Awful State of Ocean View Cafe for dinner

[natshala]

2 hours ago, Cap_D said:

Reminder:  Even for suites Luminae is barely open for lunch, as it is closed on port days.  And, on E-Class, the Eden Cafe is open for lunch 1-2 times per sailing, each for an hour or so.  On some Apex Caribbean 7-day itineraries it's only open once for lunch.  

That’s odd. When I was on Beyond 11/27-12/4/22 Eden was open every day for lunch. It was very popular! I had lunch there almost every day. Excellent food.

[MamaFej]

2 hours ago, C-Dragons said:

Would that be lard or chicken fat? 😉

The fat chunk from the canned pork & beans. 

[cruisemom42]

8 hours ago, TopoChico said:

That’s because it’s made from all the passengers who aged-out of X. 

 

Oh no -- SPAM is really........ Soylent Green!!!! 😱😱😱😱

 

Substitute tasty food for Soylent Green.  Celebrity just missed it by one year, amazing:

 

[Guest TopoChico]

10 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Oh no -- SPAM is really........ Soylent Green!!!! 😱😱😱😱

 

Substitute tasty food for Soylent Green.  Celebrity just missed it by one year, amazing:

 

Thanks for “getting it” 😂✌🏼

[Carolyn C]

2 hours ago, bonagrad said:

I've been taking a deep dive into VV and the more I see, the more I'm intrigued.  We've been wanting to make a return to HAL.  In fact we've had the same itinerary booked 3 times that we've ended up cancelling.  We've started doing side-by-sides, because it saves us on air and gives us a longer break from the cold and from work.

Just spent some time looking into VV as well and wow, just wow!  I had falsely assumed they would be very gimmicky and festooned with waterslides. Well I was wrong. Thanks for the tip @bonagrad.

We are also mid-late 40s GenXers with no kids and have enjoyed several Celebrity cruises up until our last one in 2018. Since then have tried Princess and most recently Azamara as their itineraries suited us, neither of which were a patch on the "old" Celebrity and we have (had?) been looking forward to going back to Celebrity in April and Nov this year and again in Nov 2024. I have been following this thread with interest, having also noted a big increase in Celebrity charges for drinks packages, specialty dining, and shore excursions(!) when I logged into my account a week or so ago. Cutbacks to standard, included food offerings is somewhat troubling. So we will see how that all pans out and we will make the most of it. But we are currently looking for alternatives. We prize value for money and we felt Celebrity used to offer this which is why we were looking forward to coming back. VV looks to be very sensible and reasonable in terms of their pricing and inclusions, particularly on the food and beverage front. In typical Virgin style they have come in with a fresh approach and re-designed the cruise experience to some extent. Looks to be no fuss, no hidden surprises. I was pleasantly surprised.

[rpht]

9 hours ago, terrydtx said:

Was your experience anything like the video posted by @Arubamoosewho started this thread?

Yes as far as OVC---we did not use room service

[talljules1]

7 hours ago, Cap_D said:

Reminder:  Even for suites Luminae is barely open for lunch, as it is closed on port days.  And, on E-Class, the Eden Cafe is open for lunch 1-2 times per sailing, each for an hour or so.  On some Apex Caribbean 7-day itineraries it's only open once for lunch.  

I think this is a real disappointment in the retreat. OVC and mast grill is a real step down from luminae (and from porch, sushi on 5 etc) for lunch. Yes, there are burgers and sandwiches on the retreat sundeck - they've always tended to be cold, and it is not a great choice when sailing in cold waters.

[Goldenknight]

We sailed for the first time on Celebrity - -  the Solistice, Jan. 2nd departure.  Thank goodness it was only a five day cruise.  Most mediocre cruise ever, and we will stay with NCL .

Dining options were horrible for those of us in simple oceanview cabins.  Menu selections terrible and food was often cold.  Having the dinner buffet only open 20% was the worst.  Pizza and pasta.  If you think pizza is a reasonable dinner option every single night, then Celebrity is for you.  Pasta was rubbery, cold, inedible.  Soggy pizza great for teenagers.

As for the single main dining room, if you're travelling as a couple, you will be squeezed into two-tops with just INCHES away from the next table.  Totally off-putting, no we don't want to sit on the laps of the couple next to us.  Covid, anyone?  So, we ate the main dining room once, and then the 80% closed dinner buffet on the other nights.  YUCK.

Never again.

 

[Rustyman]

All of these really negative comments, has there been any word from Celebrity by way of explanation or defence? If this continues unanswered then significant damage will be done to the brand, and once you lose customers due to a bad experience it is very difficult to ever get them back on board again.

