Beyond Luminae

[dreamer321]

Eden and Le Voyage aren't available because of nasty people like me who pre-book two nights in each pre-cruise. I may or may not cancel one night in each depending on the menus in the main dining rooms.

 

P. S. I'm staying in a lowly inside cabin but I planned ahead.

 

P.P.S. I'm not on this cruise so you can't blame me directly but I'm booked on Beyond's January 23 cruise which is now showing Eden completely sold out and very little available in Le Voyage.

Edited November 29, 2022 by dreamer321

[Mark_T]

5 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

There's still time to buy the specialty dining package

... which will still leave you fighting to get a reservation once onboard...

 

We don't use the packages just for that reason alone, booking well in advance seems to be the requirement these days if you want any certainty regarding where and when you will be dining...

[H2OH!]

2 hours ago, Mark_T said:

... which will still leave you fighting to get a reservation once onboard...

 

We don't use the packages just for that reason alone, booking well in advance seems to be the requirement these days if you want any certainty regarding where and when you will be dining...

 

Exactly.

[jelayne]

7 hours ago, 4-2-N-8 said:

Are passengers in these staterooms differentiated by service from staff compared to that afforded guests in other cabins? From what I gather on this site, not really, which seems to cause consternation for some in the higher suites.

 

I also have deduced from comments that the Celebrity Suite and Sky Suite passengers get little more than access to the Retreat and Luminae venues. Based upon critique of Luminae food quality, a terrible reason for Celebrity to bill such higher prices for those rooms.

 

 

High end suites come with amenities like unlimited specialty dining, so in that regard they do get different treatment as they have priority for specialty dining. Which, to me seems reasonable as they paid more for those amenities. 
 

As one who books SS and CS I wouldn’t agree that we “get little more than access to the Retreat and Luminae”.  We also get the same excellent service from the same waiters, bar tenders, cabin attendants, butlers, pool attendants.  Enjoying a drink in the Retreat, dining in Luminae, or lounging at the Sun Deck I have never noticed any difference in service that would lead me to think, ahh that couple is in the PH.

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

2 hours ago, jelayne said:

High end suites come with amenities like unlimited specialty dining, so in that regard they do get different treatment as they have priority for specialty dining. Which, to me seems reasonable as they paid more for those amenities. 
 

As one who books SS and CS I wouldn’t agree that we “get little more than access to the Retreat and Luminae”.  We also get the same excellent service from the same waiters, bar tenders, cabin attendants, butlers, pool attendants.  Enjoying a drink in the Retreat, dining in Luminae, or lounging at the Sun Deck I have never noticed any difference in service that would lead me to think, ahh that couple is in the PH.

Good to know if ever I sail in that category room, but not likely. My point is that, based upon comments I've read from various threads on this site, there isn't a lot of support for those room types pre-cruise, and some get uptight as a result.

 

I just hope that passengers in the Retreat area are respectful enough of everyone else to not be chair hogs. That's just rude, inconsiderate behavior. Shouldn't have to rely upon staff to move chair hog towels/belongings.

 

I also hope they iron out the Cobb Salad issue for embarkation lunch (not for me, as I don't eat those salads, but for others so they don't get riled up). 

 

It's a boat ride. Breath in, breath out...

 

 😄

Edited November 29, 2022 by 4-2-N-8

[Oceangoer2]

13 hours ago, H2OH! said:

Our butler told us due to online reservations, they are sold out and that they don’t hold as many slots for suites like they use to

Seemed to have solved that problem to some extent on the Equinox.  We had made 6pm (1st reservation time) months ahead for Murano.  When we arrived the restaurant was full and we were seated what seemed to be an overflow table.  When DH asked the M'D how all these folks arrived at 6 we were told they opened at 5:30pm and seated walk-ins and other requests.  The staff was swamped and our service affected.  Wonder if the other ships are doing the same.

