Aqua spa cafe

[Northern Aurora]

I also want to thank Celebrity for the explanation. Now if we could just add some additional seating in the Aqua Spa Cafe on the S-class ships ........

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Hi all,

 

We wanted to give a little clarification on a few changes at the Aqua Spa Cafe.

 

On April 6 onboard Reflection, we began our fleetwide rollout of our partnership with SPE Certified. SPE Certified is a unique certification program that defines a new way to eat by enhancing the nutritional quality of meals, without compromising taste. In addition to including SPE-certified items in our main restaurant for both lunch and dinner (available within each course), we also at that time fully converted our AquaSpa Cafe menu to be 100% SPE Certified. In doing so, our entire AquaSpa Cafe menu completely changed, and the aforementioned grilled meats were eliminated in favor of many other more interesting types of dishes.

 

While the grilled meats, however, can still be found in the Oceanview Cafe, we do still offer a variety of different proteins on our menu.

 

Please note that at this point, the new SPE Certified menus have only been rolled out onboard Reflection, Solstice, Summit and Century. Silhouette will launch June 26, Infinity on July 5, Constellation on July 19, Eclipse on August 3 and Millennium on August 23. Until those dates the previous AquaSpa Cafe menu will still be in place.

 

We have included two different menus, which include breakfast and lunch. Although we have a 7-night menu rotation, there are 3 different example menus for each meal included.

 

Hope this helps!

 

This sounds like a great place to avoid on our future cruises.

 

Mary Lou

[Karin&Isaac]

Thanks Celebrity! We look forward to trying the new menu. I agree with the previous poster who said the Aqua Spa Cafe needs more seating.

[SusieV]

That looks interesting. I look forward to trying a few of these dishes on our next cruise.

[Lois R]

The S class ships have never had enough seating in the Aqua Spa

Cafe area. From the first ship to the most recent one......They could

have taken a page from the M class...there are tables and chairs

both portside and starboard.

As lovely as the S class are? In my opinion, seating is SERIOUSLY

lacking:rolleyes:....I can count in my mind.....I don't think there are more

than 6 tables in the Aqua Spa Cafe area.

[NorthCarolinaBelle]

The new menus look wonderful! I will miss the checkerboard watermelon/feta cheese salad, though :(

[SSFrance69]

There were always a few interesting things on the "menu" on display for the taking. Nothing more interesting has been added. A cooked piece of fish sitting on the buffet does not make up for a cooked-to-order piece.

 

"and the aforementioned grilled meats were eliminated in favor of many other more interesting types of dishes"

 

These have been replaced by pay for items. I'm sorry...I'm not one to normally complain but it seems that these items have been replaced with ones that are for revenue. c'mon X. Read all the messages on these boards. I think most of us would rather pay 5. for a fresh piece of salmon that has been cooked-to-order rather than a smoothie! Stop taking things away! At least give us an opportunity to pay for it rather than see it go away.

[raineyo]

The Aqua Spa Café was a jewel in the Nile just the way it was. I cannot understand how you can take a very clean and healthy item like broiled salmon or poached tuna and trade it in for something with sodium filled miso? Is that the healthier option? The key to Aqua was "made to order"

 

We don't need the fluff of a "certified" food. Just give us what we love! Give us what made us love Celebrity in the first place. Word of mouth will sell the Aqua Spa Café better then any seal of approval from some company selling you a "certified" sticker to show off on your new selling campaign.

 

Smoothies with soy milk? Almond milk? Coconut milk? No other option? How many people do you know that have soy or almond milk in their smoothies? Have you tasted Spirulina?

 

A family member of mine was on a Celebrity ship the beginning of June and they would not sub any of the ingredients in the drinks. Nor would they give her a small dish of fresh fruit. She was told it was for the smoothies and she should go to the buffet for fruit. I don't understand that.

 

This may sound crazy to some people but one of the reasons I pick Celebrity is the Aqua Spa Café. Grilled Salmon, mini muffins, jams, yogurt salads including watermelon feta. Smoothies regular smoothies made fresh. Fruit, yogurt, crushed ice,

I am not a buffet fan and this is one of the reasons I returned to Celebrity instead of another line.

 

"If it ain't broke don't fix it"

[crimsonbird]

The S class ships have never had enough seating in the Aqua Spa

Cafe area. From the first ship to the most recent one......They could

have taken a page from the M class...there are tables and chairs

both portside and starboard.

