Buffet Hygine

[zap99]

1 hour ago, Harry Peterson said:

Is that 0100? A little too early for us………😉

When we went to middle earth a fry up in Coventry garden went down well. That was a bit later than 1.00am, But breakfast and a pint about 5.00am was OK. A bit like Weatherspoons at Gatwick.🤣

[Fionboard]

Yes, Covent Garden pubs open all hours for the market workers. Used to go for breakfast after leaving a club (when I was young!!)

[Presto2]

On Britannia we never saw anyone with hand sanitizer (far less than before Covid) and no one used the sinks to wash hands. We took our foam handsanitiser (Serenity as recommended on here) and once we'd done the self service stuff we used it before we ate our meal. Some may call it paranoia but better safe than sorry and we would probably have done it before the pandemic anyway.

[zap99]

1 hour ago, Presto2 said:

On Britannia we never saw anyone with hand sanitizer (far less than before Covid) and no one used the sinks to wash hands. We took our foam handsanitiser (Serenity as recommended on here) and once we'd done the self service stuff we used it before we ate our meal. Some may call it paranoia but better safe than sorry and we would probably have done it before the pandemic anyway.

We use hand sanitiser quite a lot in restaurants.  Does it work ?. We'll it hasn't killed us yet. Apparently it stops vampires biting you. That seems to work.

[Fionboard]

Not always the ship's fault. How often do you see people ashore who sit down at a bar, order food and eat with their hands without washing first. Always a good idea to visit the toilets first, not just to wash hands but to see what state they are in. Gives an idea of the state of the kitchen! 

[Bazrat]

11 hours ago, zap99 said:

We use hand sanitiser quite a lot in restaurants.  Does it work ?. We'll it hasn't killed us yet. Apparently it stops vampires biting you. That seems to work.

That's a popular myth like garlic, vampire's dislike cruising, because the blood onboard is to thin from the amount of alcohol consumption onboard.

[yorkshirephil]

9 minutes ago, Bazrat said:

vampire's dislike cruising

Except on Arctic circle twilight cruises.

[mrsgoggins]

On 6/30/2023 at 11:43 AM, terrierjohn said:

Being a veteran of nearly 40 cruises I can honestly say, that the number of buffet passengers I have seen pile too much food on their plates can be counted on not much more than one hand. I know that this is widely reported, but these greedy passengers must go out of their way to avoid being in the buffet when I am there.

Seeing you post this made me count my cruises and it’s a similar number.  I assure you I have seen this happen often - plate piling that is - but even more, I have seen groups depart from tables laden with barely-touched food and desserts - and it’s normally right in my sight line 😳.
 

I should probably add that most of my cruises have been with American-based cruise lines; the majority sailing out of Florida or Europe with international passengers. I can’t say I have witnessed this on P&O (I don’t actually go looking 😉), but they make it possible for you to avoid the buffet if you choose, by opening a MDR at lunchtime, unlike the American lines.

 

We do use the buffet on P&O on the odd occasion (back late from an excursion, afternoon tea etc) and have been surprised that staff with hand sanitisers are not positioned at the entrance to the buffet, as on other lines.

[Bazrat]

1 hour ago, mrsgoggins said:

Seeing you post this made me count my cruises and it’s a similar number.  I assure you I have seen this happen often - plate piling that is - but even more, I have seen groups depart from tables laden with barely-touched food and desserts - and it’s normally right in my sight line 😳.
 

I should probably add that most of my cruises have been with American-based cruise lines; the majority sailing out of Florida or Europe with international passengers. I can’t say I have witnessed this on P&O (I don’t actually go looking 😉), but they make it possible for you to avoid the buffet if you choose, by opening a MDR at lunchtime, unlike the American lines.

 

We do use the buffet on P&O on the odd occasion (back late from an excursion, afternoon tea etc) and have been surprised that staff with hand sanitisers are not positioned at the entrance to the buffet, as on other lines.

I never overfill my plate, I just take a very very large dinner plate with me.

[terrierjohn]

30 minutes ago, Bazrat said:

I never overfill my plate, I just take a very very large dinner plate with me.

Indeed, the P&O dinner plates are about the size of our dessert plates, and a healthy young male would probably need two of those to equal what he could fit on one of our dinner plates.

[zap99]

12 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Indeed, the P&O dinner plates are about the size of our dessert plates, and a healthy young male would probably need two of those to equal what he could fit on one of our dinner plates.

Perhaps that's why they have done away with trays.🤔

[terrierjohn]

39 minutes ago, zap99 said:

Perhaps that's why they have done away with trays.🤔

OMG perhaps I am to blame, I always collect 2 meals, as my wife uses a wheelchair, maybe my caring attentions have caused the trays to be shelved, how can I ever live this down.? 😉😎 

[AndyMichelle]

After a great first day when the entrance was manned and everybody washed their hands, by the second day, nobody telling you to wash your hands, so nobody did... 

