Oceanview Cafe dinner service being eliminated?

[Oceangoer2]

41 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

I was on Edge TA Oct/Nov

See....proves others' point...you Edge Elites are treated better than we 'plebs'....🤩

[RTShaker]

38 minutes ago, cgolf1 said:

As far as the research goes, I wonder how different the opinions of standard cruisers compared to many of us on here that cruise a lot and will move around once a line doesn’t meet our expectations?

 

Guessing cruise critic is a small percentage of their cruisers, but I feel most of us are better informed and have higher expectations. 

The big problem with market research is that many times there is a desired outcome and the surveyed group is driven to this preset result by skewing questions and the available responses.

[Oceangoer2]

29 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

To my knowledge Escargot and the shrimp cocktail have never been on the Luminae menu, they have to be ordered from the everyday classics MDR menu, which we always have done at least once or twice per cruise in Luminae. They are not advertised and have to be asked for with your Luminae waiter. On the Equinox last year, I ordered the Escargot in Luminae and the gentleman in the table next to mine asked how I got them when they were not on the menu and I explained why he needs to be on CC for the "insider" information, LOL.

Exactly what I posted....we ordered these from the MDR menu....odd.  And yes to your other post re Tilapia and Turkey.  This is why I had a problem ordering from any menu.  I did acknowledge I'm picky so that's on me and not X.  Oh well....b'fast and lunch are great and eating less dinner helps keep the calories down.  If I could only stop eating dessert! 🥲

[Oceangoer2]

4 minutes ago, RTShaker said:

The big problem with market research is that many times there is a desired outcome and the surveyed group is driven to this preset result by skewing questions and the available responses.

They ask until they get the answers they want.  I take surveys or polls as an indicator not gospel.

[bonagrad]

2 minutes ago, RTShaker said:

The big problem with market research is that many times there is a desired outcome and the surveyed group is driven to this preset result by skewing questions and the available responses.

As someone that has worked in research for 25 years, this is 100% wrong!  Researchers are some of the most ethical people I've ever met.  If you said companies, then yes, that's true, but researchers write surveys to avoid bias and we present the data as it falls out.  What companies choose to do with that data, is on them.

[bonagrad]

Just now, Oceangoer2 said:

They ask until they get the answers they want.  I take surveys or polls as an indicator not gospel.

If a company is conducting their own research, this may be true, but a research firm is not in the business of telling companies what they want to hear.  That's not the purpose of research. The purpose is to provide quality data in order to make sound business decisions.

[Oceangoer2]

Just now, bonagrad said:

If a company is conducting their own research, this may be true, but a research firm is not in the business of telling companies what they want to hear.  That's not the purpose of research. The purpose is to provide quality data in order to make sound business decisions.

Being on the other end of surveys often (?) I find the questions framed in every way possible which inevitably doesn't provide the first reaction the first time.

[cgolf1]

8 minutes ago, RTShaker said:

The big problem with market research is that many times there is a desired outcome and the surveyed group is driven to this preset result by skewing questions and the available responses.

100 percent agree as my work does it yearly to get the answers they want us to give. 

[bonagrad]

Just now, Oceangoer2 said:

Being on the other end of surveys often (?) I find the questions framed in every way possible which inevitably doesn't provide the first reaction the first time.

Again, depends on who is doing the research.  Some companies do it on their own and that creates bias.  Companies should be using a reputable research firm.  That guarantees you are going to get good unbiased data.  

 

[Oceangoer2]

51 minutes ago, RichYak said:

To be clear, your Equinox waiter refused to bring you shrimp cocktail and escargot? Or you just didn't see it on the menu?

No, no....you misunderstood..where did you get the word 'refused' or are you just having a poke (again)...I only said we ordered it from the MDR menu when we didn't see it on the L menu...and the MDR menu was provided to our table and others every evening.

[NutsAboutGolf]

3 hours ago, Honolulu Blue said:

A couple of notes, then I'll get out of here:

 

1.  Just after the restart, Royal Caribbean closed the dinner buffet on most of their ships until the number of passengers they had consistently reached 50% of capacity.  Most of the ships Royal used then had other casual options and only had the late-night charge for room service.

