We Walked Out of Tuscan Grille - Silhouette

[need2cruisesoon]

We did.

We walked out after being seated at 8:00pm. Menu in hand by 8:20. Appetizers were served at 9:00 then salads a half hour later. Then by 10:15 pm I got up to use the mens restroom and told myself that if the food wasn't on the table I was walking to the kitchen.

 

Back from the restroom then toward the table and still no food and no server, I high tailed right over to the kitchen and saw the chef and asked were our dinner was. He shrugged and I went back to our table and told all of our party of 6 that we were leaving now.

 

We all got up and proceeded to leave the restaurant. Then right in front of the Ensemble Lounge I get a tap on my back, it was the Chef and the Maitre D pleading for us to return. By then I was really upset and said some unpleasant things regarding the service that evening (I apologize to all if you were present). Some people in the lounge looked at us with amazement as my voice got loud, I then collected myself and continued to take our party up to the OceanView Cafe for dinner.

 

Once we sat in the OceanView another manager form the Tuscan came to sit with us and explained that the staff was sorry, they said that the kitchen was overwhelmed. I said "excuse me", their were only 5 other tables in Tuscan that evening and didn't believe that reason one bit.

 

We finished a wonderful dinner in the OceanView that evening and all managed to all agree not to let this episode ruin an otherwise Ok cruise.

 

Ok, now the morning after. I get a call at 8:00am from a guy named "Pred" who is in charge of all pay restaurants and he again apologized for the previous evening failure. I said not to worry and that all was forgotten. He did offer us another meal at no cost along with some wines from the ships private reserve collection but at that point I had enough of "Specialty Restaurants" for this cruise. For some reason looking back all the SR we ate (Murano, Qsine) seemed to take a lot of energy to get through, I'm not really sure why.

 

We did the MDR for the balance of the cruise and were completely happy with the menu and food with the exception of the last evening were the server was completely rude. Rude for no reason and wanted to go talk to the manager on floor that evening but I thought what was the purpose as the next morning we were off the ship. My energy level was low from the previous nights disaster that prompted me to question myself and another Celebrity cruise.

 

As a side note, we had happen to bump into 1 other couple who had reservations at Tuscan that same evening and they concurred that the service was substandard as well as the food.

Edited August 5, 2015 by need2cruisesoon

[Gracie115]

Wow....that's really too bad....we've always like Tuscan on any of the ships we've been on....I wonder what the "real" issue was....sorry you had such a bad experience....that is NOT normal, at least not in my experience.

[ginabab]

Not good Sorry for your stress I too dislike a 2 hour plus dinner

[absolutboy20]

Sorry OP that they missed the mark on the restaurant that night. I am however impressed with how the crew followed through on three separate occasions to explain and then offer a complimentary meal for you to return. It seems like they did try everything they could to have you have another experience which hopefully would have been better. I wouldn't dismiss another Celebrity cruise altogether due to one bad dining experience especially since once they were informed of the fact, they did try to rectify the problem. A bad dining experience or bad waiter can happen at any restaurant if you hit it on the wrong night.

[keithm]

Wow....that's really too bad....we've always like Tuscan on any of the ships we've been on....I wonder what the "real" issue was....sorry you had such a bad experience....that is NOT normal, at least not in my experience.

A shame. We've never had a problem in any of the Specialty rest. We've done dinners(shoreside rest.) that take up to 3 hours,so the 2 hour time you had wouldn't bother us. Still I have pause that you didn't take them up on the complimentary meal & willingness to make amends. We've had that happen & we give them the opportunity to correct it. being in the food industry, things happen. Next time do give the staff(in ANY restaurant) a chance to correct the problem.

[MizDemeanor]

Disappointment is the difference between expectations and reality.

 

I try to be realistic about my expectations. Sometimes things just go wrong. Sounds like the cruisline went out of their way to address the impact of this with you.

 

That's so good to hear.

[RICCruisers]

Keith - Were with the group? If not, how do you know he "dragged the entire party away". This is not a flame, just a comment that you may be making assumptions that may or may not be accurate.

[Gracie115]

A shame. We've never had a problem in any of the Specialty rest. We've done dinners(shoreside rest.) that take up to 3 hours,so the 2 hour time you had wouldn't bother us. Still I have pause that you didn't take them up on the complimentary meal & willingness to make amends. We've had that happen & we give them the opportunity to correct it. being in the food industry, things happen. Next time do give the staff(in ANY restaurant) a chance to correct the problem.

 

I agree with you that they should have given them a chance to prove themselves on another night. We had a bad experience in Murano's on our first visit and while they were full for the remainder of the nights for dinner, they did ask us to come by for dessert, which we did and were treated wonderfully.... Sometimes "stuff" happens and it spirals out of control....still I do sympathize with the OP, I'm sure it was frustrating for them...

[Kevnzworld]

The food in Tuscan Grill is really not very good anyway..mediocre at best.

