Making the best experiences from cruise buffets!!

[Interestedcruisefan]

I saw the Azura thread about MDR taking 2 hrs and it reminded me why I prefer buffet to MDR. I can enjoy elements of speciality dining in the buffet IMO. And be in and out in as little as 30 to 45 minutes or less if needed and I have lots more stuff planned that night or I'm tired or I can't be bothered to get changed for dinner etc etc

 

I think I am pretty accurate by describing MDR dining as a much lesser choice of buffet food in smaller quantities than you might serve yourself. Served to you at a table by staff. Taking 3 times as long as it would take in the buffet! Ie choosing a starter or soup but not being able to have both. Unless you ask nicely of course?

 

Lol. Am I wrong or too far out with that description? I don't think so myself!

 

Anyway here's some fun ways to create elements of speciality dining yourself in the buffet.

 

Sharing meat platters/grazing boards - these are on trend at the moment as a modern or Mediterranean way perhaps to start a meal.

 

A selection of meats on a large plate or board. In a restaurant normally priced a minimum 12.95 ish to 18.95 ish (more in London). Sometimes meats and cheeses together. 

 

Sought after and visually fun. Great for groups or couples to share.

Currently being served in the Olive Grove (with pretty much the same meats and/or cheeses as readily available on the buffet)

 

That's not a downside of Olive Grove. It's a positive of the buffet IMO. Basically everything you might need to create a grazing board as large as you would like is waiting for you in the buffet.
 

You could if you wanted to create one of these both at lunch and dinner in the buffet if you want for yourself. You don't even have to share! 

 

Starter followed by soup. Easy in the buffet. Choose your favourite starter. Go back for soup. Stop having to decide which.

 

 A fish course between starters and meat course. Readily available in the buffets  hot and/or cold. Smoked salmon  always available if needed. Always a hot fish or seafood dish or two.

 

Side salad to accompany mains. Lots available. Take your pick. 

 

Assiette of desserts. (3 or more smaller portions of the best desserts on the menu). For people who can't decide and would like to taste several desserts. Or just plain greedy. Either as an individual or to share. Again sought after and normally the most expensive dessert on the menu when available. 9.95 to 16.95 ish in current economic climate

 

Cheese board with fruit etc (normally 9.95 plus per person supplement or far more for a couple  nowadays) . Readily available in the buffet. Choose your favourites 

 

7 to 12  course tasting menu. Smaller portions of lots of different tastes. Readily available in the buffet.  Albeit hopefully far more exquisitely made in the best restaurants offering tasting menus. Of course I accept that. My daughter works as a chef in Michelin star restaurants so Im do know and recognise the difference. Nowadays 75 to 300 pounds per person ish depending on whether it's lunch or dinner, how exquisitely made and how many Michelin stars etc. And with 10 per cent to 12.5 per cent gratuity added on to those prices

 

Anyway that's why buffets on ships appeal to me. Not every night. But every so often. Obviously the downside is having to serve yourself. But that has its advantages as well. Give yourself more of what you like and never ever dare to complain about portion size or how long the meal took to before served!! Lol

 

Take a glass of champagne or cocktail  or bottle of wine in there with you if you want. If on a hot cruise dine outside on the terrace so to speak!!

 

And in all honestly. It will be hard for anyone to convince me that MDR on P and O isn't just mainly buffet level food being served to you instead of serving yourself. And with the numbers dining in MDR at the same time it's very hard to expect much more than that regardless. MDRs are mass catering. So are buffets.

 

If you want more exquisite or bespoke and crafted food on a cruise line in a restaurant with less covers and with a nice theme. Go to Epicurean or Limelight, Mizhuana, Green and Co or Sindhu. (All of them still mass catering being honest and being fair to them. Apart from Mizhuana. Which is far more Bespoke and intimate.  But all doing quite well at it)

 

Tell me what you agree with and what you disagree with. Please don't mention prawn cocktails from the past though. As far as I'm concerned they only belong in a cold section of a buffet themselves if anywhere. They arent fine dining or anywhere close in the modern world of cuisine. With the ingredients to hand I myself with zero culinary skill could make one in less than 30 seconds. 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 15, 2023 by Interestedcruisefan

