Off Solstice yesterday; My apologies to all of you

[IBsaved]

We just got off the Summit 2 weeks ago and were disappointed with the food in Blu.  We didn't go to the MDR since that menu didn't appeal to us either.  We ate most of our 3 meals a day in the buffet.  I could always find something there that I liked.  We have a 32 day cruise booked to Tahiti and Australia on the Solstice for next year but we're going to cancel after our last cruise on Celebrity.  I think they are having a problem with staffing too.

[nanamobo]

On 9/16/2023 at 2:10 PM, horseymike said:

That’s exactly what they are trying to get you to do.

You are absolutely correct. The more you spend on specialty restaurants the MDR will become obsolete. Your cruise amount has now doubled for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

[Cruise till you drop]

4 minutes ago, nanamobo said:

You are absolutely correct. The more you spend on specialty restaurants the MDR will become obsolete. Your cruise amount has now doubled for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

I disagree with this premise as I would believe that the cruise lines all understand the huge ramifications if MDR became obsolete and people had to pay for all their food.  Room and Meals and Entertainment are the basic prerequisites for cruising and if you took away meals, I would guess that the number of people that stopped cruising would be significant.  And again, I assume cruise lines understand this

[awhcruiser]

1 hour ago, highway180 said:

Honestly, I don't know why you Non cheerleaders still post on this board?????

you don't like the product....move on to another line, and you can annoy those on that lines board.

 

Over 7,000 posts, and most are either BS, or whining.

 

there are many here who enjoy X,and enjoy letting people about sales, great excursions and the like.

It's the same tired group constantly complaining, on every thread,

 

Constructive criticism ok, but honestly it's getting tiresome.

 

I actually give X a lot of credit, giving the constant supply chain issues, supplying ships worldwide, with a consistent level of merchandise. the problem is real, and people just don't care or understand. There is a ton of competition for goods worldwide, especially food.

 

Not a cheerleader, but like the product

100% correct!

[nanamobo]

2 minutes ago, Cruise till you drop said:

I disagree with this premise as I would believe that the cruise lines all understand the huge ramifications if MDR became obsolete and people had to pay for all their food.  Room and Meals and Entertainment are the basic prerequisites for cruising and if you took away meals, I would guess that the number of people that stopped cruising would be significant.  And again, I assume cruise lines understand this

I hope you’re right. I remember back in 1990 RC introduced one specialty restaurant at 10.00 per person. Look now how many cruise lines have them. They are very profitable for the cruise line. 

[highway180]

12 hours ago, LaCal said:

How was the Murano specialty lunch? 

 

We bought the Trio pkg which includes that lunch 

The Specialty lunch was very good, a bit over the top for my granddaughter(who requested a hot dog and pasta...with lots of extra cheese), which they were happy to accommodate. We all enjoyed.

 

Cheers

[Baggy178]

12 hours ago, highway180 said:

Honestly, I don't know why you Non cheerleaders still post on this board?????

you don't like the product....move on to another line, and you can annoy those on that lines board.

 

Over 7,000 posts, and most are either BS, or whining.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Misery loves company.😉

 

[rmedistro]

12 hours ago, highway180 said:

Honestly, I don't know why you Non cheerleaders still post on this board?????

you don't like the product....move on to another line, and you can annoy those on that lines board.

 

Over 7,000 posts, and most are either BS, or whining.

 

there are many here who enjoy X,and enjoy letting people about sales, great excursions and the like.

It's the same tired group constantly complaining, on every thread,

 

Constructive criticism ok, but honestly it's getting tiresome.

 

I actually give X a lot of credit, giving the constant supply chain issues, supplying ships worldwide, with a consistent level of merchandise. the problem is real, and people just don't care or understand. There is a ton of competition for goods worldwide, especially food.

 

Not a cheerleader, but like the product

You hit the nail on the head "Dead Center". It's 2023, not 2003, or even 2013!
Almost every business has been experiencing supply chain issues for one reason or another. I handle all the procurement for our business. We're not X in size lol, but even as a $7M a year small business, it's ridiculous what we endure from freight companies currently. I can't imagine what X goes through to keep food and supplies coming in to the ships.
Freight forwarders and LTL transport  companies plain don't care today! We've had pallets hit local terminals, and sit for days on end. We finally are forced to drive to the terminal, break down the pallet, and load out to multiple vehicles, just so we can have the product we paid for.
Many here are living in "Their own private Idaho", and simply clueless to the current state of logistics in the business world. Just because Amazon get's you your paper towels in one day, it doesn't mean every product in the world ships and delivers next day.

