Is Luminae over-rated or under-rated?

[terrydtx]

3 minutes ago, elh1 said:

 

Yes, we are guilty of trying Blu the one time we stayed in a suite (Equinox).  Had heard such great things about it and wanted to give it a try.  But  it was mobbed, very close tables, incredibly loud and slow service.  The food was so-so.  Remember feeling so bad for the staff, they were literally running from table to table.  So probably won't be trying Blu again, especially if they are giving priority to suites over Blu dedicated guests.  Should really be open to others on space available basis, I had thought that was the practice.  For Luminae we really enjoyed it for the food, great service and peaceful spacious atmosphere.  Agree the menu is someone limited, but we are not picky and enjoy trying new things.  Looking forward to trying the four main dining rooms on our next cruise (Beyond).

You are so spot on, before we started booking Suites we did a couple of Aqua Class cruises. Our experiences in Blu were pretty close to what you describe but for us still much better than the MDR. Then we discovered Luminae and it was so much better than Blu and it and the Retreat concept is all that keeps us loyal Celebrity customers. Without the Retreat we would be on more premium lines like Oceania and Viking Ocean. There is no reason I can see for ever going back to eating in Blu when we have Luminae.

[George C]

39 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

You are so spot on, before we started booking Suites we did a couple of Aqua Class cruises. Our experiences in Blu were pretty close to what you describe but for us still much better than the MDR. Then we discovered Luminae and it was so much better than Blu and it and the Retreat concept is all that keeps us loyal Celebrity customers. Without the Retreat we would be on more premium lines like Oceania and Viking Ocean. There is no reason I can see for ever going back to eating in Blu when we have Luminae.

Our first celebrity cruise was solstice over ten years ago in a sky suite, back then there was no Luminae, really disliked mdr , did try blue one night and it was ok nothing special but way better than mdr , we just did specialty restaurants for the rest of the week.

[morpheusofthesea]

8 hours ago, kwokpot said:

But Never once in the seven nights did he ever mention if there was anything not on the menu that we would like, please ask.

Now we really 'feel' special. Thanks.  (I wonder why?)

[sippican]

On 3/4/2022 at 9:09 AM, SueMo said:

On the Edge now and have eaten at Luminae three nights…only one of the dinners are what we consider excellent (the ribeye) and the other two not great (flavorless veal cannelloni in a Bechamel sauce and a dry black snapper in consume).  We find the menu to be very limited—5 appetizers and 6 entrees per night, many of which contain ingredients we aren’t thrilled with.  For example, tonight the appetizers include trout, octopus, kale, and beets.  In the main dining rooms there are 11 starters and 11 entrees to choose from nightly. I understand you can order a steak if you don’t like the menu, but I don’t want beef every night.
A woman we met onboard is a travel agent and she wanted to know how we liked Luminae and we told her our experience.  She said we were the fourth couple she talked to that felt the same as us.  
With the ships being at one-third the capacity right now, the main dining rooms have fewer diners and we are getting reports of great food and service, so we are considering going there for one of the upcoming dinners.

 
in addition to the nightly offered items on the Lumina menu, there are  consistent choices that are offered every evening.  Although you may have had trout, kale, octopus and beets on the menu, you fail to mention the shrimp cocktail, Caesar salad etc.  

 

We have dined in Luminae on a number of cruises. In fact, it is one of the main reasons we choose to book suites. I am sorry you have been disappointed on your three dinners. They will go out of their way to accommodate your preferences if you   ask. Feel free to request a different entree if the first is not great. You can always dine in the MDR.
 

Did the TA you spoke with actually try Luminae? I am a TA and I find that some of my clients will find fault with Blu, the MDR, the specialty restaurants, Luminae….  Food is so subjective! 
 

I hope you enjoy the rest of your cruise.

[mfs2k]

I’m the OP. 

I’ve read 5 pages of comments and they really are varied. So many valid opinions and personal experiences. 
Here’s my personal takeaway for our 9 night cruise with 3 port stops. 
I plan to reserve 3-4 specialty restaurants (non port days) 

I plan to review the nightly Luminae menus with my wife and if we both don’t see options we will enjoy (taking alternates under consideration), we’ll go to one of the 4 main dining rooms available to us. (I like the Normandie specialty items the most).

Sounds like a plan to me. I’m pretty sure we won’t starve.  

[chemmo]

1 hour ago, mfs2k said:

I’m the OP. 

I’ve read 5 pages of comments and they really are varied. So many valid opinions and personal experiences. 
Here’s my personal takeaway for our 9 night cruise with 3 port stops. 
I plan to reserve 3-4 specialty restaurants (non port days) 

I plan to review the nightly Luminae menus with my wife and if we both don’t see options we will enjoy (taking alternates under consideration), we’ll go to one of the 4 main dining rooms available to us. (I like the Normandie specialty items the most).

