Is the food back en par with the prices?

[CelebrityBrownWater]

11 minutes ago, C4HCG said:

But sensible cost cutting if mixed vegetables are not bad. Still love to know where you saw the frozen veggies being thrown in a pot many times.

You took me saying ‘being thrown into a dish’ literally? Wasn’t trying to mislead. I was not in kitchen watching the food prep. But a frozen pea/carrot/corn/green bean mix is obvious to spot.

[Kilroyshere]

MDR and Buffet: Mainstream mass market C-

Luminae: B+

Specialty Restaurants: C+

[govanguy]

Meat loaf in Blu during our January Silhouette cruise  was outstanding🤣

[DesertRat46]

Left the Silhouette last week after a TA. My first X cruise since very early 2019 and the food quality is most certainly gone down. While it wasn't as bad as I feared after reading posts earlier this year, it still was not what we got in 2019.

I'm all in favor of smaller portions, reducing food waste is great. But the lack of selection is more of an issue. 

• However, my chief issue with the overall blandness. Unless you are eating the Asian or Indian food from the buffet, plan to season everything, including eggs at breakfast. My wife has taken  to bring her favorite hot sauce in   disposable packets.
• Other than 2 nights we were in the MDR every night and in the buffet for every day for lunch and breakfast. Tried the MDR for 1 lunch and skipped it thereafter.
• But, we do not cruise for food alone. If so, we probably would not sail with X. And, having done 3 cruises last year on HAL, this is not an issue that belongs to X alone. HAL suffered many of the same issues.
• Will we sail with X again? Probably. Will it be our first choice? Probably not.

[CelebrityBrownWater]

1 hour ago, DesertRat46 said:

Left the Silhouette last week after a TA. My first X cruise since very early 2019 and the food quality is most certainly gone down. While it wasn't as bad as I feared after reading posts earlier this year, it still was not what we got in 2019.

I'm all in favor of smaller portions, reducing food waste is great. But the lack of selection is more of an issue. 

• However, my chief issue with the overall blandness. Unless you are eating the Asian or Indian food from the buffet, plan to season everything, including eggs at breakfast. My wife has taken  to bring her favorite hot sauce in   disposable packets.
• Other than 2 nights we were in the MDR every night and in the buffet for every day for lunch and breakfast. Tried the MDR for 1 lunch and skipped it thereafter.
• But, we do not cruise for food alone. If so, we probably would not sail with X. And, having done 3 cruises last year on HAL, this is not an issue that belongs to X alone. HAL suffered many of the same issues.
• Will we sail with X again? Probably. Will it be our first choice? Probably not.

 
The Equinox did offer some hot sauces in the OVC, found next to the carving station.

[calicakes]

7 hours ago, Loracpin2 said:

It's more than the food!!!!!!!!!

Right.  In ever singly live blog I've done, I've spoken about my weight loss surgery and how we don't cruise for the food.  Food is fuel for me.  I get full pretty quickly and I eat small portions.  I'd never pay for a specialty restaurant(I did before surgery), I wouldn't get my money's worth.      I've been asked  " then why do you cruise".  Cruising is about much more than the food.   

 

We did take an Oceania cruise( and we have another booked) and I enjoyed the food, but if there were the same exact itineraries on O and X and O was a lot more $$, I'd chose X.  Same price, I'd chose O. 

 

We just took a land vacation in Aruba.  We did all inclusive.  I'd never do that again.  While I thought the food was awful, I definitely did not eat 150.00 worth of food a day( and I don't drink).  

[Ex-Airbalancer]

We just did the Reflection TA in a V-2 balcony with” always include “ and $400 OBC 

Cost of the cabin was $201 a day , port and taxes are in that price

Can you travel anywhere with 2 people for that price ? 
Have never seen Oceania close to that price 

Have a up coming Constellation TA with “Always included” at the same price but with about $800 OBC 

Also how can you call eggs bland? 🤔

they are eggs, season them to YOUR taste 😁

 they are like fries , I hate it when they are seasoned to someone else’s taste 

 

[CelebrityBrownWater]

1 hour ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

We just did the Reflection TA in a V-2 balcony with” always include “ and $400 OBC 

Cost of the cabin was $201 a day , port and taxes are in that price

Can you travel anywhere with 2 people for that price ? 
Have never seen Oceania close to that price 

Have a up coming Constellation TA with “Always included” at the same price but with about $800 OBC 

Also how can you call eggs bland? 🤔

they are eggs, season them to YOUR taste 😁

 they are like fries , I hate it when they are seasoned to someone else’s taste 

 

Facts are facts. You’re paying more money than ever for a downgraded product. Even if you enjoy the deteriorating food, don’t expect others to.

[C4HCG]

22 minutes ago, CelebrityBrownWater said:

Facts are facts. You’re paying more money than ever for a downgraded product. Even if you enjoy the deteriorating food, don’t expect others to.

We are all paying more for everything in life, much of which is lower standard. That’s a fact we have to live with and we make our own choices if we think this still offers value for money. For now we still think celebrity is, and we sail in September. That might prove it is or isn’t, who knows

[tfred]

most of these food discussions are related to "I dont like that kind of food or I never had it like that -aka selective eater'. Too much fish, not enough fish.  Meat but I dont like lamb, pork or sirloin....  This forum is littered with these comments .  I would like to see what they eat at home. 

