Is Celebrity's Food inedible?

[Luvcrusn]

Ok, good to know. I don't even remember the free water, but we did enjoy the tea and fruit. We actually have a drink package on our next cruise, so I'll skip the bottle of wine, but it will come in handy on the following reposition cruises.

 

As far as I'm concerned, as long as Celebrity is keeping up or beating HAL, they'll continue to be our main line. The luxury-light market is typically more than I'm willing to pay.

We usually also have the beverage package and don't care for the bottle of bubbly, but ask for it, then take it to the MDR or Blu to trade it for a bottle of prosecco or of red that we prefer. Also, there have been some changes to the classic beverage package I forgot to mention. Some things have been moved to premium, and now if you order something above the classic allowance, you pay only the difference between the classic allowance and the actual drink cost + 18%.

[richsea]

But the food is NOT better in BLU, the best two meals I had were not BLU food but from the MDR menu, and it bneats me, having experienced BLU why people do keep paying more in Aqua.

In YOUR opinion, the food is not better in Blu. Doesn’t make it a fact, no matter how many times you repeat it. Obviously, there are many who disagree with you. Nobody is right or wrong; it’s just an opinion.

[CRZR58]

From folks who book steerage and weren't sailing in the golden years.

 

On our last Celebrity I ordered the Jerk Chicken, basically a roast chicken. That simply made it badly named. What made it inedible happened when I cut down to the bone and found it blood red, with gelatinous, uncooked cold meat. Put me off even ordering another one to replace it.

 

Same trip I ordered a medium rare steak. It came well done. Think greyage meat and you've got the idea. Sent it back, got an second one, still had no pink, let alone red. Gave up and ate it, cuz it wasn't inedible, just unenjoyable. None of the 4 of our group ever got a properly cooked or even an enjoyable steak in the MDR. It's not that they can't do steak right because the ones we had in an upcharge restaurant on board were excellent.

 

Same trip I ordered the Beef Wellington, something I usually love. Not crisp on the outside. Soggy on the inside of the 'crust'. Cut it down the middle and pulled off the entire outside to get to the meat, cuz the outside was inedible. Meat in the middle was cooked thru, but cold. Unpalatable, but not inedible.

 

Most desserts are simple big pans of cake with sweet icing. Stopped eating them on day 2. Went to Cafe Al Bacio and got better deserts and cappuccinos that didn't take 20 minutes to arrive, which of course made them cool, which isn't the idea of coffee.

 

Was running a bit late one evening. Went to the MDR and asked if we could move our reservation later. Was told no. Ate at the buffet, which had surprisingly good indian food, but not the atmosphere we were looking for.

 

Is the food inedible? Some yes. Mostly no. Is it up to your standards? Maybe. Make up your own mind. We did and moved on.

[nancyshaw]

From folks who book steerage and weren't sailing in the golden years.

 

On our last Celebrity I ordered the Jerk Chicken, basically a roast chicken. That simply made it badly named. What made it inedible happened when I cut down to the bone and found it blood red, with gelatinous, uncooked cold meat. Put me off even ordering another one to replace it.

 

Same trip I ordered a medium rare steak. It came well done. Think greyage meat and you've got the idea. Sent it back, got an second one, still had no pink, let alone red. Gave up and ate it, cuz it wasn't inedible, just unenjoyable. None of the 4 of our group ever got a properly cooked or even an enjoyable steak in the MDR. It's not that they can't do steak right because the ones we had in an upcharge restaurant on board were excellent.

 

Same trip I ordered the Beef Wellington, something I usually love. Not crisp on the outside. Soggy on the inside of the 'crust'. Cut it down the middle and pulled off the entire outside to get to the meat, cuz the outside was inedible. Meat in the middle was cooked thru, but cold. Unpalatable, but not inedible.

 

Most desserts are simple big pans of cake with sweet icing. Stopped eating them on day 2. Went to Cafe Al Bacio and got better deserts and cappuccinos that didn't take 20 minutes to arrive, which of course made them cool, which isn't the idea of coffee.

