New Menus?

[SSFrance69]

I just looked at menus on the app for our upcoming cruise in February 2025. I looked at the menus in Blu where we will be dining and I see 95% of the dishes we had enjoyed on our sailing from last year gone and new items that don't sound as appealing to me. I looked at the menus in some of the main dining rooms as well and also saw some familiar and some new dishes. The menus for Tuscan and Normandy were not showing at all. The menu for Cyprus no longer had the warm cheese as a starter. I'm becoming nervous that they've once again changed things up (for better or worse remains to be tasted). The inconsistency is what caused us to look at other cruise lines and sail with Oceania last year and earlier this year... but I enjoyed our Blu experience last July so much that I decided to give them another go... and now all the dishes I enjoyed are no longer on the menu. Not sure how I feel about this. I'm sailing with my daughter, so I chose Celebrity over Oceania because she is in her 20's and I felt she'd enjoy it more. Can anyone who has just recently sailed confirm if the menus seemed new? If sailed in Blu same question, and how did you enjoy it? For what it's worth, I checked the menus in the app just a couple months ago and they were the menus familiar to me, so this seems recent. 

[mrgabriel]

February is a long ways away. I never, ever trust the menus until about 3 days before the cruise. 

 

[Liao]

27 minutes ago, SSFrance69 said:

I just looked at menus on the app for our upcoming cruise in February 2025. I looked at the menus in Blu where we will be dining and I see 95% of the dishes we had enjoyed on our sailing from last year gone and new items that don't sound as appealing to me. I looked at the menus in some of the main dining rooms as well and also saw some familiar and some new dishes. The menus for Tuscan and Normandy were not showing at all. The menu for Cyprus no longer had the warm cheese as a starter. I'm becoming nervous that they've once again changed things up (for better or worse remains to be tasted). The inconsistency is what caused us to look at other cruise lines and sail with Oceania last year and earlier this year... but I enjoyed our Blu experience last July so much that I decided to give them another go... and now all the dishes I enjoyed are no longer on the menu. Not sure how I feel about this. I'm sailing with my daughter, so I chose Celebrity over Oceania because she is in her 20's and I felt she'd enjoy it more. Can anyone who has just recently sailed confirm if the menus seemed new? If sailed in Blu same question, and how did you enjoy it? For what it's worth, I checked the menus in the app just a couple months ago and they were the menus familiar to me, so this seems recent. 

Menus can change multiple times over the course of a few months and probably will.  French onion soup, escargot, beef Wellington all seem to be consistent staples though and always get very good reviews.  Count on variations of fish, chicken and lamb and then prepare to be surprised, hopefully a pleasant surprise.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

I wouldn't mind seeing new menu items in Luminae, especially the appetizers.

[DaKahuna]

31 minutes ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

I wouldn't mind seeing new menu items in Luminae, especially the appetizers.

 

 I usually order a starter from Blu or MDR -- especially if there is a salad available.  Never can enough fresh green vegetables on the Luminae menu for me. 

 

[zitsky]

It’s hard to remember the rules about what ship lets you order from what restaurant.

[Jim_Iain]

1 hour ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

I wouldn't mind seeing new menu items in Luminae, especially the appetizers.

 

I posted the new Menu's when they were first released.  You can see them on this post.

 

Message 579   - not sure why link isn't going to that message...   Ahhh you have to click on the title in the grey box..

 

 

Edited September 4 by Jim_Iain

[DaKahuna]

1 minute ago, zitsky said:

It’s hard to remember the rules about what ship lets you order from what restaurant.

 

 Only if you sail on E-class is that really a concern. 

 

 I normally just tell our waiter what I want and see what he/she says. 

 

[PTC DAWG]

1 hour ago, SSFrance69 said:

I just looked at menus on the app for our upcoming cruise in February 2025. I looked at the menus in Blu where we will be dining and I see 95% of the dishes we had enjoyed on our sailing from last year gone and new items that don't sound as appealing to me. I looked at the menus in some of the main dining rooms as well and also saw some familiar and some new dishes. The menus for Tuscan and Normandy were not showing at all. The menu for Cyprus no longer had the warm cheese as a starter. I'm becoming nervous that they've once again changed things up (for better or worse remains to be tasted). The inconsistency is what caused us to look at other cruise lines and sail with Oceania last year and earlier this year... but I enjoyed our Blu experience last July so much that I decided to give them another go... and now all the dishes I enjoyed are no longer on the menu. Not sure how I feel about this. I'm sailing with my daughter, so I chose Celebrity over Oceania because she is in her 20's and I felt she'd enjoy it more. Can anyone who has just recently sailed confirm if the menus seemed new? If sailed in Blu same question, and how did you enjoy it? For what it's worth, I checked the menus in the app just a couple months ago and they were the menus familiar to me, so this seems recent. 

