Rare mahdnc Posted January 30, 2014 #51 Share Posted January 30, 2014 This made me chuckle--I haven't checked lately, but for some years after the advent of S Class ships, the picture of the FV on the website was from an M Class ship--and they are totally and completely different--the S Class FV is 575 square feet with two separate bedrooms, a huge living/dining room, etc. So I would not be at all surprised if the food pics were a bit. . .antique! FV photos on the Celebrity website when M class first came out were also wrong. Same went for FO cabins when C class came out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjaak Posted January 30, 2014 #52 Share Posted January 30, 2014 So now, we visited the restaurants every cruise over the years and yes, we are tired of that experience too. We cruise many times during a year, so it gets old. I don't fault the cruise line. On our last cruise, we didn't even bother going to the dinner speciality restaurants. It was not because the food had declined, I think the allure of the speciality restaurant is gone for us. We are also frequent visitors of the specialty restaurants, but we're still not tired of the whole experience. We love the ambiance and the special treatment, which we don't think is "over the top". But ... we do think the menu gets boring. Last year in January we spend 14 days on Millie and again in October 12 days on Connie, by then we knew the menu by heart. We have no comments on quality, we liked almost everything. On Millie we were able to order of the menu, I was in heaven when they did bring me my Lobster Thermidor :D (it was a pity I could not order Sabayon because they did not have the right equipment to prepare :eek::confused: ). I would love them to change the menu more often or perhaps have different menus on all ships, that way we only sometimes would have to choose another ship. But at this point, we are looking at other cruiselines to get some variation on the menu. BTW The presentation of my turbot was beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkjretired Posted January 30, 2014 #53 Share Posted January 30, 2014 I find the prices now to be more than just a surcharge, we usually go once a cruise. Also, you must throw into the equation how many people eat in specialties to avoid the formal dress code. Based on this board there are a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fouremco Posted January 30, 2014 #54 Share Posted January 30, 2014 I find the prices now to be more than just a surcharge, we usually go once a cruise. Also, you must throw into the equation how many people eat in specialties to avoid the formal dress code. Based on this board there are a lot. I imagine that Celebrity finds itself conflicted: do they soften the formal dress code because people are staying away in droves, or do they maintain it to keep the lucrative specialty restaurants full on formal nights? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkjretired Posted January 30, 2014 #55 Share Posted January 30, 2014 I imagine that Celebrity finds itself conflicted: do they soften the formal dress code because people are staying away in droves, or do they maintain it to keep the lucrative specialty restaurants full on formal nights? I have said for awhile that I believe they haven't changed to smart casual every night for everyone because it would cost them revenue. I don' want to turn this into a dress code thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fouremco Posted January 30, 2014 #56 Share Posted January 30, 2014 I have said for awhile that I believe they haven't changed to smart casual every night for everyone because it would cost them revenue. I don' want to turn this into a dress code thread. I agree totally, let's keep this to a discussion on specialty restaurants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinyork Posted January 30, 2014 #57 Share Posted January 30, 2014 We are also frequent visitors of the specialty restaurants, but we're still not tired of the whole experience. We love the ambiance and the special treatment, which we don't think is "over the top". But ... we do think the menu gets boring. Last year in January we spend 14 days on Millie and again in October 12 days on Connie, by then we knew the menu by heart. We have no comments on quality, we liked almost everything. On Millie we were able to order of the menu, I was in heaven when they did bring me my Lobster Thermidor :D (it was a pity I could not order Sabayon because they did not have the right equipment to prepare :eek::confused: ). I would love them to change the menu more often or perhaps have different menus on all ships, that way we only sometimes would have to choose another ship. But at this point, we are looking at other cruiselines to get some variation on the menu. BTW The presentation of my turbot was beautiful. [ATTACH]300473[/ATTACH] That looks lovely! On P&O they have a Menu A and B for the speciality restaurants which rotate every few days so if you go twice in a cruise you can experience both menus. It also works in their favour since if you enjoy your meal there you are tempted to return to to try the alternate menu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caspmorn Posted January 30, 2014 #58 Share Posted January 30, 2014 In the last 6 months I have eaten 28 times in the Celebrity Specialty restaurants, 14 on Eclipse and 14 on Infinity. I do like the food in the MDR, but I do not like the atmosphere or service as much as the Specialty restaurants. On Eclipse, we found both Tuscan and Murano to have very good food. We were able to order special off menu items at Tuscan (and to a limited extent, at Murano). We didn't find Qsine on Eclipse to be very good