Back in 1990 the food was superb..stayed that way till about 2004 when the food in the MDR and Blu was not very good at all. In fact the food in Blu at that time served sometimes the same food as in the MDR...Stayed that way a few years...Then the cuisine started to begin the slowly start making a comeback...about 2010 to 2015 the cuisine in the MDR improved but Blu was still lagging...The big turn around after 2015 happened...The cuisine in Blu made a comeback and the MDR was holding its own...in 2019 till the present the cuisine in the MDR is very good...in 2022 I booked a Eastern Med cruise from Italy to the Greek Isles...The Cuisine on the Edge was probably the best I ever had on any of the 35 cruises I have been on....The 4 main dining rooms each were absolutely wonderful...Eden Lunch was a delight (Do not miss the prime rib sandwich in Eden during lunch) My next point, if you mainly book Aqua Class for Blu, there is actually a better option though the food in Blu is very good. I would never book Aqua Class on a edge class ship due to the fact that the food in the 4 main dining rooms are that good...Blu is just not worth it if your main reason is for the cuisine. However if you are a foodie, there is a option that can be better then Blu on the Summit and Soltice class ships..In most cases if you book a specialty restaurant each and every day, it would actually be cheaper then booking a Aqua Class cabin, as I said if you are a true foodie...Maurano possibly one of the best specialty restaurant on any cruise ship, that includes Oceania a luxury cruise line... beats Luminae and Blu as well as the The lawn Club is another out of this world specialty restaurant. You also can go book a Sushi Restaurant, as well as the Porch a seafood restaurant and Tuscan and then you have Le Petit the choices are endless...The biggest draw for Aqua Class, yes you can go to the Pursian Gardens, But if you are going on a cruise in Europe, You will never use the Pursian Gardens because the Excursions for the most part are 8 plus hours at each port...The other big draw that hardly anyone mentions is that ONLY 2 people are allowed per Cabin MAX in Aqua Class which makes it one of the most quiet areas on the ship.
Thanks so much for the excellent commentary! I completely agree with you regarding Aqua Class. I do not see the value other than the location and 2 guest limits in the staterooms. We have tried Blu twice while in the Retreat however we did not really care for it. We have been able to enjoy Luminae several times and love the high level of service. The food has been excellent other than a couple fails during breakfast. Murano is an experience as well as an excellent meal. We have dined there many times and now prefer the Tuscan Grill or the Lawn Club Grill. I agree that the Lawn Club is out of this world. The choices are endless and I look forward to continue to explore Celebrity with our sights set on the Beyond and the Ascent. Thanks so much for watching and for the great comments!
This was so helpful. Thank you for this, we were wondering about what was actually included in our price and what was not. This was so helpful to the first time cruise.
I’ve only had amazing food experiences on Celebrity. I’ve been on the Summit and all of the Edge class ship’s numerous times. Buffett, main dining, Blu, Luminae and all specialty restaurants have been amazing. Le Voyage was over the top!
Thanks so much for sharing! As pointed out in another comment, I neglected to add the caption that Le Voyage is only on the Beyond and expected on the Ascent. I really want to try it and look forward to it as we plan our Beyond sailing. I agree that the food on Celebrity has been far superior than other premium lines. We had a few missteps at Luminae on a sailing but they corrected it immediately - another great thing about Celebrity service. Thanks so much for the comment and for watching!
Have to agree. Le Voyage was amazing. Ate there for my birthday in April. One of the best restaurants on land or sea I have eaten at. Have a reservation for Le Voyage on Ascent in January. Can't wait.
@@dresadin Thanks so much for watching! I can't wait to book Beyond or Ascent so that I can experience yet another level of Celebrity dining and service!
Great information! We are booked for our first Celebrity cruise in March on the Ascent.🥰. Your video helped me understand the differences between, early, late and anytime. We are creation habit and usually book early but we want to try all the MDRs. So we picked anytime to give it a go. Thanks again!
Great choice with the Ascent!! I think that is a smart choice since fixed dining requires you to still rearrange your dining. Remember to go into your cruise planner and reserve each dining room for the days and times you want ASAP so that you can confirm space. This is just like booking a specialty dining venue but you choose Celebrity Select and one of the 4 dining rooms for that evening and it will show $0 charge. Enjoy your Celebrity experience!
Okay you were VERY clear, but just to confirm... (on Edge), Cyprus, Cosmopolitan, Tuscan, and Normandie provide complimentary meals? I only have dinners reserved, so would I be able to eat at the Oceanview Buffet for breakfast and dinner without reservations? Thank you! You're very informative!