 

If the menu had stayed the same from whenever most people sailed the complaint would be - "the menu never changes"

 

to my view the menu has evolved like any restaurant from 5 or 10 years ago.  X isn't crazy - they follow food trends and try to replicate that in the menus.  We have eaten on S class and E class in MDR, Blu and Suites and find the food selections pretty good and prepared well.  X isn't going to have a 10 page Cheesecake Factory menu available to flip through

[Nemanoxer]

I started X in 2012 in April. 10 nights Caribbean on the almost new Equinox balcony cabin deck 9. Price 1400 $ including solo surcharge. No typo.

Food in MDR was above most restaurants on land.

 

I estimate the same thing would go today for no less than 4000 $ if not 5000 on the Beyond. With most probably worse food than back then.

 

Everybody has the right to have themselves ripped off. I just would feel like a total idiot. Even after signs of the times included.

 

 

[CelebrityBrownWater]

6 minutes ago, Nemanoxer said:

I started X in 2012 in April. 10 nights Caribbean on the almost new Equinox balcony cabin deck 9. Price 1400 $ including solo surcharge. No typo.

Food in MDR was above most restaurants on land.

 

I estimate the same thing would go today for no less than 4000 $ if not 5000 on the Beyond. With most probably worse food than back then.

 

Everybody has the right to have themselves ripped off. I just would feel like a total idiot. Even after signs of the times included.

 

 

This sounds like the logical response.

 

No one is telling anyone that they have to hate the food. We get it, you like the food, even with the recent change.

 

What we’re trying to do is discuss the fact that options are less, and quality has gone down. This is valuable information for most cruisers.

 

Also keep in mind most complaints are about the recent trends in the MDR and OVC. If you’re eating in blu or luminae, or if you haven’t sailed in 2023, you may have a totally separate experience.

Edited May 10, 2023 by CelebrityBrownWater

[calicakes]

52 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

🤔 the question is “is food back en par with the prices? 

i would say yes 

 

I would say NO.  Prices are higher and they reduced quality.  They went from Albacore tuna down to chunk light( cat food tuna).  That is a downgrade. 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

1 hour ago, calicakes said:

I would say NO.  Prices are higher and they reduced quality.  They went from Albacore tuna down to chunk light( cat food tuna).  That is a downgrade. 

I paid $1300 USD for 13 night cruise in a balcony, had Always include , taxes and port fees in that price 

 

in 2013 I paid $999 in AQU , that did not included drinks, Wi-Fi, or tip, taxes or port fees ,

how is it more expensive now ?

[padgman1]

Off Silhouette TA last week, stayed in Sky Suite, so ate in Luminae for most dinners, some breakfasts, 1 lunch. Food there was good and enjoyable, as long as one likes different preparations that are not regular (different sauces and veggie combo that do not appeal to some folks). Fish and tuna steak ( had once at lunch, different prep at dinner) was very good, other meats a little fattier than I remember ( last previous cruise (Jan 2022 on Reflection, upgraded balcony cabin). Ate lunches in OVC and Mast Grill, fine ( don't expect everything but as good if not better than standard cafeteria food on land with more and varied dishes) ( burgers are not Five Guys quality, but nobody expects that). Fruit plates in Luminae outstanding with much variety ( mango, papaya, berries along with  standards) but quality of fruit lessens as cruise lengthens, same in MDR for breakfast and lunch. Only ate in one specialty venue ( Lawn Club Grill - don't miss it).

 

Have not been on higher-level cruise line like Oceania, Regent, Crystal, Silverseas, but food quality to me was fine.

 

Oh, one other thing...one night we had dark chocolate souffle for dessert in Luminae. It was SO GOOD we asked our waiter if we could have one made the next night...we got one EVERY night after that.

[CelebrityBrownWater]

1 minute ago, padgman1 said:

Off Silhouette TA last week, stayed in Sky Suite, so ate in Luminae for most dinners, some breakfasts, 1 lunch. Food there was good and enjoyable, as long as one likes different preparations that are not regular (different sauces and veggie combo that do not appeal to some folks). Fish and tuna steak ( had once at lunch, different prep at dinner) was very good, other meats a little fattier than I remember ( last previous cruise (Jan 2022 on Reflection, upgraded balcony cabin). Ate lunches in OVC and Mast Grill, fine ( don't expect everything but as good if not better than standard cafeteria food on land with more and varied dishes) ( burgers are not Five Guys quality, but nobody expects that). Fruit plates in Luminae outstanding with much variety ( mango, papaya, berries along with  standards) but quality of fruit lessens as cruise lengthens, same in MDR for breakfast and lunch. Only ate in one specialty venue ( Lawn Club Grill - don't miss it).

 

Have not been on higher-level cruise line like Oceania, Regent, Crystal, Silverseas, but food quality to me was fine.

 

Oh, one other thing...one night we had dark chocolate souffle for dessert in Luminae. It was SO GOOD we asked our waiter if we could have one made the next night...we got one EVERY night after that.

Good to know you can still eat well if you pay a bit extra. Next time it will be aqua class or bust for me.

[govanguy]

27 minutes ago, CelebrityBrownWater said:

Good to know you can still eat well if you pay a bit extra. Next time it will be aqua class or bust for me.

You can look forward to the meatloaf 😆