Oceanview Cafe dinner service being eliminated?

[NMTraveller]

13 minutes ago, markeb said:

 

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.

Ah yes,  some kind of force field like from Star Trek that moves the air flow right around the suite balconies in the front.

 

If that was the case,  I believe that they would have mentioned this engineering feat in the bridge tour and not been silent about the suites in the bridge tour.

 

From model rocketry, the most efficient rockets had an efficient nose cone design.  I don't think that putting balconies or the indentations for them would have been very efficient in a nose cone or on a ship.

 

 

Edited January 8, 2023 by NMTraveller

[BridgeMates]

1 hour 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.

 

We were on the Silhouette in November and two of us ordered the Steak Diane....it was absolutely horrible.  Couldn't even cut it.  I hope that Sirloin on the new menu is good.  After many Celebrity cruises I hate to see all this negative stuff.  They've jumped in with too many changes  and price increases all at once! 😆  I hope by our next cruise in April things have settled back down. 🍷

[RD64]

5 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Maybe it does not apply to you, but I find that a number of North American cruisers do not have adventurous palates. They often do not like fish and are convinced that steak is the be-all and end-all of proteins. Lamb, squab and duck are considered "exotic".  Heaven forfend they have to deal with sea urchin or pork cheeks. Most don't know a veloute from a vierge.

 

I enjoy well prepared food with varied ingredients and rich and complex sauces, typical Continental fare. I also enjoy regional foods and would never turn down a good pho or dal or xiaolongbao. 

 

I've looked at Luminae menus and they look pretty interesting to me. Could definitely deal with those items for a week or two. Too bad I can't afford a suite. Maybe I could offer my services to some poor suite passenger who wants to sit cuddled up in a small dining room but still eat their large event food. We can swap meals. 🤣😉

 

Please do not paint all North Americans with the same brush. Speaking from an Ontario (Canada) perspective those of us with strong immigrant roots are definitely more adventurous. Pig cheek? Bring on that guanciale! The only true Carbonara Sauce requires guanciale. Those of us that live in urban areas with large immigrant populations are familiar with a variety of cuisines - Indian, Ethiopian, Haka Chinese, Thai,  Guyanese, Sri Lankan, etc.

 

Even my elderly parents who were born in Italy are adventurous. They have Jamaican or Trini hot sauce on the table at every meal.

[Oceangoer2]

50 minutes ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

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

you're right but there ARE fewer of them (E Class).  Not defending...I'm not a fan of IV, just posting what was on one of the threads on CC.

[Oceangoer2]

25 minutes ago, BridgeMates said:

 

We were on the Silhouette in November and two of us ordered the Steak Diane....it was absolutely horrible.  Couldn't even cut it.  I hope that Sirloin on the new menu is good.  After many Celebrity cruises I hate to see all this negative stuff.  They've jumped in with too many changes  and price increases all at once! 😆  I hope by our next cruise in April things have settled back down. 🍷

I ordered Steak Diane Flambe in one of our home city higher end restaurants....I agree it was horrible and tough.  I asked why and they said it's flank steak.  Some will say they love flank steak but I won't take a chance on it again.  So it's possible this is the case on and off ships.

[Ipeeinthepools]

1 hour 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.

 

Does anyone have a copy of a typical menu before these cutbacks?  What were the Classic entrees?  How many choices were there on the Signature Menu?

[RTShaker]

1 hour ago, bonagrad said:

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.  

 

Unbiased data from a target audience. As much as a reputable firm may say unbiased, they are still given a target demographic to research by the client. There are so many disqualifiers when being polled, that a given result is inevitable. If they were to poll every Celebrity cruiser without any qualifiers, the result would vary significantly from suite guests to last minute cruisers to AI guests.

[Uwlwsrpm]

So not only did they gut the majority of the buffet selection, they also removed a large portion of the beef category MDR nightly only items such as Wellington and Prime Rib. Talk about being squeezed from both sides. This in addition to no fully wraparound promenade deck with bow access being restricted to Elite member access only, looks like this first Celebrity Cruise will also most likely be my last.