It genuinely felt like we were the only ones to wash our hands... 

Also, despite the very big, clear signage, lots of people were filling water bottles from the dispenser... 

Andy 

[purplesea]

7 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

OMG perhaps I am to blame, I always collect 2 meals, as my wife uses a wheelchair, maybe my caring attentions have caused the trays to be shelved, how can I ever live this down.? 😉😎 

Perhaps I should take a tray with me. 🤔 Sometimes I am only able carry one plate or one cup at a time, so with Mum in her chair that will be four trips!

[zap99]

8 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

OMG perhaps I am to blame, I always collect 2 meals, as my wife uses a wheelchair, maybe my caring attentions have caused the trays to be shelved, how can I ever live this down.? 😉😎 

Wasn't your fault. It was the folk using the tray as a gigantic plate.🤣

[kalos]

9 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

OMG perhaps I am to blame, I always collect 2 meals, as my wife uses a wheelchair, maybe my caring attentions have caused the trays to be shelved, how can I ever live this down.? 😉😎 

 

Take command of the situation John. 

 

1/ find table and leave wife there .

2/ Walk over to the plate clearing station and tell the guy working there .....

" P&O don't like trays being used "   Before swiping his tray ! 🙃

 

 

[snaefell]

25 minutes ago, kalos said:

 

Take command of the situation John. 

 

1/ find table and leave wife there .

2/ Walk over to the plate clearing station and tell the guy working there .....

" P&O don't like trays being used "   Before swiping his tray ! 🙃

 

 

Didn't think I would miss the trays but on Arcadia in May I think somebody had turned up the heating,sometimes the 'warm' plates were blooming hot!

[davecttr]

4 hours ago, AndyMichelle said:

After a great first day when the entrance was manned and everybody washed their hands, by the second day, nobody telling you to wash your hands, so nobody did... 

It genuinely felt like we were the only ones to wash our hands... 

Also, despite the very big, clear signage, lots of people were filling water bottles from the dispenser... 

Andy 

Same last week, one passenger even continued filling his bottle  despite a crew member asking him to stop. You can have water dispensers that keep any bottles etc away from the water stream but even then the idiots will almost destroy the device to get their way. 🤬 My solution is to fill my bottle in the bathroom and put it in the fridge with the top off to allow the chemicals to evaporate.

[Camberley]

I just despair of those dreadful people who have no regards whatsoever for basic hygiene and are ignorant  (or wilfully dismissive) of guidelines/rules and the like. The “it’s my holiday and I’ll do what I want” brigade. Thankfully they are minority.

[sandancer]

On Arvia the water dispensers were a different design. Bottle was placed on the area specified, a sensor dispensed the water without the the bottle touching the tap, if the bottle was not on the place indicated then the water was not dispensed. 

[Josy1953]

We all got used to taking extra hygiene practices during the pandemic but I think that many people think that covid has disappeared so they are unforunately reverting to their pre-covid bad hygiene habits.  Before covid I used to shudder when I saw people in the public toilets come out of a cubicle and rinse their hands rather than wash them thoroughly.

[Fionboard]

Just use the water in your bathroom. Same as everywhere else. Chill in fridge. 

[Harry Peterson]

21 minutes ago, Josy1953 said:

We all got used to taking extra hygiene practices during the pandemic but I think that many people think that covid has disappeared so they are unforunately reverting to their pre-covid bad hygiene habits.  Before covid I used to shudder when I saw people in the public toilets come out of a cubicle and rinse their hands rather than wash them thoroughly.

Couldn’t agree more. The incident that horrified my wife was the woman who left the cubicle in a supermarket toilet, and walked straight into the shop - seen 5 minutes later rummaging through a fresh food cabinet. I doubt it’s that exceptional though.

[gsmt47471015]

4 hours ago, Camberley said:

I just despair of those dreadful people who have no regards whatsoever for basic hygiene and are ignorant  (or wilfully dismissive) of guidelines/rules and the like. The “it’s my holiday and I’ll do what I want” brigade. Thankfully they are minority.

From recent observations they may soon become the majority😬

[gsmt47471015]

8 hours ago, davecttr said:

Same last week, one passenger even continued filling his bottle  despite a crew member asking him to stop. You can have water dispensers that keep any bottles etc away from the water stream but even then the idiots will almost destroy the device to get their way. 🤬 My solution is to fill my bottle in the bathroom and put it in the fridge with the top off to allow the chemicals to evaporate.

Do feel somewhat sorry for the staff as they try to apply the rules, as the passengers been requested to adhere will likely rush straight to reception and raise a complaint, and of course the customer is always right !!!             Not😆