buffet

[beaumontbhoy]

ive been on a cruise with rccl so eat in windjammer. i want to to know the differances between the windjammer and ocean veiw cafe on equinox. type of food available and your opinion on it. good or bad

[gnarly]

Having eaten in both the Windjammer and the Equinox buffet, the Equinox was far superior. The buffet is set up into different stations. For breakfast you have the standard fare (eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, ect.) as well as made to order stations for eggs, waffles (oh so good!), great fruit, and pastries. They also have bagels and lox and a few culturally different (as far as standard American breakfasts go) selections such as tomatoes, English bacon, and sautéed mushrooms, which were wonderful.

 

For lunch they have the always available pizza and pasta made to order bar. There are also cold cuts and sandwiches, soups, salad bar, desserts, and many different main courses ranging from a carving station to very good Indian. There is also stir fry made to order. They have a whole island set up so that someone can mix you a personalized salad. Don’t miss the ice cream bar.

 

Dinner is a lot like lunch, just a few less selections (which makes sense since it is practically deserted), but with the addition of a sushi bar. The carving station is normally upgraded from something like ham or turkey at lunch to prime rib for dinner.

 

Also, tea time in the buffet yields wonderful scones. We ate meals at all times of the day at least once on our cruise and found the quality very good. There are choices for all tastes. As far as a comparison to the Windjammer (I have only been on the mid-class ships), I found the selections on the Equinox much more varied and many more ethnic choices. I also love the ability to get your selections made to order and personalized (pasta, stir-fry, ect.)

 

Hope that helps!

[adbnva]

the buffets on the s class ships are spectacular. find all kinds of different things.. try kadota figs w/blu cheese.

we will be on equinox in dec.

[TLCOhio]

ive been on a cruise with rccl so eat in windjammer. i want to to know the differances between the windjammer and ocean veiw cafe on equinox. type of food available and your opinion on it. good or bad

 

Gnarly has given you a very good summary for your many options on the Oceanview Cafe. We were on the Solstice, but I understand it is the same on the Equinox. Below are some visuals from our eating at this location. We used it lots for breakfast and lunch as it is fast with a wide selection and allowing us to eat our food outside on the back, open area of the ship.

 

In the evening, it's not very crowded and the selection is a little narrower than at lunch. Lunches can be very busy, especially on sea days.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Recently back from a June 7-19 Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 43,213 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

For the handy and quick Oceanview Buffet, here are two visuals samples, including getting items from the pizza-pasta bar area.:

 

 

 

[beaumontbhoy]

thanks all. when on windjammer was a lil overwhelmed by the choice and ended up not enjoying some meals the first 4 days , hope the better quility and my experinece will ensure i enjoy

[Compass Rose Monica]

I really enjoyed the variety of the foods at the OV cafe. But I also enjoyed eating lunch in the MDR.

[beaumontbhoy]

what sort of stuff is on mdr menu at breakfast and lunch

[PS90]

Having eaten in both the Windjammer and the Equinox buffet, the Equinox was far superior. The buffet is set up into different stations. For breakfast you have the standard fare (eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, ect.) as well as made to order stations for eggs, waffles (oh so good!), great fruit, and pastries. They also have bagels and lox and a few culturally different (as far as standard American breakfasts go) selections such as tomatoes, English bacon, and sautéed mushrooms, which were wonderful.

 

For lunch they have the always available pizza and pasta made to order bar. There are also cold cuts and sandwiches, soups, salad bar, desserts, and many different main courses ranging from a carving station to very good Indian. There is also stir fry made to order. They have a whole island set up so that someone can mix you a personalized salad. Don’t miss the ice cream bar.

 

Dinner is a lot like lunch, just a few less selections (which makes sense since it is practically deserted), but with the addition of a sushi bar. The carving station is normally upgraded from something like ham or turkey at lunch to prime rib for dinner.

 

Also, tea time in the buffet yields wonderful scones. We ate meals at all times of the day at least once on our cruise and found the quality very good. There are choices for all tastes. As far as a comparison to the Windjammer (I have only been on the mid-class ships), I found the selections on the Equinox much more varied and many more ethnic choices. I also love the ability to get your selections made to order and personalized (pasta, stir-fry, ect.)

 

Hope that helps!

 

Hi Gnarly! Thanks for the info! I love the M-class buffets, and am looking forward to Solstice this winter, since they are even better, from what I hear.

 

Just wanted to say hi, since you are certainly the first person I've have ever talked to on CC from Omak. I grew up in Winthrop!

[Albert Ross]

A million times better on Celebrity! Proper plates for a start! And a lovely outside seating area.

[pauly]

Much better!...food...service...amenities.

[The Big Booper]

A few shots of the OceanView Cafe on Solstice when empty.

 

.

 

 

In the food service business, these are called "action stations" where similar kinds of food are grouped (salads; hot entrees; cold entrees; desserts, etc.). This concept is borrowed from RCI which pioneered it in 1999. The Explorer is laid out in a similar manner but the overall look is snazzier on the 'S' ships and the food is better on Celebrity then Royal.

 

WJ on Explorer

 

 

[Nebr.cruiser]

I thought the buffet food was much better on our recent Eclipse cruise than on our RCI cruises. It didnt' seem to vary all that much from day to day, but it was very good and well laid out. The afternoon tea was addictive--I'm not sure if that is on every ship, but we were on a TA with a lot of British passengers; I sure grew to love it.

 

Actually, so far, the buffet food has been better than RCI on Princess, Carnival and NCL as well.

