TeeRick

OK you will have to "settle" with Luminae! LOL. Food pictures look great! Anyway before our recent cruise (Equinox), all specialty restaurants were either sold out or had 9:30 PM dining times. Online. But when we boarded we went directly to Murano and they had plenty of open times. Same for Tuscan. We took a couple of nights at 6:30 PM. The maitre 'D explained that they keep about half their slots in reserve and not available online.

Yet the Retreat is still selling out at these prices.

@Barwick Cruiser thanks for the review. It goes to show that some posters here are causing pre-cruise "food anxiety" to the point where people are cancelling (or considering cancelling) their cruises. Or they are then pre-disposed to be negative. But you just need to try it for yourselves. There are negative reviews to the changes since Jan 1 and Celebrity should have notified about the OVC dinner changes in particular. But lots of positive to neutral reviews too. And negative comments from a number here who have not even cruised yet in 2023. Why get anxiety from their comments? Just enjoy your cruise! Thanks again!

When the bartenders did the "show" at the Martini Bar a lot of people crowded the rail to take pictures and watch. While we were eating. All around us.

Sounds awesome!

Don't think this would solve the problem with food. You are assuming they could serve thousands of guests each night with Blu or Luminae quality? It would quickly become MDR - like. The only way to solve the problem is to go back to the quality ingredients and portions from just a year ago.

A couple years back we dined in Fine Cut on Edge. The food was very good. But they gave us a rail table overlooking the Martini Bar. It was quite noisy! I don't know if this has been remedied on Edge, or changed on APEX and BEYOND. Ask for an inner table.

I'm glad you have not experienced a decline in quality. Many posters here have reported this but others have not. It seems E-Class MDR's appear to be more favorable. Anyway what I meant by Banquet food is that many, many people have to be served with similar dishes simultaneously. So expecting 5-star restaurant quality is too high of a standard.

Are you doing the Galapagos on Celebrity or on Silversea?

In the US, if the USPS link no longer works, you can get 4 boxes (8 tests) free every month if on Medicare through your local pharmacy. They are probably better because they were not handled in the mail. Most private health plans also reimburse them if you get them at a pharmacy.

Not very likely that the Reflection will be revolutionized this year. Some here are saying 2025. No schedule for all of the remaining ships yet. But you will enjoy Reflection as is.

When was the food on Celebrity 4 or 5 star restaurant quality? I don't recall that. The MDR food is more like banquet hall food quality.

Have you met any friends on board with WiFi that could help?

Craft Social has pretty good "bar food". Extra charge applies.

On our Equinox sailing Jan 21, according to one officer there was about 2600 on board. Full capacity is 2850.

Not really a mystery honestly. Royal Caribbean Group is $billions in debt and large cash outflows for new ships. That does not excuse poor quality.

Your posts make me immediately hungry!

Some Sky Suites are Aqua Sky Suites and have some Spa benefits I believe.

Honestly how would you know if she was who she said she was?

Yes good response. Or - "Kelly Hoppen and Nate Berkus have recommended these smaller portions and we do everything they say".

She does not need to be in disguise. That would defeat the purpose.

Privacy rules.

We have to purchase and provide our own bags in the grocery store now.

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).

I think the high school students in LLP's office responding to Emails are busy taking midterms this week. So people might need to wait a few days for a response.😊