There’s no badge, no secret code, but being in Aqua Class makes you a member of a select club on a Celebrity cruise. It’s billed as an option offering healthy dining and perks at the spa, but you never actually need to get your feet wet to savor the Aqua life.
We’ve cruised on Celebrity Cruises many times in the past but never opted for Aqua Class until now. Membership comes at a premium, but judging from the fact that staterooms in this category sell out quickly and are regularly on wait lists, Celebrity regulars obviously feel the attractions are worth it.
So what do you get when you dive into Aqua?
It starts with priority boarding. On this Celebrity Beyond cruise from Rome there is a big VIP waiting area with a snack bar in the terminal, but it’s really only useful if you arrive ahead of the official boarding time of noon. Even though the ship at full capacity, as long as you’ve checked in on the Celebrity app before arriving at the terminal, the process of dropping off bags and getting on board is practically seamless.
Arriving at our pre-reserved time, we had done the check-in on Celebrity’s app in advance and added selfie ID photos. All we needed to do was flash the bar code on the app and go through a security screening to head right onto the ship, where room keys are in a mail slot by the door.
Checking into the suite life
Only about 100 of the 1,600 guest rooms on Celebrity Beyond are dedicated to Aqua Class . They’re the same dimensions as many other suites on the ship, but they come with added options. Ours on Deck 9 were in category A2; those in A1 are similar; just located closer to the elevators.
The suite is spacious and furnished with what Celebrity calls its exclusive Cashmere mattress and Exhale Italian-made luxury cotton bedding (which does make for some very pleasant dreaming). There’s a dressing table with drawers and a mini-bar and a sofa in the living area, as well as two chairs and a small table in the infinite veranda area. For those not familiar with Celebrity’s Edge Class ships: rather than a walk-out balcony, Celebrity’s infinite verandas are all inside space with a floor to ceiling window whose upper half can be lowered electronically to get the sea breeze. Be aware though, that opening the window turns off the air conditioning in the room.
There’s ample storage space and cotton robes in the closet along with zipper bags that contain yoga mats–apparently for those who like to do their stretching in the privacy of their room rather than the spa. The big marble-lined bathroom is equipped with a spa-worthy rainforest shower that was a treat once I discovered the secret lever beneath the handle that turns it on.
Other luxury Aqua amenities are bath and body products by C.O. Bigelow, a New York apothecary that’s been in business since 1836 and whose soaps, shampoos and salves are modern takes on classic formulas. And of course there is an ample supply of water in recyclable aluminum bottles replenished daily by the room attendants. There would normally be a charge for bottled water in other room categories on the ship, although since we had opted for the premium drinks package, water would have been complimentary anyway.
The exclusive Blu restaurant
A prime perk is access to the exclusive Aqua Class restaurant Blu, that offers gourmet menus for breakfast and dinner.
Blu’s location makes just getting there an experience. It’s at the far side of a mesmerizing hallway of mirrors called Odyssey that’s dotted with shimmering glossy bronze shapes in the floor and ceiling. The darkened, ethereal music-filled space that feels like walking through an asteroid field is a conceptual artwork created by Swedish/British artist Fredrikson Stallard, who also created a fantastic bronze and enamel lounge chair outside Blu that’s perfect for posing
The stylish and intimate Blu restaurant really should be called the Aqua Club. Blue is the theme from the water glasses on the tables to the crystal beads that fringe the ceiling. My wife and I were continually amazed by the pampering, attentive service of the personable staff and the tastes, quality, and variety of what comes out of the kitchen.
And while Blu boasts an ever-changing slate of health-conscious daily specials headed Clean Cuisine, there’s also a full menu of daily gourmet treats you won’t find on other restaurants on the ship. In addition to inventive vegetarian and vegan options, you’ll also find inventive takes on classics like steak frites and the most prime filet mignon imaginable. This is also the only place on the ship were you can order a Beyond Meat burger.
One evening’s goat cheese souffle with pickled mustard seed as an appetizer was so satisfying, I could have considered it my entire meal. But I followed that with a marinated grilled chicken leg on a bed of sugar cane infused brown rice, followed by a lava cake for dessert. Satisfying, yes. And they do promise it’s also reasonably healthy.
Chilling in the SEA Thermal Suite
Along with including several complimentary fitness classes and a discount on spa treatments, Aqua Class guests also get unlimited free access to the SEA Thermal Suite in the spa, which would otherwise be an option that costs $69 a day or $219 a week.
Despite its name, aside from a zone that features experiential showers with light displays, there isn’t much water in the actual Thermal Suite. The pool and whirlpools are outside the spa, in the glass domed Solarium zone on deck 14 that’s open to everyone on the ship. It tends to be much quieter and relaxing than the big open-air pool deck on the same deck in the middle of the ship.
Celebrity describes the Thermal Suite as “a playground for the senses, with eight experiences inspired by elements of water, earth and air.” It was a natural place to visit after a workout in the spa’s gym equipped with the latest TechnoGym exercise equipment as well as Peloton bikes.
The suite’s zones include a traditional sauna, a mosaic-lined Hammam that’s a modern take on the traditional Turkish bath, and dry rooms with purported health-stimulating features.
I was never sure what a Salt Room is supposed to do, but it seems sitting for 10 minutes or more in the room with a wall built of blocks of pink Himalayan sea salt leaves ions of the salt on your skin. You’re not supposed to wash them off, so do it after the sweat rooms. There’s no long-term medical study on how the salt treatment works, but it’s certainly a trend in spas and people swear it helps them breathe better. It did seem to give my skin a tingle.
Afterword, I had the chance to zone out in what they call the Float Room: a series of basket chairs hanging from the ceiling that envelope you and impart a feeling of floating in the air. And there’s the Crystalarium, described as “a room full of natural healing energy.” Its centerpiece is a fascinating large formation of quartz crystals you can contemplate as you meditate.
Taking it up a notch
Celebrity Beyond was the first Celebrity Edge Class ship to introduce a premium version of the Aqua program. there are 20 Aqua Class Sky Suites that include larger accommodations and perks that include access to upscale The Retreat deck and dining at Luminae, the exclusive Retreat restaurant whose signature dishes are inspired by celebrity chef Daniel Boulud, who also curated the dishes at Le Voyage, Beyond’s top specialty restaurant.
Somehow, after 11 days of eating as extravagantly and satisfyingly as I did, I still managed to get home and step on the scale weighing no more than when I left for the cruise. That alone makes Aqua Class a healthy option.
The premium for being part of the Aqua Class club varies depending on itineraries, but the category invariably sells out. If you want to join the club, it’s always wise to plan ahead and take advantage of substantial early-booking discounts
Celebrity Beyond will be making Fort Lauderdale its permanent home port starting in the fall, for cruises to the Caribbean. The new Celebrity Ascent, a sister ship to Beyond, will join her for a winter season from Fort Lauderdale in December and take over her European itineraries in the spring and summer of 2024.
Wallace Immen is the Executive Editor of The Cruisington Times
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