Self serve back at Windjammer

[pdrcruiser]

On Adventure right now and went to jammer for lunch. Waited forever for staff to serve up some grub and noticed all the utensils were facing the guests. Thought it wasn’t right because we were on last week and crew served all food. Talked to one of the officers and he said it came from Miami last week all ships could start doing this. He said they waited a week before implementing this. It’s back to serving yourself! No Covid here! Getting back to normal! 

[taglovestocruise]

1 minute ago, pdrcruiser said:

On Adventure right now and went to jammer for lunch. Waited forever for staff to serve up some grub and noticed all the utensils were facing the guests. Thought it wasn’t right because we were on last week and crew served all food. Talked to one of the officers and he said it came from Miami last week all ships could start doing this. He said they waited a week before implementing this. It’s back to serving yourself! No Covid here! Getting back to normal! 

It has been a long two years but cringe worthy normalcy is returning. 

[yogimax]

It's all about the money.  Having people serve themselves results in reduced staffing needs and costs.

[mo&fran]

should reduce the crowds around the stations, with passengers not having to wait for the staff to serve them.

[sfaaa]

NOOOoooooo. Terrible news. Not pleased.

[Joseph2017China]

I'm pleased because based on all these posts......you will see less people!!!!! But I don't care. 

[LXA350]

Even when looking at the past with Noro outbreaks etc, the buffet should not be self serve. Ok, obviously RCL and the other cruiselines will do what is best economically however disapointing to see how they did not want to take any lessons from COVID and implement at the buffet for instance to ensure cruising to become safer going forward not only against COVID. Hence, a big oportunity was missed to evolve and revolutionize the Buffet venue eperience.

[Cruise Gopher]

Use a little common sense and you’ll all be just fine. Wash your hands before entering the Windjammer, then use a little hand sanitizer when you sit down before you start to eat, and also each time before you eat if you go back up to get more food. 
 

I’ve been doing this for years and never had any illness or concerns. 
 

So glad self serve is back!!!

[Diver2014]

27 minutes ago, Cruise Gopher said:

Use a little common sense and you’ll all be just fine. Wash your hands before entering the Windjammer, then use a little hand sanitizer when you sit down before you start to eat, and also each time before you eat if you go back up to get more food. 
 

I’ve been doing this for years and never had any illness or concerns. 
 

So glad self serve is back!!!

Yeah, glad self serve is back!  If you want to be waited on, go to the MDR or one of the other restaurants.  I love the variety in the Windjammer, trying dishes I would never order otherwise and I don't like to take a whole serving of something that I just want to try.  Good news!!!

[gottagoacruzn]

Thats good to hear things are gettin back to normal!!!

[Tree_skier]

55 minutes ago, Cruise Gopher said:

Use a little common sense and you’ll all be just fine. Wash your hands before entering the Windjammer, then use a little hand sanitizer when you sit down before you start to eat, and also each time before you eat if you go back up to get more food. 
 

I’ve been doing this for years and never had any illness or concerns. 
 

So glad self serve is back!!!

Personal responsibility, Imagine that.

Edited April 7, 2022 by Tree_skier

[Ashland]

I too am glad for this to return. We're just off Explorer and they didn't have enough staff in the WJ...it was just a mess and the lines and crowds bottlenecking everywhere. Salad bar in WJ was ridiculous one person serving as the person at the front of the line picking and choosing each individual topping was crazy !!!! And waiting for someone to hand you a roll and then having to wait for butter..Yikes!

[Tree_skier]

I’m happy because I like to eat a ridiculous amount of bacon. And it’s always embarrassing having to ask staff to pile it on.

[F27TW]

1 minute ago, Tree_skier said:

I’m happy because I like to eat a ridiculous amount of bacon. And it’s always embarrassing having to ask staff to pile it on.

Agree !!  

 

[jcc1025]

4 hours ago, yogimax said:

It's all about the money.  Having people serve themselves results in reduced staffing needs and costs.