Yes, those are the four complimentary dining venues so if you select the Celebrity Select (anytime dining) dining option you can go into cruise planner pre-cruise each night and reserve a different complimentary dining venue each night at the time that fits your daily schedule. For breakfast, at least one of these dining rooms will be open for walk in every day of the cruise for complimentary breakfast table service. Some sea days at least one will also be available for walk in lunch service. Any day of the cruise you will be able to access the Oceanview Cafe for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night without any reservations whatsoever! That along with the Spa Cafe for breakfast and lunch for small healthier bites and the Mast Grille above the pool for burgers are available complimentary at any time during operation hours. There are so many options and I love the buffet for breakfast and of course for lunch and snacks. Make sure that you visit Cafe al Bacio on deck 5 for the famous Celebrity cookies and pastries. They are also complimentary. Specialt coffe is extra without a drink package. Cheers! Thanks so much for watching!
@@seemoreseascruises3791Dang! You’re quick and super helpful - you totally just earned yourself my subscription. I’ll be sure to let maitre d know about my food sensitives as well. You’re amazing!!! Thank you.
@@kalyncharles5202 thank you so much! They will bend over backwards for any food sensitivities and you can always order your dinners either in the main dining rooms or in specialty dining venues a day in advance to ensure that they prepare your meal exactly to your sensitivity specifications. They LOVE IT when you do that!
I love comments like this! I am so happy that it was helpful to you! That is why I started these videos. There is plenty of more Celebrity content on the channel since that is my main cruise line for personal travel. What ship and destination are you sailing?
This was very helpful. I'm travelling solo on Celebrity Beyond in November on a 9 night cruise to Grand Cayman and the ABC's. I've purchased a 6 night specialty restaurant package. This gave me a good idea of what spots I'm going to want to try.
I am so glad that you found it helpful. It has been my experience that with the dining packages, you can not reserve the day and time until you board the ship. If you are able to use your package through your cruise planner, please do so right away. The best times tend to book up quickly. If you are not able to reserve ahead of time, I highly suggest that you reserve your 6 specialty dining days and times upon embarking the ship day 1. Have a great cruise and thanks for watching!
@@seemoreseascruises3791 Thank you for this. You are correct, I have to book my venues once I am on board. I'll make it the first thing I do once Im done the Muster Drill process.
Doug, I can't tell you how much this video was so helpful! There is something for everyone's taste. Everything looks so delicious, classy, and welcoming. I can't wait to book a cruise with Celebrity. Thanks for sharing.
Glad it was helpful! There is something for every taste for sure. If the budget allows, treat yourself to one of the specialty dining venues. If you choose the Celebrity Select (anytime dining) use my tip and confirm your dining times daily through the online cruise planner under the dining option. I just feel that it reduces any undue stress for having to wait in a small line for a table each night. ENJOY!!
That is too bad. Sometimes on the ship, they have many more openings. I would keep trying. Also the wait for a table as a walk up isn't really that bad. You should be good! Enjoy and thanks for watching!
We book cruises at the last minute as we are looking for great deals. We were on the Millennium and had late dining. When we got on the ship, we asked to eat early and were seated with three other couples. At the end of the meal, the four ladies disappeared. The went to the maître d' and reserved the same table with all eight of us and we sat together the entire cruise. The other people were all experienced cruisers and they taught us ONE lesson - always ask nicely for what you want and Celebrity will do their best to meet your needs.
There are several gluten free options at the buffet and in the dining room. They are normally marked with GF and the crew are very helpful so don't be afraid to ask them. Enjoy! Thanks for watching!
i just got back from an Alaska cruise with Celebrity Solstice the first time after hearing a lot of positive comments in regards to their food. I would have to say, the qualitiy of food at the buffet is somewhat disappointing especially breakfast. Everything seems to be very salty and greasy, the breaskfast sasuage and bacon was hard as a rock. There was not enough selections on fruit choices nor desserts either. Having said that, I do think the food in the MDR is of better quality but only on selected dishes they recommend. The positive thing in the MDR was to my surprise, every dish was served hot and that's really nice. Overall, it was a nice little vacation and the only thing got me wonder was that the stateroom attendants don't do animal towels anymore. I guess this is not something they do now, maybe it's been like that for years? We had a few conversations with some of the crew onboard and learnt everyone has long working hours with very late dinner. I tipped all of them everytime I see someone who was passionate and dedicated to their work. This makes me wonder how's the pay working on cruise line? I think I'll be sailing again in the future but haven't decided which cruise I'll be sailing with. I'm considering booking for next year, is there anyway I could get better deals if I was to book now? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I have heard from several long time Celebrity Cruises guests and most do agree that the quality and selection in the Oceanview Cafe has decreased over the last few years. I was just on the Reflection and the buffet was pretty good however there were some misses. I found the breakfast actually to be the best with the eggs Benedict station being very good and the carvery and breakfast meats to be nice. Lunch was also pretty good with a wide variety. I only ate in the MDR for dinner on one night. That is something very different for me but I was sailing solo so I wanted to try the buffet for dinner. It was average for dinner but still with a decent variety. I found many of the meat selections to be very over cooked. Crew on all cruise lines work very long hours and are not paid well. The cruise lines are flagged (registered) in foreign countries which have minimal labor laws. The cruise ships are governed by the country and laws from which they are registered. Gratuities are always welcomed. The stateroom attendants on Celebrity have not been doing towel animals for a few years now due to the premium vibe they are going for. You might have an attendant who will still do this from time to time though. It is always my experience that the sooner you book and the further out will almost always work in your favor. The lowest prices are available when demand is the lowest. If demand is high and the inventory of staterooms is low, your rates will be higher. As promotions change and unpublished group rates are created, a good travel advisor can rebook you under those current promotions if a lower price is published.
