Trays

[Adawn47]

2 hours ago, Josy1953 said:

How does not having a tray reduce food waste ?  Surely people only put food on their plate that they think they will eat regardless of whether they carry the plate on a tray or not.

Definitely not. Some people are just plain greedy. I've seen plates of food just being picked over an then left. I think sometimes it's a case of , I've paid for it so I'll take it.  Or maybe eyes too big for their stomach. 

[terrierjohn]

2 hours ago, Josy1953 said:

How does not having a tray reduce food waste ?  Surely people only put food on their plate that they think they will eat regardless of whether they carry the plate on a tray or not.

Good point, but a bit too obvious for P&O planners to appreciate.

[eddie11]

This thread just shows how many aspects there are to the simplest of policies, such as whether to provide trays or not.

There are valid arguments on either side

If it’s this difficult weighing up such an apparently easy matter, who’d want to take charge of all the company’s policies?  Not me - though I’d like their salary!

[molecrochip]

41 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

Definitely not. Some people are just plain greedy. I've seen plates of food just being picked over an then left. I think sometimes it's a case of , I've paid for it so I'll take it.  Or maybe eyes too big for their stomach. 

A lot of people collect all courses at once then find they don’t want / need them. The theory goes that if people collect one course at a time  then they eat what they collect.

[purplesea]

I like to have a drink with my food.  I found on that as I can only carry one item at a time I was getting food then going back for coffee, and by the time I had returned the food was no longer hot, or the coffee if I did it in reverse order!

[AndyMichelle]

35 minutes ago, purplesea said:

I like to have a drink with my food.  I found on that as I can only carry one item at a time I was getting food then going back for coffee, and by the time I had returned the food was no longer hot, or the coffee if I did it in reverse order!

I haven't seen many, if any, people with food on their tray collecting drinks or vice versa. 

Some of the drink stations are too small an area to be taking your trays in. 

Andy 

[jeanlyon]

We always eat out on the stern on say, Aurora, or Arcadia, so like to have a tray but could easily do without one.  We get our main course (lunch) and water.  At breakfast, I only have fruit, yoghurt and coffee, so not difficult without a tray.  Won't bother us.

[Cruising Nomads]

I would think that having a tray cuts down on the amount of spillage of food and drink on the floor which then becomes a trip hazard. If you ever follow somebody with even a mild tremor you can normally see the trail of milk from their cereal bowl if they do not use a tray.

[john watson]

16 hours ago, Les_ldh said:

As a solo traveller I can assure you that making a second trip absolutely is an issue, as when you return from your second trip someone else has pinched your table! 😢

 

I think the elimination of trays was to do with infection control as the trays were not necessarily cleaned to the same standard as crockery.

 

Solo travellers using the buffet on Princess Cruises benefit from a simple service which P&O do not seem to have; Drinks Waiters in the buffet.  These guys are trained to identify solo travellers and people with mobility and other problems such as push chairs etc.  and assist them to identify and lead them to vacant tables where they then take drinks orders.  Most people think this involves drinks purchases with the cruise card but no, it includes making you tea and coffee also.  The latter is a very difficult to co-ordinate with a hot main meal and solves the problem easily. My daughter has even ordered free hot chocolate, not available from the hot drinks station and the guy simply walks to another bar and brings back a pot. The other problem solo travellers have is setting your hot meal down at a table going to make a tea at the hot drinks station only to return to the table to find waiters have cleared your plate away as finished left overs.

 

P*O would benefit from introducing this type of role.

 

Regards John

Edited February 10, 2020 by john watson

[Cruising Nomads]

P&O operate a hot drinks service in the buffet at breakfast. They also have waiters wearing aprons with the wording CAN I HELP for people with difficulties.

 

[AndyMichelle]

12 minutes ago, Cruising Nomads said:

P&O operate a hot drinks service in the buffet at breakfast. They also have waiters wearing aprons with the wording CAN I HELP for people with difficulties.

 

Not on all ships/cruises unfortunately. 

 

Andy 

[jeanlyon]

3 hours ago, Cruising Nomads said:

I would think that having a tray cuts down on the amount of spillage of food and drink on the floor which then becomes a trip hazard. If you ever follow somebody with even a mild tremor you can normally see the trail of milk from their cereal bowl if they do not use a tray.

LOL, you just reminded me of Julie Walters with the soup, so I'm now cracked up.

[Cruising Nomads]

The Julie Walter's sketch is comical, but it is not funny when you are following someone who is spilling liquids.

[daiB]

2 hours ago, john watson said:

 

I think the elimination of trays was to do with infection control as the trays were not necessarily cleaned to the same standard as crockery.

 

Solo travellers using the buffet on Princess Cruises benefit from a simple service which P&O do not seem to have; Drinks Waiters in the buffet.  These guys are trained to identify solo travellers and people with mobility and other problems such as push chairs etc.  and assist them to identify and lead them to vacant tables where they then take drinks orders.  Most people think this involves drinks purchases with the cruise card but no, it includes making you tea and coffee also.  The latter is a very difficult to co-ordinate with a hot main meal and solves the problem easily. My daughter has even ordered free hot chocolate, not available from the hot drinks station and the guy simply walks to another bar and brings back a pot. The other problem solo travellers have is setting your hot meal down at a table going to make a tea at the hot drinks station only to return to the table to find waiters have cleared your plate away as finished left overs.