 

2.  In reviewing my newsletters from my cruise on the Millie in November, I found the problem with a cut down service at the OVC.  Here's the full list of dining options other than the buffet after 5 PM on that list:

 

• Pool grill (only open until 6)
• Luminae and Blu (they don't let riffraff like me in either of those places ☹️)
• Sushi on Five, Le Petit Chef, and Tuscan Grille (all extra cost)
• Room service (no fee then, but I assume it's coming soon fleetwide)
• The MDR

 

So... if the buffet cuts down its offerings, it seems to me that Celebrity is pushing people to either head to the MDR or pay up for a decent dinner.  I always thought that Celebrity had the best selection of meal items and the best food quality of the mainstream cruise lines I've sailed on.  Now they're relying on food quality and hoping that I like what they decide to offer.  Maybe it'll work, but I'd rather they didn't do this.

With the specialty restaurants except for sushi, once on board, good luck finding a reservation other than 9pm on the last night 

[bonagrad]

1 minute ago, cgolf1 said:

100 percent agree as my work does it yearly to get the answers they want us to give. 

Then that's bad data.  Good research tells the story as the data falls out.  Telling you what you want to hear defeats the purpose and is a waste of money.  

[prmssk]

14 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

Apparently, it is not only the OV that is cutting back on menu items, this menu was also posted on another thread from a current passenger on the Apex about how Celebrity has gone from 5 entrees and starters to only 3 options on the Celebrity Signatures list. This is why we only cruise in suites with Celebrity for Luminae, nothing on that menu is gourmet and more like you can get at Denny's or Golden Corral. Oven Roasted Turkey and Tilapia is a joke, right? Tilapia is the cheapest farm raised fish you can buy, read about how some country's farm raise and what they feed Tilapia, I would starve to death before I eat this trash fish. Turkey is less than$1 a pound so no wonder they serve it, again this is Denny's type entrees. I won't even discuss what they call starters, again this is nothing more than Dinner Food fare.

This screen shot does not include the exclusive starters and entrees that are unique to each of the four Edge class dining rooms.

[BermudaBound2014]

20 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

Here is a copy of the letter I wrote. Feel free to copy any of it if you feel the same.

 

 

 

I wrote to two other emails that bounced back, but both of these addresses appear to have went thru.

 

lLutoff-Perlo@celebritycruises.com  

ExecutiveOffice@celebrity.com 

 

 

Good afternoon Ms. ________,

 

While I understand that scaling back on services offered is inevitable in the current financial climate, the menu posted on Cruise Critic of the new evening buffet options is extremely disappointing. The drastic reduction in offerings means that choosing the buffet for dinner is sadly no longer an option for us. 

 

There must be a better way to serve passengers who do not seek the formality of the Main dining room every evening. The Ocean view café' appeals to those with children, those who wish to dress casually, and those who seek a much quicker meal so they may fully enjoy other activities onboard.  

 

One suggestion I have is to add back one made-to-order station each night. It could rotate with the theme. The pasta station is excellent, as is the stir-fry and fresh grill. Offering one made-to-order selection each night, along with a more complete garden salad bar, will allow guests who choose the buffet a significantly higher quality dining experience.

 

I am sailing on the Constellation next week and am asking those in charge of these difficult cost savings decisions to consider my suggestions. It's one thing to reduce offerings, it's entirely another to make the reductions so drastic that opting for the buffet at dinner is no longer a viable.  

 

I love Celebrity. In fact, I was married onboard the inaugural sailing of the Zenith in April of 1992!! I understand that times are difficult for the industry, but hope that Celebrity can find a way to make the Ocean View Café' dinner reductions more palatable.

 

Thank you for any consideration you may grant this request.

 

 

Above is the email I wrote last night (feel free to copy/paste/delete). I received a call back this morning from Adela Mormeneo (the exectutive office email above).

 

She was very pleasant. To my surprise she forwarded my suggestions directly to the Ship (I'm sailing on Constellation next week). She mentioned the name of the person on the ship but I didn't write it down. She asked me to contact her upon return for additional feedback. At least they are listening. I will report what occurs onboard.

 

I'm retired, but when I was working I often asked my team to come to me with possible solutions for every problems/issues they brought. It wasn't always possible, but more often than not, my employees provided suggestions that were both practical and easy  to implement. A win/win.