[zitsky]

1 hour ago, rmedistro said:

You hit the nail on the head "Dead Center". It's 2023, not 2003, or even 2013!
Almost every business has been experiencing supply chain issues for one reason or another. I handle all the procurement for our business. We're not X in size lol, but even as a $7M a year small business, it's ridiculous what we endure from freight companies currently. I can't imagine what X goes through to keep food and supplies coming in to the ships.
Freight forwarders and LTL transport  companies plain don't care today! We've had pallets hit local terminals, and sit for days on end. We finally are forced to drive to the terminal, break down the pallet, and load out to multiple vehicles, just so we can have the product we paid for.
Many here are living in "Their own private Idaho", and simply clueless to the current state of logistics in the business world. Just because Amazon get's you your paper towels in one day, it doesn't mean every product in the world ships and delivers next day.

What are the causes of the current supply chain problems?  Any good recent books to read?

[rmedistro]

3 minutes ago, zitsky said:

What are the causes of the current supply chain problems?  Any good recent books to read?

Yellow, one of the largest freight companies in the US recently declared bankruptcy. And that was just a few years after a $700M government bail out!

The economy is the biggest factor. Fuel prices, Teamster unions demanding higher wages, and a lack of qualified help at the local terminals.
The cost to transport a pallet has almost doubled in the last 3 years! But, paying twice the cost, delivery times have increased by over 50% across the same routes.

We use R&L quite a bit, and they seem to be one of the few reliable carriers. We avoid Estes, Tforce, and Cross Country like the plague. It's a lottery ticket hoping for an on time delivery as quoted.

[Cruise till you drop]

15 minutes ago, zitsky said:

What are the causes of the current supply chain problems?  Any good recent books to read?

Not sure if books are a good idea given supply chain issues are very dynamic.  Keeping up with current events is your best bet

 

Here is an article I found that is a pretty good indicator of what’s going on for many companies.  Simple summary is it isn’t just one factor causing todays issues

 

https://www.plantemoran.com/explore-our-thinking/insight/2023/03/2023s-top-five-supply-chain-issues-ranked

[marieps]

20 hours ago, Baggy178 said:

 

Sure will.

A nice leisurely hop across the pond before a US road trip we have planned.

Here's our rollcall.  I didn't see you on it.  Just in case you're interested.

 

[awhcruiser]

 

See post #18.

[phoenix_dream]

14 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

The majority of my posts were before the cutbacks and therefore were positive.  Rather than write a BS novel, you could press the ignore for all those that both you

I know.  I was often accused - directly or by inference - of being a Celebrity cheerleader.  Now I guess I would be considered one of the whiners.  Am I supposed to just sit back, pay huge prices, and suck it up buttercup?  Not gonna happen.  I'll continue to tell it like it is - both good and bad.  If not for boards like this I would never even know about many of these changes and attempted tests as Celebrity certainly won't tell you ahead of time.  I usually like to book way ahead - in fact have 7 upcoming cruises on the books.  Before I invest more with these outrageous prices they are charging now I would like to know what the current experience is like.  When I board, I will do so with a positive expectation as I have always loved Celebrity (for 75+ cruises over 20+ years).  If the value for the money is just not there anymore I will be looking at other lines as possibilities for the first time in that 20+ years..  And I will be happy to report back on my experience - telling the truth of the good and the bad so others can weigh that opinion when making their own decisions.

[AlyssaJames]

Re: "Food is so subjective", this is a bit of a cop-out.

If you don't like a particular seasoning or ingredient, or you only like your steak cooked one way, sure, that's a subjective preference.

Grading of beef is not subjective.

Quality and ripeness of produce is not subjective. 

Bulk store chocolate vs. culinary-grade chocolate like Callebaut or Valrhona is not subjective. (well, unless you'd rather taste sugar than chocolate, I guess.)

Just some examples. That phrase is a pet peeve of mine. 

[PH2]

We were on the same Solstice sailing and while we were in the Retreat so we ate at Luminae most of the time, we also ate at Oceanview and Tuscan and enjoyed both. Can't comment on MDR. I also don't have any "back in the day" experiences to compare to. We had a fabulous time and ate good food - and too much of it.

 

*shrug*

[NutsAboutGolf]

24 minutes ago, phoenix_dream said:

I know.  I was often accused - directly or by inference - of being a Celebrity cheerleader.  Now I guess I would be considered one of the whiners.  Am I supposed to just sit back, pay huge prices, and suck it up buttercup?  Not gonna happen.  I'll continue to tell it like it is - both good and bad.  If not for boards like this I would never even know about many of these changes and attempted tests as Celebrity certainly won't tell you ahead of time.  I usually like to book way ahead - in fact have 7 upcoming cruises on the books.  Before I invest more with these outrageous prices they are charging now I would like to know what the current experience is like.  When I board, I will do so with a positive expectation as I have always loved Celebrity (for 75+ cruises over 20+ years).  If the value for the money is just not there anymore I will be looking at other lines as possibilities for the first time in that 20+ years..  And I will be happy to report back on my experience - telling the truth of the good and the bad so others can weigh that opinion when making their own decisions.

