From Mr Bayley - NO buffet

[MaxRelaxCruise]

  The Cruise industry (IMO) have been planning to slowly phase out Buffet's all together, replacing them with "Specialty" Restaurant's. 

  It would've been a gradual process, but with Covid-19, the industry has a window to push that agenda way ahead of time

and use the virus excuse for the reasons why.

  They may maintain some sort of buffet to keep the guest happy, but the food quality will be down in an attempt to push you to pay restaurants.

  Forget about that half capacity idea their touting, the ship won't sail on half fuel, or half staff. Those beds and cabins cost money! That's the name of the game. You think Carnival is going to book half of the MARDI GRAS!.....LOL THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!

 

Edited May 21, 2020 by MaxRelaxCruise
Touch up

[nelblu]

5 minutes ago, MaxRelaxCruise said:

 They may maintain some sort of buffet to keep the guest happy, but the food quality will be down in an attempt to push you to pay restaurants.

  

 

FYI, they have been doing that over the last 20 + years.☺️

[Ocean Boy]

21 minutes ago, MaxRelaxCruise said:

  The Cruise industry (IMO) have been planning to slowly phase out Buffet's all together, replacing them with "Specialty" Restaurant's. 

  It would've been a gradual process, but with Covid-19, the industry has a window to push that agenda way ahead of time

and use the virus excuse for the reasons why.

  They may maintain some sort of buffet to keep the guest happy, but the food quality will be down in an attempt to push you to pay restaurants.

  

 

Actually, if they really want to push people toward specialty restaurants they would probably be better off getting rid of the MDR. The people in there who can't stand buffets would probably be more open to the move than the people who prefer buffets would be.

 

As to your initial premise, I have seen no indication that cruise lines, or ar least RCI, had been making any move toward phasing out buffets. My experience is that it is becoming more and more popular and I am sure RCI is well aware of that. These mega ships have a lot of people to feed mutiple times a day. They have to be able to do that in an efficient manner. 

[Milwaukee Eight]

1 hour ago, hazence said:

I guess it’s a personal thing, but whether it’s buffets, masks, the pool, etc...I want to know what the new normal will be before we book any cruise line. I mean what am I purchasing? What can I do, MUST I do...what is or isn’t available anymore?

 

I hope the cruiselines will make it clear...not just what they have done as a result of the pandemic to keep us safe...but what this new product takes away. I will be watching this space to hear how cruisers feel about “the new cruising normal.”

 

We just cancelled a beach resort vacation. Too much money for an altered experience. 

I can almost guarantee that a full capacity Oasis Class with crew will have more COVID19 cases than your Zip Code.  😇

[Iamcruzin]

14 hours ago, WAMarathoner said:

To-go boxes?  Horrible idea.  Can you imagine the massive amount of spills on the way to the cabin?  

I actually think  to go boxes is a better idea than people walking back to the room with exposed food on plates and drinks which is what they have been doing for years. To go boxes would actually prevent spills. Think of all of the to go meals we get at home. I have never spilled anything while driving home with the food and food has never been delivered to the house in poor condition or spilled out of the bag.

[Iamcruzin]

44 minutes ago, MaxRelaxCruise said:

  The Cruise industry (IMO) have been planning to slowly phase out Buffet's all together, replacing them with "Specialty" Restaurant's. 

 

 

This couldn't be further from the truth. The buffets have actually become larger with more elaborate food choices over the past 30 years. They can feed more people with less service than the MDR and they offer food throughout the day. If anything the push as been towards the buffets and forcing the people who prefer the MDR to go to specialty restaurants where they can be seated in comfort and receive better service. Traditional dining is just about extinct on some cruise lines.  However, with the current situation we are in I suspect that the cruise line will have to take a step backwards and offer the cafeteria style of serving with  less choices like they did in the 80's and 90's. 

[davekathy]

47 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

Actually, if they really want to push people toward specialty restaurants they would probably be better off getting rid of the MDR.

Hold on. We eat all our meals in the MDR. Not doing specialty restaurants. Buffets are going away as it appears some assume they are. I believe self service at the buffets will disappear, temporarily. Even the big guy couldn't give a definitive answer. 

Edited May 21, 2020 by davekathy

[zonacruiser25]

33 minutes ago, davekathy said:

Hold on. We eat all our meals in the MDR. Not doing specialty restaurants. Buffets are going away as it appears some assume they are. I believe self service at the buffets will disappear, temporarily. Even the big guy couldn't give a definitive answer. 

