The "new" Celebrity Secrets thread

[msweebee]

I believe it used to be $5, but that has now been eliminated by all reports.

 

Was still $5/pp Feb 22, 2013 on Silhouette in Celebrity Suite. Butler did secure the exact time we requested.

[murph219ca]

Can suite guests who manage to secure space in Blu bring guests? We're traveling with non-suite guests but we like to eat together in the evenings. And in that vein, is Blu one of the restaurants once can order from through in-room dining? We're sailing in an RS on Silhouette, if that makes any difference.

 

Thanks -.and sorry if questions are not appropriate for this secrets thread. Not quite sure of the protocol yet!

[jomf]

Can suite guests who manage to secure space in Blu bring guests? We're traveling with non-suite guests but we like to eat together in the evenings. And in that vein, is Blu one of the restaurants once can order from through in-room dining? We're sailing in an RS on Silhouette, if that makes any difference.

 

Thanks -.and sorry if questions are not appropriate for this secrets thread. Not quite sure of the protocol yet!

 

 

Sorry but the non suite guests cannot eat in Blu unless they are Aqua class.

You can eat together in the MDR.

[chamima]

Can suite guests who manage to secure space in Blu bring guests? We're traveling with non-suite guests but we like to eat together in the evenings. And in that vein, is Blu one of the restaurants once can order from through in-room dining? We're sailing in an RS on Silhouette, if that makes any difference.

 

Thanks -.and sorry if questions are not appropriate for this secrets thread. Not quite sure of the protocol yet!

 

Sorry but the non suite guests cannot eat in Blu unless they are Aqua class.

You can eat together in the MDR.

 

 

 

And....

All room service comes from the Main Dining Room, not Blu.

[Lois R]

Can suite guests who manage to secure space in Blu bring guests? We're traveling with non-suite guests but we like to eat together in the evenings. And in that vein, is Blu one of the restaurants once can order from through in-room dining? We're sailing in an RS on Silhouette, if that makes any difference.

 

Thanks -.and sorry if questions are not appropriate for this secrets thread. Not quite sure of the protocol yet!

 

Hi,:) your friends would not be able to join you in Blu.

You would have to join them in one of the other venues....the main

dining room, Bistro on 5, or one of the other Specialty Restaurants.

Being in the Royal Suite? You can dine there if you want with your

friends as well. Plenty of room, I am sure;) You may order off the

Main Dining room menu for dinner..

[ghstudio]

Was still $5/pp Feb 22, 2013 on Silhouette in Celebrity Suite. Butler did secure the exact time we requested.

 

Once again, the only thing that is consistent on Celebrity is their inconsistency.

 

You may have been the only suite person this year who was charged for dining in Blu. According to all reports here, that charge is no longer applied. Additionally, unless you were a party of six or more, Blu does not take reservations. Something is wrong here....

[murph219ca]

Thanks for the clarification everyone. Somewhere I got the notion you could order in-suite from the specialty restaurants too - maybe I'm getting my cruise lines mixed up!

[rupertfrog]

Just back from my first Celebrity cruise on the Summit ... and some things that I noticed & really feel they did not do as well as RCCL (& I was under the impression this was a "step up" from RCCL based on people's reports about "luxury") ...

1) the MDR menu was not as good in variety; The meals served were VERY inconsistent. Service was also slow ... noticeably "short-staffed" with waiters/asst. waiters "jumping" table to table and not being personable with the guests (as I'm used to on RCCL). EVERY night we had to ask for a soda & present our SeaPass with the soda package marked in the MDR (on RCCL once we do that the first time ... we have never been asked for the card again & usually a soda is delivered upon our sitting down at the table).

2) The "Emporium" .... I didn't get the roped off tables of products with signs "# of days till". On more than one occasion I saw cruisers attempt to purchase an item & be told "No. That's not for sale for #days yet"; and I had seen handbags & pashminas for sale ... I returned one dinnertime to get a pashmina as it was breezy outside & my dress was sleeveless - unable to find them & a clerk asking if she could assist me. I asked where I'd find the pashminas I couldn't recall the location ... her reply "they were sold on Sunday." I asked were they all gone - "no they were sold on Sunday & will be sold next Sunday" .... No matter how I asked the answer was Celebrity apparantly only sells them on Sundays.