Sounds like a plan to me. I’m pretty sure we won’t starve.  

Sounds like an excellent plan! 
 

Silly to have Luminae available but not give it a go but wise to choose the times you dine there wisely.

 

 

[TeeRick]

1 hour ago, mfs2k said:

I’m the OP. 

I’ve read 5 pages of comments and they really are varied. So many valid opinions and personal experiences. 
Here’s my personal takeaway for our 9 night cruise with 3 port stops. 
I plan to reserve 3-4 specialty restaurants (non port days) 

I plan to review the nightly Luminae menus with my wife and if we both don’t see options we will enjoy (taking alternates under consideration), we’ll go to one of the 4 main dining rooms available to us. (I like the Normandie specialty items the most).

Sounds like a plan to me. I’m pretty sure we won’t starve.  

@mfs2k One nice thing about a cruise is that you can have dining choices tailored to your needs and likes.  You make the plan, as you have done.  I understand why you are looking for Luminae feedback here and there are hundreds of threads on this topic.   But the bottom line is that it is your own choice and only your opinion counts.  As everybody says here, food is highly subjective and personal.  But the service in Luminae will likely be exceptional most nights.  Enjoy!😀

[SueMo]

5 hours ago, sippican said:

 
in addition to the nightly offered items on the Lumina menu, there are  consistent choices that are offered every evening.  Although you may have had trout, kale, octopus and beets on the menu, you fail to mention the shrimp cocktail, Caesar salad etc.  

 

We have dined in Luminae on a number of cruises. In fact, it is one of the main reasons we choose to book suites. I am sorry you have been disappointed on your three dinners. They will go out of their way to accommodate your preferences if you   ask. Feel free to request a different entree if the first is not great. You can always dine in the MDR.
 

Did the TA you spoke with actually try Luminae? I am a TA and I find that some of my clients will find fault with Blu, the MDR, the specialty restaurants, Luminae….  Food is so subjective! 
 

I hope you enjoy the rest of your cruise.

Some people are not comfortable with “asking for something else”.  I am one of them.  I will look at a menu and order the items I am most likely to enjoy.  If they taste good to me, I eat them and if not, I don’t.  I don’t like to complain or return my dish for something else.

 

When I choose to eat elsewhere, I don’t enjoy having to justify my absence the following day to the maitre’d.  This happened every time we skipped breakfast or dinner in Luminae.  We shouldn’t have to explain our choices to anybody.  It is very uncomfortable to have to explain that we simply liked the menu elsewhere better or that we were short on time and wanted to eat at the Ocean View.  We were absolutely grilled with the questioning: “Are you unhappy with the service?” …”No.”  “You know we can always bring you something else…” “We are aware.”  It became quite obvious that the servers and maitre’d were worried about getting 10s on their reviews.  While some might enjoy servers that “bend over backwards” to please, we almost hated going there because of their obsequiousness.

 

By the way, we ate two more times in Luminae later in the week.  The lobster was excellent, although very small, and the filet was good.  So altogether we would rate two meals excellent, one good, and two blah!

[sippican]

1 hour ago, SueMo said:

Some people are not comfortable with “asking for something else”.  I am one of them.  I will look at a menu and order the items I am most likely to enjoy.  If they taste good to me, I eat them and if not, I don’t.  I don’t like to complain or return my dish for something else.

 

When I choose to eat elsewhere, I don’t enjoy having to justify my absence the following day to the maitre’d.  This happened every time we skipped breakfast or dinner in Luminae.  We shouldn’t have to explain our choices to anybody.  It is very uncomfortable to have to explain that we simply liked the menu elsewhere better or that we were short on time and wanted to eat at the Ocean View.  We were absolutely grilled with the questioning: “Are you unhappy with the service?” …”No.”  “You know we can always bring you something else…” “We are aware.”  It became quite obvious that the servers and maitre’d were worried about getting 10s on their reviews.  While some might enjoy servers that “bend over backwards” to please, we almost hated going there because of their obsequiousness.

 

By the way, we ate two more times in Luminae later in the week.  The lobster was excellent, although very small, and the filet was good.  So altogether we would rate two meals excellent, one good, and two blah!

 

My point was that there are always more options than you mentioned.  

I am sorry that you were made to feel so uncomfortable, both for eating elsewhere and in expressing your preferences by requesting food they are happy to provide.

