Goodbye to Free Burgers and Mast Grill ???

[ChucktownSteve]

I've never seen a male cow. Would it be the biological opposite to a female bull? :cool:

 

 

So I took some poetic license. But yeah. I had to find a way to say what I thought it was without getting a warning! But the first word WAS bull. :-)

 

 

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[chamima]

So I took some poetic license. But yeah. I had to find a way to say what I thought it was without getting a warning! But the first word WAS bull. :-)

 

 

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What you were trying to say was pretty clear! :D;)

[Fouremco]

What you were trying to say was pretty clear! :D;)

Udderly clear! ;p

[peyroutous]

I'm not sure if this was a joke that just combined every word known for more expensive foods but I was curious so googled the individual words.

 

Truffles are vegetables - ok there.

 

Gourmet and Artisan are meaningless marketing words.

 

Osetra is caviar so not vegetarian. (Fish eggs)

 

Kobe is beef.

 

Jidori is to chicken what Kobe is to beef.

 

 

 

So again - I hope that was just a joke. :eek:

 

 

Kobe meat loaf appeared on the MDR dinner menu on April Eclipse TA. Was ordered by a table companion but returned...could this have been a premiere of the "Kobe beef"?

 

 

 

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[ChucktownSteve]

Udderly clear! ;p

 

Good. Now we can mooooooove along. :D

[smtcan]

We are Elite + with Celebrity, but for the first time in ten years we have no Celebrity cruises booked. This is not because of the additional charge for burgers - I can't recall ever eating a burger on a ship although DH may have had a couple. It is mainly because of the repetitive itineraries, We are looking for something new, and this year we are doing a safari in Tanzania and in December a land tour in China and a short RCI cruise. This cruise may well be our last for a while. Land tours seem to have more appeal at the moment. We have never been suite cruisers and we do not see drink packages providing value for us, which makes us reluctant to try all inclusive lines. All this nickel and diiming doesn't help, so for us it is time for a change.

[Hlitner]

We are Elite + with Celebrity, but for the first time in ten years we have no Celebrity cruises booked. This is not because of the additional charge for burgers - I can't recall ever eating a burger on a ship although DH may have had a couple. It is mainly because of the repetitive itineraries, We are looking for something new, and this year we are doing a safari in Tanzania and in December a land tour in China and a short RCI cruise. This cruise may well be our last for a while. Land tours seem to have more appeal at the moment. We have never been suite cruisers and we do not see drink packages providing value for us, which makes us reluctant to try all inclusive lines. All this nickel and diiming doesn't help, so for us it is time for a change.

 

This Mast Grill issue is just one more small nail in the coffin...that is driving more and more cruisers away from ships to land based trips. Like you we are Elite +, and we also in the high frequent cruise categories of several other cruise lines. For the past 12 years (since retirement) we average around 100 days of cruising per year....a portion of it on X. But this year we have only booked 59 days of cruising (only 2 cruises...38 with HAL and 21 with X). Normally we would have at least another 100 days of cruises under booking...but not this time. This year we are cruising exactly half the days we did in 2016...and we have zero days booked for 2018!

 

It is not just Celebrity...but all the mass market lines which just keep cutting back and increasing prices. Its kind of like a death by a thousand cuts. We are very comfortable on land trips (in Europe we simply rent or lease a car for a month or two and go). Up until recently we thought that cruise vacations were a terrific bargain (and fun) but that has changed. We used to travel in Europe when a Euro cost us over $1.40...but now its only about $1.10. So while cruises have cut back (and raised prices) the cost of travel in Europe has actually dropped about 20% due to currency shifts. For us, Europe is on sale and the food is a heck of a lot better then what we get on X.

 

Hank

[lovemylab]

This Mast Grill issue is just one more small nail in the coffin...that is driving more and more cruisers away from ships to land based trips. Like you we are Elite +, and we also in the high frequent cruise categories of several other cruise lines. For the past 12 years (since retirement) we average around 100 days of cruising per year....a portion of it on X. But this year we have only booked 59 days of cruising (only 2 cruises...38 with HAL and 21 with X). Normally we would have at least another 100 days of cruises under booking...but not this time. This year we are cruising exactly half the days we did in 2016...and we have zero days booked for 2018!

