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Buffets on Riviera not self service?


tipsygirl
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i just talked with friends who have recently returned from their first sailing on Oceania, I think it was the Regatta (??). They commented, positively that in the buffet line you could not serve yourself. Is this true on the Riviera? It would be a plus for me as I am on a gluten free diet and would be able to ask the necessary questions and not just guess or assume.

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All Oceania ships have no self serve buffets

If you are GF speak to the Chef not just the servers they may or may not know if the item was prepared in a separate area

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It would be a plus for me as I am on a gluten free diet and would be able to ask the necessary questions and not just guess or assume.

Im GF as well. I suggest contacting Oceania and your TA in advance to notify them of your dietary restrictions. You will receive menus in advance and they will make your selections using GF ingredients.

 

Also, in the buffet, I have often asked if the gravies were GF. When told no the chef offered to have some made. O is that service oriented.

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Not self service is one of the things I like most about Oceania's buffets!!

 

It's great not to have to worry about people coughing on their hands and then touching serving utensils.

 

I think this makes Oceania more luxurious and upscale!

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It's always smile-inducing to hear onlookers in the Terrace Grill politely speak in unison to someone reaching for something like the sushi or a serving utensil: "no no no no (with or without finger wagging)."

 

 

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with or without finger wagging).

 

 

Anyone who wags a finger at me, for whatever reason, is going to get a short response using words which my mother would definitely have disapproved of.

 

 

By the by, I was perplexed by the thread - I've never come across a buffet before that was not self-serve. So, I'm glad I've read it, as it means a fellow passenger is not going to be on the receiving end of one of my short responses.

 

And where do you actually get a plate? Are they not stacked at one end of the buffet, as in every other place I've been to?

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And where do you actually get a plate? Are they not stacked at one end of the buffet, as in every other place I've been to?

The servers have them & will hand them to you when you have gotten your selection of items

 

prevents cross contamination passing the plate back & forth (passenger to server to passenger )

It all works out in the end

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Thanks LHT.

 

So that presumably means there's a serving station where the server will put everything I want on the plate? Rather than the usual self-serve long section where there's, say, proteins at one end and then you pass along the various vegetables, etc? If so, that sounds a much better system - buffet queues can get silly while people differ about deciding what they want, while your lunch is getting cold.

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Thanks LHT.

 

So that presumably means there's a serving station where the server will put everything I want on the plate? Rather than the usual self-serve long section where there's, say, proteins at one end and then you pass along the various vegetables, etc? If so, that sounds a much better system - buffet queues can get silly while people differ about deciding what they want, while your lunch is getting cold.

There are different stations but you will get a clean dish/plate if you go to another area

 

Salads/cold meats in the centre island, grill items on one side, other hot dishes on the other side

 

some photos of Riviera

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/photos/ships/riviera-607/terrace-cafe-311054/terrace-cafe--v14124900/

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There are different stations but you will get a clean dish/plate if you go to another area

 

Salads/cold meats in the centre island, grill items on one side, other hot dishes on the other side

 

some photos of Riviera

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/photos/ships/riviera-607/terrace-cafe-311054/terrace-cafe--v14124900/

So you could end up with 4-5 plates at a time for one meal? Hope the tables are extra big to hold multiple plates at one time!

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So you could end up with 4-5 plates at a time for one meal? Hope the tables are extra big to hold multiple plates at one time!

 

 

 

No. You can ask server to place whatever you desire onto the plate you already have. You can also have someone carry your plate(s) to your table. The Terrace Grill personnel are well-trained and ultra-cautious regarding food safety and avoidance of cross contamination.

 

 

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No. You can ask server to place whatever you desire onto the plate you already have. You can also have someone carry your plate(s) to your table. The Terrace Grill personnel are well-trained and ultra-cautious regarding food safety and avoidance of cross contamination.

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That's not what was reported above by LHT28.

 

So I can carry my plate of cold salads to the hot dish station and have them add the hot stuff to the plate I started? I won't need to have someone carry my plate for me unless there end up being too many to carry myself. I take it there are no trays to put the plates on.

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That's not what was reported above by LHT28.

 

So I can carry my plate of cold salads to the hot dish station and have them add the hot stuff to the plate I started? I won't need to have someone carry my plate for me unless there end up being too many to carry myself. I take it there are no trays to put the plates on.

Are you being facetious ?

You have sailed on Oceania before so you know how it works

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That's not what was reported above by LHT28.

 

 

 

So I can carry my plate of cold salads to the hot dish station and have them add the hot stuff to the plate I started? I won't need to have someone carry my plate for me unless there end up being too many to carry myself. I take it there are no trays to put the plates on.

 

 

 

Yes you can. Whether the server takes your plate (to add stuff) or serves directly to it depends on what is being served.

O's Terrace Grill is a class operation - not a cafeteria. No trays. And, for anyone whose prior cruise experience is on lines that are self-serve: You are in for a far different (and far better) experience.

As for servers carrying your plates, don't say no just yet. In really rough seas, you'll see a lot of that.

 

 

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We are experienced cruisers (Seabourn, Regent) and because of timing/itinerary are taking our first O cruise next year so this sub- forum is very useful.

 

It's true that every line has its own personality and way of doing things but nothing I've read about O has scared us off yet! I like the "assisted buffet" idea which makes perfect sense based on some of the appalling habits of fellow diners I've seen elsewhere! But I will probably politely decline having my plate carried to the table for me - it's one of my pet hates and I have no idea why. It just makes me cringe.

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Really do not like Oceania's buffet . Much prefer Regent. I like to pick the amount of each item that I out on my plate. Very annoying to try to explain to a server, whose first language is not English, that I want lots of spinach and other greens, just a few tomatoes, etc etc, and a drizzle of dressing. I could do it much easier myself. Not a germaphobe. I am a medical doctor who never ever gets sick because I have been exposed to everything.

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Really do not like Oceania's buffet . Much prefer Regent. I like to pick the amount of each item that I out on my plate. Very annoying to try to explain to a server, whose first language is not English, that I want lots of spinach and other greens, just a few tomatoes, etc etc, and a drizzle of dressing. I could do it much easier myself. Not a germaphobe. I am a medical doctor who never ever gets sick because I have been exposed to everything.

 

The problem is that this is an "all or nothing" situation - either everyone can serve themselves or nobody. Of those two choices I prefer the latter as not everyone is like you.

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