Is Celebrity's Food inedible?

[OzKiwiJJ]

We've done two cruises on Celebrity and a number on Princess.

 

On the first Celebrity cruise the food wasn't as good as Princess and on the second it was a tad better.

 

I think Princess has better choices in the MDR for lunch but dinners are about the same. Celebrity has more speciality restaurants and we loved Sushi on 5 for lunch on sea days. The other speciality restaurants on Celebrity sometimes had lunch specials but the Princess ones are never open for lunch.

 

We're not a fan of the buffet restaurants so can't help you there.

[4cats4me]

I’ve been on 19 Princess cruises and have NEVER seen an entree that looks like the one above in the MDR, well, maybe back in 2003. The above looks more like one you’d pay for at a specialty place. But the food is really tasty.

Celebrity and Princess are about equal in the regular dining room. I actually give Princess better marks, due to better service and presentation of food overall.

We just got off the Regal and ate at the buffet every day and night. It was that good! Regal and Royal buffets blow away Celebrity’s

Solstice-class buffets these days. Five years ago Solstice class buffets blew away all Princess buffets, except for the Royal.

Food is so subjective.

Both lines are about equal, in my opinion, unless you do Aqua class on Celebrity and eat at BLU, which has always been excellent.

 

Princess pizza is WAY better. There is zero comparison to that stuff on X that they try to pass off as pizza. The pasta at the buffet on Celebrity was really bad as well, with awful gristly meatballs, unlike on Princess with its fabulous pastas with fresh Alfredo sauces, penne arrabiata, pesto pastas, and spaghetti and meatballs.

Edited April 30, 2018 by 4cats4me

[aml3679]

We have never sailed Princess but Celebrity 4 times and we love the food on Celebrity.

[TeeRick]

Doug and Cindy asking the same question again on another food thread.

[shipley731]

We've cruised on Celebrity twice (2011 & 2012) & Princess twice (2006 & 2016). We've enjoyed the food both times we cruised with Celebrity. (We're also about to do a 3rd cruise on Celebrity in the middle of next month.) The first time we did a Princess cruise, the food was really good. The last go around, we weren't impressed. I will say that neither my husband or myself are generally big fans of the MDR's. Our first voyage with Celebrity was a 14 night Transatlantic cruise. We got stuck at a table with a lovely older couple that we liked but the husband ordered something from every course. The dinners dragged on for 2 & 1/2 hours. It got old fast. There were nights we just skipped the MDR & ate at the buffet as we didn't want to be stuck at the table that long. Second cruise with Celebrity, we were in Aqua Class & ate at Blu most nights. Loved it! We are booked in Aqua Class again this trip. As for the second trip on Princess, it wasn't that anything was inedible, it just wasn't great.

 

I will also add that the best food on a cruise that I've ever had was the trip we did with Oceania. It was great. The MDR was always good & the specialty restaurants were fantastic. There were some downsides to the trip on Oceania, but the food was definitely not one of them.

[Marelaine]

Whichever line you choose, I'm looking forward to your review.

[AidenL]

Not again. This has to be a trolling issue, stock pictures and all.

[Husky61]

We recently cruised on Celebrity Solstice and one of the highlights was the food - the food in the MRD and OVC (buffet) was all great and we were more than happy.

 

We met some people on our cruise who had done a Princess cruise before and said the food on Celebrity was way better....

 

Maybe because the taste of food is SOOO subjective. I read a post where a person said the lamb chops on princess were delicious, you'll love them. I can't stand the taste of lamb so I wouldn't love them.

 

So who is to say food is better on one cruise line over the other?

[Mr&MrsBee]

Not again. This has to be a trolling issue, stock pictures and all.

 

Someone needs to get a life and maybe go get a burger and pizza on land.

[The Mommy]

Its all so very personal but we love Celebrity and always enjoy the variety and quality of the food both in the mdr and in the speciality restaurants. We found the food on Princess also very good but Celebrity takes our vote overall.

[Doug & Cindy Scrap Hunter]

Someone needs to get a life and maybe go get a burger and pizza on land.

