Food quality sucks!

[Host Anne]

I haven't posted a review in a long time because I always try to provide a balanced point of view and honestly, our last several cruises have been well below the standards for Celebrity we've cruised for the past 25 years. I didn't feel I could provide those balanced reviews I was used to.  I have sailed Reflection, Beyond and Royal's Wonder of the Seas in the past six months.  I can attest that the food on both were well below par.

 

Reflection was in Europe at the end of the season.  Much of the time was spent ashore exploring the ports.  But we could definitely see the slide in food quality beginning to slip.

 

On Beyond a month later, we were in a Sky Suite so Luminae was our dining room. After two dinners and one breakfast we never went back... the food was the worst we've ever had on a ship.  Fortunately, were permitted to switch to Blu and it was a big improvement but we paid to dine in Luminae and none of the four of us had anything worth eating.  One specialty dining experience was good (Fine Cut) but the Rooftop Garden was awful.  Totally the opposite of the other times we've dined there on Edge and Apex. And we weren't the only ones who felt this way about Luminae.  We met several other couples who felt the same way and dined elsewhere.

 

On Wonder, the food was mediocre throughout except in one or two of the specialty restaurants but we weren't expecting great food.  We did expect far better food on Celebrity.  By the way, I was on Wonder as part of a group fundraiser.  No more Royal ships for me....way too many people.

 

Bottom line, for the first time in many, many years we do not have a cruise booked on Celebrity.  I don't like where they are headed.  I don't like gimmicky sales where prices are raised so 50% discounts can be advertised, etc.  I'm a patient person so I'll see where things go with new management but given ships sailing full, I'm not sure there will be many changes anytime soon.

[NutsAboutGolf]

When I mention cruise food, I'll generally say something along the lines that this sailings food quality was better, equal or worse than previous sailings.  Although a better way to get everyone on the same point of reference are non-fancy chain restaurants.

 

When you think of a chain with pasta, you probably think of the Olive Garden, was X's pasta better than the Olive Garden?  Most would say probably not.

 

When you think of a non-fancy chain with steak, you probably think of the Outback, was X's steak better than the Outback?  Most would say probably not.  Etc

Edited May 25, 2023 by NutsAboutGolf

[NMTraveller]

6 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

When you think of a non-fancy chain with steak, you probably think of the Outback, was X's steak better than the Outback?  Most would say probably not.  Etc

And yet those two chains are subpar.

Would I dine in Olive Garden or Outback?  Not unless I had to...

[tfred]

1 hour ago, Host Anne said:

I haven't posted a review in a long time because I always try to provide a balanced point of view and honestly, our last several cruises have been well below the standards for Celebrity we've cruised for the past 25 years. I didn't feel I could provide those balanced reviews I was used to.  I have sailed Reflection, Beyond and Royal's Wonder of the Seas in the past six months.  I can attest that the food on both were well below par.

 

Reflection was in Europe at the end of the season.  Much of the time was spent ashore exploring the ports.  But we could definitely see the slide in food quality beginning to slip.

 

On Beyond a month later, we were in a Sky Suite so Luminae was our dining room. After two dinners and one breakfast we never went back... the food was the worst we've ever had on a ship.  Fortunately, were permitted to switch to Blu and it was a big improvement but we paid to dine in Luminae and none of the four of us had anything worth eating.  One specialty dining experience was good (Fine Cut) but the Rooftop Garden was awful.  Totally the opposite of the other times we've dined there on Edge and Apex. And we weren't the only ones who felt this way about Luminae.  We met several other couples who felt the same way and dined elsewhere.

 

On Wonder, the food was mediocre throughout except in one or two of the specialty restaurants but we weren't expecting great food.  We did expect far better food on Celebrity.  By the way, I was on Wonder as part of a group fundraiser.  No more Royal ships for me....way too many people.

 

Bottom line, for the first time in many, many years we do not have a cruise booked on Celebrity.  I don't like where they are headed.  I don't like gimmicky sales where prices are raised so 50% discounts can be advertised, etc.  I'm a patient person so I'll see where things go with new management but given ships sailing full, I'm not sure there will be many changes anytime soon.

this is a classic "I only like what I like " food review.  When everything is bad then I question the review.  I have eaten on S and E class in Blu, OVC, MDR and Luminae in the last two years- all very good. All well prepared - whether you like the selection of menu items is another story

 

food menus on board are changing and it isn't going to be prime rib and lobster every night anymore for any number of reasons   Some people are very "selective" eaters and they should find cruise lines that cater to that - HAL would be my first choice. 

