Luminae - lunch

[WpgCruise]

Good for you.

 

If only more would back up their complaints with some action.

Edited May 6, 2015 by WpgCruise

[hulamoon]

I am curious, Where are you folks looking to go to? Haven, seaborn, Oceania? Merriem...did you post an Xpedition review?

 

Thanks...

[vulcan1971]

I understand, people paid a premium for the whole suite experience, and that included a full lunch in a separate dining room every day.

 

 

 

My question is, if Celebrity is changing their offer (as they can according to their contract) why are people not cancelling their cruise and taking their business elsewhere?

 

 

 

Why not exercise your options under the contract and cancel ?

 

 

I'm seriously looking at canceling an 18 day Australia/New Zealand cruise in a Celebrity Suite.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 6 Plus on the T-Mobile 4G LTE Network using Tapatalk Pro

[vulcan1971]

I am curious, Where are you folks looking to go to? Haven, seaborn, Oceania? Merriem...did you post an Xpedition review?

 

 

 

Thanks...

 

 

hulamoon - I've been in Haven suites on two different NCL ships and have been very satisfied. Also looking at MSC Yacht Club equipped ships.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 6 Plus on the T-Mobile 4G LTE Network using Tapatalk Pro

[Wine-O]

I certainly hope you all cancel your cruises. That'll show 'em not to screw with your lunch. :rolleyes:

[Merriem]

Food is very subjective! However, you say you don't like the MDR. Yet, many SDR guests are ordering from the Left side of the MDR menu. Is it the food in the MDR or the MDR itself that you do not like? Where have you been eating before the SDR was implemented on an X ship?

 

I don't like the main dining room because it is too noisy. A couple of years ago on an Alaska cruise we ate in a speciality restaurant every night. We were on the Xpedition in January and that was horrible food beyond belief.

 

Actually I am fed up with Celebrity at this point!

[Merriem]

I am curious, Where are you folks looking to go to? Haven, seaborn, Oceania? Merriem...did you post an Xpedition review?

 

Thanks...

 

Have been on Oceania, the food was excellent, we are going to be in The Haven in September,

 

No I did not post an xpedition review. We want 10 years ago and it was fantastic, and just went back and it was a pathetic experience. The ship is awful, and the food is really bad. Most people do not go twice, so they have nothing to compare with. It is a leased ship...not owned by Celebrity

[Ma Bell]

Have been on Oceania, the food was excellent, we are going to be in The Haven in September,

 

No I did not post an xpedition review. We want 10 years ago and it was fantastic, and just went back and it was a pathetic experience. The ship is awful, and the food is really bad. Most people do not go twice, so they have nothing to compare with. It is a leased ship...not owned by Celebrity

 

It seems you have threatened to cancel cruises on both of these cruise lines recently as well.

[Merriem]

It seems you have threatened to cancel cruises on both of these cruise lines recently as well.

 

Really. You must have more time to read posts than I do.

 

Frandly, not that I remember, but some of us have high standards.

[Ma Bell]

Actions speak louder than words.

[floatplan]

I understand, people paid a premium for the whole suite experience, and that included a full lunch in a separate dining room every day.

 

My question is, if Celebrity is changing their offer (as they can according to their contract) why are people not cancelling their cruise and taking their business elsewhere?

 

Why not exercise your options under the contract and cancel ?

 

 

A lot of effort goes into planning and figuring out how to put all are parts together, time off reserved, flights bought, hotels bought, etc. These are in Europe so more planning. I'm not quick to trash all that effort.

 

On NCL on embarkation day the suite lunch with a big Carney's shrimp cocktail, nice entrée and espresso brownie sundae is a wonderful way to start a cruise. I hope the X lunch experience is something like that and not snacks at noon.

[need2bespoiled]

First, I must say that many of what has been posted I agree with. If I was on a long cruise, and onboard I would be a bit annoyed that Luminae was not opened for lunch. Brunch until 1:30 or 2:00pm is ok to replace lunch for us, if Blu is available for breakfast. On the other hand, if you ask for prompt service at Bistro, it seems to come and with the slightly expanded menu items it's better than it was. Maybe making Bistro on 5 free for all suites would solve the problem, the same way some lines (NCL and Cagneys) does for suite guest without dedicated dining rooms.

 

Only a few posters here have actual personal experience so I am going to try and just add some comments based on what we saw a couple of weeks ago.

 

First, I agree with Ma Bell, we felt like a bit of testers and while it was fun to try something new, better (much) than the MDR, they're not ready for the big time. More on this below.

 

Food IS prepared to order and special requests were met, though the first couple of days more reluctantly.