Look at the current sailings for your ship on the app.

 

That said, I fully expect menus to change..I like trying different things..the standards will be there…some folks don’t like change

Edited September 4 by PTC DAWG

[cruisestitch]

Regarding menus missing altogether from the app, remember that the app is inconsistent, often incomplete and frequently incorrect 

[canderson]

Try this for Jim's menus if on a phone where things may appear blue-ish.  Tap the bold black part right at the top.

 

And thanks for snagging these, Jim.

Edited September 4 by canderson

[celebrity cruiser]

19 hours ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

I wouldn't mind seeing new menu items in Luminae, especially the appetizers.

If you could tell them what you want to have them prepare, what would it be?

[cruisestitch]

I would dearly love some really good Mexican food. The Mexican line at the buffet is a constant disappointment and there is never any Mexican or TexMex on the dinner menu.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

50 minutes ago, celebrity cruiser said:

If you could tell them what you want to have them prepare, what would it be?

Anything from Murano's appetizer menu, especially the goat cheese souffle, baked brie, empadas.

[canderson]

6 minutes ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

Anything from Murano's appetizer menu, especially the goat cheese souffle, baked brie, empadas.

+1 to the goat cheese souffle!

[celebrity cruiser]

you are making me hungry.

Not to take away from Murano, what about a blue cheese or grand marnier souffle?

[celebrity cruiser]

I remember the goat cheese souffle from the original Normandie restaurant on M class

[mrgabriel]

1 hour ago, cruisestitch said:

I would dearly love some really good Mexican food. The Mexican line at the buffet is a constant disappointment and there is never any Mexican or TexMex on the dinner menu.

 

They had an excellent Mexican section on the buffet on the spring TA on Silhouette last year. Honestly, the F&B manager knocked it out of the park every day. He also walked around the seating area and talked to random people each day, asking their opinion on the food. Best buffet we've ever had on Celebrity. 

[thebutlerdidit]

1 hour ago, celebrity cruiser said:

I remember the goat cheese souffle from the original Normandie restaurant on M class

We dined in the Olympic restaurant on the Millennium on our first cruise. The maitre’d sent me home with a recipe for the goat cheese soufflé. I didn’t ask for it, they must have just had them printed and available.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

1 hour ago, thebutlerdidit said:

We dined in the Olympic restaurant on the Millennium on our first cruise. The maitre’d sent me home with a recipe for the goat cheese soufflé. I didn’t ask for it, they must have just had them printed and available.

I have the recipe and made it several times.  Also, lobster Murano. Blue Cheese Souffle would be fine too. 

On one of our first cruises they were selling menu cards with a recipe on each one. I've gotten rid of a lot of things over the years but still have them.

 

I know Luminae menus have changed but they just don't appeal to me. I like my soups thicker than a broth, not sure about all the octopus, and can't do spicy food, thus my avoidance of Luminae recently.

Edited September 4 by CHEZMARYLOU

[SSFrance69]

A couple of things I've noticed missing from the menus in the app that stood out from last time we sailed and dined in Blu (July last year) were the blue cheese Souffle (might just be on a different rotation) and also the lobster (not offered once on our 7 night Ascent sailing in the app). It seems the lobster with the lovely sauce has been replaced with a "lobster ravioli, Thermidor style". Why not just lobster Thermidor? That would be a lot more special than ravioli. I'm sure we will find something to eat each evening, but I just get nervous that this is a sign of cut backs yet again on some test menus... and if I'm paying extra to dine in Blu, having lobster (albeit a bit on the small size but with a lovely sauce) replaced with lobster ravioli is a bit of a disappointment. I hope I'm pleasantly surprised.

[SSFrance69]

27 minutes ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

I have the recipe and made it several times.  Also, lobster Murano. Blue Cheese Souffle would be fine too. 

