Changes in Celebrity's Dining Room in September?

[negc]

Does anyone have thoughts as to what types of changes to the main dining room experience will be involved when Celebrity announces them in September? The following info from the line is rather cryptic and certainly doesn't provide any clues:

According to Jaques Van Staden -VP culinary ops- Celebrity will be making an announcement in September regarding how it plans to change the main dining room experience on its ships.

"How passengers receive their meals will be completely different from other cruise ships.

Our new main restaurant experience will be a trendsetter in the industry."

[Lois R]

Does anyone have thoughts as to what types of changes to the main dining room experience will be involved when Celebrity announces them in September? The following info from the line is rather cryptic and certainly doesn't provide any clues:

According to Jaques Van Staden -VP culinary ops- Celebrity will be making an announcement in September regarding how it plans to change the main dining room experience on its ships.

"How passengers receive their meals will be completely different from other cruise ships.

Our new main restaurant experience will be a trendsetter in the industry."

 

Hi,:) where did you see this? I am sailing on Summit in September:D

I have no idea because this post is the first I have heard about

whatever it is;)

[sanjoseca]

Lois, Bill heard it from a friend in Sweden.......same place that I did.....but no details.

[Lois R]

Well, ya'll know more than I do....maybe some other "insiders" have

more information. My last cruise was in May and there was nothing

mentioned at that time. (Not that I heard about anyway).

[boogs]

Bathing suits, robes, shorts, tank tops and flip flops will be allowed every night other than formal nights, when socks will be required with your flip-flops. And it will be buffet style.

 

Hey, I'm just guessing! :D

[cruisestitch]

Maybe this will be like the vaunted "improvements" to Captains Club which were to be announced "soon" over a year ago.....

[C 2 C]

"How passengers receive their meals will be completely different from other cruise ships.

Our new main restaurant experience will be a trendsetter in the industry."

 

Several years ago we ordered from a waiter in Brugges at an outdoor cafe. He entered our choice on a mobile device and we were served almost immediately. I have often wondered why a shipboard experience could not be similar. Imagine the waiter placing your order electronically while his assistant places the items on a tray for immediate delivery.

[greeneg]

Interesting thought. We're on the Connie in September and have actually gone from Select Dining back to Traditional Late Seating because of the bad experience with Select on the Equinox TA last fall. Hope they tell us soon what the changes are, we sail September 7th and will be away from home from the 31st.

 

Hmmmmm.......

[negc]

Interesting thought. We're on the Connie in September and have actually gone from Select Dining back to Traditional Late Seating because of the bad experience with Select on the Equinox TA last fall. Hope they tell us soon what the changes are, we sail September 7th and will be away from home from the 31st.

 

Hmmmmm.......

 

I think that the announcement is to be made in September so perhaps the implementation might come later. The suggestion about the orders being entered electronically sounds like a possibility given Celebrity's affiliations with Apple. I believe that there are currently some restaurants that are doing something similar using Apple IPADs.

Unlike Tony, I don't usually reveal my sources, but I did cite the originator of the quoted statement.:)

Besides, who needs details when we can speculate which can be much more fun.;)

[Local30lady]

I've heard that the menu will be on I PADS

[Lsimon]

I think the quote in the original post comes from this article (look at the last paragraph)

http://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news-articles/67-articles/5786-summer-2011-fab-mixing-traditional-and-new.html

 

 

A few years ago someone on a ship (can't remember who but it was a higher up on the ship's staff) told us they were planning on trying out a system where there would be a much larger menu but it would not change daily - more like the menu in a regular restuarant or one of the ship's specialty restuarant.

 

But this was at least 3 years ago, and probably further back than that. I'd presumed the idea had been dropped and/or was limited to the available everyday section of the menu which was expanded some time after that.

 

I don't mind any changes as long as it includes an increase, and not another lowering, of the overall food quality.

[jackdiamond]

Bathing suits, robes, shorts, tank tops and flip flops will be allowed every night other than formal nights, when socks will be required with your flip-flops. And it will be buffet style.

 

Hey, I'm just guessing! :D

Will matching socks be required?

[negc]

I think the quote in the original post comes from this article (look at the last paragraph)

http://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news-articles/67-articles/5786-summer-2011-fab-mixing-traditional-and-new.html

 

Good catch! How long before they use these innovations as their rationale for cutting staff salaries since they are moving the workload slowly but surely from the crew to the passengers?:rolleyes:

[Tenn4ever]

I think that the announcement is to be made in September so perhaps the implementation might come later. The suggestion about the orders being entered electronically sounds like a possibility given Celebrity's affiliations with Apple. I believe that there are currently some restaurants that are doing something similar using Apple IPADs.