I am sorry but I have to ask this because you didnt announce it, and I had this bad experience on COSTA....do you have to pay for regular water in dining room? Not bottled just regular because we had to on COSTA but we had a nice waiter and he didnt make us pay for it.
That is really crazy with Costa. Celebrity does not charge for water, iced tea or coffee in the main dining room or the buffet. You can also bring an insulated water bottle and fill it up in the buffet to bring with you around the ship. During breakfast juices are also complementary in the dining room and the buffet. I hope that helps!
@@seemoreseascruises3791 Ok thank you so much. This will be my family and my first celebrity and although it doesnt have a lot of amenities like royal or carnival we have to go on this because its a transatlantic cruise before my other transatlantic. I had to ask becuase i didnt want to be surprised like costa.
@@angelinamartinez2546 depending on the age of your kids, Celebrity does have a pretty good kids and teens program. If you have younger kids, their STEM activities are quite good.
@@seemoreseascruises3791 i wish but no i dont have kids. it looks like its a traditional cruise line because i dont see a lot of amenities. I only have to go on this ship because its a cruise before my other cruise. but hopefully my cousins come with me so i wont be a solo person...basicallly
@@angelinamartinez2546 so the family you mention are cousins - my mistake. This should be a very nice premium experience for your adult group. There are always lots of activities and enrichment opportunities onboard! Take advantage and have a great cruise!
If you have early or late fix time dining, you can set the table number count to 2 when booking as well select that in your cruise planner. If for some reason this is not the case when you check out your table number in the MDR after boarding the ship day 1 you can see the Maître 'd who will be available day one afternoon at the reservations desk outside the main dining room. You request to be assigned at a table for two and they will make the change. I have set the number at the table at 2 each time I have cruised celebrity and have never been seated at a group table. If you have Celebrity Select (anytime dining) you either make reservations for each day prior to the cruise on your cruise planner or you walk up each night an simply tell them that you need a private table for two. They will seat you accordingly. Breakfast and lunch service in the dining room may differ as they default at sitting you all together but you can also always ask for a table for two and they will accommodate you. Thanks for asking and for watching!
I selected the early dining option on celebrity as that was the only option available at time of my booking. I don’t usually eat that early so I’m concerned that I won’t be able to eat much at all. Can I have only appetizers at my selected time and come back at a later time on the same night to have a real meal?
My best advice to you would be to ask your travel advisor or Celebrity customer service to waitlist you for either Celebrity Select anytime dining or for the late seating. The other option is to speak to the dining room representative outside of the MDR upon embarkation and request the change. Your other option is to go to the early seating and then supplement your meal later at the Oceanview Cafe buffet. There are normally very similar offerings in the buffet each night. I just got off the Reflection this morning and I ate at the buffet two of the four nights. Dinner was very good and I was able to adjust my portions accordingly and grab all the starters, entrees and deserts that I wanted. I love the service at dinner so if you really want the sit down service, get waitlisted and demand the change once you get onboard. They will do everything that they can to help you. Thanks so much for sharing and for watching!
There are some things that the viewers need to be aware of. While the food in the buffet is very good, there is NO COMPARISON between the selection available on the newer Edge Class ships and the older Millennium class ships. Yes, they have the basic set up but the Edge class ships have more stations and more variety. Also, the selection of the food at the dinner buffet is more limited as most guests actually use the MDR and the specialty restaurants for dinner. About 40% of the dinner traffic after 7 pm in the buffet is crew. I think that Celebrity has the best service that I have ever seen on a large cruise ship. It also offers a good variety of Asian foods, especially Indian dishes that are very well executed. In general, the food was very good but the people at the Mast Grill could not prepare a properly done golden french fry. Yes, seriously.
Thanks so much for the added details! I do agree that the Edge Class does have a bigger selection and wider variety of options than both Millennium and Solstice. I have been sailing mostly Solstice Class over the past year with two more scheduled, one next month and the other in October. We sail the Beyond over the holidays so that will be another chance to compare for myself. I am also always impressed with the variety of cuisine types available. I like the Mast Grill burger but you're correct, they can keep the fries. LOL. Thanks so much for sharing and of course for watching!
