Celebrity's New Menu: I'm just the messenger.

[RMSeadog]

I just returned from sailing the Solstice on Sunday. We had the escargot every night, the cold soup did turn out to be hot but it was still wonderful. The food in the MDR was very good and we saw no reason to pay extra for the specialty restaurants. We did go to Bistro on Five, but I was actually disappointed and didn't think it held up to all the hype. All in all I would not complain about the food or the service we received in the MDR.:)

 

We returned form EQ Monday 05 March, escargot was on the menu and cold soups every night, no Lobster Bisque baked potato, but the potato can special ordered every night. The lobster tail was tropical and was the whole tail, not the half tail with the head filled with Crab:rolleyes:. All in all the service top notch, the food, well, we don't care too much for Mr. JVS' sauces on every dish. We would rather taste the meat/fish than the heavy sauces, but food is too subjective to argue over. ~ Ric

 

PS The lobster was great, had two tails:D, and yes, I have had my fair share of Maine lobster.

 

[tuggers]

Hey Ric! I, too, am not a fan of 'JVS'. Like you said, he likes to distort the taste of his base ingredients with heavy handed sauces. If, and it's a big IF, I order his signature dishes I always ask for the sauce to be served on the side where I can use it or not. He's certainly no Michel Roux! That was X's first big cost cutting measure: changing from Roux to JVS.

I hope they have some of the better cold soups when I sail next. Cucumber is not one I order. I love the fruit soups. Yes, I know they are sweet and I never have more than half of what they serve me but boy do I enjoy what I have!:)

Never cared much for the lobsters (if I get a hankering for lobster I order it from the Lobsterguy or LobstergorMAINE) but I may try it this time if we keep getting good reviews of it. And I do trust your taste buds, Ric! :rolleyes:

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

We returned form EQ Monday 05 March, escargot was on the menu and cold soups every night, no Lobster Bisque baked potato, but the potato can special ordered every night.

 

 

Hooray! Glad to hear cold soups are back on the menu.

 

Thanks for reporting in.

[CRUISERTN]

I agree with those who have mentioned the need to bring Michel Roux back!! Back in the day of Michel Roux, the food was the best, not just on Celebrity, but when compared with Celebrity's mass market competitors as well, as was the service. Looks like the typical of what I have seen on Celebrity over the past 2 years....declining food/service in MDR and causing you to eat at specialty restaurants if you want a quality meal. :(

[Lsimon]

I agree with those who have mentioned the need to bring Michel Roux back!! Back in the day of Michel Roux, the food was the best, not just on Celebrity, but when compared with Celebrity's mass market competitors as well, as was the service. Looks like the typical of what I have seen on Celebrity over the past 2 years....declining food/service in MDR and causing you to eat at specialty restaurants if you want a quality meal. :(

 

Do you think this had more to do with Michel Roux personally or to overall cost cutting limiting the amounts spent on ingredients and staffing?

[Spf12]

Do you think this had more to do with Michel Roux personally or to overall cost cutting limiting the amounts spent on ingredients and staffing?

Have been following this thread sice inception.I personally think it has to do with cost cutting.Michel Roux was overseeing the menus before the introduction of the Specialty restaurants on the M class ships.If fuel prices stay high and the cruise fares have not gone up proportionately,something has to suffer.

[Bridge Maven]

Have been following this thread sice inception.I personally think it has to do with cost cutting.Michel Roux was overseeing the menus before the introduction of the Specialty restaurants on the M class ships.If fuel prices stay high and the cruise fares have not gone up proportionately,something has to suffer.

 

spf - I agree with you. However, when Celebrity made the decision to build all these new mega ships, they knew they would have to compete on price to fill their substantially increased number of berths. So it appears that they changed their business model at that time. That created a Catch 22 for Celebrity because by cutting corners they lost their original image as the mass market cruise line that charges a little more but has much better food. Right now the only thing that really separates Celebrity from other mass market cruise lines is that it has a more formal ambiance.

[celebritydave]

Thanks for posting this it is my most favorite dressing!!!

 

Me too! Thanks!!!

