Buffet Etiquette

[davecttr]

......... and then you get the awkward types.

here is me sitting outside the buffet on Oceana having a light lunch. a couple arrive and put a book on an empty table next to mine. Can you watch the book while we go and fetch some food they said. Twenty minutes later they had not returned, 'fetching' food:confused::confused: . As i wanted to move i handed the book to a staff member, after all, i was not going to babysit it all afternoon :rolleyes:

[Lanzalady]

Have to say I find the most anti-social behaviour are folks who 'taste' the food on display with their fingers. I mentioned it once to a lady who was tasting the chips and her husband almost punched me' date=' he was so aggressive. Or the folk who fill their water bottles from the buffet water/juice dispenser. Don't they know about the Norwalk Virus and how easily it can spread.

 

_______________________________

 

111 P&O cruises - 12 in the pipeline[/quote']

 

We were recently on the Azura and a woman in front of me stuck her water bottle under the nozzle of the water dispenser to refill it and as I am not known for my tact and diplomacy, I asked her politely if she could read the large notice stuck in front of her eyes, regarding not doing that. I mentioned that her bottle had probably been in her mouth and now it was touching the water nozzle. She scowled at me and told me to mind my own business and called me a silly old woman. I've never been called an old woman before as I've only just hit 65 (but really I'm still 27)!

[Vampire Parrot]

We were recently on the Azura and a woman in front of me stuck her water bottle under the nozzle of the water dispenser to refill it and as I am not known for my tact and diplomacy, I asked her politely if she could read the large notice stuck in front of her eyes, regarding not doing that. I mentioned that her bottle had probably been in her mouth and now it was touching the water nozzle. She scowled at me and told me to mind my own business and called me a silly old woman. I've never been called an old woman before as I've only just hit 65 (but really I'm still 27)!

 

I'd have told her I am minding my business as I'd prefer it if she kept her germs - or whatever else she had in her mouth, should I ask her husband? - to herself.

 

VP

[insanemagnet]

Unless you are a person who enters the buffet the wrong way in order to survey the food on offer how do you know the food you want is at the end?

The wrong way?

 

Go into the buffet, have a quick look at what is available, pick up a tray and serve yourself with your item of choice.

 

How on earth else are you supposed to decided what you fancy. Unless of course you are one of that group that fills a plate with all sorts of random food just because that is the order set out on the buffet. Oh yes, I will have a slice of quiche, topped with curry, and some roast potatoes on the side.

[whoops]

The wrong way?

 

Go into the buffet, have a quick look at what is available, pick up a tray and serve yourself with your item of choice.

 

How on earth else are you supposed to decided what you fancy. Unless of course you are one of that group that fills a plate with all sorts of random food just because that is the order set out on the buffet. Oh yes, I will have a slice of quiche, topped with curry, and some roast potatoes on the side.

 

It seems you are amongst those who enter at the exit to browse the food on offer with diners carrying trays of food one way and you the other. Presumably you then exit the buffet and enter in the correct place to pick up your tray pushing and shoving your way through to the end until you've got what you want and to hell with everyone else.

 

Is that the correct etiquette. Just asking?

[insanemagnet]

For the hard of understanding

 

Walk in through entrance.

See what is on offer.

Collect tray.

Serve self to chosen food.

Sit down.

Eat.

 

You may be the pushing and shoving type, but some of us know how to behave in public.

[Mark-Sheffield]

Well i thought it was bad form to be like a butterfly in and out of the queue picking various items food ? But some people do that

[whoops]

For the hard of understanding

 

Walk in through entrance.

See what is on offer.

Collect tray.

Serve self to chosen food.

Sit down.

Eat.

 

You may be the pushing and shoving type, but some of us know how to behave in public.

 

So you are the type of person who doesn't queue with the rest of us. The reason for congestion is because people are wandering around the buffet in order to pre select their food and then overtaking others in order to get to their food of choice.

[davecttr]

The hot food section is laid out incorrectly, at least for breakfast. fried bread etc comes after eggs, IMO it should be before. On aurora toast comes first!, with the butter etc at the other end of the servery. If there is a feeding frenzy going on and you fancy some toast i am afraid you will have to wait in the chloresterol queue, it is bad manners to try and push in ;)

On some ships there are second serveries for a total of four. i usually walk right past the first servery and join the non -existant queue for the second. After 10 days or so some folk work this out for themselves :D

[Esprit]

When I order my omelette it's easy to see what else is available without disturbing others. I try also not to get in any ones way whilst standing around waiting.

[dsrdsrdsr]

Thanks, now i know why solo cruisers are treated as second class citizens. I can sort of understand a couple choosing a table and one waiting there while the other went to get some food. Just leaving something on the table and walking away, NO. if i see this i hand in the items to staff as lost property.

 

i once found a seat in a busy buffet, oops, forgot the soup spoon, on returning with the spoon the food was still there but someone had stolen the chair :mad:

 

You really think it's wrong to want to eat your pudding on the same table as you had your main course? What happens if you've got a cup of tea or glass of water - it's inconvenient, to say the least, to go and get food while carrying liquids.

 

Anyway, you break your own rules. you said yourself you left soup on the table while heading back to the buffet - if you followed the rules you lay down for everyone else, you would have carried the soup with you and then looked for a fresh seat. You can't expect to return to the same place if you won't let anyone else do it. :rolleyes:

[dsrdsrdsr]

I understand the theory behind not refilling bottles, and I wouldn't do it so don't worry about catching my infections, but does it really make any difference? I have been to Disneyland, where you can get (and many people do) an infinitely refillable mug. You can have unlimited fizzy pop, coffee, etc., all served from dispensers where you hold the mug against the nozzle and push. Those mugs are not washed for a fortnight - rinsed maybe, but not washed - and the mouth area touches the nozzle every time. I've not heard that Disney is riddled with norovirus.