[Cruising Princess]

Update:

First night since we didn’t like the Luminae dinner menu we went to Fine Cut Steakhouse.  Bottom line….Steaks overcooked, and all side dishes luke warm. And our premium red wine as ice cold.  But service was top notch and of course we tipped very well. 
 

day 2 - had dinner in Luminae for chic night - the waiter kept messing up the sequence we wanted appetizers delivered to the table.  He gave me an amuse-bouche that had caviar on top right after I told him I have serious allergic reaction to any fish or seafood.  He appeared very inexperienced but he tried hard.  
 

Onion soup had just a few onions and no taste.  The ribeye was very oddly shaped and super thick.  It had the texture and taste of prime rib.  I questioned the head of Luminae.  He said it’s a different cut of ribeye!  That’s a head scratcher.  

 

But the worst item was the escargot. They changed the vessel to one with very small shallow holes. This results in the escargot being cut in small pieces to fit and very little room for the garlic butter.  Hubby asked if they had the other plates the older ships still use and was told no.  “This is the same as the Apex.”   We heard that response about a lot of items.  Guess I’m never going on the Apex!

 

Luminae was dead at 8 pm. I am guessing folks either eat early or someplace else.  
 

For those booked to sail….there are still millions of pluses like the attentive retreat staff, the crew and officers.  Everyone is super friendly.  And the Captain is the funniest I have ever encountered in over 60+ cruises.  
 

I’ll do a review when I get home.  
And yes, any deficiencies are mentioned very politely and out of ear shot of others.  

[Oceangoer2]

8 minutes ago, Cruising Princess said:

 He gave me an amuse-bouche that had caviar on top right after I told him I have serious allergic reaction to any fish or seafood.

Each amuse bouche we received had fish of some sort within.  The staff was told repeatedly I was allergic to fish or seafood.  Our experience with food in Luminae the same as yours as well as the filet mignon in Tuscan as being not the best.  Dined from the MDR menu most dinners.  Wondering why the menu is so limited and with the many comments, others are feeling the same.

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

37 minutes ago, Cruising Princess said:

Update:

First night since we didn’t like the Luminae dinner menu we went to Fine Cut Steakhouse.  Bottom line….Steaks overcooked, and all side dishes luke warm. And our premium red wine as ice cold.  But service was top notch and of course we tipped very well. 
 

day 2 - had dinner in Luminae for chic night - the waiter kept messing up the sequence we wanted appetizers delivered to the table.  He gave me an amuse-bouche that had caviar on top right after I told him I have serious allergic reaction to any fish or seafood.  He appeared very inexperienced but he tried hard.  
 

Onion soup had just a few onions and no taste.  The ribeye was very oddly shaped and super thick.  It had the texture and taste of prime rib.  I questioned the head of Luminae.  He said it’s a different cut of ribeye!  That’s a head scratcher.  

 

But the worst item was the escargot. They changed the vessel to one with very small shallow holes. This results in the escargot being cut in small pieces to fit and very little room for the garlic butter.  Hubby asked if they had the other plates the older ships still use and was told no.  “This is the same as the Apex.”   We heard that response about a lot of items.  Guess I’m never going on the Apex!

 

Luminae was dead at 8 pm. I am guessing folks either eat early or someplace else.  
 

For those booked to sail….there are still millions of pluses like the attentive retreat staff, the crew and officers.  Everyone is super friendly.  And the Captain is the funniest I have ever encountered in over 60+ cruises.  
 

I’ll do a review when I get home.  
And yes, any deficiencies are mentioned very politely and out of ear shot of others.  

That's it! I'm bringing a pocket full of my own garden snails! I'll cook 'em myself on my balcony. 

[RedneckBob]

1 hour ago, Cruising Princess said:

Update:

First night since we didn’t like the Luminae dinner menu we went to Fine Cut Steakhouse.  Bottom line….Steaks overcooked, and all side dishes luke warm. And our premium red wine as ice cold.  But service was top notch and of course we tipped very well. 
 

day 2 - had dinner in Luminae for chic night - the waiter kept messing up the sequence we wanted appetizers delivered to the table.  He gave me an amuse-bouche that had caviar on top right after I told him I have serious allergic reaction to any fish or seafood.  He appeared very inexperienced but he tried hard.  
 

