New Suite Class Restaurant begins April 2015 on ALL ships?

[chamima]

Just had an interesting thought.

Celebrity is advertising that the new Suite Class Restaurant will debut on ALL of their ships in April.

Coming April 2015:

Dedicated private restaurant reserved exclusively for all Suite Class guests morning, noon and night

 

I don't understand how they will re-configure dining rooms and add the new suite kitchens to all the ships in the fleet at the same time. :confused:

 

I know a lot of people are really looking forward to this new level of dining but am very curious about the execution.

Is this an empty promise?

[WestLakeGirl]

Since they are just going to section off a part of the MDR, it's doubtful that there would be any new kitchen needed

[cle-guy]

The roll-out schedule is:

• SL 4/3 - in Sydney
  
• CS 4/4 - FLL
  
• RF 4/4 - MIA
  
• SM 4/4 - San Juan
  
• SI 4/5 - FLL
  
• EQ 4/6 - FLL
  
• ML 4/9 - Hong Kong
  
• EC 4/12 - in Dry dock next departure 4/21 MIA for TA to Southampton
  
• IN 4/13 - San Diego
  

 

Only Eclipse is in "dry dock" for this to get done. They likey have used CAD design to prepare all materials needed to quickly install the dining room. Really all that's needed is new carpet some chandeliers, perhaps some walls and new tables and chairs to pull off the dining room. A well-traineid crew can accomplish this on an overnight.

 

I install museum exhibitions for work, and you'd be amazed how quickly one can turn an empty room into something amazing overnight, with the right staff, planning, materials and crew around.

 

To my mind likely the ships will load on all necessary materials, put staff up in cabins, and have the work done over a 3 day period. But these types of changes do not entail dry dock time at all.

 

There was another thread about the X management being on a recent cruise, where all the head chefs were called onto that cruise and were practicing the new suite menu items and doing tastings.

[chamima]

It was actually more the kitchens than the dining rooms I was curious about.

They are promising dedicated chefs and special menus.

I guess they could just section off a part of the main kitchen ......... :confused: :confused:

[cle-guy]

It was actually more the kitchens than the dining rooms I was curious about.

They are promising dedicated chefs and special menus.

I guess they could just section off a part of the main kitchen ......... :confused: :confused:

 

BLU on M class shares main kitchen.

 

Think about a restaurant with 50 menu items.....ticket comes in and a cook prepares it.

 

MDR menu has like 10 items, so they have lots of room to ad preparations. Also, most of the MDR food is done en-masse and just served up. So I imagine they will just add a line cook or 2 to handle the Suite menu, preparing per the recipes they learn.

 

Select dining likely works the same way - which is why I prefer select to arranged seating. Arranged seating meals are just from an operational standpoint going to come out banquet style. Select, if you order an entree around the time assigned seaters are ordering deserts, you are pretty much assured to get a cooked to order dinner.

[Kevnzworld]

BLU on M class shares main kitchen.

 

Think about a restaurant with 50 menu items.....ticket comes in and a cook prepares it.

 

MDR menu has like 10 items, so they have lots of room to ad preparations. Also, most of the MDR food is done en-masse and just served up. So I imagine they will just add a line cook or 2 to handle the Suite menu, preparing per the recipes they learn.

.

 

The difference is that in a REAL premium restaurant they aren't preparing and serving food for 1500 other guests in the same kitchen.

A separate kitchen, with a dedicated staff allows for ala minute cooking, and supervision for preparations that a banquet kitchen staffed with 10's of cooks in the same space doesn't . It takes more than a line cook or two to manage and prepare a menu of appetizers and 5-7 entrees, for the type of food that a REAL higher end premium restaurant would require.

A different menu in a separate dedicated space, isn't a really " new " higher end restaurant.

It's just the same staff cooking different food.

If Celebrity hopes to compete with lines like Seabourn and Oceania it's new restaurant better be really new...not Blu2.

My high hopes are fading fast.....but then again, if the new faux high end restaurant is just a repackaged version of Celebrity standard food fare, the suite prices will begin to return to something closer to the 2013-14 price levels ...