[mds143]

For the hard of understanding

 

Walk in through entrance.

See what is on offer.

Collect tray.

Serve self to chosen food.

Sit down.

Eat.

 

You may be the pushing and shoving type, but some of us know how to behave in public.

 

That's what I'd call that the common sense approach to buffets.

 

We always try to avoid the buffet. We're on Holiday and have lots of time, so it's nice to sit down and be served.

When we do have to use the buffet then we do exactly as stated above while. It's important to be patient and polite.

[Bryce1962]

So you are the type of person who doesn't queue with the rest of us. The reason for congestion is because people are wandering around the buffet in order to pre select their food and then overtaking others in order to get to their food of choice.

 

 

Sorry can't agree, why make the queue longer by waiting for food you don't want? Everyone suffers. Be polite, don't push in but if what you are after is clear take what you need and move on.

 

Perhaps you go around several time to see what's on offer (extending the queue) till you see and decide what you want? How else can you see what's available?

[davecttr]

:mad:

You really think it's wrong to want to eat your pudding on the same table as you had your main course? What happens if you've got a cup of tea or glass of water - it's inconvenient, to say the least, to go and get food while carrying liquids.

 

Anyway, you break your own rules. you said yourself you left soup on the table while heading back to the buffet - if you followed the rules you lay down for everyone else, you would have carried the soup with you and then looked for a fresh seat. You can't expect to return to the same place if you won't let anyone else do it. :rolleyes:

I was referring to unnocuped clean tables, but why would both people leave for ther buffet line at the same time. What about arriving in the buffet, finding a table for 4, leaving a book on it, and then going for the food. Do you really expect the table to be free when you come back :mad:

 

In my example there was a untouched plate of soup on the table plus a salad, napkin and appropriate cutlery apart from the soup spoon. Of course i would expect the chair to still be there when I arrived back 90 seconds after leaving. do you think THAT is reasonable.

 

I am sorry but I am not going to be bullied over this thread :mad::mad::mad:

[Host Hattie]

:mad:

I was referring to unnocuped clean tables, but why would both people leave for ther buffet line at the same time.

 

So they eat together perhaps ?

This whole discussion reminds me why we usually avoid buffets at all costs.

[Mewat]

Totally agree Hattie - reminds me why we always use the MDR for breakfast and lunch.

 

Michele

[davecttr]

So they eat together perhaps ?

This whole discussion reminds me why we usually avoid buffets at all costs.

Ah! thanks for a calming response.

 

Unfortunately for those cruising on their own buffets are even more fraught.

 

Fortunately i usualy eat breakfast very early when you are sharing the buffet with about a dozen other people :)

 

Thinks - avoid buffet discussions otherwise I end up going crazy and accusing people of stuff :o

[insanemagnet]

So you are the type of person who doesn't queue with the rest of us. The reason for congestion is because people are wandering around the buffet in order to pre select their food and then overtaking others in order to get to their food of choice.

So you are the type of person to fill your plate early in the line with something you don't really want, only to see something you would have preferred further down the line?

 

Seems a foolish approach to me.

[PORT ROYAL]

This whole discussion reminds me why we usually avoid buffets at all costs.

 

And why some avoid the ship's all together. :eek:

At least the discussion allows some posters to show true class.:rolleyes:

[SDadw01]

As I said earlier Buffet and Etiquette don't go together! Unfortunately :-(

[dsrdsrdsr]

:mad:

I was referring to unnocuped clean tables, but why would both people leave for ther buffet line at the same time. What about arriving in the buffet, finding a table for 4, leaving a book on it, and then going for the food. Do you really expect the table to be free when you come back :mad:

 

In my example there was a untouched plate of soup on the table plus a salad, napkin and appropriate cutlery apart from the soup spoon. Of course i would expect the chair to still be there when I arrived back 90 seconds after leaving. do you think THAT is reasonable.

 

I am sorry but I am not going to be bullied over this thread :mad::mad::mad:

 

Bullied? Disagreement is not bullying.

 

Why would both people leave for the buffet at the same time? Why indeed. Similarly, why do waiters tend to bring everybody's main course at the same time in the main dining room? It would actually be easier to serve the fish at 7 o'clock, the beef at 7.05, the lasagne at 7.10, the vegetarian at 7.15 ... but people have this prejudice about eating together.

 

Yes, I think it's reasonable to expect your chair to be still there when you get back. But then, I think it's reasonable to sit down together for lunch a minute before you get your food, not a minute after.

[Bryce1962]

Bullied? Disagreement is not bullying.

 

Why would both people leave for the buffet at the same time? Why indeed. Similarly, why do waiters tend to bring everybody's main course at the same time in the main dining room? It would actually be easier to serve the fish at 7 o'clock, the beef at 7.05, the lasagne at 7.10, the vegetarian at 7.15 ... but people have this prejudice about eating together.

 

Yes, I think it's reasonable to expect your chair to be still there when you get back. But then, I think it's reasonable to sit down together for lunch a minute before you get your food, not a minute after.

 

 

[emoji106]🏽

[Munchkin1982]

Jeez - have used the buffet on RCCL so many times without issue, first trip coming up on P&O and I'm now thinking of avoiding the buffet for breakfast if it's full of some of the passenger types who've revealed themselves on this thread. Can anyone tell me what the MDR arrangements for breakfast are on Ventura? Is there a semi-formal option like on RCCL eg wait for a table but then it's buffet?

[BrianI]

Breakfast in the MDR on P&O is full waiter service. There is no buffet.

Breakfast menu

 

https://ask.pocruises.com/resources/carnivaluk/life-on-board/typical_breakfast_po.pdf

 

Just order whatever combination you want

 

Brian