A little niggling annoyance...

[Danno]

On our last cruise (great cruise!!) our friends asked me why they give us back our menus before we order dessert...they do a great job of showing/describing the choices and answering questions...these servers have enough work to do without this ritual.

 

Would anyone miss this if it didn't happen??

[clopaw]

My mother in law is hearing impaired, and she would miss the entire description. Nice to be able to read the name.

[hajekfam]

There was a separate, small dessert menu on our last Millie cruise. One side had the desserts and the other side had the fabulous coffee drinks (extra charge) that sounded like deserts.

 

We had the new menus - nice holders with the menu held inside. The dessert menu was a smaller version.

[Danno]

There was a separate, small dessert menu on our last Millie cruise. One side had the desserts and the other side had the fabulous coffee drinks (extra charge) that sounded like deserts.

 

We had the new menus - nice holders with the menu held inside. The dessert menu was a smaller version.

 

That would be better...we didn't have that on Century.

 

I agree, the new menus are much nicer and make a much better presentation.

[HawaiiApril]

During our recent Galaxy cruise our waiter did not pass out the dinner menus again for dessert and there were no separate dessert menus. He would show us a tray with 3 or 4 of the desserts displayed on it. I would have preferred to read the menu again as the sugar free dessert was never displayed. I observed that some of the other tables were given the menus again, maybe they requested them or maybe it is up to the waiter. Our waiter was very efficient and I'm sure he felt elimating the menu at dessert, as well as going around with the pepper mill, would result in faster service for all.

[hajekfam]

During our recent Galaxy cruise our waiter did not pass out the dinner menus again for dessert and there were no separate dessert menus. He would show us a tray with 3 or 4 of the desserts displayed on it. I would have preferred to read the menu again as the sugar free dessert was never displayed. I observed that some of the other tables were given the menus again, maybe they requested them or maybe it is up to the waiter. Our waiter was very efficient and I'm sure he felt elimating the menu at dessert, as well as going around with the pepper mill, would result in faster service for all.

 

We have always received the menu for dessert as well as the tray with the 4 main desserts displayed on all our Celebrity cruises. We have never had to ask for it. If a waiter did not bring me the menu for dessert, I would actually rate him lower for that.

As well as going around with pepper mill, that has always been done on Celebrity cruises - just as it is done in fine restaurants.

[shofer]

On our 14 day Hawaii cruise, they only brought out the specialty dessert drink menu one time. Otherwise they did offer the menu which was a big help since our waiter was very soft spoken w/an accent and we had a hard time understanding him. And yes, the sugar free desserts were not displayed. We often compared the names w/what he showed us to better understand what we were seeing. If they don't offer the menu, make sure you ask for it.

[HawaiiApril]

Never once did we have an offer for a pepper mill during one meal or even one course, 12 nights. At first I just thought it was something discontinued by the cruise line. Then one night I noticed a row of wooden pepper mills at the waiters station and various waiters grabbing them as they went by. I was disappointed so I requested pepper during the next meal. I was holding the clear plastic pepper mill that was on the table struggling to get pepper out of it, showed the waiter that it wasn't working, and he promptly handed me the other plastic one from our table. I didn't want to make a fuss because everyone else at our table thought our waiter was just the best. I didn't want to be the only one complaining about him. I did tip him well, I thought he worked hard but I did mentioned the "short cuts" that he took advantage of on my survey. I really hope I didn't get him in trouble.

[usha]

I don't care at all about getting the menus back again. Seeing the desserts on the tray and hearing the waiter's description is much better, IMO, than reading it off the menu.

[chessbriar]

I have the waiters trained not to give me the menu for dessert, they just make sure they put the tray in front of me when showing to the table. The descriptions are too fancy, just show me the food.

[HawaiiApril]

Seeing the menu or seeing the food seems to be a personal preference type of thing. You should still have the option of choosing which you prefer.

[nparmelee]

I like both, the menu usually gives you a list of the ingredients and since I'm very allergic to coconut, and you can't always see it on the dsplay tray, it's nice to be able to see the ingredients so I can avoid a swollen tongue. I never have to worry about eating too much and having a serious reaction because this is the only food item I truly hate, but it's nice to avoid it completely if I can.

[Danno]

Honest, it's just a very little annoyance....:D . I just find it a bulky process when everything else is so streamlined. The new menus are quite a bit larger (physically) and they seem to fill the table top...perhaps a smaller dessert menu, wine list size, would work well.

 

AND IF IT ISN'T DONE I'M NEVER CRUISING ON X AGAIN...;)

[Offtune Angel]

Celebrity gives us the best of both worlds. The menu for those who are hearing impaired and the presentation tray for those who find the lighting too dim, by dessert time, to adequately read the menu, especially without reading glasses.

