Awful State of Ocean View Cafe for dinner

[Ex-Airbalancer]

5 minutes ago, RedneckBob said:

Ditto, ditto, ditto. We dine for dinner at Oceanview Cafe twice a cruise and it is never crowded. Always wondered what was done with food not served!

Just like any restaurant, soup , stir fry etc 

[Crazy planning mom]

1 minute ago, 4-2-N-8 said:

Aren't some restaurants open on sea days or is everyone shepherded into OVC (like grazing goats)?

???  I was talking about port days.

[kruzerci]

17 minutes ago, TopoChico said:

We were on Royal in April and Celebrity in November. I commented on the sad state of affairs a few days after getting back in December. And of course.  got some blowback from people who were not on our sailing and who insisted on providing inaccurate information pertaining to the sailing we were on.
As someone said, some diehards will say “Just pack a sandwich” if you don’t like the lunch offered 😂  

We thought the RC food was very underwhelming in April, so booked Celebrity to get a better experience in November. Wrong.
The food was atrocious.  We were shocked at just how bad, since we had experienced the opposite the many other times we’ve sailed X. Food was always impressive. Not any more. My Mother’s nursing home seriously serves better food. I am 100% serious. 
 

We couldn’t wait to get off ship so I could make a decent meal for us to eat at home 😂 I mean, when does anyone ever say that?  We LOST weight on that cruise.
The dining room meals were skimpy, lame and not cooked properly.
The buffet was a joke at all times we went.  The specialty restaurants should have been ashamed of what they were putting out and charging extra for.  
We would have paid more in our cruise fare if it meant half-decent dining, but apparently the new X plan is to overcharge and underwhelm. Success on both counts. 
 

They’ve lost us for sure. We won’t be cruising X again until we see people raving about how great the “new changes back to where it used to be” start rolling in.  

Same experience here. It blows my mind that people can come and defend their food quality after these cutbacks. You hit the nail on the head, my mother’s nursing home literally serves better food. 

[adolfo2]

12 hours ago, HeddaGarbled said:

Wasn’t the buffet a bit of a ghost town in the evenings anyway prior to this recent change? It doesn’t seem entirely unreasonable to me to try to minimize waste and cut costs in an under-used venue. 

 We usually don't patronize the OV, or any cruise-ship buffet for dinner (maybe once every 10 cruises). It makes no sense for the OV to put out enough food for thousands of guests if only a few hundred show!

 

IMHO: What's needed is a casual, free, come as you are, bistro like, setup similar to NCL's o'sheehan's.

Additionally, the OV could be half the size if the MDR's were utilized at embarkation and port-days!

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

Just now, Crazy planning mom said:

???  I was talking about port days.

I mean port days. Aren't some open?

[Crazy planning mom]

1 minute ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I was on Constellation in October, 19 days in the Med on BTB cruises.

 

Never once was I tempted to eat in the buffet or order room service for dinner. I ate in the MDR all but the two nights that I dined in Tuscan Grille.

 

If the ship had been in port longer in the evening, I would have eaten some dinners ashore...  As it was I had lovely lunches off the ship in several places.

Well, after an 11 hour tour in Israel, we ate in the buffet.

[kruzerci]

Everybody taking the time to post here, PLEASE contact Celebrity also. It is very important that they know these negative changes are noticed and not acceptable. 

[The_Big_M]

10 hours ago, Cap_D said:

The room service charge seems silly.  The staff are already onboard and available, as are the kitchens and food.  The small amount of cost or revenue is a drop in the bucket, but enough to be annoying and seem like nickel and diming.  And throwing staff at the MDRs from room service and the OVC reductions won't magically make that food any better or less dependent on banquet style food plated before being served.  Also, isn't room service the saving grace for anyone who should stay in their room due to covid or other contagious illness?

 

 

 

Silly - why? And I don't agree with the other claims.

 

Say there are 500 room service orders a day/ship outside overnight (which seems reasonable given number of cabins, plus some may also order multiple times). That's $5000/day on the bottom line, or $1.8m/year per ship - approx $20m for the fleet. I wouldn't call that "a drop in the bucket".

 

And, if it does cause a reduction in usage by customers, that enables staffing for that area to be reduced, meaning they can either support other areas that may need it, or ultimately reduce headcount by those extra numbers. Either way improving business operations, and/or finances.

 

As for covid, restrictions have virtually gone for that, but this isn't fully removing room service, so it doesn't alter the ability to support that, so has no relevance.

 

 

[Guest TopoChico]

13 minutes ago, 4-2-N-8 said:

Can you advise which ship(s)? Were you in Retreat or Star Class?

Millennium in a corner family veranda.  The nicest cabin we’ve ever been in. The balcony was ridiculously great. With some decent food options, this would have been a 5-star trip.  I don’t know what either of those levels you mention are, but we spoke to other passengers in all different cabin levels who were as underwhelmed as we were. My family doesn’t want their mugs on the net, hence the white outs…

[RichYak]

5 minutes ago, 4-2-N-8 said:

I mean port days. Aren't some open?