 

Was running a bit late one evening. Went to the MDR and asked if we could move our reservation later. Was told no. Ate at the buffet, which had surprisingly good indian food, but not the atmosphere we were looking for.

 

Is the food inedible? Some yes. Mostly no. Is it up to your standards? Maybe. Make up your own mind. We did and moved on.

 

Thank you for your post. That was our experience in MDR as well on the Eclipse and two cruises on the Infinity.

[villauk]

From folks who book steerage and weren't sailing in the golden years.

 

On our last Celebrity I ordered the Jerk Chicken, basically a roast chicken. That simply made it badly named. What made it inedible happened when I cut down to the bone and found it blood red, with gelatinous, uncooked cold meat. Put me off even ordering another one to replace it.

 

Same trip I ordered a medium rare steak. It came well done. Think greyage meat and you've got the idea. Sent it back, got an second one, still had no pink, let alone red. Gave up and ate it, cuz it wasn't inedible, just unenjoyable. None of the 4 of our group ever got a properly cooked or even an enjoyable steak in the MDR. It's not that they can't do steak right because the ones we had in an upcharge restaurant on board were excellent.

 

Same trip I ordered the Beef Wellington, something I usually love. Not crisp on the outside. Soggy on the inside of the 'crust'. Cut it down the middle and pulled off the entire outside to get to the meat, cuz the outside was inedible. Meat in the middle was cooked thru, but cold. Unpalatable, but not inedible.

 

Most desserts are simple big pans of cake with sweet icing. Stopped eating them on day 2. Went to Cafe Al Bacio and got better deserts and cappuccinos that didn't take 20 minutes to arrive, which of course made them cool, which isn't the idea of coffee.

 

Was running a bit late one evening. Went to the MDR and asked if we could move our reservation later. Was told no. Ate at the buffet, which had surprisingly good indian food, but not the atmosphere we were looking for.

 

Is the food inedible? Some yes. Mostly no. Is it up to your standards? Maybe. Make up your own mind. We did and moved on.

 

Out of curiosity, which ship?

[AnOnymously]

In YOUR opinion, the food is not better in Blu. Doesn’t make it a fact, no matter how many times you repeat it. Obviously, there are many who disagree with you. Nobody is right or wrong; it’s just an opinion.

And you manage to ignore or quote to offer some fairness to your comment that I was posting against this fairly absolute statement

Celeb food is not inedible, to get better food than you get in the regular MDR, pay for suite or aqua class.

 

MDR used to be good but now needs to be less than to justify paying for a suite. That is just the class structure Celeb now encourages. It is something to come to terms with. Want better, you have to pay for it

Which also doe s not become true however many times posters put it up here

[Mr&MrsBee]

Glad that nancyshaw commented again on how bad the food is on Celebrity. How many times do we have to hear the same story. I think we get the point that she and Doug and Cindy do not like X. I have not cancelled my next cruises. I guess I will go and enjoy myself along with the many other fellow cruisers. I board in 17 days. Hopefully X will still be in business.

[CruisingChick]

Glad that nancyshaw commented again on how bad the food is on Celebrity. How many times do we have to hear the same story. I think we get the point that she and Doug and Cindy do not like X. I have not cancelled my next cruises. I guess I will go and enjoy myself along with the many other fellow cruisers. I board in 17 days. Hopefully X will still be in business.

 

I never seem to lose weight on any cruise I have ever taken. As a matter of fact I always gain weight.

 

Yes, there have been some meals in my past 31 cruises that I can call inedible. If I can't cut it with a knife or chew it then it is inedible. But overall the food on Celebrity is very edible.

[AnOnymously]

Glad that nancyshaw commented again on how bad the food is on Celebrity. How many times do we have to hear the same story. I think we get the point that she and Doug and Cindy do not like X. I have not cancelled my next cruises. I guess I will go and enjoy myself along with the many other fellow cruisers. I board in 17 days. Hopefully X will still be in business.

Glad you told us again how much you like Celebrity, sorry you find it hard to hear that not everybody agrees with you and dares to post that several times as you and others post several times how much you enjoy them.