You are correct! I chose not to go into Chef's Table since it is so limited and very high end. Thanks for mentioning it! Have you ever tried it? I considered it once but decided not to splurge. Thanks again for call it out and for watching!
@seemoreseascruises3791 I've tried the Chef's table multiple times on different RCL cruises and it was amazing! This will be my first time on celebrity and we are making arrangements for Chef's table on the equinox. Worth a try.
@@benhua8090 That is great! I'd love to hear how it goes. We have done Murano many times and it is a great venue but we have enjoyed the Tuscan Grille on most sailings. Have a great cruise!
Though many will note limited vegetarian items in the specialty restaurant menus, by speaking with the maître 'd a day before your dinner, they will make every attempt to create a vegan (or any other dietary preference) version of a dish for you. We do this all of the time by ordering a day ahead of time. We do not eat dishes prepared with grains or processed seed oils like canola oil and all of the processed versions of vegetable oils such as margarine. They bend over backwards to accommodate. This goes for the main dining room as well. The MDR does have a separate vegan menu though.
There are not usually pricing tiers for specialty dining but Murano is normally $50 per person, Tuscan Grill is $45 per person, Le Petite Chef is about $55 per person but that might have increased, Lawn Club Grill is approximately $45 per person and Rooftop Garden Grill on Edge Class is normally also $45 per person. We have never had a bad dinner is any of the Celebrity Specialty dining venues and you can use onboard credit to purchase reservations. I would book these as soon as you book your cruise in order to save with pre-cruise special pricing as well as to make sure you get the day and time that you want. The dining packages normally do not allow you to pre-book times and dates until you get on the ship. This is troublesome since many of the most popular times will be reserved prior to your sailing. You may end up having to dine very late in the evening.
You are absolutely correct Pamela! I have added the correction in the description. I really appreciate the call out! There was supposed to be a caption under that one. Thanks for watching!
I have on princess cruise line discovery ship and also celebrity’s reflection. And there’s no comparison Princess was a lot better. I believe you are so biased towards celebrity Cruise line, but the food is probably better on Holland American. Also I haven’t tried them yet, but I’m trying them next. People can tell when you one sided sir.
In a video just about Celebrity, I will speak to that. I do believe that Celebrity far exceeds Holland America especially in the buffet. I have heard great things about Princess and will be sailing with them soon. I do have a few clients that have recently sailed both and said the main dining was slightly better on Princess but the buffet was much better on Celebrity. I also do not ever mask that I am a fan of Celebrity and have cruised with them the most of any cruise line. I have had my share of disappointing meals on every cruise line, including Celebrity. I have several subscribers who have been huge supporters of Celebrity and state that the quality in the main dining room is on the decline and have actually participated on guest panels with Celebrity Cruises executives to state their position and specific experiences. I am glad that you have had great experiences on Princess. Please continue to cruise the lines that you prefer.
In the past eighteen months, I have been on Princess, Celebrity and Holland America ships. There is NOT an enormous difference in the food that you will find on any of those lines, certainly not enough to decide one line over another. Personally, I think that Princess had the best buffet in terms of selection (I was on the Celebrity Millennium.) and food quality. Their MDR menu was decent but rather unimaginative. Service was very solid BUT not outstanding. The casual included restaurants were acceptable BUT there are fewer included restaurants. Their steaks and beef products in the buffet and MDR are mediocre and significantly worse than the other lines. Celebrity had the best service in every venue. In the MDR, they had a really creative, exciting menu. However, like RCCL, there is occasionally a lack of execution (underdone risotto, raw bananas foster, etc.) that should have been caught before leaving the kitchen. Their buffet selections are very good. Their hamburger place by the pool is nothing great. HAL has very good food in the MDR and by far, the best breakfast and lunch menus. Their Dive restaurant with the burgers is one of the best on a cruise ship in both selection and execution. Their buffet is NOT my favorite as it is crew served. This makes it difficult to get "taste sized" portions. Their late night food is not that great. Their Dutch Cafe is really quite good. Our cruise selection is based upon the cost of the cruise and the itinerary. We are on Celebrity less due to cost (but have two cruises booked on the Solstice in September).
The best REVIEW on the dining options on Celebrity! Nice job!
Wow - I really appreciate that! I have plenty of other Celebrity content on my channel if you are researching or planning a Celebrity cruise!
@@seemoreseascruises3791 Definitely will check them out. We sail in November.
