A Luminae sceptic's observations and review , Live

[Gracie115]

Have not had an opportunity to try Luminae. When I cruise solo, I stay in Aqua; when I cruise with a friend, we get a suite. I found Aqua, on my last cruise (on Silhouette), to be quite good. There were a couple of dishes that didn't appeal to me, but it was more personal preference the ingredients/preparation. I also had a very good wine steward (I hesitate to use the term sommelier) who took very good care of me every night and was rewarded for that at the end of the cruise. The breakfasts, which never changed, got to be a bit old after 3-4 days.

 

With the ever increasing price of suites on Celebrity, I have been debating whether or not it is truly worth the cost. You honest and incitefull review of Luminae have gone a long way to make me think that it may well be worth the price.

 

Thank you.

 

We were, well still are, big fans of Blu. The food was always good and the service even better. Our last cruise, on Eclipse this past April was in a suite and we had the pleasure of experiencing Luminae and I must say as much as we like Blu...Luminae is just many steps above in both food and service....we really enjoyed it.... we would still be happy in Blu, no doubt, but when we can afford to we will take advantage of a suite and Luminae too....Celebrity has done THIS right....

[NCHPcruiser]

Thank you for the report on Luminae as well as your other observations. I'll be on the Reflection in September and am looking forward to Luminae in addition to Blu.

[Yorkshire-Pudding]

I am currently on board the Eclipse coming towards the end of 14 night sailing. After reading these boards we decided to give Blu atry. IMHO I don't understand the fuss over Blu. Felt you can't compare either the food or service with Luminae. Also the atmosphere is different and a bit odd. Perhaps because we travel as a family and Blu seems to be full of couples who often don't appear to talk to each other. There were exceptions to that last statement but it was the least friendly restaurant on whole ship and we have tried everything but MDR so far.

[Phxazzcruisers]

Thank you for your reviews. We are in total agreement as my posted review of the Silhouette Baltic states. We loved Luminae and the service is beyond compare. They have been VERY well trained. Our only comment is to use Anca, the Concierge in Michael's Club if you want to get premium tender service. She was incredible and will do anything to keep her Suite guests happy. She will personally walk you down to get through the tender line. If you are still on board, enjoy the rest of your cruise. We are only sorry that we could not do a B2B and be there with you

Edited July 22, 2015 by Phxazzcruisers

[Kevnzworld]

Thank you for your reviews. We are in total agreement as my posted review of the Silhouette Baltic states. We loved Luminae and the service is beyond compare. They have been VERY well trained. Our only comment is to use Anca, the Concierge in Michael's Club if you want to get premium tender service. She was incredible and will do anything to keep her Suite guests happy. She will personally walk you down to get through the tender line. If you are still on board, enjoy the rest of your cruise. We are only sorry that we could not do a B2B and be there with you

 

 

We aren't in a premium suite on this cruise so we can't use Anca though we have used her in the past during our 10/14 cruise.

Any butler can get you thru the tender line, a suite service that was especially useful during the Edinburgh port. The tender lines were over an hour long all morning.

[BosoxI]

Hey, Kev,

Thanks for providing a detailed REVIEW and just as a review should be. Most helpful. You've got me drooling but there're still five months to go before we can sample Luminae.

 

I'm so tired of "reviews" that are nothing more than biographical notes and boring ones at that. Thanks again.

[Ma Bell]

Here are some photos of Luminae food.

 

http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/mabell85255/library/Luminae%20food%20photos?sort=3&page=1

[cadburysmom]

Re : Questions regarding Luminae/Seabourn etc.

Luminae is definitely a game changer and well worth the money compared to Blu. No or little comparison.

Seabourn is really outstanding and has a much better lunch. It's ships are smaller so they can go to ports that Celebrity can't. I would now prefer Celebrity for transatlantics.

I dislike Oceania anywhere, anytime. Celebrity has more action at night and we are looking forward to the new World Class bar with craft cocktails.

Kevin, thank you for posting. We're also fans of Seabourn for the same reasons but unlike my significant other, I totally agree about preferring Celebrity for transatlantics. Trying to convince him of this but he was not happy with M class at all and the one time we tried Aqua class on an S class, our cabin somehow got changed to an incredibly loud one underneath the pool deck...still don't know how that happened. But the real game changer for him was a totally inedible duck dish in Blu. And this man loves his duck! So you can imagine how happy I am to hear you enjoyed it in Luminae.

