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

[nancyshaw]

When I had posted last year that the food on our last 3 Celeb cruises was nothing like we had in the past ten years of sailing celeb, I was viciously attacked for my comments. 

 

Since then we have booked with other lines. Food taste and quality are really important to us. 

 

I have noticed in the past few months others are also commenting that sometimes their meals in MDR were inedible...yes I use that word again.

 

Would we book with Celeb again?...the answer is YES...for the itinerary.. and a good price......but would go with very low expectations for food taste and quality. Perhaps with NO expectations we may be pleasantly surprised. As an added bonus is the weight loss. That is not a goal on a cruise. Nor is it a need. 

 

And to those who always say, did you mention it to the Maitre D....yes and the chef and the waiters...and in writing......just a waste of our time...it is what it is...they have cut costs wherever they could, food being the large target.

Edited June 19, 2019 by nancyshaw

[klscaz]

4 hours ago, Mynki said:

Sadly the Ocean Liners restaurants on M class (Murano) are all gone and have been replaced with the Tuscan Grille. This venue has a bit of an identity crisis in that it's not a real steakhouse and it's not a real Italian restaurant. And this brings us onto beef. Beef across the Celebrity fleet is pretty poor. Enjoy a nice aged, grass fed steak in any land restaurant and follow it with quick grown, grain fed budget steaks onboard the ship and you will be disappointed. 

We had 2 excellent filet mignon dinners in the Tuscan Grille. In the main dining room, my husband hated the steak that is available every day. One tip; there is a 4 oz. filet mingon on the kid's menu in the MDR. Our waiter brought my husband 3 of them and they were very good.

[Mynki]

Just now, klscaz said:

We had 2 excellent filet mignon dinners in the Tuscan Grille. In the main dining room, my husband hated the steak that is available every day. One tip; there is a 4 oz. filet mingon on the kid's menu in the MDR. Our waiter brought my husband 3 of them and they were very good.

If you enjoyed it great. Sadly I've always been completely underwhelmed with Tuscan and the steaks onboard in general hence my comments. 

I wish I could take you to our local steakhouse. :) 

[klscaz]

1 hour ago, Mynki said:

I wish I could take you to our local steakhouse. 🙂

 

I see that you are in the UK. I would love to go to your local steakhouse! 😉

[Mynki]

19 minutes ago, klscaz said:

 

I see that you are in the UK. I would love to go to your local steakhouse! 😉

I used to have some small scale business interests in the UK beef industry. The production methods in the US differ from those in the UK. That said we are seeing more commercial processes from the US being employed here in the UK. 

I'm generalising a lot, but US beef is produced quicker with animals being supplementary fed on grain to fatten them far quicker and the hanging processes in general are much shorter resulting in two different products. Grass fed cattle raised more traditionally and hung for a few weeks will have a lot more flavour. The beef used on Celebrity cruises is perfectly fine, just not great quality and it lacks flavour compared to a high quality product. The last time I posted something like that I got flamed so I'll leave it there! 

The two tops by the window at the stern on S class Tuscan Grills are a delightful place to have dinner though! 
 

[klscaz]

1 minute ago, Mynki said:

I used to have some small scale business interests in the UK beef industry. The production methods in the US differ from those in the UK. That said we are seeing more commercial processes from the US being employed here in the UK. 

 

The two tops by the window at the stern on S class Tuscan Grills are a delightful place to have dinner though! 
 

I am not a beef expert by any means. The Tuscan is a nice atmosphere. In addition to the steak with a nice gorgonzola sauce, I enjoyed the calamari, broccolini and the chocolate surprise in the creme brulee dessert!

[djpbaltimore]

I have only been on a single Celebrity cruise (Summit in April 2019), so I can't speak to the quality of the MDR experience in the past as others have done upthread.  Nor can I speak about speciality dining, Luminae, or Blu having sailed in an OV cabin.  However, I thought the food was one of the highlights of our trip. 