They were doing you a favor.

Ok I'm kidding ( not about the food ). the slow service was inexcusable though.

[CathyCruises]

If I sat down to a 'fine dining' experience, for which I was paying a premium, at 8 PM and by 10:15 had not received my main course, I too would have been upset. I wouldn't have been loud but I would have been forthright in my comments. I would also probably have walked out, but quietly.

 

We had a party of 12-14 in Tuscan on our May cruise, on a night that seemed reasonably busy, but our meal was served promptly and well. Also on Silhouette btw. So SOMETHING was wrong that night.

 

I also wonder what on earth the party could have had at Ocean View Cafe at 10:30 that was 'wonderful'!! Isn't it just pizza and pasta at that time?

[ORV]

We did.

We walked out after being seated at 8:00pm. Menu in hand by 8:20. Appetizers were served at 9:00 then salads a half hour later. Then by 10:15 pm I got up to use the mens restroom and told myself that if the food wasn't on the table I was walking to the kitchen.

 

Back from the restroom then toward the table and still no food and no server, I high tailed right over to the kitchen and saw the chef and asked were our dinner was. He shrugged and I went back to our table and told all of our party of 6 that we were leaving now.

 

We all got up and proceeded to leave the restaurant. Then right in front of the Ensemble Lounge I get a tap on my back, it was the Chef and the Maitre D pleading for us to return. By then I was really upset and said some unpleasant things regarding the service that evening (I apologize to all if you were present). Some people in the lounge looked at us with amazement as my voice got loud, I then collected myself and continued to take our party up to the OceanView Cafe for dinner.

 

Once we sat in the OceanView another manager form the Tuscan came to sit with us and explained that the staff was sorry, they said that the kitchen was overwhelmed. I said "excuse me", their were only 5 other tables in Tuscan that evening and didn't believe that reason one bit.

 

We finished a wonderful dinner in the OceanView that evening and all managed to all agree not to let this episode ruin an otherwise Ok cruise.

 

Ok, now the morning after. I get a call at 8:00am from a guy named "Pred" who is in charge of all pay restaurants and he again apologized for the previous evening failure. I said not to worry and that all was forgotten. He did offer us another meal at no cost along with some wines from the ships private reserve collection but at that point I had enough of "Specialty Restaurants" for this cruise. For some reason looking back all the SR we ate (Murano, Qsine) seemed to take a lot of energy to get through, I'm not really sure why.

 

We did the MDR for the balance of the cruise and were completely happy with the menu and food with the exception of the last evening were the server was completely rude. Rude for no reason and wanted to go talk to the manager on floor that evening but I thought what was the purpose as the next morning we were off the ship. My energy level was low from the previous nights disaster that prompted me to question myself and another Celebrity cruise.

 

As a side note, we had happen to bump into 1 other couple who had reservations at Tuscan that same evening and they concurred that the service was substandard as well as the food.

 

Wow, sounds like you could have used an advocate, perhaps someone to explain that this is how Modern Luxury works and you should have just gone with the flow and enjoyed the evening. They all know that a real dinner experience should last 2 to 3 hours or more.

[ecslady]

I have dined in Tuscan and on the Silhouette a number of times.

 

We were on the Silhouette again this past June, my 4th time on Silly, and the service and food in Tuscan was below par. Not what it has been in the past on any of the ships. I'm not sure why.

 

We had much better service in Murano and Lawn Club Grill.

 

So, I will not be visiting Tuscan on the next cruise.

[gacruisergal]

We dined in Tuscan Grill on our anniversary dinner out of Santorini, Greece in a wake view table and although the setting was very romantic, the food and service was greatly lacking. We understand your pain! We now prefer to eat in the main dining room without additional charge and a normal meal.......not quite as good as home but the cruise is the get away!

[M&M Hayden]

We sailed on Silhouette on b2b cruises in February/March and found most of the personnel didn't consider customer service high on their list of priorities.... we have been booked on a Constellation cruise this November/December for the last two years and needless to say we are hoping it goes much better.

[LabGuy64]

Unless you are from Europe...a 2 hour wait to be served is insane.....let alone 3 hours and if you are in the food industry...especially in the US.....there is NO excuse to have more than 2 hours pass and not have serves the entree...any "thing that happens" is simply poor execution or prep on the part of the restaurant

 

 

 

A shame. We've never had a problem in any of the Specialty rest. We've done dinners(shoreside rest.) that take up to 3 hours,so the 2 hour time you had wouldn't bother us. Still I have pause that you didn't take them up on the complimentary meal & willingness to make amends. We've had that happen & we give them the opportunity to correct it. being in the food industry, things happen. Next time do give the staff(in ANY restaurant) a chance to correct the problem.

[Cruizen Susan]

That's a shame. We have never had anything but wonderful experiences in the specialty restaurants.