 

I would be lost without the dessert menu -- primarily because I am profoundly hearing impaired. Even if the waiter is not soft-spoken, the background noises in the dining room drown out most of what he/she has to say.

 

Having said that, I value the visuals. Sometimes a picture IS worth a thousand words.

 

The downside on the tray presentation is that sometimes the waiters are waiting for another waiter to hand off the dessert tray. This delay can be extremely frustrating for those who already know what they want for dessert and are in a hurry to donate the the "Celebrity benevolent (to X) fund";) or find a good seat in the theatre.

 

I love all the little touches that reinforce the specialness of Celebrity - like the Pepper Mill, the automatic replacement of empty bread baskets with full bread baskets, the extra sprinklings of parmesan cheese, the variety of sauces and dressings drizzled over my salads or accenting a baked potato, or enhancing a roast beef slice -- all services provided with aplomb.

Terry

[Danno]

...oh and the bread sticks.

 

Amazing how something so simple, and so cheap, has become almost a trade mark of Celebrity...our friends RAVED about the bread sticks. And are still doing so!!

 

(Terry...did you notice the weather on the Friday (Feb 17th) when we drove to Toronto :eek:...Barrie was just wild!!)

[Offtune Angel]

...oh and the bread sticks. Amazing how something so simple, and so cheap, has become almost a trade mark of Celebrity...our friends RAVED about the bread sticks. And are still doing so!!

(Terry...did you notice the weather on the Friday (Feb 17th) when we drove to Toronto :eek:...Barrie was just wild!!)

a different flavour every day. Well, actually not the same flavour two days in a row.mmmmmmm:D

(Dan it was pretty hard not to notice that weather, you really picked a good week to go away. On the 17th, Doug plowed our driveway five times, and the driveways of the four neighbours twice. I wondered whether you'd stay in TO overnight since 400 was so crazy at Barrie (actually you were lucky you got through -- it had been closed on three different occasions on the 17th). I was relieved to see your first post - that's when I knew you'd survived the "Barrie Badlands".

This whole month has been bad for snow for us. I've actually seen the snow plows and graders down the street as many as six times a day! It's one of the best things about being on the SE corner of beautiful Georgian Bay. The Penetang Peninsula has snow banks 10-13 feet high and their plows have cleared the same stretches of highway six and eight times a day on the worst days. Fantastic photo opportunities!

Terry

[CaribbeanBound]

We had the smaller desert menus that hajekfam described while on Zenith last October.

[dmarch@islc.net]

Hey Danno,

 

IMHO you need to start smuggling booze for it is painfully clear that your just not drinkiing enough at dinner.

 

David

[DancerOT]

Menus? I dont think I have ever seen a dessert menu any time I have cruised on X. I honestly think one of my favorite things is listening to the waiter's descriptions of the desserts. And he has always mentioned all of the desserts including the sugar free. I especially love the Maanngoooo. :)

[Susan-M]

I would be quite happy with just the menu and no tray to observe. They don't bring a tray to display any of the other items that we eat and I seem to be able to visualize it quite well from the menu. :)

I find the ritual of the wait staff carrying the tray to each table, describing each item, and repeating it for those who didn't quite hear it the first time, a little 'over the top'.

[Gypsea]

it's tradition! I enjoy the waiter with the tray and have to admit I could not identify many of them without help. I haven't cruised Celebrity nearly as extensively as most of you but I do recognize these special things that I have come to absolutely LOOOOVE. There is something so special about dinner in the dining room with all the special touches that I have become a true cruise addict.

 

The only thing I think is VERY, VERY wrong is charging for cappuccino with your dessert. It is so very nice to enjoy one cup on the house. And truly what can it cost? The regular coffee is soooooooooooo bad in comparison. Last time I was on NCL there was no charge for this in the dining room. Make it a closely guarded secret if you must but let us have this one perk(get it...perk?).

[tuggers]

OMG!!! Allergic to coconut? I would die! Coconut is one of my major food groups. My condolences.

[ocngypz]

I prefer having dessert selections on the regular menu so I can tell how much room I need to leave for dessert!

 

Seriously, I prefer a dessert menu because often times it is difficult to hear the waiter and some folks have trouble "hearing" through the various accents.

[Danno]

Seriously, I prefer a dessert menu because often times it is difficult to hear the waiter and some folks have trouble "hearing" through the various accents.

 

I just point, whine and drool...(some things you teach your dog, some things he teaches you :D ).

[Susan-M]

Don't you find that the wait staff seems very rushed all the time .... and if one job could be dropped from their list, that displaying and describing deserts would be an easy one to let go of?