Carnival sailing with Lido Buffets, etc. as they were....

[BlerkOne]

7 minutes ago, Purvis1231 said:

Right, too be honest a server is more likely to spread a virus than a spoon.

The servers are masked; the spoons aren't 

[cruisingguy007]

4 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

The servers are masked; the spoons aren't 

 

The spoon doesn't scratch, itch, adjust itself, cough, sneeze or talk either. There are antimicrobial serving spoons. May the the fork be with you!   

[BlerkOne]

Just now, cruisingguy007 said:

 

The spoon doesn't scratch, itch, adjust itself, cough, sneeze or talk either. There are antimicrobial serving spoons. May the the fork be with you!   

I guess you've never seen the people serving themselves with the utensils, eating with their hands off their plate, and then licking their fingers before reaching for the next serving utensil. 

[Wanna_Cruize]

8 hours ago, TNcruising02 said:

While I prefer crew serving food at the buffet, I can easily wash my hands after handling public utensils.  I've never gotten sick on a cruise and have used the buffet for meals at least once a day on all of my cruises.  I do like the idea of self service ice cream machines.  I use one hand to touch the dispenser handle and the other to hold my cone.  There are ways.  LOL

 

I'm wondering about bringing disposable gloves and using one to serve myself from the buffet and then throwing it away when I get to my table. 

[TNcruising02]

5 minutes ago, cruisingguy007 said:

 

The spoon doesn't scratch, itch, adjust itself, cough, sneeze or talk either. There are antimicrobial serving spoons. May the the fork be with you!   

Exactly!  When I was on a Royal cruise last March, a crew member handed out the ice cream cones at the soft serve machines.  He was wearing gloves.  However, while nobody was there I saw him take off his hat and run his gloved hands all over the top of his head several times. Yuck.  

Another time I was at a place (not on a cruise) where they prepare the food in front of you.  I saw one of the people, who had on gloves and a mask, take her gloved hands and put them all over the outside of her mask.  Gloves and masks aren't the sterile things that people would like to fantasize they are, which is why I always thought the masks were ridiculous.  All in all, self serve isn't so bad if you just wash your hands after handling the utensils.

Edited July 1, 2021 by TNcruising02

[Purvis1231]

3 minutes ago, cruisingguy007 said:

 

The spoon doesn't scratch, itch, adjust itself, cough, sneeze or talk either. There are antimicrobial serving spoons. May the the fork be with you!   

One has to eat in the buffet. I have said many times I would prefer a crew-served buffet but most people prefer to serve themselves. Is there any published accounts of someone contreact Covid from a buffet. I know there are published accounts of waiters spreading the virus. 

[cruisingguy007]

2 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

I guess you've never seen the people serving themselves with the utensils, eating with their hands off their plate, and then licking their fingers before reaching for the next serving utensil. 

 

I would politely ask the staff for a new serving spoon if I saw that. Heathens going to heathen. Uncouth is all around, gotta improvise, adapt, overcome and keep it moving.      

[TNcruising02]

1 minute ago, Wanna_Cruize said:

 

I'm wondering about bringing disposable gloves and using one to serve myself from the buffet and then throwing it away when I get to my table. 

That would work too, as long as you didn't touch elevator buttons, handrails, your cell phone, or whatever on your way to the buffet.  I do touch those things, so washing my hands right before eating works best for me.

[Purvis1231]

4 minutes ago, TNcruising02 said:

Exactly!  When I was on a Royal cruise last March, a crew member handed out the ice cream cones at the soft serve machines.  He was wearing gloves.  However, while nobody was there I saw him take off his hat and run his gloved hands all over the top of his head several times. Yuck.  

Another time I was at a place (not on a cruise) where they prepare the food in front of you.  I saw one of the people, who had on gloves and a mask, take her gloved hands and put them all over the outside of her mask.  Gloves and masks aren't the sterile things that people would like to fantasize they are, which is why I always thought the masks were ridiculous.  All in all, self serve isn't so bad if you just wash your hands after handling the utensils.

I know there will soon be cases of sea turles dying after eating rubber gloves. 

 

Edited July 1, 2021 by Purvis1231
typo

[SRQbeachgirl]

7 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

I guess you've never seen the people serving themselves with the utensils, eating with their hands off their plate, and then licking their fingers before reaching for the next serving utensil. 

 

Or even worse, licking the spoon and then putting it back. Once you've seen that, you can't unsee it. 🤢

Edited July 1, 2021 by SRQbeachgirl

[south-carolinagirl]

We have been visiting a seafood buffet near us, they provide gloves and sanitizer and have been open successfully for several months.  Of course, not everyone has been vaccinated so I am happy with Carnival's plans. 

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

Makes no difference if it a buffet, regular restaurant. No matter were. There will always be filth. Eating at home does not change that. Food at the store you bring home can have plenty of germs on it. Washing does not always prevent contamination. People touch everything. We all just live with it every day. If you see something that needs to be replaced or corrected. Simply tell whomever is in charge what you saw and it will be taken care of immediately. I have and it was. I was in the service. At times, seeing what I saw and eating what I had to was far worse than any buffet on any cruise line. I am still healthy. Do not like what you see in the buffet. Simple, do not eat there. No one is forcing you.

[Cruise Related]

9 minutes ago, ALWAYS CRUZIN said:

Makes no difference if it a buffet, regular restaurant. No matter were. There will always be filth. Eating at home does not change that. Food at the store you bring home can have plenty of germs on it. Washing does not always prevent contamination. People touch everything. We all just live with it every day. If you see something that needs to be replaced or corrected. Simply tell whomever is in charge what you saw and it will be taken care of immediately. I have and it was. I was in the service. At times, seeing what I saw and eating what I had to was far worse than any buffet on any cruise line. I am still healthy. Do not like what you see in the buffet. Simple, do not eat there. No one is forcing you.

