Buffets !!!

I think we all like the fabulous buffets on cruise ships, but so often when reading reviews , or threads on the board, they come in for so much criticism.

So what do you think of the buffets we have down here?

Do you use them?

How do you use them?

Do you wander around and find a table, then send folk off one of at a time to get food , so you don't lose the table...

or

Fill your plate then wander around looking for somewhere to sit, while your food goes cold.?

or

Do you just give up with all the hassle and go to the dining room?

Why should buffets be such a hassle sometimes?

Should the cruise lines organise them better..

or

Should passengers learn a bit more etiquette?

I personally like the buffets on all the ships we have been on. I do however like to 'do' the dining room also. Variety for me. I always get a table first, then let DH get his hot food and then like the good wife that I am, I go. I detest others pushing in, not cleaning their hands prior, and coughing over the open food. I just think it is simple manners and etiquette. I hate it when they shove you aside as if its their last meal.

So, other than that, the buffets are great. Oh, lastly, in the buffet no-one notices if you (I) have one or five desserts...yum!

Jen

Don't like'em much myself!

I nicknamed the buffet on Arcadia (in line with the funny names that Pommie pubs have) - the "Shove and Shovel". Queen Mary 2 buffet wasn't much better - but a knick name like "Where can I sit down to eat this now" is obviously too long, even though it is apt.

The food is NEVER as good as what you get in the MDR (at least on the 6 ships of my personal acquaintance). I also find the passengers frequenting the Buffet to be less "sociable" than MDR diners (particularly so at lunchtime and breakfast) - less likely to wish to converse with "strangers".

But I am very happy that the buffets seem to be popular - it means that for me there are less surly late starters in the MDR at breakfast time and more friendly ones having a leisurely and chatty lunch.

Barry

What a great thread,

I have never seen a bad buffet on any of the cruises I have been on.

It's only the getting a seat when you have your food that is a problem, so we employ the: Get a seat, let the kids go up and then we get ours.

I must say though I found the crowding less of a problem at lunch on the ships that had the afternoon poolside BBQs because people would forego the buffet.

I think the only time we have had a real problem is breakfast on port days when everyone tries to have an early breakfast. You can always go out near the pool deck though.

I would say overall that all our family and friends enjoy them and they are a great way to meet other people in a relaxed setting rather than across the table in the main dining room, it just depends how sociable you are really.

Paul

We prefer the Dining Room over the buffet. However, when you have little children sometimes the dining room is just too slow for them. They just want to get in & out as quick as possible. So on these occasions the buffet is great.

There is a corollary to this question - and that is, what is it that those who prefer to dine in the Buffet like about it??

Barry

We prefer anytime dining, I guess for the dining experience, chatting to different folk and getting dressed up. However, I like the buffet because there is never enough vegies on plates in the MDR. I eat very little meat and in the buffet, I can load up with vegies and pick and choose what I want.

In the Buffet, we also grab a table first, then I let DH get his food and then I go and peruse what is available and then I go and collect the food I want. In the Buffet, one can also see first what the sweets (and soups) look like. Sometimes in the MDR, the sweets are different to what you thought they might be.

The downside in the buffet is the crash and grab but we try to go when it is not so busy, but the buffet always seems busy. Ice-cream is also better in the MDR.

Rosie

Weeellllllll! First, we prefer the MDR for dinner. We like to have the same waiters and fellow passengers with whom we have built up a rapport. I look on it as a social event. For lunch it's either, depending on the day, circumstances etc. - mostly buffet, because we can choose heaps of salad items and avoid too much bad stuff (good stuff!!! :D). The MDR lunch menu is too tempting. Breakfast - mostly buffet, as it is quicker and I can change my mind during the meal if I want.

So far we have had no problems with buffet food - but always choose food from the back of the tray, and plates from the back of the stacks. Haven't had much trouble finding a place to sit - if it's fairly full we take turns collecting our food.

So what do you think of the buffets we have down here?

I have found that Princess buffets (both (Aus and O/S) have always been inviting, offer great variety and taste great.

Do you use them? Definitely - sometimes for all 3 meals a day and snack times

How do you use them?

Arrive 'when the bell rings' and beat the queues. (The early, say 5am risers, win hands down re the hassle-free breakfast time). It's one of the reasons you wear a watch on a cruise.:p

Do you wander around and find a table, then send folk off one of at a time to get food , so you don't lose the table...

There's always a vacant table at opening times, so I do the 'look-and see' round of the selection first, select and come back for seconds.

Fill your plate then wander around looking for somewhere to sit, while your food goes cold.? Learned never to do this...unless it's a salad meal

which can also be taken outside

or

Do you just give up with all the hassle and go to the dining room?

only go here at dinner time.

Why should buffets be such a hassle sometimes?