 

I've already seen comments about entrees being small...need to order side dishes for a normal meal, wine list is no different than the MDR (celebrity talked about a special wine list), no special dishes based on what they bought in port (fresh fish, etc), no cooking to order. I don't know if any of these are real or not...if they are start-up issues or not...but they are all subjective and as we know, one person's salty is another person's bland.

If you just order an entree, it _may_ be a bit small based on the oversized American portions some are used to, but there is plenty of food to be had, and you can order what you want. I asure you, this is more like what I'd expect from a fine dining restaurant. Some days however I could easly see ordering from the left side MDR menu for a simple meal, I can't see eating the Luminae menue every day on our longer cruises (14-36 days).

 

SNIP Or how about "made to order" dishes as they promised?

 

I am sorry about your disappointment. See above. This is one area they are accomidating (or trying).

 

Both K99 and Walter's comments seem spot on about the bait and switch suite FAQ sheets in respect to meals. It's one of many reasons that we're looking at other lines (I am already there, just needing to convince the other half it's time to go). While I doubt for us it will be Haven or MSC Yacht Club, I can easily see it being one of the luxury lines and have a nice Seaborn sailing picked out to replace a Celebrity RS booking for a bit less money on newer Seaborn ship in a mid-level suite that is about the size of a CS on Celebrity.

 

Yes, it was tongue in cheek.

 

Since I seem to be one of the few who have actually been there, I can tell you that there are a lot of things that need some thought. I had the feeling that they weren't really quite ready for prime time and I can also say that it didn't surprise me in the least. We were the "Guinea Pigs" and I really didn't mind. We had the opportunity to give our feedback and I'm sure they were aware that they have a ways to go to make it great, but they are definitely trying.

 

The only way anyone is going to know if they are happy with the product is to give it a try. If you have a lot of concern about not receiving value for what you are paying I would cancel and find something else to make you happy...if that's possible.

 

Totally agree, and well said. Some food was very good, some was not, I thought I was balanced and fair about my comments, but you summerized it very well in what took me 100 posts? :D

 

We have 4-5 booked cruises that we'll likely cancel for various reasons, none of them specifically related to lunch. Some of the reasons are unrelated to Celerity (schedule changes and family decisions) but are partly due to a lack of value for the product recevied at the current prices. There are definitely a number (4-5) sailings we'll still take and our next will be more telling as we have many sea days but plan to stay onboard for some of the port days as well.

 

Finally, Celebrity's sinlence and short, inadequate response on this thread is really sad but unfortunately, a bit unsurprising.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

Edited May 6, 2015 by need2bespoiled

[Pushka]

If an Aussie has booked through an Aus travel Agent then that TA will invoke cancellation charges.

[TommyD3]

Hi all,

 

Apologies for the delay, but we can confirm that Luminae will have a lunch experience for embarkation day as well as for sea days.

 

What about port days:confused:

[jenniebnyc]

What about port days:confused:

You get breakfast until 9am. I am wondering how this will happen for us seeing we wake up at 8:30 when on vacation. Ridiculous. Ridiculous!!!

[nordski]

We have just disembarked from the Constellation upon which we were in Aquaclass.

 

I read the dailies to bring us up to date on the functioning hours of Luminae as we consider future cruises.

 

Frankly, for our needs Blu's hours seemed just as, if not more, attractive and there was little need to upgrade. The provision of "brunch" on sea days seemed to be a negative. I commented to my wife at the time, I don't think the suite passengers are going to be very happy with theses services and they'll probably have to be revised.

 

Perhaps right now for others Luminae would be a better choice but our interest in the "Suite" experience has, to this point, evaporated.

 

That being said, one couple we met raved about the food in Luminae and we will look for a consensus to emerge on that issue.

[ghstudio]

Luminae was the potential draw for us to book a suite vs aqua on a future cruise. We like blu (although tired of the menus) and hoped for some more upscale offerings in Luminae as well as a nice breakfast and lunch. Like Kevin, we eat breakfast 9-9:30, lunch after 1 and then dinner at 7-7:30....that's our programmed life style, so to speak.

 

Clearly, we don't mesh with Luminae for breakfast or lunch, irrespective of which days which is offered....which leaves us with using Luminae for dinner. I probably misinterpreted the announcements, but I had thought that dinner would feature locally sourced fish, fruits and meals would be appropriate to the area where we are sailing. Reading the reviews and other threads, I'm now pretty sure I was wrong....and all provisions will still be loaded at the start of the cruise and like the MDR and Blu, Luminae has it's own 14 days of fixed menus...presumably with dishes from around the world, not necessarily applicable to where we are sailing.

 

putting it all together...we would book a sky suite, so we would be "almost" suite passengers (re: michael's club access), I just don't see any justification for paying significantly more for space in a cabin that we seldom use....we do use the balcony, but we have some future cruises booked on deck 11 m-class rear cabins...so we have plenty of balcony space at an A2 price.

