Has Grand Buffet all but disappeared?

[shipfriend_max]

Hi,

 

as far as I have heard, the brunch buffet now will be at the Oceanview Café - at least a passenger who was on Eclipse in June, told that.

Maybe it is still not on all ships...

But if it were cancelled it would not really bother me, since I could imagine the large waste of food - and even without brunch, you get enough to eat onboard! ;)

[The_Big_M]

Hi,

 

as far as I have heard, the brunch buffet now will be at the Oceanview Café - at least a passenger who was on Eclipse in June, told that.

Maybe it is still not on all ships...

 

Sorta, kinda. They have a theme function in the buffet at lunch, with banners and some carvings, as was part of the old buffets. But it's not the same as either of the old buffets used to be. So it's not just that they've re-located it.

[Shepsue]

We had it on the Infinity last October but not on the Summit last month. I do miss it. It was something special that I looked forward to seeing.

[bjksgk]

Hi,

 

as far as I have heard, the brunch buffet now will be at the Oceanview Café - at least a passenger who was on Eclipse in June, told that.

Maybe it is still not on all ships...

But if it were cancelled it would not really bother me, since I could imagine the large waste of food - and even without brunch, you get enough to eat onboard! ;)

 

On the Eclipse, there was a big lunch celebration in Oceanview for the 4th of July with ice & fruit carvings, the chocolate fountain and a lot more food than normal for lunch time. It was extremely nice and lots of people were taking photos, etc. but it was nothing compared to what they used to do in the dining room. It was also not advertised so unless you went in to Oceanview to have lunch that day you wouldn't have known about it.

Edited July 18, 2014 by bjksgk

[shipfriend_max]

On the Eclipse, there was a big lunch celebration in Oceanview for the 4th of July with ice & fruit carvings, the chocolate fountain and a lot more food than normal for lunch time. It was extremely nice and lots of people were taking photos, etc. but it was nothing compared to what they used to do in the dining room. It was also not advertised so unless you went in to Oceanview to have lunch that day you wouldn't have known about it.

 

But maybe this is the "new" Brunch buffet.

IMHO it is an improvement compared to the other one in MDR.

You can have fine brunch and sit outside during the day at sea.

I am a person who does not want to waste my time and sit in a restaurant, when I also could enjoy the sailing.

So IMHO the buffet at Oceanview is a great solution!

 

No idea whether only Eclipse has it currently?

[shipgeeks]

Our Silhouette TA had the Oceanview lunch buffet. It was very elaborate, with lots of special items, ice sculptures, fancy sweets, etc. A much better arrangement than in the MDR. I stopped going to the MDR buffets several years ago because of all the chaos, pushing, dirty looks, and the fact that people were picking things up with their bare hands, checking them out, putting them back, touching other things..... Ugh.

[Chitown12562]

As a professed Foodie I would have loved to have seen the display of this huge buffet on our Equinox panama cruise. I was disappointed to not see it listed in the dailies. The staff in Blu confirmed that there would not be a buffet.

 

At the same time I understand that it would be a huge waste of food. It was more about the display, as from what I've seen of the pictures here it had the same food as the Oceanview Cafe.

 

Now high tea is another story. I would love for tea and finger sandwiches to be served at the Oceanview at 4:30pm at least once. Not complaining, ok just a little.:)

[Lsimon]

...Now high tea is another story. I would love for tea and finger sandwiches to be served at the Oceanview at 4:30pm at least once. Not complaining, ok just a little.:)

 

 

That is another item that has been cut over the years. When we started cruising Celebrity they had an elegant tea twice each 10 or 11 night cruise in the main dining room. One was by invitation only based on cabin type (CC and above) and captain's club level but I'd heard that most others that inquired received an invite. The other was open to all. Semi formal (jackets for men) attire was required and the waiters were in formal attire and wore white gloves. The tea was served very nicely with great service. Service included a cart of tea sandwiches and a cart of tea sweets and scones. Tables were all set very formally and as I recall there was usually an ice sculpture or so.

 

Years later it was reduced to an Elegant tea for Elite Captain's club and suites only served in a smaller dining room and the quality of service and food had declined so badly that we stopped bothering. They did improved the afternoon tea service in the buffet but I've read that might have been cut or reduced this year. Of course around that time they eliminated the MDR teas they started offering an extra cost afternoon Champagne tea in Muranos once each cruise. I've heard it's very nice but never have gone as it galls me that they are charging for it.

