Goodbye to Ocean Liners on Constellation ?

[AtlantaCruiser72]

I agree that lowering the tariff for the specialties might help, but even when lower there were reports of them being fairly empty on many cruises. There is simply a significant portion of the cruise population who are not interested in the specialties for many reasons. For some they feel they have paid for the dining that's included and don't wish to pay more, for others they don't want a longer more drawn out dining experience, and then there are those for whom the cuisine does not appeal. Only NCL seem to consistently be able to fill their specialties, but they also have adopted a policy of "giving away" specialty dining as a promotion with booking, akin to the B/B/B offers from Celebrity.

[ECCruise]

I agree that lowering the tariff for the specialties might help, but even when lower there were reports of them being fairly empty on many cruises. There is simply a significant portion of the cruise population who are not interested in the specialties for many reasons. For some they feel they have paid for the dining that's included and don't wish to pay more, for others they don't want a longer more drawn out dining experience, and then there are those for whom the cuisine does not appeal. Only NCL seem to consistently be able to fill their specialties, but they also have adopted a policy of "giving away" specialty dining as a promotion with booking, akin to the B/B/B offers from Celebrity.

 

The NCL perc is fairly recent.

 

We've been on many NCL cruises, with no percs, that the specialties are booked solid for 14 or 21 days. I think that is a direct result of the much more equitable pricing.

[shipshape sam]

The only problem with that is that we have been told more than once that, after the switch from an OL to Tuscan, that it is "still empty."

 

If Celebrity wanted to fill the Specialties they could do so in a heartbeat. Reduce the price to what it was for years (and where the prep and food quality were higher). ~$30 for the top tier (Murano et. al.), ~$25 for the mid-tier (Q Sine et. al.) and ~$20 for the lowest tier (Tuscan). You can then stop the discounting and free up the staff walking around all the venues pushing reservations.

 

 

Maybe. I agree with the logic though.

[WonderMan3]

They should just raise prices when they announce a new year of cruises and include the specialties in the main price from that point on.

[Germancruiser]

Oh I so liked the Ocean Liner of the past Spec. Restaurants on board all four Milli- Class vessels. As the decoration- wood - glas and such are from real liners I hope they did not get rid of them. I heard some is on display somewhere on the ship. So let´s cross finges, they re- install them on board their new Edge Class ships.

Millenium, The Olympic- with wood work from Titanic´s sister ship

Infinity, United States - glaswork from the real United States

Constelation, Ocean Liners- from the famous french liner Ile de France

Summit, Normandie- left overs from the also famous french liner Normandie! I am sure they have stored such history ridden memorabilia for further use!

I have also such fond memories of dinners with wonderful friends in each of those restaurants.

[Brilliance]

I am on Constellation at the moment. They have said that Ocean Liners will be refitted to be Qsine + additional staterooms when it finishes the next cruise in Rome. This is such a shame. Once in Qsine is enough. It's a novelty not a restaurant you return to like Ocean Liners or Murano. The menu doesn't change. More money I guess from additional staterooms. :-(

[Nachosdelux]

I am on Constellation at the moment. They have said that Ocean Liners will be refitted to be Qsine + additional staterooms when it finishes the next cruise in Rome. This is such a shame. Once in Qsine is enough. It's a novelty not a restaurant you return to like Ocean Liners or Murano. The menu doesn't change. More money I guess from additional staterooms. :-(

 

The menu in OL/Murano does not change either, and there are a lot more choices at Qsine.

 

MY guess is that Celebrity wants to make it more appealing to the younger cruisers. The "old world" style OL/Murano dining appeals to an older generation, which they are not interested in catering to as much.

[Presto2]

I am on Constellation at the moment. They have said that Ocean Liners will be refitted to be Qsine + additional staterooms when it finishes the next cruise in Rome. This is such a shame. Once in Qsine is enough. It's a novelty not a restaurant you return to like Ocean Liners or Murano. The menu doesn't change. More money I guess from additional staterooms. :-(

 

Sorry to be the only ones on here happy, but we have just had to move cruise ships from the Reflection to the Constellation after Celebrity cancelled our cruise. Long story. The one thing we were looking forward to on Celebrity was Qsine and were disappointed that the Constellation did not have one.