Back in 1990 the food was superb..stayed that way till about 2004 when the food in the MDR and Blu was not very good at all. In fact the food in Blu at that time served sometimes the same food as in the MDR...Stayed that way a few years...Then the cuisine started to begin the slowly start making a comeback...about 2010 to 2015 the cuisine in the MDR improved but Blu was still lagging...The big turn around after 2015 happened...The cuisine in Blu made a comeback and the MDR was holding its own...in 2019 till the present the cuisine in the MDR is very good...in 2022 I booked a Eastern Med cruise from Italy to the Greek Isles...The Cuisine on the Edge was probably the best I ever had on any of the 35 cruises I have been on....The 4 main dining rooms each were absolutely wonderful...Eden Lunch was a delight (Do not miss the prime rib sandwich in Eden during lunch)
My next point, if you mainly book Aqua Class for Blu, there is actually a better option though the food in Blu is very good. I would never book Aqua Class on a edge class ship due to the fact that the food in the 4 main dining rooms are that good...Blu is just not worth it if your main reason is for the cuisine. However if you are a foodie, there is a option that can be better then Blu on the Summit and Soltice class ships..In most cases if you book a specialty restaurant each and every day, it would actually be cheaper then booking a Aqua Class cabin, as I said if you are a true foodie...Maurano possibly one of the best specialty restaurant on any cruise ship, that includes Oceania a luxury cruise line... beats Luminae and Blu as well as the The lawn Club is another out of this world specialty restaurant. You also can go book a Sushi Restaurant, as well as the Porch a seafood restaurant and Tuscan and then you have Le Petit the choices are endless...The biggest draw for Aqua Class, yes you can go to the Pursian Gardens, But if you are going on a cruise in Europe, You will never use the Pursian Gardens because the Excursions for the most part are 8 plus hours at each port...The other big draw that hardly anyone mentions is that ONLY 2 people are allowed per Cabin MAX in Aqua Class which makes it one of the most quiet areas on the ship.
Thanks so much for the excellent commentary! I completely agree with you regarding Aqua Class. I do not see the value other than the location and 2 guest limits in the staterooms. We have tried Blu twice while in the Retreat however we did not really care for it. We have been able to enjoy Luminae several times and love the high level of service. The food has been excellent other than a couple fails during breakfast. Murano is an experience as well as an excellent meal. We have dined there many times and now prefer the Tuscan Grill or the Lawn Club Grill. I agree that the Lawn Club is out of this world. The choices are endless and I look forward to continue to explore Celebrity with our sights set on the Beyond and the Ascent. Thanks so much for watching and for the great comments!
This was so helpful. Thank you for this, we were wondering about what was actually included in our price and what was not. This was so helpful to the first time cruise.
I am very glad that you found it helpful! Celebrity is a great choice for your first cruise - have a great time! Thanks for watching!
I’ve only had amazing food experiences on Celebrity. I’ve been on the Summit and all of the Edge class ship’s numerous times. Buffett, main dining, Blu, Luminae and all specialty restaurants have been amazing. Le Voyage was over the top!
Thanks so much for sharing! As pointed out in another comment, I neglected to add the caption that Le Voyage is only on the Beyond and expected on the Ascent. I really want to try it and look forward to it as we plan our Beyond sailing. I agree that the food on Celebrity has been far superior than other premium lines. We had a few missteps at Luminae on a sailing but they corrected it immediately - another great thing about Celebrity service. Thanks so much for the comment and for watching!
Have to agree. Le Voyage was amazing. Ate there for my birthday in April. One of the best restaurants on land or sea I have eaten at. Have a reservation for Le Voyage on Ascent in January. Can't wait.
@@dresadin Thanks so much for watching! I can't wait to book Beyond or Ascent so that I can experience yet another level of Celebrity dining and service!
Great information! We are booked for our first Celebrity cruise in March on the Ascent.🥰. Your video helped me understand the differences between, early, late and anytime. We are creation habit and usually book early but we want to try all the MDRs. So we picked anytime to give it a go. Thanks again!
Great choice with the Ascent!! I think that is a smart choice since fixed dining requires you to still rearrange your dining. Remember to go into your cruise planner and reserve each dining room for the days and times you want ASAP so that you can confirm space. This is just like booking a specialty dining venue but you choose Celebrity Select and one of the 4 dining rooms for that evening and it will show $0 charge. Enjoy your Celebrity experience!
Okay you were VERY clear, but just to confirm... (on Edge), Cyprus, Cosmopolitan, Tuscan, and Normandie provide complimentary meals? I only have dinners reserved, so would I be able to eat at the Oceanview Buffet for breakfast and dinner without reservations? Thank you! You're very informative!
Yes, those are the four complimentary dining venues so if you select the Celebrity Select (anytime dining) dining option you can go into cruise planner pre-cruise each night and reserve a different complimentary dining venue each night at the time that fits your daily schedule. For breakfast, at least one of these dining rooms will be open for walk in every day of the cruise for complimentary breakfast table service. Some sea days at least one will also be available for walk in lunch service. Any day of the cruise you will be able to access the Oceanview Cafe for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night without any reservations whatsoever! That along with the Spa Cafe for breakfast and lunch for small healthier bites and the Mast Grille above the pool for burgers are available complimentary at any time during operation hours. There are so many options and I love the buffet for breakfast and of course for lunch and snacks. Make sure that you visit Cafe al Bacio on deck 5 for the famous Celebrity cookies and pastries. They are also complimentary. Specialt coffe is extra without a drink package. Cheers! Thanks so much for watching!