Edited January 8, 2023 by Uwlwsrpm

[Susanb10567]

I was just looking at menus on the Ap in MDR on the Infinity…one for the current cruise and one for April which obviously has not been updated…all the changes are disappointing…in terms of appetizers they are basically all soup and salad as opposed to other items like crab cake or spring roll…the entrees have also taken a downgrade as well in terms of quantity and quality….

 

Up until now I have been in the retreat but with the recent price increases we have booked aqua and we’re considering sunset verandas on Edge class but these menus are a little weak….

[bonagrad]

9 minutes ago, RTShaker said:

Unbiased data from a target audience. As much as a reputable firm may say unbiased, they are still given a target demographic to research by the client. There are so many disqualifiers when being polled, that a given result is inevitable. If they were to poll every Celebrity cruiser without any qualifiers, the result would vary significantly from suite guests to last minute cruisers to AI guests.

Well, obviously you have a target audience.  You aren't going to survey people have never cruised in this case.  Qualifiers are there so that you can segment the data, not to get to an "inevitable" result.  You write a survey to avoid bias.  I've been doing this since before internet research was a thing.  There are people much, much smarter than me that have spent much of the last 25 years studying how to write surveys to be effective an unbiased.  Again, you let the data tell the story, whether it matched the narrative the client is looking for our not.  I once did a survey, presented the data and they did the opposite, because they though they were right.  Things didn't go well and they came back and asked why.  We said, read the report we gave you 6 months ago and that'll tell you!

[islabahia]

Please don’t make assumptions many North Americans have underdeveloped palates.  At this moment my freezer has ground lamb, rack of pork, whole duck, mahi mahi, crab and some other interesting proteins.  BTW I can make veloute and vierge…I learned from Thomas Keller videos.  Seriously, true foodies are true foodies.

[NMTraveller]

37 minutes ago, Uwlwsrpm said:

So not only did they gut the majority of the buffet selection, they also removed a large portion of the beef category MDR nightly only items such as Wellington and Prime Rib. Talk about being squeezed from both sides. This in addition to no fully wraparound promenade deck with bow access being restricted to Elite member access only, looks like this first Celebrity Cruise will also most likely be my last.

I believe another change was the 4 oz fillet to the 5 oz sirloin.

 

These MDR changes are more concerning for me than the joke of a buffet in the evenings.

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, RD64 said:

Please do not paint all North Americans with the same brush. Speaking from an Ontario (Canada) perspective those of us with strong immigrant roots are definitely more adventurous.

 

51 minutes ago, islabahia said:

Please don’t make assumptions many North Americans have underdeveloped palates.  At this moment my freezer has ground lamb, rack of pork, whole duck, mahi mahi, crab and some other interesting proteins.  

 

Please note that saying "many of...." is not the same thing as saying "all...".

 

🙄

[mpdog42]

9 hours ago, RedneckBob said:

Ok, before any one starts, I know I have paid for those choices in the cruise price. But imagine paying for those choices in the cruise price and NOT receiving them.

Who knows, But if cruisers have to pay off the fare 90 days in advance...and the cruise lines cut the product significantly....There could be some possible "interest" by a couple of State Attorney Generals...

Just Saying!!

[miguelmia]

1 minute ago, mpdog42 said:

Who knows, But if cruisers have to pay off the fare 90 days in advance...and the cruise lines cut the product significantly....There could be some possible "interest" by a couple of State Attorney Generals...

Just Saying!!

 

Not a lawyer or anything, but I think we can add this to the long list of reasons cruise lines flag their ships somewhere other than the United States. Anyone know what Malta's bait-and-switch regulations are? 😜

[mpdog42]

2 minutes ago, miguelmia said:

 

Not a lawyer or anything, but I think we can add this to the long list of reasons cruise lines flag their ships somewhere other than the United States. Anyone know what Malta's bait-and-switch regulations are? 😜

Cruise Companys who sell and operate cruises in the Unites States are under Consumer Protections Laws at the very least by the FTC...

