Smitheroo

On 1/25/2024 at 1:09 PM, UKstages said:

 

back in the day, most cafeteria-style or buffet dining featured a ledge composed of several metal bars, which ran the entire length of the cafeteria. diners dutifully slid their trays as they moved down "the line." with the trend towards trayless dining, that ledge has disappeared in newly built buffets. (there's still something there for you to rest your plate on, but it's not quite the same thing.)

 

there is another design element at play that is equally responsible for the disappearance of trays.  at a modern buffet, customers dart in and out at several different "action stations" to get what they want. an old-school buffet requires people to stay in line and move one by one through all the things they don't want to get to the things they do. you see conflicts at buffets now because there are still people who cling to this old-school buffet notion... that there is a line that you must follow as you slowly inch through the entire buffet. modern buffets are not set up like that! (please note: i am not suggesting that you ignore all the people waiting for pizza or chicken curry ahead of you. once you get to the food item you want, you still have to wait in line behind all those who want the same item. i am merely saying that you don't have to slowly walk through the entire buffet to get to the food items you want. that's the way buffets used to work... but no longer.)

 

there are two other factors controlling people's behavior at a buffet... the first is the size of the plate. larger plates mean more wasted food or over eating. i typically first go to the dessert section, not because i want dessert, but because i pick up a couple of small plates and i put entree items on those. not only does it limit your intake (although you can always go back for more), but it tricks the brain into thinking you are eating more food because it looks like your plate is overflowing, which has a psychological effect on how full you feel. the other thing about the brain is that it takes a good twenty minutes for the stomach to signal to the brain that you're full. so, smaller plates means more time to feel full before you get back up for another helping of whatever that delicious thing was.

 

and the other factor affecting food consumption is whether or not the buffet is an all inclusive restaurant... one flat fee or, in our case, "free" with your cruise fare. there would be no need to eliminate trays at college campuses if students were charged for each item they consumed.

Sorry, I didnt see much darting in and out on embarkation day.  Instead people tried to carry too many plates/cups so they didnt have to go back into that feeding frenzy.   I dont care about all the statistics concerning food waste etc.  It is hard for a person to carry a plate and a cup of hot beverage.  Two trips? are you kidding, one is enough.

18 minutes ago, scottca075 said:

 

No you don't have to wear a tux and you can also wear "national dress", as in a kilt and coat, and military dress uniform.

 

 

My legs are too hairy for a black velvet skirt.

Many people do believe that you must wear a tux. As you point out, not true.  You wouldnt see your hairy legs with a black velvet skirt on! Didnt I say "long?"

9 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

You're wrong.

someone has already corrected me

On 2/1/2024 at 4:04 PM, Sailing12Away said:

Again - barking up the wrong tree. I would jump overboard if I was at sea for 7 days straight. Not sure I see us ever doing a trans anything and intentionally pick trips that are port intensive. The ship is just transportation and a floating hotel for us. So long as we have a nice bar, and a sunny spot for me and shady spot for hubby, that's all we need until we get to our next port of call.

I could spend 3 weeks at sea and still want more..... good thing there is something for everyone although its a bit tougher for those of us who love sea days.  Read, drink, relax, watch the ocean......

On 1/30/2024 at 8:58 PM, scottca075 said:

 

I am thinking a lot of people did not read your entire post, or else I don't think they'd have recommended HAL or Virgin.

 

I'd start by looking at Disney, yes expensive, but worth every penny to us. We've taken the grand kids on Royal, NCL, Disney and Princess. Disney was the favorite, Princess the least, NCL ships like the Bliss are so close to the RCCL ships like the Oasis and Symphony, it is hard to distinguish between them; same level of food and service and entertainment. Even the RCCl Navigator or Quantum ships would be good.

 

If it was just adults, I'd say Celebrity and Princess, then HAL.

 

I wish everyone could do a Cunard transatlantic cruise at least once. The only thing cooler than a picture of your teen sons dressed in a tuxedo for dinner is a picture of your teen grandsons dressed in a tuxedo for dinner.

