Is Celebrity's Food inedible?

There are a comments out there saying that Celebrity's MDR food is turning inedible, and I've heard good and bad from peeps on board Oasis. Is this from cutbacks or are people not liking changes to the menu? We didn't love all the dining on RCCL either which owns Celebrity, but the Windjammer was great and we like having Johnny Rockets and the Dog House onboard for lunch. I hear folks talking up Celebrity like it's hot tickets but there plenty leaving for Viking Ocean and Oceania and Princess for better dining.

There are a comments out there saying that Celebrity's MDR food is turning inedible, and I've heard good and bad from peeps on board Oasis. Is this from cutbacks or are people not liking changes to the menu? We didn't love all the dining on RCCL either which owns Celebrity, but the Windjammer was great and we like having Johnny Rockets and the Dog House onboard for lunch. I hear folks talking up Celebrity like it's hot tickets but there plenty leaving for Viking Ocean and Oceania and Princess for better dining.

Celebrity's main dinning room and food is as good or better than that of RCCL. IMHO

It is most certainly edible ... some of it is actually very good. I've had a disappointing meal or two in the past but find that to be a rare occurrence. I can tell you that it is lot better than most other cruise lines on which I've sailed.

You can go to just about any cruise line forum and find all kinds of posts about declining quality in the food, and people leaving for other lines. And yet there appears to be no shortage if Elites on board, and most cruises sail full. So how bad can it be?

Food is a very subjective thing. IMO, Celebrity's food is generally very good. Better, on average than RCCLs. And to be clear, if the food was inedible, the ship wouldn't be allowed to sail. Such statements are pure hyperbole, and can be disregarded.

This seems like a joke post. The food in the MDR on the Allure was extremely disappointing and often cold.

Celebrity MDR/buffet food is on a whole other level from RCCL, NCL and Carnival.

This seems like a joke post. The food in the MDR on the Allure was extremely disappointing and often cold.

 

Celebrity MDR/buffet food is on a whole other level from RCCL, NCL and Carnival.

Lukewarm more than cold, but still edible. These lines at least have Johnny Rockets and Guy's Burgers, and OSheehan's Irish Pub. How does Celebrity stack up when it comes to lunch?

We just got off the Solstice and other than a couple of mediocre entrees the food was pretty darn good. If you are expecting a 5 star foo foo gastronomic experience you might be disappointed, but if you just expect a good meal I think you'll be fine. Lets face it, when feeding 1000 people you can't expect every meal served to be of stellar quality. If you've sailed a few times you know you are going to get some great meals and some that slightly miss the mark. You know that many of the appetizers are minuscule (order 2 or 3). Many of the apps are TINY and some of the menu descriptions are misleading which leads to unhappy campers. So it pas to ask the server if you should order more than one. Any scallop app will be comically small etc. You know that sometimes your meat will be under cooked or more often over cooked. But to say the food is inedible is just silly.

So here's what I remember from the MDR,

Prime rib (twice) was very good

Flank Steak, very good

rack of Lamb, good but slighty under done (I ordered med-rare, it was rare)

Sea bass, very good

Lobster, very good

Duck, this one was a disaster

I don't remember the other entree I had but is was fine because it it wasn't I would remember it.

We just got off the Solstice and other than a couple of mediocre entrees the food was pretty darn good. If you are expecting a 5 star foo foo gastronomic experience you might be disappointed, but if you just expect a good meal I think you'll be fine. Lets face it, when feeding 1000 people you can't expect every meal served to be of stellar quality. If you've sailed a few times you know you are going to get some great meals and some that slightly miss the mark. You know that many of the appetizers are minuscule (order 2 or 3). Many of the apps are TINY and some of the menu descriptions are misleading which leads to unhappy campers. So it pas to ask the server if you should order more than one. Any scallop app will be comically small etc. You know that sometimes your meat will be under cooked or more often over cooked. But to say the food is inedible is just silly.

 

So here's what I remember from the MDR,

Prime rib (twice) was very good

Flank Steak, very good

rack of Lamb, good but slighty under done (I ordered med-rare, it was rare)

Sea bass, very good

Lobster, very good

Duck, this one was a disaster

I don't remember the other entree I had but is was fine because it it wasn't I would remember it.

It doesn't sound bad how you describe it. One of the gals on this forum had to order some of the dining room entre's in the buffet because she thought it tasted better with them preparing it. Even on land I don't eat at places this fancy, so the normal buffet food is fine with me. :)

It doesn't sound bad how you describe it. One of the gals on this forum had to order some of the dining room entre's in the buffet because she thought it tasted better with them preparing it. Even on land I don't eat at places this fancy, so the normal buffet food is fine with me. :)

Hi

The food in the buffet for lunch is really good with many choices.

