Revolution of Specialty Restaurants

[Fogfog]

I have searched and am not finding any information re the plans of X and the specialty restaurants.

 

Is X planning to remove Murano, Tuscan Grill, Silk Harvest etc from the ships?

 

I realize Qsine is LPC and yet have seen pics of the other menu....so am wondering if X is still going to offer both Qsine and LPC (in Qsine)

 

What they do to the specialty restaurants will impact stateroom choice.

 

TYIA

[jelayne]

Tuscan is still on the Millenium post revolution so seem that restaurant will remain.

[Texed]

They did tell us when we were on Equinox that Silk Harvest was going away.  But, you never know for sure until it is done.  😊

[kathynorth]

IMO, Le Petit Chef is a one and done experience. We were on a 14 night cruise where there was very little interest in LPC and we were offered a bargain rate of $30pp to book the dinner. It will be a shame if Celebrity permanently eliminates Silk Harvest and Qsine in favor of LPC. They should consider keeping these restaurants in place and offer the LPC experience once or twice per cruise. 

[lisiamc]

21 minutes ago, kathynorth said:

IMO, Le Petit Chef is a one and done experience. We were on a 14 night cruise where there was very little interest in LPC and we were offered a bargain rate of $30pp to book the dinner. It will be a shame if Celebrity permanently eliminates Silk Harvest and Qsine in favor of LPC. They should consider keeping these restaurants in place and offer the LPC experience once or twice per cruise. 

I think that would be a very sensible approach.  After everyone has done it once or twice they will be relying totally on new cruisers to fill LPC every night, and I don’t think there will be enough of those on every cruise.  

[Fogfog]

1 hour ago, jelayne said:

Tuscan is still on the Millenium post revolution so seem that restaurant will remain.

Yes

and what about the rest?

[Fogfog]

40 minutes ago, Texed said:

They did tell us when we were on Equinox that Silk Harvest was going away.  But, you never know for sure until it is done.  😊

What will replace it? LPC seems unsustainable

[Luvcrusn]

At this point we only do Murano. LPC is a one and done and Qsine is a novelty that's exhausted itself for us, especially since we often cruise just the two of us. As far as Tuscan goes, we don't care for it and find it neither a true steakhouse, nor authentic Italian. The Lawn Club is good, but honestly, we grill steaks at home that are just as good or better and don't feel it's worth the price. If they remove Murano from the S-class ships like they did from M-class, we'll skip specialty dining altogether. So far Edge prices and the IV's aren't attractive to us. Sorry to sound like a negative Nelly, but those are my thoughts.

[Fogfog]

27 minutes ago, Luvcrusn said:

At this point we only do Murano. LPC is a one and done and Qsine is a novelty that's exhausted itself for us, especially since we often cruise just the two of us. As far as Tuscan goes, we don't care for it and find it neither a true steakhouse, nor authentic Italian. The Lawn Club is good, but honestly, we grill steaks at home that are just as good or better and don't feel it's worth the price. If they remove Murano from the S-class ships like they did from M-class, we'll skip specialty dining altogether. So far Edge prices and the IV's aren't attractive to us. Sorry to sound like a negative Nelly, but those are my thoughts.

We prefer Murano and typical ate there about 3 times in a week.

Great food and service

always

 

 

Have bookings on S class and those will change based on Murano availability

 

Did Q Sine once which as a couple was yummy--and would be better as a four ... had great mid east items and indian curries ...had to tell them to cancel the rest--as we were stuffed.

As a "tasting" menu 4 is a better table arrangement

 

Lawn Club always had a great steak/lamb/seafood in a casual atmosphere and with others--its a fun bbq event

Tuscan-- did it once- Great food but slow service.

 

Without the specialty restaurants-- we will be firmly pushed into AQ and suites.

Have had too many bad meals in mdr...like bad cafeteria food things. Was it our table position? idk... but they were bad

 

 

Edited February 21, 2019 by Fogfog

[Texed]

26 minutes ago, Fogfog said:

What will replace it? LPC seems unsustainable

 

They did say LPC would replace SH.  But, that is why I said let's wait and see.  😊

[Luvcrusn]

That's precisely why we do Aqua. If we feel like it, we book Murano, if not we're happy in Blu. 

