Posting "Celebrity Secrets" Backlash

[Blazerboy]

Jukeboxy! Cute! And you and I have disagreed before, so it's nice to come back this time to support you!

 

But I have friends posting on both sides of the issue here. Hmmmm, what to do?

 

Gail, there ARE times when I'd like two appetizers, one after the other. I can live without the food, certainly, but I enjoy it. Perhaps Jukeboxy was overstating his discomfort about the courses, and was really just suggesting away to get around the soup course. (Hey, more soup for all those fans out there!:D )

 

How about my experience? The shrimp cocktail isn't so great that I would worry about them running out. I don't generally order more than I can eat, unless the waiter insists on bringing extra, so I don't waste food. But I also never feel like the three lobster guy/gal is impacting my cruise, because if, in the future of cruising, there was never another prawn or lobster tail, I'd just shrug. Not that big a deal. I do make special requests when it's important to me, which isn't often, but as the cruise is special, there are times when I hope to have a certain something. If they accomodate, great, if not, oh well.

 

Since I don't make these requests as often as others seem to, you all have my permission to "use" some of my "special request time" allotment for yourselves, so that you shouldn't impact others innordinately. ;)

 

Other topics here: I used to work in restaurants for many years, and the lobster roll was a reasonable request. Sounds like the salad was already made for the diningroom, and just had to go to the bar instead. Asking for a lone cook in a restaurant kitchen to stop his line service to boil the lobster, chill the meat, chop the celery, etc, might be over the top, but this seems like an EASY way to please one customer without impacting the others- except when I'M in the diningroom wanting that last Lobster salad, and they're all out- then it's WAR!:D

 

Good waiters don't have to rush, and have time to check up on their diners periodically. You ask for more bread one night, I ask for a special dessert another, and the other person asks for a second dessert. There's planned time for this. Just as on land, when one set of diners has to get to the theatre, a good waiter, especially with the help of a busboy, let alone an assistant waiter and Ass't Maitre D', can accomplish this with out any severe impact to the rest of the diners.

 

O.k., enough giving permission! Now the other side. Don't over-order "just because it's there!" Don't make gratuitious requests for special service just to test the boundaries. And certainly don't try to get your money's worth in some insane competition with other cruisers at the expense of your own health!:eek:

 

Balance it all out: with in reason, a once in a while special request isn't going to impact anyone. I really hate to see people behave like my grandfather, who felt guilty for asking for anything in his life, but looked longingly at things he wanted. Wasn't the money, wasn't any issue other than that he DIDN'T feel he deserved anything special. So we're mostly reasonable people here, and the bulk of us won't abuse special requests or special food. Thankfully, there are those, like my poor grandfather, who will balance out the few gluttons. Beyond that, the issue is pretty academic. Wouldn't you rather have a great cruise missing Shrimp everyday in your CC stateroom, but have all the other things that make a cruise great, than be stuck at home? Yes, if Celebrity becomes like EZCRUISE, I'll find another vacation, but that's not likely, is it?

 

Again, I have respect for opinions and posters on both sides of this issue, but it's not likely to REALLY impact your cruise either way, is it?

 

Of course, if there's no Smoked Salmon at breakfast, I'm gonna scream bloodly murder!:mad:

 

Andrew

[AFT_LOVER]

while on the galley tour, we saw bowls of crust, and I thought of this......

 

People order stuff not on the menu all the time. I've done it myself. A GOOD place with good service will be more than happy to honor the request if able.

 

I have a perfect example from my own experience. The hotel I stay at in L.A. had a really nice item on their bar menu. It was a lobster roll. It was really, really good. One day, I noticed it was no longer on the menu. I asked about it. They told me it had been dropped from the bar menu, but that it was still on the dining room lunch menu, and that kitchen would be more than happy to make it. So, I ordered it. I'm I being a jerk? No. Do I incovenience others? of course not. I was told they would do it. And they were more than happy to do so. If I was at the bar and wanted something off the dining room menu, they are more than happy to bring it. If I wanted something off the room service menu, they would do it. I was in my room and wanted something not on the room service menu, but it was on the dining room or bar menu, they would be more than happy to bring it.

 

I'm not demanding they give me a bunch of free stuff. I'm not demanding that they do something for me and not for you. It doesn't impact another guest.

 

I don't see why it can't be the same on a cruise ship. Afterall, Celebrity prides itself on service as being a cut above the other mass market lines. They say "Celebrity's famous personal service with a taste of luxury will make you feel like the only guest on board. " on their web site right here..

