Buffets - self serve, or not?

[Pia1913]

Specifically asking about Freedom

[smokeybandit]

I doubt you'll ever see fully self serve Windjammer again since it's a cost savings measure.

 

[LB_NJ]

I prefer when it is NOT self serve.

[nelblu]

25 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

I doubt you'll ever see fully self serve Windjammer again since it's a cost savings measure.

 

How can it be a cost savings measure when they have more staff in the WJ.  If you are talking about the lower amount of food consumptions, I haven't so far seen that in my 3 sails since they began sailing.

 

No self-serv on Oasis, Mariner or Allure. 

[Tatka]

1 hour ago, smokeybandit said:

I doubt you'll ever see fully self serve Windjammer again since it's a cost savings measure.

 

 

They are not refusing to put more food if you want.

But I have not heard about noro cases lately.

[smokeybandit]

43 minutes ago, nelblu said:

How can it be a cost savings measure when they have more staff in the WJ.  If you are talking about the lower amount of food consumptions, I haven't so far seen that in my 3 sails since they began sailing.

 

No self-serv on Oasis, Mariner or Allure. 

Not less food eaten, but less food thrown away.

[Biker19]

9 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Not less food eaten, but less food thrown away.

If the cost of extra staff was less than the food waste, RCI would have implemented this way before COVID.

[smokeybandit]

1 minute ago, Biker19 said:

If the cost of extra staff was less than the food waste, RCI would have implemented this way before COVID.

Are there really extra staff though? More staff visible, but is it really more staff?

[Biker19]

Just now, smokeybandit said:

Are there really extra staff though?

Yes. Virtually every station with food has a person behind the counter whereas pre COVID there were usually none. They could pre-plate more items to cut down on the number of staff needed, but it doesn't seem to be happening, yet.

[smokeybandit]

7 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Yes. Virtually every station with food has a person behind the counter whereas pre COVID there were usually none. They could pre-plate more items to cut down on the number of staff needed, but it doesn't seem to be happening, yet.

But did they hire more people, or just shift people around?

 

Also yes, there's several stations that are pre-plated or pre-packaged that don't need staffed

[Baowen]

No self-serve on the Windjammers on the Ovation, Oasis , or Navigator.  So, I assume that the Freedom will be the same for now.

 

I also doubt it saving them money with the increased staffing.  They might be making the servers work longer hours or pulling them from somewhere else which means there is no additional cost for them.

[Biker19]

8 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

But did they hire more people, or just shift people around?

They probably did shift folks around, but eventually those folks need to go back to their "regular" jobs - something else is probably not being done which normally would happen if the ship was close to 100% capacity. The ship probably has very little long-term capacity for increased staff - even making room for the COVID police (which is the only thing I think RCI acknowledged to increase staff with) long term may be problematic.

Edited February 3, 2022 by Biker19

[nelblu]

41 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Not less food eaten, but less food thrown away.

Haven't seen that either.

[nelblu]

27 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Yes. Virtually every station with food has a person behind the counter whereas pre COVID there were usually none. They could pre-plate more items to cut down on the number of staff needed, but it doesn't seem to be happening, yet.

The only pre-plate that I saw was pre-prepared sandwiches which was also prevalent prior to the pandemic.

 

Social distancing was followed intently in WJ with every other table available.  It was eased on Mariner Dec. 4 sail, but that was before the explosion of the C variant.

[Biker19]

2 minutes ago, nelblu said:

The only pre-plate that I saw was pre-prepared sandwiches which was also prevalent prior to the pandemic.

The amount and kind of food pre-plated seems to vary by ship and probably over time as well.

[Anton]

2 hours ago, Pia1913 said:

Specifically asking about Freedom

I was on Freedom for the first two weeks of January and the Windjammer was crew-serving only. 

[Pia1913]

Thank you all for your responses. I kind of figured it was going to be served.

[davekathy]

2 minutes ago, Pia1913 said:

Thank you all for your responses. I kind of figured it was going to be served.

Even though we don't frequent the WJ very much we hope self served will never come back. 

[loman]

here is a recent video of the buffet on Allure 

 

 

 

 

 

[taglovestocruise]

Over the last few weeks most of the Vegas Buffetts have gone back to total self serve. Cruise lines may not be far behind. Two weeks ago on Navigator the freestyle machines were self serve, bread and deserts in WJ were also self serve. Coffee, pastries, small sandwiches in DL were self serve.  You could not sit at any bar but you could stand there and talk as long as you wanted.

[asalligo]

My Wife dislikes them serving as she cannot get them to only give her a small amount. She likes to try a little of a few things and serving herself allows her to get just a little of each. I have watched her, they really do not understand just a little. To their defense though, my grandmother always says just a little and means fill the damn plate bucko. 

 

[Oceansaway17]

2 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

Not less food eaten, but less food thrown away.

 

yes this is true.  during Captains quarter on Anthem in November of last year, that question was asked and the Food and Beverage officer/manager said it was pretty significant number of less food thrown away and he was happy about it.  Helps the bottom line too.

[Oceansaway17]

1 hour ago, Pia1913 said:

Thank you all for your responses. I kind of figured it was going to be served.

 

but sometime during my cruise in November, they did loosen up a bit and let us serve our own beverages in the 24 hr cafe.  This is one area where folks were finally happy because waiting 5 minutes for water or tea can be annoying.

[Pia1913]

1 hour ago, loman said:

here is a recent video of the buffet on Allure 

 

 

Very interesting video thank you. 

 

 

 

[Ashland]

1 hour ago, taglovestocruise said:

Over the last few weeks most of the Vegas Buffetts have gone back to total self serve. Cruise lines may not be far behind. Two weeks ago on Navigator the freestyle machines were self serve, bread and deserts in WJ were also self serve. Coffee, pastries, small sandwiches in DL were self serve.  You could not sit at any bar but you could stand there and talk as long as you wanted.

On my Navigator Jan 17th sailing in WJ some small items plated...but no self serve for bread, butter or desserts. S/L absolutely no self serve during happy hours not sure about the coffee machine during the off hours.