@@seemoreseascruises3791Dang! You’re quick and super helpful - you totally just earned yourself my subscription. I’ll be sure to let maitre d know about my food sensitives as well. You’re amazing!!! Thank you.
@@kalyncharles5202 thank you so much! They will bend over backwards for any food sensitivities and you can always order your dinners either in the main dining rooms or in specialty dining venues a day in advance to ensure that they prepare your meal exactly to your sensitivity specifications. They LOVE IT when you do that!
Thank you for this amazing review. This will be our first Celebrity cruise and you helped me plan.
I love comments like this! I am so happy that it was helpful to you! That is why I started these videos. There is plenty of more Celebrity content on the channel since that is my main cruise line for personal travel. What ship and destination are you sailing?
This was very helpful. I'm travelling solo on Celebrity Beyond in November on a 9 night cruise to Grand Cayman and the ABC's. I've purchased a 6 night specialty restaurant package. This gave me a good idea of what spots I'm going to want to try.
I am so glad that you found it helpful. It has been my experience that with the dining packages, you can not reserve the day and time until you board the ship. If you are able to use your package through your cruise planner, please do so right away. The best times tend to book up quickly. If you are not able to reserve ahead of time, I highly suggest that you reserve your 6 specialty dining days and times upon embarking the ship day 1. Have a great cruise and thanks for watching!
@@seemoreseascruises3791 Thank you for this. You are correct, I have to book my venues once I am on board. I'll make it the first thing I do once Im done the Muster Drill process.
Doug, I can't tell you how much this video was so helpful! There is something for everyone's taste. Everything looks so delicious, classy, and welcoming. I can't wait to book a cruise with Celebrity. Thanks for sharing.
Glad it was helpful! There is something for every taste for sure. If the budget allows, treat yourself to one of the specialty dining venues. If you choose the Celebrity Select (anytime dining) use my tip and confirm your dining times daily through the online cruise planner under the dining option. I just feel that it reduces any undue stress for having to wait in a small line for a table each night. ENJOY!!
Very informative. Thanks for your help!
Glad it was helpful! Let me know if you have any additional questions moving forward. Thanks for watching!
Love that you provide a recap at the end.
Thanks so much!
The only option we had for dining was anytime (Ascent in January). I went in today to reserve times and nothing earlier than 9:00 or 9:30.
That is too bad. Sometimes on the ship, they have many more openings. I would keep trying. Also the wait for a table as a walk up isn't really that bad. You should be good! Enjoy and thanks for watching!
We book cruises at the last minute as we are looking for great deals. We were on the Millennium and had late dining. When we got on the ship, we asked to eat early and were seated with three other couples. At the end of the meal, the four ladies disappeared. The went to the maître d' and reserved the same table with all eight of us and we sat together the entire cruise. The other people were all experienced cruisers and they taught us ONE lesson - always ask nicely for what you want and Celebrity will do their best to meet your needs.
Is there a gluten free station in the buffet on Solstice class ships? Thank you for all this info.
There are several gluten free options at the buffet and in the dining room. They are normally marked with GF and the crew are very helpful so don't be afraid to ask them. Enjoy! Thanks for watching!
i just got back from an Alaska cruise with Celebrity Solstice the first time after hearing a lot of positive comments in regards to their food. I would have to say, the qualitiy of food at the buffet is somewhat disappointing especially breakfast. Everything seems to be very salty and greasy, the breaskfast sasuage and bacon was hard as a rock. There was not enough selections on fruit choices nor desserts either. Having said that, I do think the food in the MDR is of better quality but only on selected dishes they recommend. The positive thing in the MDR was to my surprise, every dish was served hot and that's really nice.
Overall, it was a nice little vacation and the only thing got me wonder was that the stateroom attendants don't do animal towels anymore. I guess this is not something they do now, maybe it's been like that for years? We had a few conversations with some of the crew onboard and learnt everyone has long working hours with very late dinner. I tipped all of them everytime I see someone who was passionate and dedicated to their work. This makes me wonder how's the pay working on cruise line?
I think I'll be sailing again in the future but haven't decided which cruise I'll be sailing with. I'm considering booking for next year, is there anyway I could get better deals if I was to book now? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I have heard from several long time Celebrity Cruises guests and most do agree that the quality and selection in the Oceanview Cafe has decreased over the last few years. I was just on the Reflection and the buffet was pretty good however there were some misses. I found the breakfast actually to be the best with the eggs Benedict station being very good and the carvery and breakfast meats to be nice. Lunch was also pretty good with a wide variety. I only ate in the MDR for dinner on one night. That is something very different for me but I was sailing solo so I wanted to try the buffet for dinner. It was average for dinner but still with a decent variety. I found many of the meat selections to be very over cooked.
