Anyone REGRET Ultimate Dining on 2 week cruise?

[jasm8449]

There have been many people who have enjoyed the ultimate dining package, but I'm wondering if there are any fellow cruisers who found that on a longer cruise, it was just too much food, and they became weary of it as the cruise progressed.

[Reader0108598]

There have been many people who have enjoyed the ultimate dining package, but I'm wondering if there are any fellow cruisers who found that on a longer cruise, it was just too much food, and they became weary of it as the cruise progressed.

 

Please stop buying these packages, It just degrades the food that you already get with your cruise fare.

Remember when you could get a great steak in the MDR? Now you need to pay extra for that great steak.

 

Next will be no food with your fare!

 

Reader

Edited August 21, 2016 by Reader0108598

[cruisestitch]

I really don't see a cause-and-effect here -- how does buying the Ultimate Dining Package affect the quality of the food in the MDR?

[Reader0108598]

I really don't see a cause-and-effect here -- how does buying the Ultimate Dining Package affect the quality of the food in the MDR?

 

I believe so.

Why could I get a great steak in the MDR five years ago ,but now I have to pay extra, at a specialty dinning room, to get the same great steak?

 

Why could the MDR chefs make great steak then, but now they serve you, blah...unless you pay extra?

 

In a nut shell :Why would they give us good food included in our fare ,when they can charge extra and we pay it?

 

Reader

Edited August 21, 2016 by Reader0108598

[Cruizen Susan]

There have been many people who have enjoyed the ultimate dining package, but I'm wondering if there are any fellow cruisers who found that on a longer cruise, it was just too much food, and they became weary of it as the cruise progressed.

 

As Mae West said "Too much of a good thing can be wonderful!"

 

As long as I can practice a little self-restraint, specialty dining works for me! Never had it on 14 days but wonderful on a 10-day cruise! We looked forward to it every night, the waiters knew us well, and accommodated our every whim!

[greydog]

We've had UDP 3 times in last 2 years but we only do it if at least 3 specialty choices onboard for variety.

 

Even if only 7 day, by the end of the cruise, the law of 'diminishing returns' had set in, especially on day with specialty lunch too - UURRRPP!

 

We definitely go for UDP on Reflection with 4 restaurants incl our fav Lawn Grill, where we'll happily do 3-4 nites. Plus the Porch lite seafood raw bar is included pleasant lunch interlude.

 

We're booked for Reflection in April and will go after UDP - already in 'mental training' mode for the cuisine.

 

I agree the MDR standards are 'average' and after checking the dinner menu we often do the Lido buffet for speed, variety including east Asian, stir fry, pasta to order stations.

 

We remember fondly the good 'ol Michel Roux cuisine meals over 10 years ago. We are trying Oceania (reportedly best cuisine at sea) this December.

BON APETITE

[BEAV]

We've had UDP 3 times in last 2 years but we only do it if at least 3 specialty choices onboard for variety.

 

Even if only 7 day, by the end of the cruise, the law of 'diminishing returns' had set in, especially on day with specialty lunch too - UURRRPP!

 

We definitely go for UDP on Reflection with 4 restaurants incl our fav Lawn Grill, where we'll happily do 3-4 nites. Plus the Porch lite seafood raw bar is included pleasant lunch interlude.

 

We're booked for Reflection in April and will go after UDP - already in 'mental training' mode for the cuisine.

 

I agree the MDR standards are 'average' and after checking the dinner menu we often do the Lido buffet for speed, variety including east Asian, stir fry, pasta to order stations.

 

We remember fondly the good 'ol Michel Roux cuisine meals over 10 years ago. We are trying Oceania (reportedly best cuisine at sea) this December.

BON APETITE

 

Agreed. Especially for a longer cruise, I'd only want to do the UDP on Reflection or Sillhouette since they offer the most choices. I doubt I'd do UDP on a M-class ship -- too few choices for a longer cruise.

[BEAV]

We are trying Oceania (reportedly best cuisine at sea) this December.

BON APETITE

 

No doubt a good choice. And if you want to bump it up yet another notch, give Crystal a try in the cuisine department.

[bayonnejoe]

Please stop buying these packages, It just degrades the food that you already get with your cruise fare.

Remember when you could get a great steak in the MDR? Now you need to pay extra for that great steak.

 

Next will be no food with your fare!

 

Reader

Sorry, I have been cruising Celebrity since 1995, and as good as most of the MDR food was up until Michel Roux left, the steak was never any good. However, for the short period of time that Bistro on 5 had steaks, they were pretty good. And the steak I had at Tuscan Grille on the Summit was by far the best steak I have ever had on a cruise ship.

[bayonnejoe]

We've had UDP 3 times in last 2 years but we only do it if at least 3 specialty choices onboard for variety.

 

Even if only 7 day, by the end of the cruise, the law of 'diminishing returns' had set in, especially on day with specialty lunch too - UURRRPP!

 

We definitely go for UDP on Reflection with 4 restaurants incl our fav Lawn Grill, where we'll happily do 3-4 nites. Plus the Porch lite seafood raw bar is included pleasant lunch interlude.

 

We're booked for Reflection in April and will go after UDP - already in 'mental training' mode for the cuisine.

 

I agree the MDR standards are 'average' and after checking the dinner menu we often do the Lido buffet for speed, variety including east Asian, stir fry, pasta to order stations.

 

We remember fondly the good 'ol Michel Roux cuisine meals over 10 years ago. We are trying Oceania (reportedly best cuisine at sea) this December.

BON APETITE

Speaking of cause and effect, Oceania has Jacques Pepin as its executive chef. You can't do much better.

[chemmo]

There have been many people who have enjoyed the ultimate dining package, but I'm wondering if there are any fellow cruisers who found that on a longer cruise, it was just too much food, and they became weary of it as the cruise progressed.

 

We usually book suites with unlimited dining included. One of the best benefits on S class in our mind is becoming a 'regular'. Being greeted by name, having a preferred table saved for you, modifying a dish....even having an off menu meal cooked for you.

 

A surprising benefit we find is not feeling you have to eat everything to get 'value for money'. We often go to Silk Harvest after a busy port day, order a range of small plates to eat 'family style' and let them know we are quite tired and request a speedy service... In Tuscan we may enjoy a starter and mains but skip the desert, we can always try the fondu tomorrow or the day after...In contrast in Murano's we may work our way at a leisurely pace savouring all courses.

 

Lunchtime in speciality (including sea day Luminae) is rarely of interest to us...just can't do a big meal and enjoy the afternoon and evening - to us the benefit is evening dining.

 

We wil have our first M class cruise without a Murano equivalent next year and do have some concerns re restaurant choices...if the specialities were not included with our room I might be tempted to not book a dining package on board but look at spending some money on nice off ship meals at the overnight ports of call.

[PhD-iva]

We are trying Oceania (reportedly best cuisine at sea) this December.

 

BON APETITE

 

 

I know this is a Celebrity forum, but I will just add that we did a 9-day Oceania Baltic cruise this past June and the food really was amazing.

 

Due to my special issues, I prefer a buffet to allow me to select a little of each item, and return for seconds when I find food that "works" for me. The Oceania cafeteria buffet was amazing; unlike my recollections of X, Princess and HAL, at least half of the Oceania buffet offerings changed daily. Many dinner items offered in the GDR were available at the buffet.

The Grand Dining Room was also excellent. All specialty restaurants are included at "no extra charge" (they get you with the more expensive cruise prices).

 

 

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