 

We're currently booked on a Seabourn med cruise this fall and I would very much like him to join me on a Celebrity transatlantic back to the states...your review of Luminae just might win him over!:)

[rbrooks418]

Just experienced Luminae on Celebrity Reflection. Unbelievable experience. Will be hard to not book a suite in the future, although I know that won't always be possible. Celebrity hit a grand slam with this concept. You will LOVE it. Food and service beyond compare. Much better than Blu in my opinion. Also, as for lunch, while the menu is limited, I've never had a better burger in my life. Must try it. You will not regret it.

[Kevnzworld]

Today's Luminae review is mixed, some good and some less so.

Two nights ago we had the lobster and the Chateaubriand. The lobster is the standard Celebrity warm water variety. It needs to be noted that the other luxury lines use cold water Maine lobster in the nicer restaurants, the warm water slipper variety only in the buffet grill.

The lobster as it is, was ok.

The Chateaubriand was ordered medium rare but was served well done. Our wonderful waitress Dragana worked to replace it ASAP.

( She's a fantastic server, the right mix of attitude , friendliness and efficiency )

Unfortunately the rest of the table was half finished with their entree's by the time the corrected chateaubriand was served. Once it was, I was told that it was really good. A nice cut with good flavor.

Ok, now last night. I ordered the five spice duck and my GF the swordfish. My duck was nicely cooked and flavorful. The fat/ skin could have been rendered more, but that technique isn't utilized on Celebrity as it should. ( Murano, Blu, etc ).

The swordfish was really bad. I don't get it. Swordfish should be cut and seared/grilled like a steak. 1/2-1" thick, medium at most to preserve some juiciness.

This swordfish was cut 1/8 inch thick then cooked well. Inedible.

It was shoe leather. It was like an overcooked pork cutlet. That thickness of fish steak is almost impossible to cook correctly. This is basic technique 101. How that could be served as it was escapes me.

This is one dish that needs a recipe/ cooking change pronto.

Luminae serves two Amuse Bouches. One prior to dinner and one after dinner. These are pretty inventive and add to the overall dining experience. The duck liver mouse especially stands out.

The soups also deserve mention. They aren't cream based, prepared velouté style instead. I've had probably four or five so far and all have been excellent.

So far most of the dishes have been excellent with just a few misfires. Service in Luminae remains flawless.

At the end of the cruise next week I'll sum up my thoughts and review.

Edited July 23, 2015 by Kevnzworld

[kitty9]

We loved breakfast in Luminae during our recent Summit cruise. Service was excellent and the choices were very nice and afforded a different selection every day. But, we found the lunch menu to be really bad as nothing appealed to us, and the menu did not change at all for the 7 days. The burger, which has been lauded by others, really was not good, imho. It was greasy, so much so that the bun was soggy from the grease. To be honest, it turned my stomach. The french fries were also soggy.

 

As for dinner, for whatever reason, there was an amazing lack of beef meals. Lots of chicken and seafood, but only one night where beef was offered. And we found the desserts to be lacking. I'm not a big dessert fan, but even if I was, there was precious little that would make me say "Hey, I gotta get that".

 

But to echo the OP, service inside the restaurant was excellent. The servers couldn't do enough for you. But I will say, whenever we'd walk past Luminae and the hostess was at the station, she'd always ask us why we didn't come to Luminae for every meal. It got to the point that we avoided going in that direction. To be honest, if we choose to dine in any other restaurant on board, we should not be, shall I say, bugged, by the hostess as to why we're not dining there. Seriously, I'm not exaggerating this. If she came to us once, she came to us at least 7 or 8 times to ask why we're not dining there. We explained that the lunch menu didn't appeal to us, so we dined elsewhere. For the price we paid for the PH, and we decide not to dine in Luminae, it's our choice, isn't it?

[Project_gal]

As for dinner, for whatever reason, there was an amazing lack of beef meals. Lots of chicken and seafood, but only one night where beef was offered.

 

I am not sure how long your cruise was or what rotation of menus was being used but there are 7 beef main course and 4 veal main courses in the 14 menus. There are 3 lamb, 2 pork and one venison dish.

