No more prime rib?

[Pinboy]

28 minutes ago, kirtihk said:

just a cabin (like in a motel).

" like a motel "------Not the ones we stay in !!

( Stay the whole night and receive 25% off.

Bonus of another 25% off if you point out the room where drugs are being sold ).

 

[terrydtx]

This picture of a Celebrity's ships pantry was smuggled out by a crew member.

 

[kirtihk]

1 hour ago, terrydtx said:

This picture of a Celebrity's ships pantry was smuggled out by a crew member.

 

Let's go fibreless!

[terrydtx]

4 minutes ago, kirtihk said:

Let's go fibreless!

That creates another new problem with the sanitary sewer system on the ship!!

[mnocket]

20 hours ago, SSFrance69 said:

We decided to try Oceana for the first time and are sailing this March. The food looks incredible. When I started cruising with Celebrity, it was back in the good old Michel Roux days. How I miss that food. I do have a Summit cruise booked for July in Aqua. Has anyone heard of cut backs in Blu, or is that business as usual at this point?

Cheers

I've been looking at O too.  From reading their forum here on CC it seems that they too have some cutbacks, but not to the extent that loyal customers are up in arms.  The most significant complaint to me is that O seems to have implemented a "go slow" campaign to reduce climate impact.  In reality it's a corporate decision to reduce ship speeds to save fuel. Unfortunately, the result has been shorter time in ports because it takes longer to get there.  Time in port seems to be significantly less than promised in the itineraries.  I'm continuing to monitor this as I consider sailing on O in the future.

[Lastdance]

I am going with Viking for my next booked cruise; however, I need the right itinerary and more research.  Yes, it will be more expensive, but that is the price you pay for a product you feel will check the boxes.  I would rather do one great cruise than two that are just so-so.  Now, the gym's size is an issue for both of us, so that will be a problem if a longer cruise is chosen.  Honestly, I hav been wanting to do a Viking cruise for quite some time.

Edited January 17, 2023 by Lastdance

[kirtihk]

12 minutes ago, mnocket said:

I've been looking at O too.  From reading their forum here on CC it seems that they too have some cutbacks, but not to the extent that loyal customers are up in arms.  The most significant complaint to me is that O seems to have implemented a "go slow" campaign to reduce climate impact.  In reality it's a corporate decision to reduce ship speeds to save fuel. Unfortunately, the result has been shorter time in ports because it takes longer to get there.  Time in port seems to be significantly less than promised in the itineraries.  I'm continuing to monitor this as I consider sailing on O in the future.

I remember 1 old cut back in Blu a few years ago: on our first Aqua cruise there was a special breakfast moving muesli station - a waiter was coming with a cart having multiple available ingredients and berries to make your own muesli; it was so delicious!  Then a year later we had another Aqua cruise, and that station was gone.  When we asked, the answer was "What is a muesli station? I don't understand you."

[Orator]

1 hour ago, Lastdance said:

I am going with Viking for my next booked cruise; however, I need the right itinerary and more research.  Yes, it will be more expensive, but that is the price you pay for a product you feel will check the boxes.  I would rather do one great cruise than two that are just so-so.  Now, the gym's size is an issue for both of us, so that will be a problem if a longer cruise is chosen.  Honestly, I hav been wanting to do a Viking cruise for quite some time.

Recently did the Viking Neptune cruise and it was great! Speakers were excellent! Food was better than Celebrity. I thought that Celebrity's entertainment was better. But there is no charge for specially and they have one free excursion at each port. Go to the Viking board if you need more information.

[natshala]

5 hours ago, kirtihk said:

I remember 1 old cut back in Blu a few years ago: on our first Aqua cruise there was a special breakfast moving muesli station - a waiter was coming with a cart having multiple available ingredients and berries to make your own muesli; it was so delicious!  Then a year later we had another Aqua cruise, and that station was gone.  When we asked, the answer was "What is a muesli station? I don't understand you."

I remember the muesli cart. 

[NMTraveller]

The Cruise Planner claims that the menus were created by a Michelin starred chef?  Really?

[cruisemom42]

7 hours ago, mnocket said:

Time in port seems to be significantly less than promised in the itineraries.  I'm continuing to monitor this as I consider sailing on O in the future.

 

Thanks for pointing that out. This is a real red flag for me, since I cruise primarily for the experiences in port.

[Orator]

7 hours ago, mnocket said:

I've been looking at O too.  From reading their forum here on CC it seems that they too have some cutbacks, but not to the extent that loyal customers are up in arms.  The most significant complaint to me is that O seems to have implemented a "go slow" campaign to reduce climate impact.  In reality it's a corporate decision to reduce ship speeds to save fuel. Unfortunately, the result has been shorter time in ports because it takes longer to get there.  Time in port seems to be significantly less than promised in the itineraries.  I'm continuing to monitor this as I consider sailing on O in the future.

Not too slow. On a cruise on Riviera they averaged over 20knots. We were early into every port. I just didn’t feel that Oceania met my expectations. Preferred Viking. Crystal was by far the best. Need to see prices that the new owners want.

[Keys Kathy]

1 hour ago, NMTraveller said:

The Cruise Planner claims that the menus were created by a Michelin starred chef?  Really?

More like the Michelin Man. All the meat is tough as rubber.

Maybe they now have negative Michelin stars?

