Avoiding Buffet

[SilkySal]

Guess it will just be my sweetie and me at the Pub on the Promenade upon boarding!! :rolleyes: Priorities my friends! ;) A croissant sandwich and/or pizza and a tall cold one to sit and enjoy watching all of the newbies gazing in amazement!! Cheers everybody!! :cool:

[mjldvlks]

We always start in the "Jamma" as our friend from New Bedford calls it. It's one of those official beginning of the cruise moments. It's like getting my favorite locker at the gym -- the workout [or cruise in this case] just doesn't feel right without it.

 

Here is a picture from our TA on Indy. We haven't always been this early, but we've always found a place:

 

 

For me, we have to avoid the buffets this time as husband just recently in remission from cancer. Trying to avoid all of the germs we can so it looks like Pizza for us. How soon can you order room service once cabins are open at 1? Does anyone know? Might be our best bet since we are in a GS.

 

Congratulations on the remission. If you are not content with pizza and sandwiches, don't discount the Buffet altogether. There are usually some "cook to order" stations or carving stations where you can get things without the risk that your food has been handled by every other passenger. Enjoy your cruise.

[Paulette3028]

For me, we have to avoid the buffets this time as husband just recently in remission from cancer. Trying to avoid all of the germs we can so it looks like Pizza for us. How soon can you order room service once cabins are open at 1? Does anyone know? Might be our best bet since we are in a GS.

 

Our thoughts and prayer for continued remission of his cancer.....ENJOY your cruise, after embarkation day, it will be so much easier to avoid crowds.

 

There was a terrific idea of finding a nice place in the Royal Promenade to watch all the 'wide eyed newbies as they join the cruise' -- while you enjoy something from the Café or Sorrentos. Picture opportunity for sure as well.

[Paulette3028]

Guess it will just be my sweetie and me at the Pub on the Promenade upon boarding!! :rolleyes: Priorities my friends! ;) A croissant sandwich and/or pizza and a tall cold one to sit and enjoy watching all of the newbies gazing in amazement!! Cheers everybody!! :cool:

 

I love to be on the pool deck in a lounge chair watching the later arrivals to the ship, with all of their backpacks and the big luggage they are lugging around. It simply amazes me, as they are peering out at what they are seeing while looking for others in their group who must have arrived separately.

 

The view isn't much different, even if it is after cabins are available after 1pm. Don't those people know they can go to their cabin once they are open.....I guess not.

[SilkySal]

I love to be on the pool deck in a lounge chair watching the later arrivals to the ship, with all of their backpacks and the big luggage they are lugging around. It simply amazes me, as they are peering out at what they are seeing while looking for others in their group who must have arrived separately.

 

The view isn't much different, even if it is after cabins are available after 1pm. Don't those people know they can go to their cabin once they are open.....I guess not.

 

One of the things I was guilty of as a "newbie" was walking anywhere on the ship very wide-eyed and probably with my mouth gaping open in awe at the size and beauty of the ship! :eek: My best advice to those boarding before 1-2pm before cabins open up is to check ALL OF YOUR BIG LUGGAGE with the porters and only take your personal items along with a change of clothes, such as shorts and/or swim suits, so there is no "lugging" around!! Set yourselves free to explore unencumbered!! ;)

[Paulette3028]

One of the things I was guilty of as a "newbie" was walking anywhere on the ship very wide-eyed and probably with my mouth gaping open in awe at the size and beauty of the ship! :eek: My best advice to those boarding before 1-2pm before cabins open up is to check ALL OF YOUR BIG LUGGAGE with the porters and only take your personal items along with a change of clothes, such as shorts and/or swim suits, so there is no "lugging" around!! Set yourselves free to explore unencumbered!! ;)

 

We were fortunate that when we took our first cruise, our fellow cruisers advised us as to your suggestion.....I did one better -- since we were leaving from my home in S. Florida, I just wore my bathing suit under my shorts and t-shirt, and viola -- all set. The luggage would be in our cabin by dinner, so not a worry.

 

A few years later, when we had to fly to San Juan to pick up Jewel. When we landed and while we were waiting for the shuttle to take us from the airport to the ship, I had in my back pack my, bathing suit and shorts and top....so I changed in the bathroom and viola -- I was in cruise vacation mode.