 

I can eat that stuff like that anytime on land. What did you have for lunch today BTW? Some of the folks reading this might want to actually know the difference between the two cruise lines. There's folks that have never been on Princess before and are curious or people from Princess looking over the fence. You can see by the other comments that Princess is doing some things right and you might not like it, but that's why you're going after my diet.

[Doug & Cindy Scrap Hunter]

Whichever line you choose, I'm looking forward to your review.

 

Thank you. I will post a review.

[Cruise a holic]

We have sailed on princess a few times, but many more times on the Summit. I find the food on the summit, and Celebrity ships overall much better then princess. As far as healthy options, it is up to you and your family to make healthy options. The spa cafe has many choices, as does the buffet. The choice is up to you

[Doug & Cindy Scrap Hunter]

We have sailed on princess a few times, but many more times on the Summit. I find the food on the summit, and Celebrity ships overall much better then princess. As far as healthy options, it is up to you and your family to make healthy options. The spa cafe has many choices, as does the buffet. The choice is up to you

 

I figured that there would be healthy options on both, so that's not the problem. The last few weeks we've been drinking Soylent Meal Replacements for lunch to cut down on calories. Yeah I like my junk food, but we're eating more healthy at home and live it up while we're out. It just looks to me like Princess might be the best of both worlds.

 

Some folks have criticized me for not eating frog legs and squid, like they're high class. The truth is that if frog legs were common meat, these folks would look down on "Kentucky Fried Frog Legs" on every street corner, but the high end restaurant goers would be just as smug about their rare exotic chicken treats. Americans don't know how well they've got it. All the best foods are already common, and frog legs and squid is what we would eat if we were a poorer country.

[keithm]

I figured that there would be healthy options on both, so that's not the problem. The last few weeks we've been drinking Soylent Meal Replacements for lunch to cut down on calories. Yeah I like my junk food, but we're eating more healthy at home and live it up while we're out. It just looks to me like Princess might be the best of both worlds.

 

Some folks have criticized me for not eating frog legs and squid, like they're high class. The truth is that if frog legs were common meat, these folks would look down on "Kentucky Fried Frog Legs" on every street corner, but the high end restaurant goers would be just as smug about their rare exotic chicken treats. Americans don't know how well they've got it. All the best foods are already common, and frog legs and squid is what we would eat if we were a poorer country.

You ever eat Frog's Legs or Squid? Frog's Legs are kind of like chicken. Squid, when done right is one of my fav's. By the way "poorer country" is a fairly low blow! Different foods are everywhere. I'd love to see how long you'd last with Richard & myself when it comes to dining! Richard is Chinese & though I was pretty adventuresome, most of what we eat in China town most of the "adventuresome" weouldn't touch. Same goes for Sushi & the like. Ever had Foie Gras or Sweet breads? There's more to food than just a steak & potatoes! Perhaps you need to get out & try the more exotic. Green Eggs & ham were pretty good once he tried them!

[Doug & Cindy Scrap Hunter]

You ever eat Frog's Legs or Squid? Frog's Legs are kind of like chicken. Squid, when done right is one of my fav's. By the way "poorer country" is a fairly low blow! Different foods are everywhere. I'd love to see how long you'd last with Richard & myself when it comes to dining! Richard is Chinese & though I was pretty adventuresome, most of what we eat in China town most of the "adventuresome" weouldn't touch. Same goes for Sushi & the like. Ever had Foie Gras or Sweet breads? There's more to food than just a steak & potatoes! Perhaps you need to get out & try the more exotic. Green Eggs & ham were pretty good once he tried them!

 

So when I paint the "foodie" options in a not so flattering light, that's a low blow, but I can get made fun of for pages on here and that's hilarious. Green Eggs & ham yes. Have you been on Carnival?

 

[keithm]

We've cruised on Celebrity twice (2011 & 2012) & Princess twice (2006 & 2016). We've enjoyed the food both times we cruised with Celebrity. (We're also about to do a 3rd cruise on Celebrity in the middle of next month.) The first time we did a Princess cruise, the food was really good. The last go around, we weren't impressed. I will say that neither my husband or myself are generally big fans of the MDR's. Our first voyage with Celebrity was a 14 night Transatlantic cruise. We got stuck at a table with a lovely older couple that we liked but the husband ordered something from every course. The dinners dragged on for 2 & 1/2 hours. It got old fast. There were nights we just skipped the MDR & ate at the buffet as we didn't want to be stuck at the table that long. Second cruise with Celebrity, we were in Aqua Class & ate at Blu most nights. Loved it! We are booked in Aqua Class again this trip. As for the second trip on Princess, it wasn't that anything was inedible, it just wasn't great.