I agree with you about the cool grandson in a tux at dinner but...... I just want to point out to anyone contemplating trying Cunard.  Men do NOT have to wear tuxes at dinner. It is optional, jacket and tie is fine. (at least it was in 2013)  At the table I was at, a group of singles, two young showed up in tuxes the first night, the other men wore jackets and ties. The women wore cocktail style dresses or even just dressier dresses, knee length.   Woman do not need to wear a ball gown.   My go-to apparel was a long black velvet skirt (January voyage)

On 1/29/2024 at 9:35 AM, Sailing12Away said:

You just need to research your ships a bit more for NCL if having an adult only area is important to you. If you can swing the price of Haven, their upper sun deck areas are adults only and have hot tubs. The Haven pools are not large, but decent for a soak and to cool off. Children are allowed in them, but I've personally never seen any in them except once on Epic. So they're allowed, but it tends to be a much quieter environment, no splashing or jumping or running around so they don't bother me at all like on the main pool decks.

 

Ships that have a Vibe beach club are also adult only areas with hot tubs, but they have an extra cost. And then there are ships with Spice H2O - that is an adult only pool on several ships (Epic, Escape, Joy.... help me out guys, which other ships?). Free - and adult only pool. 

 

So they do exist, you just need to look around at the deck plans to find the right ship for your needs/wants/wishes. This thread may help you: 

 

Getaway has a Spice H20

I would choose a TA on the Cunard liner Queen Mary 2.  What I like is what most people hate-  they care about how people dress for on their voyages. Yes, passengers can dress casually and eat in the Kings Court buffet, but they are strict about attire after a certain hour. It does make a difference (for some)   What I dont like (I'm assuming its still the same, I last sailed with Cunard in 2013) is the set dinner time with the same people.  I know that Breakfast and Lunch were open but dinner was a set time (early or late) at the same table. Things might have changed with covid and never returned, I dont know.  I love NCL's free style dining.   I also liked Cunard's entertainment which included their "Insights" program with lectures on various topics by experts in the field (where I first learned about Mr. Ocean Liner Bill Miller)  and daily movies in the theater. As well as the Best Ballroom on the Ocean.   

On 11/13/2023 at 5:18 PM, yakcruiser said:

I remember when I was a kid you could go into the airport and go right up to the gate to see a family member off.

That was the case as late as June 2001 in the US. I know because I flew out to San Francisco where my daughter met met *at the gate*.   But I think only pasengers were allowed past a certain point for international flights. Or else that might have been local.  I dropped my mother off at Logan in Boston long before 9/11 and I couldnt go to the gate. 

5 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

I don’t think you do if you have the FAS.

I think I may be mixing that up with the Cunard policy

I was on an excursion on one of the Mexican cruises. The tour ended at a stop in Ensenada that was  not too far from the ship.  One couple left the tour group without notifying the tour guide. it caused her a lot of anxiety because she has to know that all people on the excursion are returned to the ship  If they had told her I'm sure it would have been fine. They didnt and she had to run around various areas of the last spot to see if they were still there. Very inconsiderate to the tour guide and fellow excursion guests.

On 2/11/2024 at 9:32 PM, JandC_Cruising said:

You can bring as many bottles as you wish.  If you have a drinks package, the corkage fee is waived.  if you do not have a drinks package, then you pay a corkage fee regardless of where you drink the wine (or even if you do not drink the wine).

 

It was my understanding that the corkage fee is waived if you have the drinks package but you can only consume the wine in your room. If you choose to consume it in the dining room then you pay a corkage free.  Correct me if I'm wrong

On 2/9/2024 at 11:45 AM, CruisnHallelujahs said:

You don’t need to but I would recommend it.  You still get in line with everyone else but once checked in, if you have a reservation, you move forward more quickly. We preferred Tropicana with their nightly entertainment while dining. Taste was our choice for lunch. 

I missed the Tropicana on my recent Getaway cruise. Sounds like it would have been very enjoyable. The Getaway isnt high on my list for repeats but if I ever do, I will be sure to try it out

On 2/14/2024 at 10:04 AM, Oceans 818 said:

Reading this post and some of the visous responses is not making me want to sail NCL anytime soon. As many of these customers seem to be very aggresively judgemental towards their fellow cruisers.