Onion soup had just a few onions and no taste.  The ribeye was very oddly shaped and super thick.  It had the texture and taste of prime rib.  I questioned the head of Luminae.  He said it’s a different cut of ribeye!  That’s a head scratcher.  

 

But the worst item was the escargot. They changed the vessel to one with very small shallow holes. This results in the escargot being cut in small pieces to fit and very little room for the garlic butter.  Hubby asked if they had the other plates the older ships still use and was told no.  “This is the same as the Apex.”   We heard that response about a lot of items.  Guess I’m never going on the Apex!

 

Luminae was dead at 8 pm. I am guessing folks either eat early or someplace else.  
 

For those booked to sail….there are still millions of pluses like the attentive retreat staff, the crew and officers.  Everyone is super friendly.  And the Captain is the funniest I have ever encountered in over 60+ cruises.  
 

I’ll do a review when I get home.  
And yes, any deficiencies are mentioned very politely and out of ear shot of others.  

Thanks for the info. Never was too impressed with this dining venue.

 

We just got off the Beyond on 11/20/22. The Captain was Great. He announced the day perform we would arrive back at Port Everglades that this was his first time sailing into the Port but don’t worry and he said, “I took on an online class, www.howtosailyourvessel.com, so no problem sailing into port.” 😀

[George C]

We also are not that happy with luminae on beyond so far , sent a few things back yesterday but todays breakfast and lunch were very nice. I really prefer service and food on the other class ships. Last years Edge luminae was definitely better but they gave us extra priority because of penthouse. But retreat outside area is so nice. 

[jelayne]

We were on the Beyond TA and other than the Cobb Salad food was quite good. The service was excellent.  I also don’t eat fish or seafood and after the 1st night when the amuse-bouchée had fish, I always ask, every other evening I got either berries or something without seafood.  
 

There were lot of crew whose contracts ended with the sailing before the TA so we had a lot of new crew on the ship,  but not noticeable in Luminae or the Retreat Lounge where everyone we interacted with was very experienced.  However many of them were leaving at the end of the TA or when the ship arrived in Florida.  Among those leaving was the Luminae MD, our wonderful sommelier, our waiter, assistant waiter and the bread person. We had the same table every night.  Also our cabin attendant, Butler and at least two of the Retreat Lounge staff were headed home for vacation. 
 

So it may be that part of the current issue with Luminae is a number of new staff

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

2 hours ago, RedneckBob said:

Thanks for the info. Never was too impressed with this dining venue.

 

We just got off the Beyond on 11/20/22. The Captain was Great. He announced the day perform we would arrive back at Port Everglades that this was his first time sailing into the Port but don’t worry and he said, “I took on an online class, www.howtosailyourvessel.com, so no problem sailing into port.” 😀

Bob, I'm questioning your "Red Neck" street cred, what with having sailed on the Beyond.

 

Were you in an inside cabin? Preferably with nine people in one room? Then, maybe, you're the real deal. 🦖

[CHEZMARYLOU]

20 hours ago, jelayne said:

 Soup I think is cold my DH thinks is perfect.  If the soup isn’t hot enough for me I just send it back, twice if necessary.  The staff learns very quickly that I like very hot food and by day 3 at the latest they deliver my food wearing gloves or hot pads. 

I did this the 1st couple of times in Lunimae on our shared cruise on Edge. The server very quickly learned my tastes and also used hot pads. It became a standing joke but should not have been necessary. 

[abbydancer2003]

6 hours ago, Cruising Princess said:

 

Onion soup had just a few onions and no taste.  The ribeye was very oddly shaped and super thick.  It had the texture and taste of prime rib.  I questioned the head of Luminae.  He said it’s a different cut of ribeye!  That’s a head scratcher.  

