MDR and other cuts

[PTC DAWG]

They had the "champagne" sitting on top of the Al Bacio coffee bar the last time I boarded...pretty easy to get one.  I'm guessing a lot of it was wasted when they handed one to everyone boarding.  

[PTC DAWG]

8 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Awe that’s a shame. Back in the day you could get a embarkation glass of bubbly regardless of your drink package status. 

That's a change from Equinox last fall for sure.  They were not asking for sail cards or about drink packages at all....

Edited September 5, 2023 by PTC DAWG

[Georgia_Peaches]

38 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

That's a change from Equinox last fall for sure.  They were not asking for sail cards or about drink packages at all....

That was our experience as well. We just walked up and were handed a glass. 

[doghog]

5 hours ago, PTC DAWG said:

That's a change from Equinox last fall for sure.  They were not asking for sail cards or about drink packages at all....

Same with our March Apex cruise and we had the AI package. 

[Duanerice1]

Went on the Equinox in April.  One of the best cruises we have ever had and there have been many.  Food was just fine but we are not foodies.  Don't remember any sparkling wine when we boarded the ship.

 

Do not listen to the complainers on here.  If I did I would never sail any cruise line again.  Cruise Critic posts and Facebook posts give the impression that cruising is terrible.... People like to complain and many are so full of themselves.....

 

Go and have fun! 

[George C]

I miss the champagne or sparkling wine they used to give you as soon as you boarded the ship, we book suites so we now go to suite lounge or bar for our drink . We have done 3 cruises since Covid first as soon as we could sail was totally perfect , we did a upsell from sky suite to penthouse, Luminae was fine and food was fantastic in specialty restaurants on Edge. Next we did sky suite on beyond, Luminae was mediocre, fine cut was pretty bad . Next cruise was a royal suite on summit , one of the dinners in specialty restaurant Tuscan wasn’t edible, but Le Petit Chef two dinners were great.

[goofysmom99]

On 9/3/2023 at 12:36 PM, Clemmnj said:

I’ve read that the quality of food in the MDR has really decreased and that Celebrity has made other cuts such as no more afternoon canapés or embarkation champagne. Can any recent Celebrity cruisers comment on other cuts or the reality of the MDR food. I have a cruise booked for May and I’m really concerned. We have cruised exclusively on Celebrity and keep coming back because of the high quality, but this is our first cruise since 2019 and I’m very worried that I will get a reduced experience for what is a lot of money. I still have time to switch to another line but would love to know your thoughts. 

I would be reading the reviews from the main review section for late July and August cruises on the class of ship you'll be sailing. That's when the drastic menu and service cuts began.  I've taken 14 Celebrity cruises over past 2 years but my experiences are meaningless.  I want to know what's happening NOW.  The few folks who've reported here on the main X board about cruises over the past month have not been very reassuring.  I'm certain what the onboard experience might have been as recently as June is no longer valid in September.

 

I just took my own advice and read the first four pages of Celebrity August reviews.  Ouch.

 

Edited September 6, 2023 by goofysmom99

[CU64]

On 9/3/2023 at 12:41 PM, Clemmnj said:

I guess I will miss more of what the embarkation champagne represented. I will miss that feeling of excitement that it gave you. That feeling of luxury. You save and plan as the excitement builds and then you step on board to a glass of champagne with your whole trip ahead of you. So I will miss that special feeling I guess. Most mid level hotels in resort areas welcome their guests with champagne so I think rather than the champagne itself it’s the lack of it, when it once was there, that will be a sort of let down for me. It may seem silly to some but I bet I am not alone in thinking this is a misstep on Celebrity’s part. 

Book a concierge cabin. They bring you a bubbly. …..or as others have said, go to Cafe Bacio. 

[di T]

On Relection at the moment, first part of b2b.MDR food as been ok but less choice than in the past.Staff have been lovely as usual, Fizzy wine was available on embarking in a number of bars complimentary from what I saw.

Still having a great time so far.Weather has been glorious and hope it stays that way, entertainment is varied. Dianne

[mat5664]

We sailed on Silhouette in June.  My other half and I found the MDR food fine albeit quite basic, but my mother, who is a far more experienced cruiser than us, said it was the worst she had ever experienced.  

[Ipeeinthepools]

17 hours ago, cruisegirlppp said:

We were on Equinox last week (end of August) and I went down to Al Bacio to check out the bubbly situation- they offered me a glass to be charged to my sea pass card!!!

 

Welcome to the new Celebrity, just another part of Celebrity's new "Reduced Luxury" cruising.

[dock]

The short answer would be : No don’t cancel. 
X is still a great cruise line. Temper your expectations and you will probably be pleasantly surprised. 
 

The food imo is not as great as before but there’s always something for everyone and despite the negative comments about OVC , we found it really good with plenty of options at all meals. The Italian and Indian food being really tasty. 
 

It’s definitely not the X of old with extravagant midnight buffets  ( wasteful but something to behold) and excellent tableside service and divine cuts of steak( you now have to pay)  , but we’ve all adjusted over the years so go and enjoy yourself and decide for yourself. 
 

Book a Couple of Specialties if you can and those will provide the service and calibre of food from the past. 
 

We had a good cruise on Equinox, you’re on holiday so go with the flow. 

We are  also booked on other cruise lines next year but will give X  one more chance with Ascent and then make a final decision.

 

Have fun. Don’t cancel.