MDR and Luminae are almost always closed on port days for lunch. Blu is never open for lunch. You'll have OVC, Spa Cafe and some food at Retreat Sundeck. Other options are room service and perhaps Raw on 5 and Bistro. I think that's everything.

[hrhdhd]

1 hour ago, cruise47 said:

The Chargers lost their playoff game.

Exactly. Read the post again.

[Guest TopoChico]

22 minutes ago, kruzerci said:

Same experience here. It blows my mind that people can come and defend their food quality after these cutbacks. You hit the nail on the head, my mother’s nursing home literally serves better food. 

There are a few on here who enjoy playing mind games with their replies just to alleviate their boredom.  
Food is subjective, yes. But on a Caribbean cruise, offering the same sloppy stuffed cabbage, bad cold pizza and slimy, warm, wet mortadella slices with giant blocks of sweaty cheeses (with no knife) and no person available to cut you a piece - every single day at the OV cafe - was just weird.  My son calls it the “Mortadella Cruise.” It was everywhere. They must have gotten a great deal in 5000 pounds of it.
We have all agreed we will never eat Mortadella again. 
 

If they can’t afford to provide decent food on a cruise ship Buffet, perhaps they should charge a fee as they do in the specialty restaurants. We would’ve paid it to avoid the bad dining room food. 

Edited January 16, 2023 by TopoChico

[Oceangoer2]

13 hours ago, Lena11033 said:

 

Correct, I work in digital advertising in Canada. There isn't any $ for TV here (or I haven't seen any commercials at least on TV). I do get daily ads on digital platforms like web and mobile apps.

I'm seeing Beyond TV spots daily on Cdn. TV channels.

[TowandaUK]

14 hours ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

Cancel upcoming cruises and send LLP a note telling her why you cancelled.

Refundable deposits are not offered in the UK. 

[bonagrad]

3 hours ago, barbette165 said:

 

You're probably correct when you say that there is more "on plate" waste in the MDR than in the OVC, but there is also the "serving tray" waste in the OVC that needs to be considered. With a similar selection at dinner to that offered at lunch but with fewer customers, there is probably a lot of food wasted that doesn't make it to the plate, either due to end of service or exceeding the safe time for a display to be on display at serving temperature.

 

Despite my comments above, if I had decided to visit the OVC on the evening of the video in post 1, I would have struggled to find something that I really wanted to eat. They need to roll back on the changes a bit (or quite a bit). Cook to order grill is probably something that has the least waste.

Yep, cook to order grill makes a lot of sense.  Chicken, beef, pork, fish, hot dogs, hamburgers, fries, chips, some cole slaw, and potato salad.  Add 2-3 cooked veggies, a sandwich station with cold cuts, cheese, chicken salad, and tuna salad.  Allow people to make cold sandwiches or hot via a pininni press.  Finally rotate a made to order actions station, something different night.  Stir fry one night, pasta station, the next, Mexican the next, Ramen the next, etc.    This provides a lot more variety, yet doesn't add a lot of additional labor and little waste, because it's all made to order.  Happy medium is what the ask!

[Spif Barwunkel]

If one can't get by with the dinner buffet that X now provides - out of necessity - shame on you. If one can get by with the current buffet but feels the need to complain, shame on you more. Plenty of food, plenty of choices, even for the gobblers onboard. The video showed me how well X is doing in continuing to provide a very satisfactory casual evening meal. 

 

Of course, many will say, I understand that times are tough, and business is rough, but gimme, gimme, gimme anyway. I'm here to eat, drink and be merry, at Celebrity's expense not mine. How dare you to raise prices and levy cutbacks in the name of profitability. Oh, and by the way, I need to know every- thing about your business plan, when and how it will be implemented. Gimme, gimme, gimme.  With gluttony comes waste, lots of waste. That's okay, it is at X's expense not mine.  

Edited January 16, 2023 by Spif Barwunkel

[Oceangoer2]

11 hours ago, Bo1953 said:

It has always been an option for staff to eat in The OVC as there is a dining venue for them already...

 

bon appetit and bon voyage

Officers and Entertainment MAY eat in the OV.  They also have a DR of sorts below.  Then the service staff have their own DR. 

Edited January 16, 2023 by Oceangoer2

[Bo1953]

3 minutes ago, Oceangoer2 said:

Officers and Entertainment MAY eat in the OV.  They also have a DR of sorts below.  Then the service staff have their own DR.  Lots of class separation on cruise ships.

I Am not under any illusion about "Class Distinction" on ships rather it be Officers, staff, crew...

 

Just merely that eating in the same venues as they do always provide a different perspective as to how those usually not seen eats...

 

Likewise, were I sailing in The Retreat and its' environs, I would venture out to other parts of the ship to see how other passengers were making out and enjoying the sailing... LOL

 

bon appetit and bon voyage

[Guest TopoChico]

7 minutes ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

If one can't get by with the dinner buffet that X now provides - out of necessity - shame on you. If one can get by with the current buffet but feels the need to complain, shame on you more. Plenty of food, plenty of choices, even for the gobblers onboard. The video showed me how well X is doing in continuing to provide a very satisfactory casual evening meal. 