As lovely as the S class are? In my opinion, seating is SERIOUSLY

lacking:rolleyes:....I can count in my mind.....I don't think there are more

than 6 tables in the Aqua Spa Cafe area.

 

We were on the Reflection a few weeks ago....and the lack of seating at the Aqua Spa Cafe is terrible. Just a few tables - perhaps 6 or 7. The menu was really poor - potato salad in cocktail glasses....tiny portions of tuna and chicken salad....watery soup. Considering the seating and the food selection, the Aqua Spa Cafe is not worth the time or trouble. Most of the spa area is taken up by chairs packed one right next to the other. In addition, there is a strong chlorine odor from the pool....very unappetizing. We've sailed with Celebrity about 30 times, and this was a disappointment. What was a lovely area of the ship has been, for us, an area to be avoided.

[worldtrekker]

Are these juices/smoothies covered by the premium drink package?

 

Cheers

 

 

Alyssa

[Bobby Dee]

Dear Celebrity,

Even though the people don't want the new menu, you are going to roll it out on the other ships? I'm on Equinox in December, and hopefully you will manage to avoid the changes, but I doubt it.

Since April, people have been asking you to reinsert the grilled meats, which I found were NOT available in the Oceanview cafe on the Reflection when I was on board, but you are insisting that because they are not listed on the SPE certified menu, you are no longer going to offer them to the passengers.

I would suggest, but I have no expectation that you will listen, that if you want to remove these items from Aqua Spa Cafe for a special certification, then continue to serve these popular dishes somewhere else. There could be a station in the buffet where they are available. At the time I was on board, there was broiled whitefish available, but no grilled salmon or tuna. I'd also suggest that you educate your staff on board, because they had no idea what was going on. Only that they were told that there was a new menu and the grilled meats were no longer available.

[phyllisrf]

Aqua Spa Cafe was, for us, a highlight of our Celebrity experience (as well as Elite Cocktail Hour). I see it as another cost cutting scheme (surely a piece of grilled salmon or tuna costs more than a mixed tuna or chicken salad)

 

Disappointing. May need to look at another cruise line (HAL ?)

[Chooz2Cruz]

I, too, am extremely upset about this change! I never step foot into the buffet, except for sushi. We always had our lunch/brunch at the Aqua, with the grilled salmon or tuna as our main course, every day!. I do not care for any of the unhealthful dishes in the buffet. This is a real game-changer for me. The main reason we sail celebrity is the food, and Aqua cafe being the first stop once onboard. We had upgraded to Aqua class the last cruise, so we could eat the more-healthful menu of Blu. Now if Aqua cafe is downgrading, I don't know if Celebrity will be getting our business in the future.

[ghstudio]

Dear Celebrity,

Even though the people don't want the new menu, you are going to roll it out on the other ships? I'm on Equinox in December, and hopefully you will manage to avoid the changes, but I doubt it.

Since April, people have been asking you to reinsert the grilled meats, which I found were NOT available in the Oceanview cafe on the Reflection when I was on board, but you are insisting that because they are not listed on the SPE certified menu, you are no longer going to offer them to the passengers.

I would suggest, but I have no expectation that you will listen, that if you want to remove these items from Aqua Spa Cafe for a special certification, then continue to serve these popular dishes somewhere else. There could be a station in the buffet where they are available. At the time I was on board, there was broiled whitefish available, but no grilled salmon or tuna. I'd also suggest that you educate your staff on board, because they had no idea what was going on. Only that they were told that there was a new menu and the grilled meats were no longer available.

 

If I read the SPE site correctly, only 10% of the dishes on the menu have to be SPE certified to use their name. That's why I asked how much of the menu was SPE certified...and I got no answer. I too am disappointed in removing healthy grilled items under the guise of becoming SPE certified, but if the entire new menu is SPE, then I'd probably feel differently. I just don't know.

[anandaindonesia]

AquaSpa Cafe is our favorite breakfast place. Now the new menu looks even more inviting!

We will miss the made to order omelette, though ...

 

When we were on the Solstice last month, we couldn't have lunch there as there was no vegetarian entree. We are happy that the new menu will have vegetarian item, and even better, as there are different menu variations.

 

Good move, X !

[curtdesilets]

"Salmon" gone, "park west" back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't get it.

