AZ MDR food/service vs Luminae on celebrity

[Lonedaddy]

Looking at trying AZ - have been on a few celebrity cruise in a suite and like the luminae food and service.  How does the AZ MDR compare ?  I noticed that the suites on AZ have specialty dining also and how are those .

 

I also posted on the celebrity forum

 

thanks 

[excitedofharpenden]

In my view and having done both it's an apples to oranges comparison. Luminae has better quality food in a more intimate environment. But it's a specialty restaurant so you'd expect that. The specialty restaurants on Azamara are more than a match for it however. Well that's what I think at least. 

 

Phil 

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, excitedofharpenden said:

In my view and having done both it's an apples to oranges comparison. Luminae has better quality food in a more intimate environment. But it's a specialty restaurant so you'd expect that. The specialty restaurants on Azamara are more than a match for it however. Well that's what I think at least. 

 

Phil 

 

Not sure what you mean calling Luminae a specialty restaurant.  In my mind, a specialty restaurant menu doesn't change from night to night – but Luminae has a different menu every night, just like the MDR.  IMO biggest difference between Azamara MDR and Luminae is that Luminae's range of options is smaller – but on most Celebrity ships they will let you order from the regular MDR menu [the kitchens are adjacent].

[critterchick]

Although it is apples to oranges to compare an MDR with a specialty restaurant, I favor the food on Azamara's MDR over the Luminae menu - on our recent TA on Infinity, the menu had some odd choices and repeated at least twice on a 14 night cruise (and we frequently ordered from the MDR menu). And we've always found Luminae to be hectic at dinnertime on both Millennium and Solstice class ships. Although the servers were very competent, I can't say that they are better than the staff in the MDR on Quest (we haven't sailed Journey since the line was new and haven't been on Pursuit).

 

 I love Prime C and like Aqualina. Both are better than the MDR (as they should be) or Luminae, in my opinion. Although the menu never changes, there is enough variety to keep me interested for many meals.

[excitedofharpenden]

4 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

 

Not sure what you mean calling Luminae a specialty restaurant.  In my mind, a specialty restaurant menu doesn't change from night to night – but Luminae has a different menu every night, just like the MDR.  IMO biggest difference between Azamara MDR and Luminae is that Luminae's range of options is smaller – but on most Celebrity ships they will let you order from the regular MDR menu [the kitchens are adjacent].

I consider it a specialty restaurant as it follows the same dress code as the others (ie smart casual at all times). Same as Blu is the specialty restaurant for Aqua Class. 
 

That is my only complaint about Luminae that the options are less. I really try not to order from the main dining room if I can help it. Whilst I know they are always willing to do it I feel I am causing extra work in them arranging it. And in the back of my mind I'm thinking I paid extra for this restaurant and shouldn't have to eat from the ordinary dining room menu!

 

Phil 

[uktog]

I consider Luminae to be a speciality because it’s not open access.  On a ship (as opposed to land) to me speciality means there is a restriction be it payment, room type etc which limits useage.  I don’t think the frequency of menu changes defines a speciality particularly given the range of daily items in place say in Aqualina (fish of the day, pasta of the day, soup of the day etc). 
My personal preference is the Azamara restaurants because even though the menu did change on Luminae (and by the way a lot of dishes reappeared just new names and very minor tweaks) I found the style of cooking too heavy and rich if you were to use that menu every night.  I could use the Azamara speciality every night as it’s a mixture of lighter and more substantial dishes.  Staff seem more able to serve you two starters rather than a starter and a main. That was a palaver in Luminae, big fuss about doing you a favour and on more than one occasion bringing the two dishes out at the same time. 
Like Phil, I always stick to the menu on offer as I have seen the impact other guests ordering adaptations or from different menus has on overall service and I don’t want to do that to others.  Maybe my mothers “it’s that or nothing my lady” is still ringing loud in my ears. 

[hamrag]

6 minutes ago, uktog said:

....Maybe my mothers “it’s that or nothing my lady” is still ringing loud in my ears. 

 

That really made me smile! 😉

[Host Jazzbeau]

If you've taken the Galley Tour on Celebrity, you would know that the extra work of ordering MDR items in Luminae is minimal.  The kitchens are literally adjacent and the waiters simply have to move about 10 feet to the next serving window to pick up MDR items.  As to custom orders, that's part of what you're paying for – and we only started doing it because a waiter went out of his way to suggest it.

[uktog]

I think Phil runs the galley tours 😂😂😂

But it’s a yes and no - depends which vessel design you are talking about. 

[uktog]

Did they move the galley's on the M class ships in Luminae at a dry dock - certainly weren't adjacent when we were on Infinity

Edited September 18, 2020 by uktog

[Host Jazzbeau]

The Luminae dining room was carved out of the MDR on all M and S class ships.  Where else would be Luminae galley be?

