Attention Repeat Celebrity Passengers--What's Your Opinion?

[FLACRUISER99]

The quality/variety of food in the MDR was fair to average but has declined over time; Celebrity needs to refocus on MDR and improve food quality/preparation which I find to now be only poor to average.

[cruisetrail]

Although I have cruised often (I have lost count, but it is more than 40), I have never been on Celebrity, although I have booked a cruise on Reflection for March. Since I have no experience with the line, I just wondered what people who have cruised on the line over a number of years thought of the food in the MDR both recently and as compared with cruises they took 3-5 years ago. I have my opinion on this topic regarding HAL, Cunard, Azamara, Regent and to a lesser extent on some of the other lines. So given Celebrity's reputation for very good food, I was wondering if that was a reputation earned historically and still true today or not. No other agenda.

 

Celebrity is one of mass-market cruise lines.

You are asking about things that go without saying.

All mass-market lines from MSC to Cunard provide similar MDR experience.

It varies from ship to ship and from cruise to cruise. It has been all the time.

It will be in the future.

The only exception is NCL (poor MDR to push clients to $$ eateries).

Of course specialty restaurants provide better food and service on any cruise line. This what they are created for.

We usually have a couple of evenings in specialty restaurants (on any cruise lines) - just for fun.

Overall food quality on Celebrity is #4 in my ranking (below Cunard and Princess/HAL) because Celebrity lacks important things that must be included in the price.

However Celebrity provides a better selection of $$ venues.

[wvufan]

It's all better than what we eat at home ;).

 

We are long time Celebrity cruisers. Our most recent cruise was on the Eclipse in December. We intended to eat in specialty restaurants 4 or 5 nights, but only ate at the QSine one night as we found the food in the MDR to be fine.

 

I have observed that the quality of the meal is often more dependent on dining companions than the food itself. Have you ever noticed that if one person at a table finds problems with the food others will also complain. Same with liking the food. It's contagious.

 

We sat with a group of friends at a table for 10 on our last cruise. We were all positive fun peope and every meal was enjoyable. If we had been sourpusses, I am sure that the food would not have tasted nearly as good.

 

Happy Sails to You

 

OOOEEE :D:D Bob and Phyl

[phoenix_dream]

Definitely #6 for me, and I have been cruising Celebrity since the early 90's (20+ cruises). I think in recent years the quality has been fairly stable at good to excellent, albeit up and down depending on the ship/cruise. As compared to the 'olden days' the quality has definitely, absolutely, 100% positively declined. I have cruised four other mainstream lines (RCCI, NCL, Princess, and Carnival) and found the Celebrity food to be a step up, although my experience on each of those lines is more limited so I don't know if what I experienced was representative of the lines as a whole.

[GaryNFla]

6 :)

[trk_koa]

#6.

[TommyD3]

#4: "MDR food quality and variety has and remains above average compared to the competition, but I still believe there is room to make improvements"

 

Food quality does vary slightly from cruise to cruise, but is always better than Carnival, HA, Princess, NCL & Royal. Azamara is slightly better but their cruise prices are now significantly higher.

 

They recently added new upscale items to the menus. They seem to try very hard considering the budget.

[JRarey]

I'll go with #8.

 

Our first Celebrity cruise was 9 years ago on the Galaxy. We thought the MDR was very good but even then the veterans were really complaining that it had begun to slip. From then until 2011 both DW and I think there was a real decline in food quality in the MDR. It became very average. We saw improvement after that but not really back to the level or our first. I would rate our most recent MDR experience, on the Equinox in August of 2011, good to very good.

 

We just completed our 6th Celebrity cruise and our first dining in Blu. I think the overall quality of the food in Blu is closer to the quality of 9 years ago than we have otherwise seen. However, I also think Blu is clearly understaffed on the Summit by at least one team. There is simply no way for the staff to maintain the level of service that this type of cuisine deserves. This detracts from the overall experience and is unfortunately short sighted by Celebrity, but does not really affect the food quality.

[Tony UK]

No 6 for me too.

 

I wonder what it is that prevents consistency between ships - is it Officers, the staff or what.

 

Not just food, but entertainment, upkeep, tendering, events. There is such a varience between ships and I'm not sure what the cause of this is?

 

Angie

[norn iron]

My vote is 8

 

During the Michel Roux era Celebrity's food was probably amongst the best at sea, and I would score it as 9/10

During Van Staden's time the food was in free fall and I couldn't rate any better than a 6/10, although it probably rose to a 7/10 in JVS's last year when he began removing hideous Entrées like chicken stuffed with banana.

