Read somewhere that one can eat in Gallery now without waiting for server

[tbmrt]

Did things change?

 

 

 

 

[tbmrt]

Meant Galley instead of Gallery!!  For some reason could not edit

[Lustate]

Some things can be collected in person, such as cakes, salads etc in person if you want to as that's just grab and go, But waiting in line for say ramen etc. is still not expected. 

 

It's a common sense approach. 

[sid_9169]

Yes, at many of the stations, you can now walk up and place your order rather than sitting down and ordering with a waiter / waitress / waitperson... They give you one of those light up hockey puck things.

Edited October 25, 2023 by sid_9169

[scubagal44]

On the ship now and yes, you can now order yourself at each individual counter. You can also sit and raise the flag for someone to come take your order, so the choice is up to you. 

[jon81uk]

If you order at the counter for something that takes time to heat up you’ll get a pager and need to go back for it. I found it easier to get a server to place an order for those items and I just collected the cold stuff myself.

[CruisingWalter]

From the beginning you could walk up during slow times, we have since our first VV cruise. It's during the busy times they much prefer you use a server and since they added the flags and the dual service system, it's much more improved. 

[MarkWiltonM]

We were on Scarlet Lady a couple of weeks ago and we ordered everything, including ramen, from the stations. I didn't see anyone ordering from their table. I would be afraid I might have to wait a long time for some to see I have that flag up. But not sure. (The ramen was by far our favorite thing in the galley.)

[_tacocat_]

it's very recent (september?), but yes, you generally go to the counter and order now.  if it's a longer lead-time item, you get a buzzer.

 

you can still order from a server if you want, but i prefer this method.  i can't tell you the number of times i ordered something from a (not known to me) very backed up station and was still waiting on my food after the rest of my party finished eating.  this gives you a little more transparency into how long you might have to wait.

 

i'm kind of miffed though because there's no more ramen at breakfast with this model.  they've changed that station to "express breakfast" in the morning 😞

[neverendingcruising]

Express breakfast sounds nice though!!

[jon81uk]

11 hours ago, neverendingcruising said:

Express breakfast sounds nice though!!

It’s the same food as the diner counter just a set plate with no substitutions to make service faster.

[happy cruzer]

Thanks for the new report.

 

Anyone have an idea of the easiest/best way to get a seat and hot food??

 

On the major lines we have given up on hot food from the buffet.  By the time you get back to your seat the food is cold; therefore we have been selecting items for lunch that are best served room temp or cold.

 

Should we go with same philosophy in the Galley, ie. food best served cold like a sandwich??

[cantgetin]

1 hour ago, happy cruzer said:

Thanks for the new report.

 

Anyone have an idea of the easiest/best way to get a seat and hot food??

 

On the major lines we have given up on hot food from the buffet.  By the time you get back to your seat the food is cold; therefore we have been selecting items for lunch that are best served room temp or cold.

 

Should we go with same philosophy in the Galley, ie. food best served cold like a sandwich??

We never had trouble getting hot food at The Galley, whether doing the walk up or the servers.  The problem with the servers has always been that things from different stations can come up at different times, so your food may not arrive in the order you wanted or at the same time as others at your table.  NOT a huge problem for us, ever. 

 

The other thing is that the menu does not show the "special of the day" items which may be at one or 6 stations.  On the TA crossings there were often specials at bread (where they would have casseroles or pasta dishes), soup and salad, ramen, taco, burger at lunch and a special dinner item. The dinner item is listed on the daily schedule, but the lunch specials are not...and the servers often don't have a clue.  We would walk around to see the specials, then sit down and order before they started the buzzer thing,

Never had a problem with cold food as it is cooked when you order, whether you do walk up or servers.

 

[neverendingcruising]

Sometimes breakfast items from Diner are lukewarm like the sausage and hash browns as they are some of the few items that sit out, otherwise never an issue with food temp. 
 

Agree on the specials, it shouldn’t be hard to have that listed in the app or menu daily. It should also not be hard for the crew to know what the specials are but many times our server had to go to the stations and find out. 

[happy cruzer]

21 hours ago, cantgetin said:

We never had trouble getting hot food at The Galley, whether doing the walk up or the servers.  The problem with the servers has always been that things from different stations can come up at different times, so your food may not arrive in the order you wanted or at the same time as others at your table.  NOT a huge problem for us, ever. 

 

The other thing is that the menu does not show the "special of the day" items which may be at one or 6 stations.  On the TA crossings there were often specials at bread (where they would have casseroles or pasta dishes), soup and salad, ramen, taco, burger at lunch and a special dinner item. The dinner item is listed on the daily schedule, but the lunch specials are not...and the servers often don't have a clue.  We would walk around to see the specials, then sit down and order before they started the buzzer thing,

Never had a problem with cold food as it is cooked when you order, whether you do walk up or servers.

 

Thanks for the response. 

 

Yes, I am sure that you get your food hot/warm. What happens on other lines with food from a counter is that you still have to get your beverage (be able to carry the food and drink?), find a seat, find your cruise mate, etc. and by then your food can be cold (that's why we just pick cold options generally).  Sounds like table service might be best for a hot meal. 

 

Thank you

[cantgetin]

2 minutes ago, happy cruzer said:

Thanks for the response. 

 

Yes, I am sure that you get your food hot/warm. What happens on other lines with food from a counter is that you still have to get your beverage (be able to carry the food and drink?), find a seat, find your cruise mate, etc. and by then your food can be cold (that's why we just pick cold options generally).  Sounds like table service might be best for a hot meal. 

 

Thank you

On VV, you are welcome to get your own beverage or to ask your server to get it for you.  What we do when we go together is that one of us will find a table while the other gets drinks.  Then I generally make a run around the stations to see what the specials are, go back to table, and we order.  There are not usually breakfast specials, so I don't do the walk around then.  

If you order from a counter, get your drink first and put it on a table, then go to the order station OR order first, then get drink and table if you are getting something that needs to be cooked.  In that case, you get a buzzer like many US restaurants use to say your seat is ready...the buzz means you should return to your station to get the food.  If you are getting a chicken salad or whatever, I'd look at the line and decide whether to get in line or get drink/claim table first.

Remember that even when the place looks really full, there is open air seating at the aft, and it is rarely busy.