Has Luminae evolved?

Not on Constellation last month. The weird thing was that there was LOTS of fresh fish available after our stop in Oman. In Ocean View only.

I found this post from another thread which also confirms local foods being brought aboard, but in the Oceanview cafe as was your experience.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=53078914&postcount=188

Which ship were you on? We experienced Luminae twice on Eclipse over the past 2 years and it was amazing in both service and food. Just got off Constellation and there was a drastic difference. Service was uneven; most of the staff appeared to be new to Luminae and often seemed unsure of themselves. The food was the big disappointment

though in both presentation and quality. We had just had many of the same dishes in January on Eclipse so they were fresh in our memory. I have been raving about Luminae and could not understand the criticisms people lobbed against it but after this Constellation cruise I can totally see why people would be unimpressed. We actually ate at Oceanview on a few nights as we just didn't want to go to Luminae. This never happened to us on Eclipse. This is not acceptable with the prices Celebrity is charging for suites now. Luminae should be consistent in quality and service across the entire fleet.

Huh. We've eaten in Luminae on the Constellation, Summit, and Equinox, and were incredibly underwhelmed by the Constellation's iteration of the restaurant; the chef didn't seem to be aware that salt was a thing you used during the cooking process to make food taste good. That was in November 2015, and it sounds like things haven't changed.

I'd really like to see Celebrity update the Luminae menu. I actually prefer small menus and I understand if they can't consistently source local products, but they could at least rotate dishes periodically to reflect the location or season. Butternut squash risotto in Bermuda in May was weird to me, for example.

Has the menu evolved? Meaning changed? No. Let's be honest - the whole Suite Experience thing was a flavor of the month for upper Management. Now it is Edge, etc. I will say that our first experience in Luminae on Reflection when the concept was first launched was ATROCIOUS! Bottom line was the Maitre D' completely mishandled the entire operation and almost everyone complained. Our next experience on Millenium was 10000000% the opposite - amazing management and staff made for an EXCEPTIONAL experience. Our most recent Luminae encounter (Silhouette) managed to equal that level of superiority. We leave in 3 weeks on Reflection again and hope for a three-peat.

Back to the menu: It is limited, but if you don't find something you like just say so. One day our waiter overheard us talking about Steak Tartare and he said to tell him when we wanted it and we would have it. Unfortunately the duck confit sandwich kept getting in the way : ). As far as the wine/Sommelier - ours on Silhouette, Ivan (pronounced EE vahn), was extraordinary: One night after dinner we were talking about liqueurs and I mentioned "Ice Wine". Ivan said "Just wait a minute" and he came back with a bottle of Tokaij (which I know must have cost $50+). After the first sip we were hooked, but I told him it was too expensive, and he just smiled and poured. And poured. Well we finished the bottle. The next night after dinner, without missing a beat, he asked, "How about some Tokaij?" We declined.

Luminae is about the service, in my opinion. Sure things repeat on the menu and may not be "local". I'd give that all up for a waiter that knows that I like a Stella with my Duck Confit sandwich at lunch.

Butternut squash risotto in Bermuda in May was weird to me, for example.

Loved the butternut squash risotto in Bermuda in April! I love butternut squash risotto any time.

Luminae is mostly about the service and a smaller venue. The food is good but not spectacular. I don't expect spectacular food at sea.

Loved the butternut squash risotto in Bermuda in April! I love butternut squash risotto any time.

Luminae is mostly about the service and a smaller venue. The food is good but not spectacular. I don't expect spectacular food at sea.

You can get Outstanding food on Crystal and Oceania.:D

Beg to differ on Oceania food. Just came back from Marina and the food in the main dining room was awful.I'm cancelling the other Oceania cruise I booked because of it.

Beg to differ on Oceania food. Just came back from Marina and the food in the main dining room was awful.I'm cancelling the other Oceania cruise I booked because of it.

What about it didn't you like? We've been on =X= 25+ times and O 5 times and Oceania was head and shoulders above anything ever served in a Celebrity dining room.

Have been on all the luxury lines and Oceania has the best food at sea.

While I acknowledge that Oceania uses more expensive ingredients the preparation in the main dining room lacked flavor.

Loved the butternut squash risotto in Bermuda in April! I love butternut squash risotto any time.

Luminae is mostly about the service and a smaller venue. The food is good but not spectacular. I don't expect spectacular food at sea.