Hopefully Celebrity are reading this thread and wake up and smell the coffee.

[Honolulu Blue]

18 minutes ago, Rustyman said:

All of these really negative comments, has there been any word from Celebrity by way of explanation or defence? If this continues unanswered then significant damage will be done to the brand, and once you lose customers due to a bad experience it is very difficult to ever get them back on board again.

Hopefully Celebrity are reading this thread and wake up and smell the coffee.

In the earlier post on this topic (now locked and buried several pages deep), several people reported contacting head honcho LLP's office and receiving replies (phone calls) from her staff.  There was some acknowledgement of what they were up to, but little defense.  They did appreciate the feedback and said things could change.  Maybe soon we'll see some notes about more current communications.

[Rustyman]

Thanks Honolulu Blue, the thread is long and I missed that. Fingers crossed common sense prevails as the potential for a big drop in bookings would spell disaster for the cruise line.

[JeanieC,Aston]

Reading some posts regarding cheerleaders,,here’s a question.

I sailed Silhouette last April from Southampton,,,first UK sailing after TA.

 

It was a shambles with lack of crew,shortages or absence of certain drinks like Guinness and Boddies and other failures,I introduced 6 friends with us,,they said never again Celebrity.

 

Now I have booked Silhouette in May from Southampton,exact same itinerary.same ship,same time.

 

Am I a Cheerleader,an Optimist or a Fool?

JC

 

 

[Cap_D]

24 minutes ago, JeanieC,Aston said:

Reading some posts regarding cheerleaders,,here’s a question.

I sailed Silhouette last April from Southampton,,,first UK sailing after TA.

 

It was a shambles with lack of crew,shortages or absence of certain drinks like Guinness and Boddies and other failures,I introduced 6 friends with us,,they said never again Celebrity.

 

Now I have booked Silhouette in May from Southampton,exact same itinerary.same ship,same time.

 

Am I a Cheerleader,an Optimist or a Fool?

JC

 

 

The reports and video seem as if it's worse than what you may have experienced.  Reluctant to comment on time and money of others, but consider spending the dollars on drinks, a few nice meals or gourmet groceries at home, anywhere, or fly to your destination.  Guarantee you can find your drink of choice and more than bologna and leftover casseroles wherever that may be.  The convenience and relaxation factor of a cruise is lost when the food and service are steps below what you can have for the same money elsewhere even if it's a few less days to factor in offsetting more expensive labor costs in the first world. 

Edited January 18, 2023 by Cap_D

[C4HCG]

32 minutes ago, JeanieC,Aston said:

Reading some posts regarding cheerleaders,,here’s a question.

I sailed Silhouette last April from Southampton,,,first UK sailing after TA.

 

It was a shambles with lack of crew,shortages or absence of certain drinks like Guinness and Boddies and other failures,I introduced 6 friends with us,,they said never again Celebrity.

 

Now I have booked Silhouette in May from Southampton,exact same itinerary.same ship,same time.

 

Am I a Cheerleader,an Optimist or a Fool?

JC

 

 

You’re someone who makes their own decisions and isn’t influenced by others here, to be applauded. It’s your money, spend it how you see fit, and judge what’s going on on the cruises through first hand experience.

[Ipeeinthepools]

44 minutes ago, JeanieC,Aston said:

Reading some posts regarding cheerleaders,,here’s a question.

I sailed Silhouette last April from Southampton,,,first UK sailing after TA.

 

It was a shambles with lack of crew,shortages or absence of certain drinks like Guinness and Boddies and other failures,I introduced 6 friends with us,,they said never again Celebrity.

 

Now I have booked Silhouette in May from Southampton,exact same itinerary.same ship,same time.

 

Am I a Cheerleader,an Optimist or a Fool?

JC

 

 

 

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.  Do you think that applies here?

[CruzR887]

We were on Shiloutte last week. The OVC was pathetic. The first night I said as much to the man in charge. He didn’t say a word to me. Just stared at me. A man passing and made the same complaint. No comment at all except to ask us our room number and said nothing else until we walked way. 
 

We are now on HAL’s Rotterdam. Lido (the buffet) is not only fully open but last night prime rib was on offer and the night before they had filet mignon. This cruise is so far superior to Shiloutte. The music walk is fantastic. The Step One Dancers shows are innovative and excellent. We’re cruised with Celebrity about 10 times but drastically changing their product and our 4 HAL cruises have made HAL our new go to line. 

