approaching 2 hours for dinner is starting to happen...Blu has also been know to open early because of huge lines waiting...Sometime opening as early as 90 mins....Aqua Class experience is not what it use to be....

[@TripswithAngie]

I'm curious. What are the 12 amenities that have been discontinued?

[@butalina]

@@TripswithAngie As I remember the amenities eliminated or severely downgraded that should have been eliminated: 1-Personalized Stationary. 1-Personalized ink Pen. 1-Fresh Flowerd daily. 1-Fresh fruit such as Cherries, Melon and strawberry down graded to 3 green Apples. 1-Canapes went from Shrimp and sliders to a few cheese items. 1-great Champaign on ice in a bucket, to horrible sparkling whatever it is upon request. 1-2 Complimentary tote bags one flimsy and the 2nd a very sturdy Burlap bag...now just a flimsy bag. 1- sturdy plastic luggage tags in vibrant color delivered to your house...Now print them out on paper like everyone else. 1-Aqua Class cocktail party in addition to Captains Club Elite and above cocktail party Eliminated. 1-Designer toiletries in small bottles now just large tubs of Shampoo and conditioner. 1- Designer Lip Balm eliminated SO Now if people don't use the Spa rooms and no one hardly does when cruising in Europe because the excursions are so long, Aqua is a complete bust. You can dine in a Specialty Restaurant every night and it would still be cheaper to book a regular Veranda. It has also come to My attention that the Canapés will start being fazed out. Like Insaid earlier...what would be next to eliminate?

[@nildasimon3455]

@@butalina We just got back last month from Europe on Aqua Class. No canapes, and fruits, but flowers were given to us. I asked our steward about the flowers and he said we got them because we're Elite members.

[@butalina]

@@nildasimon3455 Right, they use to be delivered fresh daily to all Aqua Class guests...

[@roberturow5955]

@@butalina couldn't agree more. It will come out cheaper to book a specialty dining room and just keep a balcony/veranda room. TheThermal spa is average at best.

[@touring4973]

We are sailing of the Ascent this April and thinking of buying the 9-day pass thermal suite for $558 or upgrade bid to aqua class for a $1000. Is it worth it to upgrade at that price? Thanks!

[@TripswithAngie]

You watched the video - what do you think?

[@touring4973]

@@TripswithAngie Answer a ? with a ? :(

[@TripswithAngie]

@@touring4973 I can't tell you what's worth it to you. I outlined the pros and cons in the video. Is having access to Blu worth the money? What did your travel agent say when you reviewed the pros and cons of an Aqua Class cabin versus just spa access?

[@purposedpa]

​@@touring4973she does seem evasive with a lot of these responses. Why post the video if you aren't going to answer questions?

[@ruthadams7133]

Can you eat at Blu if you have a regular cabin?

[@TripswithAngie]

No. It's exclusive to Aqua Class.

[@ChristineWhitman-fl6qp]

! Plus, you have gorgeous teeth :)

[@TripswithAngie]

Thanks! Six years of braces.

[@frankcutronijr]

I would upgrade just to have breakfast and dinner in Blu. It is very expensive of you are paying full price for the upgrade.

[@TripswithAngie]

Celebrity has BidUp or sometimes you can get a great deal.

[@frankcutronijr]

@@TripswithAngie Thank you. I was suggested the same by Zack the Traveling Man. I live in SFLA closer to Port Everglades than Miami.

[@butalina]

It is cheaper to book a regular Vernada a book a specialty restaurant for every dinner.

[@roberturow5955]

The Aqua class definatly not worth it! On average about $1200-1400 more. The Thermal suite is subpar compared to other cruise lines. They dont even have a hot tub or Thermal pools like many others. The Blu room is nice, but not worth the price difference. If you are thinking of paying more look into the Retreat with the Luminae room. Not sure this is worth the price difference either, but is far superior to the aqua class. We did it a few times, because the price difference wasnt alot. If you are considering Aqua class, look at what you get (or dont get) before spending the extra money?

[@TripswithAngie]

Always a good idea to assess what you get before upgrading.

[@scottbarker7628]

We use to book aqua. Cost for Two about 4-500. Enjoy smaller dinning venue. However, prices for Aqua have easily doubled or more. Not worth it at higher cost. Celebrity needs to lower cost.

[@TripswithAngie]

It is getting harder to find a good deal on Aqua. Maybe use the bidding system to upgrade after final payment. Or travel agents like me sometimes have special deals if booked in advance.

[@PamalaClift]

Dont forget they now have Aqua class suites..

[@TripswithAngie]

Do you think that makes a difference as to whether or not Aqua Class is worth it?

[@michelebuldo9342]

Doesn't Aqua come with drink beverages and wifi?

[@TripswithAngie]

You can book a rate that includes that. It is not a perk of Aqua Class.

[@josephkessel2276]

I just paid for my cruise last week in aqua class and the basic wifi and drink package are included. You have to pay to get the upgrade if you want better service and drinks.

[@TripswithAngie]

@@josephkessel2276 There are rates that don't include it.

[@davidblanchard9868]

​@@josephkessel2276what is a basic drinks package? Is that unlimited alcoholic drinks or sodas?

[@josephkessel2276]

The Classic Drinks Package includes all alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks (except smoothies) up to $10. Including beers, Wine, spirits, wide selection of cocktails and premium coffee and tea. Beers include: Budweiser Bud Light Coors Light Corona Franziskaner Heineken Kirin Kirin Light Miller Lite Michelob Ultra Moretti Newcastle Brown Ale Strongbow Cider Spirits include: Gin; Beefeater, Gordon’s, Praire Gin. Rum; Bacardi, Bacardi and flavours, Captain Morgan’s, Malibu, Myer’s, Wray & Nephew. Tequilas: Don Julio Blanco, Teremana Blanco. Vodkas: Tito’s, Absolut and flavours, New Amsterdam, Smirnoff. Whisky; Dewar’s White Label, Famous Grouse, Jim Beam, Johnnie Walker Red, Monkey Shoulder, Seagram’s VO. Liqueurs and Cognacs: Campari, Galliano, Hennessy VS, Kahlua, Licor 43, Ouzo, Sambuca Romana, Southern Comfort, Tia Maria Wines from various regions around the world, including California, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Argentina, Chile, and Australia. @@davidblanchard9868

[@ediem4222]

No mention of vegetables at all. It's all meat. I'm a vegan so I would love to hear about vegan options.

[@TripswithAngie]

There aren't a lot of vegan options readily available on the menu. There aren't a lot of vegetables on most cruise lines. You can work with the Maitre'D to special order your dinners and breakfasts in Blu.

[@katherinethyne945]

I am a vegan also and upon request I was given a vegan menu at Blu. The food was great.