Luminae Questions

[DaKahuna]

1 hour ago, phoenix_dream said:

It makes you wonder, if so many people consistently prefer to order off the MDR menu (and I am one of them) you would think that Celebrity would consider adding to or changing the Luminae menu to include a couple more "basic" options.  Some of their weird concoctions seems like they're trying to impress the upscale foodies, with no regard to what the majority of people really want.  I can go the rest of my entire life without eating any part of an octopus!  

But they have added to their menu by allowing guest to order off the MDR menu. 

[LGW59]

2 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

But they have added to their menu by allowing guest to order off the MDR menu. 

seems to depend on the ship M v S v E

[floatplan]

1 hour ago, phoenix_dream said:

I can go the rest of my entire life without eating any part of an octopus!

 

Grilled octopus leg is similar to a grilled shrimp. It's a mild white meat and tastes good, try it. As sushi it is cooked and served cold so can be like rubber thus not my favorite texture, but flavor is ok.

[WonderMan3]

1 hour ago, phoenix_dream said:

It makes you wonder, if so many people consistently prefer to order off the MDR menu (and I am one of them) you would think that Celebrity would consider adding to or changing the Luminae menu to include a couple more "basic" options.  Some of their weird concoctions seems like they're trying to impress the upscale foodies, with no regard to what the majority of people really want.  I can go the rest of my entire life without eating any part of an octopus!  

Edge class ships did add an everyday items menu. Not sure if there is a printed menu but multiple cruisers have reported that popular items like caesar salad (which were always available to order on M and S class via the MDR menu) were added as an option to order now.

[DaKahuna]

1 hour ago, LGW59 said:

seems to depend on the ship M v S v E

That’s true.  It’s also one of the reasons that all our sailings but one so far has been on S class.

 

We did note that pre-COVID it seemed to us that Edge had more menu choices in Luminae than the menu on S Class ships we have sailed. 

[WonderMan3]

1 hour ago, DaKahuna said:

That’s true.  It’s also one of the reasons that all our sailings but one so far has been on S class.

 

We did note that pre-COVID it seemed to us that Edge had more menu choices in Luminae than the menu on S Class ships we have sailed. 

The number of items on Edge would've been the same as on the other ships up until the point they added everyday items. (But of course you have the MDR menu choices on the M and S class which would add up to a greater number in total). But the items were different on Edge vs. the other ships initially as they gave the Luminae menu rotation a refresh starting with Edge and then they rolled out the updated menu choices to the rest of the fleet. I think that may have taken up to a year to happen maybe finishing by end of 2019 since Edge launched at the end of 2018. Now all the Luminae menus should be in sync fleetwide.

[TeeRick]

11 hours ago, WonderMan3 said:

Edge class ships did add an everyday items menu. Not sure if there is a printed menu but multiple cruisers have reported that popular items like caesar salad (which were always available to order on M and S class via the MDR menu) were added as an option to order now.

Yes you are quite correct and this has been in place for quite some time on EDGE and APEX.  I am wondering if somebody on either ship recently could post a copy of a nightly menu including the everyday items selections?

[RichYak]

On 2/5/2022 at 2:07 PM, canderson said:

That, Grumpy99...

🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣

[RichYak]

12 hours ago, WonderMan3 said:

Edge class ships did add an everyday items menu. Not sure if there is a printed menu but multiple cruisers have reported that popular items like caesar salad (which were always available to order on M and S class via the MDR menu) were added as an option to order now.

On Edge, we were offered caesar salad, french onion soup, escargot, and shrimp cocktail as everyday appetizers. For entrees, grilled salmon, grilled chicken breast, and I think grilled sirloin were offered everyday. This is from memory, so I might be missing one or two items.

[TeeRick]

33 minutes ago, RichYak said:

On Edge, we were offered caesar salad, french onion soup, escargot, and shrimp cocktail as everyday appetizers. For entrees, grilled salmon, grilled chicken breast, and I think grilled sirloin were offered everyday. This is from memory, so I might be missing one or two items.

Sounds about right from our experience too.

[kwokpot]

1 hour ago, TeeRick said:

Yes you are quite correct and this has been in place for quite some time on EDGE and APEX.  I am wondering if somebody on either ship recently could post a copy of a nightly menu including the everyday items selections?