 

Must be flexible....and don't like lugging around more than I need to, even if for one hour.

[legaljen1969]

I'm a pretty laid back, easy to get along with person on a cruise, so the WJ has some fond memories of people watching. Ignoring the improper handling of food by passengers and crew, just the odd things people do in the WJ entertains me.

 

Laid back? Easy to get along with? That's an understatement! WJ people watching is definitely interesting. I saw some food mishandling on our cruise that made me pretty queasy- by passengers. Not crew.

 

People definitely do odd things in the WJ.

[BillOh]

Laid back? Easy to get along with? That's an understatement! WJ people watching is definitely interesting. I saw some food mishandling on our cruise that made me pretty queasy- by passengers. Not crew.

 

People definitely do odd things in the WJ.

 

I remember on Jewel a lady and I headed towards the watermelon and I stopped and let her go first. She picked up the entire tray, around 25 triangle shaped pieces and took it back to her table.

 

Another cruise I saw a lady pick up about 10 different hot dog buns, examine them, put them back, till she found one she wanted. I was so tempted to ask her what her criteria was, there was no mold, no obvious sign of any problems. What is the bun secret? Squeezably soft?

 

I also watched a 12 year old (estimate) who otherwise seemed well behaved and doing well in the WJ until he got to the ribs. He would pick up a small rack of ribs and the meet would fall off the bone back into the pan. He actually did de-bone the entire tray before giving up and walking away. At least those didn't go to waste, I saw how he never actually touched them so grabbed some from the pain without the bone.

[A&L_Ont]

We avoided the WJ on Oasis class for 4 cruises, until our DS joined us.

[SilkySal]

We avoided the WJ on Oasis class for 4 cruises, until our DS joined us.

 

Hey Andrew! I see that you will be leaving the Independence this October when our group will be boarding her! :( We have 14 friends going this week to help Tom celebrate his 60th! :cool: Wish you could just stay on board and join us! ;) Take care and we still want to make that trip up north some day soon!

Happy flow riding!

[A&L_Ont]

Hey Andrew! I see that you will be leaving the Independence this October when our group will be boarding her! :( We have 14 friends going this week to help Tom celebrate his 60th! :cool: Wish you could just stay on board and join us! ;) Take care and we still want to make that trip up north some day soon!

Happy flow riding!

 

I wish we could. It would be so much fun. I hope you are all feeling healthy and your knee is much better than in March. :)

 

I would love to figure out how we could avoid the WJ as a collective group.

[SilkySal]

I wish we could. It would be so much fun. I hope you are all feeling healthy and your knee is much better than in March. :)

 

I would love to figure out how we could avoid the WJ as a collective group.

 

Hip replacement surgery March 23rd! Back to 100% with no more, I repeat, no more debilitating hip pain!!!!! :D Whoot! Whoot! No more cane and I can dance again!! :D Still can't run too fast but of course I never could! :o

[A&L_Ont]

Hip replacement surgery March 23rd! Back to 100% with no more, I repeat, no more debilitating hip pain!!!!! :D Whoot! Whoot! No more cane and I can dance again!! :D Still can't run too fast but of course I never could! :o

 

Sorry Sal, I meant hip. I am glad to hear it went well. Say hi to Tom for me. I hope you two will make you road trip this way over the summer. As for the running I have that same problem, I just don't sprint to the WJ. :D

Edited June 26, 2015 by A&L_Ont

[sleepless]

"Avoid" the WJ on boarding day :eek: What are you thinking...that's all part of the fun :D:D

 

 

I have to agree with you on this. On our Oasis cruise, we chose to go to Park Cafe for a roast beef sandwich. I was good. However, something was missing. The "Windjammer feeding frenzy". When we went on the Allure, we were back in the Windjammer. A nice start to a wonderful cruise.

[Ocean Boy]

Never saw roast beef sandwiches in the Café Promenade on Indy. They do have these wonderful shrimp rolls and various chicken or veggie wraps throughout the day and the cheese cake pops are a wonderful snack.

 

I saw shrimp roles once and thought they would be really good. I took one bite and there was so much opion mixed in with it that I couldn't eat it.

[BillOh]

Laid back? Easy to get along with? That's an understatement! WJ people watching is definitely interesting. I saw some food mishandling on our cruise that made me pretty queasy- by passengers. Not crew.