 

Dave

[Giorgi-one]

spf - I agree with you. However, when Celebrity made the decision to build all these new mega ships, they knew they would have to compete on price to fill their substantially increased number of berths. So it appears that they changed their business model at that time. That created a Catch 22 for Celebrity because by cutting corners they lost their original image as the mass market cruise line that charges a little more but has much better food. Right now the only thing that really separates Celebrity from other mass market cruise lines is that it has a more formal ambiance.

 

The formal ambiance is definitely on the way out too. Yes they still have formal nights but so do almost every other cruise line. They let just about anyone into the MDR as long as you have pants and shirt. Also, formal attire is not required all evening. Not exactly formal ambiance when you are walking around in tux and evening gown surrounded by people in shorts and flip flops. The move is to resort casual. Problem is, like a previous poster said, many people do not know the difference between resort casual and yard clothes.

[Andy]

Hi Everyone,

 

My cousin is sailing on Eclipse this week. Yesterday, He called from San Juan, to say how much they are enjoying the cruise and the food, especially in the Main Dining Room. He mentioned the new MDR menus were introduced on this sailing, saying that "every morsel has been delicious". He also mentioned the Rack of Lamb was outstanding.

 

While I always say the topic of food is very subjective, I'm totally looking forward to trying the new menus when we sail on Eclipse, next month.

[Spf12]

spf - I agree with you. However, when Celebrity made the decision to build all these new mega ships, they knew they would have to compete on price to fill their substantially increased number of berths. So it appears that they changed their business model at that time. That created a Catch 22 for Celebrity because by cutting corners they lost their original image as the mass market cruise line that charges a little more but has much better food. Right now the only thing that really separates Celebrity from other mass market cruise lines is that it has a more formal ambiance.

I agree with your comments 100% and I might add Celebrity's service is what sets it apart from the competition.

[Giorgi-one]

I agree with your comments 100% and I might add Celebrity's service is what sets it apart from the competition.

 

I have been on more than 30 cruises with various cruise lines. I cannot say that I have ever had bad service on a cruise. I think a lot has to do with how you treat the crew We always like to joke around with the waitstaff and they almost always respond. Some service is outstanding but I cannot say that this applies only to Celebrity.

[vickykay]

While we still enjoy the food on Celebrity, we often say that we would rather they charge more for the cruise and go back to the quality of previous years.

[Bridge Maven]

While we still enjoy the food on Celebrity, we often say that we would rather they charge more for the cruise and go back to the quality of previous years.

 

Like :)

[Spf12]

I have been on more than 30 cruises with various cruise lines. I cannot say that I have ever had bad service on a cruise. I think a lot has to do with how you treat the crew We always like to joke around with the waitstaff and they almost always respond. Some service is outstanding but I cannot say that this applies only to Celebrity.

I've been on 38 Celebrity cruises.

[EithneMay]

While we still enjoy the food on Celebrity, we often say that we would rather they charge more for the cruise and go back to the quality of previous years.

 

That is my thought! They need to allow more money in the galley budget!

[Spf12]

That is my thought! They need to allow more money in the galley budget!

I would agree with but to increase cruise fares would cause a competitive disadvantage.Then you have to look at the impact on bookings.It's a catch 22.

[Genman]

I am not concerned about Celebrity letting me starve on my San Diego - Hawaii - San Diego cruies this spring, I actually am looking forward to the new menu. I am sure their top priority is making sure I enjoy my vacation and want to come back, just as we have for the past nine years and dozen cruises. The long term relationship will have ups and downs, but I will not let the availability of some garlic butteres gastropods worry m too much. I am sure I will still find an appetizer or two every evening. I trust that by night 10 I will be tempted to order more than one entree, because the choice between the lamb shank and the diver scallops proves too stressful.

 

I am a happy Captain's Club member, accustomed to cocktails in Michael's Club, unless there are too many of us aboard and we need to gather elsewhere. Michael's Club is nice but I will meet more people in a larger venue, so I try to enjoy whatever I am doing at the time. It would be silly not to, as I have taken precious vacation time to be there.

 

By the way, I have found a way to enjoy the classy cuisine of the MDR without dealing with the jean clad, baseball cap wearing rif raf. Book a suite and eat al fresco with your favorite person in the world. Just the two of you, the man in the moon, and your butler. Dress code tends to be just what you are wearing at dinner time. Make the MDR a place for formal dining and if you end up at the captain's table, just enjoy the episode from beginning to end.