[NantahalaCruiser]

I agree about Aqua and Suites, we have the option to upgrade. Blu is a much more intimate atmosphere with superior service, and as ghstudio stated, better prepared. I specially enjoy the expanded breakfast menu.

 

The one thing that gets me about Aqua is the price difference based on your cruise. A 14+ day repo can be just a couple hundred over veranda pricing, where as on higher demand 7 day cruises, it can reach $600+. I wouldn't pay $100 per week for Blu on one cruise, and $600 per week on the next.

 

I hope you enjoy Viking Ocean, it looks like a decent option if we start eyeballing the Luxury-Light industry. For river cruises, we're leaning towards Avalon.

When I last checked about a week ago, the 9/6/19 Reflection 12N had an A2 at $1100 pp more than a 1B! I know it's all about supply and demand, but it's hard to understand the demand at that price when the price differential is almost twice the non-discounted price of eating in Murano every night.

[richsea]

And you manage to ignore or quote to offer some fairness to your comment that I was posting against this fairly absolute statement

Which also doe s not become true however many times posters put it up here

I quoted your statement that the food is NOT better in Blu. That is YOUR opinion, not fact. You have stated that more than once like it is a fact.

[Stateroom_Sailor]

From folks who book steerage and weren't sailing in the golden years.

 

What's the best alternative for us steerage passengers?

[Luvcrusn]

And some people insist on posting their likes across many threads and complaining about people who express their opinions which happen to be different.

 

I think readers are entitled to both opinions good and bad and as you keep posting what you think is relevant, so will I. I had those experiences with Celebrity and I do wonder why people are willing to pay for something that I found below par for the price. That may be minority opinion on here but that is not surprising is it, when there is always an outcry when someone posts negative comments, like the ones that started this thread, with their integrity being impugned with comments like

It seems like the post quoted wasn't read or understood. The attack is unwarranted.

[nancyshaw]

What's the best alternative for us steerage passengers?

 

Sorry to those that hate to see me answer here, but it is a question and I will answer it. Just dont read my posts if you find them repetitive or annoying, as I skip over the ones I dont like for the same reasons.

 

I have said numerous times, that the alternative is the Grill in the OVC. If and when we sail Celeb again, that will be our go to place to eat if the MDR does not improve. With Luminae and Blu, I cant see the logic in Celeb improving the MDR if they want to sell suites and they do.

[ghstudio]

P T Barnum was obviously right.....

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[shipshape sam]

What's the best alternative for us steerage passengers?

 

McDonalds once in port?

 

We like the frozen burgers at the Mast grill. Also like the hot fries when they are busy.

 

We have had great food in MDR and BLU and OVC on our last cruise this past January on Silhouette. We had food not to our liking in BLU and OVC. Only had snails and desert in MDR late one evening to taste the snails to see if they were the same as served in BLU and they were. Both desert and snails were good.

 

I would think that most people would have something they disliked on a cruise and if it grows to multiple dining experiences over the cruise, it becomes inedible?

[shipshape sam]

Sorry to those that hate to see me answer here, but it is a question and I will answer it. Just dont read my posts if you find them repetitive or annoying, as I skip over the ones I dont like for the same reasons.

 

I have said numerous times, that the alternative is the Grill in the OVC. If and when we sail Celeb again, that will be our go to place to eat if the MDR does not improve. With Luminae and Blu, I cant see the logic in Celeb improving the MDR if they want to sell suites and they do.

 

There is also pressure to create a difference in food quality/presentation/offering

to justify speciality restaurants too.

 

In full disclosure, we go to speciality restaurants even when we booked BLU. Do not see Luminae in our crystal ball future.

[nancyshaw]

"There is also pressure to create a difference in food quality/presentation/offering

to justify speciality restaurants too."

 

Yes of course.

[nancyshaw]

I would think that most people would have something they disliked on a cruise and if it grows to multiple dining experiences over the cruise, it becomes inedible?

 

Yes, I agree with that as well.

[Luvcrusn]

Sorry to those that hate to see me answer here, but it is a question and I will answer it. Just dont read my posts if you find them repetitive or annoying, as I skip over the ones I dont like for the same reasons.