 

I have found many times, on different ships, different cruise lines and venues the staff seem to be almost begging for 10s on the reviews. That is not unique to Celebrity or Luminae. I do believe it is fair to be verbally up front with staff if we have concerns, rather than give low ratings, or complain to others later without bringing it to their attention first. I believe they are genuine in their desire to please their guests. Granted, some are only driven by tips and ratings.

 

Would your experience in Luminae deter you from sailing in suite class again?

 

 

[rmalbers]

I think it was mentioned on some replies but not many: to me the best part about Lum is the atmosphere, it's more like a nice restaurant.  We eat early and there were typically very few other people there, nice and peaceful.   I think the steaks are better than in the main dining room (except prime rib).  

[morpheusofthesea]

8 hours ago, sippican said:

We have dined in Luminae on a number of cruises. In fact, it is one of the main reasons we choose to book suites

Yes. On Edge in October 2022 and we bumped into our Luminae maitre d' Marco in the Ocean View Cafe (buffet) trying to track down one of 40 suite cabins that have not shown up the last 5 days for any meals in the Luminae. He wanted to know why? Were they even aware of this benefit included with their cabins? (We never found out). Perhaps they felt they had to dress up a bit ? Or they enjoyed the expanded 'all you can eat' range of culinary delights? In any event, there is something for everyone on board all Celebrity ships.

[morpheusofthesea]

3 hours ago, SueMo said:

I don’t like to complain or return my dish for something else

We love cruising for just having that ability to order something else should we find it not to our liking. 

[morpheusofthesea]

3 hours ago, SueMo said:

we almost hated going there because of their obsequiousness.

Had to look up this word and found the antonyms far more egregious "

disrespectful, 

ill-mannered, 

impolite, 

impudent, 

insolent, 

rude ".

[rmalbers]

1 hour ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Yes. On Edge in October 2022 and we bumped into our Luminae maitre d' Marco in the Ocean View Cafe (buffet) trying to track down one of 40 suite cabins that have not shown up the last 5 days for any meals in the Luminae. He wanted to know why? Were they even aware of this benefit included with their cabins? (We never found out). Perhaps they felt they had to dress up a bit ? Or they enjoyed the expanded 'all you can eat' range of culinary delights? In any event, there is something for everyone on board all Celebrity ships.

That's really interesting, I have to think they didn't know about it, to miss that many night of dining there.  Amazing.

[Cruise a holic]

On 3/7/2022 at 9:43 PM, elh1 said:

 

Yes, we are guilty of trying Blu the one time we stayed in a suite (Equinox).  Had heard such great things about it and wanted to give it a try.  But  it was mobbed, very close tables, incredibly loud and slow service.  The food was so-so.  Remember feeling so bad for the staff, they were literally running from table to table.  So probably won't be trying Blu again, especially if they are giving priority to suites over Blu dedicated guests.  Should really be open to others on space available basis, I had thought that was the practice.  For Luminae we really enjoyed it for the food, great service and peaceful spacious atmosphere.  Agree the menu is someone limited, but we are not picky and enjoy trying new things.  Looking forward to trying the four main dining rooms on our next cruise (Beyond).

Having dined in both blu and luminae on different classes of ships, I really do not understand why some people think Blu is better or as good as luminae- like you said tables on top of each other and service fair-room very loud.  Food eh-  The persian garden, we used once for about 1/2 hour on one visit and didn't find it enjoyable at all.  The tea they gave us in our room was horrible, as were the smelly aroma sticks- we asked to remove them immediately.  Cabins are balcony cabins.  I do not understand what the raving is about?

[mfs2k]

19 minutes ago, Cruise a holic said:

Blu: I do not understand what the raving is about

Hmmm.
This is what half the people who commented before you said about Luminae. 

[Bo1953]

Okay, okay, okay....

 

I Am not sure the reason for the question, as food is overwhelmingly subjective based on several points, one of which being what we type of food we personally like, do we like "gourmet", "healthy", "different", "familiar" etc...

 

If it is 'service' used as comparison, that is fair game for comments across the board for a comparison, as for food quality unless you were served under cooked or stale or rancid food a full other issue.

 

I have eaten in both Luminae and Blu on several occasions and must say that the food and service were up to par and more IMO compared to the MDR, which, being a vegan even those Chef's prepared some wonderful meals.

 

For the most part, on most ships, there are options beyond the presented menu's we need only request.

 

If one desires to book cabins for which these restaurants are designed for, there are other options like the MDR and OVC if your determined dining venue is not up to your standards. If one thinks that paying the 'premium' for the cabin for the dining venue included is not worth it, again it is a personal choice.

 

Many of us will have a meal here and there on X which may not meet our 'standards' and can ask for a replacement, yet to ask if over- or under- rated????

