Is Luminae over-rated or under-rated?

[mfs2k]

I’ve read many posts by people who have said they love the exclusivity and service in Luminae but they weren’t crazy about the menu. Some have said they prefer Blu’s food and menu. Some prefer the MDR or recommend meals in the specialty restaurants. Others have been quite happy with the menu in Luminae. 

As a reader of these posts, booked in an E class Sky suite in October for 9 nights, I now have concerns based on the opinions you’ve all expressed. I’m looking forward to breakfast in Luminae but dinners, not so much. We like good and interesting foods but we also like basic too sometimes. There’s nothing wrong with a Caesar Salad, a decent steak, sautéed vegetables and roasted potatoes. (On one night)

I don’t need a Black Forest balsamic glaze on my sliced filet or candied shallots on my Brussels sprouts.

I just want delicious food, decent portions, and a server who is competent. 

 

What was your experience?  Should I be excited or prebook 8 nights in specialty restaurants?

Edited March 4, 2022 by mfs2k

[terrydtx]

We think the Luminae is a big step above the MDR, but you can always order off the MDR menu in Luminae. The food descriptions on the menu can be very confusing in both Luminae and the MDR, making them sound more interesting than they really are. The biggest way to describe the difference is, eating in the MDR is like having dinner in a banquet hall and Luminae is more like a fine dining land restaurant in both service and food quality. My wife is not as adventurous as I am when it comes to different entrees, when she sees something, she doesn't think she will like, she asks for a simple steak or Caesar salad or shrimp cocktail and the Luminae staff will accommodate her.

 

We have tried the specialty restaurants on most Celebrity cruises and after dining in Luminae we think the food and service is so much better in Luminae so we no longer waste time or money in them. One exception may be trying Eden on our first E Class cruise next year.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We usually manage to find something to our liking in Luminae and they will do what they can to make you happy with your meal.  Just ask for the filet with sauce on the side, plain Brussel sprouts, etc.  They do have everyday items such as escargot, Caeser salad, baked potatoes.  One night my DH asked for a double portion of the short rib appetizer for his main.  It was hugh and they added some potatoes I think.  Service cannot be beat. 

[paulh84]

We have our first suite booking coming up soon. I am not a picky eater but I don’t eat fish or seafood. The dinner menus seem underwhelming. Maybe I will be pleasantly surprised but I can’t say I’m excited about dinners in Luminea. I do agree that the descriptions on the menus can make the dishes even in the MDR sound far more exotic than they truly are. 

[asnaleah]

Luminae is one of the big reasons we continue to cruise with Celebrity. We have found the menu to be interesting, innovative and approachable. The wait staff are the best on board, providing consistently great service. Definitely tell your waiter if you want something plain. I’m confident they will be able to accommodate you. Last month we were in a Royal Suite with unlimited specialty restaurants and we did not go even once. The OP’s comment about being able to also order off the MDR menu may not be correct on E class ships due to the kitchens being far apart. Enjoy your cruise!

[mfs2k]

4 minutes ago, asnaleah said:

The OP’s comment about being able to also order off the MDR menu may not be correct on E class ships due to the kitchens being far apart.

 

I didn't say that. 

[JFontaine]

33 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

We think the Luminae is a big step above the MDR, but you can always order off the MDR menu in Luminae. 

Incorrect. You can't order off the MDR menu on E class ships. 

 

There is a limited number of 'always available ' choices in Luminae on E class ships. 

[cruisestitch]

46 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

We think the Luminae is a big step above the MDR, but you can always order off the MDR menu in Luminae. 

Not necessarily so.  On E class ships the two kitchens are too far apart for food to be transferred between them.

[terrydtx]

16 minutes ago, JFontaine said:

Incorrect. You can't order off the MDR menu on E class ships. 

 

There is a limited number of 'always available ' choices in Luminae on E class ships. 

This seems to always be a discussion about whether this is true or not. My sister was recently on the Edge in an Edge Villa, and they most certainly were able to order from the MDR menu. I have seen many posts on CC confirming that this can be done, if you ask.