 

I have said numerous times, that the alternative is the Grill in the OVC. If and when we sail Celeb again, that will be our go to place to eat if the MDR does not improve. With Luminae and Blu, I cant see the logic in Celeb improving the MDR if they want to sell suites and they do.

I think that the mathematics of your suggestion, however heartfelt they may be just don't add up. There are far fewer Aqua Class a suites combined than inside, ocean view, verandah and concierge. If celebrity were to sail suites and aqua full, leaving the other categories at odds to fend for themselves in OVC and not offer food MDR options, they'd soon find their ships sailing at way less than capacity. That would seem to be a poor business decision on their part. The bulk of their business sails in neither suites nor Aqua.

[nancyshaw]

I think that the mathematics of your suggestion, however heartfelt they may be just don't add up. There are far fewer Aqua Class a suites combined than inside, ocean view, verandah and concierge. If celebrity were to sail suites and aqua full, leaving the other categories at odds to fend for themselves in OVC and not offer food MDR options, they'd soon find their ships sailing at way less than capacity. That would seem to be a poor business decision on their part. The bulk of their business sails in neither suites nor Aqua.

 

The newer Edge has many more suites than the older ships. I understand why they would offer a better dining product for those paying more. No issue there. Pay more get a better product.

[Luvcrusn]

The newer Edge has many more suites than the older ships. I understand why they would offer a better dining product for those paying more. No issue there. Pay more get a better product.

To each their own. Those, like you, who don't enjoy the Celebrity non Aqua or suite MDR options or are unwilling to only eat at the grill in OVC may choose other vacation options. Many more, myself included will continue to sail X and not only eat in, but also enjoy the MDR when not sailing Aqua. If we get a dish not to our liking, we'll be offered something else and choose another dish. I hope whatever your choices they are happy ones, for we all work too hard to have precious vacation times spoiled with things that make us unhappy. Vacation should be a relaxing, time to enjoy the good fortune we have to be healthy, and prosperous enough to do wonderful things and make great memories.

[Luvcrusn]

I will agree with that: we all like different things. I find Blu very claustrophobic - the tables are so close together that it would put me off booking Aqua (together with the position of the majority of the cabins). Whenever we have experienced the Elite Afternoon Tea in there, I have felt like I’m sitting on the lap of the person next to me. On Reflection, the gentleman sitting to my left, actually turned his plate to me and asked if I wanted the half of scone he’d left :eek:!

 

So, yes, we all do like different things and can choose accordingly ;).

Was it blueberry or cranberry walnut?;p :')

[Stateroom_Sailor]

McDonalds once in port?

 

We like the frozen burgers at the Mast grill. Also like the hot fries when they are busy.

 

We have had great food in MDR and BLU and OVC on our last cruise this past January on Silhouette. We had food not to our liking in BLU and OVC. Only had snails and desert in MDR late one evening to taste the snails to see if they were the same as served in BLU and they were. Both desert and snails were good.

 

I would think that most people would have something they disliked on a cruise and if it grows to multiple dining experiences over the cruise, it becomes inedible?

 

Well, I've not complained that the food was inedible. Guy's Burgers, the Buffet, and anything red meat now offered in Carnival's MDR, I consider pretty close. RCCL's soups were underwhelming, and their repetitive sides got obnoxious. The only dishes I've had on Celebrity that I didn't like, were the beef carpaccio, and some kind of butternut squash/duck dish, that looked like bacon over lintels. We haven't been spoiled yet with higher luxury on land or sea, but for now we're happy with Celebrity's food. We'll see how HAL compares next month, as we try another "steerage" option.

[Bo1953]

I will agree with that: we all like different things. I find Blu very claustrophobic - the tables are so close together that it would put me off booking Aqua (together with the position of the majority of the cabins). Whenever we have experienced the Elite Afternoon Tea in there, I have felt like I’m sitting on the lap of the person next to me. On Reflection, the gentleman sitting to my left, actually turned his plate to me and asked if I wanted the half of scone he’d left :eek:!

 

So, yes, we all do like different things and can choose accordingly ;).

 

I trust that you graciously accepted the offering!

 

LOL

 

Bon voyage