[pilot]

On 1/16/2023 at 8:37 PM, pilot said:

On the Apex. Went up to the buffet after dinner in the dining room. We are docked in San Juan and have a late departure. Not sure if it was one off, but there were a lot more stations open tonight. There was a carving station and the grill was open for cook to order small steaks, chicken and fish. A big improvement over the first night 

 

We eat in the dining rooms and the food and service has been very good. Portions are good size.

 

So far very happy with our first week B2B. 

UPDATE 

 

Last night at Tortola the buffet was back to “normal “.  Most stations were closed. We departed before the dinner hour so the San Juan night was because of our late departure. 

[Cruzinforpeace***]

2 hours ago, Honolulu Blue said:

In the earlier post on this topic (now locked and buried several pages deep), several people reported contacting head honcho LLP's office and receiving replies (phone calls) from her staff.  There was some acknowledgement of what they were up to, but little defense.  They did appreciate the feedback and said things could change.  Maybe soon we'll see some notes about more current communications.

What concerns me are the changes in the first place.  It’s so below their typical standards.  It reeks of financial desperation.

[C4HCG]

Going to be so quiet on this board and on the ships when everyone leaves Celebrity 😁.  I hope the complaints being made do get Celebrity attention and they fix things but also fear that financially they have their hands tied behind their backs so would have to take action that would be equally unpopular in other services. Time will tell. But I will say I am surprised at the strength of feeling vented here at the OVC evening cuts given how little it’s been used compared to the MDR on cruises we’ve done.

[Ipeeinthepools]

1 minute ago, C4HCG said:

Going to be so quiet on this board and on the ships when everyone leaves Celebrity 😁.  I hope the complaints being made do get Celebrity attention and they fix things but also fear that financially they have their hands tied behind their backs so would have to take action that would be equally unpopular in other services. Time will tell. But I will say I am surprised at the strength of feeling vented here at the OVC evening cuts given how little it’s been used compared to the MDR on cruises we’ve done.

 

You can probably find us on the HAL Board if you need us.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Look what advertisement is showing up on Facebook now 😱🤣

[C4HCG]

3 minutes ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

You can probably find us on the HAL Board if you need us.

Or the Virgin one 😁. I’ll still be here cheerleading for Celebrity - nobody will be here to listen though 😉

Edited January 18, 2023 by C4HCG

[Bo1953]

5 minutes ago, C4HCG said:

Going to be so quiet on this board and on the ships when everyone leaves Celebrity 😁.  I hope the complaints being made do get Celebrity attention and they fix things but also fear that financially they have their hands tied behind their backs so would have to take action that would be equally unpopular in other services. Time will tell. But I will say I am surprised at the strength of feeling vented here at the OVC evening cuts given how little it’s been used compared to the MDR on cruises we’ve done.

I do not think that will happen, those who will continue to sail on X from this board will move on to the next gripe to keep it alive!!!

 

LOL

 

bon voyage

[Bo1953]

1 hour ago, JeanieC,Aston said:

Reading some posts regarding cheerleaders,,here’s a question.

I sailed Silhouette last April from Southampton,,,first UK sailing after TA.

 

It was a shambles with lack of crew,shortages or absence of certain drinks like Guinness and Boddies and other failures,I introduced 6 friends with us,,they said never again Celebrity.

 

Now I have booked Silhouette in May from Southampton,exact same itinerary.same ship,same time.

 

Am I a Cheerleader,an Optimist or a Fool?

JC

Well, since I resemble these descriptors, I would just say you are an independent thinker and will make a final decision after the sailing...

 

Many of us learn our own truths through making our own paths...

 

Understanding what we can control or not and deciding if it is worth it is a personal decision...

 

Sorry about first time experience with your friends, then again it was right after the pandemic... just a thought.

 

I have had similar happen with me, pre-pandemic, went on The Edge with 14 other friends, four (4) of whom are MSC lovers hated X because there were so many things it did not offer that MSC did... yet we made the best of it while sailing along.. although it did not help to see a MSC ship in one of our ports... LOL

 

At any rate, let us know how you enjoy your next sailing on X and what improvements/adjustments found to your liking or disliking.

 

bon voyage

[cgolf1]

I think the next 6 months will be interesting. We will be deciding for ourselves once onboard and also get a preview with family that sail before us. Then we will see if we end up booking on a different line for 2025. Unless something goes off the rails we will be keeping our Galapagos cruise in 2024 which is a bucket list trip for us and doing it while relatively young, 50. Actually interested to see how it goes, I may get to watch the train wreck that you can't look away from or we will have a fantastic time. Our last trip with Disney it was really obvious it was time to move on so maybe that will happen here.