 

Very happy tonight --- sorry to the rest of you though (sincerely)

[Luvcrusn]

Here's my "glass half full" take on it...X is saving us money. The one specialty restaurant we feel is worth the large extra cost were the Ocean Liners restaurants on the Millennium class ships. Qsine is quirky and worth trying once (but only with a big group) and Tuscan is a glorified chain Italian Steakhouse and nothing special to warrant the cost. (As I said, that's our opinion, and I know it's subjective) So, on the M-class ships we'll be dining in the MDR, or Blu and using our refundable OBC back to our credit card!

[hubofhockey]

The only restaurant showing availability for booking on our July Constellation cruise is Tuscan Grille. We are first timers on Celebrity and have Blu with Aqua Class and will dine out one evening in Dubrovnik, so don't see much of a need for Tuscan Grille. It doesn't sound as if the $45 is worth it to upgrade from Blu. We don't have Aqua on our Alaska cruise next summer on Solstice. We'll try it then. Maybe Ocean Liners just wasn't popular to justify the space allocation.

[jabrown40]

Tried both on the Silhouette. Probably won't pay extra for either. Tuscan was definitely nothing special, in fact it was the worst meal we had on our trip. We were sorry we gave up a night in Blu for a dinner that we paid extra for.

 

 

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[Presto2]

.... and using our refundable OBC back to our credit card!

 

Can you do that then?

[thephillykid]

Tried both on the Silhouette. Probably won't pay extra for either. Tuscan was definitely nothing special, in fact it was the worst meal we had on our trip. We were sorry we gave up a night in Blu for a dinner that we paid extra for.

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I feel the same way having been to Qsine on the Reflection.

It's a once and done kind of experience.

We are planning on MDR and then out to dinner in Israel.

X is taking away a choice in removing OL.

Howard

[hubofhockey]

I feel the same way having been to Qsine on the Reflection.

It's a once and done kind of experience.

We are planning on MDR and then out to dinner in Israel.

X is taking away a choice in removing OL.

Howard

Where in Israel? If Tel Aviv, have some great referrals.

[BeeMinor]

The menu in OL/Murano does not change either, and there are a lot more choices at Qsine.

 

MY guess is that Celebrity wants to make it more appealing to the younger cruisers. The "old world" style OL/Murano dining appeals to an older generation, which they are not interested in catering to as much.

 

Eh, no offense meant, but as a person in my late 30s the specialities seem to me like things that appeal to people way older than me, or perhaps--except for Ocean Liners/Murano, which aren't the latest thing in culinary trends but at least are pretty good--are older people's ideas of what younger people like. If Celebrity really thinks Tuscan/QSine appeal to people like me in their 20s-40s who put a lot of time, money, and energy into cooking, eating, and doing the culinary tourism thing, they have another think coming.

[WonderMan3]

I am on Constellation at the moment. They have said that Ocean Liners will be refitted to be Qsine + additional staterooms when it finishes the next cruise in Rome. This is such a shame. Once in Qsine is enough. It's a novelty not a restaurant you return to like Ocean Liners or Murano. The menu doesn't change. More money I guess from additional staterooms. :-(

 

 

???? The ship goes into dry dock on May 12th after it ends a cruise in Barcelona. I would assume that is when the restaurant change would be made not when it gets to Rome as there is a May 2nd cruise from Rome to Barcelona. (I'm on that cruise)

 

 

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[thephillykid]

Where in Israel? If Tel Aviv, have some great referrals.

We are going to be with family..in Modein.

Probably be in Tel Aviv after dark on Saturday night.

[hubofhockey]

We are going to be with family..in Modein.

Probably be in Tel Aviv after dark on Saturday night.

 

Kitchen Market in Tel Aviv in that beautiful port area is one of my favorite restaurants anywhere. You would need to book early.

[Brilliance]

???? The ship goes into dry dock on May 12th after it ends a cruise in Barcelona. I would assume that is when the restaurant change would be made not when it gets to Rome as there is a May 2nd cruise from Rome to Barcelona. (I'm on that cruise)

 

 

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Yes definitely when it dry docks and looks like I was given the wrong port. You are correct Barcelona dry dock for 2 weeks from 12th May.