 

 

 

 

The Luminae ribeye is like that on every ship.  I googled Center Cut ribeye, and that's what it is.  Here's something from a description of it:

 

 These intensely flavorful steaks are cut from the very heart of the rib section, removing the cap and all the fat that you usually find in a Ribeye. 

 

Apparently that's what Luminae serves.  So they're not technically wrong, it is a ribeye.   The picture, btw, looks like what they serve.

[jelayne]

1 hour ago, abbydancer said:

The Luminae ribeye is like that on every ship.  I googled Center Cut ribeye, and that's what it is.  Here's something from a description of it:

 

 These intensely flavorful steaks are cut from the very heart of the rib section, removing the cap and all the fat that you usually find in a Ribeye. 

 

Apparently that's what Luminae serves.  So they're not technically wrong, it is a ribeye.   The picture, btw, looks like what they serve.

 You are correct.  My father was a butcher and those were the only steaks we ever had.  Way back then the center cut were called Delmonico steaks and were the most expensive.

[RedneckBob]

3 hours ago, 4-2-N-8 said:

Bob, I'm questioning your "Red Neck" street cred, what with having sailed on the Beyond.

 

Were you in an inside cabin? Preferably with nine people in one room? Then, maybe, you're the real deal. 🦖

Heavens no. Could you please pass the grey poupon. 

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

39 minutes ago, RedneckBob said:

Heavens no. Could you please pass the grey poupon. 

🤣😅😂

[Desert Steve]

On 11/28/2022 at 1:26 PM, Cruising Princess said:

Currently on Beyond with my hubby.
We ate lunch in Luminae on embarkation day yesterday. Very dissatisfied with the quality of the food. Frozen butter, cold soup, undercooked thick cubes of bacon in Cobb salad with watery under seasoned chicken (all 5 small bite sized pieces), undercooked thick French Fries that tasted like the kind you get in freezer bag from food store, and a apple berry crumble that was dry dry dry like they forgot to add butter to the crumble. 

Worst is that Celebrity changed a lot of the dishes on the menu for the rest of the week.  Gone are some of the expensive cuts of meat and fish.  The menus just do not look appealing. 
Tonight is Chic night. I’ll share feedback/update in next few days. 

We were on the Beyond last month and also felt the menu was lacking the best dishes from prior cruises.

 

[jkijek]

Any recommendations on the best place to eat at embarkation if not Luminae?

[dreamer321]

1 hour ago, jkijek said:

Any recommendations on the best place to eat at embarkation if not Luminae?

I'm assuming you are asking about embarkation lunch. 

Either Le Grand Bistro or Raw on 5 it is open for lunch and would be good choices.

[George C]

2 hours ago, jkijek said:

Any recommendations on the best place to eat at embarkation if not Luminae?

I thought lunch on embarkation day was really good, that's the only lunch that they offered lobster roll.  Had a nice dinner yesterday we had brought a bottle of Silverado Cabernet and we both liked the entrees.  

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

2 hours ago, jkijek said:

Any recommendations on the best place to eat at embarkation if not Luminae?

Luminae sounds more dreadful a place by the hour!

 

I'm starting to feel sorry for those who are stuck with this as their only dining option.

Edited November 30, 2022 by 4-2-N-8

[TeeRick]

Almost booked Beyond this week.  But I am hesitating because there are a lot of trusted cruisers here on CC that have not had the best experiences (yet).  Maybe I will wait a tad bit more.

[tfred]

1 hour ago, 4-2-N-8 said:

Luminae sounds more dreadful a place by the hour!

 

I'm starting to feel sorry for those who are stuck with this as their only dining option.

it isn't the only dining option - you can go to the MDR

 

Food is wildly subjective.  Food in Luminae is "inventive" so if you are the "I know what I like" or "I only eat what I eat" then Luminae is going to be a problem.  We like it but you have to be a "foodie" 

 

The Luminae menu isn't 14 pages long with Chicken Parm and Baked Ziti on the menu.  There are the everyday items Chicken, Steaks and salmon plus the kids menu.