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Trays in the Lido

Crusin-Suzan

By Crusin-Suzan,
in Holland America Line

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OVgirl

OVgirl

Posted
Posted
I've thought about doing this, but don't want to stand out in the crowd & look foolish..I frequently get two glasses of water & two cups of coffee at the same time for DH & me...He or I usually stay with the chairs on the Promenade deck, while one or the other goes to get both water & coffee for us to enjoy on the Promenade deck.. Would HAL Stewards/Mgmt. frown on me for doing this?

 

I have a very small tray ( 6 1/2 X 10 1/2)which would just hold two glasses of water & 2 cups of coffee & wonder if I should take it..

 

Cheers....:)Betty

 

The tray I brought on the cruise is about 12" square with nice nautical blue and white wavy stripes (from IKEA).

I don't think anyone even noticed that I was carrying it around.

So, yes, definitely take it with you and you will have it handy if you need it.

 

Enjoy!

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Wannaknow

Wannaknow

Posted
Posted
We know to get our iced waters and iced tea before we take turns in the various lines of the buffet. Rarely has anyone come around and offered to get drinks for us. So we had to adjust the way we did things. Not having a tray is no big deal.

If you get your water etc. beforehand, do you just leave it on a vacant table? Is there a problem with leaving personal items ( i.e. sweater over back of chair) while you go to the buffet for other things? What if tables are scarce, do you run the risk of someone sitting down at "your" table.

Not worried - just trying to understand the procedure.

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KAYEF

KAYEF

Posted
Posted

If you get your water etc. beforehand, do you just leave it on a vacant table? Is there a problem with leaving personal items ( i.e. sweater over back of chair) while you go to the buffet for other things? What if tables are scarce, do you run the risk of someone sitting down at "your" table.

 

Not worried - just trying to understand the procedure.

My SIL and I leave our windbreakers on chairs to save the table........IF we remember them! If we forget, one of us sits and waits...........

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GeriatricNurse

GeriatricNurse

Posted
Posted

If you get your water etc. beforehand, do you just leave it on a vacant table? Is there a problem with leaving personal items ( i.e. sweater over back of chair) while you go to the buffet for other things? What if tables are scarce, do you run the risk of someone sitting down at "your" table.

 

Not worried - just trying to understand the procedure.

 

My SIL and I leave our windbreakers on chairs to save the table........IF we remember them! If we forget, one of us sits and waits...........

 

 

 

Actually, the universal signal that a place has been "reserved" at a table is to pull out the chair slightly and tilt it against the table. That way, if you do not wish to leave any valuables, including articles over the chair as well, you do not have to:)

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soldham

soldham

Posted
Posted

We have been on a few trips now without the trays and here are some observations:

 

- Instead of loading up on stuff that you are more than likely not to eat you are a bit more selective in your choices. This is good thing because I used to be constantly appalled at the amount of food just left on trays. You can repurpose food that never leaves the serving area but after that it is simply garbage. Higher food costs=higher cruise costs.

- There seems to be more staff waiting to help those who have challenges and they are eager to help.

- Staff are pretty astute and can tell a food setting put down while someone goes for coffee or juice from a 'I'm finished' setting.

- More room on the tables!

- Less trays and food remnants littering other areas of the ship.

 

Change is difficult to handle for some people but (similar bringing your own or paying for plastic bags at grocery stores) it is inevitable whether motivated by profits, the environment, or just plain common sense.

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michmike

michmike

Posted
Posted

The easy solution for those who have concerns about the trays is to do as Ruth has suggested (and we do) and that is to bring a tray from home in your suitcase. Ours is plastic and lightweight. We travel with another couple and it is just so much easier to be able to get all the beverages, or dessert later on, in just one trip.

 

Have not gotten any strange looks or comments. In fact the general reaction is "why didn't I think of doing that?"