 

But let's please not make this a discussion about this and stick to the OP's questions.

Edited March 4, 2022 by terrydtx

[SueMo]

On the Edge now and have eaten at Luminae three nights…only one of the dinners are what we consider excellent (the ribeye) and the other two not great (flavorless veal cannelloni in a Bechamel sauce and a dry black snapper in consume).  We find the menu to be very limited—5 appetizers and 6 entrees per night, many of which contain ingredients we aren’t thrilled with.  For example, tonight the appetizers include trout, octopus, kale, and beets.  In the main dining rooms there are 11 starters and 11 entrees to choose from nightly. I understand you can order a steak if you don’t like the menu, but I don’t want beef every night.
A woman we met onboard is a travel agent and she wanted to know how we liked Luminae and we told her our experience.  She said we were the fourth couple she talked to that felt the same as us.  
With the ships being at one-third the capacity right now, the main dining rooms have fewer diners and we are getting reports of great food and service, so we are considering going there for one of the upcoming dinners.

[George C]

I think Luminae quality isn’t as good as it was a couple of years but it’s still good and service is always excellent, just got off summit Saturday, also did edge in July. What I thought was strange there was nobody at entrance to Luminae most meals so we had to wait till someone saw us from inside the restaurant.

[RichYak]

32 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

But let's please not make this a discussion about this and stick to the OP's questions.

You're the one that brought it up. 😇

[mfs2k]

2 minutes ago, George C said:

What I thought was strange there was nobody at entrance to Luminae most meals so we had to wait till someone saw us from inside the restaurant.

 

What stopped you from walking inside to be seated? 

[rachiem]

9 minutes ago, SueMo said:

On the Edge now and have eaten at Luminae three nights…only one of the dinners are what we consider excellent (the ribeye) and the other two not great (flavorless veal cannelloni in a Bechamel sauce and a dry black snapper in consume).  We find the menu to be very limited—5 appetizers and 6 entrees per night, many of which contain ingredients we aren’t thrilled with.  For example, tonight the appetizers include trout, octopus, kale, and beets.  In the main dining rooms there are 11 starters and 11 entrees to choose from nightly. I understand you can order a steak if you don’t like the menu, but I don’t want beef every night.
A woman we met onboard is a travel agent and she wanted to know how we liked Luminae and we told her our experience.  She said we were the fourth couple she talked to that felt the same as us.  
With the ships being at one-third the capacity right now, the main dining rooms have fewer diners and we are getting reports of great food and service, so we are considering going there for one of the upcoming dinners.

We have the Edge retreat booked for May and this was may concern. When we've been on the S class ships, I ordered mostly from the MDR menu as I don't eat fish.

Do you know whether I can order just a burger if there wasn't any other choice? We have the lawn grill booked but wondered whether to book Eden too?

[RichYak]

1 minute ago, mfs2k said:

 

What stopped you from walking inside to be seated? 

You check in at the entrance to Luminae and are accompanied to a table.

[mfs2k]

38 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

But let's please not make this a discussion about this and stick to the OP's questions.

 

Virtually everyone loves the ambiance, exclusivity and service of Luminae, so if a polite request onboard an E Class ship will allow one to order off the MDR menu, if the only appetizer options are "trout, octopus, kale, and beets", then that may be the solution.

 

Who did the menus and thought those items were a good idea without something more basic also? 

Edited March 4, 2022 by mfs2k

[terrydtx]

7 minutes ago, RichYak said:

You're the one that brought it up. 😇

Only to point out it can be done if you do not like the menu.

[RichYak]

Just now, mfs2k said:

 

Virtually everyone loves the ambiance, exclusivity and service of Luminae, so if a polite request onboard an E Class ship will allow one to order off the MDR menu, if the only appetizer options are "trout, octopus, kale, and beets", then that may be the solution.

 

Who did the menus and thought those items were a good idea without something more basic? 

