Bringing your own tray for buffet? - Solstice -

[USVI-4-me]

Thank you for your responses and suggestions regarding a tray or help in the buffet.

 

Dh is an exercise buff and eats early. I linger over coffee and prefer an early lunch. With rotator cuff problems, it is difficult to carry the plate level with food.

 

Has anyone just picked the fork from the flatware and leaned against a counter until a crew member comes to the rescue? Or is assistance available right away?

 

Again, there's the possibility of a borrowed high chair on wheels, or taking a walker with a tray along when cruising Celebrity S-Class.

 

-Marisa

[spookwife]

What? It's been 3 years since we've cruised so maybe I'm out of the loop here. But no trays? You must balance several plates on your arms and your drink in your hand if you want to do it all in one trip?

 

Not sure I understand what you mean by tray. I can only think of the large trays you usually get in a buffet that hold several plates and a drink. Is this what we are talking about here?

 

true.

 

since Drinks are either supplied by the roving waitstaff, or you can do what most people do is get a plate, find a seat then one person runs to the drink dispenser. ooh an extra 45 seconds.

 

with a few exceptions, no one needs to carry multiple plates at once. its not like you run a huge risk of them running out of something if you don't pile it on the first run through.

 

what we did, on those occasions a that I slept in while DH worked out.. there was a tray in the cabin underneath the coffee maker( or like others have said, a room service tray). he'd use that to grab 2 cups of coffee a few danishes and a plate of fruit to bring back to the cabin.

[spookwife]

i too have mobility problems( cane and /or wheelchair depending on the day) .. and have wrists that are incapable of holding anything more than a pound or two.

 

so my solution: to NOT put myself in the situation in the first place. I eat where I am served, get room service or make my husband carry. I am quite self disciplined enough where I can wait until he is seated too and we can begin eating together.

[bbappel]

... I like my food separate. My favorite breakfast on a cruise is oatmeal (in its own bowl), a variety of fruit (in its own bowl), milk carton and a glass (since I hate to drink milk from a carton), yogurt, water, coffee, and a hard boiled egg. ...

 

In this case, I would get the largest plate and use it like a tray. If you sit with someone (even future friends), you could leave your plate and get coffee, water, juice.

 

Beth

[kitty9]

I'm disabled and use a mobility scooter full time. I find the trays to be much more of a hassle than just a plate. Try balancing a tray with food, driving a scooter and trying to avoid the masses of famished people in the buffet. It's really not that difficult to take turns going to the buffet while one person sits at the table. That's what we do. My sister or I sit at the table and the other goes through the buffet. When one is done, the other one goes for their food. It's not all that bad. Unless you're disabled, and know what it's like to get around a buffet, you really don't have a clue. Believe me, trays are a HUGE hassle and one plate is so much easier.

 

And in all reality, why does anyone need to pile every kind of food on one plate? I mean, it's a buffet and you can go back, several times if need be. Heck, you can put your toast on one plate, carry it to the table, eggs on another, meats on a third, and so on. No need to mix your foods on one plate, if that kind of thing bugs you.

[USVI-4-me]

i too have mobility problems( cane and /or wheelchair depending on the day) .. and have wrists that are incapable of holding anything more than a pound or two.

 

so my solution: to NOT put myself in the situation in the first place. I eat where I am served, get room service or make my husband carry. I am quite self disciplined enough where I can wait until he is seated too and we can begin eating together.

 

 

I've highlighted your advice. Thank you for the best answer for me. Either DH will carry or I'll find service.

Bistro on Five or room service may be the answer when the MDR is closed on port days.

 

You appear to understand the problem of wrists and shoulders not having the ability to carry a plate with hands out stretched. Fortunately, it's a short term problem for me.

 

It's amazing that some posters assume people who have problems carrying the dishes are also food hogs.

 

-Marisa

[4774Papa]

We found the lack of trays on the Solstice not to be a problem. The layout of the buffet is far superior to the M class ships. The M class layout created bottlenecks everywhere, so getting your food takes far longer. The salad bar is so slow with people picking just the right tomatoes for their salads.

 

Solstice class is way better with many islands that move people expeditiously. You really don't need a tray.

If you bought a tray, you would have everyone asking you over and over, where did you get that tray!

[celebritydave]

You do not need to bring a tray on an S class ship because they are not necessary - at least in my opinion. If you haven't been on an s class ship you'll find that the buffet is laid out in a much nicer format than the Summit and in a way that can handle a lot more people with little or no lines. Unfortunately this format (about a dozen serving station "islands" all completely separated from each other) is not as conductive to the use of trays as the two or three long lines that make up the majority of the buffet on the Summit and the other M class ships.

 

I have been on 4 S class cruises and I agree with Larry. The format of the separate "islands" would not work well with a tray. And, as others have stated, there is no room on the islands to set your tray or slide it along.

 

Dave

[Shining Clem]

of bringing one's own tray! We had never been on a tray-less cruise until the most recent one on HAL's Amsterdam. GRRRR! We hated it and it was a major negative of the journey.

 

To read that the Solstice class ships do not have trays, is very disappointing, but glad to be forewarned. We like to sit down and eat together, with most of our food and beverages on the table, rather than hopping up & down multiple times to get something.

 

It is difficult enough to stake out a table. If one puts down just a limited # of items and goes back for more, another has to be at the table to guard it from the staff coming along and removing it!

 

We have the discipline to not take more than we will eat. In addition, I have medicine I need to take before eating, mixing it into a liquid such as OJ. I also need to mix proportions of coffee and skim milk in an uncommon way.

 

One early meal on the Amsterdam, I spied a tray at a deserted wait station and used it. After I was at the table eating, a staff member came over and scolded me for having it! Really!! And had the audacity to say it was not about the money, as I was sitting there with my empty plate.

 

On the Regatta, tray-less service would work a little better because you sit down to a table which has beverages, utensils, etc in place. Plus they know better than to say "No" to such a small issue! That is the only place we received offers of help carrying a tray or other items.

 

Not so on Celebrity or HAL ships. Especially for breakfast, it is an annoying start to the day. We would rather enjoy a meal with each other, than worry about being snobs about cafeteria lines. Fortunately we do not yet need a walker or a cane. I can see where a tray would be a major help with children, especially if one is a single parent.

 

It is NOT about ME when one is trying to independently take care of one's own needs.

---------------

I know just the light, mid-size tray to bring with us!

[carolesoon7]

We miss the trays too and see the results. Food on the floor and people slipping and falling because of loose and slippery food. I just got back from a June cruise on the Solstice that was wonderful, except the plates in the buffet were too HOT for even grown men to hold. They would use their t-shirts to try to hold those plates. That was not fun. Bring back the trays!

[phoenix_dream]

We miss the trays too and see the results. Food on the floor and people slipping and falling because of loose and slippery food. I just got back from a June cruise on the Solstice that was wonderful, except the plates in the buffet were too HOT for even grown men to hold. They would use their t-shirts to try to hold those plates. That was not fun. Bring back the trays!

You have seriously seen multiple people slip and fall on the floor due to loose and slippery food?? Come on now. I have sailed on over 30 cruises and have never seen that happen. I guess it could happen of course, but it could happen if someone spilled something off a tray as well. Plates too hot?? Also could happen now and then, but if one set of plates is too hot, just walk a few feet over to the next station and grab one there. I can guarantee you that not all the plates are hot all the time.

 

Unfortunately, due to the design of the S class ships trays will not be brought back as there is really no room for them to be placed while adding food. And I agree with other posters who say that for the mobility challenged, trays are more of a hindrance - although I say that for S class only. On M class the norm (although someone commented on exceptions, above), are that someone with challenges can slide their tray from one end to the other, get their food, and have help at the end. This is lacking on S class, although if one takes initiative to ask for help before starting the process I'm sure you can find a cooperative crew member.

[Lsimon]

We miss the trays too and see the results. Food on the floor and people slipping and falling because of loose and slippery food. I just got back from a June cruise on the Solstice that was wonderful, except the plates in the buffet were too HOT for even grown men to hold. They would use their t-shirts to try to hold those plates. That was not fun. Bring back the trays!

 

Interesting. I've now taken five S class cruises for a total of 60 days and have never seen the conditions you mention. I've found plates that were hot relative to the desired temperature for a salad, but I've never had a plate that was too hot to hold.

 

I've just spent a few weeks with my brother in a rehab center where all of the patients are in wheelchairs and most take their meals in a cafeteria setting. Based on my observations there I can't see how having a tray vs a large plate would help any of the disabled people there.

 

I'm sure that there would be some people who could benefit from a tray but based on my own observations on the ship, and observations of disabled individuals eating regularly in a true cafeteria setting, I don't thing it would be many.

 

I continue to believe that the absolute best option for those who can't handle the plates is to ask a staff member for assistance. There will not be staff looking for people to help so you will not usually be offered assistance unsolicited. But there will always be staff, including managers and assistant managers in the buffet area who will assist you, or find someone to assist you, if you ask them.

[WpgCruise]

I would prefer a tray, but there aren't any and given the design of the buffet with islands and all the reasons provided earlier, I just don't see Celebrity bringing back trays. I notice other cruise lines (Princess and H.A.L.) have also done away with trays. It is the way the industry on mass market lines are going, and no doubt there are lots of benefits to not having trays.

 

I too need some help from time to time, and there really are not a lot of staff just lurking around to provide that help, so fortunately there are other options that I use.

 

The dining room provides full service, the ships also have great room service menus. Often the buffet is just too crowded for my comfort and either of these two options provide for a great meal, without the buffet worries.

 

Sometimes when something is taken away, like trays, utilizing the other options turns out to be better, well for me at least. YMMV

[Lsimon]

...Often the buffet is just too crowded for my comfort and either of these two options provide for a great meal, without the buffet worries...

 

The buffet does get extremely crowded at prime times. We usually eat a little on the late side when we do go to the buffet. Avoiding prime breakfast and lunch times makes navigating the buffet easier, makes it easier to find a table and also would make it easier to find assistance if one needs it.

[lexmiller]

Order room service and save your tray! Hide it under your bed in your cabin for the length of the cruise - we have done this! Our daughter has mobility issues and without a tray - well, a meal at the buffet without a tray plays out as a disjointed unhappy affair, with everyone eating different courses at different times, always having to jump up, get more of this or that for her - no tray is no fun when someone in your party needs help - a tray is essential. And if you don't want to order room service in order to get a tray, which actually is kind of ridiculous considering the need - simply ask your cabin steward - he or she will make sure you get one!

[ginnyks]

Years ago...15 maybe?? A neighbor was discussing the pros and cons of cruising with at the local swim club.....She absolutely hated it..the reason primarily being that the waiters never offered to carry her tray any of the buffets (not that her newly teenage daughter "discovered" boys:eek: --her words--on that cruise and mom and dad didn't get much relaxation). She was a 40ish healthy mother of 3 who was indignant at the idea as "she was on vacation"and they were just 'standing around'. I could just imagine what would have happened if they said, "ma'am, you look as if you need help with that full tray, let me..."!!! Maybe getting rid of trays for the general populace is a good idea with the promise of assistance if you need it and ask for it.

[Tiggertastic]

yes you can bring your trays and you can even ask the girl at the entrance to the buffet, with the hand spray sanitiser to spray it for you.

[Shining Clem]

Having located a suitable tray, I will practice balancing it on one arm a month before our next cruise (still to be determined). I will use small pots filled with water to mimic full plates, as our home china is not the heavier type used on the ships. Might even fasten some sorts of strips to the surface to keep things from sliding. Don't think I'd want to store it under the bed though, because as that region is rarely vacuumed.

 

As for timing, the reason we use the buffets often revolves around the more extended times they are open, as opposed to the MDR. Leaving the ship in the AM for an excursion, arriving back after an excursion, etc. Also time spent at the table comes into play, in one's schedule. Meals taken at the dining room take longer. At the buffet, not having trays cuts down on our efficient use of time.

 

We have used room service, especially in the morning, however the level of cabin often will dictate the choices available to order.

 

As far as people over-eating, what is to stop someone from ordering a room service meal, and then going to the buffet or MDR and having another????? Most lines tout their meals as an advantage of cruising. (Some currently resting on past laurels)

 

It would be an improvement to allow people a choice, trusting them to make a choice which is best for their circumstance and needs, instead of making the choice for them with unfriendly customer design.

[lexmiller]

I have to comment about the cleanliness of the nether regions under the beds - I have always in fact found this area to be as clean as the rest of the cabin! I always check under there to verify that we have our life jackets, plus that's where we store our luggage, so I always look before shoving the pieces underneath. So, as a tray storage spot, no problem in my opinion.

 

Also, when my daughter has gone to the buffet, I have to say that although I'm making a big deal about the tray, she has always, every single time, been approached by a staff member upon entering or closely thereafter, and asked her if he/she could help her by carrying her plates. I remember specifically our most recent cruise, on Equinox, how this lovely guy helped her, he was laughing, she was laughing, it was a very pleasant experience, beyond just the help he gave her!

 

And about room service offerings - we have sailed Aqua Class and regular veranda class and what we have found is that they will give you anything you ask for - toss the menu, online or the paper one in your cabin, out the balcony window - just ask and you'll get it.

[miched]

It is always a hassle eating in the buffet. One person always has to guard the table while the other gets their food. If both go at the same time you then have to walk around looking for a table with your hands full. One time I needed several plates for my salad, soup, and plate. I got the salad and soup and put it on a table while my wife was getting her stuff. Went back and it was gone and others were sitting there. Apparently the waiter cleared the table.

 

We avoid the buffet as much as possible. We either get room service for breakfast or eat in the Aqua Spa Cafe. The hours are a little more limited and so are the options but the tables are close by and they offer the basics for breakfast and sometimes they do have trays. It is also good place for lunch.

 

When eating in the buffet someone is always chasing after something. The other alternative is to go to the dining room and be served.

[Lsimon]

For the benefit of new cruisers looking here: I'll emphasize that we really like the buffet for breakfast and lunch. They have an amazing variety of pretty good food at those meals.

 

Just thought I'd mention that in light of the posts from those that avoid the buffet. We all have different preferences and enjoy things differently - that's why the larger ships offer so many great alternatives.

[Turtles06]

For the benefit of new cruisers looking here: I'll emphasize that we really like the buffet for breakfast and lunch. They have an amazing variety of pretty good food at those meals.

 

Just thought I'd mention that in light of the posts from those that avoid the buffet. We all have different preferences and enjoy things differently - that's why the larger ships offer so many great alternatives.

 

My partner and I are experienced cruisers, but we did not take our first Celebrity cruise until last year, an eastbound TA on the Eclipse. We loved the ship and the Celebrity experience. One of the things that really impressed us was the quality and variety of food in the buffet for breakfast and lunch, not to mention the great stuff like sushi that was put out in the late afternoon. We both agreed that the quality of the buffet food was better than the MDR food on some other ships we've been on.

 

We'll be on the Infinity westbound TA in October, and we're hoping that the buffet there is equally good!

[Ex-Airbalancer]

I bough a tray on our last TA , came in hand bring drinks to my friends as we were playing Mexican train

I did leave it behind in 1554 on the Silhouette :p

[JLSPOOL]

If I need a tray for the buffet, I'll take the one under the ice bucket in my Cabin.

 

Easy to wash and store. Small but no need to overload it.

 

jls

[phoenix_dream]

For the benefit of new cruisers looking here: I'll emphasize that we really like the buffet for breakfast and lunch. They have an amazing variety of pretty good food at those meals.

 

Just thought I'd mention that in light of the posts from those that avoid the buffet. We all have different preferences and enjoy things differently - that's why the larger ships offer so many great alternatives.

Good points. By and large the buffets are quite good, especially on S class ships. There is a lot of variety and the food is generally good to very good. The only time we really avoid them is lunch on embarkation day (madness!!) or during prime time on sea days. Yes, getting your own food and finding tables as such can be a little bit of a hassle. But on the plus side you can try a little bit here, a little bit there from a large selection, and do it on your own time. More pros than cons I think.