At an average of $100 per day for a drink package, I'm inclined to think the cruiseline has factored in package sharing into the equation along with a healthy profit.

OP said the odd glass of wine, or mocktail. Honestly I doubt the cruiselines are as concerned about this as they are about those who load the plates so full, you couldn't put another olive on it and then leave the plates behind and head for the desert bar. Or in the MDR have several appetizers and mains and only eat parts, leaving the senseless waste behind. Restaurants push alcohol sales as the profit margin is much higher than food margins. But that is my opinon and I find the food waste the more offensive.

Oh, this is nothing. Hang around on cruise critic awhile and you will know what I mean

On 2/13/2024 at 5:34 PM, PTC DAWG said:

It’s really not that hard to do.  Ask me how I know..the FAS is a money saver for me AND my Bride. 🙂

It not just a money saver (in some cases) its just so much easier.  I probably break even or maybe even lose a little by paying the drink gratuities. (2 drinks break even) I still do it because sometime I do want to drink and its less effort. 

On 2/11/2024 at 8:32 AM, goldmom said:

I was wondering the same thing.  When I had my 3 adult children in one cabin the first 2 got the FAS drink package and the third one had to buy the package, even though he doesn't drink.  I think that rule is in place to avoid the exact situation that the OP is asking about.

On 2/11/2024 at 8:18 AM, dbrown84 said:

The bartenders and servers will actually put the 3rd person's drinks on the card with FAS, even when it wasn't your intent to do so.  I've even had a server ask me if I minded buying someone an upgraded drink when I had the upgraded drink package.  Of course, I had no problem with it

 

Now, the question I have is how did the 3rd person manage to bypass the drink package?  Did they have a Dr. note?  One rule that NCL does apply strictly is that all adults in the cabin has to get the drink package if at least one does

I believe the OP said that the 3rd person had the soda package.  

1 hour ago, mjkacmom said:

I’ve had kids at 6 universities, no trays.

I have experience with universities as well. They had trays. But.... that was 20 years ago so things have changed  I guess.   dont know why dining halls would have a problem with trays. A dining hall rarely, if ever, resembles the Garden Cafe on an NCL ship on embarkation day.  All I can think of for the ships is extra clutter?  I really doubt they worry about the occasional person who might take advantage and take too much food because they have a tray and then waste it. It would be interesting to know why these institutions have eliminated trays.  

On 1/23/2024 at 12:05 PM, goldmom said:

Not in the Garden Cafe, but on the Joy I would pop out to the Lounge in the morning to get coffee, muffins and fruit for DH and myself.  I used the tray from the room under the ice bucket.  It's small but was enough to carry a few items back to the room.

good idea. I dont think my studio cabin had an ice bucket and tray unless it was hidden somewhere.  Dont think it would work in the Garden Cafe but was ideal for what you wanted.   

On 1/21/2024 at 4:35 PM, poohdreaming said:

 

Usually around 11 am and the time of cabins to be ready vary from one cruise to the next one. If you carried your luggage on with you, there is usually a place to leave your luggage.

*Another* thing I was not aware of- there is a place to leave your luggage!!!  I didnt know this until I heard the announcement half way through lunch that guests could leave their carry-on bags in the casino until cabins are ready.    Experience is a very effective teacher!  I only had a tote bag and that was another part of the chaotic process. I wasnt going to leave that at an unattended table with my money and important papers in it.  

5 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

Back in the day, buffets had trays (cruises, buffet restaurants, dining halls) and they’ve been gone for years. I doubt they will ever come back.

I'm sure cafeterias must still have trays but you're right about buffets.  I've never seen trays.Most buffets arent the chaos that the Garden Cafe can be, especially on Embarkation day though. 

