How's the buffet food?

[keesar]

The worse experience is going to the buffet at lunch time on a sea day.  Place was packed on the Ascent. We walked around looking for a seat (before we got our food) and it was really difficult finding a location.  There were tables of 4 and 6 with just one person seated.  I asked each diner if we could join, and the answer at each table was "No, I want to eat by myself".  OMG.  

[drakes2]

44 minutes ago, keesar said:

The worse experience is going to the buffet at lunch time on a sea day.  Place was packed on the Ascent. We walked around looking for a seat (before we got our food) and it was really difficult finding a location.  There were tables of 4 and 6 with just one person seated.  I asked each diner if we could join, and the answer at each table was "No, I want to eat by myself".  OMG.  

So rude and disrespectful. I can understand if they are expecting others to join them but this is no different than  finding a place to sit on a bus. You paid your cruise fare and are entitled to a seat to enjoy your meal. 

 

[Travel-and-See]

50 minutes ago, keesar said:

There were tables of 4 and 6 with just one person seated.  I asked each diner if we could join, and the answer at each table was "No, I want to eat by myself".

Oh, what a shame - I'm a solo cruiser and I've met some wonderful people by allowing them to join me.  

[jlawrence01]

I have never had a bad meal at the Celebrity buffet although their pizza is not my favorite.  I think that they offer a good selection and food is well prepared.  Do realize that the Edge class ships offer 40-50% more selection than the Millennium class ships.

 

Travel Tourist Videos on YouTube has a video that documents every buffet dish served on their two Celebrity cruises. That will give a great idea of what you will see.

 

At dinner time, expect to see less selection as the traffic is 10-20% of lunch.  Later in the evening, you will start to think that you walked into crew mess as there are a lot of crew eating dinner there.

 

Personally, we almost always eat breakfast in the buffet as you have more Indian and English options.  

 

Late at night, the buffet stays open until 1 am.  However, the selection is pizza, a made to order pasta bar ... And leftovers.

 

Hope that helps.

[keesar]

31 minutes ago, drakes2 said:

So rude and disrespectful. I can understand if they are expecting others to join them but this is no different than  finding a place to sit on a bus. You paid your cruise fare and are entitled to a seat to enjoy your meal. 

 

The other irk were the card players.  They were in an area of the buffet on the starboard side just as you entered the dining area.  A waiter we knew said they were there for hours.  Thankfully, he asked two of them sitting at a table to move to allow diners to sit.  He offered and got us our drinks from the bar.  Now that is service and a 10 rating on our review.  His brother was our server in the Rooftop Garden Grill  and he was  excellent as well.  

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

2 hours ago, keesar said:

The worse experience is going to the buffet at lunch time on a sea day.  Place was packed on the Ascent. We walked around looking for a seat (before we got our food) and it was really difficult finding a location.  There were tables of 4 and 6 with just one person seated.  I asked each diner if we could join, and the answer at each table was "No, I want to eat by myself".  OMG.  

Not defending the “I want to eat by myself” part, but in terms of a solo being at a larger table, there have been times when the only seat I can find is at an empty larger table. I’m honestly more likely to just take my food to my cabin when that is the case to avoid having to sit with strangers, but… Just saying  they might not have sat there had there been other options.

[CelebrityMan]

On 7/21/2024 at 11:15 AM, mkcurran said:

Going on the Reflection to the ABCs next year. We are not dressy people, so we are wanting to know how the food is on the buffet for dinner. 

...well, I'm not sure what you consider "dressy".  The days of required suits/tuxedos or evening gowns are long gone on Celebrity, et al.  Yes, Celebrity will have what they dub "Evening Chic" evenings where the suggested attire is to be nicer than the other evenings, but it is still a long ways from formal.  If gentlemen wear long pants and a collared shirt, you'll be fine.  If ladies wear dress slacks (or a skirt) and a nice blouse, they'll be fine.  Please don't let attire dictate your enjoyment.

 

The buffet for dinner is a very nice option.  The food is always fresh and the variety extensive.

 

Have a wonderful cruise!

 

 

CM

[Kelownadon]

On 7/22/2024 at 11:31 AM, keesar said:

The worse experience is going to the buffet at lunch time on a sea day.  Place was packed on the Ascent. We walked around looking for a seat (before we got our food) and it was really difficult finding a location.  There were tables of 4 and 6 with just one person seated.  I asked each diner if we could join, and the answer at each table was "No, I want to eat by myself".  OMG.  

That response would have probably guaranteed me sitting down and joining him if it was a him, not likely if it was a her. 

