Making the best experiences from cruise buffets!!

[lincslady]

As with so many things in life, 'it all depends'.  Depends on the ambiance in the room, the number of people eating there, and most of all the choice and quality of the offerings.  I do enjoy grazing at a buffet if all the previous things apply, but they do all have to apply.  It is a pleasure to have a small portion of lots of different things, and to sit outdoors if that is available and the weather is good, and take your  time.

[daiB]

4 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

I think I may have solved the mystery Megabear!!

 

2 less MDRs on Arvia

 

They've made a choice to make buffet a higher end buffet and more sought after dining experience as a result?

 

They need to attract more guests there  every night on Arvia? We know they need formal dining guests in there on formal nights? Albeit chefs table then? Because MDRs don't have enough room for everyone?

 

Similarly doesn't need to be so tempting on Iona?

 

Is that it?

 

More buffet less MDRmerican diner on future ships. Needs way less staff to serve  it and way less time to serve people?

 

Think between us all we may have found some answers here?

 

It's a deliberate ploy to move more diners to buffet and quays and away from MDR on Arvia by improving buffet level significantly? 

 

 I do think that must be it if buffets on Iona are so poor in comparison for same number of passengers?

 

There are the same number of free MDR’s on Arvia only one is the Olive grove and the other the American diner. 

[Interestedcruisefan]

1 minute ago, daiB said:

There are the same number of free MDR’s on Arvia only one is the Olive grove and the other the American diner. 

Maybe I've not solved it then!!

 

Lol

[Interestedcruisefan]

Just now, Interestedcruisefan said:

Maybe I've not solved it then!!

 

Lol

Does anyone have buffet menus from Iona to compare to the ones posted from Arvia above?

[Interestedcruisefan]

3 minutes ago, daiB said:

There are the same number of free MDR’s on Arvia only one is the Olive grove and the other the American diner. 

Are they smaller venues?

[jeanlyon]

13 minutes ago, lincslady said:

As with so many things in life, 'it all depends'.  Depends on the ambiance in the room, the number of people eating there, and most of all the choice and quality of the offerings.  I do enjoy grazing at a buffet if all the previous things apply, but they do all have to apply.  It is a pleasure to have a small portion of lots of different things, and to sit outdoors if that is available and the weather is good, and take your  time.

Agree.  Used to love the themed nights in the buffet on Aurora, Oriana, Artemis, but sadly they are gone.   There's not much atmosphere in the buffet in the evening though.

[CarlaMarie]

5 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Are they smaller venues?

 

The likelihood is this - Same number of MDRs, however 2 are offering different cuisines. P&O have underestimated the number of passengers who actually want traditional dining on Arvia, and secondly overestimated the number who are willing to pay extra for dining. If for example passengers cannot get into the MDR (for whatever reason), then they are likely to opt for the buffet which has no charge. At the end of the day, the MDR/buffet is included in your fare. Not everyone can or will pay extra for food. 

[molecrochip]

2 hours ago, Gettingwarmer said:

It seems Arvia has a very improved buffet, Iona as well probably. Let’s hope they roll this out to the other ships but I doubt it. 

Arvia launched with the full Buffet experience. Iona’s had been restricted since Covid and is now back at full strength.

 

Personally, I think those buffet selections are the best I’ve seen on P&O in 10 years.

 

The MDR quality has dipped and that’s being looked.

 

Finally, improvements should be rolled out but certainly ships with smaller buffets will struggle - that includes Azura / Ventura.

[Host Sharon]

There is no way I would eat dinner in the buffet unless for a very good reason - scenic cruising for example. I want to have a leisurely meal served to me, while chatting to other passengers. I also struggle to walk unaided now, and since buffets are almost always on the highest decks, that makes it an even worse option if the seas are bumpy. I would rather pay more upfront and know that I can go to the MDR and be seated immediately.

[Dorset cruise fan]

Bring back the themed buffets. They were really good. We have enjoyed the evening buffets but as lincslady says "it depends " on what you have been doing during the day, time back on ship, views from ship. We like to try most of the eateries, included and extra cost.

[kalos]

"Making the best experiences from cruise buffets!! "

 

I like getting up around 5.45 am and having a cuppa when the place is deserted .

Sat gazing out through the windows just you and your thoughts .

Once the food opens and no one has had the chance to maul it, get a light breakfast.

Very enjoyable to us anyway .