 

I thought the MDR food quality ranged from good to very good.  There was not a single dish that I disliked.  The first courses were probably the best.  I loved the French onion soup, the escargots, and the scallops rockefeller.  Before embarking, I read quite a bit of criticism about the steak quality, so I had rather low expectations.  But, they were exceeded as I enjoyed the sirloin, steak and chips, and wellington.  The lamb was also tasty.  Someone mentioned the fish upthread and I agree that their salmon was one of the weaker options, along with the flank steak.  I felt that the sauces tended to taste similar.  I really liked the cheesecake as I like cheesecake a little moist.  And the 5 different toppings give a nice variety.  I would also recommend the souffle.  The chocolate cake was a little dry.  The service was hit and miss and was particularly chaotic on the chic nights, but that did not take away from the food and the dishes were all served hot.  In the future, I would try set dining instead of anytime dining.  

 

The buffet was excellent and the seating by the windows is a really smart idea. We never had to hunt for a spot even when it was crowded.  The breads, sides, and non-meat items were probably the highlight.  The proteins were a bit more hit and miss, sometimes excellent (chorizo sausage) and sometimes forgettable (most of the small steaks).  In general, I agree that the deserts looked more impressive than they tasted.  But the one day they featured cupcakes was absolutely delicious.  And when they were offered, the cheesecakes were also very good.  Also be on the lookout for special desserts like the white chocolate fountain station which was present for one day only.  I also liked the mousses that were put out at tea time. It is too bad that I did not see them until my next to last day on the boat.  Overall, I had no issue putting on weight after a week on the Summit.    

[Cachecara]

We have sailed on Summit half a dozen times and 2 of those were within the last year. 

We live outside of NYC and frequent steakhouses frequently.  

We have rarely had a “bad” meal on Summit. Is it Peter Luger’s or Keen’s, no, but I don’t expect it to be. 

[A Sixth?]

I've been on the Summit more than any other single cruise ship, and my wife just got back (most frequent cruiser for the first time) and the MDR food is really good. 

 

If my sister was still alive she'd probably not eat a number of things/// but there you go eh? 🙂

[Denny01]

I realize that those of us who have cruised Celebrity for an extended time like to compare what it was in the ‘good ole days’ and how it’s gone downhill, poorer quality, less service, etc. But in truth, none of that matters, especially when posting for an OP that is a bit new to the Line. Who Cares? On one of our initial cruses, my mother-in-law exclaimed how great the dining service was that she expected them to feed her. the waiter was nearby and came up and took her folk and did exactly that! Hilarious.

 

And yes, the waitstaff have more tables and don’t stand by ‘waiting’ and interacting; I personally like that. I think the service is quite acceptable and I don’t need to get into a deep discussion with the staff, unless I can see they have the time and the interest themselves.

 

As to quality of food. I just came back from Ruby Tuesday’s and enjoyed their ribs. Fell off the bone. Are there better restaurants - by far. I’m about to go to DC and our daughter has a few very fine restaurants picked for us. Instead of paying $40 as I did tonight, I’ll pay $300+. Looking forward to it - for that special occasion. 

 

Cruising, yup I’ll enjoy the MDR where 1,000+ are serviced and do the buffet. I’ve done a high end cruise line and enjoyed it, but for me, it wasn’t worth the cost of two cruises on a more mainline one.

 

I think Celebrity is a cut above what I call the higher end massmarket cruise lines (RCL, Carnival, Princess, HAL etc) and it meets what I’m looking for in cruising at this time in life. 

 

By the way, someone who hates everything they ate at the MDR isn’t a ‘clown’, just someone I’d hate to meet at my favorite restaurant! And those that say the MDR is great aren’t ‘Cheerleaders’, just someone I’d love to meet at my favorite restaurant and watch them go crazy over the Veal Francese (sp?).  But then realizing how tastes and opinion would go, the person hating Celebrity dining would go crazy over the Veal while the person loving Celebrity dining would hate it! Dining opinions, ugh. 

 

Personally, I wish the Hosts would automatically remove posts who described people as  ‘Clowns’ and “Cheerleaders’. It’s insulting and negates people’s opinions without actually addressing the issues - just putdowns. And of course, mine would be removed too!!