Now that Van Staden has left the most recent menus (and cooking) have been simplified in an effort to turn around the Van Staden legacy. Its still 7/10

[Gardyloo2]

# 6

My own experience is the MDR quality goes down in proportion to the number of alternative venues. The fewer choices of restaurants, the better the MDR food.

[SusieV]

7 for us. We were wowed our first couple of cruises but now find the specialty restaurants to be more like the service and food quality we used to enjoy. We don't often go to the MDR anymore.

[slp123]

Have just read all the comments so far and wante to thank all who have participated so far. I love the fact that people are giving honest independent opinions. Keep them coming....I will do a summary tally on Sunday 2-10, with subsequent updates as warranted by additional comments.:D

 

SLP

[shipshape sam]

Celebrity has long had the reputation of having better food than the other Premium Lines. Whether that is true or not, I have a different question for those who have cruised on Celebrity three or more times, with their first Celebrity cruise being prior 1/1/10.

 

Thinking of all your past cruises on Celebrity, which statement most closely matches your opinion about the quality and variety of food in the Main Dining Room (MDR).

1. The quality and variety of food in the MDR is excellent and has been consistently so over the last 5 years
   
2. The quality and variety of food in the MDR was excellent but has not been as good on recent cruises, but is still very good or acceptable
   
3. The quality/variety of food in the MDR was very good to excellent but has declined over time; Celebrity needs to refocus on MDR and improve food quality/preparation which I find to now be only poor to average.
   
4. MDR food quality and variety has and remains above average compared to the competition, but I still believe there is room to make improvements
   
5. The quality and variety of food in the MDR has constantly improved over the years and the food in the MDR on my most recent cruises is actually better than earlier experiences.
   
6. My experience of MDR food quality has varied over the years, varying by ship but in general I find it to be good to excellent although there were cruises where I was disappointed.
   
7. I have had good meals in the MDR, but in recent years I prefer to dine in alternative venues as much as possible as food quality and variety in the alternative venues is generally better than what is served in the MDR.
   
8. None of the above answers come close to reflecting my opinion about food quality trends in the MDR. I would like to give my own answer.
   

 

I could have given more answer choices but it becomes confusing. So feel free to choose an answer which comes closest to your point of view but then go ahead and qualify your chosen answer anyway you like. Just remember you are only comparing food on various Celebrity cruises and not making comparisons to food service on other cruise lines.

 

Overall, I would pick #7. On Constellation last year, on a 15 day cruise, we ate 4 times in Speciality rest, 2 times in buffet, with balance in MDR. I will say that the MDR food and service was good, but for sure the food selection was not as good as in the past. Lobster night is a joke now IMHO. Also, now with the fear of fire, dessert/other dishes are less of an event as two of my examples. :)

[fishycomics]

1. None of the above answers come close to reflecting my opinion about food quality trends in the MDR. I would like to give my own answer.
   

With Chefs coming and going, the food will always be never perfect the Style cooking that the Chef good at. Some people may like, and some may hate. Never easy to please every one.

 

Over the years I found we can look back and say those were the days, your money went far. Today I would not be surprised how they will cut corners to make ends meet?

 

My Family member is on their last night aboard a cruise, and they, My member said. Night and day difference. The food, and much much more.

 

As long as my member had a good time, nothing else matters:)

[ibxcruiser]

Our vote is #2. 4 cruises--all M class, 3 of them on Connie--since 2005. Last year it was noticeable to us that things had changed (she had been "solsticized" and Tuscan Grille was open). Food was still very good in MDR, but some things were no longer available, like filet or rib eye steaks, rack of lamb. I'm not going on a cruise to eat "Momma's Pork Chop" (which was on the classic side of the MDR menu last March). We're on Eclipse 3/9, so I'm excited to see how S class compares.

[Roxymax]

#5 The quality and variety of food in the MDR has constantly improved over the years and the food in the MDR on my most recent cruises is actually better than earlier experiences.

 

For Celebrity

 

First cruise was on the Century....horrible food

 

last cruise on the Millennium the MDR and buffets were wonderful (and I normally refuse to do buffets.)

 

I think #6 would work also. But I leaned toward 5 so that remains my vote.

[slp123]

Celebrity has long had the reputation of having better food than the other Premium Lines. Whether that is true or not, I have a different question for those who have cruised on Celebrity three or more times, with their first Celebrity cruise being prior 1/1/10.

