Looking for someone currently on Edge (1/3/23) that can confirm/deny scaled back dinner buffet??

[cw2go]

2 minutes ago, ehall said:

I honestly cannot blame them for shutting down the OV for dinner.  I would sometimes go to eat a simple salad for dinner and this would be when the entire OV was open.  It would indeed be a ghost town.  Every station was open - and nobody was there.  A huge waste.  While I understand a few people may want to eat there for dinner, it is does not make economic sense to keep it open to serve a few.  So yes, that means I may miss out on getting a salad there too.  No worries - I will keep cruising and just need to pick and choose in getting something light either in MDR or begging for a main dish salad in Luminae (yeah, good luck).

 

I also enjoy just a salad for dinner at times. I've ask in the MDR for them to throw 2 salads in one bowl. Never a problem. 🥗

[AstoriaPreppy]

Not to be ridiculous, but I would surmise this is more capacity-related than anything else? I'm guessing they're not running a full buffet service for dinner because there's a notably decreased passenger load onboard. As another user pointed out, there was extensive booking availability a short while before departure, so it stands to reason that there are not even close to a full passenger load... and Celebrity (knowing this) realized a modified dinner buffet service was a better option.

 

In this case, it wouldn't even surprise me if they shut down one of the MDRs because of overcapacity.

[LMaxwell]

10 minutes ago, AstoriaPreppy said:

Not to be ridiculous, but I would surmise this is more capacity-related than anything else? I'm guessing they're not running a full buffet service for dinner because there's a notably decreased passenger load onboard. As another user pointed out, there was extensive booking availability a short while before departure, so it stands to reason that there are not even close to a full passenger load... and Celebrity (knowing this) realized a modified dinner buffet service was a better option.

 

In this case, it wouldn't even surprise me if they shut down one of the MDRs because of overcapacity.

You're not ridiculous, but we are not talking about volume, we are talking about selection. Many of us acknowledge that not every station is opened (for redundancy)at dinner as compared to lunch, but this is a significant reduction in selection and experience.

[LB_NJ]

30 minutes ago, LMaxwell said:

You're not ridiculous, but we are not talking about volume, we are talking about selection. Many of us acknowledge that not every station is opened (for redundancy)at dinner as compared to lunch, but this is a significant reduction in selection and experience.

 

Yes if there is reduced number of people just cook less.

 

Do people think this will occur across the fleet or just some of the ships?

 

I am thinking Millenium class ships.

[Lastdance]

Actually, skipping a meal like dinner is not a bad option, but that is an individual choice.  Dinner in Luminae for me got very boring for 26 days, so I did eat very lightly in the OVC a few times.  One of those times it was slim pickens, but I did find something.  I learned quickly that there is a limit to the number of days that cruising is totally enjoyable for me.  Honestly, I never thought this would happen, but  got really tired of the food choices in Luminae, so just had a salad with chicken, salmon or by itself.  I only ate in Luminae for dinner, so eating there 3 times a day was something I have never done.  Overall , I was disappointed with the quality of food, but not enough to stop cruising Celebrity.  My next cruise is a TA/b2b, but 21 days and not 26.  Fewer choices and declining quality together are a concern for me, but I need to experience this myself.

I eat in the OVC for breakfast because there is variety and made to order eggs; I go very early for food quality and less people. OVC for lunch when it first opens is also a viable choice due to selection, but quality over quantity is my preference. Also, l have a dinner package and can eat in Blu, space available.  So, it is what it is and I will decide in April, unless I am unable to board due to Covid, or some other issue.  Vacations should be enjoyable, mostly stress free, making one feel better for the experience because of quality and variety of choices.  However, I feel many things are on the table to go by the wayside...just my two cents!  

Edited January 4, 2023 by Lastdance

[retird]

5 minutes ago, Lastdance said:

Actually, skipping a meal like dinner is not a bad option, but that is an individual choice.  Dinner in Luminae for me got very boring for 26 days, so I did eat very lightly in the OVC a few times.  One of those times it was slim pickens, but I did find something.  I learned quickly that there is a limit to the number of days that cruising is totally enjoyable for me.  Honestly, I never thought this would happen, but  got really tired of the food choices in Luminae, so just had a salad with chicken, salmon or by itself.  I only ate in Luminae for dinner, so eating there 3 times a day was something I have never done.  Overall , I was disappointed with the quality of food, but not enough to stop cruising Celebrity.  My next cruise is a TA/b2b, but 21 days and not 26.  Fewer choices and declining quality together are a concern for me, but I need to experience this myself.

I eat in the OVC for breakfast because there is variety and made to order eggs; I go very early for food quality and less people.  I also have a dinner package and can eat in Blu, space available.  So, it is what it is and I will decide in April, unless I am unable to board due to Covid, or some other issue.  Vacations should be enjoyable, mostly stress free, making one feel better for the experience because of quality and variety of choices. 

You are fortunate being in suites that you have choice of lumanae, blu, mdr menu and oceanview.  Besides paid specialty.    Most of us on here only have the mdr or oceanview option, so for us, losing one option is a big deal.   Hope you understand.  