[Megabear2]

2 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

I saw the Azura thread about MDR taking 2 hrs and it reminded me why I prefer buffet to MDR. I can enjoy elements of speciality dining in the buffet IMO. And be in and out in as little as 30 to 45 minutes or less if needed and I have lots more stuff planned that night or I'm tired or I can't be bothered to get changed for dinner etc etc

 

I think I am pretty accurate by describing MDR dining as a much lesser choice of buffet food in smaller quantities than you might serve yourself. Served to you at a table by staff. Taking 3 times as long as it would take in the buffet! Ie choosing a starter or soup but not being able to have both. Unless you ask nicely of course?

 

Lol. Am I wrong or too far out with that description? I don't think so myself!

 

Anyway here's some fun ways to create elements of speciality dining yourself in the buffet.

 

Sharing meat platters/grazing boards - these are on trend at the moment as a modern or Mediterranean way perhaps to start a meal.

 

A selection of meats on a large plate or board. In a restaurant normally priced a minimum 12.95 ish to 18.95 ish (more in London). Sometimes meats and cheeses together. 

 

Sought after and visually fun. Great for groups or couples to share.

 

Currently being served in the Olive Grove (with pretty much the same meats and/or cheeses as readily available on the buffet)

 

That's not a downside of Olive Grove. It's a positive of the buffet IMO. Basically everything you might need to create a grazing board as large as you would like is waiting for you in the buffet.
 

You could if you wanted to create one of these both at lunch and dinner in the buffet if you want for yourself. You don't even have to share! 

 

Starter followed by soup. Easy in the buffet. Choose your favourite starter. Go back for soup. Stop having to decide which.

 

 A fish course. Readily available in the buffets  hot and/or cold. Smoked salmon always available if needed. Always a hot fish or seafood dish or two.

 

Assiette of desserts. (3 or more smaller portions of the best desserts on the menu). For people who can't decide and would like to taste several desserts. Either as an individual or to share. Again sought after and the most expensive dessert on the menu. Always the most expensive dessert option on the menu. If available. 9.95 to 14.95 ish in current economic climate

 

Cheese board with fruit etc (normally 9.95 plus per person supplement or far more for a couple  nowadays) . Readily available in the buffet. 

 

7 to 12  course tasting menu. Smaller portions of lots of different tastes. Readily available in the buffet.  Albeit hopefully exquisitely made in the best restaurants offering tasting menus. Of course I accept that. My daughter works as a chef in Michelin star restaurants so I know the difference. Nowadays 75 to 250 pounds ish depending on how exquisitely made. Andy with 10 per cent to 12.5 per cent gratuity added on. 

 

Anyway that's why buffets on ships appeal to me. Not every night. But every so often. Obviously the downside is having to serve yourself. But that has its advantages as well. Give yourself more of what you like and never ever have to complain about portion size or how long the meal took!

 

Take a glass of champagne or cocktail  or bottle of wine in there with you if you want. If on a hot cruise dine outside on the terrace so to speak!!

 

It will be hard for anyone to convince me that MDR on P and O isn't just mainly buffet level food being served to you instead of serving yourself. 

 

And I look on that as a positive of the buffet rather than a negative of MDR. 

 

If you want more exquisite or bespoke and crafted food on a cruise line in a restaurant with less covers and with a nice theme. Go to Epicurean or Limelight, Mizhuana, Green and Co or Sindhu. (All of them still mass catering to be fair to them. Apart from Mizhuana.  But doing quite well at it)

 

But you can't expect that in MDR with the numbers they have to serve in there.

 

In my honest opinion.

 

 

 

 

Sounds a great idea. However on my last Britannia cruise you'd have been very hard pressed to eat how you describe!

 

Only cold fish on offer most days was smoked mackrel,  can't recall when I last saw smoked salmon in the buffet or a mussel, prawn or even a crab stick!

 

Soup: well some interesting options there including on three days my much recited Bubble and Squeak one.  Unfortunately the soups were often cold as well although fellow passengers taking off lids to investigate the contents didn't help.