[DaKahuna]

22 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

 

 

That's semi-accurate. A month later they kicked Diamond Plus out of the Concierge Lounge for good. When RCI went to the voucher program, which they have refined and made better a few times, honestly; some Diamond Plus would still camp out in the Concierge lounge and try to run up drinks by schmoozing the staff.  This didn't really impress suite guests that watched D+ "Hold Court" over service. So Royal finally capitulated to the highest paying customers and booted the loyalty clients out.  

 

People knew exactly why they were now printing receipts and it was to tell the D+ that were doing this in a nice way that they were being tracked and no more unlimited drinks/lording over the staff.  

 

for trying to abuse the voucher program all D+ now have lost access to a dedicated GS staffer to resolve onboard issues, make appts, assist w luggage valet etc. 

 

 Let’s agree to disagree.

1.  Not all ships allowed Diamond + into the Concierge lounge.  In most cases it was a cruise by cruise basis and you really never knew if you were going to have access or not before you stepped onboard.  What they did was make this a policy for all ships and eliminated any/all confusion.  As a Diamond +, I saw this as a positive. 
2.  I cannot say if Diamond + cruises that got into the Lounges did or did not schmooze for extra drinks or not.  I can only speak for myself and my DW and I can assure you we never abused the system.  Did what you say happened happen, I do not doubt it but it will not happen any more since Diamond + are no longer permitted in the Concierge Lounges/Clubs.  

3.  Printing receipts was not for Diamond + only.  It also included Diamond and Pinnacles.  The reason it was done was because of drinks being charged against vouchers that members claimed they never ordered or consumed.  Again - Nothing lost.
4.  As has always been the case, Diamond + can use the Diamond Concierge for the same things they used the Concierge in the Concierge Lounge / Club the same as Diamond members. Again, nothing was lost.

 

If having benefits of the Concierge Lounge / Club is that important, book a suite.

 

please do not reply.  This is a Celebrity Cruise forum and I feel any further discussion here is inappropriate.  
 

[LMaxwell]

42 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 Let’s agree to disagree.

1.  Not all ships allowed Diamond + into the Concierge lounge.  In most cases it was a cruise by cruise basis and you really never knew if you were going to have access or not before you stepped onboard.  What they did was make this a policy for all ships and eliminated any/all confusion.  As a Diamond +, I saw this as a positive. 
2.  I cannot say if Diamond + cruises that got into the Lounges did or did not schmooze for extra drinks or not.  I can only speak for myself and my DW and I can assure you we never abused the system.  Did what you say happened happen, I do not doubt it but it will not happen any more since Diamond + are no longer permitted in the Concierge Lounges/Clubs.  

3.  Printing receipts was not for Diamond + only.  It also included Diamond and Pinnacles.  The reason it was done was because of drinks being charged against vouchers that members claimed they never ordered or consumed.  Again - Nothing lost.
4.  As has always been the case, Diamond + can use the Diamond Concierge for the same things they used the Concierge in the Concierge Lounge / Club the same as Diamond members. Again, nothing was lost.

 

If having benefits of the Concierge Lounge / Club is that important, book a suite.

 

please do not reply.  This is a Celebrity Cruise forum and I feel any further discussion here is inappropriate.  
 

You make a lot of good points; but...uh, I started the thread so I certainly can reply. Thread drift is natural. I appreciate you want to keep it on topic. I take you at your word that you weren't "one of them".  What is done at one is a bellweather for others. That is certainly on topic. 

 

I do hope this week we see some more/detailed photo or video on vlogs or here detailing what exactly the changes are. Bad decisions can be undone. Nothing is ever set in stone when it comes to cruises 

[WonderMan3]

On 1/7/2023 at 10:42 AM, Oceangoer2 said:

There are 3 salad options and 3 pasta options.  Not a station but an option.  The note did say 'subject to change'.

Pollo alla Cacciatore, Beef lasagna, Eggplant Parmigiano. 

Not clear what you are talking about in regards to pasta. There were not "3 pasta options" listed in that celebrity text. Of the three you listed above only one is technically a pasta dish. The pasta station is totally different where you can make your own pasta with choice of pasta type, sauces and mix-in veggies and meats. That is a big loss, for me anyway, as it was one of the stations I always visited when having dinner at OVC.