No, that is not correct. On the Apex (In December) the Luminae printed menu DID NOT have an everyday items section. The only special section was the Daniel Boulud specials which are the same three items, one for every course, and are not rotated.  

[TeeRick]

2 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

No, that is not correct. On the Apex (In December) the Luminae printed menu DID NOT have an everyday items section. The only special section was the Daniel Boulud specials which are the same three items, one for every course, and are not rotated.  

But didn't the Luminae printed menu come with an insert or a second page of every night selections too?  At least that is what I remember.

[kwokpot]

1 hour ago, RichYak said:

On Edge, we were offered caesar salad, french onion soup, escargot, and shrimp cocktail as everyday appetizers. For entrees, grilled salmon, grilled chicken breast, and I think grilled sirloin were offered everyday. This is from memory, so I might be missing one or two items.

Those items are NOT being directly offered in Luminae on the Apex. What I mean by that is in the seven nights we dined in Luminae we were never told verbally, nor ever presented a written menu or are those choices listed on the app.

[kwokpot]

3 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

But didn't the Luminae printed menu come with an insert or a second page of every night selections too?  At least that is what I remember.

Absolutely not. This is for the Apex sailing December 11-20th.

[kwokpot]

16 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

Absolutely not. This is for the Apex sailing December 11-20th.

 

1 hour ago, RichYak said:

On Edge, we were offered caesar salad, french onion soup, escargot, and shrimp cocktail as everyday appetizers. For entrees, grilled salmon, grilled chicken breast, and I think grilled sirloin were offered everyday. This is from memory, so I might be missing one or two items.

If this is truly correct on the Edge it would have solved our issues on The Apex, specifically revolving around Luminae's preparation of steaks. As those who have dined at Luminae are well aware when the entree says Ribeye Steak or NY Strip Steak the preparation is not an individually cut steak that is grilled but a roast from which individual slices are cut, a La Prime Rib. On the second night this occurred we called over the Luminae Maitre D' and discussed the discrepancy between the menu description and what's actually served. All he did was apologize and said that's how they write the menus and we should make note of our concerns in the cruise survey. 
If there was an Everyday Grilled Sirloin on the menu, whether printed or not, it would have been the perfect opportunity for the waiter or the Maitre D' to offer that. Neither did and I ordered a different entree.I'm sorry but everyone keeps saying that Luminae has these alternate entrees and that's just not true on the Apex, PERIOD.

Edited February 7, 2022 by kwokpot

[RichYak]

20 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

Those items are NOT being directly offered in Luminae on the Apex. What I mean by that is in the seven nights we dined in Luminae we were never told verbally, nor ever presented a written menu or are those choices listed on the app.

Just because you were never told verbally, nor were you presented a written menu, nor were those choices listed on the app, doesn't necessarily mean they weren't available. I had the same experience as you until I asked my waiter one night. A couple we dined with later in the week didn't know either until I told them. I don't know why, but the waitstaff seem to think everyone knows about the everyday items.

[kwokpot]

Just now, RichYak said:

Just because you were never told verbally, nor were you presented a written menu, nor were those choices listed on the app, doesn't necessarily mean they weren't available. I had the same experience as you until I asked my waiter one night. A couple we dined with later in the week didn't know either until I told them. I don't know why, but the waitstaff seem to think everyone knows about the everyday items.

Agreed, which is why I worded my response that way. Additionally if there is a grilled sirloin steak why was that not presented as an option when I complained about the Ribeye steak not being a steak? I spoke to both the waiter and the Maitre D'. Neither offered a different steak option. I  ordered a totally different entree. If there was a grilled steak option available why wouldn't they have offered me that choice?  

[JFontaine]

23 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

Agreed, which is why I worded my response that way. Additionally if there is a grilled sirloin steak why was that not presented as an option when I complained about the Ribeye steak not being a steak? I spoke to both the waiter and the Maitre D'. Neither offered a different steak option. I  ordered a totally different entree. If there was a grilled steak option available why wouldn't they have offered me that choice?  

That was a mistake on their part. There's also grilled filet mignon on the children's menu available every night in Luminae on E class ships, and that menu is printed. 

