Why do people say the food is slipping?

[Bridge Maven]

I always find it amusing when people boast about dining in "four or five star restaurants" when the maximum starts a restaurant can get is...3 :rolleyes:

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Despegue, it depends upon the rating system. While some rating systems only go as high as three stars, there are a number of other ones which have five star ratings or five diamond ratings for restaurants. However, very few restaurants are good enough for a 5 star rating which is why the term is frequently used to describe an ideal situation. With that said, it is totally unrealistic for anyone to expect the dining experience in the main dining room of a mass market cruise line, such as Celebrity, to be comparable to a five star restaurant, and it is more realistic to compare it to a catered event. With that bases of comparison, the main dining room is not as good as most weddings at an upscale hotel or country club, but better than the typical catering/party houses.

[TLCOhio]

having never lost weight on a cruise, I can honestly say, I can find something tasty to eat on a cruise, never had a hamburger on a cruise, or a slice of pizza, and unless its filet mignon, steak doesnt appeal to me on a cruise, i can get a better at home. so a cruise is a perfect time to try other dishes. maybe more than one a time. dont think i've ever sent one back to the kitchen

 

bob brown: While cost reduction in order to keep fares competitive and offering specialty restaurants for those wanting better is the norm these days' date=' and the main reason for the perception (correctly so), of lower food quality these days.....I wonder if some of the perception might be attributed to familiarity. By that I mean, when you took your first cruise, everything was new to you and seemed fantastic. The more you cruise, the less of a treat it is in general. It just becomes routine and perhaps you become more critical of small details. Just saying....[/quote']

 

Agree with the perceptive comments by Bob Brown. Familiarity is a factor. There's no doubt, also, that there have been cost pressures at work. We enjoyed doing the galley tour. There we learned more about the serious challenges, on the Solstice, of feeding 4000 people every day and doing it through 17 different kitchens. It's not like running a small kitchen only serving a few hundred people each evening.

 

On weight-gain, our good fortune, both this past June and last July along the Norway Coast, was my waist-line changed very, very little. It was helped by being busy, busy with lots of port activities, walking around the ship, etc., etc. Enjoyed lots of great food on both ships, but we walked off so much of it. That makes for the best type of cruise experience.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Recently back from a June 7-19 Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 41,062 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 51,177 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

Appreciate those who have “tuned in” for these two posts. Don’t be shy and feel free to comment and/or ask any questions of interest.

[celebritydave]

While cost reduction in order to keep fares competitive and offering specialty restaurants for those wanting better is the norm these days, and the main reason for the perception (correctly so), of lower food quality these days.....I wonder if some of the perception might be attributed to familiarity. By that I mean, when you took your first cruise, everything was new to you and seemed fantastic. The more you cruise, the less of a treat it is in general. It just becomes routine and perhaps you become more critical of small details. Just saying....

 

This is a good point. I think in my case it is true. Plus the fact is how much can you remember about meals that you had years ago?

 

But I also agree the quality had diminished somewhat.

[bob brown]

A positive thing about cruises becoming 'routine' experience, at least for myself, is that I no longer eat like there's no tomorrow on board. When I first cruised, the buffets, and unlimited portions and desserts, etc. were a novelty to me, and I gained over a pound a day on my cruise:eek:

 

Now when I cruise, that is no longer a novelty, and I eat more normally, although I will indulge a little, as I am on vacation, and as mentioned by others, it is the perfect opportunity to sample new tastes.:)

[kitty9]

We started cruising Celebrity in the late 90's and we feel it's a number of things that impact the food. First, you cannot look at a menu and know how something will taste or look. A talented writer can make anything sound good, but if the preparation or ingredients aren't there, it won't taste anything like you think it will. I'm also wondering about the training of the chefs. None of them seem to be classically trained anymore. Most chefs don't appear to be European trained.

 

Then you have a reduction in spending, per passenger, on food. If you reduce spending, for example, from $10 per passenger to $7, you will see a pretty big difference in quality.

 

I've said this before, but I feel the decline in MDR food is directly related to the introduction of the specialty restaurants. What you get in the specialties is what you used to see in the MDR.

[waunabcruizin]

"Say it ain't so!" What a depressing thread. Here we are, looking forward with great anticipation to returning to Celebrity in 2012, remembering the wonderful food and service we had in 2007 the last time we cruised X, and what we are hearing on this thread says 'forget it - it isn't the same'. We are not fans of anytime dining as we remember the wonderful service we have had with traditional dining and here you guys are, saying the staff is stretched too thin to give that wonderful service. Makes me wonder if cruising is even worth it anymore. Sigh. What's a person to do?

[Bridge Maven]

Regarding memories of cruise line food from years ago - Most of us remember things based on our perception of it at the time. For some people that might not make a difference, but if someone goes to a lot more upscale restaurants now than when they took their first cruise, they were probably easier to please then than they are now.

[elena7seas]

"Say it ain't so!" What a depressing thread. Here we are, looking forward with great anticipation to returning to Celebrity in 2012, remembering the wonderful food and service we had in 2007 the last time we cruised X, and what we are hearing on this thread says 'forget it - it isn't the same'. We are not fans of anytime dining as we remember the wonderful service we have had with traditional dining and here you guys are, saying the staff is stretched too thin to give that wonderful service. Makes me wonder if cruising is even worth it anymore. Sigh. What's a person to do?

 

We were on the Solstice in the Eastern Med in July 2011. Although we usually sail in AQ, this time we were in the MDR for dinners and the food was very good and the service was excellent.

 

We began sailing with Celebrity in 2005, and for me, the low point in the MDR was in 2007 when Elizabeth Blau took over. I was so relieved when she was replaced.

