Celebrity Summit - what's the food like???

[glf2710]

We are thinking of booking a cruise on Summit next year for our 25th Anniversary.  Never been on Celebrity before so we are wondering what the food is like.  Recently we have cruised on P&O Britannia - yes the food in the MDR is not so good, but we tend to pay the supplement and eat in Epicurean which is probably on a par with the Michelin star restaurants we have eaten in.

 

Can anyone let me know what the MDR and speciality food is like.

 

I've seen pictures taken by passengers - some of it looks pretty grim tbh - but some photos it looks great.  I've heard Celebrity is the cruise line for foodies???  Thoughts and comments welcome.

[Lace]

I am curious as well.  What are the base options, how many sit down meals are there per day, what are the alternatives, what can you order off the menu, how many things can you order off the menu, etc.

 

the Celebrity website is pretty poor to offer any info.  I ordered a brochure.  I hope it comes soon.

[jelayne]

A search of theses boards should turn up some MDR menus.  The menus are the same across the fleet.  

In the MDR there are 3 meals a day.  The Oceanview Cafe  (buffet) serves food from about 6:30 am until midnight or 1 am.  Late afternoon it is sandwiches, pizza, pasta, salad, desserts and after 9 30 pm pizza & pasta.  The  Pool Grill/Mast Grill is open from about 11am to 6 pm with hamburgers, hot dogs fries, etc.  the Spa Cafe has breakfast & lunch.  Cafe Al Bacio has speciality coffees & teas for a charge but the pastries and desserts have no charge.

 

The Summit has Tuscan Grill, Qsine and Sushi on 5 speciality restaurants for which there is a charge.  

 

 

[dkjretired]

2 hours ago, Lace said:

I am curious as well.  What are the base options, how many sit down meals are there per day, what are the alternatives, what can you order off the menu, how many things can you order off the menu, etc.

 

the Celebrity website is pretty poor to offer any info.  I ordered a brochure.  I hope it comes soon.

 

If you go to the bottom of the website you can get e brochures which are the same as the ones you will get in the mail.

[Airrace]

The subject of food is hard to rate, I for one never use anyone’s option on food as everybody taste is different.  What I look for is all the different types of restaurants and their menus.

 

Summit Cele

[Airrace]

The Summit has a lot of different restaurants. If you get a suite you will have access to the Luminare which offers you the most choices for meals. You get a choice of the Main Dinning Room (MDR) and their own menu. The dinning room is also smaller and you just show up and they have a table ready for you. The service is excellent and as they get to know you they will have ant specialty item you like ready for you each time. I really like the idea of having the same people wait on you every time.

 

The MDR is alright but very crowded and you have to be prepared to eat at a specific time each day. 

 

My wife loves Cream Brûlée and because they serve it cold she doesn’t order it. I have had it and even though it would be better hot it was good in flavor.

 

 

i would si

[Airrace]

I would suggest to get on the  Summit  website and look up the menus on all the restaurants.

[jelayne]

27 minutes ago, Airrace said:

The MDR is alright but very crowded and you have to be prepared to eat at a specific time each day. 

 

 

Your comment is only correct for traditional dining.

 When you booked you can pick traditional dining (set time same table, same staff every night) or Select dining.  Select (anytime time dining you canmake a reservation if you want; it doesn’t have to be the same time every night or you can just show up when you are ready to dine.

[bikerunner]

6 hours ago, glf2710 said:

We are thinking of booking a cruise on Summit next year for our 25th Anniversary.  Never been on Celebrity before so we are wondering what the food is like.  Recently we have cruised on P&O Britannia - yes the food in the MDR is not so good, but we tend to pay the supplement and eat in Epicurean which is probably on a par with the Michelin star restaurants we have eaten in.

 

Can anyone let me know what the MDR and speciality food is like.

 

I've seen pictures taken by passengers - some of it looks pretty grim tbh - but some photos it looks great.  I've heard Celebrity is the cruise line for foodies???  Thoughts and comments welcome.

