Favorite items on the buffet...

[CGTNORMANDIE]

Which line has the best buffet and what are your favorite foods on the buffet??? 

[rkacruiser]

3 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

Which line has the best buffet and what are your favorite foods on the buffet??? 

 

Sir, a definition of " best buffet" is required.  Lido Restaurant-type buffet?  Grand Show-type buffet?  A dessert or seafood oriented buffet?  Or, all of the above?  😁

[Mary229]

I think the point of the buffet is that you don’t need to have a hierarchy to your eating.  You can try all and have a new favorite everyday.  
 

As crazy as it sounds the only thing I squirrel away are those meringue kisses.  One chef was not offering them and we power walked on the promenade together.  A polite request and the meringues arrived every day and I did my best to show my appreciation by eating as many as I could 

[CGTNORMANDIE]

52 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Sir, a definition of " best buffet" is required.  Lido Restaurant-type buffet?  Grand Show-type buffet?  A dessert or seafood oriented buffet?  Or, all of the above?  😁

Sir...when was the last time you saw a Grand Buffet??  Of course I’m talking about the Lido Buffet.  If you love a desert buffet, a seafood buffet or ethnic buffet, by all means, say so and please let us know what line what ship. 😂

Edited April 21, 2021 by CGTNORMANDIE

[rkacruiser]

13 minutes ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

Sir...when was the last time you saw a Grand Buffet??  Of course I’m talking about the Lido Buffet.  If you love a desert buffet, a seafood buffet or ethnic buffet, by all means, say so and please let us know what line what ship. 😂

 

OK.  As my 6th Grade Teacher said in her infinite wisdom, "let's put our thinking caps on".  I will do so.  How accurate as to the timing?  The ship?  I will do the best that I can.  But, not tonight.  

[CGTNORMANDIE]

21 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

OK.  As my 6th Grade Teacher said in her infinite wisdom, "let's put our thinking caps on".  I will do so.  How accurate as to the timing?  The ship?  I will do the best that I can.  But, not tonight.  

Your time is up!!  Inquiring minds want to know!!😄

[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

Your time is up!!  Inquiring minds want to know!!😄

 

Wow!  You sound like my 6th Grade Teacher!  🤣

 

My most recent (which are not so recent thanks to USPH) that I recall.  I'll keep "thinking", "Miss Keller".  RIP.  

 

2002, Volendam's Asia Pacific Cruise's Grand Show Buffet.

 

2008, Amsterdam's Grand World Voyage Grand Show Buffet.  

 

There was a dessert extravaganza during one HAL long cruise around the mid-ship's pool that was memorable.  Date?  Ship?  Unsure.  Could have been on the delivery of the Statendam to Singapore for its transfer to P&O Australia.  HAL pulled "all of the stops" during that cruise.  It was the HAL experience that first attracted me to HAL.  

 

When the President of HAL comes aboard for a few days during a Grand World Voyage, there always is an extra special touch added to the programming for those days.  A dessert extravaganza and/or show buffet of some type usually is part of that celebration of his presence.  

 

The most recent edition of Royal Princess had a wide a variety of seafood during one lunch in their Lido Restaurant one cruise.  Showy?  No.  

 

 

[rkacruiser]

1 minute ago, rkacruiser said:

When the President of HAL comes aboard for a few days

 

Maybe as an interesting aside to some, one memory specifically stands out to me.

 

A holiday cruise on Nieuw Amsterdam, (the most recent one), as I was leaving the Greenhouse Spa to return my locker room key to the desk, a staff member was escorting Mr. Arnold Donald towards the area where I had left.  The CCL CEO was aboard and there was "no fuss or etc."  The night we sailed from Port Everglades, my MDR table was close to the entrance of the MDR.  Captain and Mrs. van Zaane, I saw, was escorted to a table beyond my sight.  I told my dining companion, for such to happen on the day we sail, "someone of some importance is aboard."  Proved to be so.  

[CGTNORMANDIE]

15 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Wow!  You sound like my 6th Grade Teacher!  🤣

 

My most recent (which are not so recent thanks to USPH) that I recall.  I'll keep "thinking", "Miss Keller".  RIP.  

 

2002, Volendam's Asia Pacific Cruise's Grand Show Buffet.

