Oceanview Cafe dinner service being eliminated?

[LMaxwell]

There are several, uncorroborated, reports that the Oceanview Cafe dinner service is going to be suspended in 2023. I don't know if this is a test, set in stone, a few ships or all ships. Has anyone heard anything to this effect? Anything published somewhere? Some of the best meals on vacation are dinner in the Oceanview; love the cheese and hummus setup, get a nice dinner made to order at stir fry and usually sit out by one of the aft facing bars over the water. Can't get that view for any amount of $$$$ in a specialty restaurant, and it suits the 'If you aren't going to dress up, stay out of MDR' cries I face (only on social media though, never in person). 

 

I sincerely hope this is a false rumor or bad information and that Oceanview Cafe dinner service continues as it is/has been.  

[garyl62]

Where you hear/read these "uncorrolaborated" reports?  Personally I've never heard anything like that but if you let people know where you received this information it could help determine it's accuracy. 

[LMaxwell]

4 minutes ago, garyl62 said:

Where you hear/read these "uncorrolaborated" reports?  Personally I've never heard anything like that but if you let people know where you received this information it could help determine it's accuracy. 

It's going around on non-cruise affiliated social media sites.  

Someone reported the new room service charges and was told they were wrong; well they posted screenshots from the app of ship they are aboard and that was true. Another person claimed to be onboard and saying they were told this, but nothing corroborated.  That is why I am extending the question to this forum.  There are more seasoned travelers and those with more connections here. Usually I don't hear things on CC first, but it does suss out fact from fiction better than the non-affiliated social media pages 

[Honolulu Blue]

16 minutes ago, LMaxwell said:

There are several, uncorroborated, reports that the Oceanview Cafe dinner service is going to be suspended in 2023. I don't know if this is a test, set in stone, a few ships or all ships. Has anyone heard anything to this effect? Anything published somewhere? Some of the best meals on vacation are dinner in the Oceanview; love the cheese and hummus setup, get a nice dinner made to order at stir fry and usually sit out by one of the aft facing bars over the water. Can't get that view for any amount of $$$$ in a specialty restaurant, and it suits the 'If you aren't going to dress up, stay out of MDR' cries I face (only on social media though, never in person). 

 

I sincerely hope this is a false rumor or bad information and that Oceanview Cafe dinner service continues as it is/has been.  

I haven't heard anything about this, but I was on the Millie in November and half the buffet area was closed one night. That ship was running maybe half of capacity.

 

I hope they don't do it, but it would be interesting to see if they do.

Edited January 1, 2023 by Honolulu Blue

[LMaxwell]

5 minutes ago, Honolulu Blue said:

I haven't heard anything about this, but I was on the Millie in November and half the buffet area was closed one night. That ship was running maybe half of capacity.

 

I hope they don't do it, but it would be interesting to see if they do.

I think it's fairly common for dinner service to not necessarily have ALL the stations open; it's never as busy as a sea day lunch, for example.  I agree and hope they don't do it.  The only reason would be a benefit to the company; less food expense, less staff expense.  The people who do enjoy the Oceanview will be forced into MDR or pay options; making those even busier without an increase in staffing.  So people who never even utilized the buffet would also somewhat suffer if it is absent.  Not a good move. 

[Kelownadon]

If they close the OVC for dinner we are cancelling our TA next November. We love eating outside on the back deck and do so at least half our nights on a cruise weather permitting. 

[kwokpot]

TBH I don't see this happening. I don't know any mainstream cruiseline that doesn't have it's buffet open for dinner, and Celebrity isn't going to be the first to do it. Whatsmore, none of Celebrity's ships have an alternative no fee food venue for dinner other than the MDRs, so I see zero chance of this happening. 

[gold1953]

33 minutes ago, Kelownadon said:

If they close the OVC for dinner we are cancelling our TA next November. We love eating outside on the back deck and do so at least half our nights on a cruise weather permitting. 

Exactly how we feel!!

[chamima]

1 hour ago, LMaxwell said:

It's going around on non-cruise affiliated social media sites.  

Someone reported the new room service charges and was told they were wrong; well they posted screenshots from the app of ship they are aboard and that was true. Another person claimed to be onboard and saying they were told this, but nothing corroborated.  That is why I am extending the question to this forum.  There are more seasoned travelers and those with more connections here. Usually I don't hear things on CC first, but it does suss out fact from fiction better than the non-affiliated social media pages 

 

No one has commented on this.

What new charges????   😡😱😡

Edited January 1, 2023 by chamima

[BermudaBound2014]

7 minutes ago, chamima said:

 

No one has commented on this.

What new charges????