 

I think the food in the MDR this summer was as good as any cruise we've had since 2005. And our service was wonderful, and as personable as we have come to expect from Celebrity. I do tend to rely on the suggestions of our head waiter, and find this usually serves me well.

 

Sadly, for the first time ever, we had a disappointing experience in Murano. The service was annoying (the young woman waiting on us was intrusive, and not well versed on anything to do with food) and the food was not up to any of our previous experiences in Celebrity specialty restaurants. Our table placement was unfortunate, and the couple at a table beside us was having a disagreement with staff that was not handled with discretion. I am hoping that it was just an off night...except of course for our waiter....I think she is in serious need of some additional training. :)

 

Oh...and Bistro on Five was excellent both times!

[Pack My Bags]

"Say it ain't so!" What a depressing thread. Here we are, looking forward with great anticipation to returning to Celebrity in 2012, remembering the wonderful food and service we had in 2007 the last time we cruised X, and what we are hearing on this thread says 'forget it - it isn't the same'. We are not fans of anytime dining as we remember the wonderful service we have had with traditional dining and here you guys are, saying the staff is stretched too thin to give that wonderful service. Makes me wonder if cruising is even worth it anymore. Sigh. What's a person to do?

 

Not cruise? What???? Dining is just one aspect of a cruise & surely there are more than enough venues & choices on board. Remember that food is subjective. Sure some dishes are hits, some misses. Doesn't that happen in any restaurant?

 

People have different tastes & frankly after my two Celebrity cruises last month & all the hype about how X offers great food believe you-me that pizza & burgers were just FLYING out of the buffet. I don't take anyone's word when it comes to food other than my own palette. I was open minded & always found something to enjoy. And that's coming from someone in NYC with the finest at my doorstep.

 

Cruising is the most affordable way to travel with the mist choices. Something for everyone.

 

GO & ENJOY!

[bob brown]

Regarding memories of cruise line food from years ago - Most of us remember things based on our perception of it at the time. For some people that might not make a difference, but if someone goes to a lot more upscale restaurants now than when they took their first cruise, they were probably easier to please then than they are now.

Good point!

It's kind of like returning to your childhood school or home.

They sure seemed a lot bigger in your memory than you see them now...

[SuiteTraveler]

I always find it amusing when people boast about dining in "four or five star restaurants" when the maximum starts a restaurant can get is...3 :rolleyes:

 

Actually, that is NOT true at all. The Michelin Guide has a 3 star system. While Michelin is very popular in Western Europe, it does not enjoy as widespread popularity in the US where restaurants are normally rated 1 to 5 stars by several different rating systems including Forbes, and AAA (which uses diamonds in place of stars) - just to name a few. In addition the Zagat survery uses a 30 point rating system. The US 5-star rating system which is most commonly used generally compares to Michelin in only the top 3 stars. A 3-star US restaurant review is usually comparable to a 1 star Michelin restaurant review, 4-star US restarant review is comparable to a 2-star Michelin restaurant review and a 5-star US restaurant review is comparable to a 3-star Michelin restaurant review. Restaurants that receive only 1 or 2 stars may still be quite good restaurants, but lack certain requirements to reach the 3rd star in the American system. It doesn't mean they are bad and it allows for up and coming restaurants to receive at least some recognition prior to them reaching 3 star status.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restaurant_rating

[SuiteTraveler]

"Say it ain't so!" What a depressing thread. Here we are, looking forward with great anticipation to returning to Celebrity in 2012, remembering the wonderful food and service we had in 2007 the last time we cruised X, and what we are hearing on this thread says 'forget it - it isn't the same'. We are not fans of anytime dining as we remember the wonderful service we have had with traditional dining and here you guys are, saying the staff is stretched too thin to give that wonderful service. Makes me wonder if cruising is even worth it anymore. Sigh. What's a person to do?

 

Actually, I thought ALL of the food on the Eclipse was quite good. The MDR food was exactly where it should be -and we had fixed late seating with a great waiter, a very nice and elegant man from India who was highly organized and very effective in his role. I trusted his opinion on what to order and he appreciated that and gave me some great suggestions. I like most anything that is prepared correctly, so I often told him to choose for me and he would bring out some great things. There was nothing in the MDR I really didn't like. His assistant waiter was also excellent. They both worked hard to make sure we had a great dining experience and they achieved that for us. We had a wonderful, knowledgeable and very personalble sommelier as well who took great interest in us and we had many nice discussions regarding wine. I liked the buffet, the creperie, Cafe Al Bacio, the spa restaurant, QSine - all really good with good service throughout. I also have to give kudos for the great way room service was handled for breakfast - always on time and always hot and tempting. Very much appreciated.

 

My only complaint was that the food in Murano is a throwback to the 1980's/1990's and needs to be re-designed and updated to today's tastes and trends. The quality of the food product is there, but it is overdressed and overcomposed - unnecessarily so. They could actually save money on some of the courses by simply taking away unnecessary accompaniments such as micro greens that serve no purpose other than decorating or the pickled ginger and almonds on pan seared fois gras which add nothing to the flavor. Our waiter in Murano was also not very good. But our sommelier in there was wonderful! I also got an opportunity to sit with the head chef and talk about Murano and he confided in me that he's cooking to a corporate menu. That means the problem with the recipes lies with Celebrity corporate. I remain hopeful with Celebrity's appointment of a new head chef, this issue will be addressed and Murano will be overhauled with new, exciting and up-to-date cuisine. It's a beautiful restaurant, but the food needs to be brought up to date to match the venue.