 

I hope that Celebrity finds my suggestion of adding back in one fresh, made-to-order station each evening a practical (and cost effective) solution to those of us who do which to dine in the OVbuffet.

 

Edited January 8, 2023 by BermudaBound2014

[RichYak]

5 minutes ago, Oceangoer2 said:

No, no....you misunderstood..where did you get the word 'refused' or are you just having a poke (again)...I only said we ordered it from the MDR menu when we didn't see it on the L menu...and the MDR menu was provided to our table and others every evening.

No poke intended, I was just trying to understand. The classic items are always available in Luminae even though the don't appear on the menu. Even on E-Class ships where the MDR menu is not available, you can still order the classics. You just need to know to ask.

[bonagrad]

4 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

 

Above is the email I wrote last night (feel free to copy/paste/delete). I received a call back this morning from Adela Mormeneo (the exectutive office email above).

 

She was very pleasant. To my surprise she forwarded my suggestions directly to the Ship (I'm sailing on Constellation next week). She mentioned the name of the person on the ship but I didn't write it down. She asked me to contact her upon return for additional feedback. At least they are listening. I will report what occurs onboard.

 

I'm retired, but when I was working I often asked my team to come to me with possible solutions for every problems/issues they brought. It wasn't always possible, but more often than not, my employees provided suggestions that were both practical and easy to implement. A win/win.

 

I hope that Celebrity finds my suggestion of adding back in one fresh, made-to-order station each evening both practical and easy to implement. 

 

That's the same woman who call me as well.

[Ipeeinthepools]

1 hour ago, bonagrad said:

This was years ago and I wasn't involved with them, I just know they were a client.

 

If there was ever a decision that needed Market Research it was the decision to have IV balconies replace most conventional balconies.

[NMTraveller]

3 minutes ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

If there was ever a decision that needed Market Research it was the decision to have IV balconies replace most conventional balconies.

Sometimes the bean counters are running the show and no one else has inputs.

[Ipeeinthepools]

33 minutes ago, Oceangoer2 said:

See....proves others' point...you Edge Elites are treated better than we 'plebs'....🤩

 

I knew it.

[Oceangoer2]

2 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

Sometimes the bean counters are running the show and no one else has inputs.

Some posters have said it's the engineers and design staff...no or fewer balconies are less drag (is that the right term....?  I'm no ship designer) so less fuel use.

Edited January 8, 2023 by Oceangoer2

[bonagrad]

2 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

Sometimes the bean counters are running the show and no one else has inputs.

This is true!  When things go south, usually research and marketing are the first things to get cut unfortunately. 

[NMTraveller]

2 minutes ago, Oceangoer2 said:

Some posters have said it's the engineers and design staff...no or fewer balconies are less drag (is that the right term....?  I'm no ship designer) so less fuel use.

The fuel savings are there.  So it is a money savings bean counter issue.  As is decimating the buffet.

Edited January 8, 2023 by NMTraveller

[Ipeeinthepools]

3 minutes ago, Oceangoer2 said:

Some posters have said it's the engineers and design staff...no or fewer balconies are less drag (is that the right term....?  I'm no ship designer) so less fuel use.

 

Somehow fuel efficiency wasn't an issue for suite cabins.

[markeb]

1 minute ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

Somehow fuel efficiency wasn't an issue for suite cabins.

 

Who knows. Could be the location of IVs alters air flow around the suites. I'm not an expert in fluid dynamics...

 

I doubt that, BTW, but I don't know it's not true.

[goofysmom99]

Way back in the day, I worked in an office on Lackland AFB right next to the school where they trained AF recruiters.  Every single morning began with a loud, unison "Boy, am I enthusiastic!"  I listened-in for a year.

 

Negative: "You don't want orange juice, do you?"  (negative voice, shake your head no =  "You don't want to join the Navy, do you?")

Neutral:  "Do you want orange juice?"

Positive:  "You want orange juice, don't you?"  (chirpy voice, nod your head yes enthusiastically = "You want to join the Air Force, don't you?")

 

Works for a lot of things when you want a particular outcome.  My mother used it a lot on me, too. 😉