[Cruise till you drop]

1 hour ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

When I mention cruise food, I'll generally say something along the lines that this sailings food quality was better, equal or worse than previous sailings.  Although a better way to get everyone on the same point of reference are non-fancy chain restaurants.

 

When you think of a chain with pasta, you probably think of the Olive Garden, was X's pasta better than the Olive Garden?  Most would say probably not.

 

When you think of a non-fancy chain with steak, you probably think of the Outback, was X's steak better than the Outback?  Most would say probably not.  Etc

You fail to consider that on a given night, Outback and Olive Garden aren’t serving thousands of people at basically the same time (give or take).

 

[NMTraveller]

12 hours ago, peanut head said:

FireEMT, so sorry you were disappointed.  However, look on the bright side, your clothes still fit at the end of the cruise🤣.

Ah yes.

 

Celebrity used to be the foodie line.  They could now be the diet line....🤣

[NutsAboutGolf]

56 minutes ago, Cruise till you drop said:

You fail to consider that on a given night, Outback and Olive Garden aren’t serving thousands of people at basically the same time (give or take).

 

 

Bring a 1,000 Outback steaks onto an X ship, follow the Outbacks recipe and cooking process exactly and the end product should be a steak that tastes like the Outbacks

 

If one can accurately follow a recipe, the recipe should taste the same whether you make a bunch of 10 or 1000

[NMTraveller]

There are two things that contribute to the quality of the food.  The quality of the cut and the quality of the cooking.

 

You can have a quality cut slightly overcooked/undercooked and it will not be terrible.

 

Put a below par cut in and overcook/undercook it and woof woof.  You can even cook it spot on and woof woof.

Edited May 26, 2023 by NMTraveller

[markeb]

3 hours ago, Host Anne said:

I haven't posted a review in a long time because I always try to provide a balanced point of view and honestly, our last several cruises have been well below the standards for Celebrity we've cruised for the past 25 years. I didn't feel I could provide those balanced reviews I was used to.  I have sailed Reflection, Beyond and Royal's Wonder of the Seas in the past six months.  I can attest that the food on both were well below par.

 

 

Thanks Anne. You're scaring me a bit. Maybe because we've met and you don't strike me as an alarmist. We have two cruises booked in the next 12 months. Equinox (again, go figure) in November and Alaska on Summit in 2024. November is going to happen, and Alaska is a bucket list. We were already thinking of taking a break and enjoying other travel options. We don't cruise for food. We do sometimes travel "for food". We'll have to see what it's like in November.

[BunnyLebowski]

6 hours ago, TMaine said:

I agree food, like entertainment, is very subjective.  However I do agree in part with the OP.  We sailed Equinox in March 22 and again in April 23.  The March 22 cruise was one of the best ship experiences, including food, that we ever had. One year later, same ship, some of the same meals and they were markedly lower quality.  In fact, the April 23 cruise was one of our least favorite ship experiences.  I hope Reflection in August can change our opinions for the better of Celebrity.

We had an identical experience on the Reflection in March 2022 vs March 2023. While still onboard in 2023, I replied to a note requesting feedback and basically said that the staff onboard were fantastic, but my only complaints were the quality of the raw ingredients used in the food (particularly the 1/4 inch thick everyday steak option lol), the loss of the nightly Indian station in the buffet at dinner as well as our inability to find an acceptable wine by the glass despite being happy to pay a bit more for that. None of this was an issue on the same ship in 2022. 
 

The next night at dinner, I was mortified when the hotel director and food and beverage manager came up to us and wanted to discuss/explain. I just wanted to share feedback, wasn’t looking for a  whole explanation or any special treatment.
 

They agreed with me that everything I noticed was true, something something supply chain, claimed they couldn’t source good wine anymore either for…reasons. They gave us a bottle of wine that costs about $20 retail, but was much better than what they were pouring otherwise. They also had the chef make us some butter chicken for dinner the next night at the MDR which was very nice. 
 

This was our second disappointing cruise with Celebrity in a row, also due to dining issues. Despite being elite with Celebrity and extremely loyal to their product up until now, we’re trying Holland America for the first time in August. Going into it with zero expectations. Was able to book a Neptune suite for less than half the price of a same-size Royal Suite on a comparable Celebrity sailing. No beverage package this time, we’ll just pay for the bottles of wine that we actually enjoy. With all the money we saved, we booked every speciality restaurant for one meal, and still have $18K left over for wine, internet and tips.
 