 

I will also add that the best food on a cruise that I've ever had was the trip we did with Oceania. It was great. The MDR was always good & the specialty restaurants were fantastic. There were some downsides to the trip on Oceania, but the food was definitely not one of them.

 

 

This has been our cruise schedule: Cunard 2004-2012. Queens Grill 2010 is still what we measure all against.( 2013 Las Vegas trip) 2014-2015 Celebrity Eclipse. Food very good to excellent in MDR. Outstanding in specialty Rest. 2016 Regal Princess. Food very good to excellent MDR(fixed seating)Specialty rest. just Ok. Beef quality was "select grade" at best. I'm the buyer/part owner of our food service bus. & drop several million $$ a year. I think I have a pretty good idea of beef quality, thank you! The Buffet, however was excellent. Far better than the Eclipse. Now the down turn. Returned to the Eclipse in 2017. Food in MDR was the worst of ANY cruise ship we've been on. By no means inedible, but certainly not what a expected "premium" cruise line should serve. Specialty rest. again were outstanding. We decided to cancel our 2018 Eclipse trip to try a 10 "nighter" on the Oceania ship Riviera. Grand Diningroom was the best "standard" food we've had on a ship. The specialty rest. were akin to the Queen Grill's finest. Only difference with Queens Grill, you can venture "off menu" with a little advance notice. The buffet rest. was excellent, but not a huge variety of choice. Daily Tea service is a most splendid affair!

Entertainment on Riviera was pretty lame. The "entertainment" so to speak, is really the food. We cancelled our 2019 Celebrity Reflection trip & will be back on board the Riviera for 14 days in Jan.2019 I guess keeping the overall prices down, Princess/Celebrity have to cut costs somewhere...a shame it's the food quality that suffers. I hear of experiments with extra cost items being tried in the MDR's of both the lines. Perhaps a good tryout.

Edited May 1, 2018 by keithm
spelling

[Marelaine]

Thank you. I will post a review.

 

Thank you.

 

My husband is a meat and potatoes kind of guy. I was worried when I previewed the menus before our first cruise. But he found plenty of options that appealed to him. I think you will be surprised. Some of those dishes sound fancier than they really are.

[Gonzo70]

Americans don't know how well they've got it. All the best foods are already common, and frog legs and squid is what we would eat if we were a poorer country.

 

That is a rather ridiculous declaration. Yes, there is loads of incredible food in the States (some that are delicacies - such as Santa Barbara uni, but the vast majority that is common and approachable), but "All the best foods" are certainly not common. Freshly shaved white Alba truffles and A5 grade Miyazaki beef for example blow away any mushrooms or beef sourced domestically - and even in their respective countries (France and Japan) are not common. Sure there is an added perceived value and excitement factor when eating something rare or uncommon for food tasters or those with adventurous palates, but sometimes rare or exotic foods just happen to be pretty darn amazing to boot. A true food taster doesn't just like something because it is rare (though they may seek it out to try it), but generally seeks food that is high quality, well executed and (unless it is something that demands simplicity because it is so exquisite) creatively done... and sometimes we just like a nice, simple pizza from the grocery store or burger from a dive bar with a cheap beer.

[Luvcrusn]

Some folks have criticized me for not eating frog legs and squid, like they're high class. The truth is that if frog legs were common meat, these folks would look down on "Kentucky Fried Frog Legs" on every street corner, but the high end restaurant goers would be just as smug about their rare exotic chicken treats. Americans don't know how well they've got it. All the best foods are already common, and frog legs and squid is what we would eat if we were a poorer country.

Sweeping generalizations about any nationality never contribute well to any conversation about any subject. The creditability of anyone who makes those comments immediately turns off my ear to any point they may be making. No nationality is all the same.

[Doug & Cindy Scrap Hunter]

No nationality is all the same.

