Goodbye to Free Burgers and Mast Grill ???

[CruisingChick]

You put way too much faith in the ability of Celebrity to make intelligent decisions. Raising prices on Bistro on 5? A disaster. Sushi on 5? Even worse. Effectively doubling prices on specialty restaurants?

 

You forgot getting rid of The Normandie, Olympic, SS United States and Ocean Liners.

 

My DH and I were just talking about this last night about who the heck are they paying to make all these horrible decisions. We can do it for free or at least a cruise.

 

We also loved Bistro on 5 when it first opened. Would go twice a cruise....then they raised the prices and it went downhill quickly.

[NLH Arizona]

Well, I only spent time (40 years) in marketing and ownership position in marketing corporations) and I know that if the impetus of the marketing approach comes from those on the front line, you have an exponentially better chance of it being successful as opposed to, in this scenario, a marketing geek sequestered in a Miami office.

 

The proof is in the pudding. Add to this the idiotic change of the "Ocean Liners" restaurants to either Qsine or Tuscan. Told by many in management positions on the ships that it was a bone-headed decision. Those venues still need to be hustled, and for a much declined experience.

As I asked, what cruise line leaves their marketing approach and decisions up to their ship's staffs?

 

In what I'm getting from what you want, is that you want the staff on the ships to make business decisions as to changes. Marketing by definition is the action or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising, at least that is how it is defined by any company I aware of. Do I think that Celebrity should ask for imput from their ship's management, something I don't know if they do or not, the answer would be yes, but to give them the responsibility for the decision making of the cruise line....well, I think that would be a disaster and I seriously doubt that everyone would be excited about the changes the staffs would make, just as they are not excited about the changes corporate makes.

Edited May 12, 2017 by NLH Arizona

[Celebrity Cruises]

Our new Top Deck Burger Bar will offer gourmet burgers and hot dogs at a la carte pricing. Top Deck Burger Bar will be serving gourmet burgers such as an 8 oz. dry aged Kobe Beef burger served on a Homemade Brioche Bun. We will be moving our complimentary burgers into the Oceanview Café.

[MVPinBoynton]

Our new Top Deck Burger Bar will offer gourmet burgers and hot dogs at a la carte pricing. Top Deck Burger Bar will be serving gourmet burgers such as an 8 oz. dry aged Kobe Beef burger served on a Homemade Brioche Bun. We will be moving our complimentary burgers into the Oceanview Café.

 

Hopefully, this is just a test for the Constellation and not something that is scheduled to go on all the other ships yet.

[killsport]

Our new Top Deck Burger Bar will offer gourmet burgers and hot dogs at a la carte pricing. Top Deck Burger Bar will be serving gourmet burgers such as an 8 oz. dry aged Kobe Beef burger served on a Homemade Brioche Bun. We will be moving our complimentary burgers into the Oceanview Café.

 

Will there still be complimentary (FRESH!!!) french fries at the "Top Deck Burger Bar"? Or will those now be truffle fries for an additional fee? Will there still be beers there or will we have to wait in a nice long line the Pool Bar?

[Fouremco]

Our new Top Deck Burger Bar will offer gourmet burgers and hot dogs at a la carte pricing. Top Deck Burger Bar will be serving gourmet burgers such as an 8 oz. dry aged Kobe Beef burger served on a Homemade Brioche Bun. We will be moving our complimentary burgers into the Oceanview Café.

I realize that you are only repeating the party line, but it would be interesting to know what Celebrity considers to be "Kobe Beef".

[helen haywood]

Although Celebrity states that the "complimentary burgers" will be available in the Oceanview Cafe, I presume they will be sitting in a tray, not cooked to order as they are/have been at Mast Grill.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[Driveshaft]

Sounds like they are incorporating the Gastropub menu on the larger ships onto the Constellation at a different location.

[Gonzo70]

Our new Top Deck Burger Bar will offer gourmet burgers and hot dogs at a la carte pricing. Top Deck Burger Bar will be serving gourmet burgers such as an 8 oz. dry aged Kobe Beef burger served on a Homemade Brioche Bun. We will be moving our complimentary burgers into the Oceanview Café.

 

FYI Kobe beef is EXTREMELY rare and EXTREMELY expensive (a burger made with Kobe beef would costs hundreds of dollars). In the US several restaurants were successfully sued in recent years for calling items Kobe beef that were not Kobe beef (due to false advertising). Strongly suggest you pass this information on and Celebrity comes up with a more appropriate name for the burger.

[Driveshaft]

For what it's worth I hear very little about Gastropub ala carte fare on the website. We saw it was popular this last voyage but only saw drinks.4/24-3/5 Equinox. We, too, liked the old Bistro on 5. We love sushi, had it last night out for dinner, but not a fan of Sushi on 5; tried it and were not impressed. We were fans of the previous sushi served in Oceanview in the evening.