 

People definitely do odd things in the WJ.

 

 

 

I'm not overly germaphobic (Fear of Germans?) but this might be a case of reading too much on Cruise critic ;) I always see crew pick up trays with their hands, consolidate them into one tray, or swap them out, the pick up the tongs and the put the tongs back down on the new food.

[AtlantaCruiser72]

I used to hit the buffet immediately after boarding when I first started cruising. I used to always try and arrive early to be one of the first aboard. That has changed in the last few years. I now arrive to the pier around 12-1230 and seek out a light snack or sit down lunch in the MDR (Princess and and Holland America). I prefer a more low-key start to my cruise rather than the chaos and crowding of the buffet.

 

I very rarely eat in the buffet during the course of the cruise (or on land for that matter), and even then only at off-peak times and usually from sections where the food is cooked to order and plated for me by the staff. I am very concious of hygiene (or the lack thereof on the part of many cruisers) and prefer dining options where my fellow passengers have little to no direct contact with the food I consume or the utensils its served with.

[Scotty G]

Wait until 1 P.M. All of the lemmings, er, other passengers, will flood out of the WJ to their newly opened cabins.

 

Enjoy your buffet lunch in peace.

 

Agree 100%

[tlatrice]

Avoid the WJ -- HEAVENS no....on embarkation day, that is the signal for the start of our cruise....we board early by 11:30am for sure....casually walk around, head to WJ, enjoy early lunch since we had a very light breakfast. I especially like the paella and the strawberry melon drink with a little salad.

 

Don't overly linger, but generally meet others from our Roll Call in the WJ around noon; enjoy a little comraderie with them while eating....after that....find a lounge chair on the pool deck until cabins are available....then head to cabin to drop off carry ons...then hopefully find a place in the sun until Muster.

 

TRADITION.....

 

YES! I've only been on 2 cruises but can't wait for my third in November. I already know my first meal in the WJ: paella and a bowl of dal (lentils) with rice. That's part of my cruise tradition. Along with room service breakfast on the first and last mornings.

 

I need to decide on a 'first drink on board'. :D

[DebJ14]

Sorry, but we prefer the nice luncheon in the dining room on embarkation day on Princess. It is so much more relaxing than the buffet.

Also, when sailing in a suite on NCL there is a nice lunch at Cagney's or Moderno for all suite guests.

[molsonschooner]

Guess it will just be my sweetie and me at the Pub on the Promenade upon boarding!! :rolleyes: Priorities my friends! ;) A croissant sandwich and/or pizza and a tall cold one to sit and enjoy watching all of the newbies gazing in amazement!! Cheers everybody!! :cool:

 

That is exactly what we do. Don't forget the cookies and other desserts from Cafe Promenade

[NewSalt]

Sorry, but we prefer the nice luncheon in the dining room on embarkation day on Princess. It is so much more relaxing than the buffet.

Also, when sailing in a suite on NCL there is a nice lunch at Cagney's or Moderno for all suite guests.

 

 

When we first cruised on Princess, we were with friends who had sailed that line a few times before. They had always had lunch in the buffet on the first day, but I had read suggestions on CC to go to the MDR instead, so I suggested that. They were willing to try it, and were hooked once we did. It was so much more relaxing.

 

On Celebrity we loved having lunch in the crepe restaurant on the first day. Great food and gave us a chance to catch our breath before we began to explore.

[gerif]

Sorry, but we prefer the nice luncheon in the dining room on embarkation day on Princess. It is so much more relaxing than the buffet.

Also, when sailing in a suite on NCL there is a nice lunch at Cagney's or Moderno for all suite guests.

 

Since the OP is clearly sailing on RCI, what is the point of your post?

[Esmerelda]

We avoid the buffet the entire cruise duration. I would go to the promenade. There is plenty there. I work in healthcare and never do buffets for many reasons. I hope you have a great cruise! :)

Edited June 27, 2015 by Esmerelda

[Ocean Boy]

We avoid the buffet the entire cruise duration. I would go to the promenade. There is plenty there. I work in healthcare and never do buffets for many reasons. I hope you have a great cruise! :)

 

I'm a physician. I go to plenty of buffets.