Celebrity Silhouette Main Dining Room Experience an Embarrassment

[Baggy178]

4 minutes ago, C4HCG said:

Our first cruise was on the Equinox, 2019, and was our 25th wedding anniversary. I had only packed shorts so we ate in the OVC every night including the anniversary one and loved it. My wife got dressed up and looked gorgeous, the food was fine, and that cruise got us hooked.

 

Sounds like us except the wife getting dressed up bit.

We only ever travel with hand luggage so there's be no penguin suit in my backpack.

We get that people like to dress up but there are others, like us, who really can't be bothered.

[C4HCG]

32 minutes ago, Oceangoer2 said:

"Indeed the whole concept of " fine dining " is essentially an American custom where people are happy to pay a premium to be fawned over and eat off linen tablecloths."

 

No...not British...just perhaps a reverse snob approach looking down on those who appreciate the finer ways of dining enjoyment.  Why would I prefer a 'fish and chip' store experience over dining as I do at home?

Maybe, but the snobbery I see on this board is predominantly not of the reverse kind.

[BigAl94]

45 minutes ago, Baggy178 said:

 

I agree and I think it may be a cultural thing.

The idea of a formal or at least smart casual dinner every night is not something we look forward to. We wouldn't do it on land on holiday so the fact it's on a ship makes no difference to us.

Indeed the whole concept of " fine dining " is essentially an American custom where people are happy to pay a premium to be fawned over and eat off linen tablecloths. In Britain at least many people would probably regard this as passé and somewhat pretentious although of course people are entirely free to spend their moolah on whatever they wish. Even famous old restaurants like Simpsons in the Strand are auctioning off all their equipment like Drakes silver trolleys, from which beef joints were until recently carved by your table, as they embark on modernising their dining experience.

Naturally the food in the upscale restaurants is better than the OVC/MDR and you pay for it but again the idea of paying for food when other food you have already paid for is readily available strikes us as odd.

Perhaps it's just a British thing.

I don't think anyone is referring to "fine dining" in this thread, rather to what is or is not an acceptable choice of food in the MDR. It was average enough on our last Silhouette cruise in 2019  and clearly has gone much downhill since then. We avoid the buffet as much as possible. We often found it it busy, not particularly hygienic (fault of guests rather than Celebrity) and for what we are paying, don't think it is a big ask to have a reasonably imaginative menu served to us as opposed to fine dining. Sorry but mash, carrots, and beans is just too basic!

[tigervixxxen]

4 hours ago, Oceangoer2 said:

Did you read the menus above for the Silhouette....?  That's uniformly bland and a disappointment compared with our MANY past X cruises.

And their menu is better than what the other ships are currently offering…

[Cruise Junky]

My husband detests mashed potatoes.  Going to be a fun 17 nights 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

[goofysmom99]

1 hour ago, C4HCG said:

If dining was the highlight of my cruising experience we’d stay at home and enjoy the lovely restaurants here. Fine dining is nice but for us, far from a highlight.

You're in luck.  Since it isn't a highlight, you shouldn't be disappointed.  

[NMTraveller]

6 minutes ago, Cruise Junky said:

My husband detests mashed potatoes.  Going to be a fun 17 nights 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

I walk out of a restaurant when I see it on the plates...  We used to call it the magic mix when we prepared it in the kitchen.

Edited August 20, 2023 by NMTraveller

[doghog]

5 minutes ago, Cruise Junky said:

My husband detests mashed potatoes.  Going to be a fun 17 nights 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

Mash potatoes the only option every night. Not. Another option order the Mac n Cheese from the kids menu. I have and I like it. 

[di T]

7 hours ago, chemmo said:

Quite simply most of us cruise expecting the dining to be a highlight of our cruise experience. Most of us cruise wanting a break from the shopping, cooking and washing up too! 
 

Chicken and salmon are home ‘staples’. Whilst once or twice a cruise I may enjoy something safe and bland I have gone on holiday to enjoy something different!
 

If I was to serve up a blob of mash and the same two veg daily at home I would have complaints! Surely jacket potatoes, roast potatoes, potatoes au gratin aren’t too hard to cook in large quantities! How about a Mediterranean vegetable medley? Something we all know is a really easy but tasty veg mix….Don’t get me started on the proteins…

 

Looking at the menus provided we enjoy better variety at home!