 

I'll continue to follow these threads....but at this point, I just see no reason for us to upgrade any celebrity booking to a suite. I'd rather spend the additional dollars on azamara or oceania (which is what we're doing...we have cruises booked on both).

[Kevnzworld]

Luminae was the potential draw for us to book a suite vs aqua on a future cruise. We like blu (although tired of the menus) and hoped for some more upscale offerings in Luminae as well as a nice breakfast and lunch. Like Kevin, we eat breakfast 9-9:30, lunch after 1 and then dinner at 7-7:30....that's our programmed life style, so to speak.

 

Clearly, we don't mesh with Luminae for breakfast or lunch, irrespective of which days which is offered....which leaves us with using Luminae for dinner. I probably misinterpreted the announcements, but I had thought that dinner would feature locally sourced fish, fruits and meals would be appropriate to the area where we are sailing. Reading the reviews and other threads, I'm now pretty sure I was wrong....and all provisions will still be loaded at the start of the cruise and like the MDR and Blu, Luminae has it's own 14 days of fixed menus...presumably with dishes from around the world, not necessarily applicable to where we are sailing.

 

putting it all together...we would book a sky suite, so we would be "almost" suite passengers (re: michael's club access), I just don't see any justification for paying significantly more for space in a cabin that we seldom use....we do use the balcony, but we have some future cruises booked on deck 11 m-class rear cabins...so we have plenty of balcony space at an A2 price.

 

I'll continue to follow these threads....but at this point, I just see no reason for us to upgrade any celebrity booking to a suite. I'd rather spend the additional dollars on azamara or oceania (which is what we're doing...we have cruises booked on both).

 

Hey Don

I agree with you. I'm canceling all of our 2016 Celebrity cruises you see below for now. I've booked a new Seabourn cruise in the spring 2016, a transatlantic with the cruise after. As things currently stand, there is a lot more value dollar for dollar with Seabourn. Both Oceania and Seabourn offer a REAL breakfast with waiter service menu, daily specials and buffet until 10:00, 10:30 on sea days....lunch, the same until 2:00.

No games, exclusions, caveats or BS

I'm not a fan of Oceania, but many are. Smaller ships are really much better, especially around the pool. The lunch is much better and more civilized than Oceanview, which is my primary gripe with Celebrity. I don't want the high school cafeteria experience, pandemonium with the find a table rodeo that I get in Oceanview on sea days. I was hoping that lunch in Luminae would be the real deal.

Drinks are expensive on Oceania, internet too. The drink package wines are limited and not to my liking. Seabourn is inclusive.

I will consider Celebrity this July if a Tuesday special pops up in Europe, where a suite can be had in what was their prior price range $500 per cabin per night. Obviously 2 drink packages and gratuities would add almost $160 per night to that. I'm hoping that Luminae is an evolving concept that will improve.

Edited May 6, 2015 by Kevnzworld

[kk99]

Hi everyone,

I went back and found some of the information that our TA gave us when the program was first being rolled out. I understand that Celebrity has the right to revise , tweak, and hopefully improve the suite product as time goes on.

 

We have several bookings that are past final payment or have nonrefundable air attached to them, and we still believe in the product. However, it would be nice if they were clearer on what the benefits are as the prices for the suites post April 2015 are higher than whatever we booked and sailed on in 2014.

 

I also realize that we are very fortunate to have the choice and time and funds to cruise, and any cruise that we are on with family and friends is a great experience. We also cruise on several different lines and we will evaluate if the price, itinerary, and amenities fits what we are looking forward to.

 

I am attaching some copies of various items sent to us, and this is where some of the contradictions appear, especially the initial video. http://celebritysalescom.com/Videos/Suite_Class/html5video/Suite-Class-Video-TA_version.m4v I think Luminae will be an eventual hit with the guests once they get some of the kinks worked out. Would I personally like to have the option for all 3 meals a day there? Sure, but that is not the revised policy posted by Celebrity.

 

So everyone has to figure out if the price and amenities offered are something that would like along with the increased space in a suite.

We may downgrade some future sailings as we personally like Blu and the savings there would allow more of a budget for the higher priced lines that we also sail on.

 

For Celebrity in my opinion only,to sustain the prices for especially the Royal and Penthouse suites in the long run, it needs to deliver on the extra services.

 

I'm glad that Jenna and Joanie(and congrats to you for your Zenith level), who had an extended experience with Luminae as opposed to the short one that I had and perhaps had some more positive interaction(such as opening lunch on embarkation), I am still reserving judgment until after our summer cruises, to see if it has settled in somewhat.

 

I appreciate the Celebrity poster for trying to get information and posting, and I thank them for listening and reading the boards.

