Buffets on Celebrity

[Ride-The-Waves]

17 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

the scooter people really (some, not all, but many) need to learn some manners.  My toes can't take it again

Agree.  Scooters should be banned - period!  Not just a health issue, but a huge safety issue especially from an emergency standpoint.  

[dkjretired]

1 hour ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

Agree.  Scooters should be banned - period!  Not just a health issue, but a huge safety issue especially from an emergency standpoint.  

I’m in a scooter often and it works both ways, people need to stop walking directly in front of you and doing other dumb things and also need badly to control their children who are clueless around people in scooters.

 

Suggest you ride in one at Walmart or Home Depot for a little bit, you will understand what I mean.

Edited April 19, 2021 by dkjretired

[Fouremco]

54 minutes ago, dkjretired said:

I’m in a scooter often and it works both ways, people need to stop walking directly in front of you and doing other dumb things and also need badly to control their children who are clueless around people in scooters.

 

Suggest you ride in one at Walmart or Home Depot for a little bit, you will understand what I mean.

It never fails to amaze me how many people will step in front of someone in a scooter waiting for an elevator. We met a couple on a cruise a couple of years ago, and the wife was in a scooter. During the couple of weeks aboard, we'd often head off somewhere together. When arriving at an elevator, she would always stop several feet back from the elevator to enable anyone getting off to have the room to do so. Invariably, someone would come along and step around around her, either before the elevator arrived or as soon as the doors opened. I quickly learned that politely asking people to wait their turn was a waste of time, and found that the best way to deal with it was for her husband, my DW and I to form a wall on either side of her scooter and physically block the line jumpers. 

 

Travelling around the ship with this couple for two weeks really opened my eyes to the sad manner in which some people treat those in scooters. As you say, it works both ways.

[Ashland]

3 hours ago, LGW59 said:

the scooter people really (some, not all, but many) need to learn some manners.  My toes can't take it again

And they need to be aware that their scooter isn't an Indy car...I've seen some racing through public areas without regards to anyone walking along.

[Host Kat]

Just a friendly reminder...

 

The title of this thread is Buffets on Celebrity. It is on the Cruise Critic message board, not the Scooter Critic message board. Please stay on topic.

 

Thanking you in advance for your cooperation,

 

Host Kat 

[Ride-The-Waves]

Buffets themselves are not the problem.  Evening buffets can even be considered elegant with the variety of cuisines offered, the wide selections of foods, etc.  Many senior crew dine at the evening buffet - good food and quick service.  And it's quiet!  

 

The problem are those who use the buffets for only breakfast and lunch.  They seem to believe that since its "only a buffet" being pushy, rude to others, and unsanitary (even seen people take a selection, put it on their plate, then put it back).  Cruise lines need to maintain quality evening buffets.

[davekathy]

1 hour ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

Buffets themselves are not the problem.  Evening buffets can even be considered elegant with the variety of cuisines offered, the wide selections of foods, etc.  Many senior crew dine at the evening buffet - good food and quick service.  And it's quiet!  

 

The problem are those who use the buffets for only breakfast and lunch.  They seem to believe that since its "only a buffet" being pushy, rude to others, and unsanitary (even seen people take a selection, put it on their plate, then put it back).  Cruise lines need to maintain quality evening buffets.

We rarely eat at the buffets and never in the evening. We have on occasion wander up to the Wind Jammer buffets on RC in the evening after eating in the MDR and before the evening show in the theater starts just to check it out. We were impressed (at least the ships we were on) on the selections and the atmosphere. Lights turned down and very quiet. I didn't realize Celebrity doesn't do a evening buffet. 

Edited April 20, 2021 by davekathy

[RedneckBob]

23 minutes ago, davekathy said:

We rarely eat at the buffets and never in the evening. We have on occasion wander up to the Wind Jammer buffets on RC in the evening after eating in the MDR and before the evening show in the theater starts just to check it out. We were impressed (at least the ships we were on) on the selections and the atmosphere. Lights turned down and very quiet. I didn't realize Celebrity doesn't do a evening buffet. 

Celebrity does dinner buffets. We eat there once a cruise. Last Celebrity cruise included in the dinner buffet a gyro station. Hum hum!

[zaxanon6]

8 minutes ago, RedneckBob said:

Celebrity does dinner buffets. We eat there once a cruise. Last Celebrity cruise included in the dinner buffet a gyro station. Hum hum!

I love the dinner buffet. It's SO much quieter than breakfast or lunch. Like mentioned with the Windjammer, the lights get dimmed a bit and it's a nice atmosphere. There are more dessert options than the MDR (well, more options for everything, actually).

[Chanbre]

The evening buffets on Celebrity are very good. There is lots of choice, many more dishes than shown on the MDR menus. Most evening they have something "special" in addition to the normal choices. Sometimes the special relates to the most recent port. My wife and I have often eaten at the evening buffet, we once had a phone call from the MDR asking why we had eaten there so seldom.

 

Beyond the choice of food, eating at the evening buffet means that we can choose when to eat and how quickly or how slowly to have our meal. But there are no crowds and no queuing. Eating in the MDR means we wait and eat at a rate chosen by the MDR waiters. An early evening meal means we can also enjoy the view from the big upper deck windows.