 

Salad, now that was an interesting one.  Chopped up iceberg, cucumber and large tomatoes who on occasion looked so off people were asking to speak to the chef to see why they were even being served.  14 days of non changing beetroot salad, cold pasta shells and tinned sweetcorn completed the picture together with hard boiled egg halves, non descript grated cheese and what was clearly the leftover meats from the night before - being a Christmas cruise roast turkey was very prevalent for almost a week.

 

Cheese board: well every day we had the same three cheeses consisting of cheddar, red Leicester and brie in miniscule slithers - I actually made a sandwich from the cheddar it was so thin.  These regulars were interspersed with Danish Blue and another soft blue cheese which was rather shiney and runny. Stilton appeared on Boxing Day and vanished just as quickly.

 

I don’t eat sweet but understand from those I spoke to that they were mainly sugar free and vegetarian options.

 

So to conclude, if I'm able to eat on Arvia in May half of what you describe I'll be thrilled but I'm not holding my breath!

[davecttr]

I downloaded the Arvia sample buffet menu from P&O. There are 14 different daily menus and if it is actually half that I will be impressed. To avoid the crush I have an early breakfast and just before 7 in the evening. You have to be prepared to walk more than 10 yards from the servery though, something most people are reluctant to do. One days menu below

 

Why do the images butt together?

 

Edited April 15, 2023 by davecttr

[Interestedcruisefan]

17 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Sounds a great idea. However on my last Britannia cruise you'd have been very hard pressed to eat how you describe!

 

Only cold fish on offer most days was smoked mackrel,  can't recall when I last saw smoked salmon in the buffet or a mussel, prawn or even a crab stick!

 

Soup: well some interesting options there including on three days my much recited Bubble and Squeak one.  Unfortunately the soups were often cold as well although fellow passengers taking off lids to investigate the contents didn't help.

 

Salad, now that was an interesting one.  Chopped up iceberg, cucumber and large tomatoes who on occasion looked so off people were asking to speak to the chef to see why they were even being served.  14 days of non changing beetroot salad, cold pasta shells and tinned sweetcorn completed the picture together with hard boiled egg halves, non descript grated cheese and what was clearly the leftover meats from the night before - being a Christmas cruise roast turkey was very prevalent for almost a week.

 

Cheese board: well every day we had the same three cheeses consisting of cheddar, red Leicester and brie in miniscule slithers - I actually made a sandwich from the cheddar it was so thin.  These regulars were interspersed with Danish Blue and another soft blue cheese which was rather shiney and runny. Stilton appeared on Boxing Day and vanished just as quickly.

 

I don’t eat sweet but understand from those I spoke to that they were mainly sugar free and vegetarian options.

 

So to conclude, if I'm able to eat on Arvia in May half of what you describe I'll be thrilled but I'm not holding my breath!

 

You will be pleasantly surprised at all the options Megabear. 

 

Definitely had smoked salmon on the buffet every day at dinner at least. Not sure at lunch. 

 

I'm not a big cheese fan. I'm a dessert fan - but for dinner there were 4 or 5 cheeses every night according to my wife she thinks. And you are serving yourself so if they are small slithers serve yourself plenty of course!!

 

Soup was never cold when I tried. Sometimes had croutons next to it. Not always. Wasn't amazing. Wasn't disastrous. Nice to slow the meal down after a starter at times

 

Salads they had lots of pre mixed versions of tasty and different salads in small pots. Several kinds each night both on the buffet and the Quays. 

 

Desserts there were lots of cold ones. Some nice. Some meh. Always an ice cream. Always a traditional hot dessert as well. 

 

But also don't you agree? The food served in the MDR isn't an awful lot different to the buffet?

 

Cold desserts and hot desserts will be very similar. Main courses similar. They arent deliberately going to make bad soups for the buffet compared to MDR are they?

 

Portions exactly the  size you want to choose in the buffet.

 

I can only find companionship and waiter service as plusses of MDR. Although I acknowledge for some people in different situations to me both of those are extremely important and needed. 

 

 

Edited April 15, 2023 by Interestedcruisefan

[Gettingwarmer]

You can have any combination you like off of the menu in the MDR and I am always polite. Ask for side salad  or extra vegetables no problem. Two desserts fine. 

