Frequency Of Dinner In The Buffet

[bnurick]

3 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

Are you from Boston too?

No mate Kentucky, land of bourbon and horses…

[mailmama]

We eat in the buffet at dinner maybe 1 or 2 nights for supper but 7 nights for dessert and coffee/tea! After a show or casino time, we drop by there for a late night snack or dessert before heading back to cabin for night.....  We always loved all the different stations with all the options. Celebrity just might not be our first choice anymore......

[RTShaker]

1 hour ago, bnurick said:

No worries @Bo1953 I voted three times. 😉 

Like they always say - vote early and vote often🤣

[cruisemom42]

I voted "never" since I literally cannot recall the last time I ate dinner in the OVC; certainly not in the 35 days across four cruises spent on X since the restart. 

 

Maybe it's different when days ashore are beach days. While I am definitely tired after coming back from a long day ashore in Europe or Med, I don't necessarily need to shower or spend much time getting ready for dinner.  Quick wash of face and hands, touch up make-up if needed, brush hair and toss on some dinner-appropriate clothing.  

 

If I'm tired, I'd much rather just sit down in the MDR or another venue and let others do the hustling to ply me with wine and food. 🤣. I don't like having to wander around the buffet picking out courses, having to make multiple trips if I want to eat each course at proper temperature. Same would be true if the ship were rockin' -- I'd rather not be stumbling around with plates of food.

[NMTraveller]

3 hours ago, bnurick said:

Currently on The Edge. The dinner buffet does not have the numbers to support a 100% open buffet. It seems there is more demand for main dining at this time. I do not feel they are cutting back, simply aligning supply/demand. The breakfast and lunch is at full operations. We ate pizza today, very good. 

It is like putting a TV show in a bad time slot and blaming it on the show.

 

Take away 80% of the buffet and it is a ghost town.

 

So far it looks like the majority eat dinner in the buffet at least one night.

Edited January 19, 2023 by NMTraveller

[jelayne]

1 hour ago, mailmama said:

We eat in the buffet at dinner maybe 1 or 2 nights for supper but 7 nights for dessert and coffee/tea! After a show or casino time, we drop by there for a late night snack or dessert before heading back to cabin for night.....  We always loved all the different stations with all the options. Celebrity just might not be our first choice anymore......

As far as I know the  late night is unchanged. 

[jelayne]

7 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

 

So far it looks like the majority eat dinner in the buffet at least one night.

Or said another way 18% eat at the buffet 3 or more nights on a 7 night cruise.  

[NMTraveller]

20 minutes ago, jelayne said:

Or said another way 18% eat at the buffet 3 or more nights on a 7 night cruise.  

And what business aims to lose 18% or more of their customers?

 

The others choose to eat in the buffet occasionally because they are tired after a long days of excursions,  do not want to dress, do not want the 2 hour dinner, etc.  Still above 50%.

 

By the same logic the specialty dining rooms, BLU, and Lumine are not being heavily utilized so they should go away also.

Edited January 19, 2023 by NMTraveller

[LGW59]

6 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

And what business aims to lose 18% or more of their customers?

 

The others choose to eat in the buffet occasionally because they are tired after a long days of excursions,  do not want to dress, do not want the 2 hour dinner, etc.  Still above 50%.

 

By the same logic the specialty dining rooms are not being heavily utilized so they should go away also.

I wish there was an option of how many Retreat guests eat in the buffet - I'll vote first, NEVER

[Oville]

4 hours ago, LGW59 said:

but if they have taken 40+ cruises and the sun isn't shining or the moon is not full and there is a 50% chance of rain...where do they eat then?

This is all bs as you know.  I remember when the Edge first came out and the poll on the IV cabins was taken.  Many pro and con voted but never crossed the threshold.

Hope you enjoy Oceania, we preferred Viking but it was an age thing.

[NMTraveller]

5 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

I wish there was an option of how many Retreat guests eat in the buffet - I'll vote first, NEVER

Yet a higher percentage of cruisers use the OVC during dinner than Luminae.  So shut down Luminae...

[Oville]

1 minute ago, NMTraveller said:

Yet a higher percentage of cruisers use the OVC during dinner than Luminae.  So shut down Luminae...

Huh

[LGW59]

1 minute ago, Oville said:

This is all bs as you know.  I remember when the Edge first came out and the poll on the IV cabins was taken.  Many pro and con voted but never crossed the threshold.

Hope you enjoy Oceania, we preferred Viking but it was an age thing.

Thanks!  LOL on your Viking preference.  I'm looking forward to Oceania and as for age, I am 63, my husband is a tad younger, but when we travel or at home by 9:30 we are ensconced in our room and the zzzz's are not far behind.

[cruisemom42]

7 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

Yet a higher percentage of cruisers use the OVC during dinner than Luminae.  So shut down Luminae...

 

While I understand this is frustration talking, the argument makes no sense as far as Celebrity is concerned. Luminae diners "pay" for their separate space in their suite fare. 

 

Looking at it dispassionately and solely with the aim of cost-cutting, it's clear more people utilize the MDR on a daily basis than the OVC, so if drastic cuts were going to be made, OVC was a more inviting target.

 

Now don't shoot the messenger -- I'm not saying I agree with the gutting of OVC. Or that the MDR isn't also experiencing some cuts. But making OVC operations leaner does seem to make some sense. The majority of passengers eat elsewhere of an evening, and (if this poll can be believed), even those who choose the buffet for dinner do not utilize it more than a night or two.

 

My hope is that once the dust settles and feedback is tabulated, Celebrity will return to an OVC that is leaner but still offers a few more options to satisfy those who want to dine there at night.

 

[NMTraveller]

9 minutes ago, Oville said:

Huh

In the other referenced thread some posters felt that the OVC was not utilized enough by most cruisers on the ship.