[neverlaysup]

Just my observation from our last X cruise in Oct/Nov. The nighttime buffet felt like a scaled down lunch menu with identical entrees and sides. Maybe one or two rotating stations but overall, it was just OK.

[KKB]

20 hours ago, RICCruisers said:

OMG OMG. We just finished dinner in Cosmopolitan and went up to the OV. It was a ghost town. The reports are correct. If you favor the OV for dinner, do not expect to have much of a choice. I will try to post a photo of what we saw. We didn’t check the pizza area, but this is the most egregious cutback that we’ve ever seen.
 

Not to sound too cynical, but I guess RCL has to figure out a way to continue to pay their top Executives $2,000,000+on the backs of cruisers that save all year to afford a vacation on one of their Modern Luxury ships. 
 

I can only hope that tonight was a Chic Night and maybe this was a one off and that a real dinner service will be back on future evenings. 

This is EXACTLY what the buffet looked like...around 11PM on the Edge (plus the pizza station)

 

I am curious to find out if it is the same at say 6...or on a non-formal night...

 

Additionally, what is the passenger count? Could that be it?

Edited January 4, 2023 by KKB

[Lastdance]

29 minutes ago, retird said:

You are fortunate being in suites that you have choice of lumanae, blu, mdr menu and oceanview.  Besides paid specialty.    Most of us on here only have the mdr or oceanview option, so for us, losing one option is a big deal.   Hope you understand.  

I am sorry, but what is it I need to understand?  I totally enjoy the OVC and eat there more than Luminae!  In terms of skipping a meal, I am talking about myself.  Like a crew member told me, "Luminae is all about presentation."  

Edited January 4, 2023 by Lastdance

[mahdnc]

We have yet to eat at the OVC for dinner however me met someone on board Constellation during the TA sailing and she at her dinner exclusively at the OVC.  She will be in for a disappointment.

[hrhdhd]

10 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

We have yet to eat at the OVC for dinner however me met someone on board Constellation during the TA sailing and she at her dinner exclusively at the OVC.  She will be in for a disappointment.

No kidding. 😲

[C-Dragons]

45 minutes ago, Lastdance said:

.…………..

 Overall , I was disappointed with the quality of food, but not enough to stop cruising Celebrity. My next cruise is a TA/b2b, but 21 days and not 26.  Fewer choices and declining quality together are a concern for me, but I need to experience this myself.

I eat in the OVC for breakfast because there is variety and made to order eggs; I go very early for food quality and less people. OVC for lunch when it first opens is also a viable choice due to selection, but quality over quantity is my preference. Also, l have a dinner package and can eat in Blu, space available.  So, it is what it is and I will decide in April, unless I am unable to board due to Covid, or some other issue.  Vacations should be enjoyable, mostly stress free, making one feel better for the experience because of quality and variety of choices.  Just my two cents!

I agree, it is what it is. 😉

We’re not going to get our knickers in a twist before experiencing the dining situation first hand on the TA this April. We will be boarding with an open mind.

(Can't wait… looking forward to seeing you! 😊)

[RichYak]

40 minutes ago, retird said:

You are fortunate being in suites that you have choice of lumanae, blu, mdr menu and oceanview.  Besides paid specialty.    Most of us on here only have the mdr or oceanview option, so for us, losing one option is a big deal.   Hope you understand.  

Everyone has lost most of the only buffet choice for dinner. There is no suite buffet that remains in full service. No one has lost any more or less than anyone else. 

[RichYak]

17 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

We have yet to eat at the OVC for dinner however me met someone on board Constellation during the TA sailing and she at her dinner exclusively at the OVC.  She will be in for a disappointment.

Is she the one on line at guest services on the last day of her cruises 😉

[Lastdance]

9 minutes ago, C-Dragons said:

I agree, it is what it is. 😉

We’re not going to get our knickers in a twist before experiencing the dining situation first hand on the TA this April. We will be boarding with an open mind.

(Can't wait… looking forward to seeing you! 😊)

Yes, yes and yes!  We missed seeing you on the last cruise, but you were having a wonderful and special experience much better than us with Covid!  Although, it wasn't that bad in the bigger picture, as we were on a cruise ship!  

Edited January 4, 2023 by Lastdance

[retird]

21 minutes ago, RichYak said:

Everyone has lost most of the only buffet choice for dinner. There is no suite buffet that remains in full service. No one has lost any more or less than anyone else. 

My point was that below aqua, one has mdr, oceanview or specialty .   Suites have lumanae, blu, mdr menu, oceanview and specialty.   Although we both lose one venue, those  in suites still have 4 venues compared to non suites with 2venues

Edited January 4, 2023 by retird

[RichYak]

1 minute ago, retird said:

My point was that below aqua, one has mdr, oceanview or soecialty.   Suites have lumanae, blu, mdr menu, oceanview and specialty.   Although we both lose one venue, thise in suites still have 4 venues compared to non suites with 2venues

I understood the point you were trying to make. It doesn’t make any more sense by repeating it. OVC is different from all the other venues. Everyone is losing the only buffet choice equally. 