I must say I'm shocked they have products on the ship - people looking to spend money on them & they will NOT sell them if you didn't ask on the day Celebrity deems them for sale ... Mind you I didn't see anything saying "items are only for sale once during a 7-day cruise" ... VERY STRANGE system if you ask me!

3. Photo Gallery - I went to check for our photos from the dining room, bars/lounges, events/ formals .... I was not able to find many. I did try to place them together so I'd be able to check them when I was ready to purchase them ... SILLY ME! They were moved, dispursed or discarded .... AND many were never found. I & several others asked on Friday (last day of the cruise) where the "formal night" photos were ... "They aren't all out yet" ... this was after dinner on Friday night & all purchases had to be made by Friday night .... What was the wait? When would they be available? Why take them if they aren't going to be available to purchase?

I don't really expect fellow cruisers to answer ... but do know Celebrity monitors these threads & hope they will take note of these issues so they may be corrected for others!

[dread_pirate]

Once again, the only thing that is consistent on Celebrity is their inconsistency.

 

You may have been the only suite person this year who was charged for dining in Blu. According to all reports here, that charge is no longer applied. Additionally, unless you were a party of six or more, Blu does not take reservations. Something is wrong here....

So if I'm Aqua class (not a suite, just a spa cabin), I can eat in Blu without a surcharge, correct? And I'm guaranteed a spot? Can someone explain how Blu is different than the other dining venues, other than its exclusivity?

[Lois R]

So if I'm Aqua class (not a suite, just a spa cabin), I can eat in Blu without a surcharge, correct? And I'm guaranteed a spot? Can someone explain how Blu is different than the other dining venues, other than its exclusivity?

 

Yes, Blu is "Your Dining Room" and you can eat there every night without

an extra charge. It is part of the price you are paying for having an

Aqua Class cabin.

Yes, you are guaranteed a spot. How is it different?.....they have their

own galley and the menu is different than any other restaurant.

[flames9]

So if I'm Aqua class (not a suite, just a spa cabin), I can eat in Blu without a surcharge, correct? And I'm guaranteed a spot? Can someone explain how Blu is different than the other dining venues, other than its exclusivity?

 

Yes as plain old Aqua class--U get BLU!! Simple as that! many say BLU is like a Specialty rest. I have yet to eat at BLU (or sail Celebrity) but many say it is much more intimate and the food is a step up! Some get the idea it is "healthy food" but many say no its not,lol Just a step up from the MDR.

[dread_pirate]

Yes, Blu is "Your Dining Room" and you can eat there every night without

an extra charge. It is part of the price you are paying for having an

Aqua Class cabin.

Yes, you are guaranteed a spot. How is it different?.....they have their

own galley and the menu is different than any other restaurant.

Thanks! I actually found a cruise on which the Aqua class was cheaper than a Veranda, so I figured, what the heck?

 

Yes as plain old Aqua class--U get BLU!! Simple as that! many say BLU is like a Specialty rest. I have yet to eat at BLU (or sail Celebrity) but many say it is much more intimate and the food is a step up! Some get the idea it is "healthy food" but many say no its not,lol Just a step up from the MDR.

Thanks to you too!

[roothy123]

This discussion is making me laugh, as there were SO many times when I was near Blu and saw people peering in there, wondering what it was and whether they could eat there. I am one of those people who researches a lot before I get on a ship (or get off at a port) and I was surprised that so many people had no idea what Blu was.

 

Anyway, I was on the same cruise as rupertfrog, who wrote her impressions a few posts above, and while I have never cruised on Celebrity OR RCCL, I have to agree that the dining room service, and especially the food, was a little disappointing. The first night we ate in the main dining room, the service was great (Walter), and the food was fairly good. My husband revised his thoughts about getting dressed up for a sit down dinner (although you really don't have to dress up that much) and we looked forward to our next night there. On later nights, however, the service was a little slower and the food very inconsistent. It seemed like there were too few chefs to cook the main dishes, and lots of food was coming out overcooked and flavorless. For example, my trout was dry but the veggies and sauce were great. The salmon was dry, too, and the veal cordon blue (chef's pick that night) tasted like a thin breaded cutlet that came from a box. However, my husband got a great sirloin steak. Overall, we liked Celebrity, and it is less expensive than the cruise line we've used mostly in the past, but I agree with rupertfrog that there were some annoying features - though nothing that would keep me from cruising with Celebrity again IF the food had been better. Of course, we were in Select Dining, and dined during peak dinner hours, so perhaps that made a difference.