If your looking for on par with Michelin not going to get it.  Like many said food is subjective.  I worked in Hospitality many years and have had no issues with any of the service or food, if I didn't like something I got something else pretty simple.  The food in the specialty have always been a step up but would not put them on par with Michelin at all.  That is a different level which is not I cant see doing on a ship with 2k4k people.  But for what Celebrity does I find they are better then the other mass market lines, carnival, ncl, rcl, etc.  I am going to be doing an Asmara cruise next year, really bad spelling on my behalf btw.   I have not been in  Luminare because I don't book suites, I only sleep in the room and store clothes to change in. Im always out an about spending as much time I can in the outdoors on the pool deck, shows etc. 

[Alsmez]

7 hours ago, glf2710 said:

We are thinking of booking a cruise on Summit next year for our 25th Anniversary.  Never been on Celebrity before so we are wondering what the food is like.  Recently we have cruised on P&O Britannia - yes the food in the MDR is not so good, but we tend to pay the supplement and eat in Epicurean which is probably on a par with the Michelin star restaurants we have eaten in.

 

Can anyone let me know what the MDR and speciality food is like.

 

I've seen pictures taken by passengers - some of it looks pretty grim tbh - but some photos it looks great.  I've heard Celebrity is the cruise line for foodies???  Thoughts and comments welcome.

 

We are very into food and after our first cruise on Equinox, we have opted not to return to the MDR (except one night on our 2018 sailing, just to see if we had made the right choice - we had!). The food in the MDR is not necessarily bad; in fact, it can be very good at times, but it is still mass-produced, banquet hall food. The atmosphere is hectic and the service can be rushed/sloppy/inconsistent/mediocre.

 

If you want made-to-order meals and great service, you will either need to eat in Blu, Luminae or a specialty restaurant. We just returned from a Summit cruise where we booked a Sky Suite to have access to Luminae, and the food there was mostly very good to excellent, with a few clunkers. The service was top-notch; I would say it was equal to Michelin 1-star level. Our experiences in Blu (on Reflection) have also been largely positive. Unfortunately Summit has limited specialty options (Qsine, Sushi on 5 and Tuscan Grill), none of which we like enough to dine in for a whole cruise. I would recommend booking Aqua or a Suite if you want to be assured access to a dining room with a menu that changes nightly that is NOT the MDR.

[K12Guy]

Food is so incredibly subjective and each person has their own tastes for each variable of food products. That said, I am NOT a foodie (whatever that really means). Thus I eat to live. Don't live to eat.

The question seems to be if the food products on Celebrity would be really good. My answer is simply, yes, most of the time at most locations on the ship. I've often thought it was a good idea to get off ship, wander into the city or town where we are docked, and have some kind of meal there. In most cases I've been really glad to get back to the ship and looking forward to dinner at Luminae. We haven't eaten any meals in the Main Dining Room on our Celebrity cruises, so I can't offer an opinion there. We got stuck having to go to the cattle station in OceanView for lunch one day (I think it might have been on Equinox). The food was fine, once I got to it. The people, however, make cattle look like top social diners. Honestly, I could not believe how often people cut in front of me to get the last bit of whatever from the serving dish or bowl. As if they may never get another small chunk of white fish. Let's not even talk about bacon. Then there is the issue of finding a table for one or two and a server who might be able to get a drink of some kind. Wow.

I am so blessed we get to be spoiled by the Luminae crew. Looking forward to Alaska fairly soon.

And I don't really care if the food is mediocre. But, my loving wife will. 🙂

 

[clskinsfan]

I cant speak on the Summit's food quality as I dont sail here until January. But I just got off of the Eclipse a couple of weeks ago. And we have cruised on almost every major line. And by far TO US Celebrity had the best MDR food we have ever had on a cruise. The smaller Royal ships from the mid to late 90's were pretty close. But you are going to have a hard time finding better food and service in any MDR on the seas than we experienced on the Eclipse. I only hope the Summit is as good this winter.

[papadave]

We were on the Summit last summer and really enjoyed the food.  Sea day lunch was surprisingly good, as well.  Generally, a bit more refined than Carnival or NCL, but when they are sending out 500-1,000 orders of prime rib (or something similar) it will be around the same as if you were attending a large wedding.  If you want items that are cooked to order, ask your waiter.  You may find that there are some things on the menu which they make in limited quantity to order (sometimes, the fish) or food that is better made slowly in large batches (braised veal shank, braised lamb shank).  

