Yes Buffets really are gross

[dkjretired]

Never had a problem with buffets on ships perhaps because we spent a lot of time at buffets in Atlantic City, no comparison, ships are much cleaner and the clientele as well.

 

About 15 years ago Celebrity used to have a great set up in the back of the buffets.  It was called Casual Dining and cost $2.00 pp with waiters in training.  The meal was a three course meal off a menu totally different than the MDR. It was great idea and usually quite busy. 

[davekathy]

4 minutes ago, zitsky said:

 

Good idea!

 

Is the MDR open for lunch?  I only have experience with Blu (no lunch).

Only on sea days. 

[BEAV]

A few years ago we began referring to cruise ship buffets as “the chow wagon”. 🤣😎😱

[Ahlo]

Avoid MDR first. Stop the attendants talking with, promoting foods to and greeting you before the tables so as to avoid their saliva spraying overhead. Saliva/aerosol is the main means of virus transmission. Viruses, if any, passed from the big spoons at the buffet to our hands can be eliminated by washing hands but the viruses from the saliva of the attendants cannot. For me, MDR is more riskier than buffet from the view point of Covid-19 viruses transmission. Viruses embedded in food are unlikely to cause respiratory Covid-19.

[Miaminice]

OK, I know nobody seems to like facts... still, here are some:

 

Smear (contact) infections with Covid-19 are proven to be lower than or around 10 %.

And those 10 % occurred in high risk areas like retirement homes etc.

90 % are aerosol / inhalation based. The longer the exposure, the higher the risk of infection.
Question: Are there any post about closing the MDR, shows, bars, social hours?

 

Gastrointestinal viruses like Noro are spread primarily by smear infection. And yet the occurrence of Noro is less than 0.002 % vs around 6 % on land in the US.
Evaluate the risk!

 

Facts and knowledge seem to be highly overrated 🙄

 

[hcat]

9 hours ago, dkjretired said:

Never had a problem with buffets on ships perhaps because we spent a lot of time at buffets in Atlantic City, no comparison, ships are much cleaner and the clientele as well.

 

About 15 years ago Celebrity used to have a great set up in the back of the buffets.  It was called Casual Dining and cost $2.00 pp with waiters in training.  The meal was a three course meal off a menu totally different than the MDR. It was great idea and usually quite busy. 

It was great and we enjoyed it several times

..2 exceptions. 

Children climbing all over the banquette seating,.parents oblivious 

sports court  located overhead,,,thump thump thump.

[ipeeinthepool]

15 hours ago, billyu said:

The experiment was not about showing the spread because of buffet. I was used to show how a virus can spread. The buffet was just the setting.

 

Look at the chair the water pitcher. The subject had the liquid put on his hands at the table before going to the buffet line.

 

It is meant to show how a virus spreads . The setting doesn’t matter. You would get the same results in the MDR with an infected person at the table touch things others at the table handle.

 

BTW on a ship buffets are gross to begin with!!!!!!!

 

 

It looks like I will need to start bringing a mask and gloves in the Oceanview Cafe and bringing a clean towel as a table cloth.  I'll also collect a second napkin and silverware set.  I'll wear my mask and gloves as I go through the lines.  I'll move the salt and pepper shaker and any beverage ads to the next table or empty chair and spread out my towel on the table.  I'll slide in my chair and then I'll remove my gloves.  I'll use my own hand sanitizer one more time before I eat.  I'll use my second napkin to hold any beverage glass any server brings.  I'll also use my own hand sanitizing wipes to clean my sea pass card after anyone touches the card.  I'll remove my towel, gloves and wipes when I leave.  

 

Or maybe I'll just order room service and eat on my balcony.

Edited May 15, 2020 by ipeeinthepool

[d9704011]

11 hours ago, dkjretired said:

Never had a problem with buffets on ships perhaps because we spent a lot of time at buffets in Atlantic City, no comparison, ships are much cleaner and the clientele as well.

So, I guess you probably have a kind of herd immunity.

