Carnival Celebration buffet a mess

[hapytobehr]

I was on the Celebration during NYE when it's probably most crowded and did not experience anything like that.  It appeared to be staffed well and the service was great in all the venues with the exception of Cucina where the service was awful (food was good).

 

The only negative was the design of Celebration central where the shows were performed.  

 

We loved the ship so much we are going again in March. (and my DH always hated the big ships)

[jam19872016]

So funny enough I'm sitting in Lido right now enjoying a leisurely breakfast as I'm doing b2b. I'm sitting right next to the crew entrance to the area behind Lido.

 

I see a group of officers having a chat and look over and realize they are talking to an inspector. 

 

Then they go in the kitchen and next thing I know a crew member who appears to be normally assigned to bussing the tables is stationed just outside the door and turning the rest of the crew who try to enter away.

 

Thankfully it's turn around day so no new plates need to be restocked and if the dishes pile up outside it won't have the audience celebration had. 

 

Very interesting to me to witness this after reading this topic and I suspect this is the normal SOP for an inspection that just didn't translate well to an inspection occurring on a port day during meal service. 

[ray98]

Folks...it was a temporary situation during an inspection.  Don't make it something it isn't.

[chengkp75]

On 1/19/2023 at 11:52 PM, ohioNCLcruiser said:

Yup and that was exactly what was happening in the OP's photos. You make the galley and dishwashing area perfect and then make it restricted access until the inspection is done.

I've done many USPH inspections with NCL, and there is no way that the inspectors would tolerate a "restricted access" inspection.  Part of the inspection and score is to witness actual meal service.  And, if they then walked out to the buffet area and found stacks of dirty dishes, that would be a major ding, and would be a strong indicator to the inspectors that things were being staged.  Inspectors also insist on questioning crew while doing their assigned duties, so not sure how staging an area with nothing going on, yet meal service coming from that area, would be "doing normal duties".

[Oceansaway17]

On 1/19/2023 at 10:06 PM, jimbo5544 said:

I shall give it my best shot (the cruise).  I do long for 50K, but the road is long, with many a winding turn, that leads who knows where, knows when.  Oh, how I wish I wrote great songs.  

Oh just go up and down all the threads and reply AGREE to everything and see how fast your count grows. I mean if it is that important ha ha

[Oceansaway17]

2 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

I've done many USPH inspections with NCL, and there is no way that the inspectors would tolerate a "restricted access" inspection.  Part of the inspection and score is to witness actual meal service.  And, if they then walked out to the buffet area and found stacks of dirty dishes, that would be a major ding, and would be a strong indicator to the inspectors that things were being staged.  Inspectors also insist on questioning crew while doing their assigned duties, so not sure how staging an area with nothing going on, yet meal service coming from that area, would be "doing normal duties".

I bet you have some good stories you could tell.

I think inspectors can sniff out issues and cover ups very easily and glad that they must do them for protection of public health too.

[CajunOyster]

On 1/19/2023 at 11:48 PM, ohioNCLcruiser said:

Sorry that poor wording is my bad. I did not personally have those people demoted and fired but they were my Captain and Staff Captains when our surprise FDA inspection resulted in horrendous scores. I will still *never* go into a hot tub on a cruise ship from what I have seen from those inspections. 

Don't beat yourself up.  I think pretty much everyone else knew exactly what you meant.

[CeleBrat]

On 1/19/2023 at 11:52 PM, ohioNCLcruiser said:

Yup and that was exactly what was happening in the OP's photos. You make the galley and dishwashing area perfect and then make it restricted access until the inspection is done. We even had crew only stairwells we knew the inspectors wouldn't find and we would throw any item down it from the buffet that might have dust or something on it. The plastic flowers etc.

 

 

Just...ick.

 

Why was the dust not found and mitigated in the normal day-to-day cleaning?  And after "throwing something down a stairwell" did the crew just pick it up and place it back on the buffet without cleaning it or dust and/or floor germs/dirt?

 

 

[Oceansaway17]

On 1/19/2023 at 11:52 PM, ohioNCLcruiser said:

Yup and that was exactly what was happening in the OP's photos. You make the galley and dishwashing area perfect and then make it restricted access until the inspection is done. We even had crew only stairwells we knew the inspectors wouldn't find and we would throw any item down it from the buffet that might have dust or something on it. The plastic flowers etc.

