Jacques Van Staden: No longer with Celebrity

[tak2]

All I can say is Ferran Adria is still available. :D

 

We can always dream........... the next level Qsine can progress to is El Bulli Lite.

[dinosaurdem]

No way!

 

Qsine is so amazing LOVE it and all of our friends agree, Silk Harvest is nice but Can have that food here in Toronto

 

Is Qsine exceptional food or exceptional entertainment? How about a real French restaurant or a bistro?

[dutchess43]

Where's Emeril when we need him? We could use some BAM!

[Gonzo70]

We can always dream........... the next level Qsine can progress to is El Bulli Lite.

 

I am sad to have missed out on the real El Bulli, but I get to experience Grant Achatz' interpretation in a couple of weeks at Next. :)

[Gonzo70]

Is Qsine exceptional food or exceptional entertainment? How about a real French restaurant or a bistro?

 

The food at Qsine is good overall (some dishes more so than others), but certainly not exceptional quality. The whimsical presentations and ambiance are certainly a big aspect of the Qsine experience. The menu is vast enough that there are likely at least several dishes that would appeal to just about anybody. It is really a unique venue for a cruise ship restaurant; while there are some similar venues on land, they are not common. Murano (and her sister restaurants on M-Class ships) have French influenced menus and are more akin to a fine dining type venue - so they represent a nice contrast from Qsine.

[little britain]

Please, if van Staden is gone, convert Qsine to Silk Harvest.

 

No way! I have Qsine booked 3 times for my next Eclipse cruise. It is fabulous.

[avalon1025]

Always thought of Qsine as a try it once place, it didn't impress me vs. Murano or Blu. I had friends go earlier this month on the Eclipse, I skipped and ate at Tuscan and they hated Qsine, they were mad I told them to go. Its not for everyone but try it once.

[New Hampshire]

I'm recently back from 12 nights on Silhouette and all in our group of ten enjoyed our MDR meals. I toight the new menu changes were great. I am a long time Celebrity cruiser and I'm very happy with the present status of the food on the line. I find it improved from a few years back.

[ISABELLA]

Hi Gonzo,

 

I agree that Qsine is very popular, though I haven't tried it yet. I'm totally looking forward to it when we sail on Eclipse in 18 days. We are booked for Qsine early in our cruise. It should be a lot of fun !

 

Before I sail, I must search this forum to get tips on what to order :).

 

I thought you are going with us on Connie 4/21?

[Andy]

I thought you are going with us on Connie 4/21?

 

Hi Isabella,

 

Sorry to say I wont be on the Connie sailing. Our plans changed a while back. While I'm excited to be sailing on Eclipse, I totally wanted to sail on Connie as it's her last long Caribbean sailing for a while. Unfortunately, too many in our family could not vacation for 2 weeks, so we moved to Eclipse.

 

On the bright side, a one week cruise, is better than no cruise at all. Please send our regards to Perry.

[Shake]

Always thought of Qsine as a try it once place, it didn't impress me vs. Murano or Blu. I had friends go earlier this month on the Eclipse, I skipped and ate at Tuscan and they hated Qsine, they were mad I told them to go. Its not for everyone but try it once.

 

Good description. Kind of like a movie, entertaining but I'm not going to see it twice.

 

I can go over and over again to Murano, Tuscan Grill, Bistro on 5 and really enjoyed the new venue on Silhouette The Lawn Club. All 4 are excellent !! :cool::cool:

[Gonzo70]

Hi Gonzo,

 

I agree that Qsine is very popular, though I haven't tried it yet. I'm totally looking forward to it when we sail on Eclipse in 18 days. We are booked for Qsine early in our cruise. It should be a lot of fun !

 

Before I sail, I must search this forum to get tips on what to order :).

 

Have a great time on Eclipse (I sail on her next year for my first time). I hope you enjoy Qsine as much as we did (we loved it so much we booked a second dinner that there that cruise). Our personal favorites were the Tacos, the M's Favorites (collection of Mediterranean dishes) and the Sushi Lollipops. Many people seem to really enjoy the crab dish and the painter's filet - so those are worth ordering if they seem appealing. There probably are some new dishes since I last dined at Qsine (at least at the time JVS indicated that he planned to frequently introduce some new dishes, though I am not sure if this happened or not).

