Amsterdam buffet - self serve or not?

I was just reading an older review of the Amsterdam which complained about the slowness of the buffet lines due to the staff having to serve the food. It was a couple years old and I am just curious to know if this is still the case. Is the buffet now self-serve?

While speaking of the buffet, are there any dishes not to be missed?

thanks

In the Lido the staff serves the hot food, unlike Princess in which just about everything is serve yourself. On the Amsterdam, the salads, the morning pastries and fruits, and desserts are self serve. I don't know if the Amsterdam is doing the 48 hour Code Orange where everything is served by staff. I think HAL has eliminated this but am not sure.

Typically for the first few days, it has been our experience, that HAL operates as Code Red/Orange (??) to ensure any passengers arriving sick and not disclosing this fact or don't know they are sick upon embarking don't potentially contaminate the system.

Since noro is a 48 hour bug, it is presumed if no cases show up in the first few days after departure, it is then declared safe to open up the buffet lines and beverage service to self-serve again.

So this does make the first few days a nuisance, but this is intended to be a good safety precaution. I would be surprised if this 48 hour precaution was eliminated, but it has been a year since we have been on board a HAL ship.

Might want to use the dining room for meal service those first few days to avoid the lines at the Lido, or pick non-peak hours to avoid the rush too. Or, room service.

From that time onwards, if there are moro virus cases that reach a certain percentage then Code Red/Orange (???) is re-instated mid-cruise to the general unhappiness of all - passengers and staff. Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands - the message they can't repeat enough and sometimes do. And keep even washed hands out of your mouth, nose and eyes. Pretend your hands are presumed toxic - or at least your finger tips because those are the disease vector contact points and where the emphasis needs to be for sanitation.

On our Noordam cruise November 2014 and Zuiderdam cruises March/April 2015 there was no Code Orange in the Lido.

Just not enough staff to have helpers there as well as getting the luggage delivered and rooms ready, etc.

In the period that review was written, HAL had Code Orange during the first two days, during which time everything was served in the Lido. HAL no longer follows that practice.

Was the writer referring to that period?

Now, the only time HAL will serve everything is when they have to go to Code Orange, or (horrors!) Code Red.

I wouldn't worry about long lines now, except under the conditions where the ship has moved to a Code, or for the hot foods that are normally served anyway.

 

In the period that review was written, HAL had Code Orange during the first two days, during which time everything was served in the Lido.

 

HAL no longer follows that practice.

..........

That is good news. I wonder what they learned from their former 48 prevention protocol, that apparently did not help after all.

Thanks for the info. I have been on many cruises but have never heard of any code red or code orange. I guess that is a good thing!

The review was written in September 2014, I believe.

While speaking of the buffet, are there any dishes not to be missed?

For breakfast I am a big fan of the poached eggs or having eggs benedict about 12 different ways and the raisin buns. Lunch has me checking the Asian station every day and if in the mood, the Dive In Grill out on deck for a burger or hot dog (and indulging in the French fries). The flourless chocolate cake is to die for..... (sigh)

I

 

While speaking of the buffet, are there any dishes not to be missed?

 

thanks

HAL does an excellent job with their fresh baked breads and pastry items. I am a fan of their powder sugar donuts and relish a few each cruise, eating each savory bite with a knife and fork. Their small croissants can be also excellent, though not consistent from ship to ship.

During the holidays they offer the best european stollen yeast bread treat I have ever had. A down-under cruise offered Anzac Biscuits for breakfast - special and historic Aus-NZ hearty coconut cookies which were terrific. So be sure to check out the baked goods area to see what they are up to for your cruise that might be just typical for that cruise, time of the year and passenger make-up. Lots more varieties of cheeses and crackers it seemed when there were a lot of Dutch passengers on board.

I also love their continental breakfast offering of cheeses and cold meats. When I was much younger on an Italian RTW ship I would always make salami and jam sandwiches with the fresh bread at breakfast to take with me on port days, much to the horror of the Italian crew So every once in a while I make one of those at breakfast too.

Fresh fruit is another HAL breakfast buffet staple along with fresh squeezed orange juice. HAL does breakfast very well.

That is good news. I wonder what they learned from their former 48 prevention protocol, that apparently did not help after all.

Our experience was not like this at all. We found the 48 hour code orange to be rather helpful.

We always take longer cruises (typically several months,) and without the code orange on segment starts, often there were many colds, sneezes, illnesses, etc. starting the second or third day of the segment. The code orange seemed to reduce this significantly and now that it's no longer done, the sicknesses are back.

Our impression was that it was discontinued because it inconvenienced passengers, particularly on shorter cruises.

Scott & Karen

Our experience was not like this at all. We found the 48 hour code orange to be rather helpful.

 

We always take longer cruises (typically several months,) and without the code orange on segment starts, often there were many colds, sneezes, illnesses, etc. starting the second or third day of the segment. The code orange seemed to reduce this significantly and now that it's no longer done, the sicknesses are back.

 

Our impression was that it was discontinued because it inconvenienced passengers, particularly on shorter cruises.

 

Scott & Karen

Looks like HAL is caught between a rock and a hard space - Code Orange inconveniences passengers, but so does getting sick, when not following passenger sanitation protocol. Bummer. Thanks for the warnings.

Is this something they just did away with in the last year? When we went on our last cruise they did have the buffet on lockdown and I appreciated that. If that's no longer the case then the buffet is definitely out.

