wombatjoey

The food in the MDR for the past 3 cruises for us has not been edible. Two cruises on the Infinity and the last one on Celeb this Feb. The buffet was wonderful, after three attempts in MDR we ate in buffet for the 11 remaining nights.

So if you are tired of Luminae, you will be really disappointed with MDR.

Everyone sailing on Viking Ocean can board anytime after 11am - no matter what your cabin category. Viking has various cabin categories, NOT classes. There is a difference. If you have an early flight on the day of the cruise (never advisable), you can often arrange to board earlier.

 

Once on board, you can eat lunch (or breakfast as the case may be) and explore the ship. Cabins are made available by cabin category with the highest priced category going first, but often are ready ahead of that listed time.

 

For our upcoming West Indies cruise, we are in a Deluxe Veranda (one up from the standard, which is the lowest), we will board at 11:00am, be greeted with a welcoming glass of champagne, eat lunch, explore the ship and settle into our cabin around 2pm.

 

Different cabin categories have dining reservations for the included specialty restaurants, and reservations for the included shore excursions open at different times before the cruise. The highest priced cabins get the earliest pick, but everyone gets an opportunity to dine in the 2 specialty restaurants at least once, and everyone gets a spot on the included shore excursions.

 

In our Deluxe Veranda, we were able to get reservations for Manfredi’s on the day we wanted, but not the exact time we wanted. We can and will see if we can move it around once we are onboard. They have accommodations for that.

 

We were able to get the time slots we wanted for all of our included shore excursions and we were able to book all of the optional ones we wanted as well with no problems.

 

It was a very smooth process.

 

Once onboard everyone, no matter what their cabin category, is free to use the whole ship and to eat where they want. Reservations are required for Manfredi’s and the Chefs Table and that’s it. The specialty restaurants are included - no extra charge.

 

WiFi is included for all. Beer, wine and soft drinks are included for lunch and dinner. You can also get champagne or a mimosa with breakfast if you wish. Coffee and non-alcoholic specialty coffees are available 24/7 - no extra charge.

 

The upgraded beverage package - Silver Spirits - is a reasonable $20pp per day (both parties in the cabin must get it), and it includes all beverages up to $15 a glass all day.

 

There are better cabin amenities and bigger cabins as you get into the higher price categories, but that’s pretty much the standard with all cruise lines. These are things like a coffee maker, cashmere throw for cold weather cruises, binoculars and mini bar restock. What is included in the mini bar in all cabins is no extra charge. Higher priced cabins get alcoholic beverages included, lower priced get soft drinks and snacks.

 

I don’t know how to respond to your Animal Farm reference because it is so far off base that it’s ludicrous. IMO traveling on a gorgeous ship with only 928 other passengers is quite civilized.

 

I am no longer interested in sailing with 2500, and up, other people, including parents who bring children, then abdicate their parental responsibilities.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Wonderful review and comments.

First, I am indeed one of those "older" people being 70 yrs of age. Still dance, snorkel, swim, hike, climb mountains, zip line etc. and have been on more than several cruises. I enjoy Celebrity and have two more cruises booked with X.

I took my first Viking Ocean cruise this last January and LOVED it. Yes, it was more expensive but it was worth it, for me.

All cabins are with balcony. Washer/dyers/irons for client usage with no charge. No extra charge for WiFi or PC usage. No extra charge at specialty restaurants. No extra charge for basic shore excursions with optional ones available. No photographers, no cheap "stuff" hawkers, only one short announcement a day, NO chair hogs. A very good band and classical group too. I loved the quietness but had no difficulty finding interesting fellow passengers to chat with. Staff and crew members were phenomenal and food was outstanding from buffet to MDR to specialty dining. Never felt crowded or being herded with only 900 passengers on board. I found the ship to have a very clean, beautiful visual appeal and dozens of little cozy areas I could go to and just enjoy cruising. Evening shows were enjoyable and unlike Celebrity, the volume didn't burst out my ear drums!

If one is considering Viking Ocean, I say go for it.

Thank you so much for your post. We are looking forward to our first VO cruise...the price is so much lower than a suite on Celeb with so much more added.

Leo is a wonderful captain. A real personality.

There are suites as well.

 

But if your point is that there is no “class” system on Viking, their brochures make it very clear that boarding times are given out by how much you paid for your cabin (with lower priced cabins showing boarding times well after lunch), and that those in the higher priced cabins get first crack booking shore excursions and dining. We haven’t sailed Viking Ocean, so I don’t know how this all plays out in reality, but some of the marketing materials at least have a little bit of an Animal Farm ring to them and give me a little bit of pause.

Yes there are minor variations, like your cabin is available one hour later. But MDR is the same for all and all have access to Specialty dining.

I am intrigued with new dining options in the four main restaruants.

I would sail on the Edge in a year or two.

It says it is the same menu as the MDR on the fleet right now. That is for those not in suites or higher...I now always have to qualify that.

this sounds wonderful....thank you for posting...

You spend more,you get more. Isn't it that way everywhere? Nothing to do with class. A car with all the extras will cost more.same with houses. If you can afford it and want it,get it.

 

Laura

That definitely applies to the new Celeb where "suite life" if vastly different than the rest.

The restaurants look wonderful but it says they will have the same menu as the rest of the fleet. We just spent 14 days on the Eclipse where we could only eat 3 times in MDR, the food was that bad. So if the menu is the same and the quality is the same, then we will pass.

Of course I am sure it will be different for suites, aquaclass and up. Please note, there is a real distinction.