We have eaten in Luminae on the Reflection crossing in April 2015, on the Silhouette in September 2016 and recently on the crossing on the Reflection April 2017. 2015 service in Luminae was outstanding, food selections very limited. 2016 Silhouette service outstanding especially Ivan the Sommelier and Adem the server, food selections very limited. Reflection 2017, service was ok nothing special and the food at times had to be returned to the kitchen. One night we had lamb chops that were so tough no one at the table could cut them with a sharp knife. I would say do to the limited selections we ordered off the MDR menu most of the time. I was amazed to find fresh fish being served at the Ocean View that was being boned and grilled while you waited, it was delicious. Luminae is supposed to be a perk of the Suite Class experience, if the service is not special and the food is not as good as the MDR on most nights all we are getting is a small venue to eat dinner for a premium price tag. Celebrity, Luminae needs to improve its menu, nothing has changed since its inception in 2015.

We have eaten in Luminae on the Reflection crossing in April 2015, on the Silhouette in September 2016 and recently on the crossing on the Reflection April 2017. 2015 service in Luminae was outstanding, food selections very limited. 2016 Silhouette service outstanding especially Ivan the Sommelier and Adem the server, food selections very limited. Reflection 2017, service was ok nothing special and the food at times had to be returned to the kitchen. One night we had lamb chops that were so tough no one at the table could cut them with a sharp knife. I would say do to the limited selections we ordered off the MDR menu most of the time. I was amazed to find fresh fish being served at the Ocean View that was being boned and grilled while you waited, it was delicious. Luminae is supposed to be a perk of the Suite Class experience, if the service is not special and the food is not as good as the MDR on most nights all we are getting is a small venue to eat dinner for a premium price tag. Celebrity, Luminae needs to improve its menu, nothing has changed since its inception in 2015.

I was on the same April 2017 Reflection cruise. I agree that food was no different in terms of taste and quality across MDR, Luminae and Blu. However we had amazing service from all except one waiter in the back room at Luminae. We were moved into that room twice because we went a little later than our regular time. Once was during breakfast and our waiter was awful and the maitre'd asked me on the way out and I gave him the feedback. I never got my food... after being there for an hour because he was very disorganized and brought out wrong dish for different tables etc. The assistant maitre'd made sure we never got him again. In the front area, we have the most amazing waiter, I had several entrees that were not on any menus.... He simply asked what I like... one time I said I like curry chicken with rice and I had the following evening and he assured me it did not come from Oceanview. We were also always well taken care of by the assistant waiters. We were served gluten free bread at every meal, automatically. I always got my pot of tea for breakfast. We just like the service there.

Loved the butternut squash risotto in Bermuda in April! I love butternut squash risotto any time.

Luminae is mostly about the service and a smaller venue. The food is good but not spectacular. I don't expect spectacular food at sea.

I agree it's a good butternut squash risotto, but I'm personally not into butternut squash in May or tomatoes in January, etc. If Luminae wants to offer a dining experience that aligns with what the contemporary mainstream restaurants that it is presumably comparing itself to are doing, a small nod to seasonal menu creation would be a big step. Swap out your butternut squash risotto for a pea and asparagus risotto in the spring, replace the heirloom tomato salad with a citrus one in the winter. I'm not expecting food on the level of that Michelin star that they said they wanted but even Olive Garden mixes it up. (And Luminae is definitely a cut above Olive Garden.)

We have eaten in Luminae on the Reflection crossing in April 2015, on the Silhouette in September 2016 and recently on the crossing on the Reflection April 2017. 2015 service in Luminae was outstanding, food selections very limited. 2016 Silhouette service outstanding especially Ivan the Sommelier and Adem the server, food selections very limited. Reflection 2017, service was ok nothing special and the food at times had to be returned to the kitchen. One night we had lamb chops that were so tough no one at the table could cut them with a sharp knife. I would say do to the limited selections we ordered off the MDR menu most of the time. I was amazed to find fresh fish being served at the Ocean View that was being boned and grilled while you waited, it was delicious. Luminae is supposed to be a perk of the Suite Class experience, if the service is not special and the food is not as good as the MDR on most nights all we are getting is a small venue to eat dinner for a premium price tag. Celebrity, Luminae needs to improve its menu, nothing has changed since its inception in 2015.

Eunice, will let you know our experience on Oceania in December. Sounds like you are ready for a change.

Karen

Which ship were you on? We experienced Luminae twice on Eclipse over the past 2 years and it was amazing in both service and food. Just got off Constellation and there was a drastic difference. Service was uneven; most of the staff appeared to be new to Luminae and often seemed unsure of themselves. The food was the big disappointment

though in both presentation and quality. We had just had many of the same dishes in January on Eclipse so they were fresh in our memory. I have been raving about Luminae and could not understand the criticisms people lobbed against it but after this Constellation cruise I can totally see why people would be unimpressed. We actually ate at Oceanview on a few nights as we just didn't want to go to Luminae. This never happened to us on Eclipse. This is not acceptable with the prices Celebrity is charging for suites now. Luminae should be consistent in quality and service across the entire fleet.