with service or food. On Infinity, we found the food in both SS United States (Murano menu) and Qsine to be excellent. We loved the service in both. SS United States made a special (off-menu) meal for my wife almost every night. The also made off-menu meals for me on two occasions, including a lovely indian dish. The staff acknowledged that Celebrity has cost pressure and that the food in Specialty restaurants (and MDR) is not what it was in the past. I believe that this is true due to changing demand, significantly increased cruising capacity and competition. In constant dollars, the cost of a Celibrity cruise is down a lot over the last 15 years, and it is understandable that food quality is not the same. The only way to get the best cruise food is to pay for the ultra premium lines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelmac Posted January 30, 2014 #59 Share Posted January 30, 2014 (edited) We used to really look forward to our visits to all the alternative restaurants, but a combination of menu fatigue and demands of an ever evolving palate, have cooled our expectations. We still make visits, but only after scouting the MDR menu to see if it's a bit weak for the evening, then we rush down and make our reservation. Here is my take on them: (The Mac-O-Meter is up and working) --Bistro on Five -- still a nice alternative to the buffet, worth the $5 8.8 rating --Lawn Grill -- unique place, casual, interactive; poor beef quality (tender, but lacks flavor, so they add three sauces) way, way over-priced at $45 7.9 rating --Murano -- better on the Century compared to the S-class; improving a bit with the elimination of some really lame menu items, like the three medallions filet Wellington (Yuck!). More show, than excellent cuisine. Perhaps $45 is high, but of course Elite Plus gets it for $38. I will still dine here. 9.0 rating --Qsine -- fun, different; basic food items; really difficult for a couple (too much food), you really need a large table to pick and choose items; kind of a one time visit place; little over priced at $45. 8.3 rating --Tuscan -- change of pace; good straight forward menu; nice views; satisfying! Great price at $35 9.3 rating --M-class upscale restaurant (SS United States, Normandie…,) -- When they first opened they were the best alternative restaurants at sea!! Today, not so much, but still very good. A bit more show than upscale cuisine, but a nice change of pace. We don't mind paying the $45. 9.4 rating --Blu -- of course this is the Bright Star for Celebrity's new S-class ships; not really an alternative restaurant, but the Aqua Class main dining room. Nice clean modern cuisine. A bit crowded, but still manages to be calm and quiet; super service! A very nice change of pace, however, we won't pay the big bucks to book these cabins; we wait for a deal. 9.6 rating **Never made a visit to SilkHarvest; not sure why?? Enjoy! Kel:) Edited January 30, 2014 by kelmac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Alsmez Posted January 30, 2014 #60 Share Posted January 30, 2014 I'm not sure why you think they only have 2 courses...You are encouraged to order a first course, entree, dessert, and cheese course...that's 4 courses. In addition, I usually order a soup AND a first course and I have never been told no. I don't eat dessert, so I still have 4 courses. When I looked at the menu on Reflection, there were only two courses listed - starters and mains (I wasn't counting dessert or cheese - many people would have cheese instead of dessert anyway). When we were on Equinox in 2011, they listed a starter course, a soup/salad course and a main (along with cheese and dessert), so three courses as I was counting it. Good to know that they are willing to accommodate a soup plus a first course - that makes it more similar to what it was when we were there last. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spartan Tartan Posted January 30, 2014 #61 Share Posted January 30, 2014 What are the opinions of Silk Harvest Restaurant...very little is mentioned about the Asian themed cuisine? I believe they charge $35.00 per dinner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinosaurdem Posted January 30, 2014 #62 Share Posted January 30, 2014 What are the opinions of Silk Harvest Restaurant...very little is mentioned about the Asian themed cuisine? I believe they charge $35.00 per dinner. On a recent cruise on Equinox, we had two different experiences. On the first night, we ordered favorites, like pad thai and were quite disappointed. The maitre d convinced us to try again with the suggestion that we order what the kitchen thought best, spiced up to proper standards, not the bland versions that they normally serve. Some dishes, such as pad thai, can not be made properly, because ingredients such as dried shrimp are deemed to exotic by corporate. The second night was excellent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cle-guy Posted January 31, 2014 #63 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I'm just off Connie recently. And OP summed up my thoughts perfectly. I enjoy the ambiance of the specialties, but find the menus to already be of the sort where there is something about each dish that I do not care for, so the few dishes I like, are repetitive. I understand they can't have new menus every week and it's all part of it. I'll still use them on occasion when I want a quieter dining experience over MDR, and hope I get lucky to find a special on the menu I will love. But my expectations are not super high, although I do tend to enjoy myself, usually due to the company I am with over anything else. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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