Yes suites or aquaclass...but not regular balconies.

goldenrod

 

THREAD STARTER

Blue Ribbon Cruiser

 

 

#386

Winter: Sun City Grand Surprise , AZ & Summer: Prescott, AZ

3,004 Posts

Joined Sep 2007

 

 

Posted April 29th, 2017, 10:12 AM

 

I hope if you go on Viking you have a much better experience, but No matter what others say we will never take Viking again, and regret we did this time, but life goes on our next trip is on Princess 31 days in a Penthouse suite LA to Buenos Aries we are Elite status on Princess

 

 

 

Never, seems to be shorter than one would think.

Could you please elaborate on your comment why you would never again sail on Viking Ocean...we have just booked our first for next winter after doing 40 cruises with Celebrity.

Thank you for your comments.

I like that Viking only has balconies....regular and deluxe... all are treated the same when it comes to dining, included tours, spas, specialty rest, etc.

Would have to book a suite or better on Celeb to get the kind of dining experience those in Blu or Luminae have. The MDR for all others is no longer acceptable for us. Although I must say the buffet on the Eclipse was amazing...but not on the Infinity...it was really terrible..same food every day...the grill was also awful. So even the buffet is ship specific.

Apples to Oranges here....have never been in Luminae and that is after 40 cruises on Celeb....

We are also booked on the Viking O for South America and the Carib for next year.

Just a bit of history, we have been Elite plus for a long time with Celeb and have done a 14 night Eclipse this winter our 6th on this ship, same time each year. It is the last 14 nighter.

It took me a long time to realize that if I wanted a 5 star experience on Celeb, I was not going to get it by booking a lowly balcony. The food in MDR was terrible and the service poor.

So we cancelled the new upcoming Edge for next year. We had an infinity balcony but that is still not a Suite or better. The class oriented Celeb means that if you want the 5 Star you have to be in a Suite or higher.

Our cruise on the Viking Sea, is less per night than the infinity balcony would have been on the Edge with so much more included. Tours, air, coffees, sodas etc. spas, etc...

We are looking forward to a very large jogging track, the infinity pool, the spas...no moss gathering under this rock.

I really appreciate this thread and welcome any comments.

As with other things in life, you get what you pay for. You cannot expect 5star if you only paid for 3 star. I don’t have a problem with it and when I have the funds I pay for 5 star for special occasions

I really agree with you that Celebrity now is a two tiered cruiseline...a 5 Star and a 3 Star....

It needs to be pointed out more often that unless you are paying for 5 Star, dont expect 5 star. That is the new reality.

Celeb advertises the "modern luxury" as a 5 star experience. It needs to be qualified. It is definitely NO longer that for all.

We are lowly balcony patrons. Have never eaten in Luminae.

Have never sailed NCL. You say it was the first to initiate segregation, besides Cunard.

NCL prices are much lower than Celbrities. So really not apples to apples.

The only cruise where this happened to us was on Oceania -- good luck to the earlier poster who is leaving 'elitist' Celebrity for them!

There are all kinds of people on every line but Celebity is in the lead for segregating areas of the ship.

hmm...well we will pay the 100...to get in on time..really didnt want to but .as long as the stop over is in Miami, it is ok...tons of flights from Miami to San Juan....and from San Juan there is direct flight home on Sats and Sundays.....

if your stopover is anywhere else it is more risky as there are fewer flights to San Juan...from Miami there is one going every hour...so now just have to get to Miami...can still be daunting in February from Southern Ontario.

I agree with many of you here and find the comments really interesting.

We have come to realize that suites, aqua class are getting a very different product than the rest. So really there are now two Celebritities. With the Edge being even more class divisive it will be even more evident. When reading reviews now, I look for what class the reviewer is talking about.

Regular balcony or lower have a different standard applied in areas of dining, lounging etc.

Being aware of the difference is a huge deterrent to booking Celebrity. Yes of course some will say you get what you pay for. With Celeb increased prices , I am now turning to Oceania, Viking where for similar costs, these divisions are minimal.

I support your actions in this. Only when a cruise line is taken to task do changes happen.

Filling out questionnaires and comment cards is total waste of time.

You paid for an expensive cruise. If the Infinity is not up to the task and it isnt, Celeb should not be using it in the challenging Antarctic environment.

If more took action as you have, other matters may also be improving. Instead it seems this cruise line has made some very unfavorable decisions on all kinds of levels and many loyal clients are looking elsewhere.

Wow...I am sorry to hear this. All I could complain about was the food in the MDR on our 14 day cruise this month, but this is really serious.

Our recent experience on the Eclipse in the dining room was not what we want to see again our cruises. The food was too salty, tasteless and of poor quality, not to mention that we have had the same menu on the past 10 sailings. Our waitress seemed surprised when we mentioned it. In fact quite defensive and almost abrasive. The grill in the buffet was wonderful and we ate there along with many others for most of the cruise. One night, they had to get help from the MDR , it was so crowded.

We were booked on the Edge but after talking to several officials it became obvious that Celeb will have a greater focus on those in Suites and penthouses and although the ship will be magnificent , I am sure, all else will remain standard fare.

We have booked several Oceania and Viking Ocean cruises instead.

Really a dramatic move for us since we are elite plus cruisers with Celeb. and have been loyal for so many years.

Hey there are always the 'crazies"...but I see a consensus developing here abut "elitism" on Celeb ships.

I cancelled a B2B Edge for next winter. Had a long conversation recently about this very topic and was told by a Captains Club hostess that the Edge will be the most elitist ship of all Celebs ships. Areas and dining, food quality will be very different for those with suites and penthouses. It will be like taking a cruise on two different ships.Not sure it was wise on her part to give out that information.

should have added, reviews wanted to the topic, to have gotten more attention....