Get rid of the buffets already!...

[ontheweb]

7 minutes ago, clo said:

which I think subsequently was more accurately described as a "cafeteria."

Call it a buffet with servers, or call it a cafeteria, it really does not matter to me.

 

Actually we usually do the buffet/cafeteria for at least one or more often 2 dinners as DW does not like to be served and thinks the dinner in the dining room takes way too long. (Note these are her opinions, not mine.)

[davekathy]

6 hours ago, klfhngr said:

Who's laughing now, lol!

 

Royal Caribbean to Cut Traditional Buffet Once Cruises Resume

Temporarily... 

[ilikeanswers]

7 hours ago, klfhngr said:

Who's laughing now, lol!

 

Royal Caribbean to Cut Traditional Buffet Once Cruises Resume

 

Can't say I am surprised. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if some cruise lines ditch the buffet for good. 

[donaldsc]

4 hours ago, ontheweb said:

And well before this pandemic, HAL went to a buffet with servers instead of everyone self serves. 

 

I have no problem with buffets w servers.  It works well on HAL.  I just resent people  trying to tell me that buffets are evil place that should be abolished because they don't like them.  On a cruise, some nights I go to the regular dining room and some nights I go to the buffet depending upon my mood, what the theme for the night at the buffet is and what I have done that day.

 

DON

[davekathy]

12 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

I have no problem with buffets w servers.

IMO this is going to be the new normal. 

[Hlitner]

I think the operative words are "traditional buffet." in that RCI announcement.  For those who have not cruised on HAL in recent years, that line had already adopted a new model for their buffets a couple of years prior to COVID-19.  In the case of HAL they were apparently looking for a way to reduce the incidence of Norovirus which is easily spread by contact.  So the buffets were changed to focus on most items either being pre-plated (you would simply take a plate that already had the food) or the items on the buffet were only available if served by staff.  So, for example, the salad bars disappeared to be replaced by salad stations where a food service worker would custom make your salad to your specifications.  They worked behind a counter and filled a large salad bowl per your instructions.   This avoided passengers touching serviing utensils or possibly some of the items.  

 

I suspect that RCI and the other lines will all quickly adopt Lido systems similar to HAL's.   Whether this helps to avoid COVID-19 is a question.  The problem for cruise lines is that if a single person on a ship has COVID-19 it is very big trouble.  Even if it does not quickly spread, a single case will likely mean the ship must be quarrentined,  all passengers confined to their cabins, and ports refusing docking permission.  So, arguably, changing buffets will not alter the disasterous outcome of any ship that has a case of COVID-19 although it might help mitigate the spread of the bug.   But also consider that confined spaces like elevators will quickly allow the spread of COVID-19 and we think that most passengers will still insist that they can use the elevators.  And in the various dining venues it will be impossible to enforce social distancing as there is simply not enough space to adequately separate tables.

 

A few years ago, when we noticed that many folks including DW were often getting URIs (sometimes referred to as cabin cough) on our long cruises....DW and I decided to minimize the use of elevators.  We mostly used stairs even if it meant walking up or down many decks.  This was not only great exercise but also avoide the chamber-like environment of the elevators.  We quickly found that our incidence of URI's and even colds declined in a major way.    But we also noticed that most passengers were willing to wait a long time to get an elevator to simply go up or down a single deck.  It seems to be human nature that most folks would rather ride then walk.  Ships cannot possibly eliminate this elevator threat nor can they enforce social distancing on crowded vessels.

 

Hank

[JRG]

.........All I need is a tall ship and and a 5-star buffet to steer her by.

[Ashland]

On 5/16/2020 at 6:25 PM, davekathy said:

IMO this is going to be the new normal. 

They can call it whatever they want.....just don't get rid of it.

[lenquixote66]

11 minutes ago, Ashland said:

They can call it whatever they want.....just don't get rid of it.

They can use the buffet area to make a Shuffleboard court. When I first began to cruise that was standard on most ships. You do not see them any more.

[navybankerteacher]

13 minutes ago, Ashland said:

They can call it whatever they want.....just don't get rid of it.

I think you are safe on this point - the “all you can eat venue” has been a key factor on mass market cruise ships - which they are unlikely to give up.  I do think the “serve yourself” aspect is likely to be a thing of the past: at least until concerns about transmission of infectious diseases is on managements’ minds.

[Aquahound]

5 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

They can use the buffet area to make a Shuffleboard court. When I first began to cruise that was standard on most ships. You do not see them any more.

 

You don't see shuffleboard courts anymore?  I don't think I've ever not seen a shuffleboard court.  They've been on every ship I've sailed.  

[lenquixote66]

2 minutes ago, Aquahound said:

 

You don't see shuffleboard courts anymore?  I don't think I've ever not seen a shuffleboard court.  They've been on every ship I've sailed.  

On my first cruise there were shuffleboards not just one and skeet shooting and no buffets .