We’ll see how the overall food quality stacks up to Celebrity. But even if it’s terrible at least I won’t feel like we’ve overpaid for the experience. 

[NMTraveller]

10 hours ago, skatelady said:

We were on this sailing and the 18 night prior.  No complaints about food from us.  Oceanview at dinner time could be repetitive but we don't go there every night so not a big deal.  I only spoke to one person that wasn't happy with MDR food (usually sails aqua), but noticed their plate was clean so I guess it wasn't that bad.

I cleaned my plate last night with a shrimp scampi dish that was terrible.  Woof woof.  Sometimes you must eat the rubbish that is put in front of you or wait 45 minutes for another plate...

 

Eat or be eaten...

Edited May 26, 2023 by NMTraveller

[KansasK]

We were on the Harmony of the Seas last April and our experience with the food is why we booked a cruise on Celebrity for next April.  I hope the food will prove to be better on Celebrity and that by next April, I don't see the same menues I saw on the Harmony in the dining room. 

[CU64]

21 hours ago, Cruise till you drop said:

I don’t deny your feelings about the food but it’s subjective based on expectations.  For example, I love runny eggs and hate it when they’re too cooked.

 

I’ve always found some good things to eat even when people on the same cruise had opinions the food was horrible.  Again my expectations are not high so it’s tough to displease me.

 

What I have found recently is that the food in the specialty restaurants aren’t that much better than MDR so we’ve usually just stuck with MDR food

My sentiments exactly.

[bigAWL]

8 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

When I mention cruise food, I'll generally say something along the lines that this sailings food quality was better, equal or worse than previous sailings.  Although a better way to get everyone on the same point of reference are non-fancy chain restaurants.

 

When you think of a chain with pasta, you probably think of the Olive Garden, was X's pasta better than the Olive Garden?  Most would say probably not.

 

When you think of a non-fancy chain with steak, you probably think of the Outback, was X's steak better than the Outback?  Most would say probably not.  Etc

I appreciate this point of reference.  And with my first X cruise coming up in august, I have questions...

 

When you say "X's pasta" and "X's steak," are you referring to MDR, specialty, Blu, Luminae, or everything as a whole?  Would you choose different comparisons for different levels of dining on the ships, or on different ships?

 

Also, would choose similar comparisons for the corresponding dining levels on other cruise lines in your signature, like Carnival, NCL, (and Crystal)?

 

I'm a Platinum Disney cruiser, and I would rank their MDRs about the same tier as Olive Garden or Outback, with an occasional surprise hit.  But their premium dining is consistently well above those.

[drakes2]

20 hours ago, peanut head said:

FireEMT, so sorry you were disappointed.  However, look on the bright side, your clothes still fit at the end of the cruise🤣.

Yes food quality has certainly declined over the years. I just returned from a 15 night TA and could always find something to eat that I enjoyed.  Did lots of walking so that helped keep the extra pounds off; just gained a couple but that was from more drinking 😆 which came off very quickly once I returned home. 

[C4HCG]

11 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

And yet those two chains are subpar.

Would I dine in Olive Garden or Outback?  Not unless I had to...

I love both of those, which chains are then par or above in your opinion?

[NMTraveller]

14 minutes ago, C4HCG said:

I love both of those, which chains are then par or above in your opinion?

If I had to go to a chain,  it would be Cheesecake Factory or Ruth Chris.  Of course a chain would not be my first choice unless in another city where I did not have a good choice.

Edited May 26, 2023 by NMTraveller

[C4HCG]

20 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

If I had to go to a chain,  it would be Cheesecake Factory or Ruth Chris.  Of course a chain would not be my first choice unless in another city where I did not have a good choice.

Never heard of either of those but thanks for responding. For us as non - foodies, Olive Garden or Outback quality is perfectly acceptable.

[NMTraveller]

14 minutes ago, C4HCG said:

Never heard of either of those but thanks for responding. For us as non - foodies, Olive Garden or Outback quality is perfectly acceptable.

Well I think that is why these food threads are so subjective.

 

Olive Garden does not come close to a real Italian restaurant in Italy (your backyard) or a good Italian restaurant in my backyard. IMHO  I highly prefer the Italian restaurants in Italy,  but sometimes an Italian chef can jump the pond and start up a good restaurant here.