 

Of course, many will say, I understand that times are tough, and business is rough, but gimme, gimme, gimme anyway. I'm here to eat, drink and be merry, at Celebrity's expense not mine. How dare you to raise prices and levy cutbacks in the name of profitability. Oh, and by the way, I need to know every- thing about your business plan, when and how it will be implemented. Gimme, gimme, gimme.  With gluttony comes waste, lots of waste. That's okay, it is at X's expense not mine.  

Who’s necessity? The passengers who paid to eat decent food? Or the cruise lines who are raising prices and lowering quality without advertising as such? If they stop filling the swimming pools because water is too expensive, will you sit there by the big hole in the deck and say, times are tough, business is rough, that giant hole is lovely to look at? . 

[jean87510]

17 minutes ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

If one can't get by with the dinner buffet that X now provides - out of necessity - shame on you. If one can get by with the current buffet but feels the need to complain, shame on you more. Plenty of food, plenty of choices, even for the gobblers onboard. The video showed me how well X is doing in continuing to provide a very satisfactory casual evening meal. 

 

Of course, many will say, I understand that times are tough, and business is rough, but gimme, gimme, gimme anyway. I'm here to eat, drink and be merry, at Celebrity's expense not mine. How dare you to raise prices and levy cutbacks in the name of profitability. Oh, and by the way, I need to know every- thing about your business plan, when and how it will be implemented. Gimme, gimme, gimme.  With gluttony comes waste, lots of waste. That's okay, it is at X's expense not mine.  

Is this a complaint, a joke or a comment?  

[Guest TopoChico]

Just now, jean87510 said:

Is this a complaint, a joke or a comment?  

They like Celebrity.  No. Matter. What. 

[bonagrad]

14 minutes ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

If one can't get by with the dinner buffet that X now provides - out of necessity - shame on you. If one can get by with the current buffet but feels the need to complain, shame on you more. Plenty of food, plenty of choices, even for the gobblers onboard. The video showed me how well X is doing in continuing to provide a very satisfactory casual evening meal. 

 

Of course, many will say, I understand that times are tough, and business is rough, but gimme, gimme, gimme anyway. I'm here to eat, drink and be merry, at Celebrity's expense not mine. How dare you to raise prices and levy cutbacks in the name of profitability. Oh, and by the way, I need to know every- thing about your business plan, when and how it will be implemented. Gimme, gimme, gimme.  With gluttony comes waste, lots of waste. That's okay, it is at X's expense not mine.  

Wow, I guess I need to shut up and say thank you Celebrity!  Thank you so much for selling me one things and then giving me something entirely different.  You make an awful lot of of assumptions, just because you don't agree with the sentiment.  This has nothing to do with gluttony!  Some of us don't want a long dining experience and want a healthier dining option.  We don't want protein drowning in sauce with a stalk of broccoli or two baby carrots.  With the old OVC that was easily attainable.  Now, it's not.  As we've said, we don't want the full OVC experience back, we want something between the old experience and this extreme cut back.  BUT in your opinion, it's fine, so we'll all just shut, because we're not entitled out own opinion without being called selfish pigs!

[Spif Barwunkel]

5 minutes ago, TopoChico said:

Who’s necessity? The passengers who paid to eat decent food? Or the cruise lines who are raising prices and lowering quality without advertising as such? If they stop filling the swimming pools because water is too expensive, will you sit there by the big hole in the deck and say, times are tough, business is rough, that giant hole is lovely to look at? . 

Whether filled or not, we don't sit by the hole.  

[Ipeeinthepools]

20 minutes ago, TopoChico said:

Who’s necessity? The passengers who paid to eat decent food? Or the cruise lines who are raising prices and lowering quality without advertising as such? If they stop filling the swimming pools because water is too expensive, will you sit there by the big hole in the deck and say, times are tough, business is rough, that giant hole is lovely to look at? . 

If they stop filling the pool that will be a huge problem.

[mac66]

20 minutes ago, bonagrad said:

Wow, I guess I need to shut up and say thank you Celebrity!  Thank you so much for selling me one things and then giving me something entirely different.  You make an awful lot of of assumptions, just because you don't agree with the sentiment.  This has nothing to do with gluttony!  Some of us don't want a long dining experience and want a healthier dining option.  We don't want protein drowning in sauce with a stalk of broccoli or two baby carrots.  With the old OVC that was easily attainable.  Now, it's not.  As we've said, we don't want the full OVC experience back, we want something between the old experience and this extreme cut back.  BUT in your opinion, it's fine, so we'll all just shut, because we're not entitled out own opinion without being called selfish pigs!

 

 

We did 3 X cruises last year and were disappointed with the food and service on all three. We did one RCI cruise in early Dec and were very happy with the food and service.

 

 I get that people need to complain about the food and/or service on a cruise ship but ultimately you have a choice whether to cruise with X or not.  Vote with your feet.

Edited January 16, 2023 by mac66