[OnTheJourney]

The buffet is one of the things I truly enjoy about cruising. If there is anything gross about it (and that's not even the correct term) it is simply watching people totally overload their plates piled 6 inches high, a good part of which might wind up in the trash. The amount of food wasted at all buffets -  land and sea - is unfortunate. If they continue, I can see where it would be done in such a manner that there is no longer self-serve. One thing that does bother me is how some people feel there is always a line for any particular station. Obviously, sometimes there is, but not always. Typical of the impatient nature of so much of society nowadays, I've gotten some nasty looks and comments by simply trying to add something to my plate if I failed to wait my turn in some imaginary line. Any buffet - not just on cruise ships - invites the situation where people will use the restroom and return right back to the serving utensils without having properly washed hands. One thing I might say, however, is that I've always thought there are TOO many offerings on some of the buffets. I've had items that looked great, but weren't. Sometimes less is more. Concentrate on making fewer items - but have them all be really good. But all this is moot since obviously some changes will be made in how all this is handled. 

[NonnaTLC]

Japanese experiment with only 1

"infected" person's hands.  (Using fluorescent paint and a black light)

Only 30 minutes later, everything has been contaminated.  Pretty scary stuff!

 

[zitsky]

1 hour ago, OnTheJourney said:

The buffet is one of the things I truly enjoy about cruising. If there is anything gross about it (and that's not even the correct term) it is simply watching people totally overload their plates piled 6 inches high, a good part of which might wind up in the trash. The amount of food wasted at all buffets -  land and sea - is unfortunate. If they continue, I can see where it would be done in such a manner that there is no longer self-serve. One thing that does bother me is how some people feel there is always a line for any particular station. Obviously, sometimes there is, but not always. Typical of the impatient nature of so much of society nowadays, I've gotten some nasty looks and comments by simply trying to add something to my plate if I failed to wait my turn in some imaginary line. Any buffet - not just on cruise ships - invites the situation where people will use the restroom and return right back to the serving utensils without having properly washed hands. One thing I might say, however, is that I've always thought there are TOO many offerings on some of the buffets. I've had items that looked great, but weren't. Sometimes less is more. Concentrate on making fewer items - but have them all be really good. But all this is moot since obviously some changes will be made in how all this is handled. 

 

Hey everybody!  I found the line jumper.  Time to pile on.

 

 

/kidding

[Vagabond Knight]

20 hours ago, yorky said:

Just stick to the speciality restaurants, it works for us.

 

There's nothing much different about the specialty restaurants over the MDR when it comes to potential risks from prep in the kitchen, contamination by the person setting the tables, who's previously touched the salt & pepper shakers and menus, etc.  You're just paying more for the same chance of contamination. (Trying to imagine a discussion in the kitchen that goes something like, "No, don't pick that up and reuse it without washing it!  This is Murano... we only do that if we're serving it in the MDR!")  🤣

[dkjretired]

2 hours ago, d9704011 said:

So, I guess you probably have a kind of herd immunity.

 

Yup, beef, pork and chicken..

[OceanCruise]

Not a big fan of buffets but use some common sense methods to protect myself. I do the "washy washy" upon entering and carry a small container of Purell or wipes and make sure to sanitize my hands again when sitting down before eating. I don't choose buffet foods where I can see that someone has put the back end of the serving tongs are all the way in a dish (thus contaminating it) and I usually use tongs to grab food underneath the top layer or in the very back of the serving dish. I am pretty disciplined about not touching my face and very cognizant about touching chairs, menus and shared condiments (salt and pepper shakers, ketchup, etc) so I will use the Purell again after handling those. 

[dkjretired]

11 hours ago, Ahlo said:

Avoid MDR first. Stop the attendants talking with, promoting foods to and greeting you before the tables so as to avoid their saliva spraying overhead. Saliva/aerosol is the main means of virus transmission. Viruses, if any, passed from the big spoons at the buffet to our hands can be eliminated by washing hands but the viruses from the saliva of the attendants cannot. For me, MDR is more riskier than buffet from the view point of Covid-19 viruses transmission. Viruses embedded in food are unlikely to cause respiratory Covid-19.

 

I sort of agree, another point is at least in the open seating area, Blu, Specialties and Luminae the tables are very close to each other.   In the buffet, I can control my food a lot better. 

[drakes2]

12 minutes ago, dkjretired said:

 

I sort of agree, another point is at least in the open seating area, Blu, Specialties and Luminae the tables are very close to each other.   In the buffet, I can control my food a lot better. 

