Awful State of Ocean View Cafe for dinner

[Honolulu Blue]

This topic has mostly played itself out, it seems, but I still come here hoping to find posts of value, such as...

 

• "I'm on/recently disembarked from (XXX) and ate at the OVC.  This is what I found..."
• "The fish fingers/pizza/whatever in the OVC on (XXX) is really good, the best I've ever had!"
• "I talked to someone from LLP's office/random corporate VP, and this is how they spun these changes/what they hope to accomplish by doing this/when they plan to make these changes final fleetwide"
• "I talked to (random officer in charge of the food in the OVC) on (XXX), and this is how they spun these changes..."
• "Looky what I found in the OVC - fresh from the MDR - PORK AND BEANS!!!!" 🤮

 

Other than these categories, it's just noise to me at this point.

[Rustyman]

I agree with Honolulu Blue here in that the topic has become a bit rambling and petty. I’m sure with the sheer number of posts, especially the earlier posts, that Celebrity will have got the message that their changes have caused a problem.

I think that if changes have to be made, for whatever reason, they should have been made gradually. Gradual change is so much less of a shock to the customers and thus met with less opposition. 

[Cruzinforpeace***]

I think we need to hear from some recent X cruisers and keep this thread going.  

[d9704011]

11 minutes ago, Cruzinforpeace*** said:

I think we need to hear from some recent X cruisers and keep this thread going.  

Sure...  We were on the Celebrity Eclipse on the December 22 to January 2 cruise.  We used the OVC quite a bit and were very satisfied with the selection and preparation of the victuals.  So, I guess this is a dissenting opinion from the general concensus on this thread to continue the criticism and complaining but maybe this will reinvigorate the discussion to reach 50 pages.

 

Oh, we are well beyond Elite status with X so do have some history/memory of what things were like pre-Covid.

Edited January 21, 2023 by d9704011

[LGW59]

Seems to me that most (not all) of the very recent or currently cruising, have been saying the overall experience on board has been good or better.  There are actually some really good positive and balanced reviews running right now on this, good positive stuff.  Lots of the shall we say whining, seems to be from people planning to cruise in the coming months, waxing on and on about this better stop, they better have this yada yada yada.  It is good entertainment though hearing all knickers in a twist uproar.  

[Cruzinforpeace***]

2 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

Sure...  We were on the Celebrity Eclipse on the December 22 to January 2 cruise.  We used the OVC quite a bit and were very satisfied with the selection and preparation of the victuals.  So, I guess this is a dissenting opinion from the general concensus on this thread to continue the criticism and complaining but maybe this will reinvigorate the discussion to reach 50 pages.

 

Oh, we are well beyond Elite status with X so do have some history/memory of what things were like pre-Covid.

Your cruise wasn’t part of the “new buffet”.  It started on cruises leaving after January 1st (embarkation day after 1/1).  We need cruisers after that embarkation date to chime in.

[LGW59]

3 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

Seems to me that most (not all) of the very recent or currently cruising, have been saying the overall experience on board has been good or better.  There are actually some really good positive and balanced reviews running right now on this, good positive stuff.  Lots of the shall we say whining, seems to be from people planning to cruise in the coming months, waxing on and on about this better stop, they better have this yada yada yada.  It is good entertainment though hearing all knickers in a twist uproar.  

See this post #938 proves my point, an ACTUAL cruiser having a good experience, much more valid than some guy in his living room whining on and on about what he heard on some internet forum, but again those folks have provided hours of free entertainment.  Thank you @d9704011

[Cruzinforpeace***]

4 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

Seems to me that most (not all) of the very recent or currently cruising, have been saying the overall experience on board has been good or better.  There are actually some really good positive and balanced reviews running right now on this, good positive stuff.  Lots of the shall we say whining, seems to be from people planning to cruise in the coming months, waxing on and on about this better stop, they better have this yada yada yada.  It is good entertainment though hearing all knickers in a twist uproar.  

I guess you didn’t view the video in the beginning of this thread.

[C4HCG]

17 minutes ago, Cruzinforpeace*** said:

I think we need to hear from some recent X cruisers and keep this thread going.  

Only feedback on the OVC I am interested in now is our own when we cruise in September. Between now and then we will see a continuation of contradictory reports from others so impossible to have a reasoned idea of the quality and variety of what’s being served.

Edited January 21, 2023 by C4HCG

[LGW59]

1 minute ago, Cruzinforpeace*** said:

I guess you didn’t view the video in the beginning of this thread.

You guess wrong.  That is a typical YouTube travel "expert" with their click bait videos, they get paid on the number of clicks...so you just go click click away

[Cruzinforpeace***]

I’m ignoring all the posters praising X who don’t have an eyewitness account provided from a X cruise embarking after 1/1/23. I say provide PROOF that things haven’t been reduced drastically in the OV dinner buffet.  Speculation means nothing to me.  A picture is worth a thousand words.

[Cruzinforpeace***]

2 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

You guess wrong.  That is a typical YouTube travel "expert" with their click bait videos, they get paid on the number of clicks...so you just go click click away

So they “doctored” the video.  Really? Come on.  Are you from the Celebrity “misinformation” Department?