 

Den

Edited June 20, 2019 by Denny01

[hurwitz5]

Just got off the Summit on June 16.  The food in the MDR was good to very good -for cruise food.  We have eaten in many 4 star restaurants in NJ and around the country.  We don’t expect the MDR to rival land restaurants.  In Summit’s MDR my DH enjoyed the escargot every night.  The prime rib was tasty and tender.  Lobster tails were plentiful and well prepared.  We especially liked the breaded pork cutlet.  I could always find something to eat.  The new configuration of the buffet was very appealing.  The food was nicely presented, with plenty of choices.  The bakery was the best we have experienced on our 20+ Celebrity Cruises.  The bakery area had flaky croissants and a wide variety of breads and rolls, cakes and cookies.  Every day at 4:00 pm, during afternoon tea at the buffet, besides scones, there were fresh jelly donuts (delicious).  The buffet area also had small tea sandwiches and cut up fresh fruit salad presented in short martini glasses.  If you can’t find decent food on the Summit, you aren’t looking very hard, or you have unrealistic expectations.

[Mynki]

3 hours ago, Denny01 said:

I realize that those of us who have cruised Celebrity for an extended time like to compare what it was in the ‘good ole days’ and how it’s gone downhill, poorer quality, less service, etc. But in truth, none of that matters, especially when posting for an OP that is a bit new to the Line. Who Cares? On one of our initial cruses, my mother-in-law exclaimed how great the dining service was that she expected them to feed her. the waiter was nearby and came up and took her folk and did exactly that! Hilarious.

I agree with you here Den. The dining experience from 10 years ago is completely irrelevant to the OP. 

 

And yes, the waitstaff have more tables and don’t stand by ‘waiting’ and interacting; I personally like that. I think the service is quite acceptable and I don’t need to get into a deep discussion with the staff, unless I can see they have the time and the interest themselves.

Personal opinion here but when you've started your main course BEFORE the sommelier arrives to take your order, your orders (note I state orders and not order) are wrong, incorrect cooking points are served then you can't help but think things are wrong with a ships service levels. I appreciate we all have different expectations though. 

 

As to quality of food. I just came back from Ruby Tuesday’s and enjoyed their ribs. Fell off the bone. Are there better restaurants - by far. I’m about to go to DC and our daughter has a few very fine restaurants picked for us. Instead of paying $40 as I did tonight, I’ll pay $300+. Looking forward to it - for that special occasion. 

Have a great time. I'm booked intro Fishers in Baslow here in Derbyshire. I can't wait for our special occasion either. 

 

Cruising, yup I’ll enjoy the MDR where 1,000+ are serviced and do the buffet. I’ve done a high end cruise line and enjoyed it, but for me, it wasn’t worth the cost of two cruises on a more mainline one.

 

I think Celebrity is a cut above what I call the higher end massmarket cruise lines (RCL, Carnival, Princess, HAL etc) and it meets what I’m looking for in cruising at this time in life. 

More points I agree with. Ponant and Ritz Carlton both look very tempting though. But will they be worth the relatively high cost? A question I keep asking myself...

 

By the way, someone who hates everything they ate at the MDR isn’t a ‘clown’, just someone I’d hate to meet at my favorite restaurant! And those that say the MDR is great aren’t ‘Cheerleaders’, just someone I’d love to meet at my favorite restaurant and watch them go crazy over the Veal Francese (sp?).  But then realizing how tastes and opinion would go, the person hating Celebrity dining would go crazy over the Veal while the person loving Celebrity dining would hate it! Dining opinions, ugh. 

 

Personally, I wish the Hosts would automatically remove posts who described people as  ‘Clowns’ and “Cheerleaders’. It’s insulting and negates people’s opinions without actually addressing the issues - just putdowns. And of course, mine would be removed too!!

 

Den

 

It looks like I'm the only person to have used the word "clown" previous to your post so I assume this is aimed at me. I think you need to read my actual post again. Nowhere have I stated that an individual is a clown because they hate everything in the MDR. I refer to a few individuals who claim that all of the food on the ship is "inedible". There's a big difference between stating you hate the food and that it is "inedible". People who post such comments are indeed clowns in my book. Do you honestly believe these few individuals were unable to eat anything onboard? For anyone confused here :-
 

inedible

/ɪnˈɛdɪb(ə)l/

adjective

not fit or suitable for eating.