[WonderMan3]

So far all we definitely know about is Millennium which did not change any of its specialty restaurants. Qsine was supposed to change to La Petit Chef but was not updated and will remain as Qsine according to those who have been on Millennium since the updates. Supposedly the same thing will happen with Summit. We will know for sure next month when it comes out of drydock.

 

For the other two M class ships the restaurants are supposed to remain the same except for Qsine which is supposed to change to La Petit Chef. We won't know definitely until next year when Infinity gets updated.

 

For S class all the restaurants are supposed to remain the same again except for Qsine which will change to La Petit Chef (already done on a couple ships) and Silk Harvest on Solstice and Equinox is supposed to also become La Petit Chef. One remaining mystery is regarding the Gastropub. This is something that has its own venue on Equinox and operates out of the Passport Bar on the other ships. Celebrity press release mentioned an "expanded Gastropub concept". It's not clear what that means but it could be that they are finally going to replace Cellar Masters with the Gastropub like was done on Equinox. We won't get an answer on that until Silhouette gets updated next year.

[Fogfog]

Just now, WonderMan3 said:

So far all we definitely know about is Millennium which did not change any of its specialty restaurants. Qsine was supposed to change to La Petit Chef but was not updated and will remain as Qsine according to those who have been on Millennium since the updates. Supposedly the same thing will happen with Summit. We will know for sure next month when it comes out of drydock.

 

For the other two M class ships the restaurants are supposed to remain the same except for Qsine which is supposed to change to La Petit Chef. We won't know definitely until next year when Infinity gets updated.

 

For S class all the restaurants are supposed to remain the same again except for Qsine which will change to La Petit Chef (already done on a couple ships) and Silk Harvest on Solstice and Equinox is supposed to also become La Petit Chef. One remaining mystery is regarding the Gastropub. This is something that has its own venue on Equinox and operates out of the Passport Bar on the other ships. Celebrity press release mentioned an "expanded Gastropub concept". It's not clear what that means but it could be that they are finally going to replace Cellar Masters with the Gastropub like was done on Equinox. We won't get an answer on that until Silhouette gets updated next year.

TY

We would be pleased if Murano remains

The issue becomes --stateroom choice--and what is available after revolution.

We haven;t done LPC --though saw the video on youtube

 

 

[Xport]

40 minutes ago, WonderMan3 said:

So far all we definitely know about is Millennium which did not change 

 

For the other two M class ships the restaurants are supposed to remain the same except for Qsine which is supposed to change to La Petit Chef. We won't know definitely until next year when Infinity gets updated.

 

Le Petit Chef replaced Qsine on Infinity effective with the Pacific Coastal cruise that departed San Diego—for Vancouver—on 17 May 2018.

[contessaMD]

I will be exceedingly disappointed if Qsine has been banished forever in favor of Le Petit Chef, which I feel is a gimmicky way to extract $50 per person for surf and turf.  

 

I can't expect there would be terribly many repeat customers to that venue.  If you've seen it once you've seen it a million times. Celebrity is making a terrible business decision if they are putting all of their specialty dining eggs in this loser of a basket.

 

Of all the techniques and tastes to explore in modern dining, I remain perplexed as to why this is the direction Celebrity decided to go in for all of its ships.  They are really going to regret it in a few years.  I feel as though they got sold a concept that was already 5 years too old when they implemented it.  

 

I really enjoyed Qsine.  It was one of the only ways to sample a variety of foods that weren't the usual French or Italian (not that there's anything wrong with that...) that get so boring if it's all you're tasting for 7 days or more.

 

 

[Alsmez]

Interesting speculation. We usually cruise S-class in a balcony with a dining package for all nights of the cruise as we have no interest in the MDR. Last time on Silhouette we ate once in Qsine, once in Tuscan and the remaining 5 nights in Murano. It is by far the best restaurant on the S-Class and I think they would be really stupid to get rid of it. On our upcoming Summit cruise, we opted for a Sky Suite precisely because the only specialties available were Tuscan and Qsine, and there was no way we were eating 7 meals between those two venues. If they remove Murano from S-Class without an equivalent replacement (which Le Petit Chef is NOT, what a joke), we would only sail in AQ or a suite on those ships as well.