This is one of the most sensible common sense things I’ve read in the past 16 months. 

[naxer]

I was kind of looking forward to being served on the buffet, but this will be fine with me.  It will be no worse than it's ever been, and probably a bit better than the past.  

[BlerkOne]

Just now, Wanna_Cruize said:

 

 

I'm hoping they retired the communal butter crocks and returned to the individually sealed foil packets. The environmental groups just have to take a back seat during times like this.  

The obvious compromise are individual butter pats on trays. They aren't hard to do and you can even make them a cute funnel shape or some such nonsense 

 

 

[rainbowflag]

1 hour ago, AHS123 said:

Has Carnival updated the dinner menus? Filet of sole sounds delicious especially when served with a citrus beurre blanc sauce. We'll keep an eye open for it on the Horizon.

I see what you did there LOL

[pinto18]

I have the salad bar every day for lunch. I was not looking forward to having to say " can I have 3 garbanzo beans, 4 carrots, 1 spoonful of pasta salad, teaspoon of corn"...so I am happy about this. Also I worked in restaurants for years in my younger days..just refuse to be too squeamish about this kind of thing

 

 

[rainbowflag]

26 minutes ago, naxer said:

I was kind of looking forward to being served on the buffet, but this will be fine with me.  It will be no worse than it's ever been, and probably a bit better than the past.  

I agree, it may be better, certainly better supervised.

[Markmom18]

9 hours ago, lazydayz said:

One of my personal goals on each cruise is NOT to eat at buffet.  This just reinforces it! 

  This also reinforces MY total avoidance of that nasty  ice cream machine. Again, witnessing a child’s mouth on that spigot stopped me cold turkey! 🤢🤢

🛳🛳

Bobbi 

Edited July 1, 2021 by Markmom18

[Markmom18]

1 hour ago, pinto18 said:

Also I worked in restaurants for years in my younger days..just refuse to be too squeamish about this kind of thing

 

 

  
   I will totally shame my 17 year old self here and fess up to working at a Jack in the Box “bouncing” the blocks of sliced cheese (triangles for the tacos) on the filthy floor! 🥴😳😥.  
 

Yeah, call me a hypocrite, after my ice cream machine comment.  Prior to seeing that kid, I also enjoyed this treat. But, once seen … ewww …. 🤮
 

I’m 63 now and can’t believe I actually did this …. And it’s weird that I have been going to JIB & ordering the tacos since that time in my life, I love that soy meat?? taco 🌮  😋🤦🏻‍♀️
 

🛳🛳

Bobbi 

Edited July 1, 2021 by Markmom18

[Old Fart Cruisers]

6 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

I guess you've never seen the people serving themselves with the utensils, eating with their hands off their plate, and then licking their fingers before reaching for the next serving utensil. 

 

CCL is going to stop delivering the paper Fun Times, Chocolate Delight, the ship pin, the logo gift, and complementary water to your cabin so you wont get Covid from paper or other objects that are brought in by the steward while cleaning the cabin (will they stop bringing all the adds in too?).  So now you will be perfectly safe using serving utensils, that other people used after licking their fingers while grazing through the buffet line and eating with their hands!  And eating the food that they coughed on.  Besides, as long as the finger lickers used hand sanitizer when they walk into the buffet you will be fine😝   Glad to know Carnival is doing everything they can to keep us all safe.

[BrotherCraig]

12 hours ago, madera cruiser said:

What sucks?

 

 

Lido Marketplace buffet being self serve again.  I was hoping to try it when we cruise.  We don't do buffets where people serve themselves.  Rather have servers dishing out the food.

[hollowgirl]

5 hours ago, Old Fart Cruisers said:

 

CCL is going to stop delivering the paper Fun Times, Chocolate Delight, the ship pin, the logo gift, and complementary water to your cabin so you wont get Covid from paper or other objects that are brought in by the steward while cleaning the cabin (will they stop bringing all the adds in too?).  So now you will be perfectly safe using serving utensils, that other people used after licking their fingers while grazing through the buffet line and eating with their hands!  And eating the food that they coughed on.  Besides, as long as the finger lickers used hand sanitizer when they walk into the buffet you will be fine😝   Glad to know Carnival is doing everything they can to keep us all safe.

Exactly! Just tell us you need to save money and stop pretending you're taking away perks to keep us safe. Obviously buffets will expose you to way more germs than a steward bringing you a piece of paper. 

[BlerkOne]

6 hours ago, Old Fart Cruisers said:

 

CCL is going to stop delivering the paper Fun Times, Chocolate Delight, the ship pin, the logo gift, and complementary water to your cabin so you wont get Covid from paper or other objects that are brought in by the steward while cleaning the cabin (will they stop bringing all the adds in too?).  So now you will be perfectly safe using serving utensils, that other people used after licking their fingers while grazing through the buffet line and eating with their hands!  And eating the food that they coughed on.  Besides, as long as the finger lickers used hand sanitizer when they walk into the buffet you will be fine😝   Glad to know Carnival is doing everything they can to keep us all safe.

 

Proof that the pandemic is still with us and controls the schedule. If you don't trust the spoon, knock it on the floor and they will have to bring another.

 

These are not normal times, or put another way, welcome to the new normal.

[mz-s]

In my experience the crew at the buffet always kept a close eye and made sure to ensure children were accompanied and didn't stick their hands in the food, dirty serving utensils were swapped out, etc. I have never felt the Carnival buffets were poorly attended or unsanitary. If I saw something that needed attention they took care of it immediately.

 

I am ready for my October cruise and yes, I plan to eat at the buffet every day.