 

Thanks as this was a well-written post.  That's what it's all about, for those who are exclusive to one cruise line to explore other cruise lines.  Personally, I have never been exclusive to any single cruise line and even now have future sailings on 3 different lines.  When you share "negative" info, don't let the cheerleaders bother you, a tiny minority of them are investors anyway

[foodsvcmgr]

Culinary grade is what should be used for making such things as chocolate covered fruits, ganache, flourless chocolate cakes etc.

Smoother, better melting points, less sugary.

[tigervixxxen]

1 hour ago, AlyssaJames said:

Re: "Food is so subjective", this is a bit of a cop-out.

If you don't like a particular seasoning or ingredient, or you only like your steak cooked one way, sure, that's a subjective preference.

Grading of beef is not subjective.

Quality and ripeness of produce is not subjective. 

Bulk store chocolate vs. culinary-grade chocolate like Callebaut or Valrhona is not subjective. (well, unless you'd rather taste sugar than chocolate, I guess.)

Just some examples. That phrase is a pet peeve of mine. 

What is subjective is how much the difference matters to people. 
 

To me what is not subjective is the fact that there has been a pretty noticeable change in the MDR menu and the disbelief at times that it has occurred is what I really don’t understand. 

[RichYak]

Here's my own personal, completely unscientific observation based on posts on this board as well as from numerous conversations on Summit in August. This is just a broad generalization.

 

There are 2 types of cruisers: those who can appreciate well-prepared dishes made with high quality proteins and ingredients and those who are happy to be fed (non-foodies).

 

The first group used to enjoy Celebrity but for the most part, less so now. The second group continues to enjoy the product.

[C4HCG]

6 minutes ago, RichYak said:

Here's my own personal, completely unscientific observation based on posts on this board as well as from numerous conversations on Summit in August. This is just a broad generalization.

 

There are 2 types of cruisers: those who can appreciate well-prepared dishes made with high quality proteins and ingredients and those who are happy to be fed (non-foodies).

 

The first group used to enjoy Celebrity but for the most part, less so now. The second group continues to enjoy the product.

Fair assessment and acknowledge you qualify it as a broad generalisation but I am a non-foodie for sure but can still appreciate food in the way you describe the first group do as I am sure many other non-foodies do.  I may well be stating the obvious there!

 

But I agree with your observation, those of us who can accept the current food offerings continue to be happy with Celebrity.

Edited September 18, 2023 by C4HCG

[tigervixxxen]

I never ordered a lot of beef from the MDR in the past because I know it’s prepared catering style in the galley, there is always going to be a range of food quality. What bothers me about the change is the removal of options, almost no appetizers, no difference in sides and I like mashed potatoes but come on, just no exploration in flavor. I’m seriously considering bringing my own seasonings and sauces, which would be ridiculous but how many nights can you have the same thing just it’s a different protein. 

[rmedistro]

2 minutes ago, RichYak said:

Here's my own personal, completely unscientific observation based on posts on this board as well as from numerous conversations on Summit in August. This is just a broad generalization.

 

There are 2 types of cruisers: those who can appreciate well-prepared dishes made with high quality proteins and ingredients and those who are happy to be fed (non-foodies).

 

The first group used to enjoy Celebrity but for the most part, less so now. The second group continues to enjoy the product.

I'm not a non-foodies, but I like my perfect grilled cheese sammy, more than my perfect filet. Many here would scoff at a grilled cheese sandwich, but I will hold mine up to any steak, period. 🙂 I love to cook, though I will admit since I am from KC, most is centered around long smoked bbq on my Traeger. But, I l love to eat even more. Food is so subjective. When I hear comments comparing X to Golden Corral, it's humorous at best. This convo is a nobody wins banter. Those of us that are fine with the fare, are told we either haven't cruised lately, or we just aren't foodies. Those that aren't fine with something, are labeled as complainers, and told to move on if you don't like the current fare.
Everyone that has upcoming sailings will be making their own decisions. I for one look forward to both my Ascent sailing in December. And my casino comped sailing on an older boat in February.

[39august]

You can order a grilled cheese sandwich from the children's menu in the MDR.

[rmedistro]

6 minutes ago, 39august said:

You can order a grilled cheese sandwich from the children's menu in the MDR.

While I appreciate that option, it's not going to be the perfect grilled cheese I make at home! 🙂
Yes, even a grilled cheese can be the stuff of "Foodies worthy"
 

• 2 slices hearth-baked (crusty) sourdough bread cut from a 2-lb loaf, about ¾-inch thick per piece
• ⅓ cup melted ghee or melted unsalted clarified butter
• 3 to 4 thin slices (about 2 oz) aged gruyère or Comté cheese
• 3 to 4 thin slices (about 2 oz) medium Wisconsin yellow cheddar
• 2 oz bandaged sharp white cheddar grated
• 2 oz medium white New York cheddar, grated
• ½ small yellow onion, thinly shaved or sliced
• 1 large leek, rinsed thoroughly, cut in half lengthwise, and thinly sliced into half-moons (white and pale green parts only)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp pickled mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp whole-grain mustard