 

http://www.celebrity.com/whyceleb/heroSingleTxtSub.do;jsessionid=00007Rky0SIeg6fDdiYTiYckiK_:1051tg3ld?pagename=outstanding_service

 

Doing something like bringing you a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich with the crusts cut off to your room when it's NOT on the room service menu is the mark of GOOD service. I don't know if I'd want to cruise on a line that would not be willing to do something so simple. If they won't do that, what else won't they do?

[canderson]

while on the galley tour, we saw bowls of crust, and I thought of this......

Perhaps more to the point, while we've been on galley tours, the area of the galley set aside specifically for the "out of the norm" issues of special requests and special diets has been pointed out. They're ready to please if they're able.

[suntan]

I'm going out on a limb here, and maybe someone has already posted this thought (I don't have time to read all 7 pages of comments), but if Celebrity didn't keep these little secrets there wouldn't be a problem would there? If shrimp cocktail or any other undisclosed food item is available, why not be upfront and put it on the menu. Then there wouldn't be a problem with calculating how much of any food item is required for a sailing. Also, maybe there should be limits on how many shrimp cocktails and other food items a passenger can order. Anyways, just my thought on this topic.

[Oxo]

I'm going out on a limb here, and maybe someone has already posted this thought (I don't have time to read all 7 pages of comments), but if Celebrity didn't keep these little secrets there wouldn't be a problem would there? If shrimp cocktail or any other undisclosed food item is available, why not be upfront and put it on the menu. Then there wouldn't be a problem with calculating how much of any food item is required for a sailing. Also, maybe there should be limits on how many shrimp cocktails and other food items a passenger can order. Anyways, just my thought on this topic.

What else can be said. You said it all. Celebrity don't keep things like this in the dark. Publish it or don't allow it! We are not mushrooms. Thank you SunTan.

[suntan]

Oxo, glad I was able to put this all into perspective. Have a great evening and all the best to you and yours for the Holidays.:)

[C 2 C]

We are not mushrooms.

"Never underestimate the power of human stupidity."

Robert A. Heinlein

 

but

 

"Feeding is a very important ritual for me. I don't trust people who don't like to eat." (Gina Gershon)

[Host Walt]

"Never underestimate the power of human stupidity."

Robert A. Heinlein

 

My favorite was reflected in a sign that was hanging in a Dean's Office at my Univeristy,

 

"Never underestimate the ability of the human mind to successfully resist the introduction of useful knowledge."

[Schplinky]

My favorite was reflected in a sign that was hanging in a Dean's Office at my Univeristy,

 

"Never underestimate the ability of the human mind to successfully resist the introduction of useful knowledge."

 

That one is very apt on these boards. We all tend to resist anyone whose knowledge does jive with our own (or our aspirations for our holiday).

[C 2 C]

My favorite was reflected in a sign that was hanging in a Dean's Office at my Univeristy,

 

"Never underestimate the ability of the human mind to successfully resist the introduction of useful knowledge."

 

 

Sadly.. so true... as when you have to remind people to be nice when closing a site...

 

Sometimes the only closed sites are the minds of posters... (present company excluded of course);)

[TLCC]

Crusin'cats - you are wonderful! I agree with everything you said. And you stated it all very well - polite, but not letting what other people might think about you stop you from speaking up and saying what you want. I think that is exactly the way special requests and seconds should be handled!!

[Lois R]

TLCC..where did you find this thread?:eek: last post was

December 2005....funny how old posts come back to life.

[rebeccalouise]

On the Constellation- they were trying to force feed me! I am not joking. If I didn't get an appetizer the waiter would ask if there was anything not on the menu that I wanted. After that night he brought me a caeser salad every nite since he noticed that I liked that.

It was funny- one day after having the afternoon tea in the buffet I wasn't hungry but I went to the early seating to socialize with my tablemates. I just drank a glass of wine. The maitre' d came over and asked if everything was ok. Was I sick? Didn't I like the menu? Etc. It was funny actually. Nice to know they care!

I am sure there is plenty of food to go around. My son (age 5) only went to dinner 2 out of the 10 nights (he ate with the kids in the buffet instead). So at least one person wasn't getting their shrimp cocktail!

I doubt that many people order two of anything. In my group we all tried different appetizers and desserts and shared. It was fun.

Don't know how anyone can eat two of anything! I was full after the bread and first course- and I can eat!

[cruieseladies2]

Hi all, the different foods at dinner are ofter told to the table by waiters. I have been on several cruises with celebrity and you can order chix, steak, steamed veggies,ceasar salad and shrimp cocktail every night if you wish.

I did not learn this thru cc. Just a note of interest. Jane:D

[Drew B]

I assume that most of the off-menu items (shrimp, chicken breasts, steaks, salmon fillets) are items that can be stored frozen and require a very simple preparation. Therefore, X can simply keep a rotating suppy of it in the freezer, and they don't necessarily have to get rid of any left-overs when a cruise ends.

