Food quality sucks!

[JeanieC,Aston]

36 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

I can only speak for what I personally experienced on the NCL Jade on our 38-day B2B last Nov/Dec. At the omelet/fried egg section, they had a tray of very tasty omelets, many times with cheese and spinach or some other commonly ordered ingredients. My assumption is that they would add a few of the ingredients previously ordered the most at the omelet station. For me, I was just happy I didn't have to stand in line if there were already 2-3 people waiting. As far as when they were made, all I can say is they were hot and tasty! As far as the ingredients, I'm not that picky as I would then pour their chipped beef and gravy all over them. But if I was a serious omelet eater, I would stand in line and wait for my cooked to order omelet. I just enjoyed having the option. 😊

 

As far as where they were kept, they were of course placed under the heat lamp and were usually scooped up in a rather short period of time as it did get quite busy up there at breakfast time.

 

BTW when the 2 times we did eat breakfast up in the Eclipse OVC, the line at the omelet/fried eggs grill section usually had 4-5+ people waiting to place an order. If there was tray of premade omelets next to the grill, my guess they would be gone in relatively short order. But that's just my opinion sitting over here in the peanut gallery. 

Hi Ken 

Returned from Silhouette 2 weeks ago,,,,there were fresh made cheese omelettes at breakfast,,,,they continually refreshed the tray with fresh cooked ones.

As soon as they put another half dozen on the tray I grabbed one,,,,very nice they were too.

[NutsAboutGolf]

5 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

I'm not sure I'm completely following other than I agree food quality is at least half the equation.  Budget must be the driving factor.   I'm also not sure I agree they produce MDR food on par with chain restnts, or at least some of them.  

 

Non-fancy chains, I meant.  I personally do not think the MDR/buffet/mast grill is on par with chain restaurants

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

27 minutes ago, C 2 C said:

Longtime Celebrity cruisers my remember the ongoing discussions whenever a culinary specialist was dumped for the latest trend.  I can't remember the names but there seems to be a culinary cycle of the good, the bad, the ugly.

I remember ordering rum raisin ice cream for dessert and not finding a single raisin  (the add on Baileys is my favourite ice cream combination).  I remember ordering Minestrone soup without a single vegetable and the Assistant Maitre'd suggesting that someone must have ladled from the top...

I used to order from the children's menu for the mini filet and tomato soup.

I remember when the spa cafe provided wonderful made to order selections.

I remember the cold soups, the flambe desserts...

Witnessing the disappearance of our  longtime favourites is painful.

As inflation impacts the price of our favourites at home, we adjust our tastes.

I think Cruiselines are cutting corners to recover from the financial disaster brought on by covid.

 

I also believe that people venting here has a very positive impact on cruise line practices.

Cruise lines are in business to make a profit but they can only do so by pleasing enough pax to return again and again.

 

I'm just happy that something improves the level of griping.

 

It has been exhausting waiting to read more negativity.

 

So, in realty, the negativity is a positive.

 

Whew! I feel better already.

Edited May 26, 2023 by 4-2-N-8

[lovecruzin]

We’ve had 3 cruises on EC since Dec including the same cruise as the OP.  We had 11+ days in each dining room, MD, Blu and Luminae. There were many very good meals, some average and even a couple that we returned. As to the comment of no Prime Rib, it was on the MDR menu for the last Chic night, was it not available? 

Been cruising X for 20+ years and the food is not as good as it once was but IMO it certainly doesn't suck.
If you eat breakfast early, go to your assigned dining room for better quality food. We tend to eat later and did the breakfast buffet many times for made to order eggs, which is an option until 11am.

 

Edited May 26, 2023 by lovecruzin
.

[ldubs]

7 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

Non-fancy chains, I meant.  I personally do not think the MDR/buffet/mast grill is on par with chain restaurants

 

Well, certainly not with Ruth's Chris or Flemings.   I'm saying the following in very general terms and with some reservations because I do enjoy cruise ship food (too much some times).   If I had to compare a steak cooked to order with sides from Outback  to one from an MDR menu, I don't think the MDR would be a stand out.  These days I would actually feel this way about all the mainstream cruise lines.  Of course, service and ambiance are also factors and it is hard to beat being in a cruise ship dining room.  

 

 

 

 

[gizmodog]

I agree with you on the food quality. I was on the edge for 10 days and infinity for two weeks and was so disappointed in the food. No steak other the the everyday strip. No prime rib, lots of “short rib” (stew meat) lots of pork, I’ve been on a lot of celebrity cruises and these two were a disappointment. Going on Holland America in June and on their boards there is a lot of complaining too. We shall see.

[Ken the cruiser]

2 hours ago, JeanieC,Aston said:

Hi Ken 

Returned from Silhouette 2 weeks ago,,,,there were fresh made cheese omelettes at breakfast,,,,they continually refreshed the tray with fresh cooked ones.