 

2008, Amsterdam's Grand World Voyage Grand Show Buffet.  

 

There was a dessert extravaganza during one HAL long cruise around the mid-ship's pool that was memorable.  Date?  Ship?  Unsure.  Could have been on the delivery of the Statendam to Singapore for its transfer to P&O Australia.  HAL pulled "all of the stops" during that cruise.  It was the HAL experience that first attracted me to HAL.  

 

When the President of HAL comes aboard for a few days during a Grand World Voyage, there always is an extra special touch added to the programming for those days.  A dessert extravaganza and/or show buffet of some type usually is part of that celebration of his presence.  

 

The most recent edition of Royal Princess had a wide a variety of seafood during one lunch in their Lido Restaurant one cruise.  Showy?  No.  

 

 

Thank you RK.  I have a lot of great buffet memories...for sure.  However, the title to this thread poses the question...what are your favorite items on the (Lido) buffet?  
 

Maybe you could expound on your recent experiences with the special seafood buffet on Princess or some of the daily offerings on HAL??  

[rkacruiser]

9 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

some of the daily offerings on HAL??  

 

One of the most significant advances to HAL Lido Restaurant's offerings, in my opinion, has been the creation of the Asian section of the buffet.  The cuisine of different areas of Asia are featured daily at lunch time.  Korean, Japanese, Vietnam, Chinese, Filipino, etc., its a rotating type of menu.  One never knows what to expect when one goes for lunch.  What I have observed is the patronage of many of the Officers and staff members who go there for lunch.  

 

Even during breakfast hours, if one wishes Congee for breakfast, it's available along with the appropriate condiments.  

[rkacruiser]

10 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

Maybe you could expound on your recent experiences with the special seafood buffet on Princess

 

Without the seafood being too exotic, if it swam in the ocean, it probably was on the buffet.  Shrimp in all of its glorious renditions, a variety of different fish and their preparations, lobster tails, clams, and maybe mussels.  Clam Chowder was the featured soup of the day.  (There was an alternative, if I recall correctly.)  I also recall a seafood salad that included octopus.  Calamari?  Not sure that I recall that since that is not my favorite seafood.  Didn't look for such.  

 

What was missing was a plentiful supply of lemon wedges.  I finally asked a Head Waiter in the Restaurant for a plate of lemon wedges.  I did receive them.  

[CGTNORMANDIE]

36 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Without the seafood being too exotic, if it swam in the ocean, it probably was on the buffet.  Shrimp in all of its glorious renditions, a variety of different fish and their preparations, lobster tails, clams, and maybe mussels.  Clam Chowder was the featured soup of the day.  (There was an alternative, if I recall correctly.)  I also recall a seafood salad that included octopus.  Calamari?  Not sure that I recall that since that is not my favorite seafood.  Didn't look for such.  

 

What was missing was a plentiful supply of lemon wedges.  I finally asked a Head Waiter in the Restaurant for a plate of lemon wedges.  I did receive them.  

Now we are getting down to it.  The seafood sounds divine.  I happen to like octopus done Greek style...char grilled with lemon, olive oil and seasonings.  The Greeks beat the octopus on the rocks to soften it before cooking.  Calamari?  Italian style stuffed and baked in a marinara sauce served over linguine...yummmm.  
 

I only went to the buffet once on my last cruise.  It was the MSC pizza that got me...good dough and good sauce.  
 

It drives me nut when they offer exotic food and no accompaniment...like egg rolls with no duck sauce or hot mustard.  The best one was great Indian food on Royal Caribbean  and no condiments.  Has the buffet food gotten so routine that nobody has any favorite foods??  

[rkacruiser]

16 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

 It was the MSC pizza that got me...good dough and good sauce.  

 

Yes, their pizza was very good.

 

Maybe I missed the notice in the Princess Patters, but, I don't think I did.  The seafood buffet just appeared one lunch time and I was unaware of it until I walked through the buffet restaurant.  I have the same "complaint" with HAL when they have some type of special lunch time buffet option available.  No advance notice. Since I can no longer consume as much as I once did, if I knew that a special buffet at lunch time was coming, I could eat a much smaller breakfast.  