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welfen

welfen

Posted
Posted

My husband is a stroke survivor and is partially paralyzed. He cannot get his own food from the Lido serving line. I have him sit at a table while I go through the buffet, picking up both our meals. This worked fine when there were trays, but on our last cruise the trays were gone and getting breakfast was a nightmare. Because of early shore excursions every day we were forced to have breakfast in our cabin because the dining room wasn't open early enough. This is fine once in a while, but we felt like we were banished because we had no other alternatives. I have purchased a tray that I will take on our next cruise so I can get both our meals to the table at once while the food is still hot and still make it to our shore excursions on time. I'm not embarrassed or concerned about using it because it gives us back the flexibility we've had in the past. So, if you need a tray, I say bring one along and use it. :)

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Krazy Kruizers

Krazy Kruizers

Posted
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The few times that we do eat in the Lido -- we do pick up our drinks first and then hunt for a table. DH goes through the line(s) first and when he returns to the table, then I go.

 

We know that it is impossible for us to eat at the same time if we have hot food. If we are only having sandwiches -- then I will go and get one for both os us and we eat together.

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serendipity1499

serendipity1499

Posted
Posted
The tray I brought on the cruise is about 12" square with nice nautical blue and white wavy stripes (from IKEA).

I don't think anyone even noticed that I was carrying it around.

So, yes, definitely take it with you and you will have it handy if you need it.

 

Enjoy!

 

Great...Thanks for your reply...I'l also look into the IKEA tray..

Cheers...:)Betty

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Juanita462

Juanita462

Posted
Posted

Just a thought about food not eaten - I always ask the servers for a small portion and almost never actually get a small portion. Usually about double what I want - I will not eat more than I want just because it has been served to me........so if there is food left on my plate it is because of the serving size and not greed on my part.

 

Perhaps HAL should train the servers to start with a really small portion and then increase it if the passenger asks for more.

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BaltiGator

BaltiGator

Posted
Posted
I think they do generally give really small portions. You must be a small eater.

 

We've had the same experience as the poster to whom you replied. And we are NOT small eaters. But we always find ourselves asking for "just a tiny bit" because otherwise they load the plate up. And even when we say, no, not so much, we often get gigantic portions anyway. We've experienced this on every cruise line we've been on so far.

 

So indeed, I would agree that at least part of the food waste problem in the buffet is due to the size of the portions served.

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cruz chic

cruz chic

Posted
Posted
We've had the same experience as the poster to whom you replied. And we are NOT small eaters. But we always find ourselves asking for "just a tiny bit" because otherwise they load the plate up. And even when we say, no, not so much, we often get gigantic portions anyway. We've experienced this on every cruise line we've been on so far.

 

So indeed, I would agree that at least part of the food waste problem in the buffet is due to the size of the portions served.

I generally say I just want a little of that....and have had no problem. The problem I've had is when I've asked for more of something...such as stir fry. Usually that would be my lunch so I want more then a tablespoon or 2.

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Taxguy77

Taxguy77

Posted
Posted
That's true. And people still can waste food without having a tray to facilitate it.

 

I remember the old days of the big midnight buffets. I used to go for a snack, usually a piece of cake and a glass of milk before bedtime. I would see people with plates piled high with food--roast beef, shrimp, all sorts of stuff. I would wonder how they could manage to eat so much, especially cosidering the nice dinners we had. Then, one night I guess I got there later than usual. I looked at some of the abandoned tables, and the food that was left was just a sin. That's when I realized that a lot of the people with the full plates weren't eating the food. They were just taking it, probably because they felt they'd paid for it. (But the money is spent whether you waste food or not, so why waste it???)

 

I think the enormous loss of money spent on food not eaten and wages paid led to the huge reduction/close of the midnite buffets. :( Now that I'm older, midnight and eating are not compatible so I'm not affected, but younger cruisers have missed something.

The last time I went to a big chocolate midnite deal, I was sick of walking around spilled food all over the deck outside before I even got to the dining room.:(:eek:

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