Luminae vs. USS United States / Olympic / Normandie vs Muranos

For those who have been to these, which is best? Is it worth it to pay for a suite to eat at Luminae, given that you could pay much less, stay in a non-suite cabin, and eat at these other very nice venues? I get that Luminae is nice, and that a suite is nice in other ways - I was in a Royal Suite once, and it was great. But I am reading on other threads that Luminae is reason enough to pay for a suite. Really?

- Joel

Prior to the introduction of Luminae, we had eaten solely in the specialty restaurants since 2009. We had, of course, become very bored with the menu BUT also extremely familiar with the expected quality of food and service in those restaurants. As time passed, the specialty restaurant became busier and it was more difficult to order off-menu items.

We experienced Luminae on Millennium on the second cruise it was open and we pleasantly surprised at the quality of the food and service. It was excellent PLUS a different menu each day was an absolute bonus.

We experienced one dinner, one lunch and one Chef's Table in Olympic on the same cruise. The Chef's Table was excellent and, while the overall experience was no quite as good as our very first Chef's Table, the menu and food was the very best. However, we cannot say the same for our other two meals in Luminae. The dinner was extremely disappointing for both food and service. We booked the lunch because, previously, we really enjoyed the lunch menu but, again, the food was disappointing and he service ... At one point, we actually witnessed two of the waiters having an argument in the middle of the restaurant. That would NEVER have happened in the past.

It may have been that Olympic was having a bad spell. Our lunch in Qsine was good [but there were only four people eating there for the whole of the lunch period]. It may be that there were some sort of issues due to the implementation of Luminae BUT the two waiters concerned in the lunchtime incident were experienced specialty restaurant waiters who had provided excellent service on our previous cruises.

So, to answer your question, we would definitely consider it worthwhile to upgrade to a suite rather than not and purchase an Ultimate Dining Package. Even assuming that our experience with Olympic on Millennium was a 'blip', the excellent food and service plus the changing menu would seal it for us.

I enjoyed Luminae very much. Very useful for breakfast and lunch, quiet, good service....

We had some excellent dinners in there too but there were some nights when we really did not like the menu choices. I am aware that now the MDR menu is also being offered. On those nights we dined in the specialities. We have always had excellent service and food in all of them. If you were cruising all the time I guess the menus could become repetitive but we have not found it so (usually 6months to a year between cruises). Obviously on M class there is less choice than on other ships.

We continue to enjoy variety when cruising both of menu and venue and will always use the speciality restaurants too.

Would I book a suite just for Luminae? Not sure. It is some of the other perks like Michael's that make my cruises special.

In a word....YES....we found Luminae to be far better than all other restaurants on board.... our last couple experiences in Murano's, Ocean Liners... et al....have not come close to what they were when they first opened... Is it enough to book the suite SOLELY for the dining, only you can decide that based on what makes you happiest on a cruise.... We can't afford to always book a suite, but when we can we will and Luminae is one of the reasons....

Totally agree with Gracie115. On our last cruise we ate in Luminae every night except one when we joined friends in Normandie. The quality of the food and service in Normandie paled in comparison to what we were getting in Luminae. I said at that time that I wouldn't be going back to Normandie on my next cruise and would be sticking with Luminae. In my opinion, Luminae is a real game changer for Celebrity.

On our cruise last year in a suite, pre Luminae, we ate in the MDR and quite frankly I was dissapointed with the food. On the occasion we tried Murano I felt it was better but still not quiite up to the mark.

This year we were in a suite and ate in Luminae most nights and the difference was chalk and cheese. The whole experience far exceeded last years cruise and mainly due to Luminae. The food and service is of a level I would expect to recieve in a UK resturant and pay £50 ($80) or more a head plus wine.

With a suite you also get one or two free meals at the specialities and we tried out Qsine for fun and whilst it was an experience another time I wouldn't waste a meal at Luminae for it.

So is it enough on it's own to upgrade? For us it is and to us Michaels is worth the next step too.

Celebrity definitely needs to change up the menu in Murano/SS United States/Normandie/Ocean Liners. It seems it's been the same menu, with a few minor adjustments, for the past 10 years. I'm not saying a wholesale total change, but perhaps they could offer alternate menus a couple times a cruise. Can't be that difficult to do.

We love Luminae breakfast, and most of the dinners, but we really don't like the lunch menu. Perhaps our feelings about this is echoed by the small number of diners we saw in Luminae for lunch.