 

Not impressed…

You are so right in my opinion! I cook good quality food at home,I expect at least the food I eat on holiday will be on par but hopefully better! 

[Baggy178]

18 minutes ago, di T said:

You are so right in my opinion! I cook good quality food at home,I expect at least the food I eat on holiday will be on par but hopefully better! 

 

If you ever experienced Mrs Baggy's cooking you'd understand why I'm looking forward to pigging out on the Silhouette buffet 😉

[the penguins]

1 hour ago, gold1953 said:

We enjoy the Buffett in the evening .. love the quiet and choices.  Perhaps if we remove the grats .. I am will to bring enough cash to pay out the people who get grats and eliminate the dining staff and eat in the Buffet where I will tip well there. We often tip a bit there and it seems to surprise the crew.

On past cruises we have eaten 80% of our evening meals at the buffet and the dining room staff still got the auto grats

Really. Auto grats are shared by so many that your idea is totally impossible. Just one example how would tip the laundry staff ? 

[gold1953]

33 minutes ago, the penguins said:

Really. Auto grats are shared by so many that your idea is totally impossible. Just one example how would tip the laundry staff ? 

the laundry staff do not get grats. Ask at guest services and they will provide the list and breakdown. Only those who deal with cruisers face to face do

[doghog]

I prefer the auto gratuity system compared to the old stuff the envelope system from years past. Not my concern who and who gets what amount. That's between Celebrity and their employees. 

[C4HCG]

1 hour ago, goofysmom99 said:

You're in luck.  Since it isn't a highlight, you shouldn't be disappointed.  

We so far have found the food perfectly acceptable, and we do enjoy good food. Just see it as one small part of a much bigger offering that Celebrity provide.

[BigAl94]

8 minutes ago, C4HCG said:

We so far have found the food perfectly acceptable, and we do enjoy good food. Just see it as one small part of a much bigger offering that Celebrity provide.

Which ship are you on at the moment?

Edited August 20, 2023 by BigAl94

[C4HCG]

Just now, BigAl94 said:

Which ship are you on a the moment?

Not on one, sat at home. 

[ladylemondrop]

I feel sorry for whoever is in charge of peeling or mashing potatoes on the ship. They need all the tips. 

[BigAl94]

4 minutes ago, C4HCG said:

Not on one, sat at home. 

Suspected that, if you haven't been on a Celebrity ship since the menus changed at the beginning of August, not much point in your post is there?

[gold1953]

2 minutes ago, ladylemondrop said:

I feel sorry for whoever is in charge of peeling or mashing potatoes on the ship. They need all the tips. 

they don't get tips

[doghog]

2 minutes ago, ladylemondrop said:

I feel sorry for whoever is in charge of peeling or mashing potatoes on the ship. They need all the tips. 

It does suck. Speaking from first hand experiences from pulling mandatory KP while in basic training. 

[C4HCG]

Just now, BigAl94 said:

Suspected that, if you haven't been on a Celebrity ship since the menus changed at the beginning of August, not much point in your post is there?

Excuse me but I don’t need your permission to post on our personal opinions on the importance of dining to us, has no relevance whatsoever to when we have sailed.  

 

Which ship are you on?
 

And I have you winning in the pointless post category, your challenge to me had no logic, I wasn’t defending the food offered by Celebrity, merely offering an objective opinion on how important that is to us. Hope you will allow me that.

[BigAl94]

5 minutes ago, C4HCG said:

Excuse me but I don’t need your permission to post on our personal opinions on the importance of dining to us, has no relevance whatsoever to when we have sailed.  

 

Which ship are you on?
 

And I have you winning in the pointless post category, your challenge to me had no logic, I wasn’t defending the food offered by Celebrity, merely offering an objective opinion on how important that is to us. Hope you will allow me that.

Maybe you should read the entire thread 

[C4HCG]

Just now, BigAl94 said:

Maybe you should read the entire thread 

I have. Maybe you should read my posts and then show me where I have defended the current offerings on Celebrity. I won’t hold my breath.

[doghog]

4 minutes ago, BigAl94 said:

Maybe you should read the entire thread 

You haven't cruised since covid, so you don't have first hand experiences to share. 🙃

[BigAl94]

Just now, doghog said:

You haven't cruised since covid, so you don't have first hand experiences to share. 🙃

You need to read it as well