[CarlaMarie]

P&O must be getting something wrong if the MDR is being perceived as offering "buffet level food".

 

I cannot recall seeing so many offerings and options you describe in the buffet. Maybe Arvia has a vastly different buffet compared to the rest of the fleet and her MDRs lack in comparison, however i'm not sure even P&O would describe it as speciality dining. 

Edited April 15, 2023 by CarlaMarie

[Gettingwarmer]

4 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

 

You will be pleasantly surprised at all the options Megabear. 

 

Definitely had smoked salmon on the buffet every day at dinner at least. Not sure at lunch. 

 

I'm not a big cheese fan. I'm a dessert can. but for dinner there were 4 or 5 cheeses every night according to my wife she thinks. And you are serving yourself so if they are small slithers serve yourself plenty. 

 

Soup was never cold when I tried. Sometimes had croutons next to it. Not always. Wasn't amazing. Wasn't disastrous. Nice to slow the meal down after a starter at times

 

Salads they had lots of pre mixed versions of tasty and different salads in small pots. Several kinds each night both on the buffet and the Quays. 

 

Desserts there were lots of cold ones. Some nice. Some meh. Always an ice cream. Always a traditional hot dessert as well. 

 

But also don't you agree? The food served in the MDR isn't an awful lot different to the buffet?

 

Cold desserts and hot desserts will be very similar. Main courses similar. They arent deliberately going to make bad soups for the buffet?

 

Portions exactly the  size you want to choose in the buffet.

 

I can only find companionship and waiter service as plusses of MDR. Although I acknowledge for some people in different situations to me both of those are extremely important and needed. 

 

 

Arvia certainly has a different and better buffet than on other ships. A great improvement. 
But they do seem to need it as there is not enough room to eat in the MDRs

Edited April 15, 2023 by Gettingwarmer

[Interestedcruisefan]

4 minutes ago, CarlaMarie said:

P&O must be getting something very wrong if the MDR is being perceived as offering "buffet level food".

 

I cannot recall ever seeing the offerings and options you describe in the buffet. Maybe Arvia has a vastly different buffet compared to the rest of the fleet and her MDRs lack in comparison, however i'm not sure even P&O would describe it as speciality dining. 

I think you are disrespecting buffet level food on Arvia. I suggest they are  getting buffet food very right rather than getting anything very  wrong. Why not make the buffet as nice as possible if they can?

 

 

And maybe at the same time you are expecting too much from MDR mass dining food? 

 

I believe they are much closer together than you think other than way more choice in the buffet?

 

Take a look at the buffet menu above - many of the descriptions would be found very very similar on MDR menus ?

 

What can you get in MDR you can't get in a buffet? Maybe the odd thing on Celebration nights?

 

Edited April 15, 2023 by Interestedcruisefan

[Gettingwarmer]

1 minute ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

I think you are disrespecting buffet level food on P and O

 

And expecting too much from MDR mass dining food

 

They are much closer together than you think other than way more choice in the buffet?

 

Take a look at the buffet menu - many of the descriptions would be found very very similar on MDR menus ?

Yes those Arvia buffet menus look good but they are nothing like what are on other ships where getting a decent salad is nowhere. What other P&O ship have you been on recently. 

[Interestedcruisefan]

11 minutes ago, Gettingwarmer said:

You can have any combination you like off of the menu in the MDR and I am always polite. Ask for side salad  or extra vegetables no problem. Two desserts fine. 

Yes. I dont doubt that I used to do it myself. Never asked for 3 desserts though. Can't be too specific on the veg combinations. Would mess others up if you wanted to try soups and starters etc. Far easier to mix and match in the buffet than MDR IMO

 

Plus physically seeing the food helps you decide what to try in the buffets. I like to take time to walk around the buffet before diving in head first. To see all the options

Edited April 15, 2023 by Interestedcruisefan

[AndyMichelle]

1 minute ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

I think you are disrespecting buffet level food on P and O

 

And expecting too much from MDR mass dining food

 

They are much closer together than you think other than way more choice in the buffet?

 

Take a look at the buffet menu - many of the descriptions would be found very very similar on MDR menus ?

Things must have changed drastically as the buffet has always been hit and miss for us, mainly miss... 

