Celebrity - is food better on Europe cruise than Caribbean cruise

Is there a consistent difference in quality between Celebrity cruises in Europe as opposed to Celebrity cruises in the Caribbean?

Is there a consistent difference in quality between Celebrity cruises in Europe as opposed to Celebrity cruises in the Caribbean?

More or the less the same on all ships. Same menus! More choices on the S-class ships.

Enjoy!

Kel:)

Unfortunately Celebrity sources much of the food (especially the proteins) from the same place regardless of whether sailing in Europe, Caribbean, US or Timbuktu. Menus are also virtually the same regardless of region the cruise sails and which executive chef is on board. Really would like to see Celebrity due more local sourcing, seasonal ingredients, change up the cuisine with the region they are cruising in and give their executive chefs some leeway to be creative.

All of the mainstream cruiselines have the same menus on ALL of their ships, regardless of where you're sailing. It's only on the smaller, luxury lines that you will find menus made with local purchases and with local "flavor".

Some of you guessed correctly.

Some of you missed it entirely.

The daily feeding budget for every cruise line is based on how much you pay for the cruise.

In the Caribbean, where the semi-professional tourists are paying $299 for a 7-day cruise, the food budget is quite low and limited.

In the Med, where more experienced travelers are spending $100 or $200 per day (or more)for a cruise, the cruise line can afford to purchase better quality food and more variety for them.

Why not more local sourcing of food?

Because the US Public Health Service doesn't like it.

They require that any cruise line with ships that call at any US Ports MUST purchase all protein food items from US Certified Vendors. US Certified Vendors exist only in the USA.

Why not more fresh food on ships?

US Public Health Service claims that eating fresh fish is dangerous to your health. (It's a good thing the Japanese have not heard about this)

Most protein items on most cruise ships - especially fish and meat - must be frozen for at least 72 hours before preparation and serving to passengers.

Why not more local dishes from the area the ship is sailing?

Finding the ingredients for those dishes in the USA and then shipping them half way around the world is often difficult and expensive.

No matter how good the ship's Indian Chef and his Filipino Cooks might be at producing a local Vietnamese Dish onboard, many passengers will complain that it is much better when eaten ashore. And they are usually right. So why spend a lot of money to produce an inferior local dish onboard when the ones who really want good local cuisine can just go ashore and have it?

We were on Solstice in the Caribbean and the Med., excellent food on both. Celebrity S class ships never disappoint.

I found food to be about the same.

Keith

A couple of comments and corrections:

Why not more local sourcing of food?

Because the US Public Health Service doesn't like it.

They require that any cruise line with ships that call at any US Ports MUST purchase all protein food items from US Certified Vendors. US Certified Vendors exist only in the USA.

I believe this would apply only to ships on voyages that call at US ports. US certified vendors exist outside of the US. I don't know but believe that ships can also purchase food from vendors certified by comparable bodies in other parts of the world -- for example, the EU has a comparable public health regulatory body.

Why not more fresh food on ships?

US Public Health Service claims that eating fresh fish is dangerous to your health. (It's a good thing the Japanese have not heard about this)

Most protein items on most cruise ships - especially fish and meat - must be frozen for at least 72 hours before preparation and serving to passengers.

There is no freezing requirement for meat, or for fish to be served cooked. The items must be stored under 41 degrees F. The problem with certain fresh fish is that it can harbor parasites. This is the reason for the freezing requirement, but only for fish to be served raw (sushi, ceviche). Fish to be served cooked do not need to be frozen. The freezing requirement also doesn't apply to certain tuna species or to shellfish.

There is plenty of fish served in Japan that has been frozen -- watch a video sometime of bluefin being unloaded from trucks at the Tokyo central fish market -- they bounce when they hit the floor, ie they're frozen as hard as bricks.

Why not more local dishes from the area the ship is sailing?

Finding the ingredients for those dishes in the USA and then shipping them half way around the world is often difficult and expensive.

No matter how good the ship's Indian Chef and his Filipino Cooks might be at producing a local Vietnamese Dish onboard, many passengers will complain that it is much better when eaten ashore. And they are usually right. So why spend a lot of money to produce an inferior local dish onboard when the ones who really want good local cuisine can just go ashore and have it?