 

P*O would benefit from introducing this type of role.

 

Regards John

Sorry John you are about 9 month out of date. These people do exist and have helped me for our last 6 cruises.

[Bazrat]

7 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

Good point, but a bit too obvious for P&O planners to appreciate.

You would have thought they might have thought it through and did a bit of research into  it rather than just do it like you implied.

[indiana123]

Those "Here to help" people are marvellous.

 

I am, hopefully, temporarily disabled and my other half was going backwards and forwards when a lady came over and pointed out the "Here to Help" Service.

 

They go round all over the place asking what you would like, get it all, and escort you back to your seat.

 

I had never heard of it before.  That was Oceana at Christmas/New Year.

[Host Sharon]

Plenty of trays on Oceana and two Can I Help guys at meal times. I couldn't manage without them, although if I use my walker I can balance a tray on it now. 

[Britboys]

It is a pain not to have a tray when you are a solo traveller.  What I tend to do is have a book with me and when I get into the buffet, I get a drink - either hot or cold, find a table, place my book & spectacles and the drink on the table - then go off to get food.  This tends to work okay.  Obviously if you are living with a disability too, it puts another perspective on it.

[daiB]

20 hours ago, AndyMichelle said:

Not on all ships/cruises unfortunately. 

 

Andy 

As far as I can see all the ships have these helpful ‘Can I Help’ crew members. Is it the tea/coffee waiters. Which other ships don’t have?

[AndyMichelle]

1 hour ago, daiB said:

As far as I can see all the ships have these helpful ‘Can I Help’ crew members. Is it the tea/coffee waiters. Which other ships don’t have?

Yes, not clear again Dai, sorry. 

I was referring to the tea waiters, but I'm not sure I saw the ' can I help' guys on Ventura at New Year, but, there was a lot different on that cruise as they seemed drastically understaffed. 

Andy 

 

[daiB]

1 hour ago, AndyMichelle said:

Yes, not clear again Dai, sorry. 

I was referring to the tea waiters, but I'm not sure I saw the ' can I help' guys on Ventura at New Year, but, there was a lot different on that cruise as they seemed drastically understaffed. 

Andy 

 

I did chat to a number of crew about short cruises like yours and i was told that there was no difference in staffing. The difference was in the demands of cruisers, wanting to experience all that was on offer i a short time. Of course unlike a hotel which can bring in extra staff to cover busy periods, a cruise ship has to cope with the same number. On our cruise there seemed to be a surplus of staff on many occasions.

[Kentish Lass]

Just returned from the Caribbean on Azura. On the few occasions we  used the buffet on a port day, there were trays. These had obviously been through some form of cleaning/ sterilising process as they were always very hot! 

[AndyMichelle]

46 minutes ago, daiB said:

I did chat to a number of crew about short cruises like yours and i was told that there was no difference in staffing. The difference was in the demands of cruisers, wanting to experience all that was on offer i a short time. Of course unlike a hotel which can bring in extra staff to cover busy periods, a cruise ship has to cope with the same number. On our cruise there seemed to be a surplus of staff on many occasions.

It certainly felt understaffed, but it was extremely busy most of the time everywhere we went.. 

I wondered if, being New Year and the fact that there were so many large families of different generations, that there were more passengers to a cabin than we have seen previously, obviously making it busier? Not sure how capacities work? 

We have been on plenty of cruises that are full and never had this experience before, but this was the shortest one we have done. 

Tables were not being cleared etc, the Glasshouse just looked like a war zone as it had become an overspill of the pub. 

Despite all this, we still had a great time, it just left us feeling for the poor crew. 

Andy 

[daiB]

13 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

It certainly felt understaffed, but it was extremely busy most of the time everywhere we went.. 

I wondered if, being New Year and the fact that there were so many large families of different generations, that there were more passengers to a cabin than we have seen previously, obviously making it busier? Not sure how capacities work? 

We have been on plenty of cruises that are full and never had this experience before, but this was the shortest one we have done. 

Tables were not being cleared etc, the Glasshouse just looked like a war zone as it had become an overspill of the pub. 

Despite all this, we still had a great time, it just left us feeling for the poor crew. 

Andy 

Most definitely a short cruise problem. In places like the glass house there is such a short time for people to try out the venue. 4/5 days instead of 14 or in our case 35. As I said you cannot just employ extra staff.

[AndyMichelle]

22 minutes ago, daiB said:

Most definitely a short cruise problem. In places like the glass house there is such a short time for people to try out the venue. 4/5 days instead of 14 or in our case 35. As I said you cannot just employ extra staff.

The shame for the Glasshouse Dai was that it was not being used for its real purpose. 

Nobody was eating or trying wines, it was just used as a packed pub during the day, leaving the very few staff rushing around taking large drink orders. 

It was sad to see. 

I doubt we would do another short cruise, especially not New Year, although it was nice to be away. 

Glad we tried it though. 

Andy