This just shows even the ones running the show do not know what the end game will be.  When cruising returns, I do believe many ships will sail below capacity, at least for a while.  This will be a learn as you go since what was will not be again, at least for the short term.

[davekathy]

6 minutes ago, zonacruiser25 said:

This just shows even the ones running the show do not know what the end game will be.  When cruising returns, I do believe many ships will sail below capacity, at least for a while.  This will be a learn as you go since what was will not be again, at least for the short term.

As long as we are on the ship...😉

[sunlover12]

I would be in favor of eliminating WJ in its current form.  Replace it with a staff-served buffet. Some cruise lines have always been doing it this way.  Royal Caribbean would have to have more staff to do this but it would be much safer.  We did not go to WJ often - maybe one time during the cruise and never for breakfast when it was the most chaotic. Hundreds of people touching the same serving utensils, or actually touching the food with their bare hands,  is a recipe for bad things happening. 

[Iamcruzin]

55 minutes ago, davekathy said:

Hold on. We eat all our meals in the MDR. Not doing specialty restaurants. Buffets are going away as it appears some assume they are. I believe self service at the buffets will disappear, temporarily. Even the big guy couldn't give a definitive answer. 

I do think that for social distancing to happen traditional dining will possibly disappear  to allow more seating in the MDRs for all. The concept of same tablemates will be limited to who you are traveling with. If this were to happen I don't believe that they would bring back traditional. I can see that going before the buffet.

[davekathy]

2 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

I do think that for social distancing to happen traditional dining will possibly disappear  to allow more seating in the MDRs for all. The concept of same tablemates will be limited to who you are traveling with. If this were to happen I don't believe that they would bring back traditional. I can see that going before the buffet.

TD and SD is in the MDR. Not sure what you mean? IMO, there still will be the early and late times for TD. Possibly(?) you will have to make reservations like you currently do with the SD and have the option with SD for crowd control (?). We always request and get a table for two in the MDR for SD so no biggie there. I don't see the MDR for TD and SD going away or the WJ. Changes, yes. Temporarily or the new normal. Time will tell. 

[davekathy]

14 minutes ago, sunlover12 said:

I would be in favor of eliminating WJ in its current form.  Replace it with a staff-served buffet. Some cruise lines have always been doing it this way.  Royal Caribbean would have to have more staff to do this but it would be much safer.  We did not go to WJ often - maybe one time during the cruise and never for breakfast when it was the most chaotic. Hundreds of people touching the same serving utensils, or actually touching the food with their bare hands,  is a recipe for bad things happening. 

It would still be called the WJ with many different selections but with servers plating your selection(s) as you walk the line. Cafeteria style. 

[Iamcruzin]

On 5/18/2020 at 8:40 PM, luckyinpa said:

 

i dont watch the news or do research but has any study been done about how something like the subways /taxi/skyscraper traffic did with infections. just wondering the comparison between number of people on a cruise ship to the number of contacts a daily resident of NYC or LA has? to me cruise ship vs walking in NYC and living daily life is the same. 

I have a Dr appointment in NYC on June 2nd. It's the third post surgery visit. The first two were virtual visits. I plan on wearing a mask as required and will be wearing latex gloves for my train ride. I don't have enough disinfectant wipes to wash down the train and the handrails at Penn Station. I will walk to 38th street and 2nd ave for my appointment and walk back to Penn when done. This will really put my new hip to the test. I will put on a fresh pair of gloves for my trip back.   I have to say that if it wasn't for the fear of a possible quarantine that I would feel safer on a cruise ship than on my journey to NYC. They are always cleaning those ships multiple times on a daily basis before Covid. I imagine it will be even more extreme now, given the situation. I also think that buffets are the least of the problem. They can social distance the line and have servers. It's the general movement of passengers on the ship that will be a bigger issue in terms of social distancing.  Look at the crowds when the beaches and parks opened in some states.

[Iamcruzin]

41 minutes ago, davekathy said:

TD and SD is in the MDR. Not sure what you mean? IMO, there still will be the early and late times for TD. Possibly(?) you will have to make reservations like you currently do with the SD and have the option with SD for crowd control (?). We always request and get a table for two in the MDR for SD so no biggie there. I don't see the MDR for TD and SD going away or the WJ. Changes, yes. Temporarily or the new normal. Time will tell. 

