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Sea Day Grand Brunch Buffet Cancelled ?


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Just read in a review of the Silhouette that sailed March 16th that they no longer or doing it. Is this correct ?? Anybody else run into this ??

 

Not sure, but they had the Grand Buffet luncheon in the MDR a few weeks ago on Century. I'm on Eclipse next week, and will report back.

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Just read in a review of the Silhouette that sailed March 16th that they no longer or doing it. Is this correct ?? Anybody else run into this ??

 

Has been ended on Connie. Told that it took a great deal of staff time and customers were giving negative feedback about it on comment cards.

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We enjoyed the brunch the first few times we attended, but on our last two cruises in the fall, Infinity and Eclipse, it was too crowded so we left. There is no pleasure in queuing at each station then being directed to carry your food upstairs because there are no tables left on the main level.

 

Sheila

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Has been ended on Connie. Told that it took a great deal of staff time and customers were giving negative feedback about it on comment cards.

 

The Grand Buffet has been or will be cancelled on all ships according to F&B manager on Constellation in March 3rd sailing.

 

Thank you for the update Orator & Arno. Personally, while we've enjoyed it on past sailings, we could live without it. With that said, I suspect this isnt going to sit well with many of the Celebrity faithful.

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Well, if the Gala sea day brunch is going the way of the Dodo, that's too bad. I still miss the Gala Midnight Buffets, but understand their demise. Especially after second seating, it was difficult to eat anything that late at night. They mostly became photo op's (although I usually did force myself to eat a little caviar ;)).

 

But, aside from the crowding, I don't see the problem with the sea day brunch. The ships don't even advertise it anymore, and it's still clearly very popular! Why not have a reservation sign-up sheet, available on the first day of the cruise -- just like in a restaurant? Also, have a time slot set aside beforehand for photos only (like in the old midnight buffet days). If the event lasts three hours, there should be plenty of time slots for anyone wishing to attend.

 

The thing that I love most about the "Gala Buffets" (regardless of the time) is that it gives the kitchen staff a chance to display their talents -- ice carvings, fruit carvings, food sculptures, etc. I don't routinely see any other avenue for them to show off those unique skills. I still look at some of my midnight buffet pictures and think: How on earth did they do that? :cool:

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Thank you for the update Orator & Arno. Personally, while we've enjoyed it on past sailings, we could live without it. With that said, I suspect this isnt going to sit well with many of the Celebrity faithful.

 

To me it's no big deal. There was nothing really their that you couldn't already get.

 

Hope they keep the food cost allocation per passenger the same and improve food service in other areas.

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Well, if the Gala sea day brunch is going the way of the Dodo, that's too bad. I still miss the Gala Midnight Buffets, but understand their demise. Especially after second seating, it was difficult to eat anything that late at night. They mostly became photo op's (although I usually did force myself to eat a little caviar ;)).

 

But, aside from the crowding, I don't see the problem with the sea day brunch. The ships don't even advertise it anymore, and it's still clearly very popular! Why not have a reservation sign-up sheet, available on the first day of the cruise -- just like in a restaurant? Also, have a time slot set aside beforehand for photos only (like in the old midnight buffet days). If the event lasts three hours, there should be plenty of time slots for anyone wishing to attend.

 

The thing that I love most about the "Gala Buffets" (regardless of the time) is that it gives the kitchen staff a chance to display their talents -- ice carvings, fruit carvings, food sculptures, etc. I don't routinely see any other avenue for them to show off those unique skills. I still look at some of my midnight buffet pictures and think: How on earth did they do that? :cool:

 

 

Those are good ideas. On our first Celebrity cruise the buffet was just a zoo. It was as though no one had ever seen food or eaten before. This was on day 5 so imagine how starving they must have been by then. :rolleyes: One woman actually reached around my husband to grab a fistful of bacon because, I guess, he was taking too long with the tongs.

 

On our most recent cruise we went closer to lunch time. The crowds had settled down by then and it was a bit less crazy. Of course the lovely displays were a bit battered by then, so no good photo ops at that time.

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We had it on Eclipse last year. Didnt really impress us. Most stuff was available in the buffet at breakfast or lunch. Yes they had carvings but I reckon those that do that stuff wont miss having to do it. There were some questionable items. A salmon side that was raw. Totally raw. When we mentioned it we were told it is served slightly pink. This wasnt pink, it was a heartbeat away from swimming in the ocean.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

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We were on the March 2 - March 9 sailing on the Silhouette and we were told that our Sea Day Brunch was the last one they were doing.

 

The only way we knew about it was our MDR waiter told us about it the night before. There was only one line about it in the Daily at the time it was to take place. No big advertising for it at all. I thought that was a real shame. A lot of people I talked to didn't know about it.

 

It was beautiful and very good. Although, a lot of what there was could be found in the buffet there was also unique stations. It was a really fun thing to have on the second to last sea day of our cruise.

 

I can see it would take a lot of extra work from the staff but there are a lot of people that did enjoy it.

 

I do not miss midnight buffets - too hard to stay up that late and eat that late, but this mid day brunch was great.

 

Sorry to see it go!

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Thank you for the update Orator & Arno. Personally, while we've enjoyed it on past sailings, we could live without it. With that said, I suspect this isnt going to sit well with many of the Celebrity faithful.

 

I agree. We went on the Equinox in January and it was beautiful, but really how much is too much. Nothing really new and what a waste. At the end all of that food goes in the garbage.

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Just read in a review of the Silhouette that sailed March 16th that they no longer or doing it. Is this correct ?? Anybody else run into this ??

 

Was cancelled on the March 9th sailing on Silouette . We were told officially by food service staff they had stopped it

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I won't miss it. Our first cruise was last year, it was lovely and the sculptures and presentation were impressive, but frankly: same food, just different platters!

 

I can see that it's a big time-sink for the staff, so I'll happily let it go.

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At the Galley Tour on our recent Silhouette cruise, the Food and Beverage Manager said that it has been discontinued (at least on the Silhouette) due to the time and energy it takes to produce the buffet, in comparison to the enthusiasm for the event. He also mentioned waste and that it is tough to regulate the health and safety issues of the food and its prep.

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We were on the March 2 - March 9 sailing on the Silhouette and we were told that our Sea Day Brunch was the last one they were doing.

 

The only way we knew about it was our MDR waiter told us about it the night before. There was only one line about it in the Daily at the time it was to take place. No big advertising for it at all. I thought that was a real shame. A lot of people I talked to didn't know about it.

 

It was beautiful and very good. Although, a lot of what there was could be found in the buffet there was also unique stations. It was a really fun thing to have on the second to last sea day of our cruise.

 

I can see it would take a lot of extra work from the staff but there are a lot of people that did enjoy it.

 

I do not miss midnight buffets - too hard to stay up that late and eat that late, but this mid day brunch was great.

 

Sorry to see it go!

 

Yes that was the last one ;as of the 3/9 cruise no brunch .Very sorry to see it go like the midnight buffets .:o

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That's too bad. I will miss the brunch buffet. For me, it's one of the highlights.

 

I may choose Holland America next time, if I think the food might be better. I'm sailing on the Reflection in 8 days.

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The only thing I'll miss is the gravlox.....which for some unexplainable reason only appeared out of the blue for the grand buffet.

 

I will not miss watching folks take the shrimp, the desserts, the sushi with their fingers.....

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