Has the quality of food in the MDR changed on Celebrity??

[LB_NJ]

On 2/20/2023 at 12:35 PM, SRQMom said:

We love Celebrity (especially the Silhouette), but haven't sailed since the Pandemic.  We are looking at booking another Transatlantic and remember fondly how good the food was in the MDR (aka didn't feel the need to eat dinners in Specialty restaurants every night).  BUT, I've read a few recent reviews that say the quality has declined but not very specific details.  Any feedback from recent cruisers on Celebrity would be greatly appreciated.  We love TA's for the relaxation and of course spend more time dining vs ports so it's a biggie on that type of booking.  Thanks!!! 

Our first cruise on Celebrity was last June on Summit and the next time we sailed was this January on Constellation.  Between these two sail dates the quality of food has definitely declined.  They are using lower cuts of meats for example.  For example in the buffet (I know you asked about the MDR but this is a very clear example), many of the chicken dishes used chicken drumsticks, not even chicken thighs.

 

In the MDR they did not have prime rib in the 21 days we were onboard (a B2B).

 

So overall I was not thrilled however, for us, it was acceptable.  The one other thing to consider is since they slashed the dinner buffet (lunch and breakfast are still ok) most people will eat in the MDR making things more crowded/hectic.

[TeeRick]

20 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

Only a Matter of Time  .The clock is moving  toward lower  cruise bookings . It is a matter of economics  . Runaway inflation ,lower hourly raises , recession on the horizon  ie  .So where is all this cash coming from to book new cruises at higher rates & less food quality & less quantities in the future, regardless of ones age ? 

You might be right - but I have heard this prediction for years and years, not just recently.  Cruise lines are still spending $billions on new ships.  Customers just keep filling them.  People still have vacation money and like cruising.

[crusin okie]

In the past 16 months we have sailed B2B on the Independence OTS, B2B on Beyond, and single 7 day sailings on the Allure OTS and Carnival Dream.  As it pertains to MDR food, I believe the Beyond was, without question, the worst.  The MDR service on the Beyond was, in my opinion, tied for last with the Allure OTS.  Just my opinion.

[mcrcruiser]

6 hours ago, TeeRick said:

You might be right - but I have heard this prediction for years and years, not just recently.  Cruise lines are still spending $billions on new ships.  Customers just keep filling them.  People still have vacation money and like cruising.

  When 2 huge retail  consumer chain stores alert to the fact of lower sales  recently there is trouble in the winds . Both Home Depot & Walmart Execs , have signaled lower sales ahead . When one adds  the facts of  70% of people living pay check to pay check  in the US plus inflation  is still raising prices of food ,clothing ,electric & gas   ie  ,where is all the money to come from  to pay for higher & higher cruise prices  in the future ? 

   Those ships that are coming into service were committed to years ago ,Are there  new ship contract awards recently ?

    We wish it were not so bad but ,we see it with out rose colored glasses 

[TeeRick]

17 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

  When 2 huge retail  consumer chain stores alert to the fact of lower sales  recently there is trouble in the winds . Both Home Depot & Walmart Execs , have signaled lower sales ahead . When one adds  the facts of  70% of people living pay check to pay check  in the US plus inflation  is still raising prices of food ,clothing ,electric & gas   ie  ,where is all the money to come from  to pay for higher & higher cruise prices  in the future ? 

   Those ships that are coming into service were committed to years ago ,Are there  new ship contract awards recently ?

    We wish it were not so bad but ,we see it with out rose colored glasses 

I am not saying that the economy is robust at all.  Most of us feel the pain of runaway inflation and prices.   And tanking of the stock and bond markets.  And record government spending.  But in general there is still a lot of disposable income and money in a significant part of the population.  If more and more folks are having trouble making ends meet, others are not.  Cruising maybe will become out of reach for some or maybe Celebrity cruising in particular.  But others will fill the gap.  That is what Celebrity is banking on (literally).