Appropriate expectations for dinner buffet

[IntrepidFromDC]

On 9/14/2021 at 10:10 PM, Virga said:

It has been seven long years since we sailed Carnival - I'm reading threads about the buffet, trying to separate hyperbole from unreasonable expectations from actual service, quality, and variety reductions over time and due to current conditions.  I'm specifically worried about the dinner buffet, because I love my alternative lunch options, but lunch buffet discussion is of course welcomed and appreciated.

 

I seem to recall a pretty complete salad and meat/cheese island, a couple of the mains and sides from the dining room, several permanent/rotating/just-once mains and sides, an international station with a few more options...  Usually a carving/serving station or a made/assembled to order station?  Plus desserts, of course.

 

As with most buffets, quality varied, but as not terribly picky eaters we could always find several options that sounded appetizing, and usually found one or more winners.  We never minded grabbing a pizza or a late meal in the dining room on a stinker of a day.

 

We are sailing soon on the Sunrise, and then the Mardi Gras.  I am walking in with expectations of reduced variety thanks to reduced passenger load, but should I be prepared for more drastic changes because a lot changed with the emphasis on alternative dining venues long before the plague?

I just got off the Pride.  I think you nailed it with "I seem to recall a pretty complete salad and meat/cheese island, a couple of the mains and sides from the dining room, several permanent/rotating/just-once mains and sides, an international station with a few more options...  Usually a carving/serving station or a made/assembled to order station?"  I don't think much of anything changed between my last Pride sailing and this one as far as buffet.  The carved-to-order turkey with turkey gravy was delicious.  When they sliced it you could see the juice/brine dripping out from top to bottom.  Not easy to have juicy breast meat but they nailed it.

[KyloRen]

I didnt look though this thread but I am huge into taking photos of food. I am gonna take a TON on my cruise that I am going on in 4 Days (on the Miracle) Ill post photos (Ill also be on the Horizon in Jan) and Ill get photos of the Steak house, bars, restaurants and all buffets for yall.

[IntrepidFromDC]

2 hours ago, KyloRen said:

I didnt look though this thread but I am huge into taking photos of food. I am gonna take a TON on my cruise that I am going on in 4 Days (on the Miracle) Ill post photos (Ill also be on the Horizon in Jan) and Ill get photos of the Steak house, bars, restaurants and all buffets for yall.

We're lucky you're here then!

[zzdoug]

On 9/20/2021 at 10:09 AM, Virga said:

Just off the Sunrise, thought I'd start my commentary here with my impressions of the buffet!

 

Turns out, we really are just easy to satisfy.  The food options available were more than adequate, even in the buffet.  The meat and cheese selections were the only thing that felt seriously downgraded - there were a few different bowls of sweaty cheese cubes, and some cheap sweaty selections of lunchmeats.  The rest was pretty much as expected - a few MDR dishes and some other options.  The number of dinner selections seemed a little smaller, but I was fully prepared for that.  The quality was right about what we expected - some items great, most decent, and a few stinkers.  As compared to Golden Corral (lol) the selection is more limited, but the quality is higher. 

 

No complaints here, especially considering the additional complimentary options they've added - we were overall very pleased.  I'll likely put up a full review when I'm back to a real keyboard, but I wanted to follow up on this topic in particular.  

"Sweaty" is one adjective I would rather not be associated with my cheese.  Thanks for the heads up.

 

Lunch meat, on the other hand....

Edited September 24, 2021 by zzdoug

[Virga]

25 minutes ago, zzdoug said:

"Sweaty" is one adjective I would rather not be associated with my cheese.  Thanks for the heads up.

 

Lunch meat, on the other hand....

 

It's actually kinda odd, because my grandfather taught me a long time ago that most cheeses taste better when allowed to warm up a bit rather than straight out of the fridge.  This was NOT that.  The good news is it's really, really obvious - it is not possible to put the cheese on your plate and THEN discover that it's been too warm for too long.

 

My main problem with the lunchmeats was that I much prefer cured meats, and they only had salami.  Sweaty salami, lol.  They had turkey and some formed ham, too, but those aren't my favorites and I figured they weren't likely to be any better than the salami looked.  

 

It's also part that we've spent the past 18 months stepping up our meat and cheese for dinner game - I'd probably have been disappointed even if it was all kept at the right temperature.  Where'd my prosciutto go?  I used eat a dozen slices wrapped around fresh sliced fruit!

[zzdoug]

But seriously. Once upon a time, I thought I read that the buffet served the same thing as the MDR. Is that no longer the case? 

 

Also: What is the state of the salad bar? Does it have fruit or any protein options? I tend to prefer cold items at a buffet.

 

Generally I prefer to be served, because why not? but we might go to the buffet one night out of the week if we are exhausted and want something simple and quick.

 

Carnival is not alone. The cost to serve a buffet may be becoming prohibitive.  The buffets in Las Vegas have been trending downhill for years, especially the mid- to high- range places and many hotels have no plans to reopen their buffets, even though the hotels and other types of restaurants have been open for a year now. With the pandemic, those that have reopened have reached lows in quality not seen since the mid 1990s, back when a buffet cost $5 per person.  Meanwhile, the open buffets are charging unbelievably high prices also never before seen. The top tier buffets are now $75 per person and still self service.  And the Bellagio Buffet, which was once fantastic with pre-split king crab legs and a huge variety of meats including exotic meats such as venison; sushi, smoked fish, and other foods I never tried anywhere else; and 32 ounce glasses of fresh squeezed orange juice, no longer has anything like any of that. The Bellagio Buffet had the chutzpah to add a "Toast Bar" as a fancy way of getting the rubes to fill up on bread. They charge $45 per person for breakfast or lunch and no longer even have wait service for beverages.  