 

It is not just Celebrity...but all the mass market lines which just keep cutting back and increasing prices. Its kind of like a death by a thousand cuts. We are very comfortable on land trips (in Europe we simply rent or lease a car for a month or two and go). Up until recently we thought that cruise vacations were a terrific bargain (and fun) but that has changed. We used to travel in Europe when a Euro cost us over $1.40...but now its only about $1.10. So while cruises have cut back (and raised prices) the cost of travel in Europe has actually dropped about 20% due to currency shifts. For us, Europe is on sale and the food is a heck of a lot better then what we get on X.

 

Hank

 

Couldn't agree more.

 

We are in the demographic that Celebrity is trying to market themselves towards (late 30s, no kids and disposable income); however, due to all the cutbacks we are hesitant to book another cruise. Colleagues and friends that are in our age range also have no interest in cruising due to "all the extra costs".

 

Right now we're getting a better value by booking land based vacations.

 

This past Christmas we spent 10 nights at a 4.5 star resort in Jamaica for about half of what a cruise would have cost. At the resort we had a 1 bedroom suite overlooking the ocean. The cruise would have been an inside cabin.

 

This fall we're spending 2 weeks in England for considerably less than what we'd pay to cruise Europe.

 

I get that the cruiselines have a business to run; however, it's cheaper to retain an existing customer than acquire a new one. Lately it seems that Celebrity seems to be doing a pretty good job of pushing existing customers away.

[ABoatNerd]

The cruise lines apparently sail full so they are appealing to sufficient consumers at this time and given current market conditions.

 

We have not patronized Celebrity or any cruise line in 3 years. The cruise industry trend toward "inward focused" ships (despite the bull pontification of L.P. during the Edge release) which are designed to extract maximum cash does Not meet our requirements.

 

Our best trip was on QM2 with her many Vistas - sigh - the completely open walkways above the bridge where the wind is in your face and you breathe deeply of the air.

 

We have 2 land focused trips booked. If a cruise happens in the future, it will likely be Oceania and a small ship context.

 

The more cruise lines eliminate the sea the less likely my household and our friends will spend $ with cruise lines.

 

As others have said, the backlash is underway

[russg140]

We are Elite + with Celebrity, but for the first time in ten years we have no Celebrity cruises booked. This is not because of the additional charge for burgers - I can't recall ever eating a burger on a ship although DH may have had a couple. It is mainly because of the repetitive itineraries, We are looking for something new, and this year we are doing a safari in Tanzania and in December a land tour in China and a short RCI cruise. This cruise may well be our last for a while. Land tours seem to have more appeal at the moment. We have never been suite cruisers and we do not see drink packages providing value for us, which makes us reluctant to try all inclusive lines. All this nickel and diiming doesn't help, so for us it is time for a change.

 

On a total separate note, we just did a Tanzania safari in January. If you have any questions please email me at russg4willard at mac dot com

[Gonzo70]

Kobe meat loaf appeared on the MDR dinner menu on April Eclipse TA. Was ordered by a table companion but returned...could this have been a premiere of the "Kobe beef"?

 

 

 

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Using Kobe beef to make meatloaf might be a capital offense.

[grandgeezer]

Kobe meat loaf appeared on the MDR dinner menu on April Eclipse TA. Was ordered by a table companion but returned...could this have been a premiere of the "Kobe beef"?

 

 

 

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We had this on the Silhouette last April when we did the transatlantic. Disgusting! It went back faster than it came out of the kitchen.

I'm not real picky. 440 days at sea and it's only the second time I sent something back and reorder something else.

[smtcan]

T

It is not just Celebrity...but all the mass market lines which just keep cutting back and increasing prices. Its kind of like a death by a thousand cuts. We are very comfortable on land trips (in Europe we simply rent or lease a car for a month or two and go). Up until recently we thought that cruise vacations were a terrific bargain (and fun) but that has changed. We used to travel in Europe when a Euro cost us over $1.40...but now its only about $1.10. So while cruises have cut back (and raised prices) the cost of travel in Europe has actually dropped about 20% due to currency shifts. For us, Europe is on sale and the food is a heck of a lot better then what we get on X.

