Grand Buffet

[Newbury newbie]

Do Celebrity still put on a Grand Buffet every trip? As in the one's held in the MDR and rather lavish with its food and ice sculptures etc. I've done two Med cruises with X and wasn't aware that these trips had such a thing. Is it limited to sailings out of the US maybe? If so I'm doing the Caribbean in 12 weeks :):):)

[jenniebnyc]

Not anymore. Sorry.

[neverbeenhere]

They usually do a micro-sized one in the "buffet" restaurant area on one day of the cruise. A few ice sculptures and a few fancy desserts.

[az_tchr]

The buffets are also different depending on if your cruise begins and ends in the US. The US has rules regulating the self serving of food in a carpeted area. Thus different on Caribbean cruises versus the Med on where and how the mini buffet is held. If touching the US is in Oceanview. Outside usually in the MDR.

[davekathy]

Do Celebrity still put on a Grand Buffet every trip? As in the one's held in the MDR and rather lavish with its food and ice sculptures etc. I've done two Med cruises with X and wasn't aware that these trips had such a thing. Is it limited to sailings out of the US maybe? If so I'm doing the Caribbean in 12 weeks :):):)

 

Nope the Grand Buffets they did in the MDR in the 90's on one of the Formal evenings are no longer.

Edited December 28, 2015 by davekathy

[lovemylab]

I was on the Reflection in October (Med itinerary) and there were no grand buffets or mini-grand buffets to be found anywhere (dining room or in the ocean view café).

[ghstudio]

The buffets are also different depending on if your cruise begins and ends in the US. The US has rules regulating the self serving of food in a carpeted area. Thus different on Caribbean cruises versus the Med on where and how the mini buffet is held. If touching the US is in Oceanview. Outside usually in the MDR.

 

I don't know where this MYTH started, but I have never seen any US law prohibiting buffets on self serve foods on carpets. If there were such a rule, most caterers would be out of business as well as hotels that rent out rooms for weddings, wakes and similar. It is a convenient MYTH started, I think here on CC, to try to explain the elimination of both the gala buffet and the change from buffet to plates in the elite breakfast.

 

BTW....the ice sculptures have apparently been replaced with carved watermelons...there were no ice sculptures on the equinox cruise a couple of weeks ago....in fact the only difference between the gala buffet and the regular buffet seemed to be more selection for desserts and a place to dip fruit into chocolate stuck at the end of the dessert window. Gala/Great...not so much these days....

 

For those who follow traditions in Celebrity, the pasatry swans disappeared a number of years ago, but they were brought back again for the grand buffet in the MDR, albeit as "sugar free" swans. They have now disappeared again completely....as has all you can eat cold shrimp and the gravlox (which was my favorite).

Edited December 28, 2015 by ghstudio

[neverbeenhere]

Recent cruises on the Reflection and Eclipse have had one or two ice sculptures, carved watermelons, Smoked Salmon(no dill), a Chocolate fountain to "double dip" and lick your fingers, but no All-You-Can-Stomach Shrimp. :)

[Northern Aurora]

The buffets are also different depending on if your cruise begins and ends in the US. The US has rules regulating the self serving of food in a carpeted area. Thus different on Caribbean cruises versus the Med on where and how the mini buffet is held. If touching the US is in Oceanview. Outside usually in the MDR.

 

But the "Grand Buffets" are currently, and have been for several years, an event of the past.

[We're The Groupnors]

We were recently on the Silhouette for a 7 night Western Caribbean cruise, and there was a "special" buffet in the Oceanview Cafe at lunch on the second sea day of the voyage. Not much was very special about it, and the only difference I could see was that they scaled the salad bar way down and put it where the desserts usually are, and put the desserts in the larger area where the salad bar usually is. The desserts had more selections including the much coveted profiterole swans and a chocolate fountain. There was also some carved fruit, but no ice sculptures. Meh.

[Hlitner]

The Grand Buffet is just more item cut in an era of too many cut backs. While it was arguably a horrible waste of food and a hassle with the crowd, it was fun and a tradition. Personally, we loved the Grand Buffet because it meant we could have a quiet lunch in the Lido and not fight to get a table :). But I would sneak down to the buffet to get some Bananas Foster :).

 

Hank

Edited December 29, 2015 by Hlitner

[davekathy]

The Grand Buffet is just more item cut in an era of too many cut backs. While it was arguably a horrible waste of food and a hassle with the crowd, it was fun and a tradition. Personally, we loved the Grand Buffet because it meant we could have a quiet lunch in the Lido and not fight to get a table :). But I would sneak down to the buffet to get some Bananas Foster :).

 

Hank

 

Agree. We remember the Grand Buffets to be a work of art. A lot of amazing things done with food, ice and flowers by a lot of talented behind the scenes workers. I'm glad the Cruise lines were doing it when we first stared Cruising.

[awhfy]

Loved being able to take pictures of the ice sculptures & fruit/vege sculptures. The bread sculptures were works of art. Wonderful showcase for talented chefs, but such work! Last one we saw was three years (I think) on Equinox. Next year just ice sculptures in the OceanView at lunch on last sea day (also Equinox) this Last spring on Eclipse we didn't see anything