Edited January 18, 2023 by Keys Kathy
added

[NMTraveller]

 

 

Edited January 18, 2023 by NMTraveller

[jbcallender]

On 1/13/2023 at 9:57 PM, bikerunner said:

Question is how should Celebrity handle the increase in Food Cost overall....raise rates etc.  HonestlyI get sirloin at my favorite farm, I buy from the the farmer, not stores and it has been way better than any filet I have had.  I been to the top steakhouses in the U.S. etc so go at me on it if you want.  I have the chef, grad from Hyde Park background overall, but ended up in mgmt.  People get blinded and thinking filet mignon etc is the best, makes them feel better overall, ie luxury.   It's all perception in my opinion.  For example I have done wine tastings with friends who are tru sommeliers, there have been many people who picked the 15 bottle of wine vs the 200 bottle.  Blind test,  

Sorry, I've been in the upscal hotel business for a 40 year career.  Every Steak Diane I've ever seen is cut from a tenderloin.   What they are serving is sirloin with mushroom sauce and green beans.  This menu would be at home in a nice cafeteria.  No question this is about down-costing the menu.

 

Sirloin can be prepared very nicely, but I ain;t paying $70 bucks a plate for it as I would for a filet in a decent prime chophouse.

[Solent Richard]

18 hours ago, Lastdance said:

I am going with Viking for my next booked cruise; however, I need the right itinerary and more research.  Yes, it will be more expensive, but that is the price you pay for a product you feel will check the boxes.  I would rather do one great cruise than two that are just so-so.  Now, the gym's size is an issue for both of us, so that will be a problem if a longer cruise is chosen.  Honestly, I hav been wanting to do a Viking cruise for quite some time.

You may be interested in my Viking cruise for which I added a comprehensive review to my cruise blog...

 

https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2015/12/28/viking-star-a-taste-of-something-different/

 

I haven't included a photograph of the Gym in my blog so here it is from my Misc collection...

 

 

[terrydtx]

17 hours ago, Orator said:

Recently did the Viking Neptune cruise and it was great! Speakers were excellent! Food was better than Celebrity. I thought that Celebrity's entertainment was better. But there is no charge for specially and they have one free excursion at each port. Go to the Viking board if you need more information.

Looked at VO but their policy of full payment 12+ months out is a deal breaker for me. No way I give them $15K or more up front to hold for 12 or more months. We are trying Oceania in 2025 and do not have to pay until 90days out.

[NMTraveller]

5 minutes ago, Solent Richard said:

You may be interested in my Viking cruise for which I added a comprehensive review to my cruise blog...

 

https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2015/12/28/viking-star-a-taste-of-something-different/

 

I haven't included a photograph of the Gym in my blog so here it is from my Misc collection...

 

 

Wow.  There menus look a lot better than the Sizzler type menus that X currently has.  Thanks.

[rmalbers]

I've mentioned it in a couple of threads:  I did Viking cruise in the Great Lakes at the end of the summer on Octantis.  As I've said before, it was an eye opener after cruising on X almost exclusively.  It was a full ship, except a few rooms had solo travelers, which is less than 378 people.  It was only crowded on decks at sail away, Mackinac bridge and the locks, at all other times it was like I was the only one on the ship.   There was always a very nice, comfortable place to sit. One thing, I really don't consider the sit down restaurants as 'specialty restaurants', they sort of are but they seem more like small main dining rooms but that's ok.  The food was better than X for sure.  The beer selection was kind of strange but I got by.  The crew was a little older and very good at their jobs.  The only thing I didn't get to do was the submarine but very few people did (wind/weather).  I have an X cruise coming up in a couple of weeks and VO cruise at the end of the summer, we'll see how those two go.   They do demand payment early but don't a lot of the cruise companies that only have smaller ships, not sure?  The people that were on V exp. were a different demographic than on X, in several ways. 

[terrydtx]

2 minutes ago, rmalbers said:

They do demand payment early but don't a lot of the cruise companies that only have smaller ships, not sure?  The people that were on V exp. were a different demographic than on X, in several ways. 

Oceania doesn't which is why we are trying them in 2025. Oceania FP is 90 days out.

[NutsAboutGolf]

10 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

 

 

 

X Marketing at their finest: "Enjoy Michelin* restaurants!"  *Our entrees taste like Michelin tires and should not to be confused with Michelin stars

[terrydtx]

4 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

X Marketing at their finest: "Enjoy Michelin* restaurants!"  *Our entrees taste like Michelin tires and should not to be confused with Michelin stars

On the Reflection last year in Luminae we had the Rib Eye steak, and it was so tough our steak knife couldn't cut it. When we did cut a bite, we couldn't chew it. It was a running joke with suites passengers the rest of the cruise. Comments from being served old milk cows to vulcanized beef were heard many times.

Edited January 18, 2023 by terrydtx

[drevil0208]

Why do all of these threads about food on Celebrity end up being a place for people to recommend another cruise line?  It's almost like employees of those cruise lines sit here waiting to pounce!

[NMTraveller]

3 minutes ago, drevil0208 said:

Why do all of these threads about food on Celebrity end up being a place for people to recommend another cruise line?  It's almost like employees of those cruise lines sit here waiting to pounce!

That is what happens when you downgrade the experience to something that is less than it was before.  Time to jump ship to a better experience.  It is because Xs current cruisers are looking for a new cruise line that meets their expectations and not a downgraded experience.  

 

Some cruisers cruise on different lines and have recommendations to give.

Edited January 18, 2023 by NMTraveller

[rmalbers]

8 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

Oceania doesn't which is why we are trying them in 2025. Oceania FP is 90 days out.

Interesting, I did a quick search and it sounds like with Viking, if your TA is in 'good standing' the final payment lead time is somewhat negotiable.   I don't really have a big problem with it, in fact I sort of like having things paid for BUT the important part is to have travel insurance that covers the deposit, in case something happens!  Our TA does a 'variable' travel insurance plan/s for Viking cruisers that handles that issue.