We live in the Ann Arbor MI area and there are several excellent Japanese Restaurants in the vicinity.

[hubofhockey]

Our new Top Deck Burger Bar will offer gourmet burgers and hot dogs at a la carte pricing. Top Deck Burger Bar will be serving gourmet burgers such as an 8 oz. dry aged Kobe Beef burger served on a Homemade Brioche Bun. We will be moving our complimentary burgers into the Oceanview Café.

 

Upcharge for a hot dog?????

[shipshape sam]

Our new Top Deck Burger Bar will offer gourmet burgers and hot dogs at a la carte pricing. Top Deck Burger Bar will be serving gourmet burgers such as an 8 oz. dry aged Kobe Beef burger served on a Homemade Brioche Bun. We will be moving our complimentary burgers into the Oceanview Café.

 

 

I think it is interesting to use the term 'complimentary'.

 

I had hoped you would have upgraded/updated the 'complimentary' burger to the quality suggested by the marketing promoted by the company, not relegate it to a buffet line.

 

Is there any discussion at the Corporate level to make the Burger Bar 'complimentary' for suite passengers? Whereby basically non suite passengers get 'complimentary' food only at the buffet line or MDR?

Edited May 12, 2017 by shipshape sam

[davekathy]

We elect not to do the specialty restaurant's when we cruise so we won't be paying for a so called gourmet burger either. Were not fans of the buffets (now for a burger) so I guess we'll do like when we cruise with RCI. Wait until we get home to get our burger fix.

[Cruise Junky]

They just posted on Facebook that all gourmet Burgers and Hot Dogs will be $9.95

[Fouremco]

They just posted on Facebook that all gourmet Burgers and Hot Dogs will be $9.95

$9.95 for a hot dog??? Unbelievable...

[DYKWIA]

FYI Kobe beef is EXTREMELY rare and EXTREMELY expensive (a burger made with Kobe beef would costs hundreds of dollars). In the US several restaurants were successfully sued in recent years for calling items Kobe beef that were not Kobe beef (due to false advertising). Strongly suggest you pass this information on and Celebrity comes up with a more appropriate name for the burger.

 

I believe the US doesn't recognise the Kobe Beef trademark (I suppose a bit like how they don't recognise the Champagne mark). Either that or they will be dishing up "Kobe style" beef.

 

A cheaper simple well made burger is a nice snack to have a few times on a 14 night cruise, especially around the pool. I'm not sure we could stomach an 8oz fat rich burger topped with pork in a butter rich bun served with gourmet fries more than once on a cruise

[vtcruising]

FYI Kobe beef is EXTREMELY rare and EXTREMELY expensive (a burger made with Kobe beef would costs hundreds of dollars). In the US several restaurants were successfully sued in recent years for calling items Kobe beef that were not Kobe beef (due to false advertising). Strongly suggest you pass this information on and Celebrity comes up with a more appropriate name for the burger.

It's funny because that's what I thought and asked the waiter in Sushi on 5 a few months ago about the Kobe sliders they have as a starter for $8. From the menu:

 

Kobe Beef Ramen Sliders -Shaved radish, mizuna, fried onion, tobico, ginger aioli

He said that he had seen the package the meat came in and it said "Kobe" on it and was the real deal. He said it was the only place on the ship that they served Kobe beef. I wonder if there is a certain percentage of Kobe ground beef in those sliders?

Though they were very good, we enjoyed the Luminae "non-Kobe" burger more, but the best burger we have ever had is made with local grassfed beef raised about 10 minutes away. :D

[pantoot]

[MVPinBoynton]

They just posted on Facebook that all gourmet Burgers and Hot Dogs will be $9.95

 

I don't know where on FB you are seeing this info. All I see is posts about the President's Cruise, Edge and older posts.

[shipshape sam]

$9.95 for a hot dog??? Unbelievable...

 

I think it includes a fancy name that you can throw around to fellow passengers.

[Gonzo70]

It's funny because that's what I thought and asked the waiter in Sushi on 5 a few months ago about the Kobe sliders they have as a starter for $8. From the menu:

 

Kobe Beef Ramen Sliders -Shaved radish, mizuna, fried onion, tobico, ginger aioli

He said that he had seen the package the meat came in and it said "Kobe" on it and was the real deal. He said it was the only place on the ship that they served Kobe beef. I wonder if there is a certain percentage of Kobe ground beef in those sliders?

Though they were very good, we enjoyed the Luminae "non-Kobe" burger more, but the best burger we have ever had is made with local grassfed beef raised about 10 minutes away. :D

 

That is funny; am guessing the waiter meant well and was just woefully misinformed than that he was lying.

