To Buffet or Not to Buffet, That is the Question

[DirtyDawg]

7 hours ago, ScottC4746 said:

True I mean we are in floating petri dish as it is.

But  a self serve buffet is a pestilential pestiferous petri dish inside that floating regular petri dish! 😉

[Aldo7777]

20 minutes ago, DirtyDawg said:

But  a self serve buffet is a pestilential pestiferous petri dish inside that floating regular petri dish! 😉

So is any cruise now, touch anywhere hands on ??

[cruisestitch]

11 hours ago, cublet said:

Hello,

 

Last month on Silhouette, the only things self-serve were drinks from the various coffee, water and juice machines.

 

Regards,

 

Cublet

It has changed since then 

[cruisestitch]

6 hours ago, ScottC4746 said:

I thought Spa Cafe was for certain guests like those using the spa that day or in Aquaspa staterooms.  Either way looking at the menu on the app, while I should eat that way, too healthy for me. LOL.

No it is open to all guests

[cruisestitch]

1 hour ago, AMCJavelin said:

We sailed on Summit Jun 12-19 and ate all meals but 1 in the Oceanview Cafe buffet.  There were no self serve items, you just told them what you wanted and they plated it for you.  Food was great!

It has changed to self serve since then

[LMaxwell]

Desserts at buffet are where it is at.  Finish dinner in MDR, skip dessert, walk around for an hour, head to buffet for much superior selection to MDR menu 

[cublet]

3 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

Desserts at buffet are where it is at.  Finish dinner in MDR, skip dessert, walk around for an hour, head to buffet for much superior selection to MDR menu 

Hello,

 

The cheese selection in the buffet is far superior to the paltry rations served in the MDR. Ditto the biscuits/crackers.

 

Regards,

 

Cublet

[C4HCG]

19 hours ago, Beamafar said:

I like the buffet concept but have been really put off by what I’ve read here on the boards. 

Don’t be, you’re missing a treat. We’ve used the buffet and the biggest complaint we have is people queue jumping. Never seen the gross behaviour referenced here but not saying it doesn’t happen but think it’s the exception rather than the rule.

[Beamafar]

2 hours ago, C4HCG said:

Don’t be, you’re missing a treat. We’ve used the buffet and the biggest complaint we have is people queue jumping. Never seen the gross behaviour referenced here but not saying it doesn’t happen but think it’s the exception rather than the rule.

I’ve eaten many times in buffets on ships over the years with just the usual irritations of queue jumping, slow choosers (you know the ones - can’t make up their minds what they want and hold everyone else up), wasters who pile their plates up high with everything, then can’t finish it all, etc.

 

We’re on Azamara in less than 3 weeks, then Edge a couple of weeks later;  the buffet offerings look very appealing to us (much better than MSC, which is mainly what we’re used to) and we’ll definitely be trying them out.   Thankfully I’ve never seen anything that grossed me out, before, other than plates being loaded with starters, mains and desserts all in one pile.  😱😆

[hampshirelad]

Got of the Reflection on the 4th July. There was no self service in the Oceanview with everything being served to your plate. The Captain was refreshingly transparent about the Covid onboard. Seemed to average around 20 with some arriving and leaving their confinement. Very high standards of hygiene and constant cleaning throughout .

 

A great improvement on a Seabourn cruise we took in March were the Buffet was self service and we came home with a Covid bonus

[moneeman]

We ventured to the buffet 3 or 4 times last week on Beyond.  Staff serve vs. self serve varied greatly from one visit to the next.  The lady with the hand sanitizer was ALWAYS there.  My wife always brought a pack of anti-bacterial wet wipes, and we would wipe down our hands as well as the silverware and glasses where staff may have touched just to make sure.  Yes, COVID can make its way on board, but it is comforting to know that every person on the ship tested negative just before the cruise.  In other words, the great majority of the hordes of people are not infected.  Anything is possible, but take a few precautions and you will likely be just fine.

[Beamafar]

3 minutes ago, moneeman said:

… COVID can make its way on board, but it is comforting to know that every person on the ship tested negative just before the cruise.  In other words, the great majority of the hordes of people are not infected. 

Sorry, they tested negative 2 days before the cruise (in Celebrity’s case). Who’s to say they didn’t contract it between taking the test and embarkation. 

[phoenix_dream]

I have sailed Celebrity on 65 cruises.  I generally eat at the buffet for a light lunch daily, and on occasion have eaten there for breakfast.  While I can't say I've never seen some of the "disgusting" buffet habits people talk about I can honestly say it is very rare.  Most people, especially these days, are very aware of food safety issues.  In 65 cruises I have never (to my knowledge) caught any kind of disease from eating at a self-serve buffet.  While I would prefer a crew-served buffet in the Covid era as just an extra measure of safety, I would not hesitate to eat there still (and have on my 8 cruises since restart last year).  And for the record, I occasionally will grab a french fry or potato chip off my plate while I'm browsing (without touching my fingers to my mouth).  Not sure why anyone would find that offensive, but whatever.... 

[Bo1953]

On 7/16/2022 at 2:31 PM, ScottC4746 said:

So true.  Being in WW I should be at the Spa Cafe, but I am such a foody. 

I did not realize that WW and being a foody were in-compatible???

 

bon appetit and bon voyage

[ScottC4746]

9 minutes ago, Bo1953 said:

I did not realize that WW and being a foody were in-compatible???