 

New Celebrity CEO wants to make it uber profittable and is taking the example of Carnival Corporation who has destroyed both Holland America and Princess by cost cutting to the bear bones. :mad:

 

His take: "You want Salmon grilled to order...then pay $40 and go to the specialty restaurant"

[ghstudio]

New Celebrity CEO wants to make it uber profittable and is taking the example of Carnival Corporation who has destroyed both Holland America and Princess by cost cutting to the bear bones. :mad:

 

The cruise industry is highly competitive so celebrity is trying to find the minimum cost way to maximize profits. This type of trimming will continue unless they can increase fares...but then there's that competition.

 

This is what's causing us to start to book on Oceania rather than remain loyal to Celebrity, as we've been for the past six years or so. We are now only booking on Celebrity when we are with friends who prefer the lower cost of the mass market lines.

[miched]

We love the Aqua Spa Cafe and have always had lunch there. Also disappointed with the new direction. I guess it is like the CD told me about not having a live house band on the Constellation. They only have so much money in the budget and they are trying to get the best bang for the buck.

 

In reality if you look at the location, and the amount of passengers that it serves or don't serve now it would probably be better if they just closed it and used the area for the "very popular" :rolleyes: Gelatto bar, but still include the smoothies and yogurt, don't want to miss out on a revenue opportunity. :D

 

 

.

[SusieV]

Actually, I'm wondering whether the yogurt sundaes will be covered under the Premium package, or does it count as a food item?

 

I assume the smoothies and juices will still be covered.

[miched]

Actually, I'm wondering whether the yogurt sundaes will be covered under the Premium package, or does it count as a food item?

 

I assume the smoothies and juices will still be covered.

 

I doubt that the yogurt is covered under a drink package. It would be the same as the Gellato.

 

 

.

[SusieV]

I doubt that the yogurt is covered under a drink package. It would be the same as the Gellato.

 

 

.

 

Maybe someone who is onboard can check, then? $5 seems awfully steep for some yogurt given the gelato is $3 and you can get a whole meal at the Bistro for $5. I'd be interested in trying it but not at that price.

[jenniebnyc]

Not sure why the poached or grilled fish or chicken (MADE TO ORDER) would not fit SPE standards? It is a "clean" meal. This meal is the only one that I get HOT AND FRESH (AND "CLEAN") on my entire trip each day. Tuna or salmon with double veggies WAS my everyday lunch meal. We booked Reflection for January 2014 bc we had a nightmare of a trip on Summit last year. Not sure if it's even worth it now. Which line can I cruise and not get this continual nonsense? Oceania? Thanks

[Lois R]

Not sure why the poached or grilled fish or chicken (MADE TO ORDER) would not fit SPE standards? It is a "clean" meal. This meal is the only one that I get HOT AND FRESH (AND "CLEAN") on my entire trip each day. Tuna or salmon with double veggies WAS my everyday lunch meal. We booked Reflection for January 2014 bc we had a nightmare of a trip on Summit last year. Not sure if it's even worth it now. Which line can I cruise and not get this continual nonsense? Oceania? Thanks

 

Oceania is high end yes...but if you want total luxury, try Seabourn,

Crystal, Silverseas, Regent.....those are 6 star cruiselines.

 

I recall your review...I am sure the food on those lines would be

more pleasing to your pallet.

[SSFrance69]

All I know is we have a Summit cruise booked for August, which I'm really looking forward to. If Celebrity does not rethink this major mistake, I will rethink keeping the booking I have with them for next Spring. I don't mind if I need to skip a year of cruising and save more money for a cruise line like Oceania. I keep reading about their wonderful food. Long gone are the days of M. Roux...I can live with that. However, how much can a piece of fish and a couple minutes of staff's time to cook it really affect the bottom line drastically? It certainly will affect the bottom line if it turns loyal patrons away.

[Despegue]

I must concur that in my personal opinion, The Celebrity Culinary Team at the Headoffice in Miami have completely lost the plot.

 

Who the hell gives a damn wether something is "SPE certified" :eek: I rather eat something not " certified" by some dubious organisation.

How much money is wasted by Celebrity sponsering this SPE joke... Money that would be far better spent on offering passengers a food experience that is better than the competition.

 

You do not need to have SPE approval to offer a better selection of vegetables in the MDR. ( what is it with their fixation to Brocoli?! ) and more adventurous fish and meat preparations and cuts.

 

Start offering local produce Celebrity! for God sake! we do not want your American "SPE" but healthy FRESH and locally sourced specialities depending on the ship's itinerary!