 

What part of the country is hard to find chicken wings? I am willing to bet that most of the world would rather eat in your Ocean View Buffet rather than eat snails and frog legs up in the upcharge restaurants. I've been dealing with snobbery for over three weeks without complaining, but you folks don't seem to like it when the shoes on the other foot.

 

Eat adventurous and exotic all you want, but don't look down on us meat and potatoes peeps without considering that maybe your frou-frou dishes aren't all that special in other cultures.

Edited May 1, 2018 by Doug & Cindy Scrap Hunter

[Luvcrusn]

What part of the country is hard to find chicken wings? I am willing to bet that most of the world would rather eat in your Ocean View Buffet rather than eat snails and frog legs up in the upcharge restaurants. I've been dealing with snobbery for over three weeks without complaining, but you folks don't seem to like it when the shoes on the other foot.

 

Eat adventurous and exotic all you want, but don't look down on us meat and potatoes peeps without considering that maybe your frou-frou dishes aren't all that special in other cultures.

Doug and Cindy, I would certainly never look down on anyone for their food preferences. I honestly care what anyone else eats and it doesn't affect me in the least. I've been happily married to my DH for many years and dearly love him. We absolutely do not share the same taste for food. Why would I care what someone I've never met likes? How ridiculous that would be! I reacted to your statement that "Americans don't know how well they've got it" by pointing out that no one should paint with a broad brush when describing an entire country (USA or and other). BTW, escargot (snails) may be enjoyed (or not) in the MDR and one needn't go to a specialty restaurant to obtain them. The MDR offers a wide variety of foods, both exotic and more mundane to please all palates. Enjoy what you like. MDR offers chicken dishes, salmon, steak, pasta etc., as well as the dishes you don't seem to care for. We've been on multiple cruises on multiple lines and have enjoyed everything from pizza, pasta, and burgers, to escargot, frogs legs, and foie gras. I can quite honestly say I've never commented on the likes or dislikes of my fellow cruisers, not would I judge them. Shame on anyone who does.

[Doug & Cindy Scrap Hunter]

Doug and Cindy, I would certainly never look down on anyone for their food preferences. I honestly care what anyone else eats and it doesn't affect me in the least. I've been happily married to my DH for many years and dearly love him. We absolutely do not share the same taste for food. Why would I care what someone I've never met likes? How ridiculous that would be! I reacted to your statement that "Americans don't know how well they've got it" by pointing out that no one should paint with a broad brush when describing an entire country (USA or and other). BTW, escargot (snails) may be enjoyed (or not) in the MDR and one needn't go to a specialty restaurant to obtain them. The MDR offers a wide variety of foods, both exotic and more mundane to please all palates. Enjoy what you like. MDR offers chicken dishes, salmon, steak, pasta etc., as well as the dishes you don't seem to care for. We've been on multiple cruises on multiple lines and have enjoyed everything from pizza, pasta, and burgers, to escargot, frogs legs, and foie gras. I can quite honestly say I've never commented on the likes or dislikes of my fellow cruisers, not would I judge them. Shame on anyone who does.

 

Yeah that makes sense and I agree. I didn't mean to knock Americans or non-Americans, I just view this country as the glass is half full and we should appreciate what we have. Not everyone does these days.

[Luvcrusn]

Yeah that makes sense and I agree. I didn't mean to knock Americans or non-Americans, I just view this country as the glass is half full and we should appreciate what we have. Not everyone does these days.

I think a study of history will show you that not everyone does anything these days, or any days in the past. So I'm curious, after several hundred posts on this thread about food on a line you (I think) stated you haven't sailed, what is your decision?

[Doug & Cindy Scrap Hunter]

I think a study of history will show you that not everyone does anything these days, or any days in the past. So I'm curious, after several hundred posts on this thread about food on a line you (I think) stated you haven't sailed, what is your decision?

 

It looks like there's not enough consistency and people are reacting to criticism like they know something isn't right with Celebrity like it used to be. I'm seeing more snack options and higher end dishes both on Princess. We're leaning towards a 5 Night on the Ruby Princess. That post on the previous page started out as a new thread because we've learned more and were giving the Celebrity crowd one last try to convince us otherwise, but someone complained that I made a duplicate thread, and so I'm back.