Is there NOTHING positive about Celebrity any more? (Threads Merged)

[Dr. Cocktail]

I'll respond to both of the above posters at once!

 

The Haven is included for all full suites and above. On the new ships, it gains you access to a private pool, private sun deck and dedicated restaurant with an excellent but unchanging menu. The suites all have espresso/cappuccino machines machines and there is priority seating for all of the main theater shows.

 

The cost, like all cruises, has a wide variation but the entry level price for suites for the newer NCL ships is usually far less than Celebrity.

 

As for "the lowly folks", this was the first time that I had paid for a suite and had not been upgraded by the company. So you're right ... in one way I had veered off topic but in another, for better or worse, I find the main dining room food on RCI/Hal and Celebrity to be pretty bad. I now search for either premium products (Azamara/Oceania/Ponant) where I can have a superior experience or mainstream products where I can upgrade my dining experience for not a lot of money.

 

Wow ... I really am rambling but ... if the food is equally bad on Celebrity and RCI and let's say NCL, I would rather sail where I could improve the experience for not a lot of money!

[BayAreaBC]

For my own interest I have been reading cruise reviews from other websites and there are many common complaints which repeatedly surface.

 

The one which concerns me the most is the decline of food quality and variety in the MDR and buffet. When this complaint comes up repeatedly on several review sites it is very concerning.

 

I hope Celebrity addresses this before my upcoming cruise.

[NLH Arizona]

For my own interest I have been reading cruise reviews from other websites and there are many common complaints which repeatedly surface.

 

The one which concerns me the most is the decline of food quality and variety in the MDR and buffet. When this complaint comes up repeatedly on several review sites it is very concerning.

 

I hope Celebrity addresses this before my upcoming cruise.

Hopefully you had the chance to see the poll on the MDR food. 73.56% said the food was either excellent or above average. Hopefully this will put your concerns to rest.

[antsnanny]

Okay, I think I get you- is the Haven a restaurant that only the suite people get to enjoy? I do know NCL does suites better than anyone. It is like this-they are near bottom of the barrel for regular passengers but top notch for suites.

 

The problem for me, is booking a suite is a splurge for us, we can only do it for rare occasions. I think we have been comparing apples to oranges. If you don't believe me. Just try eating one night in the no pay extra restaurants for the lowly folk whose staterooms are mini-suites or less.

 

But you know,if things continue to go downhill, maybe I will just have to look at Azamara and book an inside even if I do prefer a balcony since that is what I can afford, and cruise perhaps every 18 months to 2 years instead of every 9 to 12 months.

 

I still feel right now, Celebrity is the best that is within my budget, and hubby and I do not mind splurging $100 for one special dinner during the week.

 

 

We loved Azamara Journey, she is a beautiful ship and the food was always consistently very good. I sailed on NCL both in their suites and in a regular balcony or mini suite and never felt like it was anywhere near the bottom of the barrel. I got treated very well as a guest in all the cabins I have stayed in. I also feel the food has gone downhill on most but I like most cruise lines all for different reasons.

[antsnanny]

Hopefully you had the chance to see the poll on the MDR food. 73.56% said the food was either excellent or above average. Hopefully this will put your concerns to rest.

 

73.56% of Cruise Critic Members doesn't rally tell us what the average cruiser thinks! We found the MDR food to be ok to good at best…

[NLH Arizona]

73.56% of Cruise Critic Members doesn't rally tell us what the average cruiser thinks! We found the MDR food to be ok to good at best…

Many on here think that those on cruise critic is a good generalization of those on board the ships and have even suggested that cruise critic members become a focus group for Celebrity.

 

I realize that food is subjective, but I've read a lot of reviews and comments lately on here that have said that the food has been very good in the MDR, buffet and specialty restaurants.

[momofmeg]

I'll respond to both of the above posters at once!

 

The Haven is included for all full suites and above. On the new ships, it gains you access to a private pool, private sun deck and dedicated restaurant with an excellent but unchanging menu. The suites all have espresso/cappuccino machines machines and there is priority seating for all of the main theater shows.

 

The cost, like all cruises, has a wide variation but the entry level price for suites for the newer NCL ships is usually far less than Celebrity.