Maybe it's because people can't decide or the stations are set up incorrectly?

Should the cruise lines organise them better..

or

Should passengers learn a bit more etiquette? I think they have done their best given the space they have to work with. Of course it helps to be patient if you arrive in peak hour.

Just my opinion....

A top post Barry.

Also, the sweeties buffet on the HC of the Sun and Dawn Princesses rates an A+++

I think we all like the fabulous buffets on cruise ships, but so often when reading reviews , or threads on the board, they come in for so much criticism.

 

So what do you think of the buffets we have down here?

We have only been to Australia on the Sun Princess "Around Australia" for 29 days in 2008, and we loved the buffet aboard!

 

Do you use them?

Yes, every day we had lunch there, and I'd go and feast on cold shrimp with lemon wedges and cocktail sauce around 6 p.m. as a "holdover" until late seating dining!!

 

How do you use them?

I go "survey the food scene" while DH gets a table; I then join him and he goes off to get a plate and "make lunch;" when he returns, I go get my plate and quickly return--my "survey" having paid off. We do basically the same thing at breakfast if we haven't ordered room service.

 

Do you wander around and find a table, then send folk off one of at a time to get food , so you don't lose the table...

or

Fill your plate then wander around looking for somewhere to sit, while your food goes cold.?

See "How do you use them?" right above.

or

Do you just give up with all the hassle and go to the dining room?

We enjoy the MDR for late seating dinner.

 

Why should buffets be such a hassle sometimes?

Too many people at one time "descending" on the buffet; we've observed this usually happens when shore excursions return, and folks are hungry!

 

Should the cruise lines organise them better..

or

Should passengers learn a bit more etiquette?

Both, however we shouldn't expect too much because it's a challenge to "teach old dogs new tricks!"

 

Thanks for starting this post! I've enjoyed reading the replies, and I've enjoyed posting myself!!

 

 

Tried to answer above--hope it works!

Best semi buffet we have had is on the Rhapsody, in MDR at lunch but only on sea days unfortunately. Service is at table for entree, mains, desserts and/or salad bar. Just point out salads, meats, seafood & cheese items as you move down the line of chefs who put it in a large bowl, mix with dressing and serve on a huge plate. More than enough for lunch is salad bar only. Just hoping Radiance has it also in 2012. Delicious and relaxing way to lunch. Mostly avoid breakfast buffet and have room service. Do enjoy afternoon snack in buffet when returning from shore trip particularly if we skip lunch. Almost always dine late sitting in MDR. Can't disagree with Kinkacruiser, found food on recent short Sun Princess cruise, delicious and dare I say generally better than Rhapsody! and SP would cook our steak in MDR to our taste not just rare or medium. I was surprised as I wasn't particularly impressed previously when on Dawn Princess. Anyhow one thing for sure no matter what buffet or MDR on whatevever ship there is always too much food to tempt!

Well, as I said previously this is a great thread,

It's a change for me to be on a friendly one. (perhaps it's me!)

On all the cruises we have been on I think the thing I like best about the buffets are the salads with all the little extras and dressings that are available.

If you try and replicate it at home it costs an arm and a leg because you have to buy all the bits and pieces and unless you have a family with 16 kids it's not cost effective, you may as well eat out.

By the way I saw a TV show the other night about a couple in the U.S. that have just had their 16th child, the woman had spent most of her life pregnant!

Wonder if they have ever been cruising, if they did you would have to get to the buffet before them!

Paul

Hi all..I prefer the get dressed sit down formal affair :)..but guess it's each to there own..I have partaken in the Buffet Congo but only when in a hurry with things to do :rolleyes:...food has been pretty good as far as I remember..as Hot Chilli said small kids = buffet for convenience..

And Paul what is it with your replies to threads seems some one is always having a crack at you :( lol..more than once I have had to spring to your defense lol :)

The buffet food has always been fine, often the selection includes the meals available in the MDR for lunch and dinner.

For me the buffet is all about convenience and being able to pick what I want and when I want to eat ... so if I am on a timetable to catch a particular show or tender then the buffet cuts down on the time taken to eat.

On average I eat most breakfasts in the buffet, almost half of my lunches in the buffet but rarely for dinner preferring the sit-down experience.

If it is busy, then best to grab a table first and take turns to get the food .. but if there are plenty of tables then pick one after getting the food.

However, after reading some reviews of the buffet on Celebrity Solstice, a whole new mode of 'service' comes into play. The staff will find you a table, carry your plates (plural??!!) and even pull out the chair for you! Can't wait to experience this :D

However, after reading some reviews of the buffet on Celebrity Solstice, a whole new mode of 'service' comes into play. The staff will find you a table, carry your plates (plural??!!) and even pull out the chair for you! Can't wait to experience this :D

Thats really good to hear.