They have to measure that with the amount of food loss they get when people serve themselves. I am sure they have worked up those calculations and I don't think they take on extra crew to serve food, just flex crew from other locations to cover the period of time the Windjammer is open. 

[Jasukkie]

After experiencing increased capacity without increased staffing I think the risk of people breathing down each other's necks in line is a greater theoretical risk than self-service. As others have pointed out, we've been doing this for years and there are things you can do to protect yourself.

 

 

[Akkers]

I have to say I did not see any crowding in the WJ at breakfast or lunch. Pretty damn of them for closing it for dinner.

From what I can remember the staff were very efficient and moved things along without too many queues.

One thing I noticed was that at breakfast they had the boiled eggs right next to meat products, not very enticing. If they have returned to self-service then you can bet people will use the same utensils to server themselves meat and non-meat foods.

[Lane Hog]

WASHY WASHY and all will be fine.....

[johnjen]

We seldom visit the Windjammer anyway due to the crowds, even pre-COVID, but this is great news, going back to normal..

 

Now, for those of you who suffer from post-covid MDP, just don't go to the Windjammer. Do as we do, breakfast and dinner in dining area.

[zeroed]

11 minutes ago, Lane Hog said:

WASHY WASHY and all will be fine.....

On the Allure presently and there are quite a few kids ignoring those Washy stations. It’s not the adults who concern me, it’s Lil Timmy Touch Everything’s grubby hands  wrapped around spoons right after picking and scratching…stuff. 
 

[johnjen]

2 minutes ago, zeroed said:

On the Allure presently and there are quite a few kids ignoring those Washy stations. It’s not the adults who concern me, it’s Lil Timmy Touch Everything’s grubby hands  wrapped around spoons right after picking and scratching…stuff. 
 

I'll never forget it. A few years ago, somehow ended up eating at a KFC (dad REALLY wanted to go) so in we went. At the time (6 years back maybe) KFC had this buffet setup where you could do the all you can eat thing. There's this little 3 YO, she's dipping her hands into the mashed potatoes, licking them, then double dipping....I laughed, but imagine the reaction nowadays from customers seeing that at the windjammer.

[Surfguyxxx]

23 hours ago, mo&fran said:

should reduce the crowds around the stations, with passengers not having to wait for the staff to serve them.

I just finished my 6th cruise with RC since we started cruising again and I have to say, I never had to wait for "crowds" of people to be served.  I thought it was really efficient and liked it.  I asked for crispy bacon and they looked through their mound of bacon and gave me what I needed, carving the meats was easy too.  My only wait was getting an omelet which seemed to take a long time but that's because the cook only had 1 pan/1burner.  Otherwise, I liked the service and attention they gave.

[taglovestocruise]

15 minutes ago, zeroed said:

On the Allure presently and there are quite a few kids ignoring those Washy stations. It’s not the adults who concern me, it’s Lil Timmy Touch Everything’s grubby hands  wrapped around spoons right after picking and scratching…stuff. 
 

Things are really getting back to the old normal. Little Timmy, chair hogs, overfilled elevators, kids hitting all the elevator buttons, people avoiding the wash stations or sanitizer stations, half rows of seating in the showrooms being held for people on their way, tables in the Windjammer being used as hour long reading venue, Life is once again great. 

[Surfguyxxx]

1 minute ago, taglovestocruise said:

Things are really getting back to the old normal. Little Timmy, chair hogs, overfilled elevators, kids hitting all the elevator buttons, people avoiding the wash stations or sanitizer stations, half rows of seating in the showrooms being held for people on their way, tables in the Windjammer being used as hour long reading venue, Life is once again great. 

Yes unfortunately, there is still some of this creeping it's ugly head back in.  Additionally, kids running around in the Solarium and lounging out!

[tuxieloaf]

23 hours ago, yogimax said:

It's all about the money.  Having people serve themselves results in reduced staffing needs and costs.

Would have thought they would save money because more people would be shameful asking for more food, leading to less waste and then a lower food quantity needed. I guess not - bummer.