Buffets on Nieuw Amsterdam in Alaska?

[SusieO]

We are on the July 24, 2021 sailing. Do you think they will still offer buffet meals, with crew assisted serving, or all table service?

[deliver42]

I think it will be a buffet with crew handing out the food, as they have been for a while even before Covid.

[Mary229]

I don’t know that they have answered that question publicly yet.  Here is the link to the safety protocols for the Alaska cruises, besides the vaccine requirement it doesn’t say much else.  I would expect further updates this week.  

 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/cruise-destinations/alaska-cruises/departure-ports/cruises-from-seattle.html?ICID=HECIV0520211253

[Mary229]

In this blog post they do not mention the buffet

 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/blog/destinations/alaska/holland-america-line-is-restarting-alaska-cruising-in-july/?linkId=119262530

[zelker]

I suspect, at least in the beginning, it will be exactly what we experienced during Code Red on Noordam (Noro) and Eurodam (COVID on other ships so not taking chances).  There was no self-serve at all and everything removed from the tables in the Lido.  No self-serve in the Dive-In for burger or taco bar fixings, etc.  No silverware or glasses sitting on tables anywhere.  In the MDR, no shareable butter, rolls, salt/pepper, etc. for the table.  Sadly it's definitely more work for the crew.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

22 minutes ago, zelker said:

I suspect, at least in the beginning, it will be exactly what we experienced during Code Red on Noordam (Noro) and Eurodam (COVID on other ships so not taking chances).  There was no self-serve at all and everything removed from the tables in the Lido.  No self-serve in the Dive-In for burger or taco bar fixings, etc.  No silverware or glasses sitting on tables anywhere.  In the MDR, no shareable butter, rolls, salt/pepper, etc. for the table.  Sadly it's definitely more work for the crew.

I agree, yet here in Las Vegas, Everything is back to normal. Even menus being handed out. Went to Cheese Cake Factory tonight. It was definitely pre pandemic mode packed house, everything on the table you would have thought it was May 22, 2019. 

[CruiserBruce]

Some place else...can't remember where, they said no buffet, traditional assigned meal times only.

[zelker]

14 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

Some place else...can't remember where, they said no buffet, traditional assigned meal times only.

And yet, our confirmation from HAL when I booked it online and then again on our Booking/Invoice from our TA after I had it transferred to her both show Open Seating which is our preference. 

[LAFFNVEGAS]

For the July 24th sailing the only option was for Early or Late Dining, there was no Open Dining. I did notice on cruises a few weeks later that Open Dining was available. I think that the first sailing will be very restrictive.

 

[CruiserBruce]

18 minutes ago, zelker said:

And yet, our confirmation from HAL when I booked it online and then again on our Booking/Invoice from our TA after I had it transferred to her both show Open Seating which is our preference. 

It might be open seating, but there won't be a Lido buffet...so that means lunch and breakfast in the MDR as well...maybe Dive In.

[aliaschief]

We must expect that some things will be be different on our future cruises.

 

At this point we are just not sure what they will be.

 

We all have the same questions!🤔

[SusieO]

25 minutes ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

For the July 24th sailing the only option was for Early or Late Dining, there was no Open Dining. I did notice on cruises a few weeks later that Open Dining was available. I think that the first sailing will be very restrictive.

 

We are on that sailing and ours show open seating for dining. 

[LAFFNVEGAS]

17 minutes ago, SusieO said:

We are on that sailing and ours show open seating for dining. 

Interesting, I just tried doing a dummy booking. Many more stateroom categories are closed for the 24 July and now Both Early and Late Dining showed closed and they are only offering Open Dining. I booked this on Thursday prior to it opening up for everyone and at that time all that was offered were Early and Late and No Open. In recent years we have only booked Open dining and for Alaska Open Dining is our preference but we went ahead and chose Early Dining. I suppose I could switch but DH wants to stay with Early Fixed Dining.