Edited January 3, 2015 by Kevnzworld

[Karynanne]

The difference is that in a REAL premium restaurant they aren't preparing and serving food for 1500 other guests in the same kitchen.

A separate kitchen, with a dedicated staff allows for ala minute cooking, and supervision for preparations that a banquet kitchen staffed with 10's of cooks in the same space doesn't .

A different menu in a separate dedicated space, isn't a really " new " higher end restaurant.

It's just the same staff cooking different food.

If Celebrity hopes to compete with lines like Seabourn and Oceania it's new restaurant better be really new...not Blu2.

My high hopes are fading fast.....but then again, if the new faux high end restaurant is just a repackaged version of Celebrity standard food fare, the suite prices will begin to return to something closer to the 2013-14 price levels ...

 

I'm not going to jump to any conclusions right now. No "high hopes fading" here. Hopefully, those that are staying in Suites will be pleasantly surprised. We're on the 2015 Eastbound Reflection sailing, and the new dining venue will be available for us.

[Presto2]

This just seems to put me off Celebrity and I find the news quite sad.

 

Perhaps its me and we just have to accept that when / if we return to Celebrity things will be very different from 2013.

 

Our last cruise was perfection and I suppose no one likes anyone to tamper with that. :(

[cle-guy]

The way I see it, they prepare 2000 dinners each night. Numbers relatively arbitrarily taken, but for the sake of discussion it's possibly broken down something like

 

200 in buffet

200 in BLU

400 in specialties

400 in Select dining

400 in MDR seating 1

400 in MDR seating 2

 

Now they will be preparing those same 2000 meals:

200 in buffet

200 in BLU

400 in specialties

400 in Select dining

300 in MDR seating 1

300 in MDR seating 2

200 in Suite Dining room

 

So theres capacity no longer needed for the banquet style cooking that can be accommodated by the kitchen staff for suites.

[Kevnzworld]

The way I see it, they prepare 2000 dinners each night. Numbers relatively arbitrarily taken, but for the sake of discussion it's possibly broken down something like

 

200 in buffet

200 in BLU

400 in specialties

400 in Select dining

400 in MDR seating 1

400 in MDR seating 2

 

Now they will be preparing those same 2000 meals:

200 in buffet

200 in BLU

400 in specialties

400 in Select dining

300 in MDR seating 1

300 in MDR seating 2

200 in Suite Dining room

 

So theres capacity no longer needed for the banquet style cooking that can be accommodated by the kitchen staff for suites.

 

I get that. There is extra kitchen capacity.

The issue is that the Celebrity " kitchen staff " as it is, isn't qualified to cook the type of food that a new higher end REAL restaurant would require and what Celebrity is advertising the new restaurant would offer.

Their kitchens " as they are " aren't designed to prepare complex dishes ala minute. I've done the galley tour numerous times. It's a banquet, mass cruise line kitchen.

An upscale single restaurant kitchen is designed differently. It's staffed differently. It's managed differently. It's more than a line cook firing up a steak and throwing some pre cooked vegis and a potato on a plate.

My point is,...this restaurant is being offered as an incitement for the premium cruiseline customer. The suite guests paying $1000 per night. The competing cruiselines in this price category offer a genuine premium high end REAL restaurant dining experience. That's what Celebrity is advertising the new suite restaurant to be yet without a dedicated kitchen and the staff expertise to run it, how can that really be?

Edited January 4, 2015 by Kevnzworld

[cle-guy]

The galley tour is no where in depth enough to understand the full operations of the kitchen. I doubt we see even all cooking spaces, upstairs, downstairs etc. i found it to be a 15 minute walk thru a u shaped hall way. It was interesting on summit to do the Wine paring dinner in Murano, and walk the kitchens starting upstairs, take the escalators down and see those kitchens as well.

 

If the chef's in Murano can prepare that food, they definitely have staff on board "capable' of cooking whatever menu will be in Suite Dining. The training and competencies are likely the same, and there are likely a few "star" chefs in the wings itching to step up.