 

New room service charges are appearing on the reflection app (unless the poster fabricated the screen shot and that's unlikely). Discussion here:

 

 

 

Edited January 1, 2023 by BermudaBound2014

[davekathy]

With all the recent rumors we'll just wait until we are on the ship to see if anything has been eliminated or an additional charge for that specific ship.  

[BermudaBound2014]

1 hour ago, LMaxwell said:

There are several, uncorroborated, reports that the Oceanview Cafe dinner service is going to be suspended in 2023.

 

I'm wondering if it's the term 'service' that is causing issue? Example I can see the Oceanview cafe beverage service might be eliminated. Where you can order a drink from the bar to be brought to the table? I can't see removing the buffet as a cost cutting measure. I would guess they would remove stations, or items, rather than the entire buffet. I'll be on next week and can report. 

[davekathy]

3 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

New room service charges are appearing on the reflection app (unless the poster fabricated the screen shot). 

The new RS charge is showing in the app for our March Apex cruise. Continental breakfast is still at no additional charge. 

[BermudaBound2014]

4 minutes ago, davekathy said:

The new RS charge is showing in the app for our March Apex cruise. Continental breakfast is still at no additional charge. 

 

I'm on the Constellation next week. App does not show room service charges yet. I'll report when onboard. 

[rollnoles2]

Like BermudaBound2, I just checked the app for my March Apex cruise and there is a $9.95 service charge plus 18% gratuity fee for room service (except Continental breakfast).

[chamima]

And I just checked the app for our Feb Equinox sailing and found these. 

We're in aqua so I checked that first.

Then i thought maybe it's only still free for Aqua so I checked  for  other categories.

Still the same.

 

 

Edited January 1, 2023 by chamima

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We are on Reflection right now and I can confirm the $9.95 + 18% room service fee.

[LGW59]

7 minutes ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

We are on Reflection right now and I can confirm the $9.95 + 18% room service fee.

No matter what time, correct?

[chamima]

1 hour ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

We are on Reflection right now and I can confirm the $9.95 + 18% room service fee.

 

 

So I usually tip $2 - $5 for room Service.'

Now that a "service charge" is added to your bill what do you do about cash tips/

And who do you think gets that 18%?

[poffles]

I really hope this is just a rumor and the buffet will not be 'fully closed/removed' for dinner service, this is my first choice for dinner and this would be a major loss. I wouldn't find it so bad if they had more random 'included' walk up venues to order food like some other cruise lines have, this would give options other than the MDR or paid venues.

 

This seems so bizarre to me for them to flood everyone to the MDR.  I really cannot imagine this actually happening but who knows what drives decisions ...though we know money is always in the mix.

Edited January 1, 2023 by poffles

[NutsAboutGolf]

3 hours ago, kwokpot said:

TBH I don't see this happening. I don't know any mainstream cruiseline that doesn't have it's buffet open for dinner, and Celebrity isn't going to be the first to do it. Whatsmore, none of Celebrity's ships have an alternative no fee food venue for dinner other than the MDRs, so I see zero chance of this happening. 

 

100% agree.  I can see greatly reduced, perhaps no more carving station(s)

[Bill Miller]

Yikes!

[twincheryl]

33 minutes ago, poffles said:

I really hope this is just a rumor and the buffet will not be 'fully closed/removed' for dinner service, this is my first choice for dinner and this would be a major loss. I wouldn't find it so bad if they had more random 'included' walk up venues to order food like some other cruise lines have, this would give options other than the MDR or paid venues.

 

Definitely would cancel the 8 cruises we have booked if they do this.  We eat exclusively in Oceanview or specialty, so unless there are other options than MDR, it's a hard pass.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Pre-pandemic, on it's Classic and Dream Class ships, Disney had its buffet area open as a sit-down order-from-a-menu dinner on all but the first and last night of a cruise. Very occasionally it would be closed on other nights for a crew recognition dinner or the like. But it was not a buffet.

 

I'm not sure that it has come back since reopening. I only thought of going once - but didn't as it seemed they took my least favorite items from the MDR menus and put them on the Cabanas menu, so I don't know how popular it was. They used it as a training area for new servers before moving them to the MDRs.

 

(No clue what they're doing with the food hall area on the Wish.)

[Shiba_Lover]

I could see them closing part of the Oceanview, but not the entire thing.  It is typically not busy.  We do the longer cruises and sometimes get tired of being fussed over and the fancier food in Luminae, so like to go to the Oceanview to get just a salad and nobody bothering us much for dinner.  It would be a shame if they eliminated it entirely.  Sometimes people just want a quick bite or something simple.