Which is better: RCCL Specialty Dining (Oasis Class) or Celebrity Specialty Dining

[vespertino]

For those who have cruised frequently on both Celebrity and Royal, I'd like to know which you feel had the better specialty dining in terms of food quality and consistency. It's been a long time since, but I loved the Ocean Liners and Normandy on X and am very sad to hear they have since been replaced.

 

I'm currently debating between a future cruise on X or RCI (probably Oasis class), and the plan is to avoid the MDR and go for specialty dining each night. We're looking at Eastern or Western Carib cruses.

 

What were the hits? Misses? Pleasant surprises? I'd also like to hear some feedback on whether the dry-aged steaks offered at some of the on-board restaurants for an extra chrage are comparable to those at some high-end steakhouses on land.

 

Thanks for any info! This is going to be a tough decision.

[reedprincess]

For those who have cruised frequently on both Celebrity and Royal, I'd like to know which you feel had the better specialty dining in terms of food quality and consistency. It's been a long time since, but I loved the Ocean Liners and Normandy on X and am very sad to hear they have since been replaced.

 

I'm currently debating between a future cruise on X or RCI (probably Oasis class), and the plan is to avoid the MDR and go for specialty dining each night. We're looking at Eastern or Western Carib cruses.

 

What were the hits? Misses? Pleasant surprises? I'd also like to hear some feedback on whether the dry-aged steaks offered at some of the on-board restaurants for an extra chrage are comparable to those at some high-end steakhouses on land.

 

Thanks for any info! This is going to be a tough decision.

 

You'll have much wider variety foe specialty dining on Oasis class vs any Celebrity ship.

The Murano on Celebrity is very similar to what Normandy and SS United States used to be. A few different dishes but the same upscale elegant dining. There, favorites include Dover Sole, filleted tabeleside, steak Diane (off menu and have to be a regular visitor to Murano), beef Wellington and the bison.

Q-sine is a great concept on Celebrity, norhing like it on Oasis class, or any RCI ship really. Best done woth at least 4 people though to be AZ le to experience may different small plates.

We LOVE Solarium Bistro on Oasis and eat there twice a cruise - simply lovely, and nothing to compare on other RCI ships or Celebrity.

Not a fan of Tuscan Grill on Celebrity - we found Giovanni's better overall, but norhing extra special.

Bug fan of 150 Central Park, but it's relatively similar to Murano, for upscale gourmet.

Celebrity doesn't have a steakhouse like RCIs Chops, so norhing to compare across lines there.

Sabor on Oasis is excellent, and nothing like it on Celebrity ships. RCI offers Izumi with either a la carte or the hibachi table - norhing like the hibachi on Celebrity either, bit their Silk is very good, only on Solstice and Equinox..

And so on...You'll have more options and variety on Oasis class, but depends on which ship for specifics, ie Jamie's Italian, Solarium Bistro, etc - within the class there are different offerings - just as on Celebrity.

Overall, to be honest, not a fan of Celebrity recently. Sailed again on Eclipse March/April this past spring after a hiatus and found them just as lacking in overall personality. Service and Food were good, but there was serious lack of entertainment, especially after 10pm at night, and most daytime activites involved a fee. Specialty dining was great, we ate at Murano twice and Q-sine twice, skipped Tuscan Grill and Bistro on 5 - minimal appeal for us.

Both are good choices - but between Oasis class and Celebrity at all - Oasis wins hand down for us. More variety in food, more variety in entertainment, livelier atmosphere, etc... Depends on what you're looking for in overall cruise experience..

[Big_G]

For overall food quality and consistency, Celebrity wins hands down. Don't get me wrong, there is a wider variety on Oasis Class ships but their quality and consistency is suspect and Celebrities variety is no slouch either.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=621&pgtype=dining

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[vespertino]

You'll have much wider variety foe specialty dining on Oasis class vs any Celebrity ship.

The Murano on Celebrity is very similar to what Normandy and SS United States used to be. A few different dishes but the same upscale elegant dining. There, favorites include Dover Sole, filleted tabeleside, steak Diane (off menu and have to be a regular visitor to Murano), beef Wellington and the bison.

Q-sine is a great concept on Celebrity, norhing like it on Oasis class, or any RCI ship really. Best done woth at least 4 people though to be AZ le to experience may different small plates.

