Changes in buffet hours - when did this happen?

[insidecabin]

19 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Well then get your hiney to the buffet on time and you'll have your bacon! But as the saying goes, "if you snooze, you lose." 😉

Many NCL ships  do not do proper back bacon no point in rushing.

 

Even the stuff they call bacon is not cooked well, often a multi layer slab broken into lumps.

[Zippeedee]

I don’t do mornings at home, never mind on vacation. I was the last person skidding into the Local at 10:55 to get a pastry basket and coffee. I don’t eat lunch and stop by the buffet around 3 for a snack. My way isn’t your way but that doesn’t mean your way is the only way.

[MacGuffin3]

53 minutes ago, ColeThornton said:

The last time I slept in til 9 I was sedated and in a hospital bed. 

9 isn't sleeping in.  Noon is sleeping in.
I'm paleo and just do meat and eggs for breakfast, So the 6am chocolate-filled croissants are all yours to enjoy.

[insidecabin]

8 minutes ago, GORDONCHICK said:

So you think feeding a couple thousand people in a 2 hour time span in an area that only holds a few hundred is reasonable?  Your idea of reasonable and mine are very different!

At least NCL has the limited breakfast options at the Local/O'Sheehans(we do use that space when they have what we want)

 

Try a big MSC ship holding 6000 even with the massive buffet and dining rooms open for breakfast the place gets mobbed on port days with the early&shorex timings, no other included options.

They do have extended b'fast hours merged to lunch.

 

Tomorrow on the Dawn will be interesting tender and 1/2 day wonder how many will use the opportunity to rest a bit and find O'Sheehans is full and nothing on the buffet.

 

 

[DCGuy64]

8 minutes ago, Zippeedee said:

I don’t do mornings at home, never mind on vacation. I was the last person skidding into the Local at 10:55 to get a pastry basket and coffee. I don’t eat lunch and stop by the buffet around 3 for a snack. My way isn’t your way but that doesn’t mean your way is the only way.

I'm not sure whom this comment was for, but assuming it was me, my reply is: you come to breakfast on your time, I'll come on NCL's. Let's see who gets fed. 😁

 

17 minutes ago, insidecabin said:

Many NCL ships  do not do proper back bacon no point in rushing.

 

Even the stuff they call bacon is not cooked well, often a multi layer slab broken into lumps.

You're not wrong about that. I prefer my bacon crispy. Oftentimes I'll just go to the MDR and order breakfast that way, and I make sure to ask for crispy bacon.

[MacGuffin3]

26 minutes ago, insidecabin said:

Many NCL ships  do not do proper back bacon no point in rushing.

Mmm good fatty Irish rashers, that's what I want now.

Can you go into the sit-down Local and order two plates of soft-cooked bacon?  Since the buffet bacon is probably too shriveled and I suspect they won't give you enough in one serving at a sit-down place.

[RB9643]

If you can afford to spend $1000's on a cruise, you can afford $10 for room service and all the food you want.

 

I rarely get out of the room before 10 am, and rarely eat breakfast. But if I really need food, I can get it.

 

 

[insidecabin]

13 minutes ago, RB9643 said:

If you can afford to spend $1000's on a cruise, you can afford $10 for room service and all the food you want.

 

I rarely get out of the room before 10 am, and rarely eat breakfast. But if I really need food, I can get it.

 

 

If they bring a table and chairs and can get them in the cabin or deliver to a place where those facilities are available then it becomes a viable option.

 

Don't pay 1000s as in 2k or more.

[RB9643]

9 minutes ago, insidecabin said:

Don't pay 1000s as in 2k or more.

 

 

Ok, cool. I don't think you represent the average.

 

 

[IrieBajan54]

37 minutes ago, RB9643 said:

If you can afford to spend $1000's on a cruise, you can afford $10 for room service and all the food you want.

 

I rarely get out of the room before 10 am, and rarely eat breakfast. But if I really need food, I can get it.

 

 

Wow! Just ridiculous! I have no interest in giving NCL extra money, if I can help it. I never eat breakfast or any of my other meals in the cabin.

 

I exercise first everyday (port & sea days), then have breakfast. I am an early riser so I'm normally finished with breakfast by 8:15 a.m.

Edited July 6, 2023 by IrieBajan54
bold

[WexIrl]

3 hours ago, MacGuffin3 said:

If you go to bed early on vacation you REALLY miss out.
 

We are just back off the Getaway, it was around 3:30 am each night we went to bed, we would leave the rest of crowd as they continued the sing song and joke telling into the buffet breakfast hours 🤣

Some great stories and memories and some serious laughter.

It was great craic!

[RB9643]

2 minutes ago, IrieBajan54 said:

Wow! Just ridiculous! 

I am an early riser so I'm normally finished with breakfast by 8:15 a.m.

 

Wow! Just ridiculous!

 

 

[insidecabin]

6 minutes ago, WexIrl said:

We are just back off the Getaway, it was around 3:30 am each night we went to bed, we would leave the rest of crowd as they continued the sing song and joke telling into the buffet breakfast hours 🤣

Some great stories and memories and some serious laughter.

It was great craic!

That is another solution go to bed after breakfast

 

We did have a problem on Spirit one cruise the 24hr blue lagoon closed for deep cleaning as many would come out of Maharini's looking for a snack

[MacGuffin3]

46 minutes ago, RB9643 said:

If you can afford to spend $1000's on a cruise, you can afford $10 for room service and all the food you want.

