Windjammer Cafe / Is self service gone forever?

[Jeff13]

4 hours ago, little britain said:

If it stops the food wastage then it is good with me.  Do you really need 10 rashers of bacon?

YES!  😆

[time4u2go]

1 hour ago, zekekelso said:

 

Yes. Yes I do 🙂

 

Anyway, I have no idea if it does any good to have servers at the buffet, but I know the industry is going to be doing everything it can to convince people things are different/better. So at least at first, we'll see no self-service. 

I agree.  I don't know that it will really make much difference, but it will make people feel better, I suppose.

[teacherman]

I am D+ on RCCL but also cruise on HAL and much prefer their buffet set up.  You are served and there is no more line than on RCCL.  It is also MUCH neater as people are not dropping food on the buffet tables while they reach to get something.  And there are no people taking dinner rolls with their hands and then deciding they don't want that one and then putting it back to get a different one.  Also, I very seldom see people on HAL piling a lot of food on their plate and then trying a few bites, deciding they don't like it, and then just leaving it on the table to be thrown away, which I often see on RCCL.

[depplep]

I'm more bothered by the people who feel the need to put their hands into the trays and stand there and eat it on line. And that's anywhere, not just Windjammer.

[JAMESCC]

16 minutes ago, depplep said:

I'm more bothered by the people who feel the need to put their hands into the trays and stand there and eat it on line. And that's anywhere, not just Windjammer.

Agree on that. 

[lovemylab]

5 hours ago, SSBrickNJ said:

It's been said that plates with preset portions might be displayed for the cruise guests to grab.

Maybe.

Yet if there is a plate with eggs that I can grab....I don't just want eggs.

Do I come back for a plate of just pancakes?

Do I come back for a plate of just bacon?

That's a lot of plates on my table!

There's no easy answer to this situation.

I still say that the best would be if I can hold my empty plate and then ask for eggs, pancakes and bacon to be placed on my plate by the RCI staff members. You....you might want sausage....or hash browns....etc....everybody is gonna be different.

Staff members serving guests is the best!

 

A few years ago we cruised the Celebrity Summit and they had servers at the buffet.  It was a pain as each station insisted on giving you a new plate.  So if you wanted pancakes, that went on one plate.  If you wanted a side of bacon or sausage, that went on a different plate.  For whatever reason, the servers refused to allow you to use one plate at multiple stations. 

 

Staff members serving guests is fine as long as they allow you to use the same plate at multiple stations.  Otherwise it's a mess.

[livylotte]

8 hours ago, SSBrickNJ said:

Whenever cruising is allowed to resume, do you think The Windjammer Cafe will be run as per usual?

.............or do you think that crew members will be positioned all over the place....asking you what you would like....then they'll serve it onto your plate for you?

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BTW....If this topic has already been covered, kindly let me know.

 

I hope so.

[steveru621]

There are more germs on the elevator button for the Windjammer Deck.  Often it is actually sticky.

 

[Jingerwoppy]

8 hours ago, little britain said:

If it stops the food wastage then it is good with me.  Do you really need 10 rashers of bacon?

Yes

[ONECRUISER]

1 hour ago, lovemylab said:

 

A few years ago we cruised the Celebrity Summit and they had servers at the buffet.  It was a pain as each station insisted on giving you a new plate.  So if you wanted pancakes, that went on one plate.  If you wanted a side of bacon or sausage, that went on a different plate.  For whatever reason, the servers refused to allow you to use one plate at multiple stations. 

 

Staff members serving guests is fine as long as they allow you to use the same plate at multiple stations.  Otherwise it's a mess.

Royal did that around 25-30yrs ago, though had Trays carry multiple plates to table back then. Even Tea Time and Lunch they served you at Stations. WJ at Dinner was more Formal, Table Cloths, Candles, Waiter for Drink and Main Dining Menu and/or could go to Buffet. My then 10yr old dropped his China breakfast plates when they overloaded it on one side his tray while trying to help

Edited April 15, 2020 by ONECRUISER

[steveru621]

It's just my opinion, but most of the food waste is food that is inedible or not to taste.  Over the last few years there are peppers added to everything.

 

[EscapeFromConnecticut]

Again, read over the CDC document that bans U.S. cruising until the end of June. 
 

Look at the problems it identifies, and absorb the tone -- this isn't a wrist slap reprimand, a cheerful helpful or a mild suggestion.

 

And none of it changes after June 28 - those problems still exist with cruise ships, and hugely big-ticket fixes are the only answer. Cruise lines won't be operating until they address that.

 

So something as trivial as buffet operations won't even be worth discussion. The CDC will say "from now on, the windjammer operates under these rules and regulations," and that's how it will be.

 

 

[SherriZ366]

We sailed after Oasis had a big norovirus outbreak.  They brought her in a day early and sanitized the whole ship thoroughly.  When we sailed, everything was served for the first 4 days (Noro has a much shorter infection time -- 3-4 as opposed to 14 with Coronavirus).  We had food served in the Windjammer as well as continental breakfast and evening hors d'oeurves in the DL.   

[ReneeFLL]

8 hours ago, Esprit said:

Because after my Allure cruise last October I decided we would never sail with RC again. Losing Windjammer would ever so slightly move me from “never”

Again it doesn't make sense. If you don't eat in the Windjammer why does it make any difference? It would be like me saying if Royal doesn't get rid of the pools then I won't sail on her even though I don't use the pools. What am I missing?

[brillohead]

19 hours ago, SSBrickNJ said:

Yet if only one crew member who is wearing a glove touches that serving spoon, that would be preferable.

Why does it matter if the crew member is wearing a glove to touch the spoon's handle?  It's not like they're dipping their hand directly into the food container!

[brillohead]

16 hours ago, Saab4444 said:

Without Windjammer buffets they will not be able to feed all the people on the big crowded ships unless they stop the all-you-can-eat approach of cruising. Small ships with fewer people will manage such s change but not the mega ships.

Sounds like someone has a big-ship-bias but no real-world experience.  

For starters, the big ships aren't crowded -- the ships are bigger, so there are more places for people to spread out.  

And secondly, the big ships have a lot more eating venues -- again, more places for people to spread out.

If you don't personally care for big ships, that's fine -- don't go on one.  But don't go around badmouthing them just because they're not your own personal preference.  Sheesh.

 

[Saab4444]

7 minutes ago, brillohead said:

Sounds like someone has a big-ship-bias but no real-world experience.  

For starters, the big ships aren't crowded -- the ships are bigger, so there are more places for people to spread out.  

And secondly, the big ships have a lot more eating venues -- again, more places for people to spread out.

If you don't personally care for big ships, that's fine -- don't go on one.  But don't go around badmouthing them just because they're not your own personal preference.  Sheesh.

 

Thanks for your nice comment and your great knowledge as always. For this issue I count all Royal ships into the big ship category, it is not about which one of them I like. 

 

 

[DISFANS3]

I will vote to close Windjammer, and open a order off Menu restaurant..

[Cruise a holic]

I think that the windjammer should only have employees-wearing gloves, serving food.  I have as others, witnessed people touching food- then putting it back.  Some eat while on line with their fingers then touch the serving spoons.  

 

Best to have people serving in a buffet environment.  Also important for each table and chair to be wiped down with a disinfectant after each person dines.  Washing hands just isn't enough.

[brillohead]

7 hours ago, Saab4444 said:

Thanks for your nice comment and your great knowledge as always. For this issue I count all Royal ships into the big ship category, it is not about which one of them I like. 

Well, if you hate all Royal ships, we don't have to worry about bumping into each other, do we?