Are the MDR's loosing their appeal?

[davekathy]

:eek: You can order as much as you like in the MDR, so smaller sizes really shouldn't matter. :eek:

 

I know that, but as I said there are some Cruisers on these forums that complain of portion size. For us no need to order additional entrees considering all the different courses.

[sabookkeeper]

We do not feel the need to pay extra to eat in a specialty restaurant. We have always been able to order meals from the MDR that are good. We only cruise once/year but if we cruised more often with the same menu, we might be tempted to use a specialty restaurant for something different.

[Orator]

I know that, but as I said there are some Cruisers on these forums that complain of portion size. For us no need to order additional entrees considering all the different courses.

 

They are probably the same folks who say: "the food stinks and they don't give you enough".

One way to tell a new cruiser is by the amount of food they take from the buffet the first day. They'll learn

Edited November 3, 2013 by Orator

[fortinweb]

When we're on vacation we travel to experience things we can't at home. So, we dine in the MDR most nights, but will dine in each specialty restaurant at least once. The variety of venues makes the cruise more interesting and rewarding. In the grand scheme of things, considering the full cost of the cruise, including travel to and from home, travel insurance, gratuities, excursions (private and ship), and drinks, the extra cost for the specialty restaurants is pocket change. We figure if we can't afford to splurge on a few extras, then we should wait until we can. No sense in limiting our experiences unnecessarily. We prefer to limit our expenses at home, not on our infrequent vacations.

Edited November 3, 2013 by fortinweb

[willie2845]

I know that, but as I said there are some Cruisers on these forums that complain of portion size. For us no need to order additional entrees considering all the different courses.

 

:D We agree with you we see no need to order additional entrees, just wanted to let those that didn't know they could. Happy Sailing!!!! :D

[katrocity1]

Are there menus posted anywhere from the restaurants? I'm excited to try Qsine since I saw it featured on Top Chef. Looks like fun!

[HazyDavy]

They are probably the same folks who say: "the food stinks and they don't give you enough".

One way to tell a new cruiser is by the amount of food they take from the buffet the first day. They'll learn

 

Another way to tell a new cruiser is if they go to the buffet the first day.

[hcat]

we find the MDR on S class ships have a crowded feeling and we tired of having set dining mates every night..although many nights we or the others would be out at another venue..

 

Since we discovered AQ and BLU we are very happy . We could eat there every night and usually take one night off for room service or buffet grazing..

 

We enjoyed Muranos w/twofers first night out on our last cruise....that offer helped thin BLU out on 1st nite when everyone converges at same time, & we got a great deal so hope they repeat that. .

 

Maybe we'd go to Tuscan again if menu is changed up a bit and definitely Silk Harvest on ships that have it, just for a change of scenery. But we could be happy with BLU most nights. lawn Club grill now overpriced!

 

Nice to have choices..

[erin_cruisers]

The MDR hasn't lost its appeal to us. We still prefer every evening there, at a large table.

For us, the food & ambiance there is fine, there is always something we'll enjoy, and socializing with our table-mates is a big draw.

[fleckle]

We like the the food in the main dining room well enough for the most part, but it is like eating dinner in the same large, noisy, crowded banquet hall night after night.

 

So it is nice to have options to eat elsewhere for a change of pace, especially on the longer cruises.

 

 

For us it is not that the MDRs are losing their appeal, since they never really had that much appeal.

It was just the place on a cruise ship where you went to eat dinner, and sometimes breakfast or lunch as well.

 

[bigbenboys]

Im confused..ELITE happy hour WAS 4-6 but changed to 5-7. I thought it was still 5-7...or has it changed????

 

Yes I remember the hours being 4-6 back in 2009. They changed the hours to be more in line with 2nd seating MDR. What year they changed I don't remember. I did a search here and it was still 4-6 back in 2010 in Michaels Club. Richard

 

 

ELITE - Happy hour, Great benefit but can it be improved

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks VVNH16A

This is a copy and paste from VVNH16A back in Mar 2010

The addition of a happy hour for Elite CC members was a welcome addition last year but I know there was always "issues" from the late diners that Happy Hour was in the middle of the afternoon from[/b] 4-6[/b]....a time that was not the best for late seating. Problems were also obvious from the early diners perspective, who are enjoying a drink dressed appropriately for dinner be it smart casual or formal and then you have other Elite members walk in very casual (before 6pm).

 

I know this has been brought up to the attention of Celebrity Hotel Managers and was to be a point of discussion at a recent meeting of all Hotel managers to discuss things such as what is and is not working the best. Again the discussion was very positive towards Celebrity for having an Elite Happy Hour, but now can the times be 'tweaked" to accomodate both early and late diners. Does anyone know if we can expect changes in the Happy Hour times..say 5-8 pm??

__________________

Rich

Edited November 3, 2013 by bigbenboys
added more info

[Jane2357]

I love the MDR! It is the place to see and be seen :D It is where the action is in my opinion. We are trying our 1st cruise over 7 nights this Feb. and will have 2 included in the fare (suite) specialty dinners, plus we are trying for the 1st time Qsine with a group from our roll call. That leaves 11 nights of MDR dining but I'll also try dining on our balcony and I swear on this cruise I'm eating once in the buffet just so I can say that I did!!! While I think the specialty restaurants are extra delicious - for me I couldn't eat that food on an every night basis. Besides - what is then left to be special?

[davekathy]

They are probably the same folks who say: "the food stinks and they don't give you enough".

One way to tell a new cruiser is by the amount of food they take from the buffet the first day. They'll learn

 

Agree. No matter where we eat, for us it’s quality (at least our opinion) over quantity.