[CGTNORMANDIE]

Thanks for responding RK.  I think we are having a one on one conversation.  You can see how much traffic this thread is attracting...LOL.  It might be that the buffet has become ho-hum??  I find that hard to believe especially when I remember some of the memorable plate loads I’ve seen going by me in previous years...LOL.  I have seen some really weird combinations piled high...along with some comical scenes at the buffet.  I once took a picture of a man pushing his tray along.  His stomach was so big it hung over the tray rail...LOL.  I also like to take pictures of the crew working behind the counter at the buffet.  They are hard working and under appreciated.  

[rkacruiser]

2 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

I think we are having a one on one conversation.  You can see how much traffic this thread is attracting...LOL.  It might be that the buffet has become ho-hum??

 

I enjoy our conversations!  More input by others always add another dimension to what we have experienced and are welcome.    

 

Ho-hum buffets?  Yes, I think that may be so.  New guests to cruising really don't know what to expect.  I have advocated on other CC forums regarding buffet topics that one ought to take the time to "survey" what is available before one grabs a plate (oh, and I miss the trays that were once available) and starts piling it food only to finally see what they had missed further "down the line".  

 

Initially, I didn't care for the "stations" concept that HAL and Celebrity created.  But, I learned that the concept made sense.  Why would one choose a Thai entree combined with French Fries as an example?  

2 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

 I also like to take pictures of the crew working behind the counter at the buffet.  They are hard working and under appreciated.  

 

Indeed, they are.  And, the more familiar one is to them, the better the guest's experience is with their service.  

[CntPAcruiser]

I can't speak to the line having the best buffet since we have only cruised on Royal Caribbean. The newest ships we have been on are Oasis-class, and those have the most extensive, most interesting buffets of the ships we've been on. It's possible that the newer ships are even better, but my guess is that they are fairly similar. 

 

There was a mention above of Indian food served on Royal without condiments, which I have never seen. Plenty of Indian food, yes, but always with the accompaniments. The aforementioned Oasis-class ships had a wide selection of foods of the world at all mealtimes, for instance, congee and miso soup at breakfast, with the various mix-ins. Part of this is attributable to the passenger mix they are trying to appeal to or accommodate, and in part it is attributable to the kitchen staff. On Royal, there is a large Indian population in the kitchen, so there is Indian food for the staff/crew and passengers, which I consider a plus. 

 

Edit: Just after writing the above, I went on the Royal board and saw a thread about crew members from India being banned for now because of COVID. They'll probably still have Indian food ....

Edited April 25, 2021 by CntPAcruiser

[rkacruiser]

5 hours ago, CntPAcruiser said:

On Royal, there is a large Indian population in the kitchen, so there is Indian food for the staff/crew and passengers, which I consider a plus. 

 

The international mix of crew members on ships these days provide for a different dimension to the cruise experience for those guests that choose to avail themselves of it.  

 

HAL employs many Indonesian galley staff and they provide some excellent Indonesian cuisine.  Sambal is a sauce that comes in different degrees of "heat".  There have been occasions when an Indonesian dish was offered on a HAL menu, but, no Sambul was served.  Once when that happened, I asked for some and my Steward said:  are you sure you want that?  I did and he returned from the galley with a bottle of the stuff.  It added to the dish.  

 

I associate ships crewed with specific nationalities or fly a specific national flag with a specific cuisine that ought to be excellent.  Cunard:  Fish and Chips (hold the Mushy Peas, however, for me), Bangers and Mash, etc.  MSC:  Italian cuisine including pizza (which the chefs on Meraviglia did very well) as well as what I consider "innovative Italian cuisine", i.e. pasta with a pesto sauce(!).  It was good, but, being "green" in color, surely was different from what I have experienced.  The Italian chefs on Princess usually do--but not consistently--an excellent Fettuccine Alfredo.  Their pizza--particularly at Alfredo's, if the ship has one, is delicious.  Sabatini's  never disappoints.  

 

Cruising delights many our our senses!

[CGTNORMANDIE]

On 4/25/2021 at 11:53 AM, CntPAcruiser said:

I can't speak to the line having the best buffet since we have only cruised on Royal Caribbean. The newest ships we have been on are Oasis-class, and those have the most extensive, most interesting buffets of the ships we've been on. It's possible that the newer ships are even better, but my guess is that they are fairly similar. 