12 hours ago, poohdreaming said:

@Smitheroo - If you are cruising alone, it is best for you to go to the MDR on the first day of the cruise. There are some ways around of not having a tray if you want to go to the buffet. First, you go get your drink to pour into your bottle (water bottle) and then put it at a table and then go for food. No one will touch your water bottle. Some NCL staffs might walk around with a tray of juices to offer to cruisers in the buffet area.

Yes, except I only learned that from experience.  Definitely it will be the MDR.  Using my water bottle to put my tea water in doesnt appeal to me and then I'd have to get a cup anyway. (it would be safer though) Its just not convenient for one person to dine alone in the Garden Cafe unless you eat in stages. Eat your plate of food, go back for your hot beverage. Although heading back into the lines doesnt appeal after doing it once lol but I will just have to do that because the risk of a disaster is too great (even just accidentally dumping your plate, which I have never seen happen)  That would just be a mess for them to clean up, a cup of hot water on a child's head would be more than that.  I have actually seen that happen in a crowd trying to get refreshments at a baseball game. And the man had a tray!  It had about 6 big cups of soda and as he turned with his sodas on a tray he lifted it above the others to make it easier for him to get through the crowd.  Someone jostled him and the 6 tall cups on the tray went over, right on the heads of two children standing close by. One was my cousin who was about 4 at the time. He just looked shocked, the girl next to him started screaming.  I'm sure it was icky feeling but at least it wasnt scalding

43 minutes ago, sebas030 said:

The use of a tray in the buffet would result in what do you think ?

 

People getting 2 plates of food, a bowl of soup, a plate of salad, a dessert and 2 drinks. 

 

Only to realise they are full after the first huge plate of food they got and the rest in in the garbage 🤷‍♂️

 

At least here where I live, if you go at a buffet restaurant you will never find a tray. Restaurant would loose so much on wasted food.

 

I am not debating the use of one for someone with disabilities or arthritis or something like that. I am just saying why buffet style restaurant will not provide a tray.

I was just going to come back to this thread.  A tray brought in from the outside would not be something that NCL would promote but for a completely different reason - infection control.  It would not be a good idea to bring a tray into a food area that possibly has been everywhere else on the ship including the bathrooms and then rest it on surfaces in the Garden Cafe. I wouldnt even try it now  But  on to what you said- the risk of passengers wasting too much food because their eyes were bigger than their bellies.  That  is not nearly as great as the potential safety risk of dumping a cup of hot tea on a child's head. Because that is what almost happened, through no one's fault other than me trying to carry one plate and one cup and a small child being close to me.  All it would have taken is one person in the crowd to jostle my arm. The child wasnt doing anything other than being short.  I'm sure there is a lot of food wasted anyway.  And the tray wouldnt be big enough to carry all the plates,bowls and cups you imagined.   There must be a tremendous amount of food wasted. For one thing, in the MDR they serve a basket of rolls regularly to me, one person. The most I would ever take would be 1 and definitely not 4. Surely that basket of rolls is tossed after they've served me.   I could kick myself. I just filled out a survey on the cruise I just took and forgot to mention the chaos in the Garden Cafe, especially on embarkation day, and the potential accidents waiting to happen.   

1 hour ago, ggTexasGal said:

Not even the song "Kiss"?

Julia Roberts sang it in the movie "Pretty Woman" (bathtub scene).

Sorry, I just googled it and I have to admit that I dont recall hearing the song Kiss  even once.   That must seem unbelievable because I do know who Prince was. 

On 1/21/2024 at 4:12 PM, mjkacmom said:

Yes, at noon, they will encourage you to go to the buffet with the masses but we prefer a nice sit down lunch.

Definitely doing that next time!   I didnt think they would be open until dinner.

2 hours ago, UKstages said:

 

 

 

there is a website called the seven stars insider, a gambling knowledge website originally about the elite player status program for the casinos of caesars entertainment. the creator of that site, a solo traveler,  has passed away, but the site remains. somewhere on there, there is indeed a downloadable  buffet sign you can print out that says something like "table occupied. be right back."

I could probably write one up myself ? I think I'd like to try the tray option first. I just dont like leaving my food unattended. And definitely wouldnt if it was far from the food lines