[SusieO]

3 minutes ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

Interesting, I just tried doing a dummy booking. Many more stateroom categories are closed for the 24 July and now Both Early and Late Dining showed closed and they are only offering Open Dining. I booked this on Thursday prior to it opening up for everyone and at that time all that was offered were Early and Late and No Open. In recent years we have only booked Open dining and for Alaska Open Dining is our preference but we went ahead and chose Early Dining. I suppose I could switch but DH wants to stay with Early Fixed Dining.

I wasn’t given a choice for dining when I booked the cruise yesterday late afternoon. It just assigned us open and that’s our preference. 
Also, the only stateroom that was available was a guarantee Verandah. We prefer a suite, but this will be ok. 

[curtdesilets]

We were just notified this past Friday that our July Cruise (originally on Eurodam and then switched to Nieuw Amsterdam) will automatically be reassigned to August 7th. Cannot wait.  We know there will be restrictions, limitations and adaptations, butweI do not care.  We are cruising Alaska this summer and it will be practically empty!   Wahoo!  By the way, the Dutch have a strange way of spelling "New" ;>) 

[dobiemom]

15 hours ago, SusieO said:

We are on the July 24, 2021 sailing. Do you think they will still offer buffet meals, with crew assisted serving, or all table service?

Saw this on another thread:   https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2781430-yes-i-am-totally-crazy-but-felt-i-had-to-be-on-the-first-alaska-cruise-july-24/page/4/?tab=comments#comment-61153264

Edited May 23, 2021 by dobiemom

[atexsix]

13 hours ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

Interesting, I just tried doing a dummy booking. Many more stateroom categories are closed for the 24 July and now Both Early and Late Dining showed closed and they are only offering Open Dining. I booked this on Thursday prior to it opening up for everyone and at that time all that was offered were Early and Late and No Open. In recent years we have only booked Open dining and for Alaska Open Dining is our preference but we went ahead and chose Early Dining. I suppose I could switch but DH wants to stay with Early Fixed Dining.

Is anybody else noticing more availability now?  Not for the July sailings, but August and September?  I'm wondering if not everybody can take the transfer to the NA.

[atexsix]

13 hours ago, SusieO said:

I wasn’t given a choice for dining when I booked the cruise yesterday late afternoon. It just assigned us open and that’s our preference. 
Also, the only stateroom that was available was a guarantee Verandah. We prefer a suite, but this will be ok. 

We like fixed main, they don't rush us out and it's not as crowded as it is earlier in the evening, there's something special about showing up at "our table" and having the same servers, that I tip a little extra at the end of the cruise.  

[igraf]

15 hours ago, zelker said:

I suspect, at least in the beginning, it will be exactly what we experienced during Code Red on Noordam (Noro) and Eurodam (COVID on other ships so not taking chances).  There was no self-serve at all and everything removed from the tables in the Lido.  No self-serve in the Dive-In for burger or taco bar fixings, etc.  No silverware or glasses sitting on tables anywhere.  In the MDR, no shareable butter, rolls, salt/pepper, etc. for the table.  Sadly it's definitely more work for the crew.

 

Is this really such a bad thing?  We also have the flu and norovirus to consider.  I for one would rather pay a higher fare for a sanitary dining environment.

 

igraf

 

 

 

[zelker]

1 minute ago, igraf said:

 

Is this really such a bad thing?  We also have the flu and norovirus to consider.  I for one would rather pay a higher fare for a sanitary dining environment.

 

igraf

No, it's a really GOOD thing for our health.  I was just reporting what we've experienced when the ships locked things down.  We cringe every time we see some idiot feel the need to touch everything, pick things up and put them back, refill personal water bottles, etc. 🤢

[atexsix]

16 minutes ago, zelker said:

No, it's a really GOOD thing for our health.  I was just reporting what we've experienced when the ships locked things down.  We cringe every time we see some idiot feel the need to touch everything, pick things up and put them back, refill personal water bottles, etc. 🤢

That's why we have always loved HAL's decision to not have self service buffets, sneeze guards for one thing don't completely cover the food, I've seen children, due to their height, sneeze or cough right into the void, ugh!🤢🤢🤢