Juice; Tea & Coffee in the Buffet

[BigJH]

Was having a sneaky look at some of the latest videos about Sky Princess as we are sailing on Saturday (YAY) and noticed on one review that they mentioned that they no longer have the juice; tea & coffee or ice machines for self service in the buffet - is that right? 

 

I would understand the reasons behind this as they wouldn't want to increase the Covid risk - but just wanted to check if that is teh case?

 

Cheers

[Moondogy]

I sure hope that isn't so. We sail on the 28th and I always wake up before the horizon court staff are even willing to get my coffee for me 🤣and that's where I always go first since we stay on the lido deck. 

[Honolulu Blue]

1 hour ago, BigJH said:

Was having a sneaky look at some of the latest videos about Sky Princess as we are sailing on Saturday (YAY) and noticed on one review that they mentioned that they no longer have the juice; tea & coffee or ice machines for self service in the buffet - is that right? 

 

I would understand the reasons behind this as they wouldn't want to increase the Covid risk - but just wanted to check if that is teh case?

In April on the Majestic, small glasses of juice were available at the buffet to grab and go.  I thought they were well hidden and hard to find, but YMMV.  No self-service drinks other than those.

 

I long for the day that Princess frees us to self-dispense soft drinks again.

[MissP22]

On 8/11/2022 at 6:21 AM, Honolulu Blue said:

In April on the Majestic, small glasses of juice were available at the buffet to grab and go.  I thought they were well hidden and hard to find, but YMMV.  No self-service drinks other than those.

 

I long for the day that Princess frees us to self-dispense soft drinks again.

Including the food as well. 

[latebloomer56]

Is there a diner on Princess or is that just NCL? I generally use the IC as I'm up and out of the cabin by 4:30-5:00. 

[Mike45LC]

On the Majestic a couple of months ago, in the buffet area, coffee and tea was no longer self-serve but was in a (theoretically) server-only area.  If there was no server present, I self-served until I got chased out.

 

[cruzsnooze]

On 8/11/2022 at 1:22 AM, BigJH said:

 

 

I would understand the reasons behind this as they wouldn't want to increase the Covid risk - but just wanted to check if that is teh case?

 

Cheers

What risk of self serve coffee would you worry about with a respiratory transmission.  Everything seems to get blamed for covid. It's not a contact disease.

[avonlady6390]

On the regal in January the self serv beverage station are manned by crew they also have servers in buffet area to get you a beverage including iced and hot tea, coffee, juices at breakfast every thing else the rest of day and of course you can order bar drinks as well.  With short staff I wouldn't be surprised to see the beverage stations open to self serve.

[caribill]

On 8/11/2022 at 5:21 AM, Honolulu Blue said:

I long for the day that Princess frees us to self-dispense soft drinks again.

Princess has not had self-dispense soft drinks in the past, so if they end up offering it, it would be the first time.

[SargassoPirate]

14 hours ago, cruzsnooze said:

What risk of self serve coffee would you worry about with a respiratory transmission.  Everything seems to get blamed for covid. It's not a contact disease.

Once a control is out in place, risk aversion comes into play when it's time to remove that control even in the face of science.

 

A prime example is my pet peeve - rubber gloves on food workers.  Sit and watch how many surfaces those gloves touch and yet when I ask a food manager why the employees are wearing gloves the inevitable answers are "for sanitation" or "to make our customers feel safe".

 

 

[MissP22]

1 hour ago, SargassoPirate said:

A prime example is my pet peeve - rubber gloves on food workers.  Sit and watch how many surfaces those gloves touch and yet when I ask a food manager why the employees are wearing gloves the inevitable answers are "for sanitation" or "to make our customers feel safe".

Good one. 😄

Most of their precautions are based upon the same logic. 

[JF - retired RRT]

On 8/11/2022 at 3:21 AM, Honolulu Blue said:

I long for the day that Princess frees us to self-dispense soft drinks again.

