Cruise Talk: Celebrity feeds the passenger's lunch to dignitaries on the Millennium!

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»	Cruise Talk » Cruise Ships » Celebrity feeds the passenger's lunch to dignitaries on the Millennium!

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Topic: Celebrity feeds the passenger's lunch to dignitaries on the Millennium!

Mercy
First Class Passenger
Member # 322

posted 10-10-2000 11:36 AM

I have been reading a report from a passenger on the Millennium right now! He said in his report, that when they stopped in Athens Greece, they closed the dining room for lunch to the passengers, so they could have a luncheon for the president of Greece and many other dignitaries. The PAYING passengers were forced to eat buffet. Now I understand that cruise lines need keep up good relations with the countries they stop at, but come on! To lock out the paying passengers and basically give away their lunch really bothers me! What do you think about it? I would like to think that Celebrity puts their passengers first!

Posts: 697 | From: Stanwood, Wa. USA | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

gohaze
First Class Passenger
Member # 586

posted 10-10-2000 12:03 PM

Hi...just how many passengers do you think would have wanted to eat lunch in the dining room with the ship in Piraeus? You could probably count them on one hand. Come on, that wasn't inconveniencing anybody and what makes it the passengers food anyway.
....peter

Posts: 1909 | From: Vancouver.BC | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

sympatico
First Class Passenger
Member # 797

posted 10-10-2000 01:39 PM

HAL has often closed the dining room, at least once on a cruise, when in port, as there are not that many paxs around and this gives the staff time off. We have never been inconvenienced by this as the Lido buffet and outside grill are always open. What's wrong with the buffet. I find that lunches there are much better than in the dining room.
I agree with Peter - you could probably count the number of paxs on one hand who want to eat in the DR, especially when you are in a wonderful port like Athens.

Posts: 3305 | From: Toronto, Ont. Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

Terry
First Class Passenger
Member # 448

posted 10-10-2000 01:48 PM

This sort of thing will become much less of a problem in future with the advent of multiple eating outlets [Opportunities?] on newbuild cruiseships.

Terry Donegan

Posts: 391 | From: Brandon, Norfolk, UK | Registered: Aug 99 | IP: Logged

Malcolm @ cruisepage
Cruise Director
Member # 301

posted 10-10-2000 02:04 PM

Mercy, it would bother me too If I had paid for the cruise! But on the hand, I can understand the need for Celebrity to mix business and pleasure.

Posts: 19210 | From: Essex (Just Outside London) | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

CTrail
First Class Passenger
Member # 64

posted 10-10-2000 06:03 PM

Certainly they did not have to close the entire lounge. Would it not be more reasonable to have booked off a certain section for the dignitaries and left the rest open for passengers.
I would rather doubt that there were that many dignitaries that they would have filled the entire dining room.

Betteruseofresources

Peter

Posts: 332 | From: Kitchener, ON Canada | Registered: Apr 99 | IP: Logged

gohaze
First Class Passenger
Member # 586

posted 10-10-2000 08:34 PM

Hi again...lets not forget that Celebrity was originally a Greek Company started by the Chandris family...that's their 'X' on the funnels. It's a great honour to have the President of your country come for lunch on your ship.
Just think what it would be like if President Clinton had come....his security lot would have chucked all the passengers off just like that.
....peter

Posts: 1909 | From: Vancouver.BC | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

DianaD
First Class Passenger
Member # 1010

posted 10-10-2000 09:10 PM

What happened to the other replies? They do not seem to be coming up, or is it just me.

Posts: 308 | From: Whitby, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

sympatico
First Class Passenger
Member # 797

posted 10-10-2000 10:02 PM

quote:
Originally posted by DianaD:
What happened to the other replies? They do not seem to be coming up, or is it just me.