Crew on all cruise lines work very long hours and are not paid well. The cruise lines are flagged (registered) in foreign countries which have minimal labor laws. The cruise ships are governed by the country and laws from which they are registered. Gratuities are always welcomed. The stateroom attendants on Celebrity have not been doing towel animals for a few years now due to the premium vibe they are going for. You might have an attendant who will still do this from time to time though.
It is always my experience that the sooner you book and the further out will almost always work in your favor. The lowest prices are available when demand is the lowest. If demand is high and the inventory of staterooms is low, your rates will be higher. As promotions change and unpublished group rates are created, a good travel advisor can rebook you under those current promotions if a lower price is published.
I am sorry but I have to ask this because you didnt announce it, and I had this bad experience on COSTA....do you have to pay for regular water in dining room? Not bottled just regular because we had to on COSTA but we had a nice waiter and he didnt make us pay for it.
That is really crazy with Costa. Celebrity does not charge for water, iced tea or coffee in the main dining room or the buffet. You can also bring an insulated water bottle and fill it up in the buffet to bring with you around the ship. During breakfast juices are also complementary in the dining room and the buffet. I hope that helps!
@@seemoreseascruises3791 Ok thank you so much. This will be my family and my first celebrity and although it doesnt have a lot of amenities like royal or carnival we have to go on this because its a transatlantic cruise before my other transatlantic. I had to ask becuase i didnt want to be surprised like costa.
@@angelinamartinez2546 depending on the age of your kids, Celebrity does have a pretty good kids and teens program. If you have younger kids, their STEM activities are quite good.
@@seemoreseascruises3791 i wish but no i dont have kids. it looks like its a traditional cruise line because i dont see a lot of amenities. I only have to go on this ship because its a cruise before my other cruise. but hopefully my cousins come with me so i wont be a solo person...basicallly
@@angelinamartinez2546 so the family you mention are cousins - my mistake. This should be a very nice premium experience for your adult group. There are always lots of activities and enrichment opportunities onboard! Take advantage and have a great cruise!
Can you ask for a private table for two?
If you have early or late fix time dining, you can set the table number count to 2 when booking as well select that in your cruise planner. If for some reason this is not the case when you check out your table number in the MDR after boarding the ship day 1 you can see the Maître 'd who will be available day one afternoon at the reservations desk outside the main dining room. You request to be assigned at a table for two and they will make the change. I have set the number at the table at 2 each time I have cruised celebrity and have never been seated at a group table. If you have Celebrity Select (anytime dining) you either make reservations for each day prior to the cruise on your cruise planner or you walk up each night an simply tell them that you need a private table for two. They will seat you accordingly. Breakfast and lunch service in the dining room may differ as they default at sitting you all together but you can also always ask for a table for two and they will accommodate you. Thanks for asking and for watching!
Very informative. Thank you
Glad it was helpful! Have a great cruise and thanks for watching!
I selected the early dining option on celebrity as that was the only option available at time of my booking. I don’t usually eat that early so I’m concerned that I won’t be able to eat much at all. Can I have only appetizers at my selected time and come back at a later time on the same night to have a real meal?
My best advice to you would be to ask your travel advisor or Celebrity customer service to waitlist you for either Celebrity Select anytime dining or for the late seating. The other option is to speak to the dining room representative outside of the MDR upon embarkation and request the change. Your other option is to go to the early seating and then supplement your meal later at the Oceanview Cafe buffet. There are normally very similar offerings in the buffet each night. I just got off the Reflection this morning and I ate at the buffet two of the four nights. Dinner was very good and I was able to adjust my portions accordingly and grab all the starters, entrees and deserts that I wanted. I love the service at dinner so if you really want the sit down service, get waitlisted and demand the change once you get onboard. They will do everything that they can to help you. Thanks so much for sharing and for watching!
Listen to that video. You sound like you’re the head chef on the ship
I should be.......
There are some things that the viewers need to be aware of. While the food in the buffet is very good, there is NO COMPARISON between the selection available on the newer Edge Class ships and the older Millennium class ships. Yes, they have the basic set up but the Edge class ships have more stations and more variety. Also, the selection of the food at the dinner buffet is more limited as most guests actually use the MDR and the specialty restaurants for dinner. About 40% of the dinner traffic after 7 pm in the buffet is crew.
I think that Celebrity has the best service that I have ever seen on a large cruise ship. It also offers a good variety of Asian foods, especially Indian dishes that are very well executed. In general, the food was very good but the people at the Mast Grill could not prepare a properly done golden french fry. Yes, seriously.