[Tyler414]

Usually I like to eat at OV because it can be a quick meal,  I do enjoy a "nice" 2 hour sit down at some of the specialties, but I do not need or want a 2 hour dinner every night.  I will soon find out myself on Beyond how the OV is at dinner. 

[AstoriaPreppy]

2 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

You're not ridiculous, but we are not talking about volume, we are talking about selection. Many of us acknowledge that not every station is opened (for redundancy)at dinner as compared to lunch, but this is a significant reduction in selection and experience.

 

I'd reframe that by noting that all cruise ship cooking is volume, not selection. In this case, they don't have the volume of passengers to warrant offering a full selection of buffet dinner options.

 

With cruise ship cooking (especially the buffet), they're not making a single steam tray of X, they're making 20. They're prepping 100 steaks, not 5. So if there's not a critical mass of passengers on this particular cruise to warrant full prep/staffing, it makes sense they'd scale back.

[mpdog42]

8 hours ago, gizmodog said:

We will be on the edge in a week and to say I’m disappointed is an understatement.

we would eat dinner in the OV a couple times a cruise just to remove ourselves from dressing for dinner and to have more of a casual dinner.

this along with all the other cut backs I’m not really understanding, especially since I have just been told by an employee of another cruise line that their CEO made a 13 MILLION  dollar bonus this year, and the employees themselves have been cut in a lot of areas. It is rather disgusting that the employees and guests are the ones sacrificing. I’m sure this post too will be removed from the boards!

It’s Sad but Welcome to the new Norm😩

[Dreamer68]

22 hours ago, OysterD said:

If those pictures are representative of other nights in the buffet then I absolutely understand their thinking. Its a ghost town. Nobody in there. Why spend tens of thousands filling the buffet at night if only a couple of people use it and 90% of the food goes to waste? They know how many people use it in the evenings versus eating in the main dining rooms and specialty reataurants, they know exactly how much food they prepare and put out and how much goes to waste. If this is a permanent thing moving forward rather than a one off due to extraneous circumstances, I'm sure they've done a lot of number crunching and had a lot of meetings about it first. 

 

Also, Edge class have 4 main dining rooms with different menus and anytime seating. Maybe that is encouraging people to eat in those/try them out each night and fewer people are using the buffets?

I am getting on the Apex in 3 days' time. We booked our cruise late and just got on the Celebrity app to reserve our "Anytime Dining" reservations at one of the 4 MDRs. Well, only late reservations were available, i.e. 9 and 9:30 pm, for the entire week for all 4 restaurants! I'm feeling bad for anyone with  children who might need to eat earlier...IF the Oceanview is now limited in choices. I was actually hoping to catch a few dinners at the Oceanview, just for the more relaxed atmosphere...I had originally heard Oceanview was a great alternative choice to the MDRs.

PS - it looks like our cruise is full or almost full.

Edited January 5, 2023 by Dreamer68

[horseymike]

22 hours ago, OysterD said:

If those pictures are representative of other nights in the buffet then I absolutely understand their thinking. Its a ghost town. Nobody in there. Why spend tens of thousands filling the buffet at night if only a couple of people use it and 90% of the food goes to waste? They know how many people use it in the evenings versus eating in the main dining rooms and specialty reataurants, they know exactly how much food they prepare and put out and how much goes to waste. If this is a permanent thing moving forward rather than a one off due to extraneous circumstances, I'm sure they've done a lot of number crunching and had a lot of meetings about it first. 

 

Also, Edge class have 4 main dining rooms with different menus and anytime seating. Maybe that is encouraging people to eat in those/try them out each night and fewer people are using the buffets?

 

[horseymike]

Encouraging or forcing ?

[LMaxwell]

1 hour ago, AstoriaPreppy said:

 

 In this case, they don't have the volume of passengers to warrant offering a full selection of buffet dinner options.

 This is nothing more than Celebrity purposely destroying something and then claiming there is no demand.  Not the other way around. 

 

The thought of pushing more people to MDR just makes me think of longer waits/slower service time.  The MDR is certainly not going to improve due to this. 

 

 

 

[LMaxwell]

13 minutes ago, Dreamer68 said:

I am getting on the Apex in 3 days' time. We booked our cruise late and just got on the Celebrity app to reserve our "Anytime Dining" reservations at one of the 4 MDRs. Well, only late reservations were available, i.e. 9 and 9:30 pm, for the entire week for all 4 restaurants! I'm feeling bad for anyone with  children who might need to eat earlier...IF the Oceanview is now limited in choices. I was actually hoping to catch a few dinners at the Oceanview, just for the more relaxed atmosphere...I had originally heard Oceanview was a great alternative choice to the MDRs.

PS - it looks like our cruise is full or almost full.

As far as the reservations they aren't needed, just walk up. But do let us know your experience w OVC