We can all only talk about our experiences, but yours differ greatly from ours, but we haven't been on Arvia yet... 

Let's hope the whole fleet is up to this standard and that the infamous 'bun sniffers' are no longer prevailant... 

Andy 

[Megabear2]

2 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

I think you are disrespecting buffet level food on P and O

 

And expecting too much from MDR mass dining food

 

They are much closer together than you think other than way more choice in the buffet?

 

Take a look at the buffet menu - many of the descriptions would be found very very similar on MDR menus ?

ICF did you eat in the MDR - I can't recall?  Even my husband who hates formal dining and is quite partial to the buffet chose to eat in MDR on all evenings bar two apart from our Epicurean and Limelight evenings.  There is simply no comparison with the food quality or choice.  As I said our experience is that apart from a daily roast the buffet tends to offer concoctions which include leftovers from the MDR.

 

In May I will be travelling alone and as such will use the buffet more - mainly for late lunch.  I'm very interested to see what I'm going to find there based on your description and if it's good will try for dinner too. Will be interesting I'm sure.

[Interestedcruisefan]

3 minutes ago, Gettingwarmer said:

Yes those Arvia buffet menus look good but they are nothing like what are on other ships where getting a decent salad is nowhere. What other P&O ship have you been on recently. 

Lots of nice tasty salads in the Quays in lots of little pots? Near the desserts?

 

Not sure in buffet never went looking for salad in there tbh?

 

Brittania staycation. Where we were only on 3 or 4 nights and did mainly speciality so can't compare tbh

 

So maybe that's a big advantage of the bigger ships then? Much more choice in buffet and quays? 

[Gettingwarmer]

7 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

I think you are disrespecting buffet level food on Arvia. I suggest they are  getting buffet food very right rather than getting anything very  wrong. Why not make the buffet as nice as possible if they can?

 

 

And maybe at the same time you are expecting too much from MDR mass dining food? 

 

I believe they are much closer together than you think other than way more choice in the buffet?

 

Take a look at the buffet menu above - many of the descriptions would be found very very similar on MDR menus ?

 

What can you get in MDR you can't get in a buffet? Maybe the odd thing on Celebration nights?

 

It seems Arvia has a very improved buffet, Iona as well probably. Let’s hope they roll this out to the other ships but I doubt it. 

[Interestedcruisefan]

Just now, Megabear2 said:

ICF did you eat in the MDR - I can't recall?  Even my husband who hates formal dining and is quite partial to the buffet chose to eat in MDR on all evenings bar two apart from our Epicurean and Limelight evenings.  There is simply no comparison with the food quality or choice.  As I said our experience is that apart from a daily roast the buffet tends to offer concoctions which include leftovers from the MDR.

 

In May I will be travelling alone and as such will use the buffet more - mainly for late lunch.  I'm very interested to see what I'm going to find there based on your description and if it's good will try for dinner too. Will be interesting I'm sure.

No I didn't but honestly because having dined in MDRs before I honestly don't see extra quality to the buffet food. Might have been better quality on my early RCL cruises. I remember beef being great in there one night.

 

But there's always a nice carvery meat in the buffet on Arvia plus in roast in the Quays.

 

And the roast would be something I would likely choose when forced to choose in MDRs most nights?

 

I do see extra quality and prep in Epicurean and Limelight and Mizhuana and when I last dined in Sindhu. No question. And I'm sure it's in Green and Co by all reports. 

 

But MDR just can't see it myself? Like I say apart from maybe formal nights when they have to make extra efforts to impress?

[Interestedcruisefan]

4 minutes ago, Gettingwarmer said:

It seems Arvia has a very improved buffet, Iona as well probably. Let’s hope they roll this out to the other ships but I doubt it. 

They need large quantities of people to choose the buffet to offer all these options though?

 

The numbers might not justify on the smaller ships where MDR is the norm?

[Selbourne]

Your enthusiasm is infectious (even more so than our kids were at Christmas when they were young) and the crusade that you seem be on to constantly tell everyone why they should cruise in exactly the way that you do is very amusing 😉 

 

For balance, here’s an alternative view. I hate the buffet and will only use it as a last resort when I’m feeling peckish and just want to grab something. If it’s cold food, I will often take it back to our cabin to eat. Why?