 

Hank

 

I agree that it is not just Celebrity who are cutting corners. Coming from Canada we are affected by the high US dollar, but the Pound and the Euro still represent good value. Like you we are comfortable travelling in Europe and one of our best experiences was renting a house in France for a four weeks. I don't really count UK as Europe, since I grew up there, but last month we rented a cottage in Cornwall where we had a most enjoyable time for remarkably little money, including renting a car. When we started cruising we felt it represented unbeatable value for money but this is no longer the case. A five star truly all inclusive resort in the Caribbean costs less than than a balcony cabin on a cruise, even before taking into account specialty restaurants and bar bills, so that is probably how we will be spending our 'get away from winter' holiday next year.

[smtcan]

On a total separate note, we just did a Tanzania safari in January. If you have any questions please email me at russg4willard at mac dot com

 

Thank you. We will probably have questions as the trip draws nearer.

 

Sheila

[emmas gran]

I do hope all these comments are passed on to the "Powers that be" but I doubt it. A comment from a friend was she will have a G&T for lunch instead of a burger!! The drink is "free" from her package.

[insidecabin]

I thought the Mast grill was the grill behind the Mast bar on deck 11,

 

judging by the rendering(on the UK site) of the new Top Deck Burger Bar that's what is changing NOT the pool grill.

[Jade13]

I thought the Mast grill was the grill behind the Mast bar on deck 11,

 

judging by the rendering(on the UK site) of the new Top Deck Burger Bar that's what is changing NOT the pool grill.

 

 

I also thought the same thing when I first read the info that someone had posted that "Top Deck" would be at the top of the ship.

 

 

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[ChucktownSteve]

It appears there may be some confusion between the two ship classes. Even the stories don't make sense.

 

On the S class, which I believe the picture is, there is the Mast Bar and Mast Grill on the Lido deck 14

On the M class there is the pool grill on Resort deck 10 and the Mast Bar on Sunrise deck 11.

 

However this was the original post by Chamima: ""New to the line will be the Top Deck Burger Bar, located on the pool deck in the space formerly known as the Mast Grill."

 

So I looked up the CC story earlier this month which says: (this is what the OP was quoting.)

"We are continually pushing the boundaries of the cruise experience, so we are adding some incredible (this is an adverb and should be incredibly) new (read profit generating) features to Celebrity Constellation," said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, president and CEO of Celebrity Cruises.

New to the line will be the Top Deck Burger Bar, located on the pool deck in the space formerly known as the Mast Grill.

 

The Celebrity web site (no need Celebrity Cruises to copy and past too) says, "Introducing the newest dining option in the fleet, Top Deck Burger Bar. Located up on the Pool Deck, you’ll experience gourmet burgers..."

 

The pool on the Connie is located on the Resort deck. There is no "Pool Deck." So which is it? The pool grill on Connie or the Mast Grill on S class?

 

Edited May 16, 2017 by ChucktownSteve

[chamima]

It appears there may be some confusion between the two ship classes. Even the stories don't make sense.

 

On the S class, which I believe the picture is, there is the Mast Bar and Mast Grill on the Lido deck 14

On the M class there is the pool grill on Resort deck 10 and the Mast Bar on Sunrise deck 11.

 

However this was the original post by Chamima: ""New to the line will be the Top Deck Burger Bar, located on the pool deck in the space formerly known as the Mast Grill."

 

So I looked up the CC story earlier this month which says:

"We are continually pushing the boundaries of the cruise experience, so we are adding some incredible new features to Celebrity Constellation," said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, president and CEO of Celebrity Cruises.

New to the line will be the Top Deck Burger Bar, located on the pool deck in the space formerly known as the Mast Grill.

 

The Celebrity web site (no need Celebrity Cruises to copy and past too) says, "Introducing the newest dining option in the fleet, Top Deck Burger Bar. Located up on the Pool Deck, you’ll experience gourmet burgers..."

 

The pool on the Connie is located on the Resort deck. There is no "pool" deck. So which is it? The pool grill on Connie or the Mast Grill on S class?

 

 

 

I was also just quoting Lisa Lutoff-Perlo in my post.

We've never been on the Connie so I wasn't aware of the differences but it's pretty embarrassing if LL-P doesn't know her own ships!

