We were looking forward to our first time sailing with Celebrity having previously tried P&O, Ambassador and Cunard (mainly TA on current QM but 1 med cruise on current QE) On TA crossings several people we've spoken to have commented that Celebrity's food was much better than Cunards so we were especially looking forward to the dining. We've always enjoyed the food on Cunard and found Ambassadors offering to be comparable though with fewer choices and less enticing desserts but for the price we had no complaints.

Unfortunately, we found the MDR choices to be extremely limited and repetitive on Celebrity, and the desserts were rarely better than on Ambassador As a table (6 regular attendees on a table for 10, 2 others joined us twice but found the late dining made it difficult to attend the evening entertainment) we did have a chat with the waiter & Maitre d' and in the second week we were offered a chefs special starter and main and these were of a quality and style I would have expected but it felt like a lot of effort to get what I have come to expect from cruise food. Perhaps our expectations were unrealistically high but others who had traveled more with the line were adamant that standards had dropped. Many discussions about the repetitive nature of the offerings came back to a feeling you were being pushed to purchase specialty dining which while it was enjoyed by those we spoke to who'd dined at them I'm not convinced the extra cost would be justified when you consider you have already paid for a restaurant quality meal in your cruise price. Also a can of Guinness that costs £1 onshore being sold at $13 (almost double the Cunard price) when you think of the buying power of Celebrity.... well I felt it was exploitative even if we did have the classic package but even a modest drinker could justify the package cost once you factor in the soft/hot drinks as well.

OVC was nice and most days we got a seat for breakfast and lunch without too much problem although there were 3 occasions we really struggled and there were just no inside seats available :-( The selections for breakfast were good, I loved the eggs benedict but it was hard to secure seating and be able to get food and eat it together while it was hot. All buffets have a feel of busyness they are feeding thousands so its only to be expected but I can't say buffet dining on Silhouette was a relaxing or peaceful affair. Read more