 

With the 100's of chef's on the ships, certainly they can figure out how to accommodate 44 sky suites and 22 (total 66/162 pax) other suites for dinner nightly, much as they accommodate 130 (260 pax) Aqua cabins in Blue (Eclipse figures). If a kitchen with 2 or 3 or 4 or even 5 chefs can't handle 162 covers over a 4 hour dinner service, there are bigger problems. And never will all 162 PAX take up the dinner service, with RS and PH getting Unlimited specialty dining, and others wanting to dine elsewhere occasionally.

 

Somehow they are accommodating BLU passengers, suite dining is going to be no different, a special menu, cooked as ordered, just like BLU. So they definitely have the capabilities.

 

We also have been told in other threads by some they are already training staff, though we haven't seen menus yet (from observations of the recent cruise where Celebrity management was on board for part of it)

 

True, we know nothing for a fact yet, but I see the Suite dining room to operationally be little different from BLU, other than menu and ingredients on it. Likely very little difference to how Murano operates or any of the specialties.

Edited January 4, 2015 by cle-guy

[KW Cruisers]

We are on the March 16th sailing on the Constellation in a Royal Suite. The Constellation is supposed to have the suite dining room beginning April 4th. I wonder if they might start it a little early to work the "kinks" out?? Doubtful, but wishful thinking on my part! Oh well, I will just have to wait until our August cruise if not.

 

What are the chances???

 

Shawn

[cle-guy]

We are on the March 16th sailing on the Constellation in a Royal Suite. The Constellation is supposed to have the suite dining room beginning April 4th. I wonder if they might start it a little early to work the "kinks" out?? Doubtful, but wishful thinking on my part! Oh well, I will just have to wait until our August cruise if not.

 

What are the chances???

 

Shawn

 

I'd say ZERO, they likely have the installation planned and choreographed to the day, and that Connie just had a 3 day dry dock for engine repairs, and nothing was done in that period while out of service, seems even less likely.

[Kevnzworld]

With the 100's of chef's on the ships, certainly they can figure out how to accommodate 44 sky suites and 22 (total 66/162 pax) other suites for dinner nightly, much as they accommodate 130 (260 pax) Aqua cabins in Blu.

True, we know nothing for a fact yet, but I see the Suite dining room to operationally be little different from BLU, other than menu and ingredients on it. Likely very little difference to how Murano operates or any of the specialties.

 

There's a difference between chefs and cooks. Except for a few executive positions, Celebrity employs the latter.

If the Suite restaurant isn't going to be a significant improvement from what is already offered in Blu , what's the point? Blu2? Why then pay the huge premium? Different needs to be BETTER.

Most people ( CC message boards ) that have sailed on Celebrity and the premium cruise lines know that there is a significant difference in food quality and preparation expertise between the different cruiselines.

There is a different food culture.

Celebrity is a good mass market large cruiseline, and a good value. Now that it is trying to migrate to the premium level, it's not going to successfully accomplish that by offering a different version of the same.

We are Elite plus, and have three Celebrity cruises booked in 2016, in a suite. I'm waiting for the reviews, and I hope I'm wrong. In the meantime,if I'm going to have to decide between cruiselines, and if I'm paying $800-1000 per night, it's going to be on the likes of Seabourn or Oceania.

[maggie.1008]

I am on the Summit April 11th. Suite dining is to begin on April 4th. I will be very disappointed if it is not up and running. I`m sure the kinks will need to be worked out.

[DachshundsRule]

"Now that it is trying migrate to the premium level"... Has Celebrity actually stated that as a goal?

 

If not, my take is they are competing with offerings like NCL's Haven which has its own restaurant. I can't imagine anyone thinking Oceania and Celebrity would be in the same league (ever), at the very least because of the size of the ships. I really like Celebrity because it is a little more upscale AND a big ship. We're booked in a suite on NCL's Escape when it comes out but that line is sooo geared to kids that I doubt we'll like it, but am curious to experience the Haven. If Celebrity ups their suites experience it is a smart move.

