Get rid of the buffets already!...

[wowzz]

16 minutes ago, ducklite said:

Wow.  We cruise as a means of transportation to get to places not as easily or well seen by land.  We're typically off the ship as soon as possible--sometimes as early as 8:00--and not back until it's time to freshen up and change for dinner.   We're usually wiped out after a full day of adventures in the ports and sleeping soundly by 22:00!  Are you not getting off the ship at all on the cruise to be eating that many meals on board?

That's a sea day schedule.  Yes, we do get off when in port, but are normally not in a rush unless it is a brand new port to us. On our last Med cruise, we had been to 6 of the 7 ports previously, and had stayed in them for 3 or 4 days, so no real need to plan anything special.

Personally, I think most ports suffer when a cruise ship is in town, destroying the local ambience, so we plan land trips to see places that are of interest to us, and see a cruise more as a floating hotel, rather than a way of exploring.

[ducklite]

16 minutes ago, wowzz said:

That's a sea day schedule.  Yes, we do get off when in port, but are normally not in a rush unless it is a brand new port to us. On our last Med cruise, we had been to 6 of the 7 ports previously, and had stayed in them for 3 or 4 days, so no real need to plan anything special.

Personally, I think most ports suffer when a cruise ship is in town, destroying the local ambience, so we plan land trips to see places that are of interest to us, and see a cruise more as a floating hotel, rather than a way of exploring.

One of the reasons that we choose small ship cruising is to lessen the impact on the ports we visit.  Even the smallest place can handle 300 people visiting for a day or two.  We support the local economy.  We collect art and textiles on our trips--from local artisans, not tourist shops.  We walk a few blocks off the tourist corridors and find a meal at a small locally owned restaurant.  The food is always better.  🙂 

[sail7seas]

15 hours ago, Pudgesmom said:

 

MY position does not deny a cruiser something they may like and want to have continued   Your request aims to take from everyone something MANY wish to  be continued.

[sail7seas]

IMO,  makes more sense for anyone who does not like the buffet to not go there..  Don't  take  from everyone that which can easily be avoided by those who do not care for it   It is always commendable to think of others.......

 

 

 

 

 

[DarrenM]

I prefer the mdr but also like the buffet. Somebody shoot me.

[ed01106]

25 minutes ago, sail7seas said:

MY position does not deny a cruiser something they may like and want to have continued   Your request aims to take from everyone something MANY wish to  be continued.

 

21 minutes ago, sail7seas said:

IMO,  makes more sense for anyone who does not like the buffet to not go there..  Don't  take  from everyone that which can easily be avoided by those who do not care for it   It is always commendable to think of others.......

 

 

 

 

 

My opposition to self service buffets are they are prime breeding grounds for the spread of disease and once a disease like norovirus becomes prevalent on a cruise no place is safe so simply going to the MDR to remain healthy is not an option.   

[klfhngr]

On 2/28/2020 at 1:55 PM, JMorris271 said:

Smaller plates mean more traffic at the buffet islands due to people making a 3rd trip for a 3rd plate because they didn't get enough in their earlier 2 trips.

Hopefully they'll get full after the 1st or 2nd lol! Who knows 

[Joebucks]

9 hours ago, ducklite said:

That assumes that all of them are eating in that venue, at the same time.  I'd suggest it might be 1000 or so at once, which would actually be quite manageable.  Think about going to a posh place with a carving station on a holiday, they handle 1000 guests at a time with no discernible wait.  

 

Sounds a lot easier from the keyboard than any other company has proven otherwise.

[wowzz]

8 hours ago, ducklite said:

One of the reasons that we choose small ship cruising is to lessen the impact on the ports we visit.  Even the smallest place can handle 300 people visiting for a day or two.  We support the local economy.  We collect art and textiles on our trips--from local artisans, not tourist shops.  We walk a few blocks off the tourist corridors and find a meal at a small locally owned restaurant.  The food is always better.  🙂 

Remind me of the definition of "patronising". 

[ducklite]

11 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Remind me of the definition of "patronising". 

To do business with a person or organization.  Which is how my post was intended.  If you took it any other way you were looking way too hard.

[ducklite]

13 minutes ago, Joebucks said:

 

Sounds a lot easier from the keyboard than any other company has proven otherwise.

I have a hard time believing that 4000 people suddenly show up for a meal at the exact same time at the buffet on a cruise ship.

[wowzz]

3 minutes ago, ducklite said:

To do business with a person or organization.  Which is how my post was intended.  If you took it any other way you were looking way too 

There are other definitions, as used in the phrase "Don't patronise me !". Perhaps it's a cultural difference. 

[d9704011]

Just now, wowzz said:

There are other definitions, as used in the phrase "Don't patronise me !". Perhaps it's a cultural difference. 

I think ducklite is well aware of that....

[ducklite]

13 minutes ago, wowzz said:

There are other definitions, as used in the phrase "Don't patronise me !". Perhaps it's a cultural difference. 

 

Again, you were looking too hard.  I wasn't patronizing you or anyone else, simply discussing our preferences.  It's a shame that you seem intent on reading far more into a statement than what was said.