 

As for "the lowly folks", this was the first time that I had paid for a suite and had not been upgraded by the company. So you're right ... in one way I had veered off topic but in another, for better or worse, I find the main dining room food on RCI/Hal and Celebrity to be pretty bad. I now search for either premium products (Azamara/Oceania/Ponant) where I can have a superior experience or mainstream products where I can upgrade my dining experience for not a lot of money.

 

Wow ... I really am rambling but ... if the food is equally bad on Celebrity and RCI and let's say NCL, I would rather sail where I could improve the experience for not a lot of money!

 

You know, NCL suites are still too rich for us. we did book a minisuite on the Pearl and a superior balcony on the Sun though.

 

The one time we had a skysuite on Celebrity we upgraded from a spa cabin when prices dropped. It was our 30th anniversary celebration so we wanted something more special- we had a suite where we could see the ship's wake-but normally I would rather book 2 cruises in a balcony than one in a suite. Lol! plus, as I already mentioned that was a longgg walk to elevators/stairs! As much as I enjoyed the wake, it was not enough to cancel out that! that being a 12 day cruise, Celebrity gave us dinner free twice in the specialties. We paid a couple of other times ourselves. Of course we also ended up eating room service one night and doing the buffet a couple of nights-but that was the Med. with 12 hour ports so I could care less what I had for dinner too tired. we spent a lot of time in the solarium in the evening too-did not see but 1 show the whole 12 days, although hubby, a classical music lover, did go and listen to the string quartet a couple of times.

 

We are considering a northern Europe next year and hubby wants to go to Scotland. NCL has a 12 day repositioning that does both! It starts in Copenhagen and ends in Dover the

cruise with that or even a similar itinerary of next season on ANY line.

 

I am sensitive to smoke, so we don't want a balcony, plus I would rather save the bucks and buy passes to spa pool since they have no adult's only area separate from kids. anyway there is a good chance we will book that cruise for the itinerary unless hubby decides to go to Hawaii instead-he is kicking around both- I will be happy with either.

[antsnanny]

Many on here think that those on cruise critic is a good generalization of those on board the ships and have even suggested that cruise critic members become a focus group for Celebrity.

 

I realize that food is subjective, but I've read a lot of reviews and comments lately on here that have said that the food has been very good in the MDR, buffet and specialty restaurants.

 

We are a small fraction of those sailing on ships today but your right, food is subjective and I hope you find yours up to your liking on your next cruise. I have been sailing on Celebrity since the 80's and Im here to tell you the food just continues to spiral downhill. I would hope others comment on the new rollout of the buffet food on the Summit last week and hopefully this will not become the norm for celebrity. I am not a cheerleader nor a basher of any cruise line, I enjoy them all for different reasons but in this case I am just telling it like it is. Again, I am speaking of the new buffet rollout on the Summit and the food in the MDR May 11, 2014.

[TeaBag]

It was a chocolate dessert with a funny name, sorry that is all I can remember.

 

.

Is the dessert in question Mohr im Hemd?

 

I asked about this one time quite a while ago and the waiter said it was no longer being served. The next night, as a surprise, he brought the dessert for everyone at the table. Wow. It was extremely rich and most did not finish it, but I felt obliged to do so because I thought he really had gone the extra mile.:)

 

http://www.wien.info/en/shopping-wining-dining/viennese-cuisine/recipes/mohr-im-hemd-chocolate-hazelnut-pudding

Edited May 23, 2014 by YVR cruiser

[curtdesilets]

A few weeks go we had a very nice Pacific Coastal cruise on Century.

 

What stood out for us was :

 

1) Service. Top Notch

2) Officer Presence

3) Nice Group of People We Were Sailing with

4) Food was Good...not as good as a decade ago, but better than most

5) Murano was Terrific

6) Hot tubs were actually HOT. That is rare on ships these days.

7) 3 to 4 Trivia Games Per Day, even with a port intensive cruise.

8) CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN!!!!!

[NLH Arizona]

We are a small fraction of those sailing on ships today but your right, food is subjective and I hope you find yours up to your liking on your next cruise. I have been sailing on Celebrity since the 80's and Im here to tell you the food just continues to spiral downhill. I would hope others comment on the new rollout of the buffet food on the Summit last week and hopefully this will not become the norm for celebrity. I am not a cheerleader nor a basher of any cruise line, I enjoy them all for different reasons but in this case I am just telling it like it is. Again, I am speaking of the new buffet rollout on the Summit and the food in the MDR May 11, 2014.