Unlike Tony, I don't usually reveal my sources, but I did cite the originator of the quoted statement.:)

Besides, who needs details when we can speculate which can be much more fun.;)

 

I've seen this for a couple of years in restaurants. I rather like it :)

[redhot1]

Interesting post for sure. You wonder with ther infactuation with Qsine and how they order there if they are going to try that in some fashion in the MDR. I do hope that they don't downgrade the food and go with tacos for instance as a main entree. I hope its a delivery style and not a drastic change to the food it self. :)

[Andy]

Hi Everyone !

 

Interesting comments. I have not heard anything concerning updates to the MDR, though it's not surprising. Mr Van Staden is an extremely creative Chef - he is the mastermind of Qsine. I'm eager to hear what he has planned.

 

If it has something to do with Ipad order transmission, I like the idea - especially if it assures a superior Dining experience. I'm fine with Celebrity speeding up the Dinner process a bit... but *only* if the Guest desires it. As long as I'm not rushed, it's all good.

 

I just hope it's not an Automat (just kidding !)... Ok, I'm dating myself here :)

[Tenn4ever]

What's an automat?:)

[bob brown]

Uh oh....

I've got a bad feeling about that planned change.

I hope it is related to simply using IPAD menu's, but something in my gut tells me it may be more like adding ala carte items to the menu like RCCL has dabbled with. I hope I am totally wrong, and off-base, but I don't like the sound of the whole thing....:(

[oncerfan]

Uh oh....

I've got a bad feeling about that planned change.

I hope it is related to simply using IPAD menu's, but something in my gut tells me it may be more like adding ala carte items to the menu like RCCL has dabbled with. I hope I am totally wrong, and off-base, but I don't like the sound of the whole thing....:(

 

Inquiring minds (read: me :D) want to know, what is an example of an la carte items added to the menu like RCCL. Much thanks.

[Oville]

Inquiring minds (read: me :D) want to know, what is an example of an la carte items added to the menu like RCCL. Much thanks.

 

There is only one, a filet and all the fixings from Chops. It costs $14.99 I believe. It's been on the menu for a couple years now and I've gone that route a few times when nothing else appealed to me and have never been disappointed.

 

To be honest with you, some folks on CC have made a big deal about it but it's a big to do about nothing. No one is twisting your arm to order it.

[bob brown]

I agree only one extra tariff item is not too bad, but it 'opens up a can of worms', and starts a 'slide down that slippery slope' if the accountants at HQ decide to push the envelope and expand the extra tariff items extensively.

Besides the electronic menu's, what other 'revolutionary' change can it be, besides ala carte pricing?

 

I can make one other possible guess....perhaps passengers can pre-select not only dinner times and tables, but even their menu choices early, say on interactive tv in room?

[bob brown]

Does anyone have thoughts as to what types of changes to the main dining room experience will be involved when Celebrity announces them in September? The following info from the line is rather cryptic and certainly doesn't provide any clues:

According to Jaques Van Staden -VP culinary ops- Celebrity will be making an announcement in September regarding how it plans to change the main dining room experience on its ships.

"How passengers receive their meals will be completely different from other cruise ships.

Our new main restaurant experience will be a trendsetter in the industry."

If you base your guess on the exact quote cited from Mr. Van Staden...

the difference is "How passengers receive their meals"

Let's see now...

Waiters on roller skates?

Robots?

Lionel trains with dishes on flatcars (remember those 'hamburger train restaurants?):D:D:)

[JezzaC]

There must be some sort of mistake if changes are done only to how passengers receive their meals. I guess robots and self service are out of the question so nothing much can be done there.

 

Using iPads for ordering would be obvious change. I just don't see what is extra there. Well waiters wouldn't need to user paper when orders would be done electronically. However I can't see this beeing anything extra for customer experience - nearly opposite. I like to use all kind of hi-tech on my life but on holiday I would still prefer to have printed menu to choose from. Putting wine list on iPad would make sence. Then they could easily provide extra information of wines and producers on the list. It would be also really easy to update the selection.

 

One thing I suggest could be pre-ordering dinner to MDR. You could make your selection during the day and dinner would be readily ordered when you enter the dining room. I would never make that compulsory but sometimes it could be a nice option. Cruise lines also want to be so environment friendly and economical these days that pre-ordering system would help them lower the amount of waste because consumption would be easier to predict for evening.

 

I guess that they also get rid of fixed dining and provide only select dining in the future in MDR.

 

Which of these new things would be so magnificient then? Menu on Ipad - not. Pre-ordering and getting rid of traditional riding - maybe.

[lysolqn]

Whatever the mystery change is, it will likely be introduced on one or two ships and if successful will slowly be rolled out fleetwide. Guess that will give us plenty of time to learn just how "completely different" and/or "trendsetting" it is. Hopefully the change will enhance the MDR experience rather than turn out to be something gimmicky or PR hype/smoke and mirrors to obscure new cutbacks and/or turn the MDR into a new profit center.

[mandream]

Pre-ordering wouldn't be much of a draw for us. We've always had excellent waiters on Celebrity and often take their recommendations for what to order. They learn our likes and dislikes very quickly, and are usually spot on.