In a word....YES....we found Luminae to be far better than all other restaurants on board.... our last couple experiences in Murano's, Ocean Liners... et al....have not come close to what they were when they first opened... Is it enough to book the suite SOLELY for the dining, only you can decide that based on what makes you happiest on a cruise.... We can't afford to always book a suite, but when we can we will and Luminae is one of the reasons....

While we have limited speciality restaurants on the M class ships, we have many more choices on the Silhouette and Reflection. We truly enjoy the unlimited speciality dining package. If we aren't in a full suite, we take a CC class cabin and dine in specialty restaurants for lunch and dinner. While suites are nice because of the extra perks and the size of the cabins. IMO if you want the better food, take a regular cabin and a dining package. We also find the AQ dining hasn't changed much in years.

We experienced Luminae on the Constellation in April and were very impressed with everything- the food, the service and the quiet dining room. The other big perk for suite guests is Michaels Club. With all the incentive packages offered now, it is quite possible to get a drink package. If not, the availability of the bar in Michaels Club is quite nice. We also loved the appetizers offered in Michaels Club- different every night and delicious. We are not demanding people, but it was nice to have the concierge available if we needed any reservations plus they escorted us off the ship- almost felt bad walking past the very long line of passengers waiting to disembark and clear customs.

No comparison ( see my Luminae sceptic thread )

The specialty restaurants have old menus that never change, and IMO the quality has declined over the years.

Luminae is the best Celebrity restaurant by a large margin.

While we have limited speciality restaurants on the M class ships, we have many more choices on the Silhouette and Reflection. We truly enjoy the unlimited speciality dining package. If we aren't in a full suite, we take a CC class cabin and dine in specialty restaurants for lunch and dinner. While suites are nice because of the extra perks and the size of the cabins. IMO if you want the better food, take a regular cabin and a dining package. We also find the AQ dining hasn't changed much in years.

Sorry but I disagree. Luminae food is better than ALL the specialty restaurants on all X ships.....service is superb and the food is wonderful....our experiences at Murano's, Qsine, Tuscan and even the Lawn Club on Silhouette are just not as good. This is something that X has done right. We had no desire to dine anywhere else while on Eclipse this past April....it was that good.....

No comparison ( see my Luminae sceptic thread )

The specialty restaurants have old menus that never change, and IMO the quality has declined over the years.

Luminae is the best Celebrity restaurant by a large margin.

Ditto that!!:D

This is the reason I don't understand people saying it is about the itinerary not so much the ship.....You can have a great day sightseeing and come back to bad service or a bad meal and have the day be soured. To me cruising is a total experience. you need both to have that great experience

On our cruise last year in a suite, pre Luminae, we ate in the MDR and quite frankly I was dissapointed with the food. On the occasion we tried Murano I felt it was better but still not quiite up to the mark.

 

This year we were in a suite and ate in Luminae most nights and the difference was chalk and cheese. The whole experience far exceeded last years cruise and mainly due to Luminae. The food and service is of a level I would expect to recieve in a UK resturant and pay £50 ($80) or more a head plus wine.

 

With a suite you also get one or two free meals at the specialities and we tried out Qsine for fun and whilst it was an experience another time I wouldn't waste a meal at Luminae for it.

 

So is it enough on it's own to upgrade? For us it is and to us Michaels is worth the next step too.

I wonder noone mentions BLU...

We have been on Infinity in March when Luminae was still under construction. I was allowed to take a look. Nice! No daubt about that.

As a BLU addict we only book AQ. We do not want or need a suite, because we are hardly ever in our stateroom, so over BLU the Luminae would not be a reason.

I can not compare Luminae to SS United States. However I can compare BLU. On our last trip we ate at SS United States one night. It was superb... food was excellent, service outstanding. Now here comes the BUT...

BLU on that trip was also so good that we did not think the marginal difference to the SS was worth the extra fee of almost 100 USD incl. SC.

So I suppose we would feel the same trying to compare Luminae, putting it on the same level as Blu, to SS United States.

It s hard to explain... it´s not that the SS wasn´t good - on the contrary. It was just that BLU was also so good... Well, a real luxury problem.

BTW:

Anyone is interested in the full review of the cruise, click here:

http://www.travelandcruise.net/travellove_en/Our-Trips/South-America-01/south-america-01.html

I wonder noone mentions BLU...

 

We have been on Infinity in March when Luminae was still under construction. I was allowed to take a look. Nice! No daubt about that.

 

As a BLU addict we only book AQ. We do not want or need a suite, because we are hardly ever in our stateroom, so over BLU the Luminae would not be a reason.

