Is Luminae too "Foodie" for a Meat & Potato Man?

[TX-Cruiser]

We are sailing next week on Apex and my hubby just caught wind of the menus on the X app for Luminae. Do they offer any meat and potato type alternatives for the manly man carnivores of the world? 

[LGW59]

3 minutes ago, TX-Cruiser said:

We are sailing next week on Apex and my hubby just caught wind of the menus on the X app for Luminae. Do they offer any meat and potato type alternatives for the manly man carnivores of the world? 

Well they often have filet mignon, NY Strip and I am sure if at beginning of first night eating there and you let them know he wants a big baked potato, loaded in butter (YUM) I would bet they find a way to make it happen.

[Jim_Iain]

They can accolade.  Look at menu a day before and if don’t like tell waiter or manager you want something different.  They have a steak on the anytime menu and a Filet on kids menu every night.  
 

they also have baked potatoes on request every evening. 

Edited October 17, 2021 by Jim_Iain

[bigbenboys]

Celebrity has not come out and said you can order off the MDR menu in Luminae. Some have said you can on the Edge. Our cruise on Edge back in March 2019 I was told no MDR menu in Luminae. Someone on the Apex said they were told no MDR menu in Luminae.

At this time my family has decided not to book Suites on E Class ships. For the reason you stated. 

[Jim_Iain]

While you may or may bot be able to order the for MDR menu you can eat in Blu or MDR any night.  Supposedly on space available never had a problem.  
 

As I said befor just let your waiter know your preferences and the will within reason prepare meat and potatoes every night for him.  

[Mark_T]

29 minutes ago, TX-Cruiser said:

Do they offer any meat and potato type alternatives for the manly man carnivores of the world? 

The staff are going to do whatever they can to make the experience enjoyable, but to be frank, the standard menu is going to become boring if he just wants to get a significant portion of red meat and potatoes on a daily basis as it really isn't designed to deliver that sort of experience., leaving him with the 'always available' choices which do not vary.

 

So do take the opportunity to talk to the staff and see what they can do to help.

 

Luminae really isn't the best choice for someone with a desire for plainer, more substantial food offerings.

 

We enjoyed the food there, but the menus don't change much from cruise to cruise either, so on our most recent trip, we opted to drop down out of the suite class and made extensive use of the other food options.

 

On that note, we greatly enjoyed Murano over three evenings and a lunch, but sadly that is not an option for you on Apex.

 

 

[LGW59]

12 minutes ago, bigbenboys said:

Celebrity has not come out and said you can order off the MDR menu in Luminae. Some have said you can on the Edge. Our cruise on Edge back in March 2019 I was told no MDR menu in Luminae. Someone on the Apex said they were told no MDR menu in Luminae.

At this time my family has decided not to book Suites on E Class ships. For the reason you stated. 

My sense for that is due to being at such a reduced capacity they are allowing orders from MDR to Luminae.  For how long that is, anyone's guess.  Can still get a big juicy steak and baked potato every night though.

[TX-Cruiser]

Thank you everyone. In regard to potatoes....it was not in necessarily in the literal sense although he loves a good baked potato, but he is definitely a Texas man who loves meats and veggies. We are not one to ask for special accommodations but will take the advise here and see if he can get some things prepared in a more traditional fashion. Thank you all so much (I personally like trying new things!)

 

[LGW59]

10 minutes ago, TX-Cruiser said:

Thank you everyone. In regard to potatoes....it was not in necessarily in the literal sense although he loves a good baked potato, but he is definitely a Texas man who loves meats and veggies. We are not one to ask for special accommodations but will take the advise here and see if he can get some things prepared in a more traditional fashion. Thank you all so much (I personally like trying new things!)

 

It’s your cruise vacation and the staff will try hard to do whatever they can to make it special.