 

Edited July 28 by Kelownadon

[retired dude]

On 7/22/2024 at 2:45 PM, jlawrence01 said:

I have never had a bad meal at the Celebrity buffet although their pizza is not my favorite.  I think that they offer a good selection and food is well prepared.  Do realize that the Edge class ships offer 40-50% more selection than the Millennium class ships.

 

Travel Tourist Videos on YouTube has a video that documents every buffet dish served on their two Celebrity cruises. That will give a great idea of what you will see.

 

At dinner time, expect to see less selection as the traffic is 10-20% of lunch.  Later in the evening, you will start to think that you walked into crew mess as there are a lot of crew eating dinner there.

 

Personally, we almost always eat breakfast in the buffet as you have more Indian and English options.  

 

Late at night, the buffet stays open until 1 am.  However, the selection is pizza, a made to order pasta bar ... And leftovers.

 

Hope that helps.

we agree on the pizza, worse than any frozen one that we have ever devoured. Minimal sauce, not enough cheese and no flavor, but people continue to swarm to it every day...might say something about our "fast food mentality here in the states"...just sayin'

[drakes2]

7 minutes ago, retired dude said:

might say something about our "fast food mentality here in the states"...just sayin'

Not just in the US also in Canada. Never had pizza on a Celebrity ship but I did read that the pizza on Princess cruises is very good.  I only buy frozen pizza at home we have a brand that is wood fired baked and I add extra toppings to it. 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

1 hour ago, retired dude said:

we agree on the pizza, worse than any frozen one that we have ever devoured. Minimal sauce, not enough cheese and no flavor, but people continue to swarm to it every day...might say something about our "fast food mentality here in the states"...just sayin'

A pizza shouldn’t be swimming in sauce or have a lot of cheese , 

But it should have favour 😉

[omahabob]

On 7/22/2024 at 7:08 AM, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Wearing pants and a collar shirt  is not dressy , 😉

It's all relative. I wear shorts year round, except on the coldest days, gym shorts at home. I don't even wear shoes at home unless I'm working in the yard. So, pants and a collared shirt, while certainly not formal, are somewhat dressy to me. Now, if I lived in Canada like you, that would be a different story.

[mkcurran]

44 minutes ago, omahabob said:

It's all relative. I wear shorts year round, except on the coldest days, gym shorts at home. I don't even wear shoes at home unless I'm working in the yard. So, pants and a collared shirt, while certainly not formal, are somewhat dressy to me. Now, if I lived in Canada like you, that would be a different story.

Exactly. 😀

Yuma formal is shorts with a clean t-shirt. 😆

[Vagabond Knight]

I cannot address dinner since we don't go to the buffet for dinner, but I've heard positive reviews from others. We've been on Celebrity and three other cruise lines in the past year and in general, breakfast and lunch are very good and much better than most of the other lines. The breakfast exception is probably if you want an egg over medium because you always seem to end up with overcooked yolks or runny whites. One area of breakfast that we really enjoy is the having the option of an English breakfast with grilled tomato, sauteed mushrooms, bangers, rashers and fried bread. We've found a number of yummy lunch options and in particular we've had some excellent Indian dishes. The Asian area used to be a favorite as well, but we didn't find it to be quite as good recently as it's been in the past. Probably the most disappointing area of the buffet for us is the baked dessert area since the lovely cakes and pastries never seem to taste as good as they look. The cake portion is often dry and the fillings often have an odd and unappetizing consistency. The stuff that looks like it should have a deep chocolate taste is often rather tasteless. Maybe that's good in that it keeps me from eating too much dessert!  In general though, we're pretty happy with the food at the breakfast and lunch buffets and can always find plenty of good stuff..

 

Seating can be an issue at breakfast on port days and pretty much all the time at lunch. Some people tend to use the area for cards and other games, reading, or just hanging out (possibly those not in balcony cabins?), which doesn't help.  Once people can go onshore on port days it clears out quickly. Fortunately, we've never had anyone turn us down when seating was tight and we've asked to join them, and we've never turned anyone else away either.

[Lena11033]

On 7/21/2024 at 2:15 PM, mkcurran said:

Going on the Reflection to the ABCs next year. We are not dressy people, so we are wanting to know how the food is on the buffet for dinner. 

Do they severe prime rib there on formal nights? What about lobster?

I've seen pictures, and it looks like a nice spread. But pictures aren't everything.

Do you have a favorite buffet dish?

Thanks!

 

I just came off a cruise where half the time I ate at the buffet - the MDR was packed and I didn't want to wait.

There wasn't lobster on evening chic however someone I was speaking to that night in the buffet wasn't happy with the lobster in the MDR. However the day I was leaving, there were lobster rolls in the buffet.