We LOVE Solarium Bistro on Oasis and eat there twice a cruise - simply lovely, and nothing to compare on other RCI ships or Celebrity.

Not a fan of Tuscan Grill on Celebrity - we found Giovanni's better overall, but norhing extra special.

Bug fan of 150 Central Park, but it's relatively similar to Murano, for upscale gourmet.

Celebrity doesn't have a steakhouse like RCIs Chops, so norhing to compare across lines there.

Sabor on Oasis is excellent, and nothing like it on Celebrity ships. RCI offers Izumi with either a la carte or the hibachi table - norhing like the hibachi on Celebrity either, bit their Silk is very good, only on Solstice and Equinox..

And so on...You'll have more options and variety on Oasis class, but depends on which ship for specifics, ie Jamie's Italian, Solarium Bistro, etc - within the class there are different offerings - just as on Celebrity.

Overall, to be honest, not a fan of Celebrity recently. Sailed again on Eclipse March/April this past spring after a hiatus and found them just as lacking in overall personality. Service and Food were good, but there was serious lack of entertainment, especially after 10pm at night, and most daytime activites involved a fee. Specialty dining was great, we ate at Murano twice and Q-sine twice, skipped Tuscan Grill and Bistro on 5 - minimal appeal for us.

Both are good choices - but between Oasis class and Celebrity at all - Oasis wins hand down for us. More variety in food, more variety in entertainment, livelier atmosphere, etc... Depends on what you're looking for in overall cruise experience..

 

Thank you! That was extremely helpful info. I am incredibly attracted to the variety on RCCL's oasis class, but would rather have better food overall even if it means less choices. I had read/heard/noticed that RCCL was stepping up the specialty dining, and wanted to investigate a little to see if it rivaled Celebrity. It does sound like there are some places that can, but I'm worried about consistency.

 

I plan on bringing my DH on this cruise and it was very difficult getting him to agree to going in the first place (it will be his first cruise). We're both sticklers when it comes to food quality, but he's not very forgiving to errors and can get very grumpy over imperfections. We don't really care much for entertainment. I suppose we're looking for relaxation, a more romantic setting, and good food.

[Snit13]

We have sailed both cruise lines and love, love, love the food on Celebrity.

 

Tell your DH instead of getting upset about his food, just speak up and they will bend over backwards to make it right and make him happy. I know.

 

We always sail AQUQ class and thus have special dining room BLU. 99.9% of the time the food is outstanding. There are a few dishes that we have sent back and had replaced with others.

 

We also love Murano's and even though many don't enjoy Tuscan Grille, we do. They were supposed to change Bistro on 5 to sushi and I believe I read somewhere that that has happened. We loved Bistro for lunch and they would make "seafood" crepes for us with advanced notice. We went to Qsine by ourselves and really didn't enjoy, but has been mentioned is supposed to be great with group.

 

We enjoyed Chops on Allure but Giovanni's not so much. Would try either again if opportunity presented itself.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[Balloon Man]

We have sailed Celebrity and RCCL. Entertainment is better on RCCL but if you travel suite class, which we are fortunate to be able to do, Celebrity knocks the socks off RCCL. Private all day club with free drinks and snacks; private Luminae restaurant (where the menu is different though not extensive but you can order anything from the MDR).

 

Better in suite perqs on Celebrity, though we really don't need a butler.

 

However in two weeks we will be on IoS. Why? Because we are taking our grandchildren and their facilities for kids are brilliant.

[Bobal]

We have sailed Celebrity and RCCL. Entertainment is better on RCCL but if you travel suite class, which we are fortunate to be able to do, Celebrity knocks the socks off RCCL. Private all day club with free drinks and snacks; private Luminae restaurant (where the menu is different though not extensive but you can order anything from the MDR).

 

Better in suite perqs on Celebrity, though we really don't need a butler.

 

However in two weeks we will be on IoS. Why? Because we are taking our grandchildren and their facilities for kids are brilliant.

 

It may be some time since you sailed RC as on Oasis and Quantum class ships you now have the bold items above on RC too, as well as a very nice dedicated outside deck with comfy loungers/chairs and a bar. There are also additional benefits under the new Star Class system

Edited August 1, 2016 by Bobal

[Balloon Man]

Sorry, I got carried away. Your question was about speciality restaurants.

 

Sadly our experience with many cruise lines is they become less special with time. I don't know any at sea (and I'm talking Seaborne, Regent, Crystal) as well as RCCL, Celebrity, Princes et al that can compare with a good restaurant ashore.