The Indian curry selections are always good there is also usually a dish of the day. In the evening there are steak stations where you can order and it will be cooked to order, there is also pasta, pizza etc available

Of course it's not inedible but I preferred the food I had last year on Brilliance. The MDR was hit and miss for me erring on the side of miss but it was still edible. We ate in Quisine once and it was excellent quality food so they can do it. As of the buffet I am not fond of Indian or spicy food so was limited for choice but the cheese burgers and fries on the pool deck were generally very good although if it was quiet on deck the food at the poor bar wasn't top notch as it would be hanging around for a while.

Of course it's not inedible but I preferred the food I had last year on Brilliance. The MDR was hit and miss for me erring on the side of miss but it was still edible. We ate in Quisine once and it was excellent quality food so they can do it. As of the buffet I am not fond of Indian or spicy food so was limited for choice but the cheese burgers and fries on the pool deck were generally very good although if it was quiet on deck the food at the poor bar wasn't top notch as it would be hanging around for a while.

Is that for steerage pax only ;p :D?

Brilliance was our first cruise ship experience over 10 years ago; she still has a special place in our hearts :hearteyes:.

There are a comments out there saying that Celebrity's MDR food is turning inedible, and I've heard good and bad from peeps on board Oasis. Is this from cutbacks or are people not liking changes to the menu? We didn't love all the dining on RCCL either which owns Celebrity, but the Windjammer was great and we like having Johnny Rockets and the Dog House onboard for lunch. I hear folks talking up Celebrity like it's hot tickets but there plenty leaving for Viking Ocean and Oceania and Princess for better dining.

As far as I recall this opinion was from one person on one thread. Is that what you are talking about having seen? I commented on that thread the the food in the MDR in my view has gone down and that in order to get a better standard you have to pay extra by going to the specialty restaurants, but in no way did I find it inedible. I cruise on Azamara quite a lot and the food in the MDR to me is a step up from Celebrity, but then the ticket cost is higher. Like Oceania and Viking. Different market.

Phil

Am currently onboard The Constellation. I can also confirm the food is anything but inedible. We are in a suite so we eat regularly in Luminae but have the option to mix and match from Luminaes menu and The MDR’s menu. The speciality restaurants are exactly that, something different. The one thing I have never seen on a cruise is someone starving to death. People are far too fast to criticise, and sometimes can scare people off. We go with an itinerary first, and if there is something not to my liking, I will deal with it immediately with The Maitre D. I for one don’t really take any notice of bad reviews, I am on holiday to enjoy myself, not moan about an imaginary gripe I may have.

Is that for steerage pax only ;p :D?

 

 

Brilliance was our first cruise ship experience over 10 years ago; she still has a special place in our hearts :hearteyes:.

He he he yep:D

Am currently onboard The Constellation. I can also confirm the food is anything but inedible. We are in a suite so we eat regularly in Luminae but have the option to mix and match from Luminaes menu and The MDR’s menu. The speciality restaurants are exactly that, something different. The one thing I have never seen on a cruise is someone starving to death. People are far too fast to criticise, and sometimes can scare people off. We go with an itinerary first, and if there is something not to my liking, I will deal with it immediately with The Maitre D. I for one don’t really take any notice of bad reviews, I am on holiday to enjoy myself, not moan about an imaginary gripe I may have.

I was onboard Constellation at Christmas and after a good start the food in the MDR went downhill. Eating in Luminae is probably a better proposition and you have the choice of breakfast there too.

I didn’t starve on the cruise, but having paid what I did I wouldn’t expect to. And sorry. Mine is not an imaginary gripe, but an opinion I share of the food and one which my travelling companions concurred with.

Phil

I've only cruised on Solstice and Millennium with Celebrity. Both were perfectly fine and much of the buffet food was surprisingly good.

I found the mdr under pressure on our last cruise, the ship was at full capacity, whilst tasty a few meals were cold and had to be replaced and one day I waited over an hour to get any food

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I would love to see a Biafran racing snake onboard a cruise ship. Then I might say some food is inedible. If a meal is not right in any of the restaurants don't wait until two weeks after you have left the ship to bellyache about it on a travel blog. There are supervisors until the cows come home in dining rooms, get hold of them, get them to fix the problem and move on. If my steak isn't cooked as I have requested I send it back and if it were to come back not cooked correctly I would again send it back , this time via one of the maître"ds. When I am dining a maître D must walk past me at least a dozen times during my meal and if I signal him/her over with a problem its resolved on the spot. When staff are trying to feed 3000 people in a 3 hour window issues will occur. Its how the issues are resolved which sorts out the wheat from the chaff. If they are unaware of a problem they cant fix it.

I would love to see a Biafran racing snake onboard a cruise ship. Then I might say some food is inedible. If a meal is not right in any of the restaurants don't wait until two weeks after you have left the ship to bellyache about it on a travel blog. There are supervisors until the cows come home in dining rooms, get hold of them, get them to fix the problem and move on. If my steak isn't cooked as I have requested I send it back and if it were to come back not cooked correctly I would again send it back , this time via one of the maître"ds. When I am dining a maître D must walk past me at least a dozen times during my meal and if I signal him/her over with a problem its resolved on the spot. When staff are trying to feed 3000 people in a 3 hour window issues will occur. Its how the issues are resolved which sorts out the wheat from the chaff. If they are unaware of a problem they cant fix it.