[PTC DAWG]

1 hour ago, TX-Cruiser said:

We are sailing next week on Apex and my hubby just caught wind of the menus on the X app for Luminae. Do they offer any meat and potato type alternatives for the manly man carnivores of the world? 

Broaden his horizons…

[CruisinNole]

40 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

Broaden his horizons…

My husband and are pretty adventurous diners however, I checked the Luminae menues on the app for our cruise on Constellation next month and have to say that there were a couple of nights that I saw nothing really appealing to me.  I'm hoping we'll be able to choose some alternatives from the main dining room menu. 

[jelayne]

I can’t eat fish/seafood which limits choices in Luminae.   Lunch yesterday had the burger and it was extremely salty.  Head waiter offer to get me another but I wasn’t that hungry.  Dinner menu had nothing that appealed to me and was given the everyday menu.  Asked for the children’s menu and ordered the filet it was perfectly cooked, but again way to much salt.  They made another filet which was only marginally better.   No MDR menu available in Luminae. so we will go to one of the MDRs tonight. 

[chemmo]

On boarding ask the M’D of Luminae for the menus for the full cruise (alternatively ask your butler or the Retreat concierge), all of these staff can do this for you. Peruse the menus and decide which ones you are happy with then book speciality dining or MDR dining around it.

 

One of the real problems with the Luminae menu is the wording is quite ‘playful’…it can be difficult at times to work out what you are ordering…Another option is to simply at breakfast ask for the dinner menu and then discuss with your waiter or the M’D what each dish is actually like and if none are appealing how they can be modified or what alternatives are available. 
 

If you arrange an alternative or modification in advance it can usually be accommodated, less so during a busy service.
 

 

 

Edited October 17, 2021 by chemmo

[glmacruise]

No to the OP

[morpheusofthesea]

Well, we just sailed on both the Edge and Equinox and took all our meals in the Luminae. DW had the same meal every night, broiled chicken breast, baked potato, and vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, and fresh green beans) in an additional bowl along side her main entree. The Luminae offered me the choice of mashed potatoes and truffled french fries. Inquire about the sirloin tips, the best steak I ever had. Luminae has the best chefs on board and the best 'cuts'. We had complimentary specialty dining included with our cabin and did not bother going anywhere else than Luminae. On more than one occasion the Maitre d's on both came over and asked if there was anything not found on the menu that I might like to be served in the Luminae, just ask him. In case, I didn't hear him one had the waiter repeat to me the offer. I heard him. The only thing I found lacking in the Luminae were the 4 choices (sometimes 2 choices) for dessert. So we would mosey on over to the Oceanview Cafe (buffet) and have 3-5  desserts from the dozen or more on display. DW just loves apple pie, me, a la mode. Its not on the dessert menu, but we requested it every night and at lunch. The waiter suggested chocolate cake or creme brulee, instead of apple pie. INSTEAD? I told him to bring all 3 (we shared). Oh, yes , one evening I packed away a slice of New York cheese cake, before heading over to see the offerings at the Oceanview Cafe.

[jcpc]

7 hours ago, jelayne said:

I can’t eat fish/seafood which limits choices in Luminae.   Lunch yesterday had the burger and it was extremely salty.  Head waiter offer to get me another but I wasn’t that hungry.  Dinner menu had nothing that appealed to me and was given the everyday menu.  Asked for the children’s menu and ordered the filet it was perfectly cooked, but again way to much salt.  They made another filet which was only marginally better.   No MDR menu available in Luminae. so we will go to one of the MDRs tonight. 

Totally agree with you regarding Luminae being "heavy" on fish/seafood.  I, too, can't eat fish or seafood and on some nights every single appetizer is a fish/seafood app.  The folks in Luminae have no problem making a small fresh fruit dish for me for an app.  Lots of the entrees are also fish/seafood.  I've always been accommodated with chicken dishes in Luminae on Edge. As a matter of fact just last month the chef made a chicken parmigiana for me.  While it fell way short of our "traditional chicken parm" (it was more like a chicken schnitzel with a bit of cheese on top) I appreciated the effort.  I always ask for low sodium meals as I find all the dishes in Luminae (and in all other dining rooms for that matter) are loaded with salt.  I know what I get is truly not "no sodium" but at least the chef doesn't add any additional sodium to my meals once I make my preference known.