I believe the more cogent reason this is not done is that it is often logistically impossible to buy large quantities of acceptable foodstuffs in out-of-the-way places where there simply are no vendors who can supply the quantities needed with the quality needed.

I believe the more cogent reason this is not done is that it is often logistically impossible to buy large quantities of acceptable foodstuffs in out-of-the-way places where there simply are no vendors who can supply the quantities needed with the quality needed.

This is true for many ports but not for Lima, Peru, when it comes to vegetables and fruit. I watched the unloading of large containers with food including lettuce and fruit imported from the USA in Callao, Lima's port. At the same time, Callao's large Minka market had a much wider high quality selection.

It's probably easier for the cruise line to have a consistent US provider than find out about local providers in Peru and Chile. Those providers send fruit and vegetables to US supermarkets. :rolleyes:

This is true for many ports but not for Lima, Peru, when it comes to vegetables and fruit. I watched the unloading of large containers with food including lettuce and fruit imported from the USA in Callao, Lima's port. At the same time, Callao's large Minka market had a much wider high quality selection.

 

It's probably easier for the cruise line to have a consistent US provider than find out about local providers in Peru and Chile. Those providers send fruit and vegetables to US supermarkets. :rolleyes:

You may well be right, but the fact that a big local market has lots of good stuff (no doubt it does) doesn't mean that any particular seller operating in that market, or locally, has the size and stability to provide ships' stores reliably. Even if there were no legal impediment, a ship making a stop of a few hours can't usually take chances with local supplier reliability when it must have provisions to support menus that have been determined months in advance. Only large experienced suppliers can provide that assurance, and that certainly precludes going and looking around what might happen be available on the local market that day. There are big differences between cooking at home or at a restaurant and the requirements of a modern cruise vessel feeding thousands of people who have no alternative, but who also have social media like this one to complain if things don't go smoothly.

The irony, as you suggest, is that Peru sends lots of produce to the US (sweet onions for example). Quite possibly some of that comes back from Miami in those containers to provision the cruise ships. But it works. Modern transportation networks are quite amazing (disclosure -- I did a good part of my career studying maritime transportation and ports).

A couple of comments and corrections:

 

Why not more local sourcing of food?

Because the US Public Health Service doesn't like it.

They require that any cruise line with ships that call at any US Ports MUST purchase all protein food items from US Certified Vendors. US Certified Vendors exist only in the USA.

 

I believe this would apply only to ships on voyages that call at US ports. US certified vendors exist outside of the US. I don't know but believe that ships can also purchase food from vendors certified by comparable bodies in other parts of the world -- for example, the EU has a comparable public health regulatory body.

 

 

Why not more fresh food on ships?

US Public Health Service claims that eating fresh fish is dangerous to your health. (It's a good thing the Japanese have not heard about this)

Most protein items on most cruise ships - especially fish and meat - must be frozen for at least 72 hours before preparation and serving to passengers.

 

There is no freezing requirement for meat, or for fish to be served cooked. The items must be stored under 41 degrees F. The problem with certain fresh fish is that it can harbor parasites. This is the reason for the freezing requirement, but only for fish to be served raw (sushi, ceviche). Fish to be served cooked do not need to be frozen. The freezing requirement also doesn't apply to certain tuna species or to shellfish.

There is plenty of fish served in Japan that has been frozen -- watch a video sometime of bluefin being unloaded from trucks at the Tokyo central fish market -- they bounce when they hit the floor, ie they're frozen as hard as bricks.

 

 

Why not more local dishes from the area the ship is sailing?

Finding the ingredients for those dishes in the USA and then shipping them half way around the world is often difficult and expensive.

No matter how good the ship's Indian Chef and his Filipino Cooks might be at producing a local Vietnamese Dish onboard, many passengers will complain that it is much better when eaten ashore. And they are usually right. So why spend a lot of money to produce an inferior local dish onboard when the ones who really want good local cuisine can just go ashore and have it?