Edited May 26, 2023 by NMTraveller

[Cruise till you drop]

9 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

Bring a 1,000 Outback steaks onto an X ship, follow the Outbacks recipe and cooking process exactly and the end product should be a steak that tastes like the Outbacks

 

If one can accurately follow a recipe, the recipe should taste the same whether you make a bunch of 10 or 1000

Being an avid BBQ-er and Meat Smoker, I will agree to disagree as volume would affect the quality of the final product

[C4HCG]

41 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

Well I think that is why these food threads are so subjective.

 

Olive Garden does not come close to a real Italian restaurant in Italy (your backyard) or a good Italian restaurant in my backyard. IMHO  I highly prefer the Italian restaurants in Italy,  but sometimes an Italian chef can jump the pond and start up a good restaurant here.

As an aside, never heard Italy being described as on our doorstep before 😁country we have never been to. But we will be there next year as we have our first ever European cruise booked on the Equinox from Rome, still gutted she won’t be sailing the Caribbean any more as that’s our preferred destination! Sorry for going off on a tangent on an important and rare 🤔food thread!!! 

[NMTraveller]

7 minutes ago, C4HCG said:

As an aside, never heard Italy being described as on our doorstep before

Only a short 2 to 3 hour flight ... 🙂

[TeeRick]

13 hours ago, Host Anne said:

I haven't posted a review in a long time because I always try to provide a balanced point of view and honestly, our last several cruises have been well below the standards for Celebrity we've cruised for the past 25 years. I didn't feel I could provide those balanced reviews I was used to.  I have sailed Reflection, Beyond and Royal's Wonder of the Seas in the past six months.  I can attest that the food on both were well below par.

 

Reflection was in Europe at the end of the season.  Much of the time was spent ashore exploring the ports.  But we could definitely see the slide in food quality beginning to slip.

 

On Beyond a month later, we were in a Sky Suite so Luminae was our dining room. After two dinners and one breakfast we never went back... the food was the worst we've ever had on a ship.  Fortunately, were permitted to switch to Blu and it was a big improvement but we paid to dine in Luminae and none of the four of us had anything worth eating.  One specialty dining experience was good (Fine Cut) but the Rooftop Garden was awful.  Totally the opposite of the other times we've dined there on Edge and Apex. And we weren't the only ones who felt this way about Luminae.  We met several other couples who felt the same way and dined elsewhere.

 

On Wonder, the food was mediocre throughout except in one or two of the specialty restaurants but we weren't expecting great food.  We did expect far better food on Celebrity.  By the way, I was on Wonder as part of a group fundraiser.  No more Royal ships for me....way too many people.

 

Bottom line, for the first time in many, many years we do not have a cruise booked on Celebrity.  I don't like where they are headed.  I don't like gimmicky sales where prices are raised so 50% discounts can be advertised, etc.  I'm a patient person so I'll see where things go with new management but given ships sailing full, I'm not sure there will be many changes anytime soon.

Thanks Anne.  Your opinion carries a bit more weight with me.  Like you, for the first time in years we do not have a Celebrity cruise booked.  But not really because of food quality.  We sailed Equinox in January in a CS and dined in Luminae, Murano and Tuscan.  We had no issues with the food and service.  Unfortunate about your Luminae experience on Beyond.  We do not have Celebrity booked because we mostly sail suites and their prices are insane (IMO).  So we are looking for another cruise line.  

[NutsAboutGolf]

32 minutes ago, Cruise till you drop said:

Being an avid BBQ-er and Meat Smoker, I will agree to disagree as volume would affect the quality of the final product

 

You're probably not a making BBQ/smoking meat in volume and that's okay...If you have chefs or pitmasters trained and experienced in volume cooking there shouldn't be a noticeable difference.  There are restaurants and catering operations who can successfully produce great tasting and properly cooked food in cruise ship volume...What's their secret?  Besides being trained in volume cooking, like you're BBQ/Meat, quality food and a great tasting recipe

[Ex-Airbalancer]

11 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

  We do not have Celebrity booked because we mostly sail suites and their prices are insane (IMO).  So we are looking for another cruise line.  

Never mind Suite price , just a balcony with always included appears to be out reach for a lot of people 

With airline pricing , cruise pricing , hotels increasing , and even parking , it is going to like 2020/2021 sitting home and watching the garden grow 😢