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Bring back the trays

sweetdardar

By sweetdardar,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

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sweetdardar

sweetdardar

Posted
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Just off the Sun, Nov 27th and the one thing that really irked me was that NCL has disposed of trays in the buffet area. This caused people to have to make several trips to try to carry first your plate to the table, then juice and coffee and if you wanted a waffle and something else, another trip.

It wasnt too bad for us as we are younger but I did see older people making one trip after another as they couldnt balance more than one thing. And only twice did we see any of the waiters assist elderly people to their seats.

 

We were on the Sun on its inaugural cruise, and its still beautiful and fun but I thought that some (not all) of the wait staff could be almost rude. I eat very slowly for which I have a reason and I advised the staff that we would like to sit with others but to please go ahead and serve other people the deserts when they were done with their dinners but they ignored this request. After the embarassment of people watching me try to finish my dinner (twice), I finally quit and then we sat alone for the rest of the cruise. Then when we came in and asked for a table for two, the hostess always made a big deal always making a loud comment that others had to wait because we were eating alone etc,. It made things tough and the buffet became our dinners toward the end. It was not this way on the first cruise or any other NCL cruise, so the Sun will not be seeing us again.

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newmexicoNita

newmexicoNita

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Posted
Just off the Sun, Nov 27th and the one thing that really irked me was that NCL has disposed of trays in the buffet area. This caused people to have to make several trips to try to carry first your plate to the table, then juice and coffee and if you wanted a waffle and something else, another trip.

It wasnt too bad for us as we are younger but I did see older people making one trip after another as they couldnt balance more than one thing. And only twice did we see any of the waiters assist elderly people to their seats.

 

We were on the Sun on its inaugural cruise, and its still beautiful and fun but I thought that some (not all) of the wait staff could be almost rude. I eat very slowly for which I have a reason and I advised the staff that we would like to sit with others but to please go ahead and serve other people the deserts when they were done with their dinners but they ignored this request. After the embarassment of people watching me try to finish my dinner (twice), I finally quit and then we sat alone for the rest of the cruise. Then when we came in and asked for a table for two, the hostess always made a big deal always making a loud comment that others had to wait because we were eating alone etc,. It made things tough and the buffet became our dinners toward the end. It was not this way on the first cruise or any other NCL cruise, so the Sun will not be seeing us again.

Interesting; when we were on the Jewel there was a lot of discussion about this very thing. it was about 50-50 and here were some of the comments: I like the large plates and no trays, when using trays everything slides all over the place and you have to take a couple of plates cause they are small. The new platters hold so much more" otherside, I don't understand why there are no trays. We have to take our platter to a table and then go back for coffee and juice while our food gets cold." As for me, I really don't care which way they go on this one. NMNita

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Host CMLA

Host CMLA

Posted
Posted
Hmm...when you go to land buffets like Old Country Buffet, they don't have trays.

 

Folks seem to do pretty well... even seniors.

But doesn't someone bring you your drinks at land buffets? At buffets in Vegas, someone brings your drink. We ate at the Golden Corral buffet a few weeks ago and someone brought us our drinks. I don't know of many land buffets that make you get your own drinks.
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shoreguy

shoreguy

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I was on the Jewel - no trays, no problem. They have been replaced by platter size plates. If on the Sun they still have normal plates that would be an issue.

 

The platter was so large I could get an omelet, waffle, side dishes, and two mugs of coffee on a single plate. In short is was a small tray you you could eat off of.

 

I was happy to see these plates and thought it was a great idea. Better then carrying a tray that had not been thru the dishwasher. I believe the change is one more attempt like the hand sanitizers to keep us all healthy onboard the ship. I also believe it cuts down on waste by those whose eyes are bigger then their stomachs.

 

If you can fill one of these platers with food it will be cold before you could possibly finish it.

 

I think you can see the size of the platters in this picture from Magwa Notice passenger glass on platter cup in hand - it works.

norwegianjewel610-vi.jpg

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sweetdardar

sweetdardar

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The Sun has the smaller plates, no room for anything but a waffle. As far as getting your drinks first, then going back, you still have to make several trips whether you get your drinks first or not.

 

And of course, I know that they dont carry your trays for older patrons at a buffet restaurant, but when we first went on the Sun, there were employess lined up to help and I thought that was a very nice touch. We did see alot of employees standing around waiting for people to leave their tables so they could clean them off.

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Luv4dacruise

Luv4dacruise

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We were on the Jewel of the Seas in September (different line i know) and they also had the large tray-plates. I for one think they are a great idea, less cleanup for the bussers as well as more room on your table for stuff. Yes we had to make 2 trips, food and then drinks, but i think it actually prevents messes from happening. There were those who tried to do the balancing act by blancing a drink on the plate as well, more power to them for doing it, i for one am not the most graceful of balancers. But i think it prevents alot of people who should not be trying to carry items on a tray on a moving vessel from doing so, thus minimizing dropping of trays and so forth.......This will eventually be the standard amon all lines in the buffet area i think.......

