Celebration - Main Dining Room

[marci4tony]

I am getting off the Celebration soon - wanted to address the Main Dining Room. 
The new menus are ok - selections are different, fewer. Service… non existent.
Everything we had - and I am not kidding on everything - every entire, every appetizer, every salad, every dessert - was overcooked or had been sitting for quite some time. Occasionally, the food was inedible (calamari that sits is like a rubber band and those if you that like it, know it) The choc melting cake was not melting at all. 

This was my 9th cruise, 7th with Carnival - and it was unbelievably disappointing. I had read other reviews in the past 6 months, but was trying to be optimistic. 

I will post a very detailed review within the week, but my advice for MDR - please try the other dining options. 

[ZoeyVictoria]

We were on the Celebration the week of October 1 and 100% agree with you. We went to the MDR one time, on the first formal night, and did not return.  There are too many other options to bother with the MDR for meals you can get on any ship, even if the food and service had been good. 
 

We were on the Mardi Gras twice, in September 2021 and February 2022 and experienced the same thing. On the Mardi Gras we were assigned to a table.  We were led there to find the table already occupied. We stood awkwardly in the center of the MDR while they got another table assigned. Led to that table, which was also occupied. The third try was a table right next to the kitchen doorway, which required every waiter to immediately turn to the right and go past our table. Every waiter that entered or left the kitchen was within inches of us and some even brushed up against the table or our shoulders. On the second Mardi Gras trip, we didn’t even try it once. I love a lot of things about those ships, but not the MDR. 

[LatinaInTexas]

1 hour ago, marci4tony said:

I am getting off the Celebration soon - wanted to address the Main Dining Room. 
The new menus are ok - selections are different, fewer. Service… non existent.
Everything we had - and I am not kidding on everything - every entire, every appetizer, every salad, every dessert - was overcooked or had been sitting for quite some time. Occasionally, the food was inedible (calamari that sits is like a rubber band and those if you that like it, know it) The choc melting cake was not melting at all. 

This was my 9th cruise, 7th with Carnival - and it was unbelievably disappointing. I had read other reviews in the past 6 months, but was trying to be optimistic. 

I will post a very detailed review within the week, but my advice for MDR - please try the other dining options. 

When we were on Celebration we didn't eat dinner once in the MDR so we weren't disappointed. Planned it that way because the numerous free food options on this ship made it easy to do so and all our meals were great.

[marci4tony]

PS - for those interested…

strawberry bisque - HARD PASS. The texture is creamy, but the numerous chia seeds make it slimy in the mouth, with a very non-strawberry aftertaste. 

[TravelBluebird]

14 hours ago, marci4tony said:

I am getting off the Celebration soon - wanted to address the Main Dining Room. 
The new menus are ok - selections are different, fewer. Service… non existent.
Everything we had - and I am not kidding on everything - every entire, every appetizer, every salad, every dessert - was overcooked or had been sitting for quite some time. Occasionally, the food was inedible (calamari that sits is like a rubber band and those if you that like it, know it) The choc melting cake was not melting at all. 

This was my 9th cruise, 7th with Carnival - and it was unbelievably disappointing. I had read other reviews in the past 6 months, but was trying to be optimistic. 

I will post a very detailed review within the week, but my advice for MDR - please try the other dining options. 

 

This is terribly disappointing to hear, as I’m boarding Celebration on Sunday. I have always thought that the food in the MDRs is a highlight for Carnival. DH and I decided to not pre-book any Specialty restaurants for this cruise—I hope that is not a mistake. I’ll be doing a LIVE! for the cruise, so I’ll report on the food as well.

[ober134]

Any brief comments on buffet for evening meal? We are on her early March, and are planning to be casual the entire cruise and skip MDR. We hope to hit up buffet a few times. On prior sailing we ate at Chibang-didnt care for it. Ate at Cucina a couple times-good... But heard they now charge for second visit. Can you confirm? Thanks

Edited November 20, 2023 by ober134
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[TravelBluebird]

22 minutes ago, ober134 said:

Ate at Cucina a couple times-good... But heard they now charge for second visit. Can you confirm?

 

Yes, now only the first visit is free, but additional visits are only charged at $8 per person.

 

I understand that this is to address some of the long wait times the restaurant was having when all visits were free.

[marci4tony]

On 11/20/2023 at 10:07 AM, ober134 said:

Any brief comments on buffet for evening meal? We are on her early March, and are planning to be casual the entire cruise and skip MDR. We hope to hit up buffet a few times. On prior sailing we ate at Chibang-didnt care for it. Ate at Cucina a couple times-good... But heard they now charge for second visit. Can you confirm? Thanks

The buffet has totally changed as well - there is a small hot bar - carving station and a few warmer-than-the-dining-room offerings, but the salad bar is very minimal, the desserts are minimal.  

If you want a salad, however, the salad bar at Serenity - very good.

 

[Joebucks]

We were on the Celebration in January. The only thing that stuck out to us was the wait staff wasn't its normal, friendly, fun, and attentive self. Otherwise, food quality, time, etc. was all quite fine. I guess it's possible a lot changed since then. However, I've been hearing these comments for year about "inedible" food. 

[Drazil65]

We only ate in the MDR 2xs last December on MG, we had pretty good experiences when we did.  We are boarding MG again in 3 weeks and we have 3 other venues already booked and will do some others once we board of course.  We were not disappointed last year but with all the other choices we seem to drift away from choosing the MDR.  The food we had in the other venues was excellent for the most part and hopefully will be again.  Truthfully, we have other venues booked for the elegant nights already so we may not even get to the MDR this time around I guess.  

[Mr305]

Just got off Celebration yesterday, MDR was ok.  Breakfast was a mixed bag, some mornings it was good, others not so.  Service was incredibly slow mornings and evenings.  BTW, we went to the steakhouse on Thanksgiving Day, filet mignon was tough and sides were small plus cold.  Emeril's was a hit this cruise, everything we ate was delicious and hot plus it was served quickly.

[nancy1031]

was on the celebration oct 22- food in mdr (festival) was very good- yet the sea day brunch wasn't- had better breakfasts at the buffet (awesome french toast and pancakes) also had 7:45pm dining and the mdr was barely 1/3- 1/2 full most nights-wasn't impressed w/big chicken or guys burgers

[pajazz28]

does anyone know which MDR is th eone used for My Time Dinning?

[Knights on the Beach]

1 hour ago, pajazz28 said:

does anyone know which MDR is th eone used for My Time Dinning?

 

It was Festivale on deck 7 a couple weeks ago.