Windjammer back to self-service

[Merion_Mom]

2 minutes ago, Scotty G said:

One of my pet peeves. I have had success in getting the server pick out crispy and if there was none to go get some! 

 

I am just picturing the eye rolling of the passengers behind me in line, while I say, "No, not that one.  The third one under there, over there!  NO, THERE!"  😄 😄 😄 

[SNJCruisers]

18 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

But I want to pick out MY OWN extra crispy bacon!  None of that limp, undercooked stuff!

 

😉  😄

👍👍👍

[Mikew0805]

21 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

But I want to pick out MY OWN extra crispy bacon!  None of that limp, undercooked stuff!

 

😉  😄

I LOVE the limp bacon. Pre-Pandemic I do not ever remember seeing it, so I would never have bacon. The last few cruises there have been a lot of it, and I have got to have a piece with breakfast. 🙂

[MikeTheNFT]

5 hours ago, time4u2go said:

I actually like it the way it is.

 

I absolutely hate the way it is. It's like the servers have some psychic link to me and somehow purposefully put everything on the plate the opposite of how I want it, or in opposite quantities.

 

"A little more please. No, a little more. More still. No, I mean more than a teaspoon. No, I did not mean 3 cups worth... thanks for flooding my plate..."

 

On my most recent cruise they were VERY militant about making people wash up on their way into the Windjammer and main dining rooms, and if they kept this up I'd be more confident about going back to self serve.

[LilBlackDress]

I basically stopped going to WJ because of all the horror stories I heard and the gross things I had witnessed! 

I will be happy if they keep the servers!! 

 

[ZoeyVictoria]

3 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

I am just picturing the eye rolling of the passengers behind me in line, while I say, "No, not that one.  The third one under there, over there!  NO, THERE!"  😄 😄 😄 

They have voluntarily folded my bacon in half to fit the roll that I was making into a bacon sandwich, more than once.  I can live with their choices if they insist on spoiling me and starting my day off right!

[ONECRUISER]

8 hours ago, time4u2go said:

I actually like it the way it is.

Funny thing is this is way was 25-30+ yrs ago everything was on a Plate already or served to you then. Dinner in WJ you could even order off Main Dining Menu handed to you by Waiters... With the Self Serve Drink Station back now, Passenger Masking ended and the announcement that Crew Masking requirements starting to end the Self Serve WJ food will happen soon. Royal bean counters will like Employees not needed at every station as Ships return to Full Capacity...$$$$ saved by them. I still miss the real Plates and the oversized trays WJ use to have, was easier to carry my Bowls, Plates and Drinks to my Table. As a SOLO traveler takes me 3-4 trips to get everything to my Table or back to my Cabin

Edited March 20, 2022 by ONECRUISER

[MikeC1610]

There are undoubtably advantages to both self service and having the crew serve you.

Unfortunately you cannot be certain that everyone has the same hygienic standards (I've seen some absolute animals in the buffet) and for that reason I think the days of self serve are over.

It is a shame because my preference is for self service.  I think it is way more efficient, particularly once ships get back up to 100% capacity.  Expect to see long lines at the buffet stations once that occurs.

You will have to know exactly what you want and how much.  There will be no tolerance for indecisive people making other people wait whilst they try and decide what food they want after engaging the server. 

[bucfan2]

10 hours ago, Wineaux007 said:

Some stations don't know what I want or how much I want.  

When grazing at the trough, we’re amazed they don’t know exactly what/how much each passenger on board wants.  Amazingly enough, simple communication generally remedies the crisis.

Edited March 20, 2022 by bucfan2

[Threedrones]

Definitely see the benefit of being served. That being said, having one server handling 10 different stations is not efficient. Also, self serve is not a death trap as some here imply.

 

[zebra]

On our last cruise on the Serenade I was at the Taco Station. I asked for Pico de Gallo (also on name tag facing the diners) on top of my taco - the server looked confusingly up and down the serving station trying to figure out which was Pico de Gallo! All this time I was pointing to it while the impatient guy behind me was having a hissy fit ..... 

[flamingos]

2 minutes ago, zebra said:

impatient guy behind me was having a hissy fit ..... 

My issue is that the impatient guy possibly didn't wash his hands.  

[orville99]

14 hours ago, cruiseboy89130 said:

With the lowered CDC guidelines.....when will the Windjammer go back to self-service?