[markeb]

It's kind of funny. We've only cruised X in a suite once, but I distinctly remember Luminae being too "meat and potatoes" for my taste at that time. That was probably 2018, on Equinox. I remember a number of interesting dishes. Maybe it was heavier on seafood than I remember, but we really enjoyed it. And there was always a steak dish somewhere on the menu (at least I think so; I may be wrong on that, but I could be mistaken...).

 

Our previous cruise had been in Aqua, and we both really loved the variety in Blu. And I recognize there are those who don't care for the Blu menu. Food is just so subjective!

[bEwAbG]

A big part of the cost of being in a suite is access to that restaurant.  I would at least encourage him to try some of the dishes.  He could always order a steak as a replacement if he just cannot eat it.  He would probably be surprised to find that he likes many of them, though.  The descriptions are overly complicated for the actual preparations & what gets served.  When in doubt, ask the wait staff for their recommendations.  They generally know what people tend to really like on any given menu, and I've yet to be steered wrong by following their advice. 

[dkjretired]

Talk about meat and potatoes, one of the things they kinda push for lunch on embarkation day is their hamburger. One of the best I ever had.

[LewiLewi]

We were disappointed with the menu in Luminae, and dined mostly in Blu. However, we had to ask if there was a table available each night that we dined there. If Blu was crowded, we then went up to the buffet instead. 
We enjoy dining in specialty restaurants, and have always enjoyed dinners on  cruise lines MDR on Cunard, Crystal, Windstar, Oceania,  among others.

Luminae was a disappointment to us. 

[Alakegirl]

Look at the placement of the Luminae compared to the main dining room.  If they are adjacent, like on the M and S class ships, it’s easy to bring MDR items to Luminae.  When they are far away from each other, on the E class ships, you will probably be told that MDR items other than the “always available” cannot be served in Luminae. 

[TeeRick]

If you are in a suite on APEX, you can dine in Luminae, Blu (if not crowded), 4 MDR choices, and any number of Specialty restaurants.  Oceanview Cafe.  And Room Service too.  You are not locked into Luminae.  Go eat anything you want anywhere on the ship.  

[Big_G]

21 hours ago, TX-Cruiser said:

We are sailing next week on Apex and my hubby just caught wind of the menus on the X app for Luminae. Do they offer any meat and potato type alternatives for the manly man carnivores of the world? 

 

My wife is a meat and potatoes girl and loves Luminae.

[LisaDee]

34 minutes ago, Alakegirl said:

on the E class ships, you will probably be told that MDR items other than the “always available” cannot be served in Luminae. 

 

Are the "always available" items cooked in the Luminae kitchen (E-class)?

[morpheusofthesea]

On 10/17/2021 at 12:01 PM, TX-Cruiser said:

We are sailing next week on Apex and my hubby just caught wind of the menus on the X app for Luminae. Do they offer any meat and potato type alternatives for the manly man carnivores of the world? 

Also one might want to 'check out' the barbecue at the Roof Top Garden Restaurant (RTG). I understand Texas is famous for their barbecues and was curious what a "meat and potatoes" guy from Texas might post back here on CC his 'impression' of Celebrity's attempt at barbecue? Also please try the LAST night in the cruise the grilled chocolate chip cookie offered only at this RTG. It must be the last night  in the cruise and it must be a la mode (do not try to save calories sans ice cream), because it took me exactly 24 hours to regain my dessert disposition from the sugar shock. I missed out on 24 hours of pastries and desserts. Fair warning ( in a good sense).

Edited October 18, 2021 by morpheusofthesea