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sunshine 229

sunshine 229

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Posted
We were on the Jewel of the Seas in September (different line i know) and they also had the large tray-plates. I for one think they are a great idea, less cleanup for the bussers as well as more room on your table for stuff. Yes we had to make 2 trips, food and then drinks, but i think it actually prevents messes from happening. There were those who tried to do the balancing act by blancing a drink on the plate as well, more power to them for doing it, i for one am not the most graceful of balancers. But i think it prevents alot of people who should not be trying to carry items on a tray on a moving vessel from doing so, thus minimizing dropping of trays and so forth.......This will eventually be the standard amon all lines in the buffet area i think.......

So let me see if I have this right. The people who should not be carrying things on trays will now , instead, be carrying things on plates and making several trips back and forth?

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Luv4dacruise

Luv4dacruise

Posted
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So let me see if I have this right. The people who should not be carrying things on trays will now , instead, be carrying things on plates and making several trips back and forth?

 

Sorry if this offends anybody as this is not my intention. I go cruising with my mother every year who is disabled, and myself, or one of the servers will help her with her tray. What i meant by the original comment was it will maybe make people think twice about trying to balance items when they do not have the stability and or dexterity to carry something like that. And several trips?.....Hardly, on the Jewel at least, the waiters walked around with trays of lemonade, iced tea and water, so actually, no you did not have to make more than 1 trip, if there were still trays though, people whould probably try.

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DrVal

DrVal

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I was happy to see these plates and thought it was a great idea. Better then carrying a tray that had not been thru the dishwasher.

 

We just disembarked a fantastic cruise on the Celebrity Mercury. One day, while we were waiting for our grilled chicken sandwich at the poolside grill, a staff member came to refill the stack of trays. The trays were wet and definitely clean. Can't say if they were handwashed or through the dishwasher, but clean they were.

 

Having said that, I prefer a plate. Eating off a serving tray seems a bit too institutional for me. Cost-cutting, I'm sure, but I hope this is not an industry trend.

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House_Atreides

House_Atreides

Posted
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Just easier for me to make 1 trip to the buffet than 2 or 3. I like to be settled down when I eat. I know it might sound silly but I'm diabetic and get nervous if I don't have the right stuff with me on my tray---if my sugars are messed up and had to make a couple trips I might "overdo" and get myself sick.

 

 

JMHO!

Mary :D

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sunshine 229

sunshine 229

Posted
Posted
Sorry if this offends anybody as this is not my intention. I go cruising with my mother every year who is disabled, and myself, or one of the servers will help her with her tray. What i meant by the original comment was it will maybe make people think twice about trying to balance items when they do not have the stability and or dexterity to carry something like that. And several trips?.....Hardly, on the Jewel at least, the waiters walked around with trays of lemonade, iced tea and water, so actually, no you did not have to make more than 1 trip, if there were still trays though, people whould probably try.

 

And I'm sorry if I sounded offended.

 

It just seemed to me that people with problems navigating the buffet with a tray would probably not be wanting to go back and forth several times either.

 

As long as things like cutlery, iced tea, coffee, water, cream and sugar, etc. are distributed by waiters walking around, I suppose it wouldn't be a problem but the cruises I've been on, I've never seen that happen.

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cruise182

cruise182

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At first I was disappointed that my cruise lines did away with the trays. But as much as they were a convenience they were also a pain. They got in the way on the table and brought down the feel of eating to a cafeteria meal. sure I had to make 2 trips, even 4-5 because of the kids. Not a big sticking point with me. In fact i prefer not having trays. easier to navigate through the seating area too!

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sunshine 229

sunshine 229

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At first I was disappointed that my cruise lines did away with the trays. But as much as they were a convenience they were also a pain. They got in the way on the table and brought down the feel of eating to a cafeteria meal. sure I had to make 2 trips, even 4-5 because of the kids. Not a big sticking point with me. In fact i prefer not having trays. easier to navigate through the seating area too!

 

Sounds like a tough choice, Have trays and feel like your eating in a cafeteria or don't have trays and end up feeling like a waitress in a better restaurant.

 

What occurs to me is that if they have trays, no one is forced to use them. You can still make five trips without a tray if you prefer. But if they don't have trays you dont have a choice.

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cruise182

cruise182

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Sounds like a tough choice, Have trays and feel like your eating in a cafeteria or don't have trays and end up feeling like a waitress in a better restaurant.

 

What occurs to me is that if they have trays, no one is forced to use them. You can still make five trips without a tray if you prefer. But if they don't have trays you dont have a choice.

 

As ron says above it is a lot less clutter on the table. Easier to sit at a full table with friends and family. But, as you so eloquently pointed, out if they had trays then we would have the option not to use them. But then you still have to navigate through the room around people with trays stacked sky high with food.

I have no problem with making 5 trips. Helps burn a few calories anyway!! I do not make 5 trips to the food for myself....just to help the kids!

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