As soon as they put another half dozen on the tray I grabbed one,,,,very nice they were too.

Cool! 😃

[lv2cruisgrl]

The best thing to do IMO is when cruising, return food that does not meet your expectation.  Also do the survey at the end of the cruise and be honest. Maybe they will get the message!

[Octavias]

6 hours ago, lv2cruisgrl said:

We usually do at least one restaurant, however it just doesn't seem right that after paying the high price for a cruise I also have to pay extra for a warm, edible meal!

I know!  I’m having the same problem.  I could understand if the charge was minimal, to cover the difference between what I already paid and the cost of a premium cut or something but 50.00 minimum added charge?  I keep going back and forth, I want to try specialty dining but having a hard time paying so much extra when we will already have access to Luminae.

[SusieAV8R]

8 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

We were just on the Eclipse for 33 days from Sydney to Vancouver in an Aqua cabin and I lost 2 pounds! 😂 We ate in Blu for breakfast and dinner, and the MDR for lunch on sea days (with absolutely no complaints). On port days we ate lunch up at the OVC. 

 

I will say when we had to eat up in the OVC there were usually a lot of people, as it was a full ship. We only had to eat breakfast twice up in the buffet and it was OK. The scrambled eggs were watery, but I've come to expect that at the morning buffet on most any cruise line we sail. However, it would be nice if they had pre-cooked omelets near the grill, so one didn't have to always stand in that long line. I have to admit that was one nice thing we encountered on the recent NCL cruises we've been on. 

Since cruising restarted, DH & I have frequently eaten breakfast in OVC on X's M & S class, (despite having access to Luminae), because I am very particular about my omelettes.  As long as I am very specific about how I want my omelettes cooked,I get what I ordered and piping hot.  I have never encountered more than 5 or 6 folks in the omelette line ahead of me and don't find the wait very long.   DH gets his scrambled eggs cooked the way he likes them...non-runny and with cheese, and no real lineup. Again, I think this thread about food is all very subjective.  (Just wish I could leave the ship weighing what I did at the beginning of the cruise. 🙂 )

[C 2 C]

21 hours ago, 4-2-N-8 said:

So, in realty, the negativity is a positive.

 

Whew! I feel better already.

If there were only one or two cruisers reporting a problem with the quality of food on a recent voyage they would most likely be attacked for whining, the traditional practice of shooting the messenger.  When someone such as Anne, whose opinion I would trust above anyone else on these boards, I believe the problem is as described.

The more cruisers reporting a negative experience, the sooner the problem will be fixed.

We're m so confident in Celebrity's positive response to this issue, that we've booked a two month stay on a Celebrity ship this winter.

So yes, I agree.  The negativity is giving me positive vibes.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

8 minutes ago, C 2 C said:

If there were only one or two cruisers reporting a problem with the quality of food on a recent voyage they would most likely be attacked for whining, the traditional practice of shooting the messenger.  When someone such as Anne, whose opinion I would trust above anyone else on these boards, I believe the problem is as described.

The more cruisers reporting a negative experience, the sooner the problem will be fixed.

We're m so confident in Celebrity's positive response to this issue, that we've booked a two month stay on a Celebrity ship this winter.

So yes, I agree.  The negativity is giving me positive vibes.

We were on a Reflection cruise after Anne, the Reflection TA back to the EU and it was just as good as any of our cruise before 2019, 

I really think you need to almost need to throw out any reviews from 2021/2022 and first quarter of 2023 

Our  cruise on the Apex April TA  in 2022 was very bad as was our RCL cruise in August 2022 

 

[davekathy]

16 minutes ago, C 2 C said:

When someone such as Anne, whose opinion I would trust above anyone else on these boards, I believe the problem is as described.

Not me. Her positive or negative opinions are no different than any other CC poster. I respect all experiences and opinions, positive or negative but take them all with a grain of salt. Speaking of salt...

[Nashna]

50 minutes ago, davekathy said:

Not me. Her positive or negative opinions are no different than any other CC poster. I respect all experiences and opinions, positive or negative but take them all with a grain of salt. Speaking of salt...

I visited the X Board today to ask if Celebrity had made any improvements to enhance the poor choices and food quality they served.  I have read every single post.  The post that caught my eye was Host Ann's.  Her comments were identical to mine.  Having enjoyed my experience onboard Apex in January 2022, we booked Apex and Edge in January 2023.  We were shocked at the poor food options as well as the quality of the meat.  We rarely dine in Speciality restaurants, but I paid the $50.00 per person to eat in Fine Cut as I wanted an excellent prime rib.  The prime rib was perfectly done but tough. The quality of the meat was poor.  I didn't realize that food choices and quality were that important.  Our first 2023 cruise was a 7-day on Apex with friends.  We enjoyed their company and laughed about the thin steaks.  When we boarded Edge and saw the same menus with the thin steaks and limited options, we realized that food does matter.  We had a fantastic time on our Edge 11-day cruise.  The entertainment was excellent, our room steward was attentive, and we loved the ship.  That is why I checked back on the X Board today to see if there had been improvements after so many complaints.  Sadly, nothing has changed.,  We are sailing on Oceania in January 2024.  Until I hear that X has returned to their pre-January 2023 standards, we will look at other cruise lines. ( BTW...the Oceania board is filled with first-time O, elite former X cruisers.)