 

You could apply the same logic to specialty dining, Blu, and Luminae as they are utilized by cruisers on the ship less than the OVC.

 

What percentage of cruisers on the ship use Blu every night?

What percentage of cruisers on the ship use Luminae every night?

What percentage of cruisers on the ship use (name your favorite specialty restaurant) every night?

 

Much less than 18%.

[NMTraveller]

2 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

While I understand this is frustration talking, the argument makes no sense as far as Celebrity is concerned. Luminae diners "pay" for their separate space in their suite fare. 

 

Does it list Luminae in the cruise contract?  If not it is something that can be taken away.

[LGW59]

1 minute ago, NMTraveller said:

Does it list Luminae in the cruise contract?  If not it is something that can be taken away.

Even if in the contract, it can be taken away per the itsy bitsy tiny print, they cover their a** quite well

[cruisemom42]

5 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

Does it list Luminae in the cruise contract?  If not it is something that can be taken away.

 

Again, I think you're looking at this the wrong way. 

 

Of course Celebrity COULD take it away, but it is part of the suite package. How many suites would they sell without it?  At the very least X would have to lower suite prices and that would significantly impact profits.

 

I mean, Celebrity COULD take away beds in cabins too, but what would be the point of it?

[prmssk]

7 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

In the other referenced thread some posters felt that the OVC was not utilized enough by most cruisers on the ship.

 

You could apply the same logic to specialty dining, Blu, and Luminae as they are utilized by cruisers on the ship less than the OVC.

 

What percentage of cruisers on the ship use Blu every night?

What percentage of cruisers on the ship use Luminae every night?

What percentage of cruisers on the ship use (name your favorite specialty restaurant) every night?

 

Much less than 18%.

All of these bring in revenue (specialty dining cover charges, much higher fares for Aqua class and Suites).  Those sailing in these higher end rooms are the ones most likely to be able to step up to more luxury lines.  Cuts to these revenue making areas would not make business sense.

 

Cuts to the OVC will send cruisers to specialty dining (where they will make more money) or to the MDR (which resources can be funneled).  They may lose some passengers to other cruise lines, although in many cases those same passengers will find the buffets on comparable lines (like Princess or Holland) are the same or worse.

[cruzzzinma]

I don’t think we’ve ever eaten in the buffet on Celebrity for dinner.

 

On Viking, for the preponderance of the non speciality nights, we ate in the buffet. The restaurant, aka MDR is chaotic. The world cafe (buffet) always has sushi and the restaurant mains. It is awesome.

 

On Oceania, we ate in the buffet on some nights. Quiet, subdued lighting, most of the dining room entrees were available and there was a cook to order grill.

Edited January 19, 2023 by cruzzzinma

[NMTraveller]

29 minutes ago, prmssk said:

Cuts to the OVC will send cruisers to specialty dining (where they will make more money) or to the MDR (which resources can be funneled).  They may lose some passengers to other cruise lines, although in many cases those same passengers will find the buffets on comparable lines (like Princess or Holland) are the same or worse.

When you compare on price you will find that O is very comparable to X in price for regular everyday cruisers.

 

X should be concerned about losing that 18%.

 

No need to visit Royal, Princess, or HAL.

Edited January 19, 2023 by NMTraveller

[mpdog42]

5 hours ago, bnurick said:

Currently on The Edge. The dinner buffet does not have the numbers to support a 100% open buffet. It seems there is more demand for main dining at this time. I do not feel they are cutting back, simply aligning supply/demand. The breakfast and lunch is at full operations. We ate pizza today, very good. 

Are you in a Suite?? Aqua Class??

[mpdog42]

1 hour ago, NMTraveller said:

In the other referenced thread some posters felt that the OVC was not utilized enough by most cruisers on the ship.

 

You could apply the same logic to specialty dining, Blu, and Luminae as they are utilized by cruisers on the ship less than the OVC.

 

What percentage of cruisers on the ship use Blu every night?

What percentage of cruisers on the ship use Luminae every night?

What percentage of cruisers on the ship use (name your favorite specialty restaurant) every night?

 

Much less than 18%.

Preach On Preacher!!!

[mpdog42]

1 hour ago, NMTraveller said:

Does it list Luminae in the cruise contract?  If not it is something that can be taken away.

Going...Going..Gone...ITS a Home Run!!!!

[LGW59]

24 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

When you compare on price you will find that O is very comparable to X in price for regular everyday cruisers.

 

X should be concerned about losing that 18%.

 

No need to visit Royal, Princess, or HAL.

And it is currently, in many categories, much less on O.  I really like X a LOT, thus far, have never had a bad cruise with them, on all levels.  I just booked my first cruise on O and not because I was not pleased with X, it was strictly a cost decision, though I have been wanting to try O for a while.  A cruise I was interested in on X, 7 nights Mediterranean. good itin, May 2023 was over $11k in Celebrity Suite.  I looked at O same exact same dates for 7 nights May with a better itin., much better in my opinion and it was LESS than $8K.  This is where I think X may be in trouble, at least if one prefers a suite with Retreat access.  I'm also considering a cruise in the late fall of this year, again same situation, the cost on O is much less, and I'm not talking about $500, in all I am considering the cost diff is at least $1500 in O's favor.  I won't drop the credit yet though until I take the cruise on O in May and if in a few days of setting sail and it is what I expect/hope it will be, I'll go ahead and book on board.  A buffet or lack thereof for me won't make my decision on a cruise, but that's just me, others clearly feel differently, so be it, the rest of the X product is IMO a very good solid experience.  Some of the stuff people are piling on here though are off the rails...shampoo pumps/brands, cookies, the list goes on.  There is a line out there that will take the place if one feels that way, until it doesn't, then go find another, that's the beauty of options.