 

On the plus side, we did notice that there was a line in the dining section of the booklet in the stateroom that said that during dining room hours you could order from the main dining room menu to have food delivered to your stateroom. It is possible that this is a feature on the ninth (concierge) deck on Summit only, but if so, we weren't aware of that. There was one night that we were too tired to move, and decided to give this a try. Our stateroom attendant (who was great) had to read what we found in the book, but once he did, he went off to get a menu from the dining room, came back to get our order, and then got us our food. Of course, it was not all that hot when it arrived, but we didn't mind, as at least we didn't have to drag our tired selves anywhere to eat, and we did not have to eat only a sandwich for dinner. So that is my "secret" for this thread - if you're tired and want more than what's on the regular room service menu (which is light on dinner and heavy on sandwiches), ask your cabin attendant if he/she can bring you something from the main dining room.

[mandream]

On the plus side, we did notice that there was a line in the dining section of the booklet in the stateroom that said that during dining room hours you could order from the main dining room menu to have food delivered to your stateroom. It is possible that this is a feature on the ninth (concierge) deck on Summit only, but if so, we weren't aware of that. There was one night that we were too tired to move, and decided to give this a try. Our stateroom attendant (who was great) had to read what we found in the book, but once he did, he went off to get a menu from the dining room, came back to get our order, and then got us our food. Of course, it was not all that hot when it arrived, but we didn't mind, as at least we didn't have to drag our tired selves anywhere to eat, and we did not have to eat only a sandwich for dinner. So that is my "secret" for this thread - if you're tired and want more than what's on the regular room service menu (which is light on dinner and heavy on sandwiches), ask your cabin attendant if he/she can bring you something from the main dining room.

 

You can order off the MDR menu in the evenings by calling Room Service. You will have a much better chance of having your food arrive hot that way rather than by having your cabin attendant go get it. This is available in all cabin types. If you are in a suite, you could ask your butler to bring it.

 

Mike

[roothy123]

You can order off the MDR menu in the evenings by calling Room Service. You will have a much better chance of having your food arrive hot that way rather than by having your cabin attendant go get it. This is available in all cabin types. If you are in a suite, you could ask your butler to bring it.

 

Mike

 

Thanks. That wasn't too clear, as the booklet said to ask your cabin attendant for a menu, and when we did, he said he would go get the food. Therefore, we didn't think anything of it when he went off to get the food himself - although I thought it was a bit strange that he had to cart the heavy stuff himself!! We tipped him well, though, so I suppose it was worth it to him.

[JaneStarr]

Thanks for the clarification everyone. Somewhere I got the notion you could order in-suite from the specialty restaurants too - maybe I'm getting my cruise lines mixed up!

 

I don't think you're mistaken. We were in the RS on Silhouette last summer. I'm pretty sure we were told we could order from any open restaurant -- including the specialty restaurants for ensuite dining. Not sure if this included Blu, but it wouldn't surprise me. (There would be the usual charge for the specialty restaurant.) I'll look through my notes and see if I can find anything in writing about this later.

 

We only ordered dinner once for 4 of us from our butler. Unfortunately, he must've been having an "off" cruise. He just dumped all the courses on our sideboard instead of serving them course by course. We were disappointed because others had shared a much better experience. We ate fast so that the icream wouldn't melt. Certainly didn't *ruin* our cruise, but it was a disappointment.

Jane

[Putzer5]

Just a warning on changing cabins on b2b. The room stewards might not be able to have trolleys avaiable for moving you. On our Australia b2b on Century 2012 we had 400 b2b. Those that had to change cabins had to pack their suitcases, which were then tagged with the new cabin number and were moved on disembark/embarkation day. As with all cruising there are always exceptions to the general rule. Just part of the adventure.:rolleyes:

 

Don

 

Don,

I was on the same cruise... what a pain! They were also checking to see who had bought liquor and were not delivering it to the room, for the B2B cruisers.

The cashier at the liquor shop showed me the list that he was keeping.

[murph219ca]

I don't think you're mistaken. We were in the RS on Silhouette last summer. ...