Edited May 27, 2023 by Nashna

[Octavias]

2 minutes ago, Nashna said:

I visited the X Board today to ask if Celebrity had made any improvements to enhance the poor choices and food quality they served.  I have read every single post.  The post that caught my eye was Host Ann's.  Her comments were identical to mine.  Having enjoyed my experience onboard Apex in January 2022, we booked Apex and Edge in January 2023.  We were shocked at the poor food options as well as the quality of the meat.  We rarely dine in Speciality restaurants, but I paid the $50.00 per person to eat in Fine Cut as I wanted an excellent prime rib.  The prime rib was perfectly done but tough. The quality of the meat was poor.  I didn't realize that food choices and quality were that important.  Our first 2023 cruise was a 7-day on Apex with friends.  We enjoyed their company and laughed about the thin steaks.  When we boarded Edge and saw the same menus with the thin steaks and limited options, we realized that food does matter.  We had a fantastic time on our Edge 11-day cruise.  The entertainment was excellent, our room steward was attentive, and we loved the ship.  That is why I checked back on the X Board today to see if there had been improvements after so many complaints.  Sadly, nothing has changed.,  We are sailing on Oceania in January 2024.  Until I hear that X has returned to their pre-January 2023 standards, we will look at other cruise lines. ( BTW...the Oceania board is filled with first-time O, elite X cruisers.)

I hope they fix it before May of next year.  (Fingers and toes crossed)

 

it makes sense that cruise ships are having supply chain issues and are struggling to continue to provide high quality foods.  Food costs are skyrocketing right now and it seems like every industry is struggling to get what they need to stay in biz.  

[davekathy]

18 minutes ago, Nashna said:

I visited the X Board today to ask if Celebrity had made any improvements to enhance the poor choices and food quality they served. 

We'll wait until we are onboard the ship and make that decision for ourselves at the end of our next  cruise(October Eclipse) based on our experiences not others experiences and opinions. We enjoyed all our meals in the MDR and the mast/pool grill on our March Apex cruise. Portion size isn't a biggie for us as we do 5 courses. Never leave feeling hungry. We rarely if at all eat in the OVC. 

Edited May 27, 2023 by davekathy

[NutsAboutGolf]

11 minutes ago, Nashna said:

I visited the X Board today to ask if Celebrity had made any improvements to enhance the poor choices and food quality they served.  I have read every single post.  The post that caught my eye was Host Ann's.  Her comments were identical to mine.  Having enjoyed my experience onboard Apex in January 2022, we booked Apex and Edge in January 2023.  We were shocked at the poor food options as well as the quality of the meat.  We rarely dine in Speciality restaurants, but I paid the $50.00 per person to eat in Fine Cut as I wanted an excellent prime rib.  The prime rib was perfectly done but tough. The quality of the meat was poor.  I didn't realize that food choices and quality were that important.  Our first 2023 cruise was a 7-day on Apex with friends.  We enjoyed their company and laughed about the thin steaks.  When we boarded Edge and saw the same menus with the thin steaks and limited options, we realized that food does matter.  We had a fantastic time on our Edge 11-day cruise.  The entertainment was excellent, our room steward was attentive, and we loved the ship.  That is why I checked back on the X Board today to see if there had been improvements after so many complaints.  Sadly, nothing has changed.,  We are sailing on Oceania in January 2024.  Until I hear that X has returned to their pre-January 2023 standards, we will look at other cruise lines. ( BTW...the Oceania board is filled with first-time O, elite former X cruisers.)

 

I've been on X 113 nights since the restart, I have not seen a SINGLE increase in food quality, only cutbacks including shrinking portions and tougher meats  As I've said many times, good thing we don't cruise for the food

[Nashna]

I get that there were supply chain issues.  However, enough time has gone since the pandemic that those issues have been addressed.  When we paid $50.00 per person, plus a 20 percent tip for prime rib, it should be at least a choice piece of meat.  Food costs are decreasing in our area.  Eggs are down to $1.61 per dozen.  X has been getting top dollar for their cruises.  It will be interesting to see if Celebrity realizes they are losing some of its top customer bases and adjusts its food policy to a good quality product.