I do understand that we are only a small fraction of those that are sailing with Celebrity, but since we had a poll, I think it is a good representation of those on cruise critic who have voted. If we were to discount this poll, then shouldn't we discount all the comments on food all together or are only certain opinions of value with regard to the food? I've been sailing with Celebrity since the 90's and I feel that the food on Celebrity is very good.

Edited May 23, 2014 by NLH Arizona

[NLH Arizona]

Is the dessert in question Mohr im Hemd?

 

I asked about this one time quite a while ago and the waiter said it was no longer being served. The next night, as a surprise, he brought the dessert for everyone at the table. Wow. It was extremely rich and most did not finish it, but I felt obliged to do so because I thought he really had gone the extra mile.:)

 

http://www.wien.info/en/shopping-wining-dining/viennese-cuisine/recipes/mohr-im-hemd-chocolate-hazelnut-pudding

Yes and hopefully I can get it on my cruise in January (fingers crossed). Thank you for remembering it.

[pantoot]

For my own interest I have been reading cruise reviews from other websites and there are many common complaints which repeatedly surface.

 

The one which concerns me the most is the decline of food quality and variety in the MDR and buffet. When this complaint comes up repeatedly on several review sites it is very concerning.

 

I hope Celebrity addresses this before my upcoming cruise.

 

You have one thing right, there are many common complaints, and they do repeatedly surface...

Here is from 3 years ago in 2011...

Cruisecriticblogs

I would absolutely say that since Celebrity ended its partnership with Michel Roux that the cuisine has gone downhill. Maybe they still win awards because the other lines have been cutting back, but we’re noticing many cheap substitutions and inferior ingredients to the point where we don’t enjoy the MDR experience nearly as much anymore and have to budget for specialty restaurants to enjoy what we used to have included.

 

Lets go further back...this is from 2008

Epinions review of millennium

I have to say that Celebrity continues to have slightly higher standards, better service and superior food quality; it’s just not as good as it used to be

 

And, here we were in July, 2006, a worried reader, concerned about about the depths that Celebrity has fallen to.

Cruisecritic

These boards are scaring me. Has Celebrity dropped THAT much in quality???

 

Maybe the older I get, the better I was?

[bplazo]

Many on here think that those on cruise critic is a good generalization of those on board the ships and have even suggested that cruise critic members become a focus group for Celebrity.

 

I realize that food is subjective, but I've read a lot of reviews and comments lately on here that have said that the food has been very good in the MDR, buffet and specialty restaurants.

 

On our last cruise I thought the food was better in the mdr than the specialty restaurant.

[cle-guy]

I hate it so much, I just got a last minute booking for the Summit to Bermuda this sunday, yes in 2 days! My TA called me with a last minute availability for an Aqua Class cabin....I love my cruise buddies....Pied Piper group cruise to bermuda....and celebrating a birthday of one of them on the ship as well. An easy 6 hour drive from my home to port!

:D:):D:)

[Cruising89143]

I hate it so much, I just got a last minute booking for the Summit to Bermuda this sunday, yes in 2 days! My TA called me with a last minute availability for an Aqua Class cabin....I love my cruise buddies....Pied Piper group cruise to bermuda....and celebrating a birthday of one of them on the ship as well. An easy 6 hour drive from my home to port!

:D:):D:)

 

Have a great cruise. Sounds like fun.:)

[NLH Arizona]

I hate it so much, I just got a last minute booking for the Summit to Bermuda this sunday, yes in 2 days! My TA called me with a last minute availability for an Aqua Class cabin....I love my cruise buddies....Pied Piper group cruise to bermuda....and celebrating a birthday of one of them on the ship as well. An easy 6 hour drive from my home to port!

:D:):D:)

If I wasn't going to Las Vegas next week, I'd be so jealous. Have a great time.

 

Hey Curt, let us know how the food is and what you think of the new buffet set up.

Edited May 24, 2014 by NLH Arizona

[Orator]

I hate it so much, I just got a last minute booking for the Summit to Bermuda this sunday, yes in 2 days! My TA called me with a last minute availability for an Aqua Class cabin....I love my cruise buddies....Pied Piper group cruise to bermuda....and celebrating a birthday of one of them on the ship as well. An easy 6 hour drive from my home to port!

