April 9 - Millennium Review - Part III: Food!

[CaribbeanBound]

Part III - Food!

Celebrity has a good reputation for their cuisine. The meals met our expectations. There was good variety. Nice presentations at lunch and dinner. No one at our table ever needed to send back an undercooked or overcooked item. Our Maitre'd was very friendly and helpful. Meats were cooked to order. Yes, you could even order "rare". Of note, one night my teen daughter ordered a pasta dish and as she was eating it, she mentioned in a hushed voice that she didn't like the sauce. The Maitre'd instantly materialized out of thin air (he was visiting with the table next to us, though he had gone unnoticed by us) and asked my daughter if she would like to order something else. The Maitre'd was insistent that he bring her something she would enjoy. He was very serious. My daughter was a little embarrassed as she didn't mean to get anyone involved, but relented and allowed a Rack of Veal (a large veal chop) to be brought in its place. The veal was awesome (both my wife and I had ordered it), and my daughter was quite happy. We were very extremely impressed that all passengers, regardless of age, are treated as valued patrons by the staff.

 

A. Always Available

The following items are available every night (even if they do not appear on the menu): shrimp cocktail, Caesar salad, chicken, salmon, and a NY Strip steak.

 

B. The Best Breakfast Items

Mixed berries, fresh tropical fruits, Belgian waffles, smoked salmon, eggs benedict, French toast, sticky buns, jelly doughnuts, and an array of pastries. See notes on the Cova Cafe and Spa Cafe.

 

C. The Best Lunch Items

The sandwich bar in the Ocean Grill (Deck 10 - Aft), fresh tropical fruit from the Spa Cafe (Deck 10 - Forward/Amidships), lamb curry from the Ocean Cafe (Deck 10 - Amidships/Aft).

 

D. The Best Appetizer

The Escargot were incredible. All appetizers were well presented.

 

E. The Best Soups

Cream of Broccoli, Onion Soup, Mushroom Bisque, Louisiana Gumbo, and Pumpkin Soup. The chilled Rhubarb Soup and the Cool Cucumber Soup were awesome.

 

F. The Best Entrées

All of the Lamb and Veal dishes, and all of the steak offerings (Prime Rib, Tenderloins).

 

G. The Best Desserts

Fresh made ice creams (available noon to 10 pm in the Ocean Cafe), crème Brule, cherries jubilee, all cheesecakes, baked Alaska on parade.

 

H. Room Service

We didn't order anything from room service.

 

I. Midnight Buffets

All but one (Le Grande Buffet) were scheduled to take place by the pool on Deck 10. Usually served ice cream, an assortment of cookies, lots of fresh fruit, and some great beef ribs. The themes included a Sock Hop and a Caribbean Night. Le Grande Buffet took place on the last day at sea in the Metropolitan Restaurant at 12:30am after a 30-minute picture-taking preview. You will marvel at the beautiful ice carvings and food creations.

 

J. Sushi Bar

Beautifully prepared (very fresh and chilled) sushi was available most nights from 5:30pm to 9:30pm in the Ocean Grill (located Aft on Deck 10) which they decorated with a Japanese restaurant theme. It is a winner. An opening time of 5:30pm better accommodates passengers with the Main Seating for Dinner. On previous cruises, the Sushi Bar did not open until 6:00pm.

 

K. Cova Cafe

Hint: Locate this early in your voyage. The Cova Cafe is located amidships on Deck 5. They serve incredible "not to be missed" croissants and danish (like footlong cinnamon twists) from 8:30am to 11:00am most mornings and in the afternoons (3:00pm to 5:00pm) they serve cookies, fancy cheesecake, and other pastries. They offer fancy coffees and wines for sale. There is no additional charge for the food items. This is also one of the place you can pick up a "soda sticker". At a cost of $5.00/day (plus 15% gratuity) they will place a sticker on your sea card which entitles you to unlimited fountain sodas anywhere on the ship.

 

L. Spa Cafe

Hint: Locate this early in your voyage. Hidden forward/amidship in the AquaSpa on Deck 10, they offer healthier offerings at breakfast and lunch. Be sure to stop by for a plate of fresh vegetables, tropical fruits, and awesome soups.

 

M. Pizza and Pasta

There is a dedicated Pizza Bar and a dedicated Pasta Bar on the starboard side of the Ocean Cafe. Both are open generally noon to 1:00am. The pizza bar features a daily special and over a dozen toppings if you wish to create your own. The pasta bar features lots of garlic, several sauces, and at least three noodle selections. The pizza is actually quite good.

 

N. The Captain's Table

We received our first ever invite to join the Captain for dinner. We were honored by the invite but had to regretfully decline as the invitation was "adults only". We hope to have another opportunity on our next voyage.

 

Complete review can be seen on one page at: http://www.lavasurfer.com/info/millennium.html

[BrooklynGirl2]

I've been reading all your threads but just wanted to comment here that you are making me VERY hungry :D . Actually I very much agree with what you have written about the food. I am looking foward to my June cruise and my rack of Lamb!!

[greydog]

Thanks for thorough "fair and balanced" coverage of cuisine on your trip.

[calberry]

Do you remember how early the spa cafe opened?

[CaribbeanBound]

The Spa Cafe, open all but the first and last days, was generally 7:30am to 10am for breakfast, and Noon to 8pm for all-day dining.