 

This compares to 7 chicken, 2 duck and 2 Guinea fowl.

 

There is a fish or seafood main dish each night plus one vegetarian and one pasta or similar dish. I would suggest that the menu is very balanced. At least, my husband, a big beef eater, was very satisfied.

[Clairelly]

Sorry if this has been mentioned and I've missed it but do they offer gluten free in Luminae?

[Kevnzworld]

Sorry if this has been mentioned and I've missed it but do they offer gluten free in Luminae?

 

 

Yes. My mother who is gluten free is with us. They are very accommodating.

[maggie.1008]

Glad you are trying Luminae. I was on the Summit the second week it was open. Some foods too salty and some service issues needed improvement. Will be on the Solstice in September and will try Luminae again. We just left the Solstice yesterday after a Alaska cruise. We were in Aqua class and dined in Blu. We could find something we liked every night. Ordered the duck and although the skin was not crispy the duck breast was properly cooked. Service was good. Always got the table we wanted and never felt rushed. Only on the 2 formal nights was the room full. In the future it will depend on the price if we dine in Blu or Luminae.

[Kevnzworld]

Winner winner, Game hen dinner!

Here's my latest Lumina update ten days into our Silhouette cruise.

Overall the food and service in Lumina remains better than I expected and much better than Blu or the specialty restaurants.

Two nights ago we had the game hen dinner and the lobster, there are two lobster dishes, the latest featured what appeared to be real cold water lobster, or a whole warm water tail. Either way it was a much better product than the standard Celebrity lobster.

We've enjoyed two game birds since my last update. A Cornish game hen and a Guinea hen. Both roasted perfectly. Some may remember my many posts about my game bird experiences / fiasco's in Blu. I'm of the belief that Blu should just give up since they can't cook game birds consistently or correctly. I've even been served a semi raw bird with freezer burn.

Anyway Luminae does it right and they all tasted great.

A few other observations: Luminae serves Hamachi crudo ( yellowtail sashimi ). To my knowledge this is the only Celebrity restaurant to offer this fish, a wonderful appetizer addition.

The service remains friendly and flawless. I have to admit that we've found the food at least as good as Seabourn , and probably better. I'm pleasantly surprised. Fortunately I haven't cancelled three Celebrity cruises Id booked for 2016. Luminae is reason for me to reconsider.

If you are a " foodie ", if a real modern restaurant experience with good food and service in a civilized atmosphere is important to you, you should try Luminae. We aren't using our last free specialty restaurant voucher.....Luminae is much better than any specialty restaurant and Blu. ( IMO )

[Lois R]

Quote:

"If you are a " foodie ", if a real modern restaurant experience with good food and service in a civilized atmosphere is important to you, you should try Luminae. We aren't using our last free specialty restaurant voucher.....Luminae is much better than any specialty restaurant and Blu. ( IMO )"

 

Hi.:).I love good food and good service but booking a suite is not

happening for me (not in this lifetime anyway).

 

Your posts are quite interesting though.

[RocketMan275]

Winner winner, Game hen dinner!

Here's my latest Lumina update ten days into our Silhouette cruise.

Overall the food and service in Lumina remains better than I expected and much better than Blu or the specialty restaurants. .....Luminae is much better than any specialty restaurant and Blu. ( IMO )

 

First, thanks for the wonderful review. We're booked in a CS on Silhouette in Nov 16. It will be our first Celebrity cruise. We have a ton of OBC and the 1-2-3 package. I was considering buying a specialty package and a premium beverage upgrade.

 

Pretty clear that you think Luminae is a superior option but considering that this will be our first Celebrity cruise and have never visited any of the specialty restaurants, would you still recommend just dining in Luminae?

 

Second question, do you see a big need to upgrade to a premium beverage package?

 

Most of the OBC is refundable from our TA.

[Project_gal]

First, thanks for the wonderful review. We're booked in a CS on Silhouette in Nov 16. It will be our first Celebrity cruise. We have a ton of OBC and the 1-2-3 package. I was considering buying a specialty package and a premium beverage upgrade.

 

Pretty clear that you think Luminae is a superior option but considering that this will be our first Celebrity cruise and have never visited any of the specialty restaurants, would you still recommend just dining in Luminae?