[zzdoug]

4 minutes ago, Virga said:

 

It's actually kinda odd, because my grandfather taught me a long time ago that most cheeses taste better when allowed to warm up a bit rather than straight out of the fridge.  This was NOT that.  The good news is it's really, really obvious - it is not possible to put the cheese on your plate and THEN discover that it's been too warm for too long.

 

My main problem with the lunchmeats was that I much prefer cured meats, and they only had salami.  Sweaty salami, lol.  They had turkey and some formed ham, too, but those aren't my favorites and I figured they weren't likely to be any better than the salami looked.  

 

It's also part that we've spent the past 18 months stepping up our meat and cheese for dinner game - I'd probably have been disappointed even if it was all kept at the right temperature.  Where'd my prosciutto go?  I used eat a dozen slices wrapped around fresh sliced fruit!

I share your affinity for charcuterie and fine cheeses. Did you try the cheese plate in the MDR? It has always been one of my favorite things to order there and apparently is still being served. I hope it doesn't go the way of (actual) formal night.

Edited September 24, 2021 by zzdoug

[Virga]

1 minute ago, zzdoug said:

I share your affinity for charcuterie and fine cheeses. Did you try the cheese plate in the MDR? It has always been one of my favorite things to order there and apparently is still being served. I hope it doesn't go the way of (actual) formal night.

 

We actually didn't this time - usually, we take it 'to go' a couple of times, but I kept overeating at dinner =p  It was on the menu, though, and knowing I'd be on the Mardi Gras in just a couple of weeks made me feel safe skipping it. 

[bstel]

are the Carnival buffets still self serve or do the workers put the food on your plate now?

[mondello]

39 minutes ago, bstel said:

are the Carnival buffets still self serve or do the workers put the food on your plate now?

Pretty much all self serve since the restart. They have the carving station and I hear they serve bacon every other day.

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

10 hours ago, zzdoug said:

But seriously. Once upon a time, I thought I read that the buffet served the same thing as the MDR. Is that no longer the case? 

 

Also: What is the state of the salad bar? Does it have fruit or any protein options? I tend to prefer cold items at a buffet.

 

Generally I prefer to be served, because why not? but we might go to the buffet one night out of the week if we are exhausted and want something simple and quick.

 

Carnival is not alone. The cost to serve a buffet may be becoming prohibitive.  The buffets in Las Vegas have been trending downhill for years, especially the mid- to high- range places and many hotels have no plans to reopen their buffets, even though the hotels and other types of restaurants have been open for a year now. With the pandemic, those that have reopened have reached lows in quality not seen since the mid 1990s, back when a buffet cost $5 per person.  Meanwhile, the open buffets are charging unbelievably high prices also never before seen. The top tier buffets are now $75 per person and still self service.  And the Bellagio Buffet, which was once fantastic with pre-split king crab legs and a huge variety of meats including exotic meats such as venison; sushi, smoked fish, and other foods I never tried anywhere else; and 32 ounce glasses of fresh squeezed orange juice, no longer has anything like any of that. The Bellagio Buffet had the chutzpah to add a "Toast Bar" as a fancy way of getting the rubes to fill up on bread. They charge $45 per person for breakfast or lunch and no longer even have wait service for beverages.  

Talking to the manager at our local Golden Corral. And I quote. No one can eat more than what our cost of food is. We always make a profit and each and every customer. So that is certainly telling me there cost of food is extremely low. We enjoy going there and find the quality to be as good as any restaurant. Senior lunch is just over $8.00 includes the drink also. When you go to any regular restaurant and pay $5.95 for a slice of pie, $2.95 for a soda. The Corral is suddenly the best deal of all. Needless to say we enjoy the buffet. Carnivals is not as good as the Corral but it is fine. The best buffet we have had is on all the Royal ships we have been on.

[sfaaa]

On 9/20/2021 at 9:38 AM, ALWAYS CRUZIN said:

Only one answer. Carnival knows very well that the wok always has long lines. Two more stations. That is all that will help.

Yeah the wait can be ridicules and average around 30 minutes. One time I waited for 45 minutes. My DW thought I left without telling her and went back to the cabin on her own annoyed. It doesn't help when some passengers were holding the spot for two instead of just himself/herself. 

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

5 hours ago, sfaaa said:

Yeah the wait can be ridicules and average around 30 minutes. One time I waited for 45 minutes. My DW thought I left without telling her and went back to the cabin on her own annoyed. It doesn't help when some passengers were holding the spot for two instead of just himself/herself. 

What can you do? My wife loves it. I go and eat. 99% of the time. When she get to the table I am finished eating. 

[IntrepidFromDC]

lido buffet is a choice: alpo or kibbles-n-bits.  or alfalfa at the salad bar for you bunnies.  😁 🏴‍☠️

[Joe817]

2 minutes ago, IntrepidFromDC said:

lido buffet is a choice: alpo or kibbles-n-bits.  or alfalfa at the salad bar for you bunnies.  😁 🏴‍☠️

Hahahahahaha! That right there is FUNNNEYY!  Don't forget the pupperoni for bacon lovers!