Jane

 

Thanks Jane. Do you have any more insider scoop on what I should know about getting full value from the RS? We can do it by pm if you'd rather not clutter up the thread. I imagine you were on an Adriatic/Med itinerary as we will be. And I'd love to know if you felt the splurge 'worth it' on such a port intensive cruise. I'm convinced; DH not so much. But it's my call, lol. You can find me at lisam219 at gmail dot com, if inclined to exchange impressions.

[Putzer5]

Anybody know how to get regular munchies on a cruise: Peanuts, corn chips& guacamole. etc.

 

We ordered Taco chips and guacamole during the last cruise. Youwould have thought that we asked for the moon. We Finlay got some guacamole that was great. but they brought us some toasted Taco shells. The next night we asked for peanuts, they didn't have any. We like to have munchies with beer, at night. Maybe we wil have to bring our own, next cruise.

[lunyma]

I just booked my first Celebrity cruise, and have been through 13 pages of this 46 page thread. My eyes are going batty, so I'm gonna take a break and come back tomorrow. Thanks to all of you for your hints and tips. I do have a couple questions... We're going on Constellation on 12/14. Just 5 nights, but better than nothing. Question number 1 is... Can I get hot sake with my sushi when they open the sushi bar? Can I get it anywhere on the ship?

Question number 2 is... I forgot... too tired... OH! Just remembered. Do you think I'd be able to get the foie gras from the Ocean Liner restaurant, in the main dining room???

Any tips at all for the 5 night Constellation cruise would be greatly appreciated! TIA !

Luny :)

[Lois R]

I just booked my first Celebrity cruise, and have been through 13 pages of this 46 page thread. My eyes are going batty, so I'm gonna take a break and come back tomorrow. Thanks to all of you for your hints and tips. I do have a couple questions... We're going on Constellation on 12/14. Just 5 nights, but better than nothing. Question number 1 is... Can I get hot sake with my sushi when they open the sushi bar? Can I get it anywhere on the ship?

Question number 2 is... I forgot... too tired... OH! Just remembered. Do you think I'd be able to get the foie gras from the Ocean Liner restaurant, in the main dining room???

Any tips at all for the 5 night Constellation cruise would be greatly appreciated! TIA !

Luny :)

 

Maybe in Oceanliners, if it is still offered. It has never been served

in the main dining room.

[lunyma]

Maybe in Oceanliners, if it is still offered. It has never been served

in the main dining room.

 

It is on the latest menu I could find for Ocean Liners, as an appetizer, but not sure if we'll be eating there or not. On other ships/lines that I've been on, I've been able to get *something* that was only offered in a specialty restaurant if I smiled nicely and asked the MDR maitre' de.

[Lois R]

It is on the latest menu I could find for Ocean Liners, as an appetizer, but not sure if we'll be eating there or not. On other ships/lines that I've been on, I've been able to get *something* that was only offered in a specialty restaurant if I smiled nicely and asked the MDR maitre' de.

 

I was just letting you know it has never been served in the

main dining room. (that is from my experience in 10 years of

cruising with Celebrity). You can always ask for things and they

are usually quite accomdating but I am not even sure they are

serving it in any of the Specialty Restuarants anymore but yes

it was served as an appetizer. You will have to find out after

boarding the ship:)

[2SeaAll]

I just booked my first Celebrity cruise, and have been through 13 pages of this 46 page thread. My eyes are going batty, so I'm gonna take a break and come back tomorrow. Thanks to all of you for your hints and tips. I do have a couple questions... We're going on Constellation on 12/14. Just 5 nights, but better than nothing. Question number 1 is... Can I get hot sake with my sushi when they open the sushi bar? Can I get it anywhere on the ship?

Question number 2 is... I forgot... too tired... OH! Just remembered. Do you think I'd be able to get the foie gras from the Ocean Liner restaurant, in the main dining room???

Any tips at all for the 5 night Constellation cruise would be greatly appreciated! TIA !

Luny :)

 

You won't get foie gras in ANY Celebrity dining room. Maitre'd in Murano told us on Reflection cruise that RCL/Celebrity corporate made a decision to stop serving for animal ethics reasons.

[lunyma]

You won't get foie gras in ANY Celebrity dining room. Maitre'd in Murano told us on Reflection cruise that RCL/Celebrity corporate made a decision to stop serving for animal ethics reasons.

 

Geez... They tried banning it in Chicago, and that didn't work. I recently heard of another big city banning it too, but too many chefs and foodies are already trying to reverse the ban like they did here.