Just returned from Celebrity Edge, 7 night, Alaska cruise. . . .
Have cruised Royal Caribbean multiple times and after recent disappointments with their food offerings we decided to book Celebrity for our family cruise to Alaska with the hope that we would have a better experience. While we found the ship to be very well maintained and clean, our room with the infinity balcony was perfect for an Alaska cruise, the staff were extremely friendly and helpful … the food was less than satisfactory.
While we were very pleased with the Ocean View Cafe (both the variety and quality of the food offerings as well as the extended hours of operation) our disappointment was with the main dining room. This included the menu selections, quality of food and most disappointing service. Several times we waited 45 minutes before being served our starters and left the dining room after 2 hours without dessert.
But the reason for my title is if you or a member of your party is hoping to get a good steak or cut of beef on the Celebrity Edge you will most likely be disappointed. The steaks we were served in the main dining room were a THIN strip steak - similar to what you would likely get when ordering steak and eggs for breakfast at your local diner. The ribeye that I ordered at Fine Cut was so tough I could not cut it let alone eat it, and the strip steak my husband ordered was so over tenderized it was inedible. However, the filets served to others in our party were fair/good. But again, the service was so slow that the time between courses was unbearable. 3 of the 6 people in our party left before dessert was even ordered - they gave it 2 1/2 hours before throwing in the towel. Hmmm…maybe if we had been on the drink package they would have been willing to stay a little longer.
Again, I very much enjoyed most aspects of our cruise and would definitely choose Celebrity over Royal Caribbean. However, as I prepare to book our next cruise I am hoping to find a cruise line that offers a dining room experience that includes quality food offerings and an enjoyable dining experience. Thoughts/recommendations???