[joytocruise27]

I definitely preferred the buffets to the main dining room. Felt like it took forever to eat a meal in main dining. More than happy to have a buffet server plunk food on my plate so I can eat in 10 minutes if I feel like it.

[ed01106]

Self service buffets will be a thing of the past not just on cruise ships but EVERYWHERE for the foreseeable future.

[ontheweb]

14 hours ago, joytocruise27 said:

I definitely preferred the buffets to the main dining room. Felt like it took forever to eat a meal in main dining. More than happy to have a buffet server plunk food on my plate so I can eat in 10 minutes if I feel like it.

My DW feels the same way. Plus she gets tired of people serving her. She also likes to be able to choose the ingredients in her salad. She thinks when they serve at the buffet they give her too much of each ingredient, but she can live with that.

 

It is often a point of contention between us. I remember one time I went to the dining room without her as she ate at the buffet. Another time she went with me to the dining room but was not happy about it, and ordered as her main course a baked potato from the every day menu. It astounded our waiter who could not believe that someone would order only a baked potato as their main course.

Edited May 22, 2020 by ontheweb

[clo]

37 minutes ago, ed01106 said:

Self service buffets will be a thing of the past not just on cruise ships but EVERYWHERE for the foreseeable future.

Why not forever? Who benefits other than the gluttons honestly? 

[clo]

20 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

It astounded our waiter who could not believe that someone would order only a baked potato as their main course.

Good for her. One day at lunch on O I got a lamb burger with no bun and a bit of salad.

[ed01106]

1 hour ago, clo said:

Why not forever? Who benefits other than the gluttons honestly? 

The establishment.  When you compare labor costs saved by self service vs the extra food cost a self service buffet is less expensive than a served buffet or sit down meal.

 

But my point was self-service is a thing of the past on land as well.

[davekathy]

1 hour ago, clo said:

Why not forever? Who benefits other than the gluttons honestly? 

Even if buffets go to cafeteria style where you walk the line and servers plate your selection(s) it will still be all you can eat. Now those that like to load up will be getting a little exercise between plate loads by going back multiple times.  😋

[lenquixote66]

20 minutes ago, davekathy said:

Even if buffets go to cafeteria style where you walk the line and servers plate your selection(s) it will still be all you can eat. Now those that like to load up will be getting a little exercise between plate loads by going back multiple times.  😋

Or they could have the food 12 feet above the ground so that people could stretch or jump and get their needed exercise.

[ilikeanswers]

4 hours ago, davekathy said:

Even if buffets go to cafeteria style where you walk the line and servers plate your selection(s) it will still be all you can eat. Now those that like to load up will be getting a little exercise between plate loads by going back multiple times.  😋

 

I once read an experiment where they had people eat at a self service buffet and a served buffet and compared their portion sizes at each and how often they went back. The served buffets people would ask for smaller portions than when they serve themselves and they made about a third less repeat trips. The researchers suggested that having to tell someone how much you want made you think more about your portion size and it probably added a shame factor that you didn't want the servers viewing you as a glutton. 

[davekathy]

7 minutes ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

I once read an experiment where they had people eat at a self service buffet and a served buffet and compared their portion sizes at each and how often they went back. The served buffets people would ask for smaller portions than when they serve themselves and they made about a third less repeat trips. The researchers suggested that having to tell someone how much you want made you think more about your portion size and it probably added a shame factor that you didn't want the servers viewing you as a glutton. 

The so called experiment probably didn't happen on a cruise ship and especially on embarkation day.  You have to eat a lot more on a cruise to get your monies worth. No shame. 🤣

Edited May 23, 2020 by davekathy

[ilikeanswers]

19 minutes ago, davekathy said:

The so called experiment probably didn't happen on a cruise ship and especially on embarkation day.  You have to eat a lot more on a cruise to get your monies worth. No shame. 🤣

 

A good point, they did not add that financial incentive😜

[richstowe]

40 minutes ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

I once read an experiment where they had people eat at a self service buffet and a served buffet and compared their portion sizes at each and how often they went back. The served buffets people would ask for smaller portions than when they serve themselves and they made about a third less repeat trips. The researchers suggested that having to tell someone how much you want made you think more about your portion size and it probably added a shame factor that you didn't want the servers viewing you as a glutton. 

I wonder if they ate more or just wasted more .  Either way 👍 to served buffets . 

[clo]

6 minutes ago, richstowe said:

I wonder if they ate more or just wasted more

THIS^  I can't stand wasting food and rarely do. So I take smaller portions. (And I'm overweight!) Now if you get something and you don't like it, that's one thing but to pile on the food knowing that there's no way you're going it eat it all makes me nuts...and silently judgmental. At home we have a particular fave breakfast spot. Even sharing a breakfast we are hard pressed to eat it all. But we look around, nobody's sharing and they're leaving at least a third if not half of the meal.  Shh, yeah, one of my BIG bugaboos 🙂