 

The buffet was not so great, although okay.  

[Denny01]

I think the MDR has a good selection of options and I personally love to try dishes I’ll not find in local restaurants as much.I like the lamb dishes and many of the appetizers and soups. Fun to add more than a few. 

 

As you can see from the earlier posts, dining is so subjective. But the neat thing about a cruise is, if you don’t like the dish you ordered, flag you servers down and try another dish! Or roll with it and order two desserts. Fun!

 

we’ve cruised Summit many times, doing the St Laurence to Quebec City (love it!) and Bermuda on Her. Dining is enjoyable with lots of options, but just being at sea adds to it so much. Early on in my cruising, I tried a bit of pickled herring, a dish many dont enjoy. I loved it! So I’d have it on all our cruises, the only reason (along with the Eggs Benedict) I’d go to the buffet for breakfast. I get home, and get a whole bottle of herring......and it wasn’t nearly as nice. In fact, I didn’t like it sitting ther on my plate at home. Lesson.....being at sea, on a big piece of metal plowing through saltwater changes the taste of food!!!

 

Den

[hcat]

We are booked on Summit in 2020,  and are not going to be in AQ Class with Blu ....a big change for us.  We will try Tuscan once or twice...and .maybe Q sine if it does not include LPC.  

 

Hoping we can manage with the mdr ( select dining),  room service  and the buffet. We plan to  enjoy some nice lunches out  in the ports,...Newport, Bermuda and Charleston.

 

Hoping  for  continued feedback on Summit dining!

 

 

[davekathy]

We like the food served in the MDR on all of our Celebrity cruises. 

[K12Guy]

On 6/3/2019 at 9:42 PM, Denny01 said:

I think the MDR has a good selection of options and I personally love to try dishes I’ll not find in local restaurants as much.I like the lamb dishes and many of the appetizers and soups. Fun to add more than a few. 

 

As you can see from the earlier posts, dining is so subjective. But the neat thing about a cruise is, if you don’t like the dish you ordered, flag you servers down and try another dish! Or roll with it and order two desserts. Fun!

 

we’ve cruised Summit many times, doing the St Laurence to Quebec City (love it!) and Bermuda on Her. Dining is enjoyable with lots of options, but just being at sea adds to it so much. Early on in my cruising, I tried a bit of pickled herring, a dish many dont enjoy. I loved it! So I’d have it on all our cruises, the only reason (along with the Eggs Benedict) I’d go to the buffet for breakfast. I get home, and get a whole bottle of herring......and it wasn’t nearly as nice. In fact, I didn’t like it sitting ther on my plate at home. Lesson.....being at sea, on a big piece of metal plowing through saltwater changes the taste of food!!!

 

Den

Interesting thoughts. Not sure about the herring, however. I just may give it a try on our August Hubbard Glacier cruise. However if fresh halibut is offered the herring will indeed be, 'red'.

 

Your point about the seawater and salty air is very salient. I think it may all add to how food tastes, but again, we are not foodies and I don't oohhhh and ahhhhh when the food shows up. I think about the process of how to eat it so everything complements the next bite. Presentation is important, yes, but I don't see food as being beautiful as some might. Exception may be some desserts. They can look really nice.

[GenXer85]

The food in the MDR was mostly good. I would stay away from Fish dishes in this setting though. The Tuscan grill was amazing. We did not like q-sine... very rich not particularly special options. I want to try Sushi place next time. I found the ocean grill adequate for lunch. If nothing else, the Indian food was great. Having breakfast in the MDR is like night and day from Ocean Grill. It’s relaxing and far better. 

[lmklimmek]

Adding my two cents... despite food being subjective. 

 

As a bit of background, I'm a young professional who lives in a larger city with many restaurant options.  My preference is farm to table restaurants with craft cocktails :) My husband and I consider ourselves foodies and have dined at Michelin starred restaurants all over the world.  We do not cruise for food but for the overall experience.  

 

None of our meals on any cruise line compare to a Michelin restaurant.  However, we never expect them too. At best, they may compare to a land based restaurant. 

 

Below would be our categorization of service. We dinned in each of these venues in December of 2018. 