Edited January 21, 2023 by Cruzinforpeace***

[terrydtx]

11 minutes ago, Cruzinforpeace*** said:

Your cruise wasn’t part of the “new buffet”.  It started on cruises leaving after January 1st (embarkation day after 1/1).  We need cruisers after that embarkation date to chime in.

Exactly what I was going to post, thank you.

Edited January 21, 2023 by terrydtx

[LGW59]

10 minutes ago, Cruzinforpeace*** said:

So they “doctored” the video.  Really? Come on.  Are you from the Celebrity “misinformation” Department?

No, I'm from the government and I'm here to help

[LGW59]

15 minutes ago, Cruzinforpeace*** said:

So they “doctored” the video.  Really? Come on.  Are you from the Celebrity “misinformation” Department?

“doctored”  hmmm you have this in quotes responding to my post, I don't see where I used that word at anywhere there...talk about doctored!  Really? Come on.   

[Cruzinforpeace***]

14 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

“doctored”  hmmm you have this in quotes responding to my post, I don't see where I used that word at anywhere there...talk about doctored!  Really? Come on.   

What are you saying then?  Is it not an authentic video or representation of the OV buffet?  Is it a fake?

[NMTraveller]

49 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

Seems to me that most (not all) of the very recent or currently cruising, have been saying the overall experience on board has been good or better.  There are actually some really good positive and balanced reviews running right now on this, good positive stuff.  Lots of the shall we say whining, seems to be from people planning to cruise in the coming months, waxing on and on about this better stop, they better have this yada yada yada.  It is good entertainment though hearing all knickers in a twist uproar.  

The overall experience is good.  However the pictures they are posting of the OVC in the evenings is a TOTAL JOKE.  They are trying to make the best of a non optimal situation.

 

Also it depends upon what your expectations are for meals.  If you are a foodie it probably won't cut it.  The cutbacks in the MDR are my main concern and they are very subpar also.  No the other lines are not making the crazy cuts X is.  I checked their menus.  X is last in the food category.

Edited January 21, 2023 by NMTraveller

[d9704011]

43 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

See this post #938 proves my point, an ACTUAL cruiser having a good experience, much more valid than some guy in his living room whining on and on about what he heard on some internet forum, but again those folks have provided hours of free entertainment.  Thank you @d9704011

My experience doesn't count (see #940).  If I lived in Florida I could do a very-last-minute X cruise this afternoon or tomorrow and provide some legitimate complaints... maybe.

[ABoatNerd]

On board/Post cruise written or video for cruises after Jan 1, 2023 are welcome so we all can undertake before and after analysis.

It is obvious Celebrity made changes as of this date, it is up to all of us to investigate so we can make consumer purchase / cancel decisions based on solid information.

 

[LGW59]

4 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

My experience doesn't count (see #940).  If I lived in Florida I could do a very-last-minute X cruise this afternoon or tomorrow and provide some legitimate complaints... maybe.

See now you're getting it.  If one has actually cruised and has a real on-board experience like you, your opinion does not matter, it's the guy watching YouTube vloggers in his boxers that REALLY knows what's going on!  I won't post about my 2 weeks on the Edge this past November because it was before the CC posters established arbitrary rule.  Now carry on naysayers...

[NMTraveller]

1 hour ago, LGW59 said:

See this post #938 proves my point, an ACTUAL cruiser having a good experience, much more valid than some guy in his living room whining on and on about what he heard on some internet forum, but again those folks have provided hours of free entertainment.  Thank you @d9704011

I think that you just disproved your point.  The cruise was before the changes and they were happy.  After the changes people are just trying to get by...

 

I have yet to see a post that says that the OVC is the best ever after the cuts.

Edited January 21, 2023 by NMTraveller

[RichYak]

32 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

I won't post about my 2 weeks on the Edge this past November because it was before the CC posters established arbitrary rule.

There's nothing arbitrary about it. "Sailings embarking after January 1" has been reported in plenty of responses from F&B crew on board as well as from callbacks from corporate. To refer to it as arbitrary negates an otherwise legitimate point you are trying to make.

[yknot13]

52 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

The overall experience is good.  However the pictures they are posting of the OVC in the evenings is a TOTAL JOKE.  They are trying to make the best of a non optimal situation.

 

Also it depends upon what your expectations are for meals.  If you are a foodie it probably won't cut it.  The cutbacks in the MDR are my main concern and they are very subpar also.  No the other lines are not making the crazy cuts X is.  I checked their menus.  X is last in the food category.

Royal looks superior to X on their main dining room options

Back to Royal we go

[LGW59]

3 minutes ago, RichYak said:

There's nothing arbitrary about it. "Sailings embarking after January 1" has been reported in plenty of responses from F&B crew on board as well as from callbacks from corporate. To refer to it as arbitrary negates an otherwise legitimate point you are trying to make.

But here's the rub, from what I'm seeing, many folks are saying they are having a wonderful experience, both from currently live posts and recently completed, all after jan. 1  I'm not suggesting everything is roses and daffodils, I'm just suggesting that from what I have been reading, the ship is not sinking. 

[C4HCG]

53 minutes ago, Cruzinforpeace*** said:

What are you saying then?  Is it not an authentic video or representation of the OV buffet?  Is it a fake?

I can see why you want to keep this thread going, you enjoy arguing with those who post an alternate view to you 😂and it just goes on and on and on………