[youwash]

While on Summit Jan. 29 to Feb 10 we were told by Vulcan our waiter in Tuscan that Quisine will remain after the "revolution" but will get menu changes. Tuscan was to remain also but it will be made smaller. 

 

[WonderMan3]

1 hour ago, Xport said:

 

Le Petit Chef replaced Qsine on Infinity effective with the Pacific Coastal cruise that departed San Diego—for Vancouver—on 17 May 2018.

 

Good to know. I knew that LPC had made it on to a few ships like Reflection but I had lost track of which ones had gotten the update already.

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, Luvcrusn said:

That's precisely why we do Aqua. If we feel like it, we book Murano, if not we're happy in Blu. 

Funny, but we have adopted a different point of view after quite a few cruises in Aqua.  We found Blu to be somewhat boring with a menu that is heavy on braised meats and not high on quality.  We finally realized that it made sense to book a regular balcony (in a better location then the AQ cabins) and with some of the saved money we could purchase a dining package that allowed us to dine in Murano on most nights.  In a sense this made Murano our regular restaurant and we did mix it up with an occasional MDR meal (usually on gala nights) and some meals in other alternative restaurants.  The worse meal we have ever had in Murano is lightyears better then the best meal we have ever had in Blu.

 

The question should be, how much extra is Aqua Class worth (over regular balconies)?  I am speaking of S-Class ships.  We used to think that Aqua was worth no more then an extra $25 per passenger day but recently downgraded that to about $15.  That is because we could dine in Murano darn near every night for about $25 per person...with a package.   Compare the tableside fileted Dover Sole in Murano with the poached watery fish in Blu.  Or compare Murano's Chateaubriand with the steak offered in Murano.  It is not even close.

 

Hank

[Luvcrusn]

Hlitner, I agree with you about Murano, but even though we love it, and dine there once or twice per cruise, the menu there remains the same daily and we're easily bored. I wish they'd change the menu occasionally, but it's remained the same for many years. Glad you've found your sweet spot though. 

[contessaMD]

16 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

The question should be, how much extra is Aqua Class worth (over regular balconies)?  I am speaking of S-Class ships.  We used to think that Aqua was worth no more then an extra $25 per passenger day but recently downgraded that to about $15.  That is because we could dine in Murano darn near every night for about $25 per person...with a package.   Compare the tableside fileted Dover Sole in Murano with the poached watery fish in Blu.  Or compare Murano's Chateaubriand with the steak offered in Murano.  It is not even close.

 

This is an excellent point.  If eating well on a cruise is a non-negotiable, then it makes more sense to spend money where the food is, and make cuts elsewhere.  Minus the additional fake internet points (aka Captain's Club points), one wonders where the extra money really goes.

 

However, I feel like it would make a world of difference if X could finally switch up the MDR offerings - those menus are tired.  Which they won't do, because the objective is to steer eaters toward upcharge restaurants on the ship.

[lisiamc]

14 minutes ago, Luvcrusn said:

Hlitner, I agree with you about Murano, but even though we love it, and dine there once or twice per cruise, the menu there remains the same daily and we're easily bored. I wish they'd change the menu occasionally, but it's remained the same for many years. Glad you've found your sweet spot though. 

 

And the menu is still the once-trendy “truffle with practically everything” that it’s  been for a decade.  I hate truffle, and I can smell it from about 50 paces away, even with a heavy cold.  I’ve been waiting for the Murano menu to change away from so many truffled dishes for a few years now.  Maybe I’d eat in there more often if I didn’t have to work around the truffle.