 

Like many people (not just those of us who are full time carers), I am up and down like the proverbial blue ar**d fly at home, doing jobs around the house and garden, including preparing meals. When I dine on holiday, I want to be shown to a nice table in a decent restaurant and just sit and relax, chatting to my wife, whilst someone else does all the running around. The buffet is the complete opposite of that. 
 

Although I am British I detest queues and avoid them at all costs. I get fed up shuffling along in a food queue whilst people examine every potato to decide which they want. Some folk think you are queue jumping if you skip half of it and just go directly to the tray that you want.
 

Sadly, some of my fellow guests have very poor hygiene standards when it comes to food handling. As a male of a certain age, I tend not to pass up the opportunity of a loo visit when en-route to a meal! I have lost count of the number of people who don’t wash their hands in the loo and then proceed directly into the buffet, again skipping any hand sanitisation regime. These people are then handling serving tongs etc. Others, when serving themselves, will spill some on their fingers, lick it off and then pick up the next set of tongs. To me, that is the equivalent of spitting on the tongs 🤮 I don’t believe that it is purely coincidental that we almost never use the buffet and in all our cruises have never succumbed to Norovirus. 
 

We prefer the ambiance, layout and seating arrangement of restaurants, rather than the cafeteria style layout and ambiance of the buffet, the seating arrangement of which means that you are often up close and personal to others. The buffet is a hustle and bustle place with people constantly coming and going and walking up and down to get food etc. Not conducive to a relaxing dining experience IMHO. 
 

If the priority is just to get something to eat and then quickly move on, then the buffet is ideal. However, that’s not how we cruise. Unlike you, we don’t rate a lot of the cruise ship style ‘entertainment’. It’s not a reason that we cruise and we avoid most of it. On the other hand, dining is a highlight and something that we take our time over and enjoy. We dine out a few times a week at home. We tend to use nice pubs and restaurants, not cafeterias. When on holiday we want as good as we enjoy at home, or better. We don’t get that from the buffet. 
 

I’m glad that you enjoy an entirely different type of cruise experience to us, because it would be a real problem if we all wanted to do exactly the same things at the same times. That’s why cruise ships cater to all tastes. However, I’m afraid that your persistent efforts to tell me and others why we should all do as you do are futile in my case 😉 

[kruzseeka]

You certainly make it sound very appealing.  Will check it out on our next trip as in general we don't do main meals in the Buffet.  My only hope is that fellow passengers are as mindful of hygiene as we try to be (for our sake as well as others').

[Interestedcruisefan]

7 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

ICF did you eat in the MDR - I can't recall?  Even my husband who hates formal dining and is quite partial to the buffet chose to eat in MDR on all evenings bar two apart from our Epicurean and Limelight evenings.  There is simply no comparison with the food quality or choice.  As I said our experience is that apart from a daily roast the buffet tends to offer concoctions which include leftovers from the MDR.

 

In May I will be travelling alone and as such will use the buffet more - mainly for late lunch.  I'm very interested to see what I'm going to find there based on your description and if it's good will try for dinner too. Will be interesting I'm sure.

What kind of mains do you like to choose in MDR Megabear?

 

That you wouldn't expect to find in Arvia buffets?

[david63]

There is a difference between "eating to live" and "living to eat" - I prefer the latter.

 

I have never had a problem with having starter, soup, fish course, main course, desert and cheese in the MDR

[Interestedcruisefan]

2 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Your enthusiasm is infectious (even more so than our kids were at Christmas when they were young) and the crusade that you seem be on to constantly tell everyone why they should cruise in exactly the way that you do is very amusing 😉 

 

For balance, here’s an alternative view. I hate the buffet and will only use it as a last resort when I’m feeling peckish and just want to grab something. If it’s cold food, I will often take it back to our cabin to eat. Why?

 

Like many people (not just those of us who are full time carers), I am up and down like the proverbial blue ar**d fly at home, doing jobs around the house and garden, including preparing meals. When I dine on holiday, I want to be shown to a nice table in a decent restaurant and just sit and relax, chatting to my wife, whilst someone else does all the running around. The buffet is the complete opposite of that. 
 