Edited July 18, 2014 by Lsimon

[farmermd]

Disappointed to hear the MDR brunch has been axed. My family and I always enjoyed and never saw the fighting and shoving that others have mentioned here. I guess our last MDR brunch was on the Summit in January. If I had known then what I know now, I would have eaten more shrimp and chocolate covered pineapple!

[d4m]

Hi,

 

as far as I have heard, the brunch buffet now will be at the Oceanview Café - at least a passenger who was on Eclipse in June, told that.

Maybe it is still not on all ships...

But if it were cancelled it would not really bother me, since I could imagine the large waste of food - and even without brunch, you get enough to eat onboard! ;)

 

It is definitely NOT like the MDR brunch. Although some say that it is, the similarity ends with many fewer offerings. We had a wonderful quite elegant gala buffet on the Equinox last December and quite a different experience when they held it on the Constellation in May. I wish I knew how to post pictures as it is quite laughable as to what some are now comparing as similar to the gala brunch. Not so and quite a disappointment. You thought the brunch in the MDR was busy? Try adding a few more things to the regular buffet and it is ridiculous. Two ice carvings now as compared to 12-15, far less interesting desserts, less meat carvings, less of everything.

 

If someone can tell me how to post a picture, I'll surely show you theose comparisons from within the last half year.

[Seapoint]

Regarding the claim that the Grand Brunch Buffet was dropped because it had become unpopular,I can only quote Yogi Berra: "Nobody goes there anymore because it is so crowded".

 

Its yet another cut, nothing more and nothing less.

[swsfrail]

Its yet another cut, nothing more and nothing less.

 

Some of us stopped going long ago because it was much too chaotic and crowded, even worse than the buffet area on embarkation day. It may have looked pretty for the first people to enter the room, but if you didn't get in line a half hour before opening you ended up having to force your way past the rabid food gatherers who were heaping food high onto their plates, leaving empty serving trays or with the least desirable morsels abandoned as not good enough for them.

 

I won't miss this overrated event. To me, it is not a cut, but a positive move towards a more dignified cruise experience.

Edited July 26, 2014 by swsfrail

[The_Big_M]

I won't miss this overrated event. To me, it is not a cut, but a positive move towards a more dignified cruise experience.

 

Where you don't have any special features...

 

All the events get crowds. Try to go to the main show - it's packed out. There aren't really that many single distinct events, but cutting out anything special because it gets a crowd isn't the way to make a cruise more special or interesting. It only gets crowds because it _is_ interesting and appealing.

 

Seapoint's previous post was quite apt!

[Lsimon]

Regarding the claim that the Grand Brunch Buffet was dropped because it had become unpopular,I can only quote Yogi Berra: "Nobody goes there anymore because it is so crowded".

 

Its yet another cut, nothing more and nothing less.

 

I agree. The brunch was always heavily attended. Like any other event on the ship it was busiest and lines the longest when it started. People would be in lines waiting for it to open. We always went closer to noon which was an hour or two after it opened. Sometimes it took a few minutes to get a clean table as we just about always had a large group (7 or more) but the staff would find one and get it ready for us without too long of a wait.

 

I too don't believe that the end of this was due to attendance nor health department concerns. Cruise ships had buffets in the MDR ever since our first cruise back in 1998 and I'm sure it started many years before that and these continued on Celebrity up until this past year so what would have changed.

 

Personally, I didn't like the brunch when they first offered it but after a year or so it became more organized and the quality of what they did serve improved. I continued to go as the others that I cruise with really enjoyed it and the last few times we cruise I did as well. And the few times we really didn't feel like going to the brunch it still gave us the benefit of drawing crowds away from the regular buffet at lunch time! Too bad it is gone.

Edited July 26, 2014 by Lsimon

[Cruise Raider]

We had it on the Infinity last October but not on the Summit last month. I do miss it. It was something special that I looked forward to seeing.

 

I loved the special brunch buffet....found it by accident on the Equinox, looked for it and found it on the Solstice and missed it a LOT on the Century. It really was something special that I looked forward to attending. For me, so sad to see it gone.

[awhfy]

I really miss the Elegant Tea (when it was elegant). We both miss the Grand Brunch Buffet (as it was), but really miss the Chocolate Buffet (that just says cruise ship to me...I know, silly, but it does).

 

Love the ice & fruit carvings & amazing designs made of bread. The remarkable talent that it takes to make these unique items is stunning.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[d4m]

Regarding the claim that the Grand Brunch Buffet was dropped because it had become unpopular,I can only quote Yogi Berra: "Nobody goes there anymore because it is so crowded".

 

Its yet another cut, nothing more and nothing less.

 

This is exactly the reason. Decades of brunch or midnight feed and now it's a health problem:confused: Would rather hear Celebrity talk facts (like cost-cutting) rather than spewing nonsense. What a shame for those hundreds who loved to attend.

[Cruising89143]

Some of us stopped going long ago because it was much too chaotic and crowded, even worse than the buffet area on embarkation day. It may have looked pretty for the first people to enter the room, but if you didn't get in line a half hour before opening you ended up having to force your way past the rabid food gatherers who were heaping food high onto their plates, leaving empty serving trays or with the least desirable morsels abandoned as not good enough for them.

 

I won't miss this overrated event. To me, it is not a cut, but a positive move towards a more dignified cruise experience.

 

Agree. Things change. There is still more than enough food available around the ship.

[Beh789149]

I'm glad the brunch buffet is gone. Service was always poor, waited for ever to get a glass of wine. Food wasn't anything spectacular. I'd take a lunch in the MDR over that any day, or a late night chocolate buffet!

 

 

Avalon Scenery Burgundy and Provence-June 2010

Celebrity Infinity Alaska-May 2012

Celebrity Century Pacific Wine-Sept 2012

Celebrity Millennium N Alaska-July 2013

Celebrity Century Pacific Coastal-May 2014

Celebrity Millennium Malaysia and Indonesia-Nov 2014

Celebrity Infinity Panama Canal September 2015

[keithm]

Wondering what the situation is with the Grand Buffet these days?

 

In March on Silhouette (Caribbean), there was an unusual buffet with cupcakes and cotton candy in the upstairs buffet but nothing grandiose in the MDR with fruit carvings, stations, etc.

 

Wondering if there are differences according to ship (chef's choice), itinerary (lots of at sea days?) or ?

 

Thanks.

We had it on our Jan.Eclipse 14 day trip. Having a catering company, we know how to set up a proper buffet(even for 2000pax)The flow was a total cluster ###.The buffet needed to be more "linear" & not have all the chef stations in the middle, which constantly caused back ups.Food was good, but not as good as the general meals on board.

[keithm]

I ran into one of these on the last day of our cruise. Two elderly gentlemen (who had it in for each other the whole trip) got into it when one of them apparently touched something on the buffet.

 

Now obviously that is frowned upon but the guy freaked out too much and made a scene. By the end of the cruise I find a lot of beachy people for some reason.

 

I had some gentlemen constantly scowl at me (we had never spoken or run into each other) and he even said he was sick of seeing "that guy" (me) every morning. Not sure why people get like this!

I guess when you look good, it makes others jealous!

[Jenna109]

Our first visit to the buffet seemed amazing - on entry! Ice carvings were very impressive and so much food. However, for us that was the problem. Brunch meant a combination of everything and far too much queuing at the different stations so that food was often cold by the time you got back to the table.

This time we decided not to bother even though it was held in the Oceanview Cafe on the Eclipse.

[hcat]

Have they also cut the Elite Elegant Tea? Such a nice event...usually held towards the end of the cruise...it had morphed somewhat but still something we looked forward to...

 

Guess they have to make cuts to pay for all of the scratch dj lessons!

[Christine Frances]

Have they also cut the Elite Elegant Tea? Such a nice event...usually held towards the end of the cruise...it had morphed somewhat but still something we looked forward to...

 

Guess they have to make cuts to pay for all of the scratch dj lessons!

 

I never go because it is too close to dinner as we have early seating plus DH doesn't drink tea. But I am sure I saw that is was listed on our last cruise.

[Jenna109]

Have they also cut the Elite Elegant Tea? Such a nice event...usually held towards the end of the cruise...it had morphed somewhat but still something we looked forward to...

 

Guess they have to make cuts to pay for all of the scratch dj lessons!

 

This did take place on our recent cruise on the Eclipse. One thing I have learned it to save the letter from Captains Club which is given out on the first day as Elite events are listed - not always on daily sheet. Also check messages on TV as some reminders are on there.

Brunch - would not have known about this if our waiter hadn't told us