 

MDR = Wedding Banquet Food with Mediocre Service

Tuscan Grille = Olive Garden Quality with Great Service

Murano = Land based Restaurant Quality and Great Service (would eat here every night)

Qsine = Trendy Restaurant with Applebee's quality and Mediocre Service

Luminae = 50% land based restaurant quality 50% applebee's with FABULOUS service

 

Like many have said... food is extremely subjective.  I've tired to provide my background and a fair (but honest) assessment. 

 

[Denny01]

21 minutes ago, lmklimmek said:

Adding my two cents... despite food being subjective. 

 

As a bit of background, I'm a young professional who lives in a larger city with many restaurant options.  My preference is farm to table restaurants with craft cocktails 🙂 My husband and I consider ourselves foodies and have dined at Michelin starred restaurants all over the world.  We do not cruise for food but for the overall experience.  

 

None of our meals on any cruise line compare to a Michelin restaurant.  However, we never expect them too. At best, they may compare to a land based restaurant. 

 

Below would be our categorization of service. We dinned in each of these venues in December of 2018. 

 

MDR = Wedding Banquet Food with Mediocre Service

Tuscan Grille = Olive Garden Quality with Great Service

Murano = Land based Restaurant Quality and Great Service (would eat here every night)

Qsine = Trendy Restaurant with Applebee's quality and Mediocre Service

Luminae = 50% land based restaurant quality 50% applebee's with FABULOUS service

 

Like many have said... food is extremely subjective.  I've tired to provide my background and a fair (but honest) assessment. 

 

I agree with dining opinions are very subjective, but I Always get a kick out of the ‘MDR is a Wedding Banquet Food’ comments. Yup, every wedding I’ve been to I’ve dined on lamb and escargot (served every night) and Beef Wellington. Yup, every wedding. 

 

I’ll also agree with it not being a Michelin restaurant, but then again, no ship’s MDR is now is it. And yes, been on a few luxury lines and their MDR’s aren’t it either. 

 

Den

[sailorfool57]

As long as I don't have to cook it, and it's not fast food, I'm not griping, and I'm known to be a pretty darn good cook.  Anything in the main dining room is probably fancier than what I cook at home, so it will be great for me.  If I want to spend more money to eat at a better place, it won't be on the ship--- it will be in one of the port cities or when I get home.  I try to eat grass-fed or organic while at home, but I just enjoy food on my cruises for what it is. Everyone needs a little eggs benedict or lox and bagel in their lives.  Throw in a few snails and lobsters while we're at it!

[hiccups]

On 6/3/2019 at 6:05 AM, glf2710 said:

I've seen pictures taken by passengers - some of it looks pretty grim tbh - but some photos it looks great.  I've heard Celebrity is the cruise line for foodies???  Thoughts and comments welcome.

I've never heard Celebrity is the cruise line for foodies--I'd look towards Oceania for that.  That being said, we thought the food on Equinox two weeks ago was fine.  An odd item to note, but they had the best pork chops we've ever had.

[Wine-O]

Their evening buffet is so much better that Royal Caribbean.   They have carving stations consisting of pork, turkey, beef, sausage, and chicken.  Additionally, check out back aft where they serve sandwiches/paninis for lunch.  They have cook to order strip steaks, pork, chicken, and fish, along with evening specials.  Check it out if you want a very casual dinner, especially after an all-day excursion ashore when you don't feel like dressing up and going to the MDR.  🍷

[George C]

Loved the food in luminae which is there suite restaurant, if suite is in your budget that is the way to go, both food and service is excellent.  We also liked Tuscan grill, as just said the buffet is much better than most lines. 

[TommyD3]

I have sailed over 150 times on Celebrity since 1983.

The food used to be AMAZING.

They have been making a number of changes to the MDR menu this calendar year.

Cost savings.

Deleting filet mignon and veal dishes (among others) to save money.

The quality of the beef is WAY DOWN.

Lots of fat and grizzle now !!!

Blu is better as is Luminae.

Problem with Luminae is the very limited menu.

Also they used to make off menu stuff (like a filet mignon) in Luminae but no more.

Booked 7 night Equinox in August recently, AQ was $200 per person more than Concierge.

Blu is nice but for that price I could dine in specialty EVERY night for small extra $$$.

For me Luminae is not worth the 2-3X cruise cost (over Concierge) !!!