 

But they make a change from the MDR.

 

My favourite speciality restaurant at sea? It used to be the Olympic on Millennium with tail-coated waiters serving you almost anything you wanted, and mostly cooked table-side. Now it's Qsine. You don't go for the food, which is actually very good, but the enjoyment. And isn't that what speciality dining is all about?

[Balloon Man]

It may be some time since you sailed RC as on Oasis and Quantum class ships you now have the bold items above on RC too, as well as a very nice dedicated outside deck with comfy loungers/chairs and a bar. There are also additional benefits under the new Star Class system

 

Pity this doesn't extend to suite class passengers on their older vessels.

[reedprincess]

Thank you! That was extremely helpful info. I am incredibly attracted to the variety on RCCL's oasis class, but would rather have better food overall even if it means less choices. I had read/heard/noticed that RCCL was stepping up the specialty dining, and wanted to investigate a little to see if it rivaled Celebrity. It does sound like there are some places that can, but I'm worried about consistency.

 

I plan on bringing my DH on this cruise and it was very difficult getting him to agree to going in the first place (it will be his first cruise). We're both sticklers when it comes to food quality, but he's not very forgiving to errors and can get very grumpy over imperfections. We don't really care much for entertainment. I suppose we're looking for relaxation, a more romantic setting, and good food.

 

If that is the main focus, go for Celebrity, probably a Solstice class ship. Smaller, more intimate and much quieter ship than Oasis class - by far. Less people equals more time to accommodate those who are onboard, and more ability to make corrections when needed.

Itinerary can play a big role too, as Oasis class ships are quite limited in their port options... With Celebrity, different ships within the same class have different restaurants, so be sure the ship you pick has the ones you are interested in... Ie Silk is Asian cuisine but only on Solstice and Equinox. Q-Sine is a fun food art and tapas experience, but only on some ships, and so on...Bistro on 5 has been changed to Sushi on 5 on some but not others..... Good luck and enjoy.

[sperkins921]

I'm probably the outlier in the group, but I totally prefer the food on Celebrity to RC. I've been on the Oasis for RC, and then the Summit, the Connie, the Reflection, and going on the Equinox this December.

 

My first X experience was on the Connie. I was blown away by the food at Ocean Liners (Murano, Normandie, etc. Different name depending on the ship, same restaurant) At Sea, the closest experience was Remy on DCL. Same on the Summit and the Reflection.

 

On the Reflection, my next fave meal came from the Lawn Club Grille. We ate there twice on the same cruise- once for steaks/chops/fish at dinner, and then a few days later for lunch. It was phenom.

 

Bistro on 5 is a good crepes/sandwhiches location; but the food was different (in terms of quality) across the three ships. Not sure why that would be, but it was. Was still good- but not a 'must' do for everyone.

 

Cafe al Baccio deserves a mention here (it happens to be close to Bo5 on most ships) as there is no coffee house like it on Oasis. Yes, there's a coffee place or two on the Oasis. Plus Starbucks. But the coffee is so much better on X than RCI. And the tea. CaB uses Illy IIRC and is espresso based and done right. Starbucks at sea was very hit or miss. And the other place, wayyy to sweet and over milked. I like cream and sugar as much as the next gal, but their idea of a latte was like 99% of 12oz cup being milk with ice and a then single shot of espresso. Couldn't even taste the coffee for all the milk. I realize a latte is mostly milk, but the ratio that they handed me was just not tasty at all.

 

I do give a nod to Sabor on RCI, as the fresh guac and salsa are right up my alley. I also give a nod to Izumi because I do enjoy good sushi.

 

Those are the restaurants that off the top of my head stand out. That said, if I was picking a cruise simply for food and quality and the overall foodie experience? Hands down X.

 

If I was picking a ship based on things to do? Hands down Oasis class.

[vespertino]

Thanks everyone! Looks like the scales tip toward X although R is still a good contender. Since I've only tried the specialty dining on X and I have a rough idea of what to expect, I wanted to check with those who had tried both especially since it has been many years since my last cruise.

 

@sperkins921

 

Constellation was my first X cruise as well, and it was that particular ship that won me over to cruising. I still liked my RCCL cruise and had a great time- which was my first- but the Constellation is what enamored me. At some point I'll need to do another cruise on the Connie, but she's in Europe right now.