 

Thinking of all your past cruises on Celebrity, which statement most closely matches your opinion about the quality and variety of food in the Main Dining Room (MDR).

1. The quality and variety of food in the MDR is excellent and has been consistently so over the last 5 years
   
2. The quality and variety of food in the MDR was excellent but has not been as good on recent cruises, but is still very good or acceptable
   
3. The quality/variety of food in the MDR was very good to excellent but has declined over time; Celebrity needs to refocus on MDR and improve food quality/preparation which I find to now be only poor to average.
   
4. MDR food quality and variety has and remains above average compared to the competition, but I still believe there is room to make improvements
   
5. The quality and variety of food in the MDR has constantly improved over the years and the food in the MDR on my most recent cruises is actually better than earlier experiences.
   
6. My experience of MDR food quality has varied over the years, varying by ship but in general I find it to be good to excellent although there were cruises where I was disappointed.
   
7. I have had good meals in the MDR, but in recent years I prefer to dine in alternative venues as much as possible as food quality and variety in the alternative venues is generally better than what is served in the MDR.
   
8. None of the above answers come close to reflecting my opinion about food quality trends in the MDR. I would like to give my own answer.
   

 

I could have given more answer choices but it becomes confusing. So feel free to choose an answer which comes closest to your point of view but then go ahead and qualify your chosen answer anyway you like. Just remember you are only comparing food on various Celebrity cruises and not making comparisons to food service on other cruise lines.

 

I am really enjoying the wide variety of answers . . . shows how personal opinions are, at least in the area of food and dining.

[jackdiamond]

Since I am the culinary equivalent of Father Flanagan, they all look good to me.

[emilysmimi]

"The quality/variety of food in the MDR was very good to excellent but has declined over time; Celebrity needs to refocus on MDR and improve food quality/preparation which I find to now be only poor to average."

 

I sailed Celebrity for several years and then went to Princess for four years. Their food wasn't as good... but when I came back to Celebrity last year, I found that Princess' food was better than what is now available on Celebrity... I was disappointed. But it's not all about the food for me so I will be sailing on Celebrity again this year.

[codered]

4

 

If we looked back 10 years I would say the food has gone from consistently excellent to good/very good. Food on the Millie last year was the best I've had from Celebrity in a long time.

 

It has been interesting to read the other responses.

[brazilgirl]

I'd have to say number 7 . I have had good meals in the MDR , but rarely have I been " wowed ".

 

The speciality restaurants , however , always serve wonderful food . On 12 night cruises we usually book the speciality restaurants at least 3 nights .

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[SAN]

#6 for us We have cruised Celebrity since 2000.

[elena7seas]

Number 6 would be our choice as well.

 

For us, the low point was the Elizabeth Blau years...I've lost track a bit, but I think that was 2007-2008?

 

In the last few years, I found the menus and the quality of the food to be improved, especially the meats.

 

We have been sailing in AQ (primarily) since 2008, and enjoy it very much, but this past June we were back in the MDR on Silhouette, with Select dining. We had the same table and serving team every night, and the food and service was as good as any cruise we have taken. Some of the new dishes were great, and the meats were particularly good. I would definitely say it was above "banquet" food, for which I have very few expectations.

 

I think the menus are pretty good on Celebrity at present, and the key issue now seems to be the quality of the provisions that can be obtained from suppliers. It is quite difficult to get a good fish entree on Celebrity, which would usually be my first choice.

 

I also find that Celebrity falls down in terms of desserts, which is probably okay. :p It is likely a clash between my North American palate and the palates of other cultures. It's not that I like desserts to be sweet, which is often the criticism thrown at North Americans, but I like dessert to have good flavour and texture. Celebrity offers way too many tasteless, spongey or gelatinous desserts and I don't care for them at all. My biggest successes have been the lemon tart and the cherry brandy ice cream, which although yummy, is not necessarily a stellar choice for someone who is lactose sensitive. :p I have heard that the Chocolate Tombstone in Qsine is very good as well, but I have never managed to make it to dessert in Qsine. :D

 

OMG, I can't wait for our April Transatlantic...If I don't have to shop for it, prep it, cook it, serve it or clean up after it, I'm already ahead of the game!

[slp123]

I need to revise a promise I made. I will be helping friends and family dig their way out of this Nor'easter we just had so I will not get to do the initial summary of responses until late on Sunday (if I am not too tired) or by Monday at the latest.

 

Keep the comments coming....I love that they are so varied.

 

Steven