Thanks so much for the added details! I do agree that the Edge Class does have a bigger selection and wider variety of options than both Millennium and Solstice. I have been sailing mostly Solstice Class over the past year with two more scheduled, one next month and the other in October. We sail the Beyond over the holidays so that will be another chance to compare for myself. I am also always impressed with the variety of cuisine types available. I like the Mast Grill burger but you're correct, they can keep the fries. LOL. Thanks so much for sharing and of course for watching!
There was no mention about chef's table at Murano on select evenings....?
You are correct! I chose not to go into Chef's Table since it is so limited and very high end. Thanks for mentioning it! Have you ever tried it? I considered it once but decided not to splurge. Thanks again for call it out and for watching!
@seemoreseascruises3791 I've tried the Chef's table multiple times on different RCL cruises and it was amazing! This will be my first time on celebrity and we are making arrangements for Chef's table on the equinox. Worth a try.
@@benhua8090 That is great! I'd love to hear how it goes. We have done Murano many times and it is a great venue but we have enjoyed the Tuscan Grille on most sailings. Have a great cruise!
Do the Celebrity specialty restaurants have vegan options?
Though many will note limited vegetarian items in the specialty restaurant menus, by speaking with the maître 'd a day before your dinner, they will make every attempt to create a vegan (or any other dietary preference) version of a dish for you. We do this all of the time by ordering a day ahead of time. We do not eat dishes prepared with grains or processed seed oils like canola oil and all of the processed versions of vegetable oils such as margarine. They bend over backwards to accommodate. This goes for the main dining room as well. The MDR does have a separate vegan menu though.
Can anyone expand on how much additional are the Specialty dining options and are there diff pricing tiers?
There are not usually pricing tiers for specialty dining but Murano is normally $50 per person, Tuscan Grill is $45 per person, Le Petite Chef is about $55 per person but that might have increased, Lawn Club Grill is approximately $45 per person and Rooftop Garden Grill on Edge Class is normally also $45 per person. We have never had a bad dinner is any of the Celebrity Specialty dining venues and you can use onboard credit to purchase reservations. I would book these as soon as you book your cruise in order to save with pre-cruise special pricing as well as to make sure you get the day and time that you want. The dining packages normally do not allow you to pre-book times and dates until you get on the ship. This is troublesome since many of the most popular times will be reserved prior to your sailing. You may end up having to dine very late in the evening.
Le Voyage is only on Beyond right now.
You are absolutely correct Pamela! I have added the correction in the description. I really appreciate the call out! There was supposed to be a caption under that one. Thanks for watching!
I have on princess cruise line discovery ship and also celebrity’s reflection. And there’s no comparison Princess was a lot better. I believe you are so biased towards celebrity Cruise line, but the food is probably better on Holland American. Also I haven’t tried them yet, but I’m trying them next. People can tell when you one sided sir.
In a video just about Celebrity, I will speak to that. I do believe that Celebrity far exceeds Holland America especially in the buffet. I have heard great things about Princess and will be sailing with them soon. I do have a few clients that have recently sailed both and said the main dining was slightly better on Princess but the buffet was much better on Celebrity. I also do not ever mask that I am a fan of Celebrity and have cruised with them the most of any cruise line. I have had my share of disappointing meals on every cruise line, including Celebrity. I have several subscribers who have been huge supporters of Celebrity and state that the quality in the main dining room is on the decline and have actually participated on guest panels with Celebrity Cruises executives to state their position and specific experiences. I am glad that you have had great experiences on Princess. Please continue to cruise the lines that you prefer.
In the past eighteen months, I have been on Princess, Celebrity and Holland America ships. There is NOT an enormous difference in the food that you will find on any of those lines, certainly not enough to decide one line over another.
Personally, I think that Princess had the best buffet in terms of selection (I was on the Celebrity Millennium.) and food quality. Their MDR menu was decent but rather unimaginative. Service was very solid BUT not outstanding. The casual included restaurants were acceptable BUT there are fewer included restaurants. Their steaks and beef products in the buffet and MDR are mediocre and significantly worse than the other lines.
Celebrity had the best service in every venue. In the MDR, they had a really creative, exciting menu. However, like RCCL, there is occasionally a lack of execution (underdone risotto, raw bananas foster, etc.) that should have been caught before leaving the kitchen. Their buffet selections are very good. Their hamburger place by the pool is nothing great.
HAL has very good food in the MDR and by far, the best breakfast and lunch menus. Their Dive restaurant with the burgers is one of the best on a cruise ship in both selection and execution. Their buffet is NOT my favorite as it is crew served. This makes it difficult to get "taste sized" portions. Their late night food is not that great. Their Dutch Cafe is really quite good.
Our cruise selection is based upon the cost of the cruise and the itinerary. We are on Celebrity less due to cost (but have two cruises booked on the Solstice in September).