 

 

I am 100% certain there is ZERO actual Kobe beef in anything used on a Celebrity ship. Only a small number of facilities outside of Japan use Kobe beef (there is actually a website that lists all places that have legitimate Kobe beef). Any restaurant serving Kobe beef has a certificate of authenticity for the beef - not just authenticating that they use beef, but a certificate for the individual cow the beef was sourced from. This is even true of authentic Wagyu beef from regions of Japan other than Kobe - i.e. if a restaurant advertises a specific origin and grade of Japanese beef (for example A5 Miyazaki beef) they have a certificate - that even has the nose print of the cow the beef was sourced from (the certificates are pretty cool looking and interesting - I have a picture of one at home I will try to upload to this thread tonight). Even a tiny, minuscule portion of Kobe beef ground into the sliders at Sushi on 5 would be absurdly expensive - as well as very difficult for Celebrity to source - (and would have no discernible bearing on the taste or texture of the product if only a small quantity was used).

 

 

In the U.S. it is (at least for now) acceptable to use terms such as "American Kobe" or "Kobe style" (or to simply use the term Wagyu in a generic way). Even those these terms are meaningless, say nothing about the actual quality or style of the beef, and are simply advertising gimmicks, as of now venues get away with these terms. However for the past few years restaurants in the US have not been able to get away with simply advertising something as "Kobe beef" (without a qualifier that it is not from Japan). Several restaurants were sued (for false advertising) and and paid out in settlements and agreed to stop using the term.

 

 

Best burger I have ever had (and I've consumed many) is also local - an English pub near my residence called Owen & Engine that sources the beef from a nearby farm called Slagel (very high quality beef and they use excellent cuts for the burger). Delicious homemade potato bun and incredible cave aged Cheddar cheese. Love that burger; so juicy with wonderful beefy flavors! Would gladly pay $9.95 for something half that good on a Celebrity ship (and it costs $20 at the restaurant in Chicago - and for the quality/quantity is very reasonable priced).

[vakamalua]

No worries for us. We only eat grass-fed beef and that's not served on ANY cruise ship.

[chamima]

I don't know where on FB you are seeing this info. All I see is posts about the President's Cruise, Edge and older posts.

 

 

If you go to the Celebrity Facebook page and click on Visitor Posts and scroll WAY down you'll find this:

 

(I find the post I enlarged and highlighted in red unbelievably insulting.)

They must think we're absolute idiots - "Increasing our complimentary offerings" :mad:

 

 

Celebrity Cruises Hi Tracey,

Our new Top Deck Burger Bar will offer gourmet burgers and hot dogs at a la carte pricing.

Like

· Reply · May 10 at 2:31pm

 

Tracey Peat LaPointe Thank you.

Like

· Reply · May 10 at 2:39pm

 

 

 

Ken Van Riper Sickening and unacceptable that you would start charging extra for burgers and hot dogs

Like

· Reply · Yesterday at 1:12am

 

Christine Lasko Gebhard Will non gourmet burgers and hot dogs be offered there or elsewhere still for no charge?

Like

· Reply · Yesterday at 5:33am

 

Marty LaVere I am also interested in the answer to Christine's question above. It will be informative to read Celebrity's answer.

Like

· Reply · Yesterday at 10:12am

 

 

Celebrity Cruises Hi Christine,

We are actually increasing our complimentary offering by moving complimentary burgers into the Oceanview Café.

Like

· Reply · Yesterday at 12:56pm

 

 

 

Celebrity Cruises Hi Ken,

Thank you for your feedback. Please note that Top Deck Burger Bar will be serving gourmet burgers such as an 8 oz. dry aged Kobe Beef burger served on a Homemade Brioche Bun. We will be moving our complimentary burgers into the Oceanview Café.

Like

· Reply · 1

· Yesterday at 12:59pm

 

Erik Hanson Does this include the turkey and vegetarian options?

Like

· Reply · 13 hrs

 

 

 

Celebrity Cruises Hi Erik,

Yes, we will have vegetarian and turkey gourmet burger options.

Like

· Reply · 3 hrs

 

Erik Hanson Will they be extra cost or moving to the buffet with the other burgers? Thanks

Like

· Reply · 2 hrs

 

 

 

Celebrity Cruises All gourmet burgers and hot dogs will be $9.95.

Like

· Reply · 51 mins

[Gonzo70]

No worries for us. We only eat grass-fed beef and that's not served on ANY cruise ship.

 

Actually Celebrity Xpedition (the ship that sails the Galapagos) uses local, grass-fed beef. Best beef I've had on a cruise - though they often tended to overcook.

[flyingv4me]

They just posted on Facebook that all gourmet Burgers and Hot Dogs will be $9.95

 

Maybe they are Kobe beef hot dogs. LOL!