 

Dinner in the buffet honestly based on the menus I saw available for MDR - the buffet had better options and the quality was good.

[drakes2]

2 hours ago, omahabob said:

Now, if I lived in Canada like you, that would be a different story.

You don't want to be in Canada right now.... its 85 friggin degrees and we're dying with the heat. I never understood why some Americans think this is a cold country.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

3 minutes ago, drakes2 said:

You don't want to be in Canada right now.... its 85 friggin degrees and we're dying with the heat. I never understood why some Americans think this is a cold country.

Stop lying , at my place it is 91.5°F, 60% humidity so with the heat index it is 104°F 😉🤣

[BigAl94]

Recent Apex cruise, only used Oceanview for lunch, busy yes but always got 2 seats and we were never refused joining a table. Pleased to see Celebrity staff moving on card players who had finished their lunch. The quality of the food was excellent.

[omahabob]

22 minutes ago, drakes2 said:

You don't want to be in Canada right now.... its 85 friggin degrees and we're dying with the heat. I never understood why some Americans think this is a cold country.

Because some of us have been there in winter. The Air Force sent me all over the world, and I've had more than my fair share of cold climes. On retirement, I chose to move south, one state away from where I grew up. 

 

Once, when I was in England, there was a heat wave. It hit 94, and people were passing out in the street. One of the Brits asked me how hot it got back at my home station in South Carolina. I told him it would easily get to 110 degrees on the flightline in summer. He thought I was lying, because he didn't see how anyone could survive that. Made me wonder how they managed to settle so many places around the world.

 

Like I said, it's all relative.

[Lena11033]

6 minutes ago, omahabob said:

Because some of us have been there in winter. The Air Force sent me all over the world, and I've had more than my fair share of cold climes. On retirement, I chose to move south, one state away from where I grew up. 

 

Once, when I was in England, there was a heat wave. It hit 94, and people were passing out in the street. One of the Brits asked me how hot it got back at my home station in South Carolina. I told him it would easily get to 110 degrees on the flightline in summer. He thought I was lying, because he didn't see how anyone could survive that. Made me wonder how they managed to settle so many places around the world.

 

Like I said, it's all relative.

 

UK a lot of places do not have air conditioning - in fact the buildings were designed to keep heat in so it feels awful.

 

I agree it is relative, its currently 100f here with 70% humidity but my winter in Canada isn't bad because I'm further south (places like Minnesota are further north than me). Last week in Norway there were people out on the sun loungers while I had layers on because it was 65f - after leaving here with 110f the 65f wasn't sun lounger weather for me.

 

[hcat]

On 7/22/2024 at 3:47 PM, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

Not defending the “I want to eat by myself” part, but in terms of a solo being at a larger table, there have been times when the only seat I can find is at an empty larger table. I’m honestly more likely to just take my food to my cabin when that is the case to avoid having to sit with strangers, but… Just saying  they might not have sat there had there been other options.

But why not welcome others?   

No need to be best friends but at least share space! Its only for lunch!

[drakes2]

59 minutes ago, hcat said:

But why not welcome others?   

No need to be best friends but at least share space! Its only for lunch!

Because some people just feel entitled. Many times I find a spot at a high top table not the most comfortable for me to get up and down as I have an ankle injury but there's no where else to sit.  One of the many reasons I avoid buffets but at times there's no other choice. MDR is closed on port days.

[George C]

2 hours ago, omahabob said:

Because some of us have been there in winter. The Air Force sent me all over the world, and I've had more than my fair share of cold climes. On retirement, I chose to move south, one state away from where I grew up. 

 

Once, when I was in England, there was a heat wave. It hit 94, and people were passing out in the street. One of the Brits asked me how hot it got back at my home station in South Carolina. I told him it would easily get to 110 degrees on the flightline in summer. He thought I was lying, because he didn't see how anyone could survive that. Made me wonder how they managed to settle so many places around the world.

 

Like I said, it's all relative.

We had 50 plus days over a hundred in Dallas last year, but every place you go is air conditioned not so for other areas of the country and world. 

[NutsAboutGolf]

6 minutes ago, George C said:

We had 50 plus days over a hundred in Dallas last year, but every place you go is air conditioned not so for other areas of the country and world. 

 

To add, in many cases these third-world countries don't always have STRONG air conditioning.  When it's 100f out, their A/C may only get it down to 85f which is better than nothing but not the 70f you were expecting

[omahabob]

2 hours ago, Lena11033 said:

 

UK a lot of places do not have air conditioning - in fact the buildings were designed to keep heat in so it feels awful.

 

I lived there for four years. Never had much problem with heat, except in the winter.