Think about your very positive comments about Celebrity food and dining and ask yourself why would anyone see the food you enjoy as being unfit to eat? 

As for the word "cheerleader" you need to understand that it's a word used by many people across the forum and is very subjective whilst being used in many different contexts. To me a "Celebrity Cheerleader" is someone who will defend everything about the cruise line even when they make a change that negatively impacts customers. Thankfully their numbers and post counts have dwindled quite a lot over the last few years, which may or may not tell a tale...

Your last paragraph is a disappointment. It's a public forum where people are allowed to express themselves. Think about the forums name. I've noted before that you get very upset when people have a different view or opinion to yourself. There's no need too. Just understand that not everyone's experience will be the same as yours. There are no personal insults being made. Just comments about certain types of people and their behaviour. 

But what's really sad is that you are essentially complaining about free speech. Thankfully the hosts who manage this great forum don't have Kim Jong-un amongst their ranks so are likely to allow words such as "cheerleader" going forward. 

Have a think about how lucky you are to live in part of the world where you can freely express yourself and have an opinion. ;)

 

[Denny01]

I greatly appreciate you reminding me to think about how lucky I am to live free, but during and since my 21years of Naval service it has crossed my mind once or twice.......This is a private forum, not Hyde Park and the Hosts remove many inappropriate posts and close threads all the time. Your and all ‘Cheerleader’ and ‘Clown’ references, in my opinion, should be removed. I’ve already expressed my opinion of why. 

 

We disagree on how to respond to posts. A while ago, I added a post that was a cheapshot of another and it hurt their feelings, and was inappropriate. I apologized. 

 

Along with free speech is our responsibility of making this a useful tool for all of us who love cruising. So go ahead and tag as  ‘Cheerleaders’ and ‘Clowns’ those that don’t go along with your opinions. For me, it identifies those that use those terms as having weak arguments and opinions, or just want to put others down. I’ve done it and hopefully I’ll be more thoughtful. 

 

Den

[Mynki]

26 minutes ago, Denny01 said:

I greatly appreciate you reminding me to think about how lucky I am to live free, but during and since my 21years of Naval service it has crossed my mind once or twice.......This is a private forum, not Hyde Park and the Hosts remove many inappropriate posts and close threads all the time. Your and all ‘Cheerleader’ and ‘Clown’ references, in my opinion, should be removed. I’ve already expressed my opinion of why. 

I've read many posts from the hosts and I'll credit them with more than enough intellect and a strong enough grasp of the English language to understand what my posts mean. I referred to posters who claim the food onboard is "inedible". Now man up and tell me what word you would use to describe a forum member who claims that food onboard Celebrity is unsuitable for human consumption? It certainly won't be cheerleader now will it. You love the food onboard, so obviously you don't agree with it all being "inedible". Feel free to read the quote from an Oxford English dictionary I posted if you need to. 

 

We disagree on how to respond to posts. A while ago, I added a post that was a cheapshot of another and it hurt their feelings, and was inappropriate. I apologized. 

Going forward, continue to behave yourself and you'll have no need to apologise to other members then. I'm glad you've realised your behaviour is unacceptable at times as are the other members you've offended I'm sure. 

 

Along with free speech is our responsibility of making this a useful tool for all of us who love cruising. So go ahead and tag as  ‘Cheerleaders’ and ‘Clowns’ those that don’t go along with your opinions. For me, it identifies those that use those terms as having weak arguments and opinions, or just want to put others down. I’ve done it and hopefully I’ll be more thoughtful. 

 

Den

This is the most ironic post I've read on any internet resource in some time. Your first sentence makes perfect sense. But historically you've attacked me and others on a number of occasions because we've dared to be objective in our posts. I don't think everything is "perfect", "amazing" or "wonderful" so will feedback with what I perceive as good, bad and indifferent. 

The forum is a better place if people do give honest and objective feedback. It helps others make better choices, historically even X themselves have made changes after many forum members complained about changes they had made. So I don't believe the cheerleaders (You might want to read my definition of that word again as it's very different to yours) serve no useful purpose. Particularly on a forum called cruise CRITIC! 

 

[JFontaine]

 

2 hours ago, Mynki said:

Now man up and tell me

 

Please, just stop. 