 

I can not compare Luminae to SS United States. However I can compare BLU. On our last trip we ate at SS United States one night. It was superb... food was excellent, service outstanding. Now here comes the BUT...

 

BLU on that trip was also so good that we did not think the marginal difference to the SS was worth the extra fee of almost 100 USD incl. SC.

So I suppose we would feel the same trying to compare Luminae, putting it on the same level as Blu, to SS United States.

 

It s hard to explain... it´s not that the SS wasn´t good - on the contrary. It was just that BLU was also so good... Well, a real luxury problem.

 

 

BTW:

Anyone is interested in the full review of the cruise, click here:

http://www.travelandcruise.net/travellove_en/Our-Trips/South-America-01/south-america-01.html

USS United States / Murano offer a nice old school dining experience. Once. The problem is that their menu is both limited and fixed. It hasn't changed in over five years.

At least Blu has a fourteen day menu. Blu isn't a luxury high end dining experience however, Yes, it's much better than the MDR.

It's still hectic, semi disorganized and the food is inconsistent at best. It's menus are also over five years old and in serious need of a revamp.

Luminae though imperfect, is in an entirely different class both in service and food quality and preparation. The food budget is much higher than any other Celebrity restaurant It's efficient without being pretentious ( Murano ). The menus and food style is more modern. The service is organized.

It offers what one expects when paying upwards of $800-$1000 per night.

USS United States / Murano offer a nice old school dining experience. Once. The problem is that their menu is both limited and fixed. It hasn't changed in over five years.

At least Blu has a fourteen day menu. Blu isn't a luxury high end dining experience however, Yes, it's much better than the MDR.

It's still hectic, semi disorganized and the food is inconsistent at best. It's menus are also over five years old and in serious need of a revamp.

Luminae though imperfect, is in an entirely different class both in service and food quality and preparation. The food budget is much higher than any other Celebrity restaurant It's efficient without being pretentious ( Murano ). The menus and food style is more modern. The service is organized.

It offers what one expects when paying upwards of $800-$1000 per night.

We will be trying Luminae this winter for the first time- Have some cruises with other lines before them. However, since we sail often and have experienced Blu, speciality restaurants and MDR on many Celebrity ships. Thus far, Blu has also had the same menu for many years- and the tables very close. The service is not excellent- the specialty restaurants are much better. I will try luminae, but also will be cautiously optimistic that it doesn't become same old-same old after multiple cruises like the other dining rooms.

Yes, it is the whole package IMO that drives us to a ship. I try (not always works) to say to myself, "we should eat to live-not live to eat" As my DH and I aren't 21 anymore- we have to be dilligent about not eating too much! Maybe it is a good thing that the portions are small and food not always great! LOL!

I wonder noone mentions BLU...

 

We have been on Infinity in March when Luminae was still under construction. I was allowed to take a look. Nice! No daubt about that.

 

As a BLU addict we only book AQ. We do not want or need a suite, because we are hardly ever in our stateroom, so over BLU the Luminae would not be a reason.

 

I can not compare Luminae to SS United States. However I can compare BLU. On our last trip we ate at SS United States one night. It was superb... food was excellent, service outstanding. Now here comes the BUT...

 

BLU on that trip was also so good that we did not think the marginal difference to the SS was worth the extra fee of almost 100 USD incl. SC.

So I suppose we would feel the same trying to compare Luminae, putting it on the same level as Blu, to SS United States.

 

It s hard to explain... it´s not that the SS wasn´t good - on the contrary. It was just that BLU was also so good... Well, a real luxury problem.

 

 

BTW:

Anyone is interested in the full review of the cruise, click here:

http://www.travelandcruise.net/travellove_en/Our-Trips/South-America-01/south-america-01.html

We are also fans of BLU but would like to try a suite at least once...pricing may thwart that but it would be nice to change things up once in awhile. We will be looking for a 7 day to keep the fare down.

Is there any fav Luminae restaurant ? Any diff M &S class ships?

we are also pleased to hear Luminae is becoming more popular with suite guests. Keeps BLU less crowded for dinner. Eventually perhaps, BLU can be removed from suite dining chouces because it technically is not a specialty restaurant and suite guests now have their own place.