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

1 hour ago, C 2 C said:

If there were only one or two cruisers reporting a problem with the quality of food on a recent voyage they would most likely be attacked for whining, the traditional practice of shooting the messenger.  When someone such as Anne, whose opinion I would trust above anyone else on these boards, I believe the problem is as described.

The more cruisers reporting a negative experience, the sooner the problem will be fixed.

We're m so confident in Celebrity's positive response to this issue, that we've booked a two month stay on a Celebrity ship this winter.

So yes, I agree.  The negativity is giving me positive vibes.

My commentary is never personal, always for levity. And, perhaps, some value to others.

 

My one experience with Celebrity (on Beyond) this past Jan/Feb was superb. I had an EV so all restaurants included. All were very good, save for Fine Cut.

 

In fact, i thought the Retreat service was superb so I canceled my forthcoming EV for an 11-night sailing on Beyond out of Rome this August and just bought the Iconic Suite that opened up.

 

Someone snapped up that EV within hours of when I let it go. Celebrity's Retreat product is really good, at least on the Beyond (granted, my only experience to date). I'd only sail these Edge class ships, because they are awesome.

 

Side note: super pleased to hear Celebrity is improving their suite deposit process. They are (somewhat) matching how Cunard does it for their top suites. Namely, make deposits a high(er) percentage of cost. I think it will help people plan better.

 

Peace and kindness (especially toward staff and crew).

Edited May 27, 2023 by 4-2-N-8

[Nashna]

4 minutes ago, davekathy said:

We'll wait until we are onboard the ship and make that decision for ourselves at the end of our next  cruise(October Eclipse) based on our experiences not others experiences and opinions. We enjoyed all our meals in the MDR and the mast/pool grill on our March Apex cruise. We rarely if at all eat in the OVC. 

We truly want to sail on X in the future and sincerely hope their food selection improves. Meanwhile, I'll continue to check out CC and the X board.

I hope you enjoy your October cruise. 

[davekathy]

1 minute ago, Nashna said:

We truly want to sail on X in the future and sincerely hope their food selection improves. Meanwhile, I'll continue to check out CC and the X board.

I hope you enjoy your October cruise. 

Like all our cruises, we will. The total package.  🍷😍 

[C 2 C]

Another point of view posted on a Celebrity group on a site that no one follows: (😇)

 

"Just got off the Equinox today, and WOW!! Absolutely fabulous time. I can’t believe I ever sailed on any other cruise line. The food was phenomenal, the service even better! Not too crazy about the entertainment but that’s ok, lots of other stuff to do. The ship was absolutely beautiful, and we’re sad to be back home!!"

[drakes2]

44 minutes ago, C 2 C said:

Not too crazy about the entertainment but that’s ok,

I just got off the Apex and entertainment was excellent.  During our 15 nights we only missed 2 shows. 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

19 minutes ago, drakes2 said:

I just got off the Apex and entertainment was excellent.  During our 15 nights we only missed 2 shows. 

How was the food on the Apex TA ? 
it was good on the Reflection TA? 
were you ok in an inside cabin ? 
 

[prmssk]

1 hour ago, Nashna said:

I visited the X Board today to ask if Celebrity had made any improvements to enhance the poor choices and food quality they served.  I have read every single post.  The post that caught my eye was Host Ann's.  Her comments were identical to mine.  Having enjoyed my experience onboard Apex in January 2022, we booked Apex and Edge in January 2023.  We were shocked at the poor food options as well as the quality of the meat.  We rarely dine in Speciality restaurants, but I paid the $50.00 per person to eat in Fine Cut as I wanted an excellent prime rib.  The prime rib was perfectly done but tough. The quality of the meat was poor.  I didn't realize that food choices and quality were that important.  Our first 2023 cruise was a 7-day on Apex with friends.  We enjoyed their company and laughed about the thin steaks.  When we boarded Edge and saw the same menus with the thin steaks and limited options, we realized that food does matter.  We had a fantastic time on our Edge 11-day cruise.  The entertainment was excellent, our room steward was attentive, and we loved the ship.  That is why I checked back on the X Board today to see if there had been improvements after so many complaints.  Sadly, nothing has changed.,  We are sailing on Oceania in January 2024.  Until I hear that X has returned to their pre-January 2023 standards, we will look at other cruise lines. ( BTW...the Oceania board is filled with first-time O, elite former X cruisers.)

Wasn't January (and into February) of this year, the time period we saw X testing all kinds of significant cuts that we have started seeing rolled back?  Like the buffet.  For a number of weeks early in this year, X had eliminated most (maybe all) the made-to-order stations and cut down on the options.  Those same weeks a number of items disappeared from the MDR menus, items that we at least partially have seen reappear.

 

I've been reading CC for a while and I'm not sure I would trust any cruise in January or February of this year as representative of what to expect for future cruises as that seemed to be a test period for Celebrity.