 

wow well now if any inspectors read cc ya just tipped them off.   perhaps next inspection might now include crew areas too.   boo hoo

[chengkp75]

14 minutes ago, Oceansaway17 said:

wow well now if any inspectors read cc ya just tipped them off.   perhaps next inspection might now include crew areas too.   boo hoo

Inspections always include crew spaces.  I can't think of a single space on a ship that they don't at least walk through.

[Oceansaway17]

Just now, chengkp75 said:

Inspections always include crew spaces.  I can't think of a single space on a ship that they don't at least walk through.

excellent to hear this.  and surprises are the best way to go.

[ohioNCLcruiser]

14 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

I've done many USPH inspections with NCL, and there is no way that the inspectors would tolerate a "restricted access" inspection.  Part of the inspection and score is to witness actual meal service.  And, if they then walked out to the buffet area and found stacks of dirty dishes, that would be a major ding, and would be a strong indicator to the inspectors that things were being staged.  Inspectors also insist on questioning crew while doing their assigned duties, so not sure how staging an area with nothing going on, yet meal service coming from that area, would be "doing normal duties".

I am a BIG fan of you on here and really respect all your knowledgeable posts on here whenever you post. Us crew (not staff or managers) was definitely restricted from entering the kitchens or dishwashing areas during our USPH inspections on certain ships ordered from some managers. I don't know if some were allowed in but we were 100% cut off from entering when they were ready for inspection or being inspected. If senior leadership wasn't aware of this our mid-level managers of those locations sure were. I know it was happening because I also went through many of these on the crew level, not an officer level, including all those deep clean nights. I was also not a manager during these times making those decisions. I only became a manager when I left F&B.

Edited January 22, 2023 by ohioNCLcruiser

[ohioNCLcruiser]

10 hours ago, CeleBrat said:

Just...ick.

 

Why was the dust not found and mitigated in the normal day-to-day cleaning?  And after "throwing something down a stairwell" did the crew just pick it up and place it back on the buffet without cleaning it or dust and/or floor germs/dirt?

 

 

It was nothing that would impact a guest or employee's health. It was for things that were so ridiculous that it was more to avoid the risk of inspectors looking to find something because they felt they had to find something. A plastic flower display that is dusted daily *might* have slight dust deep inside it. Some inspectors feel they need to find something so their bosses think they are being effective. We were dinged once for storing a consumable (coffee sugar packets) next to a non-consumable (wooden stir sticks). Cruise ship kitchens are the cleanest kitchens in the world, including on ships that have failed health inspections. The only place I would never go near are the hot tubs but I also wouldn't go near those at a hotel. 🙂

[ohioNCLcruiser]

8 hours ago, Oceansaway17 said:

wow well now if any inspectors read cc ya just tipped them off.   perhaps next inspection might now include crew areas too.   boo hoo

Most crew areas are checked, but every ship has their secret/hard to find areas. 

[chengkp75]

5 hours ago, ohioNCLcruiser said:

I don't know if some were allowed in but we were 100% cut off from entering when they were ready for inspection or being inspected. If senior leadership wasn't aware of this our mid-level managers of those locations sure were. I know it was happening because I also went through many of these on the crew level, not an officer level, including all those deep clean nights.

Totally amazed by this, and amazed that the inspectors did not twig to it.  They are some of the most experienced, knowledgeable, and savvy inspectors I've come across in my career, from any agency or institution.  Most come from years of state and local (quite a few from NYC) health inspectors, before coming to USPH.  Didn't your ship do the weekly "USPH inspections"?  We did, and virtually every officer and supervisor on the ship was involved.  The ship was broken down into small areas (both so the inspection could be in detail, and also so it didn't take more than 90 minutes), and one supervisor who had responsibility for that area,  and one supervisor from another department (fresh eyes), would inspect and score the area on the same basis as the real USPH inspectors would.  This got the crew into the habit of following USPH procedures daily, and gave them the "muscle memory" to follow them without thinking.  It also reduced the amount of "deep cleaning" that was needed.