[Bailey & Sophie]

Same here. There are so many choices each night. It's easy to find something in the MDR yummy to choose!

Edited November 3, 2013 by Bailey & Sophie

[Lois R]

Yes I remember the hours being 4-6 back in 2009. They changed the hours to be more in line with 2nd seating MDR. What year they changed I don't remember. I did a search here and it was still 4-6 back in 2010 in Michaels Club. Richard

 

 

ELITE - Happy hour, Great benefit but can it be improved

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks VVNH16A

This is a copy and paste from VVNH16A back in Mar 2010

The addition of a happy hour for Elite CC members was a welcome addition last year but I know there was always "issues" from the late diners that Happy Hour was in the middle of the afternoon from[/b] 4-6[/b]....a time that was not the best for late seating. Problems were also obvious from the early diners perspective, who are enjoying a drink dressed appropriately for dinner be it smart casual or formal and then you have other Elite members walk in very casual (before 6pm).

 

I know this has been brought up to the attention of Celebrity Hotel Managers and was to be a point of discussion at a recent meeting of all Hotel managers to discuss things such as what is and is not working the best. Again the discussion was very positive towards Celebrity for having an Elite Happy Hour, but now can the times be 'tweaked" to accomodate both early and late diners. Does anyone know if we can expect changes in the Happy Hour times..say 5-8 pm??

__________________

Rich

 

Hi, Rich posted that 3 years ago.....it is still 5-7. No matter what

time it is offered? There will always be folks who want it changed.

[BocaRoo]

We're still extremely pleased with both the quality of the food and the ambiance in the MDR. As our "home menu" is nothing like what we eat on a cruise, the MDR suits us just fine and we rarely see the need to dine at the specialty restaurants. On our upcoming NYE Eclipse cruise, however, we might just try Qsine or Tuscan with friends, just to do something different!

 

Jill

[Ruthk]

Absolutely nothing wrong with the MDR - as a matter of fact, this year on the Eclipse, they had one of the best prime ribs I have ever had anywhere! Sometimes things can be a bit too salty, but that can happen anywhere.

Even though we now eat at Blu, I would still highly recommend the MDR, visit there several times, and always found something wonderful to eat.

[pnsnkr]

Absolutely nothing wrong with the MDR - as a matter of fact, this year on the Eclipse, they had one of the best prime ribs I have ever had anywhere!

 

I'm glad to hear that you liked the Prime Rib. How was the cut and temperature?

 

I've noticed that if there's one thing Celebrity doesn't do well, it's Prime Rib. The cuts have been consistently way too thin to bring out the full flavors, let alone have them cooked medium-rare. I've experienced this on three different cruise ships at different venues including BLU, Tuscan Grill, MDR and Lawn Club Grill.

[BosoxI]

Tell your waiter you want a thick cut. He'll bring it.

[bighairtexan]

Last month in BLU they had prime rib twice in 15 days. We'd both order our rare. One would come out about 3/4 -1 of an inch thick and the other seemed to be under 1/2 an inch. Taste, temp and texture was OK, not great. But it was nice and rare to medium rare as requested.

[Ma Bell]

I'm glad to hear that you liked the Prime Rib. How was the cut and temperature?

 

I've noticed that if there's one thing Celebrity doesn't do well, it's Prime Rib. The cuts have been consistently way too thin to bring out the full flavors, let alone have them cooked medium-rare. I've experienced this on three different cruise ships at different venues including BLU, Tuscan Grill, MDR and Lawn Club Grill.

 

Prime Rib is not cooked in pieces, it is just sliced after cooking so whether it is thick or thin would have nothing to do with how rare it is. If it's pre-cut it's a rib-eye steak.

[HopefulCruiser123]

The best part about dining in the MDR is looking forward to spending a little time with our table mates and seeing our wait staff every night. We always have a good time and look forward to the hour or two each night.

 

We do try the specialty restaurants and always enjoy them too, but I can't say that we prefer those meals over the MDR. It's just another experience

[pnsnkr]

Prime Rib is not cooked in pieces, it is just sliced after cooking so whether it is thick or thin would have nothing to do with how rare it is. If it's pre-cut it's a rib-eye steak.

 

Yes, thanks for the correction. MDR and BLU served the Prime Rib - neither got the temperature right; Tuscan Grill and Lawn Club Grill served the rib-eye steak.

 

Tell your waiter you want a thick cut. He'll bring it.

 

Good to know. Thanks. Not sure if this will work for the rib-eyes but I'm gonna try :)

[KiwiFunCruiser]

The best part about dining in the MDR is looking forward to spending a little time with our table mates and seeing our wait staff every night. We always have a good time and look forward to the hour or two each night.

 

We do try the specialty restaurants and always enjoy them too, but I can't say that we prefer those meals over the MDR. It's just another experience

 

That is just how we feel in the MDR. It's is important for us to start the evening feeling happy and contented.

[Balconyaft]

We do not feel the need to pay extra to eat in a specialty restaurant. We have always been able to order meals from the MDR that are good. We only cruise once/year but if we cruised more often with the same menu, we might be tempted to use a specialty restaurant for something different.

 

The ritual of dressing up for dinner, sipping a glass of wine on the balcony,

choosing a pre dinner cocktail bar for another sip of something,

then enjoying a relaxing delicious meal in MDR, this what I look forward to all year.

We enjoy the rituals around the meal as much as the meal itself it seems.

Maybe that's why we've rarely used specialty dining restaurants.

As sabookkeeper says when you only cruise once a year it doesn't seem necessary to pay the extra surcharge for specialty dining.

 

 

 

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