Maybe later then go down to the Mdr and have breakfast which is equally enjoyable.

We have gone in on an evening for things like curry night to find the place fully 

decorated ,with two of the women staff stood in full Indian dress, which made it  a 

memorable occasion .

To call the place a canteen is for from accurate , I have been in countless amounts 

of canteens .(it went with the job ) A canteen on Grimsby docks and the people who 

were using it ,were nothing like the buffets on a cruise ship .

Just my opinion .I have read valid reasons for using MDR/buffets and the choice is 

yours !  

I like using both but there is a time and place for everything and I must admit from

what I have seen  ,10am in the buffet does look hell on earth .

Whichever you choose ,I hope you have  an enjoyable experience with your choice .

Edited April 15, 2023 by kalos

[happy v]

My husband loves salad. On Iona buffet there were about 15 different options every day so we went a lot at lunch time. We never ate there in the evening. However I did mention in another post our midnight buffet excursion. The Korean pork I had then was the tastiest piece of meat I had on the whole cruise. We did eat in all the speciality restaurants. So who knows 

Edited April 15, 2023 by happy v

[Interestedcruisefan]

8 minutes ago, kalos said:

"Making the best experiences from cruise buffets!! "

 

I like getting up around 5.45 am and having a cuppa when the place is deserted .

Sat gazing out through the windows just you and your thoughts .

Once the food opens and no one has had the chance to maul it, get a light breakfast.

Very enjoyable to us anyway .

Maybe later then go down to the Mdr and have breakfast which is equally enjoyable.

We have gone in on an evening for things like curry night to find the place fully 

decorated ,with to of the women staff stood in full Indian dress, which made it  a 

memorable occasion .

To call the place a canteen is for from accurate , I have been in countless amounts 

of canteens .(it went with the job ) A canteen on Grimsby docks and the people who 

were using it ,were nothing like the buffets on a cruise ship .

Just my opinion .I have read valid reasons for using MDR/buffets and the choice is 

yours !  

I like using both but there is a time and place for everything and I must admit from

what I have seen  ,10am in the buffet does look hell on earth .

Whichever you choose ,I hope you have  an enjoyable experience with your choice .

At 10am we are long long gone. Either by the pool or on  an excursion somewhere

[Jennizor]

2 hours ago, AndyMichelle said:

Nonsense... We always share by choice and want everyone of our dining companions to enjoy their meal their way. If they want 6 courses and we don't, so be it... 

We also choose late sitting, so nobody has to rush away. This adds to the social element, which we love. 

We have never had any issues regarding this on numerous cruises. 

Andy 

We should go on the same cruise Andy you just seem to enjoy exactly the same evening as we do. We have recently tried other alternatives on Iona but whilst we enjoyed them we also had a lot of shared tables in the MDR which were generally brilliant. You can always tell a good table when the waiters are clearing up around you at the end of the evening and you are all still chatting.

[yorkshirephil]

51 minutes ago, Dorset cruise fan said:

Bring back the themed buffets. They were really good. We have enjoyed the evening buffets but as lincslady says "it depends " on what you have been doing during the day, time back on ship, views from ship. We like to try most of the eateries, included and extra cost.

Agree, the only time we have used the buffet in the evening is theme night or the odd occasion where we were docked overnight and we grabbed a snack before going out on the lash. The Indian and Oriental theme nights were brilliant, the Indian theme night in the buffet was far better than Sindhu is now and it was freeeeeeee. Fred Olsen did similar and that was good too.

[davecttr]

In addition to the menu posted i have paper copies of all 14 Arvia buffet menus. I have 7 speciality restaurants booked so 7 chances to nip up to, actually along to, the buffet and see if the offerings match the menus.

 

On Iona most people entered the buffet from the pool area or central lifts resulting in the forward buffets seating to be busy and aft less so.

 

i was aboard Iona in January and don't remember the choices that Arvia offers.

[yorkshirephil]

5 minutes ago, davecttr said:

 

 

i was aboard Iona in January and don't remember the choices that Arvia offers.

One of the great things about being old, every cruise is a new adventure even when you were only on the ship six weeks ago. 

[TigerB]

This thread is starting to be as popular as the K307 thread from last weekend.