Edited January 4, 2015 by DachshundsRule

[curiouscat]

Karen

 

On my last sailing on Reflection I tried to get info but they had none.. they said corporate is the last one to let them know.. they say TA's and the trade find out before they do...:eek: SMH !!!

 

CC

[need2bespoiled]

I look forward to testing out, and reporting on the Suite restaurant in April on the inaugural sailing on Summit. It seems, as info is leaked it will actually be on deck 4 on M-Calss and port, but we'll see. I'm guessing in the next few weeks they'll have the announcement we've waited months for with designs and more info.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

[Project_gal]

I'd say ZERO, they likely have the installation planned and choreographed to the day, and that Connie just had a 3 day dry dock for engine repairs, and nothing was done in that period while out of service, seems even less likely.

 

I agree. The first one or two sailings following the introduction of the new suite restaurant on each ship are "old" [2014/15] season sailings and very many guests booked these prior to the announcement of the new suite class perks at the "old" prices. A high proportion of the other guests will be totally unaware, in advance, of the new suite perks - they are not all Cruise Critic members. I am sure the timing has very much taken this into account as far as "bedding in" is concerned.

 

On our latest cruise on Eclipse, they were trialling a "new format" Chefs Table. Part of this was a much more detailed and more informative galley tour. It was clear that they can reconfigure and re-section the galley relatively easily whenever they need to do so.

[Project_gal]

There's a difference between chefs and cooks. Except for a few executive positions, Celebrity employs the latter.

If the Suite restaurant isn't going to be a significant improvement from what is already offered in Blu , what's the point? Blu2? Why then pay the huge premium? Different needs to be BETTER.

Most people ( CC message boards ) that have sailed on Celebrity and the premium cruise lines know that there is a significant difference in food quality and preparation expertise between the different cruiselines.

There is a different food culture.

Celebrity is a good mass market large cruiseline, and a good value. Now that it is trying to migrate to the premium level, it's not going to successfully accomplish that by offering a different version of the same.

We are Elite plus, and have three Celebrity cruises booked in 2016, in a suite. I'm waiting for the reviews, and I hope I'm wrong. In the meantime,if I'm going to have to decide between cruiselines, and if I'm paying $800-1000 per night, it's going to be on the likes of Seabourn or Oceania.

 

We do understand the point you are trying to make. It does not have to be repeated so quite so often. I have read it so often that I actually spent time looking at the per day prices for all classes of suites in all the different regions over all the different seasons still available. Unless Celebrity are using an extremely advantageous [for us] exchange rate, I could find nothing at US$1,000 per night. OK for the PH on Equinox over Christmas AND New Year we are paying in the region of US$2,000 per night and very short cruises over the holidays are expensive [up to about US$6,000 per night for 4 nights over the holidays on Silhouette] but I could find little near the price you are quoting for a Sky Suite. I accept that I may have missed the few exceptions to this but US$1,000 is far from the norm.

 

We have spent a lot of time investigating the cruise market and have chosen to spend our money on higher-end suites on Celebrity. We enjoy the overall product and, in our opinion, the Celebrity PHs cannot be beaten. We know that others have, and are entitled to, other opinions.

[need2bespoiled]

We do understand the point you are trying to make. It does not have to be repeated so quite so often. I have read it so often that I actually spent time looking at the per day prices for all classes of suites in all the different regions over all the different seasons still available. Unless Celebrity are using an extremely advantageous [for us] exchange rate, I could find nothing at US$1,000 per night. OK for the PH on Equinox over Christmas AND New Year we are paying in the region of US$2,000 per night and very short cruises over the holidays are expensive [up to about US$6,000 per night for 4 nights over the holidays on Silhouette] but I could find little near the price you are quoting for a Sky Suite. I accept that I may have missed the few exceptions to this but US$1,000 is far from the norm.

 

We have spent a lot of time investigating the cruise market and have chosen to spend our money on higher-end suites on Celebrity. We enjoy the overall product and, in our opinion, the Celebrity PHs cannot be beaten. We know that others have, and are entitled to, other opinions.

 

+2, 3, and 4 ^^^^

 

Happy sailing (whichever line you choose),

Jenna

[hcat]

I get that. There is extra kitchen capacity.