 

 

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Loved the butternut squash risotto in Bermuda in April! I love butternut squash risotto any time.

Luminae is mostly about the service and a smaller venue. The food is good but not spectacular. I don't expect spectacular food at sea.

We are just off Solstice and were underwhelmed by Luminae after hearing rave reviews from our friends who had experienced it on Equinox. Our travelling companions warned us off the "filet" on the first night, saying that it was tough and they, along with several other diners, sent it back. Since DH didn't see anything else that appealed to him, we opted for Blu instead and fell in love with that venue. We did go back to Luminae for one dinner, just to see what the fuss was about. The service was excruciatingly slow, our food arrived lukewarm and wasn't all that tasty. The waiters were so rushed that they didn't take the time to follow up until they waved the dessert menu at us. We never went back for dinner, but enjoyed breakfast on the mornings they stayed open until 9:30 (sea days only). Blu was our favorite complimentary venue with brisk (not rushed) service, fabulous food and never a problem with space (we go at 8:30 which in the US is late).

If I want fantastic food and service, I go to Murano, otherwise I order simple dishes that I ask for that are not on the menu; also use Luminae's menu and MDR. Sometimes it is hit and miss!

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If not on the streamlined menu and you have a dietary lifestyle or a hankering for something completely different, then ask!

On our last cruise (Bermuda & Caribbean Repo via the Summit), the entire staff were aware of our vegetarian (sloppy vegan) lifestyle and continually asked if there was anything special we would like prepared. We declined the first few nights, as we didn’t want to bother the kitchen with special requests, but then Chef Abinash visited our table and insisted we try his Indian dishes.

We first had Dahl & Prata for lunch:

and then we had another amazing lunch of Paneer & Dahl ...

and then we had an extraordinary Indian Curry dinner!

My only regret? not asking (or accepting their kind offer) sooner!!!

Heather

If I want fantastic food and service, I go to Murano, otherwise I order simple dishes that I ask for that are not on the menu; also use Luminae's menu and MDR. Sometimes it is hit and miss!

 

 

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Blah! Murano has some of the most pretentious service I have ever experienced at sea. They are trying to pull off what they perceive as a fine dining experience but most (not all) of the staff come off as arrogant and at times rude. The food has been good, although we've had better meals at Luminae and Tuscan. I've given feedback multiple times about the service at Murano in post-cruise surveys and while the staff seems to have loosened up a bit on subsequent visits the hosts continue to act like they have a stick up their behind. We have only revisited because we have had new cruisers with us who had not experienced it. We did try Ocean Liners on our recent Constellation cruise just to see if it was any different. And while the service was less uptight than our Murano visits it still wasn't what I would call friendly. For a French dining experience we prefer NCL's Le Bistro by far (one of the few things where I think NCL does it better than Celebrity).

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Blah! Murano has some of the most pretentious service I have ever experienced at sea. They are trying to pull off what they perceive as a fine dining experience but most (not all) of the staff come off as arrogant and at times rude. The food has been good, although we've had better meals at Luminae and Tuscan. I've given feedback multiple times about the service at Murano in post-cruise surveys and while the staff seems to have loosened up a bit on subsequent visits the hosts continue to act like they have a stick up their behind. We have only revisited because we have had new cruisers with us who had not experienced it. We did try Ocean Liners on our recent Constellation cruise just to see if it was any different. And while the service was less uptight than our Murano visits it still wasn't what I would call friendly. For a French dining experience we prefer NCL's Le Bistro by far (one of the few things where I think NCL does it better than Celebrity).

 

 

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Disagree...we like the service! The reason for a range of restaurants is to offer variety. I don't board a ship (or visit a town) expecting every restaurant to be to my taste or style! I try everything (more than once) then focus on the restaurants that I enjoy the most....Just because I don't like a style of service or menu doesn't mean there is anything wrong with it, it just doesn't suit me!

If not on the streamlined menu and you have a dietary lifestyle or a hankering for something completely different, then ask!

[...]we didn’t want to bother the kitchen with special requests, but then Chef Abinash visited our table and insisted we try his Indian dishes.

Hi Heather ;) - Did you have to give advance notice for that Indian dinner? I love good Indian food and I like the option of ordering it in Luminae on our Edge cruise if there's nothing I fancy on the regular menu, but that only works if I can order it à la minute, instead of having to pre-order the night before.

PS: We gave up on Meatless Mondays! Not out of principle, more laziness. I guess we need another pep talk from you and Anthony to get us re-started ;p

cruiserke;53187971']Hi Heather ;) - Did you have to give advance notice for that Indian dinner? I love good Indian food and I like the option of ordering it in Luminae on our Edge cruise if there's nothing I fancy on the regular menu' date=' but that only works if I can order it à la minute, instead of having to pre-order the night before.