[WonderMan3]

On 1/7/2023 at 11:31 AM, C-Dragons said:

Your cruise is 11 months away. IMO, what is currently being reported in the Oceanview Cafe is a reflection of the total number of passengers on board (not fully booked).

I would venture a guess that when you sail in December the ship will have far more passengers and the offerings in Oceanview will be back to normal. Hope you and your kids have a great cruise.

I wouldn't count on that. I think a big driver with some of these changes is a staffing shortage. That could take years for them to sort out.

[WonderMan3]

On 1/7/2023 at 11:48 AM, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

Exactly! The pasta station was excellent.

 

I've written asking for them to reintroduce at least one fresh made-to-order station. No reply yet. This would be a huge improvement and not terribly costly. The fresh station could rotate since that is their new theme. Pasta, stir fry, grill, etc...

 

The ability to get fresh made-to-order items was a big draw for us using the buffet. No matter how you cut it, items in the MDR are plated long before they reach the table.

 

I also contacted celebrity via facebook messenger last night. Here is their response. 

 

 

As mentioned, I will be on Connie next week and will take photos/video of the entire buffet showing all options in an attempt to help people make informed decisions. I'm having a hard time believing that the menu posted is now the entire buffet.  Hopefully that embarrassment was incomplete.

 

 

 

 

So they look at say NCL and see all the stuff they've cut back or have as an extra charge and decide to cut back themselves? That's all well and good but they seem to forget that they are priced higher than these other cruise lines they are trying to stay aligned with. When they make cuts we don't see an equivalent drop in price; it's a value loss.

[WonderMan3]

22 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

Another possibility: NCL is rolling out a menu that does not change all week on their newest ships. There are a fare amount of starters and entrees', but it does not change all week (maybe one entrée changes daily, I've lost track). 

 

Not sure how a MDR experience with no variety would work on a longer itinerary but NCL is giving it a whirl.

It's always been like that in their Haven restaurant, or it was at least when I cruised with them in 2018. That works okay for 2, maybe 3 dinners and then you want to try something else. I'm sure this is a multi-pronged strategy to not only reduce kitchen workload by having an easier set menu but also to push people to use specialty restaurants more to not only increase revenue but to reduce crowding in the MDR.

[WonderMan3]

10 hours ago, Straughn said:

I have been thinking about the issue of the dinner buffet. Celebrity says that they are cutting back the dinner options in the OV due to lack of use. There are reports by some who say it is empty and by others who use it routinely and will miss that dining options . If indeed it is a cut back because of lack of use, then reducing the number of options will probably reduce even more the number of people who will use it with that change. Draw your own conclusions… I don’t want to start any unfounded rumors!

Exactly. Eventually leading them to discontinue dinner service altogether.

[dandee2]

A few years ago there was very important aspect of the cruises experience that Celebrity tried to eliminate - The chocolate left on the pillow at turn-down. They reinstated the chocolate after the bad press they got.

[WonderMan3]

7 hours ago, bonagrad said:

As other have done, I wrote Lisa Lutoff-Perlo.  I'm also a very part-time travel agent, so I wanted to make sure they are aware of the feedback that this has caused.  As other have, I got a call within two hours.  I think they have a group that does triage on her email and reaches out to those with concerns.  To their credit, it is nice to get a response and so quickly.  The person who responded thanked me for my feedback and noted I made good points and that they'd review and see what they can do.  I suggest people do the same as the more people they hear from, the better.  If you remember when Royal launched Anthem years ago, they launched with what they called Dynamic Dinning.  People HATED the idea and within just a few weeks they ditched the concept.  Put pressure on them!

It's also important for people onboard to raise concerns to the OVC manager and/or Hotel Director. If they get enough negative feedback changes will happen. The last thing management onboard wants to deal with is tons of people complaining to them on every cruise about the same issue again and again. I'd be hesitant to have people mark low numbers for OVC on the surveys as that could just hasten them to get rid of dinner altogether. I'd say call it out in the surveys if there is a comments section but having worked for a tour operator/cruise line for years I can tell you that they rarely ever read the comment fields on surveys unless there is a problem going on and they need to dig down into the surveys to see if the comments shed light on why ratings are suddenly declining.