There are "everyday" items that don't appear on the Luminae menu. Appetizers include caesar salad, shrimp cocktail, french onion soup, and escargot. Entrees include broiled salmon, grilled chicken breast, and grilled sirloin.

[mfs2k]

 

I'm imagining: "Your entree choices this evening are Monkfish, Sweetbreads; Calf's Liver; Medallions of Venison and Broccoli Quiche"  Sure, some of you may love these selections, but certainly not everyone and not basic."

[George C]

2 minutes ago, mfs2k said:

 

Virtually everyone loves the ambiance, exclusivity and service of Luminae, so if a polite request onboard an E Class ship will allow one to order off the MDR menu, if the only appetizer options are "trout, octopus, kale, and beets", then that may be the solution.

 

Who did the menus and thought those items were a good idea without something more basic also? 

There’s several things not on the menu that you can always order like Caesar salad and French onion soup , they should add these to menu. Trout appetizer was very tasty last week.

[terrydtx]

3 minutes ago, RichYak said:

There are "everyday" items that don't appear on the Luminae menu. Appetizers include caesar salad, shrimp cocktail, french onion soup, and escargot. Entrees include broiled salmon, grilled chicken breast, and grilled sirloin.

On another thread someone pointed out that in the Luminae there is an everyday children's menu that includes a 4oz fillet that can be ordered by adults.

[jelayne]

We did a B2B on the Edge in October and a B2B on the Reflection 2 weeks ago all in suites.  I  can’t eat fish and most seafood so I find the  Luminae menu very limited, even when considering the kids menu.  On the Edge we could not order off the MDR menu ( except for those few items ChezMaryLou noted) so we had dinner a few nights in the MDR and a couple of nights in the Roof Top Grill.

 

On the Reflection we were able to order off the MDR menu due to the close location of the kitchen which made our dining in Luminae much more enjoyable.

We enjoy the other aspects of the Retreat so on E class we have adjusted our expectations to regularly mix in some nights in specialty restaurants and some in the MDR.

 

[George C]

The higher end suites also get the specialty restaurants for free (royal suite and above) .

[Cruise a holic]

2 hours ago, mfs2k said:

I’ve read many posts by people who have said they love the exclusivity and service in Luminae but they weren’t crazy about the menu. Some have said they prefer Blu’s food and menu. Some prefer the MDR or recommend meals in the specialty restaurants. Others have been quite happy with the menu in Luminae. 

As a reader of these posts, booked in an E class Sky suite in October for 9 nights, I now have concerns based on the opinions you’ve all expressed. I’m looking forward to breakfast in Luminae but dinners, not so much. We like good and interesting foods but we also like basic too sometimes. There’s nothing wrong with a Caesar Salad, a decent steak, sautéed vegetables and roasted potatoes. (On one night)

I don’t need a Black Forest balsamic glaze on my sliced filet or candied shallots on my Brussels sprouts.

I just want delicious food, decent portions, and a server who is competent. 

 

What was your experience?  Should I be excited or prebook 8 nights in specialty restaurants?

While Luminae is far superior to Blu and the MDR, it isn't perfect.  We enjoy dining in SP restaurants for most dinners on the S class or E class ships. And have taken the unlimited dining plan when the price is reasonable.  We  Enjoy Luminae for breakfast- and an occasional lunch.  The service is excellent- we like the idea that the tables are spaced far apart, not like in Blu which are much too close, and the MDR is like going to a catered wedding.  Another point, if you make a special order in luminae the night before, they will probably honor your request.

[Cruise a holic]

Just now, Cruise a holic said:

While Luminae is far superior to Blu and the MDR, it isn't perfect.  We enjoy dining in SP restaurants for most dinners on the S class or E class ships. And have taken the unlimited dining plan when the price is reasonable.  We  Enjoy Luminae for breakfast- and an occasional lunch.  The service is excellent- we like the idea that the tables are spaced far apart, not like in Blu which are much too close, and the MDR is like going to a catered wedding.  Another point, if you make a special order in luminae the night before, they will probably honor your request.

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