I think it will be difficult to have traditional dining because the concept is same tablemates, same table and it's limited to only two seating times. With social distance they won't be able to have 6,8,10 people at a table and some tables will have to be removed in order to create space. They will be able to feed more people if all dining rooms are select dining as they can push service along as they do already. Also people who are traveling together can occupy the same table without social distancing from each other so they can fill the larger tables and those who are couples or solo can have their own table.  

Edited May 21, 2020 by Iamcruzin

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

NO Buffet is not really correct. He said. The first few cruises will have No Buffet till we can figure this out. Our local Golden Corral Buffet is now open and we went there yesterday. Worked just fine. Nothing on the tables but the napkin dispenser. Servers and the complete staff were wearing masks and gloves. Your plates are brought to your table when you sit. 6 plates 2 bowls. Silverware in a white thin bag along with a straw. Any condiments you ask for ant they bring them to you. Each buffet line is roped off so no cutting in. Circles indicating 6 ft are on the floor. The beginning of each buffet line is the hand sanitizer and gloves. The hand sanitizer is required before you enter the line. The gloves are at your discretion. You serve yourself as usual. The second you are finished and leave, your table, the napkin dispenser and the chairs are immediately sanitized. All tables are at least 6-8 ft apart. The booths are every other. The tables have been removed from the unuseable booths. The only problem. not many patrons at the time we were there. More customers were arriving as we were leaving. We were there for lunch. Enjoyed it completely. 

[davekathy]

6 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

I think it will be difficult to have traditional dining because the concept is same tablemates, same table and it's limited to only two seating times. With social distance they won't be able to have 6,8,10 people at a table and some tables will have to be removed in order to create space. They will be able to feed more people if all dining rooms are select dining as they can push service along as they do already. Also people who are traveling together can occupy the same table without social distancing from each other so they can fill the larger tables and those who are couples or solo can have their own table.  

Agree as I did mention SD as an option or just calling it the MDR with reservations only to help with crowd control. Of course we are only speculating at this moment. It will be interesting once cruising has opened back up and what our options are actually going to be for the dining venues. Even for those that elect SD. 

[hazence]

57 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

I do think that for social distancing to happen traditional dining will possibly disappear  to allow more seating in the MDRs for all. The concept of same tablemates will be limited to who you are traveling with. If this were to happen I don't believe that they would bring back traditional. I can see that going before the buffet.

 

You have hit  on something they are finding here at our Club as they open up...people don’t want to sit with people they don’t know anymore.  Normally, everyone has been very welcoming and friendly, and in many cases, the Club just looked at reservations and they put tables together. 
 

That’s not working now. Everyone (almost) wants control over who is in their space.

 

I think your point about table mates is an issue that will have to be worked through.  We can see here on CC that there are many different opinions on how we must navigate through this pandemic. I don’t know how you mix the two at a dining table.

[Milwaukee Eight]

52 minutes ago, davekathy said:

TD and SD is in the MDR. Not sure what you mean? IMO, there still will be the early and late times for TD. Possibly(?) you will have to make reservations like you currently do with the SD and have the option with SD for crowd control (?). We always request and get a table for two in the MDR for SD so no biggie there. I don't see the MDR for TD and SD going away or the WJ. Changes, yes. Temporarily or the new normal. Time will tell. 

Took me a pause, about 10 seconds, to figure out the new acronyms TD and SD. CC should fix a list of commonly used ones. lol 

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

Our next cruise if it is not cancelled is on the Mariner for late September. Hopefully they have figured out how to do the buffet by then. We no longer go to any MDR on any ship. No MDR for at least the past 10 years of cruising. As others have indicated. It takes way too long to get your order. Then, you have no idea really what you will finally get. You may not like it and sit longer for something else. You place your order and lucky if it shows up in a 1/2 hour. Usually 45 min to an hour. I am not going to get into the complainers, those that talk about their ailments and all the problems in their life. We like trying different foods at the buffet. Many foods we would never order but had a chance to try a little to see if we like it. Several times we had something new and it was awesome. We like taking a little at a time. We do not put a mountain of food on our plates, which is stupid to begin with. How do you know if you are going to even like it or eat all of it. So many time we see so much left on a plates. Not even tried. What a waste of food. We all eventually pay for that. When i was in the service. Take what you want but you must eat what you take.