12029075_CEL_SuiteAmenities_Flyer.pdf

March_2014_LTA_CEL_lowres.pdf

15042314_CEL_Luminae_PR.pdf

[Merriem]

Just got off the phone with someone in guest relations named Jennifer.....not helpful, and said that is the way it is going to be. What else are they going to change at modern "luxury"

[hulamoon]

There is something crazy wrong with a company's marketing to get a large number of people excited and loyal about a new program, in which they began putting deposits on suites double to triple the price a few months previous and then to mess it up with False promises and poor communication.

 

Makes me think the original deposits for the plan was more important than the actual plan and customer.

 

I do not fault the Celebrity poster, somehow I don't think these decisions and implementations are their responsibility.

[need2bespoiled]

Hi everyone,

I went back and found some of the information that our TA gave us when the program was first being rolled out. I understand that Celebrity has the right to revise , tweak, and hopefully improve the suite product as time goes on.

 

We have several bookings that are past final payment or have nonrefundable air attached to them, and we still believe in the product. However, it would be nice if they were clearer on what the benefits are as the prices for the suites post April 2015 are higher than whatever we booked and sailed on in 2014.

 

I also realize that we are very fortunate to have the choice and time and funds to cruise, and any cruise that we are on with family and friends is a great experience. We also cruise on several different lines and we will evaluate if the price, itinerary, and amenities fits what we are looking forward to.

 

I am attaching some copies of various items sent to us, and this is where some of the contradictions appear, especially the initial video. http://celebritysalescom.com/Videos/Suite_Class/html5video/Suite-Class-Video-TA_version.m4v I think Luminae will be an eventual hit with the guests once they get some of the kinks worked out. Would I personally like to have the option for all 3 meals a day there? Sure, but that is not the revised policy posted by Celebrity.

 

So everyone has to figure out if the price and amenities offered are something that would like along with the increased space in a suite.

We may downgrade some future sailings as we personally like Blu and the savings there would allow more of a budget for the higher priced lines that we also sail on.

 

For Celebrity in my opinion only,to sustain the prices for especially the Royal and Penthouse suites in the long run, it needs to deliver on the extra services.

I'm glad that Jenna and Joanie(and congrats to you for your Zenith level), who had an extended experience with Luminae as opposed to the short one that I had and perhaps had some more positive interaction(such as opening lunch on embarkation), I am still reserving judgment until after our summer cruises, to see if it has settled in somewhat.

 

I appreciate the Celebrity poster for trying to get information and posting, and I thank them for listening and reading the boards.

 

One of the first things the video says as it shows a bottle of Celebrity Branded sparkling wine is "First Class all the Way". Compared to domestic first class, maybe, but intenational first class? Not a chance.

 

I find it interesting that we got a really nice embarkation Lunch, (maybe because the rest of the cruise was so port intensive?).

 

I think the bolded section says a lot. There are some sailings, itineraries and values to be had, if you find them, and we have, but other sailing aren't worth what they're asking. It may be quite a while before they're forced to change or drop prices as it definiteily seemed to increase bookings. They just don't have SOP that closely enough resembles what is being marketed and then is followed up with training provided up and down the staff line to really meet the "Premium" level the current fares require.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

[Ma Bell]

I am reserving judgment as well but I honestly don't know how much can be figured into the equation for food. The suite experience has to be judged as a whole and the market will decide what it's worth. We all have our own criteria as to what is important in our choices.

[need2bespoiled]

I am reserving judgment as well but I honestly don't know how much can be figured into the equation for food. The suite experience has to be judged as a whole and the market will decide what it's worth. We all have our own criteria as to what is important in our choices.

 

It's very true. My partner values a separate bedroom. On the premium lines, that comes with an even greater premium than on Celebrity. Worth it? not to me, but I need to convince her that we can get as good an experince in a sky suite or CS suite sized cabin on Sebaourn, Regeant or Silverseas.

 

Dining is a big part of a cruise experience, and it becomes a social experience for us. We've had excellent and dreading MDR experiences. It's not _just_ the food that matters to us when we evaluate our dining experience. It's the atmosphere of the dining experience, the level of service (there is that fine line between that is obtrusive and invisibly excellent service), speed which is not too fast or too slow, wines, crystal, silverware, etc etc

 

It also seems like there are cutbacks to come in Michael's Club. We were never offered the afternoon / early evening bites on Summit, but we're dispappointed as they weren't good on Millennium. We'd have missed them if they werenice bites as they should be.

 

I realize bring lunch back would likely take about 5 staff to execute, but I also realize they need to make it happen. If NCL and MSC can do it, why can't Celebrity?

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

[Merriem]

I did get a return phone call and they said they were going to go back to the 3 meals each day. Time will time.