[FLbeachbaby]

Good food is a big issue for us. At home, I would not spend money to go out to eat marginal food. We cook quite well, with nice ingredients and variety. My vacation is partly not having to cook, and enjoying nice meals out. I think people are becoming more knowledgeable about food and have a genuine interest in quality offerings. Sure, do some of you like basic, homey food and some like exotic adventurous food ? That should not be problem. Do it well, with attention to detail, and good ingredients. I have vegans, gluten free, carnivores, veggie-phobes, dairy free, sugar free, cardboard eaters  in my family and somehow I manage to make it tasty. Granted it's not for 2000, but it's modern and it's delicious. I don't want a fancy room and so-so food. I want all aspects of my cruise to exude this "modern luxury".

[Alsmez]

5 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Funny, but we have adopted a different point of view after quite a few cruises in Aqua.  We found Blu to be somewhat boring with a menu that is heavy on braised meats and not high on quality.  We finally realized that it made sense to book a regular balcony (in a better location then the AQ cabins) and with some of the saved money we could purchase a dining package that allowed us to dine in Murano on most nights.  In a sense this made Murano our regular restaurant and we did mix it up with an occasional MDR meal (usually on gala nights) and some meals in other alternative restaurants.  The worse meal we have ever had in Murano is lightyears better then the best meal we have ever had in Blu.

 

The question should be, how much extra is Aqua Class worth (over regular balconies)?  I am speaking of S-Class ships.  We used to think that Aqua was worth no more then an extra $25 per passenger day but recently downgraded that to about $15.  That is because we could dine in Murano darn near every night for about $25 per person...with a package.   Compare the tableside fileted Dover Sole in Murano with the poached watery fish in Blu.  Or compare Murano's Chateaubriand with the steak offered in Murano.  It is not even close.

 

Hank

 

This is what we've come to realize as well, especially since AQ was only $100 more than a regular balcony for our entire 7-day cruise when we chose to go that route but now tends to be $100 PER DAY more, which is just ludicrous. However, using the dining package to upgrade your dining only works if Murano is in the mix. Without it, I'd rather dine in Blu, although to be fair I haven't paid a lot of attention to the Blu menu in recent years. It is entirely possible that it has slipped in quality.

[cangelmd]

9 hours ago, Alsmez said:

Interesting speculation. We usually cruise S-class in a balcony with a dining package for all nights of the cruise as we have no interest in the MDR. Last time on Silhouette we ate once in Qsine, once in Tuscan and the remaining 5 nights in Murano. It is by far the best restaurant on the S-Class and I think they would be really stupid to get rid of it. On our upcoming Summit cruise, we opted for a Sky Suite precisely because the only specialties available were Tuscan and Qsine, and there was no way we were eating 7 meals between those two venues. If they remove Murano from S-Class without an equivalent replacement (which Le Petit Chef is NOT, what a joke), we would only sail in AQ or a suite on those ships as well.

Maybe encouraging (by discouraging) people to book suites is one of the goals.

 

9 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Funny, but we have adopted a different point of view after quite a few cruises in Aqua.  We found Blu to be somewhat boring with a menu that is heavy on braised meats and not high on quality.  We finally realized that it made sense to book a regular balcony (in a better location then the AQ cabins) and with some of the saved money we could purchase a dining package that allowed us to dine in Murano on most nights.  In a sense this made Murano our regular restaurant and we did mix it up with an occasional MDR meal (usually on gala nights) and some meals in other alternative restaurants.  The worse meal we have ever had in Murano is lightyears better then the best meal we have ever had in Blu.

 

The question should be, how much extra is Aqua Class worth (over regular balconies)?  I am speaking of S-Class ships.  We used to think that Aqua was worth no more then an extra $25 per passenger day but recently downgraded that to about $15.  That is because we could dine in Murano darn near every night for about $25 per person...with a package.   Compare the tableside fileted Dover Sole in Murano with the poached watery fish in Blu.  Or compare Murano's Chateaubriand with the steak offered in Murano.  It is not even close.

 

Hank

I think your approach is intriguing, but it would not work for me. I like the food in Murano, but no way I could eat there 4-5 times in a week - too heavy and repetitive.

 

Food is the most subjective topic discussed here. We are planning on a few long cruises after retirement, and that’s one thing I’ve wondered about - getting completely tired of the food