 

I believe the more cogent reason this is not done is that it is often logistically impossible to buy large quantities of acceptable foodstuffs in out-of-the-way places where there simply are no vendors who can supply the quantities needed with the quality needed.

Nice guesses - but wrong.

Nice guesses - but wrong.

I would suggest, before you state someone else is wrong (with no supporting evidence or even argument whatever) that you do some fact checking. You might start with the USPHS Vessel Sanitation Program Operations Manual, particularly Section 7.3 including the definitions, which in numerous places makes clear that either US or equivalent standards elsewhere may be applied (meaning that ships can source outside of the US). Also, you will not find any general requirement pertaining to meat bring frozen (other than once things are frozen they be kept that way in storage). If you can cite contrary regs in the CFR or anywhere I'd be interested to hear.

I would suggest, before you state someone else is wrong (with no supporting evidence or even argument whatever) that you do some fact checking. You might start with the USPHS Vessel Sanitation Program Operations Manual, particularly Section 7.3 including the definitions, which in numerous places makes clear that either US or equivalent standards elsewhere may be applied (meaning that ships can source outside of the US). Also, you will not find any general requirement pertaining to meat bring frozen (other than once things are frozen they be kept that way in storage). If you can cite contrary regs in the CFR or anywhere I'd be interested to hear.

When I am not managing cruise ships, I teach classes for VSP.

My fellow teachers are retired Captains of the VSP.

Due to many complicated logistical and legal issues that I am not being paid to explain - and you will not understand anyway - it is the way it is.

When I am not managing cruise ships, I teach classes for VSP.

My fellow teachers are retired Captains of the VSP.

Due to many complicated logistical and legal issues that I am not being paid to explain - and you will not understand anyway - it is the way it is.

Try explaining it to me. I don't often bring it up, but I do have several advanced degrees from a major ivy league university, so believe it or not I would understand. I spent most of my career in transportation analysis, including particularly the maritime industry, and I have a lifetime interest in all aspects of food. I'd understand. I'm truly interested. I'm waiting.

I'm particularly interested to understand, for example, how it is that, say, a ship doing a 60 day trip mostly in Asia lets say, that might or might not touch the US, has to source all its foods from US suppliers simply because the company that operates it has (other?) ships that do call at US ports, which is what you said in a previous post. I'd also, just for example, be interested to be informed about the basis of the requirement that all meat be frozen. Where is that in the regs? If it's there fine. Does it also apply, for example, to fully traditionally cured Parma hams? Enlighten me.

I was told (perhaps wrongly?) that Regent/Oceana has one of their two major supply depots in Barcelona. Barcelona isn't in the US last time I heard.

I'm truly interested in this. I do know a great deal about US maritime regs from experience, but admittedly not those related to cruise ship food sourcing, for which I need to look it up, which I believe I did. Tell me more. What am I misreading?

We have only sailed once on Celebrity, on the Silhouette, out of Rome to the Med and found the food to be very good.

Here is a video of the buffet I made. I would be most interested to hear from recent cruises on Celebrity S-class ships, on how the dinner buffet differs from what we experienced. This was from Dec 2013.

[YOUTUBE]Ceq2U8CtNPk[/YOUTUBE]

I've sailed with Celebrity to the Caribbean, Mexican Riviera and Europe and the food was pretty much the same -- very high quality, very consistent and very tasty. I have to admit that I ate the least amount of food onboard during the European cruise -- there's just too much good stuff to eat in port!

We have only sailed once on Celebrity, on the Silhouette, out of Rome to the Med and found the food to be very good.

 

Here is a video of the buffet I made. I would be most interested to hear from recent cruises on Celebrity S-class ships, on how the dinner buffet differs from what we experienced. This was from Dec 2013.

 

Ceq2U8CtNPk

If the rest of the cruise experience is as nice as that buffet looks, I'm thinking hubs and I need to look at Celebrity for next year. That is one nice looking food line, I can hardly believe they have a "grill to order" station for proteins. Very impressive, you may have just snagged future pax for Celebrity with that video. It's not all about the food, but really good food is a plus on a cruise.

Lorie

Our experience has been that not only on "X", but on any line the quality and variety varies by ship regardless of where sailing.