[RichYak]

22 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

Agreed, which is why I worded my response that way. Additionally if there is a grilled sirloin steak why was that not presented as an option when I complained about the Ribeye steak not being a steak? I spoke to both the waiter and the Maitre D'. Neither offered a different steak option. I  ordered a totally different entree. If there was a grilled steak option available why wouldn't they have offered me that choice?  

I wrote earlier that while my memory is clear about almost all the everyday items I listed, I was fuzzy on grilled sirloin being one of them. So that's one possible reason. The staff being reluctant to offer you what they might perceive to be a lesser cut of beef than the one you already didn't like might be another.

[kwokpot]

6 minutes ago, JFontaine said:

That was a mistake on their part. There's also grilled filet mignon on the children's menu available every night in Luminae on E class ships, and that menu is printed. 

I wished they did, since the filet mignon is actually served as an individual steak and not sliced from a whole roast. Don't get me wrong, we enjoyed our meals and service at Luminae on the Apex, which actually was our first experience in Retreat class. Which is why I never dawned on me to ask further nor should it be. Especially when I called over the Maitre D' and questioned the preparation, it should be the Restaurant offering us different ways to accommodate us. I guess that's my whole point of my contributions to this thread. I know lots of people on the Celebrity board see to cruise in suites but that's not our background, despite just turning Elite+. So when we have multiple people expressing what's going on in Luminae all I can contribute is as a newbie to Luminae all these alternative choices and customizations of food offerings didn't occur with our sailing. 

[JFontaine]

3 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

I wished they did, since the filet mignon is actually served as an individual steak and not sliced from a whole roast. Don't get me wrong, we enjoyed our meals and service at Luminae on the Apex, which actually was our first experience in Retreat class. Which is why I never dawned on me to ask further nor should it be. Especially when I called over the Maitre D' and questioned the preparation, it should be the Restaurant offering us different ways to accommodate us. I guess that's my whole point of my contributions to this thread. I know lots of people on the Celebrity board see to cruise in suites but that's not our background, despite just turning Elite+. So when we have multiple people expressing what's going on in Luminae all I can contribute is as a newbie to Luminae all these alternative choices and customizations of food offerings didn't occur with our sailing. 

And it's important that you do contribute,  so readers know what is available and also, despite requests, what is available might not be offered. As a steak eater, pretty much only, eating a NY Strip every night on the always available/not always advertised list would've made me pretty unhappy. And should that be the case I'd call over the Maitre D and explain the situation and ask what they could do for me tomorrow.   I've always been accommodated. Thank you 

[W283386]

Why would you walk into a restaurant five minutes before closing?  Are you able to finish your meal in just five minutes?  I am sure the staff would love to finish up for the night and not hang around for stragglers that have had 3  hours to get there.

[Guppy99]

On 2/6/2022 at 9:27 AM, TeeRick said:

Did you actually stay in a suite and dine in Luminae?  It is hard to understand just what objections you have as the service standards in Luminae are quite different and much above average by design. The staff is very helpful and friendly and that is a consistent comment here on CC.   Passengers pay extra for that enhanced service.  Is that what you call entitlement?  Do you dine in Specialty restaurants on the ship?  Do you have an issue with any special requests or higher level of service there as well?

yes and yes. No issues with higher level of service and no issues with reasonable requests. You miss my point. Many people (particularly suite passengers, zenith and elite etc) seem to feel that gives them some sort of privilege to ask for things above and beyond what is offered as their extra amenities for that class.  Staff is always very friendly, helpful, and willing to comply. It is then very easy to take advantage. And many posters here give examples of how they ask and think they deserve what I would consider to be unreasonable requests....  and that goes for people who demand refunds and special accommodations when things don't go their way through no fault of the cruise line.  You don't have to agree. That's just my opinion.

[LGW59]

6 hours ago, W283386 said:

Why would you walk into a restaurant five minutes before closing?  Are you able to finish your meal in just five minutes?  I am sure the staff would love to finish up for the night and not hang around for stragglers that have had 3  hours to get there.

Well the local restaurants I go have an advertised close time and by they mean last seating, so if the "close" at 9pm it just means no more dinners, arrive at 8:55, come on in.  My experience is cruise restaurants are the same.  

[bigbenboys]

I've seen suite guests turn away from Luminae more than once for showing up 15 mins past closing time for breakfast.