Luminae update after three tries- Celebrity not luxury

[Wj420]

Come on Celebrity! Luminae has been open for over a year and not one thing has been offered that was locally sourced. Three cruises we've sailed since last April. April 2015 we were told once the ship gets overseas. Last October 2015 in Europe, nothing and now the silhouette transatlantic.

 

Give your clients some credit and stop making promises that don't deliver.

 

By the folks, third time and the quality is already slipping. It occurred to me that Luminaes food is the quality of main dining room years ago. The comment Celebrity once made about trying to achieve a Michelin star is beyond a bad joke. We were served what was supposed to be a NY strip that was terrible. Dry chicken breast one meal and barely any seasonings.

 

How about three lunch menus for 9 sea days and embarkation day?! Really?

 

The service and atmosphere continue to be a draw but the food quality this last sailing was concerning.

[SheriffJoe]

While I agree the food sounds like it will never be of a quality X says I can't figure out how you know (read think or guessing) there is NOTHING locally sourced....did every item on your plate come with a "this was grown at xxxx" label?

[CYNSport]

Local sourcing, even on land, is often mythical

 

http://http://www.tampabay.com/projects/2016/food/farm-to-fable/restaurants/

[Wj420]

The advertising has been that local foods would be picked up at the ports of call to offer "locally sourced" food options. Never happened, asked others, never seen it either. Just wish Celebrity would get there act together to deliver on the expectations they establish. We are elite plus and love celebrity but don't like the game being played.

 

 

FYI- lawn club grill also dropped in quality. We had one main dining room lunch and I won't even begin on that subject. We appreciate Luminae and realize how lucky we are to travel this way. The main dining room experience has slipped so much in the last three years. I won't even compare to before that!

[maggie.1008]

I cruised on Oceania Riviera last month. The MDR and all 4 specialty dining restaurants were much better than Luminae. So much more to choose from. The service in Luminae is good but I thought the food was just o.k. and not enough choices. Next month I will be in AQ on the Infinity. Suites were not worth the price.

[K12Guy]

Interesting screen name.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We did have locally sourced lobster in New England, but so did the whole ship so don't know if that counts.

[xmarksx]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=49699262#post49699262

[bottomfeeder]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=49699262#post49699262

 

A clear case of multiple personality disorder.

[4cats4me]

A clear case of multiple personality disorder.

 

 

 

No kidding [emoji81][emoji81][emoji81][emoji81]

[Cindy]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=49699262#post49699262

 

Apparently Luminae has really gone downhill in the last 11 days!:rolleyes:

[pumpkin 11]

Wow, talk about contradictory statements. If the menu rotates just order something else maybe??? I don't know, just an idea

[LabGuy64]

Maybe, another line would better serve your needs.....perhaps crystal would be a better fit

 

The advertising has been that local foods would be picked up at the ports of call to offer "locally sourced" food options. Never happened, asked others, never seen it either. Just wish Celebrity would get there act together to deliver on the expectations they establish. We are elite plus and love celebrity but don't like the game being played.

 

 

FYI- lawn club grill also dropped in quality. We had one main dining room lunch and I won't even begin on that subject. We appreciate Luminae and realize how lucky we are to travel this way. The main dining room experience has slipped so much in the last three years. I won't even compare to before that!

[LabGuy64]

Yes,....he would be very concerned with food.......must have the "munchies" often....lol

 

Interesting screen name.

[starri]

If you're on a TA, how do you locally source food with a stretch of 7 consecutive sea days? Drop a fishing line over the side?

[4774Papa]

Come on Celebrity! Luminae has been open for over a year and not one thing has been offered that was locally sourced. Three cruises we've sailed since last April. April 2015 we were told once the ship gets overseas. Last October 2015 in Europe, nothing and now the silhouette transatlantic.

 

Give your clients some credit and stop making promises that don't deliver.

 

By the folks, third time and the quality is already slipping. It occurred to me that Luminaes food is the quality of main dining room years ago. The comment Celebrity once made about trying to achieve a Michelin star is beyond a bad joke. We were served what was supposed to be a NY strip that was terrible. Dry chicken breast one meal and barely any seasonings.

 

How about three lunch menus for 9 sea days and embarkation day?! Really?

 

The service and atmosphere continue to be a draw but the food quality this last sailing was concerning.

 

We were in Luminae on Millie in Asia last Fall and loved it. No way was it comparable to the MDR years ago. Our meals were excellent as well as the service. Did you send the steak back? I have done that once or twice on X and always get something good.