Must be you DianaD - it says 7 posts, last one at 9:10pm and that is yours. Don't forget - you don't count Mercy's post - then there are 7 replies

Posts: 3305 | From: Toronto, Ont. Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

Mercy
First Class Passenger
Member # 322

posted 10-10-2000 10:24 PM

As I said, I do understand Celebrity's side of it. When I say "it bothers" me. It's more like annoyed. Not upset or angry. Certainly not enough to cancel my Millennium cruise, or stop cruising my favorite line. But annoyed none the less

Posts: 697 | From: Stanwood, Wa. USA | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

DianaD
First Class Passenger
Member # 1010

posted 10-10-2000 10:33 PM

Sympatico. I just went in again and everything was now there up to my last posting but yours and the next one wasn't there but when I scroll down when writing this they are all there. Very odd!!!
It was you and Princess the other day, now its me.

Posts: 308 | From: Whitby, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

sympatico
First Class Passenger
Member # 797

posted 10-11-2000 09:35 AM

DianaD - must be something in the airwaves around Toronto! All last week-end I had trouble logging on and a very slow computer.

Posts: 3305 | From: Toronto, Ont. Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

Rex
First Class Passenger
Member # 1113

posted 10-11-2000 01:29 PM

I understand the Presidential Suite on the MILLENIUM has a large walnut desk in place of a bed

Posts: 1413 | From: Philadelphia PA, USA | Registered: Feb 2000 | IP: Logged

Terry
First Class Passenger
Member # 448

posted 10-11-2000 02:02 PM

I wonder if someone can explain that last post to me?

Terry Donegan

Posts: 391 | From: Brandon, Norfolk, UK | Registered: Aug 99 | IP: Logged

Patrick
First Class Passenger
Member # 364

posted 10-11-2000 02:04 PM

I think it´s normal. Remember that Celebrity cruises is a Greek company even though now owned by Royal Caribbean. The managing department of Chandris Cruises is still in Piraeus. And further more I guess that not many passengers were onboard that time. We often had the same experience in the Caribbean that the dining room was closed because there were not enough passengers onboard and instead they could create a larger buffet upstairs. It wasn´t too bad.
And if a president comes onboard a ship, still you have to care about security and privacy.

Posts: 1680 | From: OSC Luxembourg | Registered: Nov 98 | IP: Logged

sympatico
First Class Passenger
Member # 797

posted 10-11-2000 02:11 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Terry:
I wonder if someone can explain that last post to me?
Terry Donegan

Terry - I wondered the same thing. What has it got to do with the dining room being closed to passengers on the Millenium??????

Posts: 3305 | From: Toronto, Ont. Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

jmperry1
First Class Passenger
Member # 1462

posted 10-12-2000 12:31 PM

I believe the walnut desk post was a reference to the sexual proclivities of the current president of the United States.

James

Posts: 71 | From: Oakland CA USA | Registered: Jul 2000 | IP: Logged

hooked on cruising
First Class Passenger
Member # 1221

posted 10-12-2000 09:26 PM

ENOUGH SAID:P no more talk about desks it's giving me a headache

Posts: 243 | From: London,Ontario,Canada | Registered: Apr 2000 | IP: Logged

Terri Lee
First Class Passenger
Member # 942

posted 10-12-2000 10:42 PM

Regarding closed dining rooms at lunchtime.

Every cruise on HAL that I have sailed on has always closed the dining room in certain ports.Those days,lunch is buffet-style in the Lido restaurant.

On port days,sometimes there are hardly any passengers on board around lunch-time so it stands to reason the crew is given a break!

Personally,I much prefer eating lunch in the dining room but mainly because I absolutely abhor standing in line for a meal.Then once you have your tray of food and find a table,the food is always luke warm,UGH!

That's my two-penn'th,guys.....

Posts: 292 | From: Burlington Ontario Canada | Registered: Dec 1999 | IP: Logged

bubbles
First Class Passenger
Member # 1415

posted 10-13-2000 04:06 AM

I agree with Terri Lee, I prefer lunch in the dining room. When we have cruised with P&O we have usually returned to the ship at lunchtime after a hectic morning touring, if we are nearby of course, to an oasis of calm for lunch to refuel before more of the same in the afternoon.

Posts: 133 | From: England | Registered: Jul 2000 | IP: Logged

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