[BDevilCruiser]

Checked my reservation, and I’ve been moved to Open dining (anytime/select.). So, I won’t have to rush to the MDR after boarding!

[psuboater]

 

On 6/19/2019 at 8:07 AM, Mynki said:

I used to have some small scale business interests in the UK beef industry. The production methods in the US differ from those in the UK. That said we are seeing more commercial processes from the US being employed here in the UK. 

I'm generalising a lot, but US beef is produced quicker with animals being supplementary fed on grain to fatten them far quicker and the hanging processes in general are much shorter resulting in two different products. Grass fed cattle raised more traditionally and hung for a few weeks will have a lot more flavour. The beef used on Celebrity cruises is perfectly fine, just not great quality and it lacks flavour compared to a high quality product. The last time I posted something like that I got flamed so I'll leave it there! 

The two tops by the window at the stern on S class Tuscan Grills are a delightful place to have dinner though! 
 

 

 

One of the most noticeable differences when we visited Ireland and Scotland was how small the cows were compared to the US - we said that must be how cows are *supposed* to look. Love the quality of meat and dairy when we visit Europe!

[gloobella]

On 6/19/2019 at 11:04 PM, Denny01 said:

 

 

Personally, I wish the Hosts would automatically remove posts who described people as  ‘Clowns’ and “Cheerleaders’. It’s insulting and negates people’s opinions without actually addressing the issues - just putdowns. And of course, mine would be removed too!!

 

 

Clowns are discerning customers too.  Don't put down clowns, some of us are sad enough already.  I can't speak for cheerleaders.  🤡

[mschatz]

First of all, we loved the Summit in general. 

 

We went Aqua Class and loved Blu. Staff was friendly. Cozy but bright. Food better than good but not gourmet (it is still a cruise ship after all). Special requests were easily accommodated.

 

We also had a wonderful meal at Tuscan Grill. Service was great and overall we loved it.

 

The buffet was just OK. Compared to the larger Celebrity Silhouette that we have been on, it was just a little more tired and less modern. That being said this certainly didn't detract from the cruise overall. 

 

While we haven't been on a lot of cruise lines (Royal Caribbean, Holland America, and Celebrity) but for us, Celebrity is our favorite for a number of reasons, including food.

[Rjbobalou]

On 6/20/2019 at 2:55 AM, Mynki said:

The food on Celebrity ships has gone downhill in the last 5 years.

 

[gold1953]

On 6/18/2019 at 9:49 AM, Wine-O said:

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.  🍷

Totally agree and I love how peaceful it is. We opt for this several times on a 2 week cruise. On our last cruise we told our MDR tablemates that we were missing a night and doing the buffett. They all showed up to eat with us and loved it 

[glf2710]

Many thanks for the comments - decided that Celebrity is not going to be what we are looking for - I appreciate the comments about food being subjective - it’s a big part of the overall experience for us so it’s an important factor.

[srdancer]

We were on the Summit in May and thought the MDR food was mostly very good and always at least good. Buffet was pretty good as well for breakfast and lunch. We live in NYC and enjoy fine dining but are realistic about what to expect from dining on a ship where several thousand guests have to be feed. We find the desserts to be less than wonderful in the MDR and buffet and general have ours at Cafe al Bacio. 

Taking away Cafe al Bacio would probably end our cruising on Celebrity!!!

[Tatka]

On 6/22/2019 at 8:36 PM, mschatz said:

The buffet was just OK. Compared to the larger Celebrity Silhouette that we have been on, it was just a little more tired and less modern. That being said this certainly didn't detract from the cruise overall.

 

Do you by any chance remember if there were several types of Eggs Benedict on Summit for breakfast in buffet? In 2015 there were up to 7-8. We missed them later on Silhouette in 2016/17. Silhouette did have amazing blood sausages.

Edited June 25, 2019 by Tatka

[wpgcycler]

3 hours ago, glf2710 said:

Many thanks for the comments - decided that Celebrity is not going to be what we are looking for - I appreciate the comments about food being subjective - it’s a big part of the overall experience for us so it’s an important factor.

Have you considered Aqua class?  Blu can be a pretty satisfying dining experience...