I believe all the cruise lines want their guests to have the best experience they can whilst on board.

I noticed a huge change on Diamond Princess last year. On the previous cruise with them, the buffet was just the same as usual, but on this one, you wandered around to each section as it was opened up, and took a vacant table. You could tell they were vacant as the cutlery, wrapped in a napkin , was there waiting for you. Upon taking a place the staff for that section were over straight away offering coffee, juices etc, which were promptly brought, and then you could go up to the food servery and choose your selection.

Once passengers got the hang of how they were working it , it all went very well and helped to enhance the buffet experience.

A lot of course depends on the layout the staff have to work with, both in seating arrangements and food layout.

It was great to see Princess actively working at making things run smoother, both for the staff and for guests.

you could tell they were vacant as the cutlery, wrapped in a napkin , was there waiting for you

It was the same on Rhapsody at dinner time. They did have servers doing a drink service as well (at all meals actually) but I just helped myself as usually they were so busy they didn't even make it to your table.

Breakfast..mdr..always nice and quite, with plenty of seats.

Lunch.. buffet..find a seat and take it turns, usually get there

early so its easier to get a table. Do this as we like to

get lunch over reasonably quick and get on with activitiies..

like resting and reading:D

Dinner..MDR.. this is a meal that I like to enjoy and take my time with.

Overall I'd say the food in the buffet was good..the only thing that

made it a bit unpleasant at times were rude people ie queue jumpers..

though I think by rearranging the buffet areas this seems to be a thing

of the past..at least I haven't heard any complaints lately.

Maybe they should just look beyond Buffets and replace them with long troughs and buckets that way if people in there rudeness jump queues..they can be reminded by simply chaining them up to the trough's untill they find there manners :)

We usually go to the MDR for dinner - more of an occasion, and getting to know the same waiters is good - but lunch and breakfast in the buffet.

We noticed a change in service on our last cruise, on Pacific Pearl (which has the best buffet of the 4 P&O Aus ships, in my opinion). The staff were there waiting to hand you a tray with the plates, bowl, cutlery etc on it, and once you had everything you wanted if you looked lost or looked like you could do with a hand, they would carry the tray for you and escort you to a spare table (of which there were always several).

The worst buffet is the one on Pacific Sun - disjointed, and with different sections all over the place it encourages people to flit from one queue to another, instead of all nicely moving together in an organised line.

We prefer MDR for all meals.

However, we loved Poesia's small buffet area, at the back of the ship, which was perfect for enjoying a quick breakfast outside, whilst coming into port.

Been on 2 cruises-one with Princess, one with P&O.

Both times, we tended to have breakfast and lunch in the buffet and dinner in the dining room.

Reason? The meals in the dining room were better quality and desserts were definitely different(That was true on P&O anyway).

I like the buffet but was not pleased it shut down on P&O, I liked the Princess buffet concept where something was open 24/7.

We tended to get a plate, find a table. Didn't always work out so well in peak times, I have to admit. But if you are on your own and popping in for a snack, what else can you do?

I think some buffets could be better organised. I liked the princess buffet but the layout meant you had to wander from side to side a bit. It wasn't pushing in as such, I don't know what else you could do in the circumstances.

Never had any staff help at buffets. My big bugbear was getting the meal, finding a table, then having to leave the meal and wander off to line up again to get a coffee. I would have loved that service someone else mentioned, where buffet staff brought drinks to you.

We tried the dining room for breakfast one morning, on Pacific Dawn, when the buffet line was so long the last in line were almost hanging in the ocean. It was very good. Service was fast. Next time we went though, it was slower. Buffet is good if you want a quick get away.

I've always wondered if people who love buffets on cruise ships love them on dry land as well?

If they're dining out with family and friends would they always prefer to go to Sizzler rather than an À la carte restaurant?

I've always wondered if people who love buffets on cruise ships love them on dry land as well?

 

If they're dining out with family and friends would they always prefer to go to Sizzler rather than an À la carte restaurant?

Not necessarily so. I find Sizzler's very boring, yet I don't mind a buffet on other occasions. It all depends on the type of food, and time available. I do think enjoying an À la carte meal with good company is the best, though.

I've always wondered if people who love buffets on cruise ships love them on dry land as well?

 

If they're dining out with family and friends would they always prefer to go to Sizzler rather than an À la carte restaurant?

I think it all depends on the occasion.

I like both , buffet for brekky and lunch and Dining Room for Dinner...

but then on sea days I go to the Dining Room for lunch.

It all depends.

We have had a "rash" of weddings lately, lots of Nieces and Nephews getting hitched :) and it has been interesting to note the differences in the receptions.

Most have been a buffet , but one was a sort of A la carte, and it took forever to serve everyone.:eek: