Grand Buffet Gone

[travelberlin]

I have tried to add some pictures of the Grand Buffet onboard the Symphony in 2014. OMG, 10 years ago and it seems it was last year 🤭. Unfortunately the pictures come upside down when I upload them. No idea why. The event was very enjoyable. Good music, Champagne, good food and we made new friends…

 

Nice memories…

 

Ivi

 

Edited February 15 by travelberlin

[Texas Tillie]

5 minutes ago, travelberlin said:

Interesting 🤔 . I had no idea that remaining food they prepare to be served for lunch at the Market Place but they have not taken out of the Galley, could be reused again for the guests or the crew 😲 Do you mean they will keep it for next day for lunch? Or for the evening at the Waterside or other restaurant?

 

In relation to the food remaining at the Market Place which has being displayed, for sure is a waste of food. It happens in all buffets on all cruise lines. The only way cruise lines would have to avoid this, is not to offer buffets. But this is unrealistic.

 

Ivi

 

Think of the carving station that's always at the front of the hot part of the buffet, they have whole turkeys, whole pork loins, etc. already cooked. Put them in the fridge and use them in a day or so in another recipe. If it's a casserole and there's an extra, send it to the cruise mess. I'm sure they are pretty good at knowing how much to prepare, but it can't be 100% all the time.

 

Patty

 

[Keith1010]

Let me add that there is a big difference between the Grand Gala Buffet and Market Place when it comes to wasted food.

 

When they set up the Grand Gala Buffet all food is put out before it open.  

 

At Market Place a good number of items are put out a little at a time and then refilled throughout the hours of operation  This means far less waste.

 

Buffets are costly. If you are planning a wedding you will see that a buffet can be a lot more expensive than a plated meal.This is because they have to have extra of everything not knowing how much people will eat and what they will eat.

 

Keith

[USCAdventurer]

keith,

spoken like the "father of the bride" history!

[Pudgesmom]

I’ve always disliked buffets. When on vacation, I want some to come to me, take my order, and deliver it. I carry too much food around at home!

[Keith1010]

3 hours ago, USCAdventurer said:

keith,

spoken like the "father of the bride" history!

David

 

Absolutely. Learned about this when we planned our daughters wedding. 
 

Leading  up to the wedding we did watch Father Of The Bride.  

 

Keith

[travelberlin]

4 hours ago, Pudgesmom said:

I’ve always disliked buffets. When on vacation, I want some to come to me, take my order, and deliver it. I carry too much food around at home!

I agree, except when it is something exceptional such as the Grand Buffet used to be. 

 

 

[Cruise-y]

15 hours ago, travelberlin said:

I have found this from 2019. It was a feast not only for the eyes

 

I remember these langoustines from a Crystal cruise in late 2019 (maybe the same one?). They sure were delicious but there was a huge crowd around them and I couldn't even get close. I had to snake my arm underneath the masses to try to fork only one and they disappeared fast. A lot of other things on the buffet (including the cute penguins) pretty much went to waste. Not sorry to see it go.

[Leejnd4]

Anyone remember those midnight chocolate buffets? I don’t even remember what cruise line it was on, this was so long ago. 
 

What I DO remember was that the only thing I really wanted to eat from that whole buffet was the chocolate covered strawberries. They had huge platters of them, but the line was so long that I watched those platters dwindle lower and lower as we approached. People were filling plates up with DOZENS of them, piled so high they were falling off! Then the person right in front of me took the last ten strawberries.
 

And later I saw plate after plate of dozens of uneaten chocolate covered strawberries, left on the tables for cleanup. I remember one table had a plate filled with them, each of which had ONE SMALL BITE taken out of them. 
 

The gluttony and waste just disgusted me. I never went to one of those again. 
 

I’m fine with the end of the Grand Buffets. 

[ryndam]

Back in the day, they used to print menus for the grand buffet. I uncovered this little gem during a recent cleaning purge.

 

Rob

[FlyerTalker]

Peter Sarvari.  As disc jockeys back in the day used to say, "that's a memory flogger".

 

 

[Keith1010]

9 hours ago, Leejnd4 said:

Anyone remember those midnight chocolate buffets? I don’t even remember what cruise line it was on, this was so long ago. 
 

What I DO remember was that the only thing I really wanted to eat from that whole buffet was the chocolate covered strawberries. They had huge platters of them, but the line was so long that I watched those platters dwindle lower and lower as we approached. People were filling plates up with DOZENS of them, piled so high they were falling off! Then the person right in front of me took the last ten strawberries.
 

And later I saw plate after plate of dozens of uneaten chocolate covered strawberries, left on the tables for cleanup. I remember one table had a plate filled with them, each of which had ONE SMALL BITE taken out of them. 
 

The gluttony and waste just disgusted me. I never went to one of those again. 
 

I’m fine with the end of the Grand Buffets. 

LeeAnne one I remember for sure was Celebrity.  I remember it opened precisely at midnight and I do remember having a bit more cake than I should have. 

 

Keith

[ChatKat in Ca.]

On 2/17/2024 at 12:38 PM, Leejnd4 said:

Anyone remember those midnight chocolate buffets? I don’t even remember what cruise line it was on, this was so long ago. 
 

 

I’m fine with the end of the Grand Buffets. 

One a cruise that had a grand chocolate buffet, the chef spent days making something special.  It had a sign on it to please not touch it.  Well, of course someone broke off a piece and the chef was in tears.

[Leejnd4]

1 hour ago, ChatKat in Ca. said:

One a cruise that had a grand chocolate buffet, the chef spent days making something special.  It had a sign on it to please not touch it.  Well, of course someone broke off a piece and the chef was in tears.

People can be such boors.