That is good news. I wonder what they learned from their former 48 prevention protocol, that apparently did not help after all.

There is a basic fallacy to your logic. The fact that you did not perform act A and result B does not prove or disprove that there is any causality between the non-action and the non-result.

After all, some HAL ships that did practice the 48 hour orange policy did suffer from a noro epidemic and some did not suffer from noro. Also, ships that did not practice the policy were both noro free and not noro free.

Noro can be transmitted in so many ways besides food and utensil handling that to assume that doing a code orange will restrict noro outbreaks is false. Do a code orange probably can't hurt but there is no evidence that it works.

DON

There is a basic fallacy to your logic. The fact that you did not perform act A and result B does not prove or disprove that there is any causality between the non-action and the non-result.

 

After all, some HAL ships that did practice the 48 hour orange policy did suffer from a noro epidemic and some did not suffer from noro. Also, ships that did not practice the policy were both noro free and not noro free.

 

Noro can be transmitted in so many ways besides food and utensil handling that to assume that doing a code orange will restrict noro outbreaks is false. Do a code orange probably can't hurt but there is no evidence that it works.

 

DON

Glad they are done with misleading window dressing exercises. Hand sanitation stations have never had a great track record either, when you dig into the science and the false sense of security they create.

Hand-washing remains the best defense and not sticking your fingers into your eyes, mouth or nose if you forgot where you last put them. your fingers, that is.

I love hearing about the yummy options we will soon have. I usually am not a breakfast eater at all but I am always up hours before the rest of my family so I may have to try all the breakfast offerings - more than once!

My favorite food in the world is soup - any and all. So, I certainly hope to find some excellent soups onboard.

There is a basic fallacy to your logic. The fact that you did not perform act A and result B does not prove or disprove that there is any causality between the non-action and the non-result.

 

After all, some HAL ships that did practice the 48 hour orange policy did suffer from a noro epidemic and some did not suffer from noro. Also, ships that did not practice the policy were both noro free and not noro free.

 

Noro can be transmitted in so many ways besides food and utensil handling that to assume that doing a code orange will restrict noro outbreaks is false. Do a code orange probably can't hurt but there is no evidence that it works.

 

DON

I agree with you. And if it did work Hal would likely still be doing it.

I love hearing about the yummy options we will soon have. I usually am not a breakfast eater at all but I am always up hours before the rest of my family so I may have to try all the breakfast offerings - more than once!

 

My favorite food in the world is soup - any and all. So, I certainly hope to find some excellent soups onboard.

I think you will find often excellent soups on board - both cold and hot. A HAL specialty. The dinner portions are small but you can ask for a double portion if you want to make more of a meal out of it.

Plus their room service french onion soup has long been a must order for us, at least once. When they do their chilled nutmeg soup with fresh nutmeg, it is haunting. But sometimes it is only with powdered nutmeg and not as complex. Often I will order their cold fruit soups for dessert. Hope you enjoy them.

Is this something they just did away with in the last year? When we went on our last cruise they did have the buffet on lockdown and I appreciated that. If that's no longer the case then the buffet is definitely out.

lockdown? You are talking about the first two days?

All of the hot foods are served to you all cruise. The salads, cheeses, etc. are self serve. On the first two days on our last few cruises, the crew changed the serving pieces several times rather than serve you.

I hope I understood the question.

In June last year they had everything requiring service. Even in the Neptune lounge. The concierge had to plate everything and get our drinks for us the first two days.

In June last year they had everything requiring service. Even in the Neptune lounge. The concierge had to plate everything and get our drinks for us the first two days.

that is the old Cold Orange. so for two days as I suspected. The rest is regular. ON the last few cruises I have been on, it has not been in place, but there have been servers monitoring, exchanging serving pieces etc. You might have it and you might not. I would say most likely not.

I went on the Veendam in September of last year and on the Statendam in July/August of this year. No code orange the first 2 days. Everything was the same every day of the cruise. Salad bar, fruit, desserts, breakfast cereal, bread, etc. were all self-serve. The taco bar at dive-in was self-serve. They had pre-made sandwiches in bags that you could grab. The hot food and made to order sandwiches were put on plates for you. You could get your own water on both. I actually had worries about the water stations on both ships, but I was careful in choosing water glasses. Sometimes there was someone there to serve you water.

Personally, I prefer the way Princess does their buffet. Celebrity is self-serve, too. I don't care for the way HAL does it, but everyone has different opinions.

that is the old Cold Orange. so for two days as I suspected. The rest is regular. ON the last few cruises I have been on, it has not been in place, but there have been servers monitoring, exchanging serving pieces etc. You might have it and you might not. I would say most likely not.

Oh, I do like "Cold Orange" - it does imply that the service isn't as warm as it normally is!

That goes in my lexicon along with Cabin Stewart, Mustard Drill, etc.

:)

As some of you are probably aware, I have cancer. So I really liked the precautions with self serve. I may just avoid it for the first few days to be safe, I'll have to play it by ear I guess.

Seems there is a lot of back and forth on this one. :)

I can say that we were served everything on the MS Amsterdam, for the first 48 hours on our 27-30 May cruise this year (review on our blog, below). The food and drink, including water and juice, etc were all handed to us in the Lido. It created some delays, but since the crowds were small, it wasn't so bad.

On my recent Oosterdam cruise the Executive Chef told me that they started replacing the serving utensils every 30 minutes in lieu of restricting self service in the first 48 hours....not sure if this is fleet wide.