 

PS: We gave up on Meatless Mondays! Not out of principle, more laziness. I guess we need another pep talk from you and Anthony to get us re-started ;p[/quote']

 

We ordered our special meals the night before as the Chef needed to gather the ingredients and prep to make these special meals. It was well-worth it :hearteyes: We’re not fancy on committing the night prior as well - but honestly would do it again - the specialty Indian meals were that spectacular.

 

PS - I guess we *have* to fly to Brussels now and kick your butts into gear - LOL

 

Heather

Disagree...we like the service! The reason for a range of restaurants is to offer variety. I don't board a ship (or visit a town) expecting every restaurant to be to my taste or style! I try everything (more than once) then focus on the restaurants that I enjoy the most....Just because I don't like a style of service or menu doesn't mean there is anything wrong with it, it just doesn't suit me!

Good service is good service regardless of the type of venue. Rude or snotty service is unacceptable across the board. You give me a choice of a dumpy, greasy diner with great food and friendly service versus a fine-dining French restaurant also with great food but with rude service I'll take the diner every time.

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Good service is good service regardless of the type of venue. Rude or snotty service is unacceptable across the board. You give me a choice of a dumpy, greasy diner with great food and friendly service versus a fine-dining French restaurant also with great food but with rude service I'll take the diner every time.

 

 

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Totally agree that good service is paramount to enjoying a venue...Rude staff are not acceptable anywhere and if I ever felt the staff in any Celebrity venue were rude I would complain....I do think there is a difference between 'rude' and 'restrained' service, however, and I think these can be confused....I can only say we have in many visits in a variety of ships never found Murano's lacking....

May be worth trying them again?

I am afraid in this case i have to side with Wonderman.

I have eaten twice in Ocean Liners on Infinity and three times in Murano on the Eclipse.

I find the menu a challenge, particularly the starters, and the service a throwback to the 1980/90's in the UK. I cannot think of anywhere I have eaten in the last 20 years that has service like they think they provide in Murano. It harks back to the days when Maitre D's and waiters tried to make the diner feel inferior.

The last, and final, time we ate there was in Sept 2015 on the Eclipse. At the end of service the chef came around with the Maitre'D ask those still in the restaurant how they had enjoyed their meal. I told him that the Dover Sole was very overcooked, but I had enjoyed the cheese. He looked at me as if I did not have a clue, shook his head and walked off. The Maitre'D shrugged his shoulders and left.

I probably should say that all these visits were "free" i.e. included in the Suite fares.

For me the food and service in Luminae wins hands down over ALL of the so called speciality restaurants. Removing free speciality dining from the lower suite classes means nothing to me as I would not use any of them again...even for "free".

Maybe i am too young to enjoy Murano...i am only 65. :)

I am afraid in this case i have to side with Wonderman.

 

I have eaten twice in Ocean Liners on Infinity and three times in Murano on the Eclipse.

 

I find the menu a challenge, particularly the starters, and the service a throwback to the 1980/90's in the UK. I cannot think of anywhere I have eaten in the last 20 years that has service like they think they provide in Murano. It harks back to the days when Maitre D's and waiters tried to make the diner feel inferior.

 

The last, and final, time we ate there was in Sept 2015 on the Eclipse. At the end of service the chef came around with the Maitre'D ask those still in the restaurant how they had enjoyed their meal. I told him that the Dover Sole was very overcooked, but I had enjoyed the cheese. He looked at me as if I did not have a clue, shook his head and walked off. The Maitre'D shrugged his shoulders and left.

 

I probably should say that all these visits were "free" i.e. included in the Suite fares.

 

For me the food and service in Luminae wins hands down over ALL of the so called speciality restaurants. Removing free speciality dining from the lower suite classes means nothing to me as I would not use any of them again...even for "free".

 

Maybe i am too young to enjoy Murano...i am only 65. :)

So did you tell them the Dover Sole was over cooked when they delivered it? What response did you want/ expect from the M'D?

Sorry, but we rarely complained about the food on Celebrity but if we do complain it is on delivery or first tasting...we then expect the staff to then put things right.

On the very rare occasion we have sent things back the M'D has always come over and we have explained the issue and invariably been able to reassured them that the staff are are already on the case...

I am really pleased you enjoy the service and food in Luminae, we feel it has many strengths too. Unlike you, however, it is the Luminae menu I find restrictive....but as I clearly stated in my last post it is all about personal taste and choices....just because I prefer Murano's and you prefer Luminae doesn't make either of us 'right or wrong' it simply means Celebrity is catering to a wide variety or taste and style choices.

Sincere best wishes for great food on your next cruise!