[Gracie115]

Always thought of Qsine as a try it once place, it didn't impress me vs. Murano or Blu. I had friends go earlier this month on the Eclipse, I skipped and ate at Tuscan and they hated Qsine, they were mad I told them to go. Its not for everyone but try it once.

 

 

Yup...that's how we felt too....went on Silhouette once, can't imagine going again unless with a large group...and even then not sure we'd do it...food was mostly mediocre and FAR, FAR too much of it....

[gottacruisemore]

I am sad to have missed out on the real El Bulli, but I get to experience Grant Achatz' interpretation in a couple of weeks at Next. :)

 

I have friends who have purchased the season pass at Next and they love it. I heard the drinks at Aviary were tasty, expensive, inventive, and potent. If you try it before your seating only get 1 drink, because of all the pairings with dinner.

 

Enjoy.

[MartinsCruise]

Hmm .. wonder who they'll replace him with?

 

Eric Ripert gets my vote! ;) :p

We ate in his restaurant, Blue at the Ritz Carlton in Grand Cayman. One of my best meals ever.

[mrjim]

I think JVS left because his budget was cut again and again. Prices for fuel and food are up and the ticket price is flat or down. Something has to give. Sad but true. And most people don't want to spend more.

 

One should als Keep in mind that there are other cruise lines on the market offering a higher quality experience. But they are usually MUCH more expensive. You get what you pay for.

[LeftcoastBC]

Bring back Michel Roux ..... :rolleyes: or rather all we likely need is the budget that he had when he first came on board.

[Gonzo70]

I have friends who have purchased the season pass at Next and they love it. I heard the drinks at Aviary were tasty, expensive, inventive, and potent. If you try it before your seating only get 1 drink, because of all the pairings with dinner.

 

Enjoy.

 

I managed to score season tickets too. I love all of Achatz' venues. Was actually at The Aviary this past weekend and has an amazing booze infused ice cream made with coconut milk, frozen with liquid nitrogen and served inside a coconut. So good! The Aviary reminds me a bit of The Molecular Bar on the S-Class ships.

 

 

Also had a pina colada with cotton candy; they pour booze onto the cotton candy and it melts into the drink.

 

[uktog]

I wonder if another cruise line has come along with a more attractive package for him

[cruise47]

Bring back Michel Roux ..... :rolleyes: or rather all we likely need is the budget that he had when he first came on board.

 

I wholeheartedly and appetitely concur with LeftcoastBC. PLEASE BRING BACK MICHEL ROUX. HE WAS "EXCEPTIONAL!!!"

[Gonzo70]

I wholeheartedly and appetitely concur with LeftcoastBC. PLEASE BRING BACK MICHEL ROUX. HE WAS "EXCEPTIONAL!!!"

 

But would he be as exceptional with the current budgetary constraints? I have to agree with what some others have speculated that JVS may have decided to move on due to his budget being chopped more and more. No matter how talented you are there is only so much you can do with a tight budget. Food prices have really been going up and high oil costs have been putting a huge dent in the cruise lines' profits. Despite these rising costs they have to keep fares low in order to fill the ships due to the economy being poor to shaky in so many areas. As someone who dines out quite a bit on land, I have really been amazed at what JVS was able to accomplish given his resources. Hopefully the new executive chef will make things even better, but barring an economic turn around leading to a larger food budget, I am tempering my expectations.

[hcat]

Please, if van Staden is gone, convert Qsine to Silk Harvest.

 

I totally agree------Silk was excellent-- Q-sine gimmicky...

 

Michel Roux was better than any of those who came after him...

 

Guess those recipe books will be going at a discount now!

[Illinisue]

Doesn't JVS's departure strike anyone else as strange timing? He was just reported to be on the Eclipse?

[Solstice23]

Qsine is amazing! And we are picky! So many specialty are the same repeat SNORE! We actually went to Qsine 2 times on each of our last cruises

[Spf12]

Doesn't JVS's departure strike anyone else as strange timing? He was just reported to be on the Eclipse?

No one really knows the why of his departure but if I have to bet,the food budget for the MDR was cut again.For those including me,think that Michelle Roux is coming back,think again. He would not put his signature on an inferior product.Be realistic,why would Celebrity invest so much money in Specialty Restaurants and not create the reason to have guests dine there?