The current situation is ridiculous as you never get the right food or amount of food - it feels like a prison canteen where the slap the food randomly on your plate!

Please report when this is back to self-service!

Thanks

Hopefully never. The current process is actually a major improvement - both in quality and cleanliness.

[bucfan2]

2 minutes ago, flamingos said:

My issue is that the impatient guy possibly didn't wash his hands.  

Maybe, maybe not.  Sounds like you need to decide if it’s a big enough issue that warrants you asking him about it.…unless you’re hoping some 3rd party cc’er will for you.

[notmyrealnameoremail]

I think getting served in the Windjammer is a major upgrade that will increase my number of visits as long as it remains.

 

Tom

[flamingos]

26 minutes ago, bucfan2 said:

Maybe, maybe not.  Sounds like you need to decide if it’s a big enough issue that warrants you asking him about it.…unless you’re hoping some 3rd party cc’er will for you.

I will go back to using hand sanitizer at my table after each trip to the buffet, which is what I always did before.  

[CatLadyFemme]

15 hours ago, Lane Hog said:

No cross contamination the way RCI is doing it now, which is great for people with concerns or who conform to dietary laws about their food coming in contact with other/forbidden foods...

This! I normally can’t eat in WJ without having to go ask for the chef and have them bring things out of the back for me so they haven’t had someone drop a crouton or double dip something with gluten into them. More likely to be able to pop in and grab a salad now. (Some folks with celiac are super cross contamination sensitive, like me, and getting accidentally gluten from double dipping me 2-3 days of severe discomfort and cog fog symptoms). Another reason to keep it on top of general reduction of grossness.

[chiguy67]

The windjammer is now open…please help yourself.

[Goodtimes57]

14 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

But I want to pick out MY OWN extra crispy bacon!  None of that limp, undercooked stuff!

 

😉  😄

 

Can anyone explain why Royal can not cook bacon properly? It's a 1st world cruise problem. 

 

[publicpersona]

I'm a do-it-yourselfer most of the time, but I'll gladly take the cafeteria style over having hundreds of people handling the serving utensils. Kids think nothing of taking a spoonful, dipping their finger in it to taste it, and then putting it back. No thanks.

 

The only advantage to self-service I can see is I don't have to know what something is called to have it on my plate. 🙂

 

[ONECRUISER]

13 hours ago, rennyn said:

 

I absolutely hate the way it is. It's like the servers have some psychic link to me and somehow purposefully put everything on the plate the opposite of how I want it, or in opposite quantities.

 

"A little more please. No, a little more. More still. No, I mean more than a teaspoon. No, I did not mean 3 cups worth... thanks for flooding my plate..."

 

On my most recent cruise they were VERY militant about making people wash up on their way into the Windjammer and main dining rooms, and if they kept this up I'd be more confident about going back to self serve.

Yes, as long line forms behind watched that many times. Like you said not Mind Readers. Even in Main Dining when took my FIL on Cruise(2 Decades ago) he could never get enough Syrup on his Pancakes. So over and over kept asking for for another Ladle Full, by time was done took couple min and Waiter had go refill the serving dish. 

[D4]

We boarded Oasis today (3/20/2022) and almost everything in the Windjammer was self serve.  Ugh. 😱

[novicetraveller]

I've never tried a Prison Canteen. If the lack of self-service on a cruise ship is like being in Prison, please let me experience it before it disappears..... pleeeeeaasssee!!!

[RCLcruiser2012]

12 hours ago, ONECRUISER said:

Funny thing is this is way was 25-30+ yrs ago everything was on a Plate already or served to you then. Dinner in WJ you could even order off Main Dining Menu handed to you by Waiters... With the Self Serve Drink Station back now, Passenger Masking ended and the announcement that Crew Masking requirements starting to end the Self Serve WJ food will happen soon. Royal bean counters will like Employees not needed at every station as Ships return to Full Capacity...$$$$ saved by them. I still miss the real Plates and the oversized trays WJ use to have, was easier to carry my Bowls, Plates and Drinks to my Table. As a SOLO traveler takes me 3-4 trips to get everything to my Table or back to my Cabin

Now bring on us non vax people! I'll test prior! 😉 

[cruiseboy89130]

1 hour ago, D4 said:

We boarded Oasis today (3/20/2022) and almost everything in the Windjammer was self serve.  Ugh. 😱

Great 👍 Thank you!

Looking forward to it 🤩