When did they do that? I've cruised on Princess since 2013, 30 cruises and have never seen self-serve soft drinks. OJ, apple juice, cranberry juice...yes.

[JF - retired RRT]

1 hour ago, SargassoPirate said:

Once a control is out in place, risk aversion comes into play when it's time to remove that control even in the face of science.

 

A prime example is my pet peeve - rubber gloves on food workers.  Sit and watch how many surfaces those gloves touch and yet when I ask a food manager why the employees are wearing gloves the inevitable answers are "for sanitation" or "to make our customers feel safe".

That's the reason. 

[SargassoPirate]

1 hour ago, JF - retired RRT said:

That's the reason. 

That is indeed the reason and it's theater.  Consider cross contamination.  I was at a major hotel chain restaurant recently and watched one of the servers wearing rubber gloves.  She bussed a couple of tables, scraped off the plates,  delivered some food,  grabbed a couple of glasses by sticking her fingers down inside when she picked them up, filled them with water, picked up two unwrapped straws and inserted them with her gloved hands touching the tops of the straws where you place your lips, delivered the water, grabbed a broom and dustpan to sweep under some tables, went back into the expo area to pick up some more food, then adjusted her hair, and pulled out her cellphone to check something.

 

All while wearing the same "magic sanitizing gloves".

 

I called the manager over and asked her why the servers were wearing rubber gloves.  Her one word answer was "sanitation".

 

I described what I had observed and asked how sanitary was that.  She got a puzzled look and then said it was company policy.

 

BTW, the last time I looked the only area where the USDA food sanitation manual mentions gloves is the chain mail gloves for meat cutters.  For everyone else, it's frequent handwashing and handwashing between tasks such as bussing tables and serving food.

[JF - retired RRT]

52 minutes ago, SargassoPirate said:

That is indeed the reason and it's theater.  Consider cross contamination.  I was at a major hotel chain restaurant recently and watched one of the servers wearing rubber gloves.  She bussed a couple of tables, scraped off the plates,  delivered some food,  grabbed a couple of glasses by sticking her fingers down inside when she picked them up, filled them with water, picked up two unwrapped straws and inserted them with her gloved hands touching the tops of the straws where you place your lips, delivered the water, grabbed a broom and dustpan to sweep under some tables, went back into the expo area to pick up some more food, then adjusted her hair, and pulled out her cellphone to check something.

 

All while wearing the same "magic sanitizing gloves".

 

I called the manager over and asked her why the servers were wearing rubber gloves.  Her one word answer was "sanitation".

 

I described what I had observed and asked how sanitary was that.  She got a puzzled look and then said it was company policy.

 

BTW, the last time I looked the only area where the USDA food sanitation manual mentions gloves is the chain mail gloves for meat cutters.  For everyone else, it's frequent handwashing and handwashing between tasks such as bussing tables and serving food.

Wait!!! She forgot to pick her nose.🤣

[Honolulu Blue]

On 8/11/2022 at 6:21 AM, Honolulu Blue said:

I long for the day that Princess frees us to self-dispense soft drinks again.

 

11 hours ago, caribill said:

Princess has not had self-dispense soft drinks in the past, so if they end up offering it, it would be the first time.

 

3 hours ago, JF - retired RRT said:

When did they do that? I've cruised on Princess since 2013, 30 cruises and have never seen self-serve soft drinks. OJ, apple juice, cranberry juice...yes.

Allow me to quickly explain myself, then get out of here.

 

I'm a latecomer to Princess, having only taken my first cruise with them in December.  I didn't know they never served a subset of soft drinks out of those dispensers.  The Regal and Majestic, they could have been designed to hide them in crew only areas, yet they did not.  And I had always considered juices soft drinks.  A scan of the Internet shows that there are different opinions on the matter.

[SargassoPirate]

17 hours ago, JF - retired RRT said:

Wait!!! She forgot to pick her nose.🤣

She'd probably have to take off one glove to do it!