Not sure who you are referring to on the thread because you haven’t quoted anyone specifically, but will say I made them fully aware of it on Constellation at Christmas and we then started getting hot food, but it still wasn’t great to eat. It also puts the whole meal out of kilter if one person has to send something back and spoils it.

I’d agree though. Posting here about it after you return having done nothing on the ship to bring it to anyone’s attention is a waste of time. I never do that. Still doesn’t change my opinion on the food though.

Phil

There are a comments out there saying that Celebrity's MDR food is turning inedible, and I've heard good and bad from peeps on board Oasis. Is this from cutbacks or are people not liking changes to the menu? We didn't love all the dining on RCCL either which owns Celebrity, but the Windjammer was great and we like having Johnny Rockets and the Dog House onboard for lunch. I hear folks talking up Celebrity like it's hot tickets but there plenty leaving for Viking Ocean and Oceania and Princess for better dining.

I am definitely not a celebrity cheerleader. We like celebrity, but with certain exceptions we'd go on any cruise line that had a financial advantage. In the case of X, being able to book a cheap OV and get free booze and prepaid gratuities makes it cheap for US. (I wish it applied to inside Cabins.) in 20+ cruises and 6-7 lines, we have no loyalty perks on any of them.

That said, this "inedible" thing is annoying and downright stupid. If the food on ANY line were inedible, the ships obviously wouldn't be sold out, wouldn't have any repeat customers, and would have been our of business long ago. The most recent poster who used the term "inedible" is going to Viking Ocean. That says something about their expectations and their pocketbook. And there's NOTHING wrong with that - EXCEPT maybe the exaggerated opinions she needed to rationalize her decision.

In this case, the OP has sailed on Carnival several times and RCCL once. They enjoy eating at a chain hamburger joint and a hot dog "food truck on a ship". They admit that:

We're not foodies and go to the buffet anyways...

NOTHING wrong with any of that and normally I would applaud the OP for knowing what they enjoy and finding cruise lines that work for them.

But coming to a forum for a cruiseline that you've never sailed just to bash it? Now that's beyond the pale and ridiculous.

Sounds like the OP is looking for gimmicky places to eat, as if they were on land, while the food on X may not approach that of some of the premium lines, generally, much better than the 4k+ lines almost certainly IMO.

They will be much happier, for now, on the mega ships. Do not branch out.

X is not going to be for them, especially in light of the question about food. Then comes the question about entertainment and so on and so on.

bon voyage

I would love to see a Biafran racing snake onboard a cruise ship. Then I might say some food is inedible. If a meal is not right in any of the restaurants don't wait until two weeks after you have left the ship to bellyache about it on a travel blog. There are supervisors until the cows come home in dining rooms, get hold of them, get them to fix the problem and move on. If my steak isn't cooked as I have requested I send it back and if it were to come back not cooked correctly I would again send it back , this time via one of the maître"ds. When I am dining a maître D must walk past me at least a dozen times during my meal and if I signal him/her over with a problem its resolved on the spot. When staff are trying to feed 3000 people in a 3 hour window issues will occur. Its how the issues are resolved which sorts out the wheat from the chaff. If they are unaware of a problem they cant fix it.

Thank you for your insight... not novel, to me and my travel companions, at least.

Of all the friends who can stand cruising with me, LOL, I Am the one who requires the most exacting standards for my meals due to diet preferences... as such by end of day two (2) the chef(s) understand and know what my meals requirements are or I speak to them directly and before I leave the restaurant. I do not expect 100% satisfaction, but expect and receive 100% effort towards my satisfaction when cruising.

If that is not forthcoming there are other lines on which we can sail for either more or less money... X works with and for us, especially in the food department despite the issues which appear from time to time and gets corrected to satisfy all.

It works and works well for us, yet understand that others will not go this extent to get value expected. I can be passive aggressive at times too.

bon voyage

With 25 years cruising experience with RCI and 2 years with Celebrity, IMO Celebrity's overall food quality is better than RCI. And Celebrity's buffet is by far much better.

I am a fairly new cruiser (one on RCCL Oasis, one on Celebrity Equinox) and found the food on both to be just fine. Nothing inedible about either, and nothing disappointing as well. Never even tempted to return something to the kitchen. If I could eat like that at home, I’d be deliriously happy! To be fair, I am a glass half full person, and don’t go about looking for things to complain about as it seems some people on these boards do. I’m on a cruise, on vacation, free as a bird, and happy as a clam. And they feed me. ;)

If you think the food is bad on X don't even go on MSC. We recently went on the MSC Seaside for a 7 day cruise and the food was terrible (as was the service and room). We couldn't wait to get on the Oasis for a 7 day immediately following.