[MamaFej]

We've enjoyed the evening buffet as well, especially after a long port day. A sizeable salad with protein grilled before my eyes really hits the spot. We tend not to care much for the buffet desserts.

 

If we want something sweet afterwards, we generally stop by Cafe al Bacio for something. Conveniently, Cellar Masters is nearby for a wee glass of port. 

[Chanbre]

I agree with @MamaFej that the desserts in the buffet are sometimes disappointing. Most days there were several variations of sponge cake with a highly decorated (sugary icing) top. All these sponges looked the same, they did not appeal to me.

 

There were also some very good deserts. One night per cruise the buffet served several different trifles, but too many with too much cream to enjoy all of them in one meal. Most evenings the buffet served a proper English pudding. Just one variety per day but chosen from steamed puddings such as Spotted Dick (but given a funny name) or chocolate sponge, also fruit crumbles, fruit pies, and rice puddings. And some served with proper custard. Wonderful.

[davekathy]

4 hours ago, RedneckBob said:

Celebrity does dinner buffets. We eat there once a cruise. Last Celebrity cruise included in the dinner buffet a gyro station. Hum hum!

Thanks. I guess on our next cruise we'll wander up later in the evening to check it out. 

[Ashland]

We were very impressed with the Oceanview Cafe on the Eclipse...but then again we tend to enjoy the buffet's on RCI also. After many years of cruising and using the MDR we find the buffet's more to our liking now....especially in the evening.

 

However (shhh !!) you didn't hear that from me....so all of you stay away...we don't want to encourage you.

[TeaBag]

Maybe 5 years ago, Celebrity experimented with table service in the O/V cafe.  Tables had white cloths and diners were served by waiters in training.  The fee was $3/pp.  It was lovely but it didn't last.  Anyone remember this?  I think we were on Millennium.

[Northern Aurora]

14 minutes ago, TeaBag said:

Maybe 5 years ago, Celebrity experimented with table service in the O/V cafe.  Tables had white cloths and diners were served by waiters in training.  The fee was $3/pp.  It was lovely but it didn't last.  Anyone remember this?  I think we were on Millennium.

 

 

Are you remembering what was called something like "casual dining?"  On the M-class ships a portion of the Ocean View was sectioned off during the evening.  A host/hostess seated you.  The waiters were supposedly in training, but you would never know it.  A limited printed menu was on the table and bar service was offered.  The last time my husband and I used it was on the Constellation in 2010.  This evening meal option was eliminated more than five years ago.  My memory is that Celebrity discontinued this option when "select" dining was introduced in addition to "traditional" dining times in the MDR.

[ECCruise]

26 minutes ago, Northern Aurora said:

 

 

Are you remembering what was called something like "casual dining?"  On the M-class ships a portion of the Ocean View was sectioned off during the evening.  A host/hostess seated you.  The waiters were supposedly in training, but you would never know it.  A limited printed menu was on the table and bar service was offered.  The last time my husband and I used it was on the Constellation in 2010.  This evening meal option was eliminated more than five years ago.  My memory is that Celebrity discontinued this option when "select" dining was introduced in addition to "traditional" dining times in the MDR.

I think you are about right.  Select Dining was rolled out between September, 2009 and February, 2010.  And it was around that time that we last saw the casual (but served) dining in OV for the $3 fee.

[Ashland]

4 hours ago, TeaBag said:

Maybe 5 years ago, Celebrity experimented with table service in the O/V cafe.  Tables had white cloths and diners were served by waiters in training.  The fee was $3/pp.  It was lovely but it didn't last.  Anyone remember this?  I think we were on Millennium.

I would love table cloths...heck I'd love a paper placemat available !!!

[drowelf]

While we like MDR for most meals, sometimes it just a little too much for us to get dressed and go there. Especially after we come back from a long day in port. We just want a quick bite to eat, instead of spending 2 hours on dinner. After hitting the buffet its off to our room for a little relaxation before any evening festivities (Show, casino, etc.). On our last Celebrity cruise we used to hit the buffet for a little pre-dinner sushi and then onto the MDR.   

[mac_tlc]

I gotta tell ya, we have been on 37 cruises and have never seen anybody put there finger in the soup, touch all the bread, sneeze on the food, piling a plate three feet high, etc. Not saying those who have seen it didn't see it, but it must be way less prevalent than the CC posts would lead one to believe. I for one would be fine with the buffet returning. Seems to be a very low Covid risk.

 

We normally would only do it for lunch and maybe a late night snack. Unless they expand the staff greatly, it will make the lines move even slower. 

 

mac_tlc

[OnTheJourney]

On 4/20/2021 at 4:43 PM, MamaFej said:

We've enjoyed the evening buffet as well, especially after a long port day.

Agreed! Especially if it has been a long day and the evening is a 'dress-up' night. A nice change of pace too. If wanting to go to an evening show -  it often worked well for us since it's generally faster than the dining room. I've always enjoyed buffets. Some, though - and we've noticed this onboard and at restaurants - try to put out too many different things - and not all of them are of equal quality. I'd rather see fewer offerings and have it all be really good. Cruising - without a lunch buffet, especially - just wouldn't be the same IMHO. 

[Host Anne]

Celebrity has announced that there will be no self service in the Oceanview when their ships return to service.  I doubt that they will change that down the road, either.