Celebrity Cruises to Enhance Onboard Dining Menus Following Leadership Team's Review - New Menus Debuting by End of November

Luminae Breakfast © Celebrity

Celebrity Cruises has announced a series of updates to its onboard dining menus, slated to begin rolling out in December. This decision comes after a comprehensive review by the cruise line's leadership team, including President Laura Hodges Bethge, who personally spent time onboard the Celebrity Equinox to experience the dining options alongside 19 other team members.

The move to revamp the menu offerings is a direct response to guest feedback, particularly regarding the variety of options available. "One of the biggest comments that has come out from our changes that we made was variety," Bethge stated during a webinar with Captains Club members. She shared that guests felt the variety was lacking, a sentiment she echoed based on her own experience during a six-night cruise where she found herself looking for different types of things to eat by the third or fourth day.

Concierge Welcome Aboard Lunch

Luminae Ribeye © Celebrity

To address this, the first step Celebrity Cruises is taking is to reintroduce a "classics" section to the main dining room menus. This section will feature perennial favorites such as Caesar salad, chilled shrimp cocktail, and baked French onion soup for starters. For entrees, guests can expect to see traditional dishes like grilled New York sirloin steak, broiled salmon, and grilled chicken breast. While the specific "timeless" selections to be reintroduced are still under consideration, the cruise line is focused on bringing these dishes back with an emphasis on more flavor and a unique presentation.

Main Dining Chocolate Cake © Celebrity

Another significant update will be the addition of a chocolate dessert option to the menu every night. This change acknowledges the popularity of chocolate and ensures that guests who prefer this flavor will have a consistent dessert option throughout their cruise.

Unlike the typical process of rolling out new menus, which often involves testing on a limited number of ships with extensive feedback and data collection, Celebrity Cruises is expediting the introduction of these updated menus. Bethge has indicated that the return of the classic options is expected to be in place by the end of November, in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. This strategy is designed to enhance the dining experience for one of the busiest cruising seasons, and it is particularly significant for guests who may be on board for longer voyages, such as back-to-back sailings.

The reintroduction of these classic dishes is crucial for those who will be spending extended periods on the ship, ensuring that they have a variety of dining options throughout their stay. With these updates, Celebrity Cruises demonstrates its commitment to guest satisfaction and its willingness to adapt quickly based on direct feedback. Guests embarking on voyages with Celebrity Cruises can anticipate a dining experience that combines the comfort of classic dishes with the excitement of new flavors, all tailored to enhance their time at sea.