[takemewithyou]

6 hours ago, uktog said:

Did they move the galley's on the M class ships in Luminae at a dry dock - certainly weren't adjacent when we were on Infinity

Believe you are correct.

I have heard it makes if difficult for servers on M Class ships if you try to order from MDR menu from Suite DR or AQ DR because the galleys  are not near each other.

Edited September 18, 2020 by takemewithyou

[ECCruise]

On 9/18/2020 at 7:24 PM, takemewithyou said:

Believe you are correct.

I have heard it makes if difficult for servers on M Class ships if you try to order from MDR menu from Suite DR or AQ DR because the galleys  are not near each other.

I think the opposite is true.

Suite galley, AQ galley and MDR galley are in the same general location on M class ships.

 

Here is the deck plan for Infinity.  You can see that Luminae is basically part of the MDR.  The galley for both is on deck 3  directly below the restaurants. Blu is one deck above Luminae on Deck 5.

[MarkCruises]

Both are great - Luminae and the specialties on Azamara Quest.  But, I think the Quest dining room is more upscale. 

[critterchick]

On 9/18/2020 at 9:39 AM, uktog said:

Did they move the galley's on the M class ships in Luminae at a dry dock - certainly weren't adjacent when we were on Infinity

 

We took the galley tour on Infinity in October and the Luminae galley was a corner of the MDR galley. It's easy for them to get something off the MDR menu and, after the first time we ordered from it, they were very good about bringing both menus when they seated us.

[bigbenboys]

We have only done 1 Azamara cruise. We have been booking suites on Celebrity for the past 3 years. What I like about Luminae is that you can order off both Luminae and MDR menus for lunch and dinner. Edge class ships you can not order off the MDR menu in Luminae. You can request special order meals 24 hours in advance. What draws me to Luminae is that there is not a set seating time. I like the Luminae menu as a whole. My other half has better luck with the MDR menu. Having both menus is a win win for our family.

I remember one evening not liking my main dish. I said please take this away and bring my another prawn appetizer. They changed the appetizer into a main dish. I had a great meal. 

[Grandma Cruising]

4 hours ago, bigbenboys said:

We have only done 1 Azamara cruise. We have been booking suites on Celebrity for the past 3 years. What I like about Luminae is that you can order off both Luminae and MDR menus for lunch and dinner. Edge class ships you can not order off the MDR menu in Luminae. You can request special order meals 24 hours in advance. What draws me to Luminae is that there is not a set seating time. I like the Luminae menu as a whole. My other half has better luck with the MDR menu. Having both menus is a win win for our family.

I remember one evening not liking my main dish. I said please take this away and bring my another prawn appetizer. They changed the appetizer into a main dish. I had a great meal. 

On Azamara there is no seating time in MDR, you just turn up. You may have to wait a little while for a table, but there’s a nice bar right at the MDR entrance. If you don’t like a dis  on Azamara it’s no problem to offer anything else. If you want two appetisers,  two mains or 2 salads that’s no problem. 

[BrendaJ]

I’ve sailed on all of the Azamara ships, and have tried everything from inside cabins to balconies, Aqua Class, Sky and Royal Suites on Celebrity.   I’m not a picky eater by any means, and have greatly enjoyed all of my meals on Azamara and on Celebrity, both in the main dining rooms, Aqua Class, Speciality Restaurants and Luminae.

 

Luminae, particularly in the Edge-class ships, is really beautiful.   The menu is inventive and unusual, and if you’re a plain meat and potatoes type, you probably won’t enjoy it.   The service is very friendly and professional, much like on Azamara.

 

Now that Celebrity has become more inclusive, the prices are getting close to Azamara prices for a non-suite cabin, and, if the itinerary is similar, I think people’s decision will be based on whether or not they enjoy the small-ship atmosphere enough to forgo a wider variety of entertainment and larger, nicer cabins.   If I had to chose between a suite on the Edge or Apex, and any cabin on Azamara, I’d probably choose Celebrity because I really enjoy Luminae, and service at the Retreat is as good as service on Azamara.   The Retreat gives you a lot more of the small ship atmosphere, in that you socialize with a smaller subset of passengers if you spend time at the Retreat, particularly at the Retreat pool, which is so small, you have no choice but to strike up a conversation.   The Retreat Lounge is spacious and elegant on the E-class ships.   Suites are still very expensive on Celebrity, and I’d only book one if I got a great deal.

 

We currently have 4 cruises booked with Azamara and 2 with Celebrity over the next two years, and I have no doubt we will enjoy all of them, assuming any of them are a go.