It may depend to some extent what (class) ship you are on and what speciality restaurants are available. We have cruised many times on S and M class ships and usually do not go to speciality restaurants - we have been happy in MDR and didn't want to spend the money. On our last cruise we had the chance to upgrade to a suite for a modest amount and we did, thus gaining Luminae as our dining venue. Now I will say that for much of the cruise I was not feeling very well so that may have been a factor but the food in Luminae, for the most part, disappointed me. Yes, the service and ambiance were way above the MDR but on our cruise the MDR menus were not offered to us as choices (except for the "everyday items"). I felt the Luminae choices were limited, the sides mediocre but I will say the desserts were outstanding.

Because we were in a suite, we did get two free nights speciality dining - we did Qsine and Tuscan Grill. I would have gladly eaten in both of those venues for additional nights (except for intake overload!) rather than back in Luminae. So to answer your query - I would get a regular room (those cabins are fine IMO) and use your extra pennies for a dining package - I assume that will cost quite a bit less than a suite. We did enjoy the extra room we had in our suite and our butler was just wonderful but unless X bumps me up for free (sure!) I doubt I will ever chose to upgrade again.

As I look forward to my eclipse cruise in a CS next year it is great to hear that luminae is so great however I do hope that X pick up on the menu issues that folk on this thread have picked up and take the trouble to revamp and renew their speciality restaurant offers.

I will of course have the opportunity to eat well in luminae however I am not sure that on a 14 day cruise I want to eat in the same location every night.

If I were staying on land for my vacation then I would never eat in the same place the whole time. If I stay in a resort hotel I always want the break out and see what's out there!

One of the downsides of cruising is the feeling of constraint. It's why I have never understood the attraction of TA's( other than, if you have the time, it can be nearly as economic as business class flights). It's also why we prefer larger ships with a variety of bars and eating locations. Even having paid my expensive passage I would be minded to 'eat around' as long as the options on offer are good. In the same way that whilst I have access to Micheals I still purchase the premium package and expend significant amounts of time in the martini bar and cocktail bar.

Are you listening X ..... I am telling you that despite the high suite fares I am prepared to pay even more to have some variety in my cruise. Not however for rubber duck, slushy sole and patchy service. The additional charges for the speciality restaurants have been rising fast. Let's see that reflected in new menus, improved quality and better service in the specialities so that as a suite guest i am not driven to be a segregated prisoner .....albeit in a gilded cage.

As I look forward to my eclipse cruise in a CS next year it is great to hear that luminae is so great however I do hope that X pick up on the menu issues that folk on this thread have picked up and take the trouble to revamp and renew their speciality restaurant offers.

I will of course have the opportunity to eat well in luminae however I am not sure that on a 14 day cruise I want to eat in the same location every night.

If I were staying on land for my vacation then I would never eat in the same place the whole time. If I stay in a resort hotel I always want the break out and see what's out there!

One of the downsides of cruising is the feeling of constraint. It's why I have never understood the attraction of TA's( other than, if you have the time, it can be nearly as economic as business class flights). It's also why we prefer larger ships with a variety of bars and eating locations. Even having paid my expensive passage I would be minded to 'eat around' as long as the options on offer are good. In the same way that whilst I have access to Micheals I still purchase the premium package and expend significant amounts of time in the martini bar and cocktail bar.

Are you listening X ..... I am telling you that despite the high suite fares I am prepared to pay even more to have some variety in my cruise. Not however for rubber duck, slushy sole and patchy service. The additional charges for the speciality restaurants have been rising fast. Let's see that reflected in new menus, improved quality and better service in the specialities so that as a suite guest i am not driven to be a segregated prisoner .....albeit in a gilded cage.

Haha, I agree.

The S class ships do have a lot of dining options for suite guests. We chose to eat at the Lawn Grill one night because we wanted something more casual. Fortunately Luminae has a 14 day menu to keep it interesting.

I like TA's as a preferred way to travel to and from Europe. I like that half the cruise are sea days. I like S class ships for the variety of bars, activities and dining destinations. Luminae was the missing piece. ( Good food ).

Lunch does remain a problem and a wild card that Celebrity needs to figure out.

The current menu is too limited, and Oceanview on sea days is an unacceptable place to eat when paying upwards of $1000 per night.

I believe those hoping for new menus for the specialty restaurants are unlikely to really be satisfied.

Celebrity have always had the issue that one group of passengers want something new and another group are extremely unhappy that their favourite item is no longer available or had just had it recipe or presentation changed. I know that this was seen as a real problem for years and is probably one of the primary reasons that Luminae was developed.

With Luminae, Celebrity were hoping to give changing daily menus to those who previously ate only/primarily in the specialty restaurants whilst maintaining the static specialty restaurant menus for those who see those restaurants as a special occasion dining venue.