 

There is another thread on this subject that may help: http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2238804

[celebritydave]

Here are some photos of Luminae food.

 

http://s1287.photobucket.com/user/mabell85255/library/Luminae%20food%20photos?sort=3&page=1

 

Looks really yummy! Thanks for posting, hope you and George are doing well.

 

Dave

[vickykay]

Lois, don't give up on ever booking a suite. We were able to upgrade a few before our cruise this past May on the Reflection ( great ship!) from our CC3 to an SS1 for less than 100 each and kept all of our perks. We don't ever expect that to happen again but who knows.

[Kevnzworld]

First, thanks for the wonderful review. We're booked in a CS on Silhouette in Nov 16. It will be our first Celebrity cruise. We have a ton of OBC and the 1-2-3 package. I was considering buying a specialty package and a premium beverage upgrade.

 

 

 

Pretty clear that you think Luminae is a superior option but considering that this will be our first Celebrity cruise and have never visited any of the specialty restaurants, would you still recommend just dining in Luminae?

 

 

 

Second question, do you see a big need to upgrade to a premium beverage package?

 

 

 

Most of the OBC is refundable from our TA.

 

 

Re: the premium package.

It depends how much you drink and whether or not you want to be hassled by a drink bill.

We upgraded. We drink premium wines by the glass in the evening and Molecular bar drinks after. With bottled water it's probably a wash.

 

Re : specialty restaurants.

It depends on what you like. We did eat at the Lawn Grill once because we like the casual atmosphere and food.

Being long time Celebrity cruisers we've eaten in the specialties a dozen times.

You get two free, and they are often offered for a discount outside of the lunch buffet. I wouldn't buy the package.

[waverleycruiser]

First, thanks for the wonderful review. We're booked in a CS on Silhouette in Nov 16. It will be our first Celebrity cruise. We have a ton of OBC and the 1-2-3 package. I was considering buying a specialty package and a premium beverage upgrade.

 

Pretty clear that you think Luminae is a superior option but considering that this will be our first Celebrity cruise and have never visited any of the specialty restaurants, would you still recommend just dining in Luminae?

 

Second question, do you see a big need to upgrade to a premium beverage package?

 

Most of the OBC is refundable from our TA.

 

 

We are in a CS later in the year and thanks to all the feedback from other posters, we've come to the conclusion its not worth upgrading pre cruise. You will have 2 complimentary Specialty Restaurant bookings anyway and, with the Michaels Club complimentary drinks and your basic alcohol package you are pretty well covered. If you are big fancy cocktail drinkers then perhaps you could ugrade part way through the cruise, using up your OBC or just pay for it on the nose as you go. Happy days!

Edited July 26, 2015 by waverleycruiser
correction

[RocketMan275]

Re: the premium package.

It depends how much you drink and whether or not you want to be hassled by a drink bill. We upgraded. We drink premium wines by the glass in the evening and Molecular bar drinks after. With bottled water it's probably a wash.

 

Re : specialty restaurants.

It depends on what you like. We did eat at the Lawn Grill once because we like the casual atmosphere and food. Being long time Celebrity cruisers we've eaten in the specialties a dozen times. You get two free, and they are often offered for a discount outside of the lunch buffet. I wouldn't buy the package.

 

Thanks to you and "waverleycruiser" for your responses. That's about what I had concluded. I had forgotten about the complimentary dinners. Thanks for the reminder.

 

Quesion: Both of you said we got two complimentary dinners. Since this is a seven day cruise, I think we only get one complimentary dinner. Hope I'm wrong.

 

I suspect we may do the premium beverage for the wines.

 

Wife will love the idea that she has lots of OBC to spend.

[waverleycruiser]

Thanks to you and "waverleycruiser" for your responses. That's about what I had concluded. I had forgotten about the complimentary dinners. Thanks for the reminder.

 

Quesion: Both of you said we got two complimentary dinners. Since this is a seven day cruise, I think we only get one complimentary dinner. Hope I'm wrong.

 

I suspect we may do the premium beverage for the wines.

 

Wife will love the idea that she has lots of OBC to spend.

 

Think that sadly you are right and that you may only have one SD freebie. Our trip is 12 nights and was basing my comment on that. Think I need to have a word with my travel agent as I've not been offered any OBC or any other perks. Well done you getting a good deal!