The issue is that the Celebrity " kitchen staff " as it is, isn't qualified to cook the type of food that a new higher end REAL restaurant would require and what Celebrity is advertising the new restaurant would offer.

Their kitchens " as they are " aren't designed to prepare complex dishes ala minute. I've done the galley tour numerous times. It's a banquet, mass cruise line kitchen.

An upscale single restaurant kitchen is designed differently. It's staffed differently. It's managed differently. It's more than a line cook firing up a steak and throwing some pre cooked vegis and a potato on a plate.

My point is,...this restaurant is being offered as an incitement for the premium cruiseline customer. The suite guests paying $1000 per night. The competing cruiselines in this price category offer a genuine premium high end REAL restaurant dining experience. That's what Celebrity is advertising the new suite restaurant to be yet without a dedicated kitchen and the staff expertise to run it, how can that really be?

 

We are waiting to see how it will work out if/when Suites, AQ/BLU (which we usually book), and reg MDR meals are coming from same kitchen space on M Class ships....

 

on S class, the MDR and BLU are sep entities...and there is a definite distinction between the menu, food preparation, presentation and service..

[thebutlerdidit]

I look forward to testing out, and reporting on the Suite restaurant in April on the inaugural sailing on Summit. It seems, as info is leaked it will actually be on deck 4 on M-Calss and port, but we'll see. I'm guessing in the next few weeks they'll have the announcement we've waited months for with designs and more info.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

 

So you're saying the name of this new space is Illuminaté? I had not read this before! I love this name and hope the restaurant is spectacular.

[CrankySailor]

We are waiting to see how it will work out if/when Suites, AQ/BLU (which we usually book), and reg MDR meals are coming from same kitchen space on M Class ships....

 

on S class, the MDR and BLU are sep entities...and there is a definite distinction between the menu, food preparation, presentation and service..

 

 

In my experience, the menu in Blu on S-Class is the same as the menu in Blu on M-Class. There may be a difference in kitching configurations, as you state (don't know, as I only did the tour on M-Class)...but the menus seem to be the same, at least (bud definitely different between Blu and MDR on both classes - maybe that is the point you were making?).

[Kevnzworld]

We do understand the point you are trying to make. It does not have to be repeated so quite so often. I have read it so often that I actually spent time looking at the per day prices for all classes of suites in all the different regions over all the different seasons still available. Unless Celebrity are using an extremely advantageous [for us] exchange rate, I could find nothing at US$1,000 per night. OK for the PH on Equinox over Christmas AND New Year we are paying in the region of US$2,000 per night and very short cruises over the holidays are expensive [up to about US$6,000 per night for 4 nights over the holidays on Silhouette] but I could find little near the price you are quoting for a Sky Suite. I accept that I may have missed the few exceptions to this but US$1,000 is far from the norm.

 

We have spent a lot of time investigating the cruise market and have chosen to spend our money on higher-end suites on Celebrity. We enjoy the overall product and, in our opinion, the Celebrity PHs cannot be beaten. We know that others have, and are entitled to, other opinions.

 

The ~ $1000 per night is per day for a Sky suite. NOT per person. And not for a " premium " suite. I just did a quick check of all European 2015 cruises. After tax and gratuities, every one is in the $900-$1000 range ( per cabin not pp ). Especially on S class ships. Per person pricing is irrelevant since even when I've sailed solo I still had to pay the full cabin price.

Many of these same cruises were 30% less in 2013-2014. We paid approx $600 per night for three 2 week Celebrity cruises in 2014. The only European cruises that are in that price range for 2016 are the transatlantics, both of which we booked

These price increases are related to the perceived value of the new Suite restaurant IMO. It now puts a Celebrity suite in the price category for a similar cabin on Seabourn/ Oceania/ Silverseas,...That's why it's relevant to this discussion.

Please quote a specific sailing where a Sky suite on a European/Alaskan cruise is significantly less than $900- $1000 per suite, per night, and I'll probably book it!

Edited January 4, 2015 by Kevnzworld