Although I am British I detest queues and avoid them at all costs. I get fed up shuffling along in a food queue whilst people examine every potato to decide which they want. Some folk think you are queue jumping if you skip half of it and just go directly to the tray that you want.
 

Sadly, some of my fellow guests have very poor hygiene standards when it comes to food handling. As a male of a certain age, I tend not to pass up the opportunity of a loo visit when en-route to a meal! I have lost count of the number of people who don’t wash their hands in the loo and then proceed directly into the buffet, again skipping any hand sanitisation regime. These people are then handling serving tongs etc. Others, when serving themselves, will spill some on their fingers, lick it off and then pick up the next set of tongs. To me, that is the equivalent of spitting on the tongs 🤮 I don’t believe that it is purely coincidental that we almost never use the buffet and in all our cruises have never succumbed to Norovirus. 
 

We prefer the ambiance, layout and seating arrangement of restaurants, rather than the cafeteria style layout and ambiance of the buffet, the seating arrangement of which means that you are often up close and personal to others. The buffet is a hustle and bustle place with people constantly coming and going and walking up and down to get food etc. Not conducive to a relaxing dining experience IMHO. 
 

If the priority is just to get something to eat and then quickly move on, then the buffet is ideal. However, that’s not how we cruise. Unlike you, we don’t rate a lot of the cruise ship style ‘entertainment’. It’s not a reason that we cruise and we avoid most of it. On the other hand, dining is a highlight and something that we take our time over and enjoy. We dine out a few times a week at home. We tend to use nice pubs and restaurants, not cafeterias. When on holiday we want as good as we enjoy at home, or better. We don’t get that from the buffet. 
 

I’m glad that you enjoy an entirely different type of cruise experience to us, because it would be a real problem if we all wanted to do exactly the same things at the same times. That’s why cruise ships cater to all tastes. However, I’m afraid that your persistent efforts to tell me and others why we should all do as you do are futile in my case 😉 

I don't expect to convert you Selbourne. Plus I don't want the buffets to get too busy anyway with everybody copying me!!!

 

Lol

 

As you likely know we dine early. And cruise outside of school holidays

 

Also I think they must have clever layouts on arvia

 

Never was behind more than 1 or 2 people at the max in 14 nights in buffet or the  Quays.

 

Honestly I hate queuing more than anything. If there were queues in there I would not enjoy half as much

 

If I had to wait for tables at all I would rather pay money to go somewhere else

 

Always loads of tables nearby to choose from but regardless we would walk past them and chose to eat outside or further away next to a window if we could

 

No queues you could bother about

 

Only time I waited for anything at all was when I ordered a poached egg one morning for breakfast. So from then on just had the fired eggs.

 

Which on Arvia are always still runny/dippy eggs as they don't  stand for ages under hotplates like in hotel restaurants with less guests

[Leomins]

Teaching Grandmothers to suck eggs comes to mind 🤔

Don't we all know what a buffet is? ICF, I’m beginning to think you want the MDR all to yourself on your upcoming cruise 😉 

[Gettingwarmer]

You say you spend little time eating as you are on your way to some other entertainment. We enjoy a leisurely meal as it is part of our cruise experience as is enjoying time on our balcony whereas you want inside cabins. Totally different ideas of what we want on a cruise. The Cruise is the main part of holiday seeing the water etc not the entertainment. We would always visit the MDR over the buffet. The lack of proper seated restaurants puts us off Arvia. 

[Interestedcruisefan]

6 minutes ago, david63 said:

There is a difference between "eating to live" and "living to eat" - I prefer the latter.

 

I have never had a problem with having starter, soup, fish course, main course, desert and cheese in the MDR

Do you dine alone or just as a couple in MDR?

 

Wouldn't work on a sharing table with other guests would it? Unless they all did the same?

 

 

Edited April 15, 2023 by Interestedcruisefan

[Interestedcruisefan]

1 minute ago, Leomins said:

Teaching Grandmothers to suck eggs comes to mind 🤔

Don't we all know what a buffet is? ICF, I’m beginning to think you want the MDR all to yourself on your upcoming cruise 😉 

Lol