[JEDIKNIGHT]

This will be our 1st cruise since Luminae started and based on the totality of reviews, I'm thinking and hoping that food is better than MDR.

 

To each his own - but I could care less about "locally sourced". Geez, the very computers and and phones we're all using right now are sourced in China. But all of a sudden I'm too good to eat fruits that were shipping in from a different state?

 

As long as the food is safe, yummy, and well prepared, I'll be fine.

[dodger1964]

A clear case of multiple personality disorder.

 

I don't read the two posts the same way u did.

 

The other post only discusses the atmosphere and service. This thread specifically covers the promise of getting fresh, locally sourced items.

 

I think OP is fairly sharing his experience and concerns.

 

I remember when announcement about new dining room and how the chef would be off the ship in ports gathering local foods to bring back to serve and thinking to myself how that sounded like a great plan.

 

And u know it isn't happening, because if it was they would be highlighting it. "On tonight's menu u will find 'X' fish, bought fresh by our head chef earlier today, at the fish market in 'X' port"

[ChucktownSteve]

To each his own - but I could care less about "locally sourced". Geez, the very computers and and phones we're all using right now are sourced in China.

 

Oh good! I like Chinese food. :D

[suec12]

Well they way I read the contradictory posts is that the first one was not long after boarding and then this thread was after being on the ship for a period and becoming disappointed in the offerings in Luminae. That makes sense and reflects our experience.

 

It is true you can send things back (but that does disrupt the rhythm of the meal esp. for others eating with you) and yes, you can ask for MDR offerings but is that what the expectations should be?!

 

Yes the service is outstanding, some menu items very good (but about the same number almost mediocre) but mostly I can agree with the OP. For the money paid to get to a suite / Luminae, the money would be better spent in just upgrading to Oceania or Azamara.

[florisdekort]

I think it's all about expectations. When I go to Luminae, I expect a dinner that is a step up from the main dining room. I don't expect Silversea or Seabourn quality dining, nor Michelin star dining. If that's what you want, then fork out the cash for a 5 star cruise line.

[xmarksx]

Yes the service is outstanding, some menu items very good (but about the same number almost mediocre) but mostly I can agree with the OP. For the money paid to get to a suite / Luminae, the money would be better spent in just upgrading to Oceania or Azamara.

 

We sailed in a Sky suite on Reflection in January and are returning to the Reflection this August for an 11 night Med cruise, also in a suite. The reason I mention this is that I scoured Crystal, Oceania, Azamara for similar fares and none of them could compare to the value that Celebrity offered. Yes, I could find a 10 or 11 night sailing on Oceania and Azamara and board for the same amount but would not have gotten a suite and would have lost some "extras" that Celebrity offers. I truly wanted to try one of the of the more exclusive lines but the cost-benefit never worked out. Also, Crystal was going to be an ocean view cabin. I cannot disagree with your assertion over money being better spent in upgrading because I have never sailed Azamara or Oceania. However, what price for that upgrade?

 

I make this statement without any sarcasm. Perhaps my tastes are just not as sophisticated as others but I found Luminae to be outstanding.

[Iamthesea]

I cruised on Oceania Riviera last month. The MDR and all 4 specialty dining restaurants were much better than Luminae. So much more to choose from. The service in Luminae is good but I thought the food was just o.k. and not enough choices. Next month I will be in AQ on the Infinity. Suites were not worth the price.

 

I agree, but also agree with xmarkxs about the price of that food upgrade. :eek:

 

Our Luminae experiences have been good, but the food has not always been excellent quality. We basically pay extra for the Suite, for the Suite itself, and not the restaurant. We will never starve on a cruise.:D

 

Apparently Luminae has really gone downhill in the last 11 days!:rolleyes:

 

LOL :cool: Cindy, I was thinking about you the other day and how much fun we had on our cruise out of Amsterdam. We will be heading there again in 4 weeks. Wish y'all were sailing with us again!

[bigbenboys]

We were in a Sky Suite last month on Reflections. Luminae had great service. What I like was they gave you a choice to pick items off their menu or the MDR menu and mix and match. Blu is nice, but you are or should only be limited to the Blu menu. While dining in Blu they do not hand you the MDR menu also. I have heard of pax getting things in Blu that were off the menu. That is not my point. My point is that they are up front about it in Luminae. We did book another cruise in a suite for Jan 2017.

[Bo1953]

I think it's all about expectations. When I go to Luminae, I expect a dinner that is a step up from the main dining room. I don't expect Silversea or Seabourn quality dining, nor Michelin star dining. If that's what you want, then fork out the cash for a 5 star cruise line.

 

Rated: +1