[Old Fart Cruisers]

On 1/19/2023 at 11:48 PM, ohioNCLcruiser said:

I will still *never* go into a hot tub on a cruise ship from what I have seen from those inspections. 

 

I haven't seen this first hand, but last year someone posted on the other social site that there was a middle aged couple in the hot tub on the Pride.  The man had some kind of open sores all over his body🤢, which is disgusting enough, but then the wife took it to a new level of disgusting when she took out a razor and shaving cream and started shaving her legs 🤢🤮🤢🤮!

[Old Fart Cruisers]

We're in Miami now, doing a B2B.  Christine Duffy, along with some other bigwigs were on board this morning during the turnaround.   She made an announcement from the bridge to crew members, congratulating all on them for their hard work and getting 100% on the USPH inspection. 

[CajunOyster]

9 hours ago, Old Fart Cruisers said:

 

I haven't seen this first hand, but last year someone posted on the other social site that there was a middle aged couple in the hot tub on the Pride.  The man had some kind of open sores all over his body🤢, which is disgusting enough, but then the wife took it to a new level of disgusting when she took out a razor and shaving cream and started shaving her legs 🤢🤮🤢🤮!

 

Even without that silliness, all I have to do is watch guys sit in there for two hours at a time slamming down beer after beer... and never leaving the hot tub.  That's enough to keep me out.

 

[Oceansaway17]

On 1/22/2023 at 8:03 AM, Old Fart Cruisers said:

 

I haven't seen this first hand, but last year someone posted on the other social site that there was a middle aged couple in the hot tub on the Pride.  The man had some kind of open sores all over his body🤢, which is disgusting enough, but then the wife took it to a new level of disgusting when she took out a razor and shaving cream and started shaving her legs 🤢🤮🤢🤮!

all I can say is

EWwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

[pirate4me2]

On 1/22/2023 at 8:03 AM, Old Fart Cruisers said:

 

I haven't seen this first hand, but last year someone posted on the other social site that there was a middle aged couple in the hot tub on the Pride.  The man had some kind of open sores all over his body🤢, which is disgusting enough, but then the wife took it to a new level of disgusting when she took out a razor and shaving cream and started shaving her legs 🤢🤮🤢🤮!

Oh my gosh....that is awful. I think I may be avoiding the hot tubs now. 🤢

 

[ColeThornton]

On 1/22/2023 at 7:03 AM, Old Fart Cruisers said:

 

I haven't seen this first hand, but last year someone posted on the other social site that there was a middle aged couple in the hot tub on the Pride.  The man had some kind of open sores all over his body🤢, which is disgusting enough, but then the wife took it to a new level of disgusting when she took out a razor and shaving cream and started shaving her legs 🤢🤮🤢🤮!

 

 

I highly doubt that actually happened.

[CruizinSusan70]

On 1/19/2023 at 10:06 PM, jimbo5544 said:

I shall give it my best shot (the cruise).  I do long for 50K, but the road is long, with many a winding turn, that leads who knows where, knows when.  Oh, how I wish I wrote great songs.  

When it comes to long winding roads, you must tip your hat to Sir Paul. But 50K is something to aspire to Jimbo.

[ChinaShrek]

On 1/19/2023 at 7:18 PM, jimbob22 said:

I'll make a note to byopp (bring my own paper plates) if I do the Celebration.

or just go back an hour later

[CruizinSusan70]

27 minutes ago, ChinaShrek said:

or just go back an hour later

Or just avoid the buffet.  Other breakfast choices are available at Java Blue, Blue Iguana, Pig n Anchor and Big Chicken.

Other lunch choices besides the buffet are too numerous.

[2wheelin]

On 1/22/2023 at 7:03 AM, Old Fart Cruisers said:

 

I haven't seen this first hand, but last year someone posted on the other social site that there was a middle aged couple in the hot tub on the Pride.  The man had some kind of open sores all over his body🤢, which is disgusting enough, but then the wife took it to a new level of disgusting when she took out a razor and shaving cream and started shaving her legs 🤢🤮🤢🤮!

And no one else saw it first hand either because if either of those things had happened security would have immediately been notified and ejected the individuals.