 

My concern about the "off-menu" ordering is that it will inevitably lead to more waste. If people are ordering the off-menu items every day, they will not be ordering as much of the daily specials. Those daily specials are more likely to be made with fresh (rather than frozen) ingredients and they require more complex preparation (and therefore must be at least "prepped" well in advance of the meal). Any uneaten portions may end up "recycled" in the buffet or it may simply go to waste. That sort of waste is quite upsetting to me from a moral and ecological standpoint. As probably all of our grandmothers used to say, "there are starving children in India"...

[halos]

Let's not say the C word unless it's Celebrity.

 

 

:rolleyes:

I've taken 3 wonderful Carnival Cruises. I'm taking my first Celebrity cruise in November.

I truly hope you all understand that X better be at least 1/2 as good as all you people who like to trash Carnival say it is, because if it isn't I will be back to make sure you hear it.

:)

and now back to our original program......

[Drew B]

Halos, I've sailed both Carnival and Celebrity. Each line has it's good points. You'll have a fantastic time on Celebrity, but is it really THAT much better than Carnival. Probably not. I suspect that most of the people here who trash Carnival haven't ever sailed Carnival (or haven't in many years) and therefore discriminate based on what they believe to be true rather than what they've actually experienced first-hand...

[CaribbeanBound]

This thread brings to mind another "Celebrity Secret"...

Always eat at the first seating. You can have all you want of anything you want. Second seating is used to being told, "sorry, we're all out of Prime Rib, but the Hungarian Liverworst-stuffed Gnarfish is excellent tonight".

 

 

Hey! I'm just kidding!

[Leela]

Those daily specials are more likely to be made with fresh (rather than frozen) ingredients and they require more complex preparation (and therefore must be at least "prepped" well in advance of the meal).

I use to think this until an Assistant Maitre d'Hotel on Zenith told me that they always carry two week's worth of food supplies with them. So, a lot more of that stuff must be carried around frozen than fresh, especially when it comes to shrimp and chicken breasts since these items are easily frozen.

 

As probably all of our grandmothers used to say, "there are starving children in India"...

There are, but as an interesting aside I will point out that the number of people who are middle class in India is greater than the entire population of the United States. This is the designer-jeans-buying, iPod-using, car-driving demographic. India is not all people living in huts with cows these days, despite what our grandmothers said when we were young. :)

[Fred&Lily]

Nicely said.

[Drew B]

There are, but as an interesting aside I will point out that the number of people who are middle class in India is greater than the entire population of the United States. This is the designer-jeans-buying, iPod-using, car-driving demographic. India is not all people living in huts with cows these days, despite what our grandmothers said when we were young. :)

 

Well, it was many, MANY years ago that my grandmother said that to me. I think today we'd update it to the Sudan or something...:rolleyes:

[TLCC]

Hi Lois,

 

LOL - I guess I searched for something (I forget what) and this post popped up on the list. I just had to put my 2 cents in!!

 

Hmmm, CaribbeanBound - Hungarian Liverworst-stuffed Gnarfish sounds yummy - will have to go off menu and ask for it on my next cruise :)

 

I've been dieting so much and so hard (have lost 54 pounds so far) - but I plan to celebrate, relax and not worry about it on my cruise - I'm going to eat whatever I want and as much of it as I want. I deserve to treat myself. Nobody's business by mine.

 

Terri

[Arubalisa]

This is hysterically funny! I began reading the beginning of this thread and my reaction was UH OH, OH NO, HERE COMES CHANGE. Getting rid of one of the things we like aboard Celebrity...

 

Upon reading the entire thread I finally see the post which makes me realize this thread was started way back when last December when we were aboard the Galaxy.

 

How uncanny that with the topic with which this thread began, our family's first night at dinner, upon introductions from our waiter he announced..."If anyone does not desire anything which is offered on any night's menu, we ALWAYS have available: shrimp cocktail, Caesar salad, steak and salmon."

[dmarch@islc.net]

I would tend to agree. In fact, If I get real honest I probably fall under that category of "greedy" American. I can barely eat one of everything now but when I was in my teens, twenty's and thirty's I ordered multiple appetizers and entrees. I did not gain weight, I was "on vacation" and nobody seemed to care. I got the impression that my waiters and my table mates enjoyed watching me enjoy myself. LOL I was schooled to eat English style and am very quick. Did not slow anyone down. Personally I feel that the number of shrimp one wants to eat is their own personal business. Who cares? Shrimp are cheap and if X starts charging for them, then they are too. If and when I have to sign for shrimp at dinner, we will start cruiseing elsewhere.

[sarh]

So what is eating English style?