:D:):D:)

 

I know it will be very difficult for you to enjoy your cruise with all the doom and gloom and the wailing about the end of Celebrity, but just keep your chin up and enjoy.

Love those last minute cruises. No planning, just pack and go.

[El Crucero]

There should be NO “free” champagne, period. They could save what, $2000 per cruise every week for every ship? I hope the free champagne goes away. As someone who drinks NO alcohol, I question why that should be built into my fare.

 

Huh? "Free champagne" is a special perk for those who choose an upgraded class of stateroom. I pay a higher fare for that upgraded stateroom. I pay for the "free" champagne through a higher fare, you don't. Although I never tried it (I like the champagne) I am sure that should you choose to purchase an upgraded stateroom and you don't want the champagne, your cabin steward will remove the champagne and substitute a bottle of water.

[Dr. Cocktail]

I know, and not in a suite this time, I'm gonna finally experience the awful "classism" everyone talks about, and all those spaces that are now private and closed off to all but those in a suite I can no longer enjoy. And the complete lack of service due to the shift of all the staff to tending to the suites. What on earth am I thinking....?!?! :D

 

Curt; although we view the product very differently, I hope you have a a great time!

 

My partner and I share the same philosophy ... If you have the health, the means and the ability to do something and it causes no one or no thing any harm, why not?!

 

But ... as you have shown yourself to be monogamous with your cruise line relations,

if you ever feel like straying, I would be very curious to see what you thought about Celebrity after sailing in the Haven on Breakaway or Getaway!

[deelastcre]

There's so many positive things going on that I have enough money invested in my next few cruises to book the World Cruise on RCCL. A few things changed, but I am still happy with the service, food, and the itineraries. I book all of my bucket list cruises on Celebrity. I do try a few other cruise lines if there's a deal that I can resist.

[curtdesilets]

You have one thing right, there are many common complaints, and they do repeatedly surface...

Here is from 3 years ago in 2011...

Cruisecriticblogs

 

 

Lets go further back...this is from 2008

Epinions review of millennium

 

 

And, here we were in July, 2006, a worried reader, concerned about about the depths that Celebrity has fallen to.

Cruisecritic

 

 

Maybe the older I get, the better I was?

 

 

Great archiving of comments but the fact is, the Celebrity Dining experience was far superior in the early 2000's than it is today.

 

That is simply a FACT.

[NLH Arizona]

I will point out only one thing that has changed in the dining experience. When we started cruising with Celebrity in the mid 1990's the experience was far more elegant. When you sat down at your table you found 13 pieces of silverware around the charger plates. The first few times it was a real challenge trying to figure out what each piece should be used for, but it was impressive and much more elegant that today.

I've cruised a number of times, when there was the tons of silverwear, but thought it was very ostentatious and did nothing for the taste of the food, which I still consider to be very good on Celebrity.

[caladezi]

I've cruised a number of times, when there was the tons of silverwear, but thought it was very ostentatious and did nothing for the taste of the food, which I still consider to be very good on Celebrity.

 

You are correct that the silverware does nothing for the taste of food. What I was refering to was the overall "dining experience" that was referenced and how impressive it was. You could easily eat with the basic knife, fork, and spoon and enjoy great food at a picnic table but it would not be an elegant dining experience in my book.

[antsnanny]

I do understand that we are only a small fraction of those that are sailing with Celebrity, but since we had a poll, I think it is a good representation of those on cruise critic who have voted. If we were to discount this poll, then shouldn't we discount all the comments on food all together or are only certain opinions of value with regard to the food? I've been sailing with Celebrity since the 90's and I feel that the food on Celebrity is very good.

 

Your right, the poll your referring to is a good representation of those on CC who took it. Most people cruise go home and never read a review or write one. I know people who can't even remember the name of the ship they sailed on but they know if they liked the food or not.. I know that you don't want to hear anything negative about Celebrity so you and I will just have to agree to disagree on the food on the Summit. Again, I am referring to my trip May 11, 2014 and the roll out of their NEW buffet and the food in the main dining room. Im not sure, were you on that sailing? For the record I have said that the buffet was not good at all and the food in the MDR varied from ok to very good.

Food is subjective as far as taste but cold , pre plated , dried out food, no one liked...