 

Just nobody mention 🍍 🤭

[terrierjohn]

2 hours ago, Dermotsgirl said:

During the period 2016 to 2019, we did several longer cruises, and used the buffet several times for dinner in the evening. Over the period of a cruise lasting several weeks, we just didn’t want to spend each night in the MDR.

 

I suspect that people think that the buffet in the evening is like peak breakfast time or peak lunch time. It’s not, it’s much quieter, and I found it quite restful. Also, it was better for portion control -  we found we ate less in the buffet, which was no bad thing on a long cruise. The only queue we found was in the carvery section - after that you could wander round to your heart’s content. 
 

the MDR can be quite frenetic, but the buffet is rather relaxed in the evening. On our long cruises we’s split our time between the MDR and the buffet, interspersed with visits to Glasshouse, Beach House and Sindhu. It kept things varied, but the buffet could not be beaten for a relaxed meal.

 

 

 

 

I agree entirely, when we have done round trip Caribbean cruises on Ventura we have used the buffet a number of times for dinner, often to avoid the plethora of formal nights where they try to cram 10 formal nights into the sea days.  It has always been much quieter than breakfast or lunch, with table mats and cutlery on the tables, and in pre covid times they had themed evenings and Indian, Asian and Thai nights were very popular.

[TigerB]

2 hours ago, daiB said:

There are the same number of free MDR’s on Arvia only one is the Olive grove and the other the American diner. 

 

As I wrote on another thread a few days ago, I would not class either the 6th Street Diner or Olive Grove as MDRs; to me they are just standalone restaurants that happen to be free.

[FamilyCruiserUK]

A big 👍 for the buffet over the MDR from us here. Love the choices, ammount of food i want and the ease to get my food. Its tasty too.

[Bill Y]

While not having cruised on P&O since 2019 I am surprised that now you have to” ask nicely” to have a starter followed by a soup as reported in post #1. Soup used to be shown as a separate course on the menu, then some years ago it was then grouped with the starters. I like most of the soups offered in the MDR and have had no trouble or raised eyebrows ordering a starter then soup on P&O, Princess and HAL. Before my time cruising I believe a fish course was offered as well. One Gentleman we dined with used to ask the waiter for a small portion of fish as a fish course and was always brought a full fish main as an extra course without question. I have read that having an extra entrée was often asked for on HAL and they now charge $10 for it.   Going on P&O again next month a bit of trepidation of what to expect these days.

[terrierjohn]

24 minutes ago, Bill Y said:

While not having cruised on P&O since 2019 I am surprised that now you have to” ask nicely” to have a starter followed by a soup as reported in post #1. Soup used to be shown as a separate course on the menu, then some years ago it was then grouped with the starters. I like most of the soups offered in the MDR and have had no trouble or raised eyebrows ordering a starter then soup on P&O, Princess and HAL. Before my time cruising I believe a fish course was offered as well. One Gentleman we dined with used to ask the waiter for a small portion of fish as a fish course and was always brought a full fish main as an extra course without question. I have read that having an extra entrée was often asked for on HAL and they now charge $10 for it.   Going on P&O again next month a bit of trepidation of what to expect these days.

If you order a starter and a soup,  you will get them both, dont worry.

[daiB]

38 minutes ago, Bill Y said:

While not having cruised on P&O since 2019 I am surprised that now you have to” ask nicely” to have a starter followed by a soup as reported in post #1. Soup used to be shown as a separate course on the menu, then some years ago it was then grouped with the starters. I like most of the soups offered in the MDR and have had no trouble or raised eyebrows ordering a starter then soup on P&O, Princess and HAL. Before my time cruising I believe a fish course was offered as well. One Gentleman we dined with used to ask the waiter for a small portion of fish as a fish course and was always brought a full fish main as an extra course without question. I have read that having an extra entrée was often asked for on HAL and they now charge $10 for it.   Going on P&O again next month a bit of trepidation of what to expect these days.

You should always ask nicely. However I always have a starter and soup. It never fazes the waiter. I have also asked for a sweet and cheese. It is not a problem at all. We even got it in the Limelight club. However I rarely have a sweet. With regard to a fish course If i wanted one I may only have soup but you can ask for a starter a soup and a fish course, no problem at all. 

[daiB]

2 hours ago, TigerB said:

 

As I wrote on another thread a few days ago, I would not class either the 6th Street Diner or Olive Grove as MDRs; to me they are just standalone restaurants that happen to be free.

I think the idea is to give more choice at the base, non extra, level.