 

bon appetit and bon voyage

They aren't, sadly.  But at least at the buffet if I serve myself I control the portions.

[lexmiller]

On 7/16/2022 at 2:06 PM, ScottC4746 said:

I thought Spa Cafe was for certain guests like those using the spa that day or in Aquaspa staterooms.  Either way looking at the menu on the app, while I should eat that way, too healthy for me. LOL.

Spa Cafe is definitely open to all - that and the Mast Grill are excellent ways to help syphon off some of the crowds from the main buffet.  Wanted to give a shout out to the salmon salad offered at the Spa Cafe daily, so good!  Like tuna salad, but made with salmon, yummy!  I usually take 4 of the items (the portions are small) and combine them, very nice.  

[Bo1953]

3 hours ago, ScottC4746 said:

They aren't, sadly.  But at least at the buffet if I serve myself I control the portions.

I believe that you can come up with a plan that melds the two (2) desires!!!

 

Trial and error, for sure with a recommended food approach that will fit most styles of eating for foodies and taking into consideration WW...

 

You will be the hero for figuring it out and just think with all of the eBook sales how many more cruises could you take??

 

bon appetit and bon voyage

[boxkite]

At least on the Celebrity S class ships (not sure about M and E ships), when you go to the buffet, you can take your food and eat at a outside table.

 

Perhaps less risky than eating inside.

 

Plus when the weather is good its very nice outside.

 

For the RCCL ships we have been on, there was no option to take your buffet food and eat outside, it was inside tables only.

[CU64]

On 7/16/2022 at 5:53 AM, Denny01 said:

Just got back from our Alaska cruise and yes, majority of the buffet was self-serve. We, as most, used the Oceanview for breakfast and lunch. did dinner there one night when we got back from a late tour, andour family went to there prior to a late tour (In Victoria); we dined in a specialty restaurant. 

 

I realize that as soon as a thread starts about buffets, we get the ‘you can’t believe what I saw there’….all of them I’m sure true, but realize this subject emphasizes that. I don’t spend time watching others but our cruise, all seemed quite acceptable manners. 

 

they have gloves to wear as you serve. 

 

You have picked a venue in which lots of people are congregated, touching every surface you touch; pressing every button you press; all that. You are in an environment with potentially a few thousand others. Protect yourself and be more ‘aware’ but we who are cruising right now understand we are more at risk. 

 

Den

Covid passes through air, not surfaces.

[phoenix_dream]

23 hours ago, CU64 said:

Covid passes through air, not surfaces.

Not true. It spreads primarily through air but according to the CDC as well as the Canada equivalent of same there is a risk on surfaces albeit much lower

[letsgogogo]

6 hours ago, phoenix_dream said:

Not true. It spreads primarily through air but according to the CDC as well as the Canada equivalent of same there is a risk on surfaces albeit much lower

I was hoping someone would point this out! All this hysteria about touching things while lack of distancing and being mask free are the real Covid risks. 

[gold1953]

On 7/20/2022 at 6:25 PM, phoenix_dream said:

I have sailed Celebrity on 65 cruises.  I generally eat at the buffet for a light lunch daily, and on occasion have eaten there for breakfast.  While I can't say I've never seen some of the "disgusting" buffet habits people talk about I can honestly say it is very rare.  Most people, especially these days, are very aware of food safety issues.  In 65 cruises I have never (to my knowledge) caught any kind of disease from eating at a self-serve buffet.  While I would prefer a crew-served buffet in the Covid era as just an extra measure of safety, I would not hesitate to eat there still (and have on my 8 cruises since restart last year).  And for the record, I occasionally will grab a french fry or potato chip off my plate while I'm browsing (without touching my fingers to my mouth).  Not sure why anyone would find that offensive, but whatever.... 

I have seen many lick their fingers while in line after tasting foods. Also lick fingers while eating at tables  Then many people pick their teeth with their fingernails while eating and go back for more food. I have seen this countless times!

 

[boblin]

On 7/17/2022 at 10:09 AM, hampshirelad said:

Got of the Reflection on the 4th July. There was no self service in the Oceanview with everything being served to your plate. The Captain was refreshingly transparent about the Covid onboard. Seemed to average around 20 with some arriving and leaving their confinement. Very high standards of hygiene and constant cleaning throughout .

 

A great improvement on a Seabourn cruise we took in March were the Buffet was self service and we came home with a Covid bonus

So July 4 was the date Reflection switched to self serve , as we boarded that day and it was self serve the whole cruise. I must admit to feeling a little conscious of it every time I reached for a serving spoon. Covid numbers? Reached 33, but we had 2700 pax onboard, probably a little higher that the previous cruise, plus tons of teens and kids.

[terrydtx]

With there still being a risk of getting Covid onboard and then being quarantined in a dungeon like cabin, there is no way I get close to the semi self-serve buffets. For the same reasons we do not dine at any all you can eat buffets on land. I have been on too many cruises and have seen too many unsanitary things going on in the buffets. Last year on the Equinox we saw the disposable gloves handed out in the OVC to passengers and maybe 50% actually used them, that solidified our decision to stay out of the OVC. 

 

We board the Reflection next week and will dine in Luminae when open or do room service on port days for lunch.

[RichYak]

14 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

We board the Reflection next week and will dine in Luminae when open

I don't feel that the risk of catching covid is any less in Luminae than in the Oceanview cafe. Room Service and outdoor dining would reduce the risk. Anything else is a crapshoot.