[DarrenM]

Personally I think you all need to keep your nose out of others business and their enjoyment.

 

Cruise ships are big enough to have an mdr and a buffet as well as shed loads of other eateries.

 

If you need more food venues maybe get shot of the casino and  out the food place in there.

 

Gambling is for losers right?

 

Rather be fat than a gambling addict.

 

Now i dont actually mean the above but it seems you all want to say what others should or shouldn't do so just playing devils advocate.

[Pudgesmom]

9 hours ago, sail7seas said:

MY position does not deny a cruiser something they may like and want to have continued   Your request aims to take from everyone something MANY wish to  be continued.

Nope, I just responded to original prompt. YOU choose to take umbrage on my opinion.

[ldubs]

14 hours ago, ducklite said:

That assumes that all of them are eating in that venue, at the same time.  I'd suggest it might be 1000 or so at once, which would actually be quite manageable.  Think about going to a posh place with a carving station on a holiday, they handle 1000 guests at a time with no discernible wait.  

 

1,000 people to serve.  Carving station.  No detectable wait.  Hmmmm.   🤭

[Cee_Jay]

Guess I am unique or close to it. I have been on four cruises, nearly all 14 days, I have eaten in a dining room twice! Never had a problem with the buffet food and I much prefer it to a menu driven dining room.  If there was no buffet, I would not be cruising...and it was NCL's "Freestyle" that first got me on a ship......mind you,  loved it ever since!

[ducklite]

10 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

1,000 people to serve.  Carving station.  No detectable wait.  Hmmmm.   🤭

I guess you've never been to a business event with around 3000 people all being served a buffet style banquet lunch at precisely noon.  I have numerous times and it almost always went very smoothly.  Two identical lines.  Some people stopped to make a phone call or use the rest room before entering.  The lines were very manageable, even with carving stations.  Everyone was seated and eating by 12:15 other than the latecomers who had stopped to attend to something prior to entering the venue.   

The only times it didn't go smoothly was when the venue hadn't planned for enough seating and people were walking around with their food looking for an empty space--even though they were all full.  That has nothing to do with the food service times though.

[2yves]

Buffets will never go away.  It saves the cruiseline money by having less employees serving, large quantities of people can be fed in a short amount of time, and people like buffets for the variety and convenience.

 

[pacruise804]

22 hours ago, ed01106 said:

 

My opposition to self service buffets are they are prime breeding grounds for the spread of disease and once a disease like norovirus becomes prevalent on a cruise no place is safe so simply going to the MDR to remain healthy is not an option.   

I believe the percentage of infected to require reporting is around 3%, which means as many as 97% of the crew and passengers can still be healthy.  Also, you can have a 2% Norovirus infection rate and it not be reported.

 

Our second cruise was a ship with reportable levels of Norovirus (and the sailing just before ours had it too).  Somehow - likely by proper hand hygiene - most passengers remained heathy despite your thought that "no place is safe."  If you are cautious, even the buffet can still be safe - and if you aren't careful then even the MDR might not be. 

[ldubs]

3 hours ago, ducklite said:

I guess you've never been to a business event with around 3000 people all being served a buffet style banquet lunch at precisely noon.  I have numerous times and it almost always went very smoothly.  Two identical lines.  Some people stopped to make a phone call or use the rest room before entering.  The lines were very manageable, even with carving stations.  Everyone was seated and eating by 12:15 other than the latecomers who had stopped to attend to something prior to entering the venue.   

The only times it didn't go smoothly was when the venue hadn't planned for enough seating and people were walking around with their food looking for an empty space--even though they were all full.  That has nothing to do with the food service times though.

 

Been to some conferences of that size, but none with buffet style luncheons that I can recall.  

 

Serving 3,000 with two lines and back to their seats in 15 minutes is quite an accomplishment, especially when a carving station is included.  I mean up at precisely 12 noon.  In two identical lines of we assume 1,500 each.  Plated and back to their seats within 15 minutes.  Do the math --  must have been a thing to behold!  😀

 

 

[richstowe]

I think it's chicken noodle . 🤢

[ducklite]

15 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

Been to some conferences of that size, but none with buffet style luncheons that I can recall.  

 

Serving 3,000 with two lines and back to their seats in 15 minutes is quite an accomplishment, especially when a carving station is included.  I mean up at precisely 12 noon.  In two identical lines of we assume 1,500 each.  Plated and back to their seats within 15 minutes.  Do the math --  must have been a thing to behold!  😀

 

 

 
In thinking about it there were four lines that led to two carving stations in the middle.  The carving stations were not the only meat, I already had chicken on my plate and didn't stop at the carving station--and I wasn't the only one.   It went very, very fast.  They had it set so that the kitchen staff could access from the one side and were swapping out pans left and right in seconds so no one was left "holding up the line" waiting for their pasta salad or mashed potatoes. This was at the Convention Center in NOLA.  

[ducklite]

11 minutes ago, richstowe said:

I think it's chicken noodle . 🤢

Barf-O-Matic.