I do not understand this philosophy at all.  You have already spent thousands of dollars on the food that's included and it's all you can eat.  You can only eat so much and are wasting that money you already spent if you spend more on food.

[insidecabin]

20 minutes ago, RB9643 said:

 

Ok, cool. I don't think you represent the average.

NCL(and others) will happily help themselves to your money if you let them.

[MacGuffin3]

20 minutes ago, WexIrl said:

It was great craic!

Excellent, if you want to know how to do a cruise right, just make friends with any Irish on board.

[RB9643]

5 minutes ago, MacGuffin3 said:

I do not understand this philosophy at all.  You have already spent thousands of dollars on the food that's included and it's all you can eat.  You can only eat so much and are wasting that money you already spent if you spend more on food.

 

You don't have to understand. It's just the way we think.

 

I don't begrudge someone for wanting to save a few bucks, so don't begrudge me if I think it's no big deal to spend a few more.

 

And the topic is discussing when food isn't readily available, not when it is.

 

 

[GORDONCHICK]

1 hour ago, insidecabin said:

At least NCL has the limited breakfast options at the Local/O'Sheehans(we do use that space when they have what we want)

 

Try a big MSC ship holding 6000 even with the massive buffet and dining rooms open for breakfast the place gets mobbed on port days with the early&shorex timings, no other included options.

They do have extended b'fast hours merged to lunch.

 

Tomorrow on the Dawn will be interesting tender and 1/2 day wonder how many will use the opportunity to rest a bit and find O'Sheehans is full and nothing on the buffet.

 

 

We sailed MSC Seaside.  It was okay but we found the buffet severely lacking in food options.

[JeanKC]

7 minutes ago, insidecabin said:

That is another solution go to bed after breakfast

Sold on this plan.....Love it.

 

When I'm on holidays, I may wake up early sometimes, but I may not  be awake enough to venture out into the world...and I don't think I should have to pay more for that by ordering a room service breakfast. If you like getting up early.....great and go for it, but not everyone does. But like everything else, this is probably something that nobody will agree on......I will see how it all works out on my next cruise.....in 44 days. Woohoo 🎉

[MacGuffin3]

11 minutes ago, RB9643 said:

I don't begrudge someone for wanting to save a few bucks, so don't begrudge me if I think it's no big deal to spend a few more.

This is not the philosophy I'm referring to, I'm referring to your statement revolving around the word "afford"

What does "afford" have to do with it?  I make decent money and can afford lots of things in my life, I could walk outside today and could "afford" to buy another car. It's not about what I can afford, it's about making smart financial decisions. I'd rather use that same money for my next trip instead of throwing it away.

I believe on Encore "The Local" is supposed to be open 24/7.

Edited July 6, 2023 by MacGuffin3

[PATRLR]

6 hours ago, www3traveler said:

Almost every cruise line has had cut back issues and will probably be that way for awhile.  REASON: none of the cruise lines can not hire enough qualified staff in any position not just hotel, housekeeping, food and beverage.

Oh puuhhlease - It's a cost cutting move, plain and simple.  If they wanted to hire enough people, I have no doubt they could.  They might have to pay more, we might have to pay more, but if that's the case, then we should.  Don't try to blame this on anything other than NCL making cuts to save money.

[laudergayle]

Personally three cruises in ‘23 so far and we haven’t felt impacted by the dining hours.  At home we typically wake later than many…and are fine getting up and at it earlier to make the most of our vacation experience.  And, we also don’t seek late night food (although I do seek nibbles while drinking snd have been known to bring on chips while in port).  That being said…NCL marketing really needs to rethink their brand positioning…as the current NCL is anything but “freestyle”.

 

Here’s some of their current marketing rhetoric:

Experience Freestyle Cruising

Imagine cruising just the way you want it: with no schedule to follow but your own. That is what Norwegian's Freestyle Cruising provides for all our ships and itineraries. Indulge your taste buds at one of our wide-ranging dining options, or perhaps you would prefer a dinner and a show combination?
 

Savor a three-course meal and a great bottle of wine. Or grab a burger hot off the grill. Dress up. Dress down. Sit down with friends or make new ones. Thanks to the flexibility of no fixed dining times or pre-assigned seating, you have the freedom to enjoy more dining options than days of your cruise.

 

I will continue to cruise with NCL…but I would love to get my hands on their marketing team…lol.  There is Sooo much opportunity!

Edited July 6, 2023 by laudergayle

[Cruising Lynne]

5 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

Correct. 5 am might be the crack of dawn. 9:30 is nowhere near the crack of dawn. Anybody who wants to sleep in that late ought to pay for room service and be done with it. JMHO.

I don't want to wait around for room service to show up! I used to work a job where I did not get home until midnight. I liked to unwind after work so my typical bed time was 2 am. Sleeping until between 9:30 and 10:00 am. I am retired now, but it is hard to break the habit. Shortened breakfast hours is another lousy cut back. 

[LloydJr]

1 minute ago, Cruising Lynne said:

Shortened breakfast hours is another lousy cut back. 

Have we determined that they have shortened breakfast hours?  I thought this was a specific case where the hours were shifted earlier due to an early port arrival.  5:30 - 9:30 or 6:30 - 10:30 (typical) is still a full four hours.

[MacGuffin3]

15 minutes ago, RB9643 said:

It is my philosophy that if you can afford $1000's to cruise, you can afford $10 for room service.

So repeating the exact same thing is supposed to explain it to me? Your philosophy has nothing to do with the word "afford" it has to do with what you see "value" in paying extra for.