[MVPinBoynton]

It appears there may be some confusion between the two ship classes. Even the stories don't make sense.

 

On the S class, which I believe the picture is, there is the Mast Bar and Mast Grill on the Lido deck 14

On the M class there is the pool grill on Resort deck 10 and the Mast Bar on Sunrise deck 11.

 

However this was the original post by Chamima: ""New to the line will be the Top Deck Burger Bar, located on the pool deck in the space formerly known as the Mast Grill."

 

So I looked up the CC story earlier this month which says: (this is what the OP was quoting.)

"We are continually pushing the boundaries of the cruise experience, so we are adding some incredible (this is an adverb and should be incredibly) new (read profit generating) features to Celebrity Constellation," said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, president and CEO of Celebrity Cruises.

New to the line will be the Top Deck Burger Bar, located on the pool deck in the space formerly known as the Mast Grill.

 

The Celebrity web site (no need Celebrity Cruises to copy and past too) says, "Introducing the newest dining option in the fleet, Top Deck Burger Bar. Located up on the Pool Deck, you’ll experience gourmet burgers..."

 

The pool on the Connie is located on the Resort deck. There is no "Pool Deck." So which is it? The pool grill on Connie or the Mast Grill on S class?

 

 

I imagine that LLP had a Freudian slip, since they are probably watering their mouths over all the additional revenue they plan to make from the other ships that do have the Mast Grill.

[Cruise Junky]

We are Elite + with Celebrity, but for the first time in ten years we have no Celebrity cruises booked. This is not because of the additional charge for burgers - I can't recall ever eating a burger on a ship although DH may have had a couple. It is mainly because of the repetitive itineraries, We are looking for something new, and this year we are doing a safari in Tanzania and in December a land tour in China and a short RCI cruise. This cruise may well be our last for a while. Land tours seem to have more appeal at the moment. We have never been suite cruisers and we do not see drink packages providing value for us, which makes us reluctant to try all inclusive lines. All this nickel and diiming doesn't help, so for us it is time for a change.

 

Just got back from a land trip to Crete last night. I completely agree with you. Such a better experience.

[Killington]

We were on Constellation last Christmas. There is NO grill on deck 11 where the Mast Bar is located. The only place behind here is the entry to Constellation Lounge, Spa, Kids' Club etc. So the new burger place must be where the current burger bar is on deck 10, ie by the pool, and NOT the top deck. The picture looks like the Mast Bar on M classs, I have not been on S class so cannot comment, but maybe they look the same.

[ChucktownSteve]

We were on Constellation last Christmas. There is NO grill on deck 11 where the Mast Bar is located. The only place behind here is the entry to Constellation Lounge, Spa, Kids' Club etc. So the new burger place must be where the current burger bar is on deck 10, ie by the pool, and NOT the top deck. The picture looks like the Mast Bar on M classs, I have not been on S class so cannot comment, but maybe they look the same.

 

There are no tables at the Mast Bar on the Connie & Summit. There's a small walkway between the bar stools and the railing overlooking the pool. The Mast Bar on Eclipse & Equinox have tables like in the picture. That is if my memory is still holding up. I can't speak for the other ships but I have sailed these.

 

You are correct about the hamburger joints though.

[Fouremco]

The Mast Grill, Deck 14, Celebrity Eclipse.

 

[The_Big_M]

I was also just quoting Lisa Lutoff-Perlo in my post.

We've never been on the Connie so I wasn't aware of the differences but it's pretty embarrassing if LL-P doesn't know her own ships!

 

I wouldn't be too hard on her.

 

Even the official Celebrity deck plans are wrong. From deck 11 of Millennium class they say:

"Mast Bar & Grill

 

The perfect place to grab a quick bite, like burgers and other specialties grilled to order, while relaxing out on the Pool Deck."

 

Of course there is no Mast Grill.

 

 

And from Deck 10:

"Ocean Café / Ocean Grill

 

Our casual dining area includes a pasta bar, freshly made pizza, grilled steak, hamburgers and much more. You can dine under the skylights in our café or at the outside grill's teak bar with translucent awnings."

 

When the plan shows "Pool Grill".

 

Not sure where the skylights, teak bar, or translucent awnings are...