[kwokpot]

20 minutes ago, ALWAYS CRUZIN said:

NO Buffet is not really correct. He said. The first few cruises will have No Buffet till we can figure this out. Our local Golden Corral Buffet is now open and we went there yesterday. Worked just fine. Nothing on the tables but the napkin dispenser. Servers and the complete staff were wearing masks and gloves. Your plates are brought to your table when you sit. 6 plates 2 bowls. Silverware in a white thin bag along with a straw. Any condiments you ask for ant they bring them to you. Each buffet line is roped off so no cutting in. Circles indicating 6 ft are on the floor. The beginning of each buffet line is the hand sanitizer and gloves. The hand sanitizer is required before you enter the line. The gloves are at your discretion. You serve yourself as usual. The second you are finished and leave, your table, the napkin dispenser and the chairs are immediately sanitized. All tables are at least 6-8 ft apart. The booths are every other. The tables have been removed from the unuseable booths. The only problem. not many patrons at the time we were there. More customers were arriving as we were leaving. We were there for lunch. Enjoyed it completely. 

Interesting to hear how they did that. Are you able to go for multiple servings?

[Ocean Boy]

2 hours ago, davekathy said:

Hold on. We eat all our meals in the MDR. Not doing specialty restaurants. Buffets are going away as it appears some assume they are. I believe self service at the buffets will disappear, temporarily. Even the big guy couldn't give a definitive answer. 

I was not at all saying the MDR should go. I know many people love it. The point I was trying to make, and I did not do well, was that people in the MDR like sit down meals where they are served and would find that same type of dining experience in specialty restaurants. Buffet type people would not find a similar experience in those dining venues. That was my only point.🙂

[rich_cathybrock]

On 5/19/2020 at 3:05 PM, ncb106 said:

Look everybody cruising won"t be the same anymore there will be alot off changes on cruising,i was chatting with a crew member on facebook there will  be crew members in the bathrooms etc, making sure people wash there hands i find that to be great i have seen people using the bathroom and not washing there hands.the buffet they should serve the people the food instead of the people touching the food and then put it back yes i seen it happen.this new change will show people how to be clean and wash there hands.

I have a "novel" idea.  How about this?  Anyone caught not washing their hands is confined to quarters, disembarked at the next port, and banned for life.  Do that for a year, and the crew can return to providing the service we know and love them for, and we can return to a cruise experience we have all clearly come to value. 

 

Based on the events of this year, this "crappy" practice of disregarding basic sanitary practice needs to be corralled.  It's no better than the geniuses who step outside balcony rails for a "selfie".  If you are too busy, too dumb, or both to put your needs above those of your fellow passengers, STAY HOME.    

[periduncan]

I was at Baskin Robbins the other day and as the clerk leaned over with his head in the ice cream (wearing his mask), I thought that the one takeaway from all this COVID stuff that I could 100% get behind is food preparers wearing masks all the time when in contact with our food.  Not only for COVID, but for the general lack of grossness that can come from them talking on, allergies dripping on, and hair hanging (beards) over my food (and whatever happened to hairnets or at least buns required for food servers?).

 

Back on topic:  If the buffet was handled like Chipotle or Panda Express, I think that could be a reasonable solution.  Absent the cheapskate that wouldn't give more than a single slice of bacon (maybe that was what he/she was told to do, though still wrong), they give you what you want, as much as you want, and you are not given anything you don't want.  The food is passed via server until you are ready to take it.  That's how the included-in-price specialty food places are on Carnival. I could get behind this.  But the buffet is important to people and a classic part of the cruise experience.  People who don't like it can wait until the dining room is available or eat at the specialty places.  Informed consent/freedom of choice.

Edited May 21, 2020 by periduncan

[time4u2go]

56 minutes ago, rich_cathybrock said:

I have a "novel" idea.  How about this?  Anyone caught not washing their hands is confined to quarters, disembarked at the next port, and banned for life.  Do that for a year, and the crew can return to providing the service we know and love them for, and we can return to a cruise experience we have all clearly come to value. 

 

Based on the events of this year, this "crappy" practice of disregarding basic sanitary practice needs to be corralled.  It's no better than the geniuses who step outside balcony rails for a "selfie".  If you are too busy, too dumb, or both to put your needs above those of your fellow passengers, STAY HOME.    

I don't feel that washing one's hands on the way into the buffet area is really that big of a deal for controlling covid-19. Even if everyone walked in with sterile hands, they could touch their noses and mouths anyway. But it definitely is better than nothing.

Edited May 21, 2020 by time4u2go