 

Happy trails to you all. I will be back in early May to give you my impressions of the new menu. I suspect with my pants a bit tighter for the research.

[can'tcatchup]

While I always say the topic of food is very subjective, I'm totally looking forward to trying the new menus when we sail on Eclipse, next month

 

I am too, when I sail in May on the Millennium!

[Bridge Maven]

Based on posts I have read on cruise critic - It appears that when the ambiance is nicer than the restaurants they go to at home, and the service is better than what they typically experience on land, most passengers don't care if the food is just OK. In addition, whenever the subject comes up on cruise critic, most Celebrity passengers would rather have food that is just OK than pay a higher cruise fare for better food in the main dining room. So can you really blame Celebrity for cutting corners in this area so they can keep their cruise fares competitive, and often lower, than other mass market cruise lines (rhetoric question).

 

Since food is subjective, though, what is OK to one passenger may be either very good or barely edible to someone else.

[wendy_woo]

Oh man is my brother going to be mad. He has escargot every night when we cruise Celebrity even got Princess to serve him it daily by telling the head waiter he was always able to get it on Celebrity:). We leave in two weeks I'm not telling him!

 

We just got back from the Summit sailing in the Carribean (landed 25th Feb) and I had escargot's twice in the MDR off the side menu (and the French Onion Soup, marvellous!) so surprised its off the menu now, it was our first cruise and we loved all of it!

[Vol fan]

Returned from the Solstice on March 11. The food in the MDR was excellent as usual, just a little different from our last cruise on her in September.

 

There were no cold soups and there was no escargot, but this did not bother us as we don't usually have either.

 

Stuffed mushroom caps replaced escargot on the left side menu and my husband tried them twice and loved them. There were two hot soups each evening in addition to the French onion soup on the left side menu.

 

The service was excellent. The breads were wonderful as always.

We sat with couples in Select Dining twice who had ordered special meals the night before and they were remembered by the wait staff as soon as they were seated were served promptly and correctly. I assume they had asked for the same table as they had sat at the previous night.

 

The entrees varied and whatever was chosen was delicious.

 

No complaints on the new menus from this cruiser.

Carole

[dmwnc1959]

Anyone else with updated input on how the new menus are working out for them?

[monkeyinhat]

Just got back from EQX today. 3-16

 

I eat no meat, hubs eats no veggies :) and agree food is subjective

imho, they are pushing the specialites restuarants to an annoying degree. I feel this is a reason for cutting menu , to get more biz in there.

 

no escargot, was the mushroom caps, no caprese salad but on regular menu one night the same for lobster bisque (oddly enough on lobster night)

The chilled soups were only of the celery etc variety no fruit soups, hubs shed a litttle tear over no strawberry soup. He enjoyed the turkey parmagiana and I had it without turkey. was told a couple times NO as far as leaving the meat off, so I gave the meat to hubs ate the rest. He enjoyed the last night Chicken , it was rolled with proscutto and mozzerella. his steak was so cold a couple times the garlic butter didnt melt on top . The waiter said, hmm.

 

I do not think the MDR could have survived without goat cheese and mushrooms. These were major ingredients.

 

I do not remember this from my previous Celebrity cruise, but 3 of the desserts I had, the crust were made from Rice Krispies. seriously, I discected them and they were there , not even crushed. One dessert was the Macademia cake with a vanilla mousse, I saw no nuts but did rice Krispies, another was a choclate decadent dessert. The Grand Marnier souffle was left off the menu but served and was the best dessert I had . yummie. creme brulee was a disappointment, runny both times

 

No matter what the quality, menu or how long it takes to complete a MDR meal, I sure am going to miss having it served to me every night !

[starlake]

DH and I were on the same cruise as Vol fan and I can say I was really dissapointed in the evening meals. My husband was really looking forward to the escargot, there was none. Our table mates were looking forward to the chilled soup, only on the menu once. The onion soup was extremely sweet for some reason and I love onion soup.

I really had a hard time finding something I enjoyed for dinner and I just ended up having sorbet or ice cream most nights for dessert. I asked for just pasta and marinara sauce one night and it had to go through 3 different channels to get it, even thought there was a pasta with marinara sauce with steak on the menu.:confused:

I really looked forward to the dinner menu on my other Celebrity cruises, this one was not the highlight of the trip.