[TLCOhio]

what sort of stuff is on mdr menu at breakfast and lunch

 

Albert Ross: A million times better on Celebrity! Proper plates for a start! And a lovely outside seating area.

 

The variety at BOTH lunch and breakfast was very good based on our June Solstice experience. At breakfast' date=' there are several stations having the usual eggs, bacon, hash browns, etc. They will also custom cook some egg items, if needed. There are fruits, more healthy items, breads, bakery goods, fruits, etc., etc. Lunch also has a wide range of options, etc. The desserts were especially good at lunch. I really liked how they have this entire Oceanview area set-up. It gets busy at lunch, but no long lines. You can move around well with all of these different stations.

 

[b']Agree on the lovely outside seating area. [/b] That was a super big plus for us.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Recently back from a June 7-19 Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 43,324 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[FrankinPA]

Almost everyone that describes the breakfast foods on Celebrity ships raves about the waffles. What makes them so special and, obviously, memorable?

Are they prepared differently or is it the recipe? Do they offer real maple syrup or some other kind?

[gold1953]

Almost everyone that describes the breakfast foods on Celebrity ships raves about the waffles. What makes them so special and, obviously, memorable?

Are they prepared differently or is it the recipe? Do they offer real maple syrup or some other kind?

 

I love Celebrity breakfast buffet and had the waffles only once . There was no real maple syrup. With all the white flour and sugary fruit toppings it is dessert for me. I like to start my day with wholesome food! They were tasty for sure, but once was enough. I need my morning lift of healthy food and I need all the good energy I can get so that I can get through my cruise days feeling great. Celebrity breakfast buffets give all of that!!! So many options!

[Texed]

I love Celebrity breakfast buffet and had the waffles only once . They were tasty for sure, but once was enough.

 

Once is enough for me also. Once a day that is. ;)

[CathyCruises]

HATE buffets of any sort. Vast quantities of mediocre food. Never eat there on any cruise other than some sushi as a snack. DESPISE eating in shifts with one person holding the table while the other goes after their food, then switch places. What a horrid way to have a meal. Never ever will understand the lure of them but obviously I am in the vast majority as they are always packed.

[TLCOhio]

Below are a couple more of my visuals from the Oceanview Cafe that I had not posted previously. It gives more samples on what is offered here.

 

THANKS! Enjoy these low-calorie pictures! Terry in Ohio

 

Recently back from a June 7-19 Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 43,324 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

From the Oceanview Buffet, here are two more visuals samples, including the sushi selections in this area. Second is a carved melon in the fruit area.:

 

 

 

[Lois R]

HATE buffets of any sort. Vast quantities of mediocre food. Never eat there on any cruise other than some sushi as a snack. DESPISE eating in shifts with one person holding the table while the other goes after their food, then switch places. What a horrid way to have a meal. Never ever will understand the lure of them but obviously I am in the vast majority as they are always packed.

 

Hi Cathy,:) you need to learn how to express your feelings better;):D

and tell us how you really feel:)

I think you meant you are in the "minority"...?

[FrankinPA]

Hi Cathy,:) you need to learn how to express your feelings better;):D

and tell us how you really feel:)

I think you meant you are in the "minority"...?

 

It is funny how my mind works. I read her statement and my mind just automatically substituted the word "minority" for "majority" and it looked fine. Good to see that your mind is still sharp.

[Lois R]

It is funny how my mind works. I read her statement and my mind just automatically substituted the word "minority" for "majority" and it looked fine. Good to see that your mind is still sharp.

 

Hi Larry,:) yes...thankfully it is still working (most of the time;)).

[CathyCruises]

You are so right--of course when I reread it it was too late to edit. Oh well, I am sure I made my point! The surprising thing is how much in the MINority I am--I never hear that sentiment from anyone but me! Thank goodness for Bistro on 5.

[SusieV]

You are so right--of course when I reread it it was too late to edit. Oh well, I am sure I made my point! The surprising thing is how much in the MINority I am--I never hear that sentiment from anyone but me! Thank goodness for Bistro on 5.

 

I'll join your quiet minority, Cathy! (and I had the same issue when I read your post!) We avoid the buffet. On embarkation we go to Bistro on Five and during the rest of the trip, it's the MDR, Aqua Spa cafe, or occasionally the Mast Grill.

 

I have seen lots of buffet horror stories. I don't want to eat food that has been potentially contaminated or touched by other guests, and tend to find the food mediocre at best. I will however get a sandwich from the sandwich bar or anything made to order.

 

We don't like to eat in the indoor area anyway. Too noisy and crowded. Either we eat in the Aqua Spa area or we take lunch to eat on the balcony in peace and quiet.

[AnnaMiami]

You are so right--of course when I reread it it was too late to edit. Oh well, I am sure I made my point! The surprising thing is how much in the MINority I am--I never hear that sentiment from anyone but me! Thank goodness for Bistro on 5.

 

I wholeheartedly agree with your feelings on buffets! I used to go to the buffet because I thought it was the more convenient option, though I never enjoyed it because of the atmosphere. It was more of a means to an end. On our last cruise, our travel companions hated the atmosphere on sight and insisted on only going to the MDR or having lunch on the balcony. What a difference in the entire cruise experience! We are on the Millennium next month and I intend to avoid the buffet at all costs.

 

To the original poster - there is absolutely nothing wrong with Celebrity's buffet, the food is fine, I am only referring to my personal aversion of the atmosphere found at buffets in general.

[mcrcruiser]

In a few words "Celebrity Buffets are The Best" :D:D:D