On one of our first cruises they were selling menu cards with a recipe on each one. I've gotten rid of a lot of things over the years but still have them.

 

I know Luminae menus have changed but they just don't appeal to me. I like my soups thicker than a broth, not sure about all the octopus, and can't do spicy food, thus my avoidance of Luminae recently.

That's exactly how I felt when I looked at the menus from Luminae when I was deciding what to book for this sailing. I booked Aqua knowing how much I enjoyed the Blu menus last year, but now I'm not sure what I'm going to get. The blue cheese souffle in Blu blew me away. It was on par with some of the outstanding dishes I tried on our last two Oceania sailings. I was sad it see it gone, but as others have said... the app menus may not be accurate for our sailing and that item may be on some other rotation. The thing that shocked me was no lobster on the 7 nights in Blu. I know lobster is subjective and people talk about how they are small... but the lobster in Blu was quite good and had a lovely sauce. I was just surprised the app has replaced that with a lobster ravioli. Honestly I eat wonderful lobster every year when we visit Martha's Vineyard, so it's not like I'll feel deprived of the little sea insects that pale in comparison to the New England version I'm able to have at home... it's just a disappointment that once again I see them trying to cheapen the offerings. I don't like to complain but when I think about what I can get for a slightly higher price point on a line like Oceania who serves lobster every night in the buffet, I start to second guess my choice this time. For context, I'm sailing with my daughter who is in her 20s, so I don't think Oceania would be her speed... but it really makes me question my choice.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

36 minutes ago, SSFrance69 said:

That's exactly how I felt when I looked at the menus from Luminae when I was deciding what to book for this sailing. I booked Aqua knowing how much I enjoyed the Blu menus last year, but now I'm not sure what I'm going to get. The blue cheese souffle in Blu blew me away. It was on par with some of the outstanding dishes I tried on our last two Oceania sailings. I was sad it see it gone, but as others have said... the app menus may not be accurate for our sailing and that item may be on some other rotation. The thing that shocked me was no lobster on the 7 nights in Blu. I know lobster is subjective and people talk about how they are small... but the lobster in Blu was quite good and had a lovely sauce. I was just surprised the app has replaced that with a lobster ravioli. Honestly I eat wonderful lobster every year when we visit Martha's Vineyard, so it's not like I'll feel deprived of the little sea insects that pale in comparison to the New England version I'm able to have at home... it's just a disappointment that once again I see them trying to cheapen the offerings. I don't like to complain but when I think about what I can get for a slightly higher price point on a line like Oceania who serves lobster every night in the buffet, I start to second guess my choice this time. For context, I'm sailing with my daughter who is in her 20s, so I don't think Oceania would be her speed... but it really makes me question my choice.

Best to switch as you already think booking on Celebrity is a mistake 

I haven’t  noticed any change in the MDR menu 

[SSFrance69]

23 hours ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Best to switch as you already think booking on Celebrity is a mistake 

I haven’t  noticed any change in the MDR menu 

I never said it was a mistake. I am just nervous because over the years I've been sailing with them, things have changed. A lot. I just get nervous when the product is not consistent and I don't know what I'm going to end up getting by the time I sail. Last year our meals in Blu were outstanding, so to see mostly new items on the menus in the app worries me some. When I started sailing with them many years ago in the Micheal Roux days, once could get freshly grilled salmon along with other cooked or order items in the spa cafe. The spa cafe has been reduced to a few cold salads and things you grab and go. Things like Chateaubriand with Bernaise sauce was on the MDR menu. The MDR was pretty much what the specialty restaurants are like now. Sparkling wine upon embarkation as you board the ship. The captain's club party each night up in the sky lounge with canapés. Over time all of those things have gone away little by little. I've seen the MDR menus go through several overhauls over the years and each time was a step down. I realize nothing is forever, but I just want the quality that made me fall in love with them. I'm not sure how I would like other cruise lines, but I've started to branch out. I absolutely fell in love with Oceania and they remind me of what Celebrity used to be like years ago (at a slightly higher price point). I have an HAL cruise next year to Alaska (since I hear they do Alaska really well) and the Ascent Caribbean cruise on Celebrity before that in February. I'll find out how these new Blu menus are and report back. Who knows... maybe the menus on the app are an experiment and by the time I sail the menus I loved last time will be there.