 

bon appetit and bon voyage

[mfs2k]

15 minutes ago, Bo1953 said:

Okay, okay, okay....

 

I Am not sure the reason for the question, as food is overwhelmingly subjective based on several points, one of which being what we type of food we personally like, do we like "gourmet", "healthy", "different", "familiar" etc...

 

If it is 'service' used as comparison, that is fair game for comments across the board for a comparison, as for food quality unless you were served under cooked or stale or rancid food a full other issue.

 

I have eaten in both Luminae and Blu on several occasions and must say that the food and service were up to par and more IMO compared to the MDR, which, being a vegan even those Chef's prepared some wonderful meals.

 

For the most part, on most ships, there are options beyond the presented menu's we need only request.

 

If one desires to book cabins for which these restaurants are designed for, there are other options like the MDR and OVC if your determined dining venue is not up to your standards. If one thinks that paying the 'premium' for the cabin for the dining venue included is not worth it, again it is a personal choice.

 

Many of us will have a meal here and there on X which may not meet our 'standards' and can ask for a replacement, yet to ask if over- or under- rated????

 

bon appetit and bon voyage

The reason I asked the question is I’ll be in a suite for the first time and I’d like to make reservations ahead of time for specialty restaurants on the dates and times I want before those slots are filled. I’d like to decide now how much I’d like to spend above the included meals. Looking at the Luminae menu I see generally 4 entree choices per night plus the same alternates every evening. 
This post and others like it have given me helpful information to guide me. Isn’t that what Cruise Critic does best?

[terrydtx]

2 minutes ago, mfs2k said:

The reason I asked the question is I’ll be in a suite for the first time and I’d like to make reservations ahead of time for specialty restaurants on the dates and times I want before those slots are filled. I’d like to decide now how much I’d like to spend above the included meals. Looking at the Luminae menu I see generally 4 entree choices per night plus the same alternates every evening. 
This post and others like it have given me helpful information to guide me. Isn’t that what Cruise Critic does best?

Since this is your first suite experience, our Butlers in the past have been able to get us specialty restaurant reservations onboard when we were told none were available. We have also found that specialty restaurants like Murano and Tuscan Grill, while they have good food, the service is not as good as the personalized service in Luminae. In the future we no longer are going to waste time and money in the specialty restaurants when we have the  Luminae, the exception may be, we try Eden on the Apex next year at least once. Enjoy your first suite experience.

[tfred]

I would think that many people book suites just because of the extra space and benefits of The Retreat without ever looking at the food menus available on the website.  Once they get to Luminae they discover that the menu doesnt include "familiar" selections and then the grumpy face starts. They really want MDR food in Luminae - that isn't what Luminae is 

[terrydtx]

31 minutes ago, tfred said:

I would think that many people book suites just because of the extra space and benefits of The Retreat without ever looking at the food menus available on the website.  Once they get to Luminae they discover that the menu doesn't include "familiar" selections and then the grumpy face starts. They really want MDR food in Luminae - that isn't what Luminae is 

Good observation and probably true in many cases. I see posts all the time backing this up and not even knowing Luminae is open for lunch on embarkation day. You just have to look past the fancy descriptions on the menu. a "fillet with a puree of parsnips with a truffle oil wine sauce" is really a delicious tender steak with a mushroom reduction sauce on a smear of parsnips, which tastes more like potatoes. BTW that first night fillet is better than any steak I have tried in the specialty restaurants. 

[wrk2cruise]

Don't get me wrong the first night filet is good but I think the one on one of the lunch menus is better although a bit smaller.

[TeeRick]

1 hour ago, tfred said:

I would think that many people book suites just because of the extra space and benefits of The Retreat without ever looking at the food menus available on the website.  Once they get to Luminae they discover that the menu doesnt include "familiar" selections and then the grumpy face starts. They really want MDR food in Luminae - that isn't what Luminae is 

On most ships (not E-class) you can order the more "familiar" MDR food in Luminae -so no grumpy face 😫.  On Edge and Apex just ask the waiter for the every day selections -so no grumpy face😫.  If you pay for a suite and feel the Luminae selections sound unfamiliar or are too "foody" and not to your taste,  there are a lot of dining alternatives on these ships.  Nobody should feel locked in to any specific dining venue.  So no grumpy face 😫 is ever needed on your vacation😀!

[markeb]

3 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

So no grumpy face 😫 is ever needed on your vacation😀!

But then it wouldn’t be Cruise CRITIC 😃!

[gordylad]

Think we have been very lucky on all our Celebrity cruises. Apart from one time where I had to return a half chicken meal in MDR due to the chicken being undercooked all other meals really good including Tuscan which we really enjoy.