Only sailed on S class ships so frequent the Aqua Spa for lunch.  Just prior to buffets closing I will drop by for some cheese and crackers for a late afternoon snack on my balcony with a glass of wine. 

[ipeeinthepool]

18 minutes ago, dkjretired said:

 

I sort of agree, another point is at least in the open seating area, Blu, Specialties and Luminae the tables are very close to each other.   In the buffet, I can control my food a lot better. 

 

Whenever the cruises restart, I think those very close tables will need be eliminated.  No one will what to sit that close to strangers.  I also think that large tables of strangers in the MDR will also be eliminated.  But that will be a significant problem for the cruise lines, everyone will still want to eat dinner sometime between 5 and 9.  They will need a lot more tables somewhere.  I think you'll find the Oceanview café will be converted to some kind of regular dinner service.  Probably a new form of Select dining, maybe with more choices.  I think they will also use some of the area outside the  dining room converted to dinner service.  However the need for more seating will be offset by fewer passengers.

Edited May 15, 2020 by ipeeinthepool

[Bo1953]

4 hours ago, d9704011 said:

So, I guess you probably have a kind of herd immunity.

What about vegetables??? Basket immunity, possibly??? LOL

 

bon voyage

[yorky]

2 hours ago, SunsetPoint said:

 

There's nothing much different about the specialty restaurants over the MDR when it comes to potential risks from prep in the kitchen, contamination by the person setting the tables, who's previously touched the salt & pepper shakers and menus, etc.  You're just paying more for the same chance of contamination. (Trying to imagine a discussion in the kitchen that goes something like, "No, don't pick that up and reuse it without washing it!  This is Murano... we only do that if we're serving it in the MDR!")  🤣

My reply was more about someone asking what other options there were to the MDR if not using the Buffet, should the standard of food in the MDR not be to their liking. I’m sure the risk is the same in all the restaurants outside of the buffet.

[ORV]

1 hour ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

Whenever the cruises restart, I think those very close tables will need be eliminated.  No one will what to sit that close to strangers.  I also think that large tables of strangers in the MDR will also be eliminated.  But that will be a significant problem for the cruise lines, everyone will still want to eat dinner sometime between 5 and 9.  They will need a lot more tables somewhere.  I think you'll find the Oceanview café will be converted to some kind of regular dinner service.  Probably a new form of Select dining, maybe with more choices.  I think they will also use some of the area outside the  dining room converted to dinner service.  However the need for more seating will be offset by fewer passengers.

Looks like those decisions over the past 20 years to add more and more cabins to the M Class ships are now going to come back and bite them. I'd be curious to know what the original capacity of those ships were compared to what it is now. All those extra passengers have to eat somewhere and that's where the tables started getting pushed even closer together than they were before. 

 

 

Edited May 15, 2020 by ORV

[OnTheJourney]

9 hours ago, zitsky said:

 

Hey everybody!  I found the line jumper.  Time to pile on.

 

 

/kidding

 

Darn, i figured I blew my cover after posting that.... 😆

Edited May 15, 2020 by OnTheJourney

[Banjo]

I like the buffet.

 

My only complaint it gets really crowded for lunch and breakfast. So it is very popular & doubt its going anywhere.

 

I rarely eat breakfast at the buffet. Enjoy the Elite breakfast in the Tuscan. It's many times a buffet if they have a certain number of Elites.

 

Also they have none paying alternatives with the Mast Grill and MDR.

[deliver42]

Royal announced that the Buffets, as we know them, will be no longer, at least at the beginning. Probably more like a restaurant.

[ipeeinthepool]

20 hours ago, NonnaTLC said:

Japanese experiment with only 1

"infected" person's hands.  (Using fluorescent paint and a black light)

Only 30 minutes later, everything has been contaminated.  Pretty scary stuff!

 

 

Is this part of the Le Petite Chef show?

[TeeRick]

4 hours ago, deliver42 said:

Royal announced that the Buffets, as we know them, will be no longer, at least at the beginning. Probably more like a restaurant.

Probably a wise decision for a period of time IMO. My guess is that it will apply across all RCCL cruise lines.  Probably a condition of lifting the CDC No Sail order.  But it will be interesting to see what they will do operationally.  A lot of servers getting your food from a buffet setting?  Or more traditional menu and table service?  I'm sure there will be multiple threads and posts on this.