 

There was a mention above of Indian food served on Royal without condiments, which I have never seen. Plenty of Indian food, yes, but always with the accompaniments. The aforementioned Oasis-class ships had a wide selection of foods of the world at all mealtimes, for instance, congee and miso soup at breakfast, with the various mix-ins. Part of this is attributable to the passenger mix they are trying to appeal to or accommodate, and in part it is attributable to the kitchen staff. On Royal, there is a large Indian population in the kitchen, so there is Indian food for the staff/crew and passengers, which I consider a plus. 

 

Edit: Just after writing the above, I went on the Royal board and saw a thread about crew members from India being banned for now because of COVID. They'll probably still have Indian food ....

Glad to hear that RCI is finally serving up the condiments with their Indian food.  I love Indian food but I need my favorite condiments.  Fruit chutneys, riata with yoghurt, mint and tomato or my favorite, sweet lemon yoghurt with sliced banana!  Mustard pickle is also required.  

[getting older slowly]

On 4/21/2021 at 6:11 AM, CGTNORMANDIE said:

Which line has the best buffet and what are your favorite foods on the buffet??? 

Buffet best... any one which has what you want.. ( noting this can change on a cruise )

 

Use of said Buffet..... lunch port days.... and sometimes after dinner desserts...   

but not to sit in...    we take our food back to our cabin...

( if nice day for eating on balcony with some wine )..

 

Favorite food...... Chicken Caesar Wraps,, fries , salad  ( we bring our own creme balsamic vinegar ) ....  and it depended on what is on offer.

 

Prefer to eat in MDR...

 

Don

 

[BklynBoy8]

We terribly miss the old Kings Court on the QM2 through many critical comments were made about it.

 

The one section that I really enjoyed was the Asian section. They made Oriental items as close to the Take Out stores we have at home.

 

Greatest LoMein, Stir Fry items and Fried Rice. I could have ate there everyday if I could. I did take advantage of it as often as was able to. They even made a dish if you requested it if they had the ingredients.

 

My DW enjoyed the Cravery with a Great Prime Rib.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

10 hours ago, getting older slowly said:

Buffet best... any one which has what you want.. ( noting this can change on a cruise )

 

Use of said Buffet..... lunch port days.... and sometimes after dinner desserts...   

but not to sit in...    we take our food back to our cabin...

( if nice day for eating on balcony with some wine )..

 

Favorite food...... Chicken Caesar Wraps,, fries , salad  ( we bring our own creme balsamic vinegar ) ....  and it depended on what is on offer.

 

Prefer to eat in MDR...

 

Don

 

I am also guilty of taking food back to the cabin.  Usually it is a big sticky bun from the breakfast buffet since it’s not offered on the room service menu.  

[BklynBoy8]

3 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

I am also guilty of taking food back to the cabin.  Usually it is a big sticky bun from the breakfast buffet since it’s not offered on the room service menu.  

The one thing I liked and didn't see the last time in the QM2 buffet was pretzel salted rolls. So great. I too took them as cabin snack...

[Seamus6]

favorites are usually Asian stirfrys and meatballs

backups include pizza and other Italian dishes not mainly consisting of pasta, tacos and mexican dishes.

 

I might put a sample of Indian dishes on my plate to try to finally find a curry I can stand but haven't found much so far

 

I don't usually get pasta because rarely see anything unusual and can get better on land.

 

I like puddings and custards for dessert on buffet if I have one at all

 

CHEESE!

 

[rkacruiser]

On 5/9/2021 at 11:21 PM, BklynBoy8 said:

My DW enjoyed the Cravery with a Great Prime Rib.

 

The Carvery was very good when I sailed on QM2.

 

On 5/9/2021 at 11:21 PM, BklynBoy8 said:

the old Kings Court on the QM2

 

When I sailed on QM2, the Kings Court was not "this" guest's friendly.  Better than the buffet restaurant on the "new" Royal Princess?  Not by much.  The designers of these restaurants need to keep in mind the "KISS" philosophy, in my opinion.  

[BklynBoy8]

They had great mini sandwiches at the Pre Midnight Snack on the QM2 before settling in.

 

Others at the other table would be eating Ice Cream, Pizza or Spagh & Meatballs..... S&M near Midnight??? you know what I mean.

 

Oh well, to each his own.