Edited August 6, 2015 by Cruisen'Susan

[awhfy]

We ate in Tuscan once (Equinox several years ago) not impressed. It was a good thing I had my epi pen with me. I'm allergic to mushrooms & had talked with the maitre d earlier in the day & was assured they would take care of it. I also told our waiter prior to ordering. Every single thing I ordered was brought to me with mushrooms. The waiter was totally unconcerned, the maitre d wasn't much better. The service was not nearly as good as what we had in the MDR. Too bad, as we were looking forward to the meal.

Edited August 6, 2015 by awhfy

[Hlitner]

My goodness, the Cheerleaders are alive and well on this thread :). We have also had our share of issues with Celebrity alternative restaurants (including an awfully prepared Veal Chop at the Tuscan on the Silhouette) so we understand that things go wrong. And like the OP we have had all kinds of apologies, gift offers, visits from management, etc.

 

But this is just not good enough! When things go wrong in a restaurant it should be corrected on the spot! A next day apology does little to wipe away the bad taste. And our experience with Celebrity is that they are very good with "after the fact" apologies and incompetent at making things right at the time!

 

And before the Cheerleaders jump on me I should add that we are big fans of Celebrity and Elite Plus. Most of the time Celebrity is great (we think the best mass market line). But they do screw up, and it often seems to happen in alternative restaurants.

 

Hank

[broberts]

Sorry OP that they missed the mark on the restaurant that night. I am however impressed with how the crew followed through on three separate occasions to explain and then offer a complimentary meal for you to return. It seems like they did try everything they could to have you have another experience which hopefully would have been better. I wouldn't dismiss another Celebrity cruise altogether due to one bad dining experience especially since once they were informed of the fact, they did try to rectify the problem. A bad dining experience or bad waiter can happen at any restaurant if you hit it on the wrong night.

 

Had the staff put as much effort into the original service there would have been no need to pat them on the back for trying to make up for that terrible service.

 

Sure bad dining experiences can happen in some restaurants. The OP did what most people do in those situations. Leave and make sure to warn others of the potential for a similar experience.

[benny salami]

Bad experiences can happen even in the finest restaurants. We have dined at the Tuscan Grille many times and both the food and service were exceptional. Last cruise {on Silhouette} our table of four was plated at the same second by two excellent waiters. Shocked by your experience and hope you will give specialty dining on Celebrity another go.

[Bo1953]

My goodness, the Cheerleaders are alive and well on this thread :). We have also had our share of issues with Celebrity alternative restaurants (including an awfully prepared Veal Chop at the Tuscan on the Silhouette) so we understand that things go wrong. And like the OP we have had all kinds of apologies, gift offers, visits from management, etc.

 

But this is just not good enough! When things go wrong in a restaurant it should be corrected on the spot! A next day apology does little to wipe away the bad taste. And our experience with Celebrity is that they are very good with "after the fact" apologies and incompetent at making things right at the time!

 

And before the Cheerleaders jump on me I should add that we are big fans of Celebrity and Elite Plus. Most of the time Celebrity is great (we think the best mass market line). But they do screw up, and it often seems to happen in alternative restaurants.

 

Hank

 

I think, from what I read, the M'D wanted to do something right away but was rebuffed (I understand in the midst of upset and on principle, for which I do not blame the OP).

 

I hope my experience in the AR will not mirror the OP's, but no worries I will be expecting to be delightfully surprized... ;-)

[wwcruisers]

We won't be going back to Tuscan, anytime soon. Our first experience (Equinox in '13) was so-so, and our last (Eclipse, last December) was disastrous. Everything was over-salted, and they could not fix a decent veal chop for me. By the time that became painfully clear, my DH had finished his entree -- so, I just had the maitre'd remove my meal charge from the bill. But, when I have to leave a restaurant hungry -- I usually don't return. :rolleyes:

Edited August 6, 2015 by wwcruisers

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

We had two meals in Tuscan last fall on the Connie. The first was excellent--both food and service. The second was terrible--both food and service. I won't be rushing back to spend money there again.

 

[absolutboy20]

Had the staff put as much effort into the original service there would have been no need to pat them on the back for trying to make up for that terrible service.

 

Sure bad dining experiences can happen in some restaurants. The OP did what most people do in those situations. Leave and make sure to warn others of the potential for a similar experience.

 

So a restaurant that admits that they did not meet their own standards and asks that the customer come back for a meal on the house should be blacklisted?

 

I fully understand if the restaurant didn't care of the OP's complaint and did not do anything to try and rectify the situation, or if the OP picked up the offer from them and had a similar experience the second round that it may be a systemic problem with a restaurant.

 

Believing that even all high end restaurants have 100% satisfaction rate is unrealistic.

[purpletequila]

Wow....that's really too bad....we've always like Tuscan on any of the ships we've been on....I wondrer what the "real" issue was....sorry you had such a bad experience....that is NOT normal, at least not in my experience.

 

I wonder if the specialty restaurants help cook for Luminae.