Please explain the buffet at night

[anyname]

I saw where there is no buffet at night - it changes to a Bristo or something? I am going on the Mercury soon and would appreciate someone explaining to me who this works.

 

Thanks

Autumn

[Drew B]

Are you talking about dinnertime or a midnight buffet? X does not have a dinner buffet. There is casual dining served in a portion of what during the day is the buffet area. This is a sit-down meal with waiter service. It requires a reservation and a $2.00 surcharge. In addition to that and the dining room, there is a sushi station and a pasta/salad/pizza station. M-class ships and Century have specialty restaurants as well as the spa-cafe (till 8:00 P.M.). In addition, there is always room service, and during regular dining room hours, you can get dining room food delivered to your room.

 

If you mean midnight buffet, they don't normally have these either, other than one "grand buffet". Instead, they have waiters walking around common areas with trays of appetizer-style snacks.

[anyname]

I guess I was refering to the alternative one. A few more questions please :o

Does it serve the same food as the dinning room that night?

Does it have a changing menu?

How long in advance do you need to make reservations?

Are there small tables or are they long group ones?

 

Also - Where is the pasta station and what are the dinner hours?

 

Thanks so much!

Autumn

[chessbriar]

Does it serve the same food as the dinning room that night? No

Does it have a changing menu? No

How long in advance do you need to make reservations? A couple hours

Are there small tables or are they long group ones? All smaller tables. If you talk to the matre d' when you make your reservation, they may be able to accomodate a larger group

[Mr. Tucker]

I saw where there is no buffet at night

 

Since Celebrity is basically going to copy everything from Oceania on Journey and Quest they will be adding an elegant Tapas buffet in the evenings where the lunch and breakfast buffet is.

[MBZ Girl]

The alternative dining DOES have a changing menu! We just got off Connie where the Maitre'd of the Alternative told us she had 4 different rotating menus. Always a fish, beef, chicken, pasta,and another lamb, veal, pork, etc dish along with several different apps, salad choices & soups as well as changing desserts. But she DID say they had 4 different ones!:D

You can almost always make a reservation for the same day & they have all kinds of seating available from 2 to probably 10 if you wanted.

[junglejane]

What if you're unexpectedly late returning from a shore excursion and miss your dining room seating? I assume you can check to see if anything is available on short notice in the casual dining?

 

This happened to us on the Infinity and we went to the maitre d' in the main dining room because there was something on the menu that night that DH really wanted. He was able to accomodate us at the late seating. We never made it to the casual dining on the Infinity, but I can definitely see us using it on our Mediterranean cruise next year. Especially since three formal nights is about one too many for me.

 

--Junglejane

[tuggers]

Was the OP asking about the new Martini Buffet? It's $25 per person (plus 15%) and is all you want from 5 to 8 every sea day.

Great new idea!

[Leela]

What if you're unexpectedly late returning from a shore excursion and miss your dining room seating? I assume you can check to see if anything is available on short notice in the casual dining?

 

This happened to us on the Infinity and we went to the maitre d' in the main dining room because there was something on the menu that night that DH really wanted. He was able to accomodate us at the late seating.

Someone told us that most of the time it is possible to re-seat someone at the late seating if they miss the early one, but that it's not as easy to do it the other way around. It seems the early seating more often books up full than the late one does.

 

I walked by the casual dining and it never seemed fully booked on my last trip.

 

Also, the Pool Grill and Aquaspa served until 8pm on my last trip, so those are non-reservation-requiring options. Similarly, the Sushi and Pasta/Pizza stations in the buffet area are open until about 10pm or so and don't need a reservation.

 

Believe me, if someone misses early seating dinner, they won't be out of luck :)

[anyname]

the Sushi and Pasta/Pizza stations in the buffet area

 

Another question -

Are the Sushi and Pasta stations at the same place? I assume these are inside, so if they make part of the buffet into alternative, is the pasta and sushi on the other part?

 

It cost $20 pp? Do we also tip and is the fee added to our bill?

 

Autumn

[Lois R]

Autumn, not 20.00 per person...the alternative dining is no charge

but they request a 2.00 per person gratuity.

 

The Sushi Bar is no charge and no tip is necessary.

Same for the Pasta Station.

 

The only amount for the alternative dining is a suggested

2.00....not 20.

[dkjretired]

the Sushi and Pasta/Pizza stations in the buffet area

 

Another question -

Are the Sushi and Pasta stations at the same place? I assume these are inside, so if they make part of the buffet into alternative, is the pasta and sushi on the other part?

 

It cost $20 pp? Do we also tip and is the fee added to our bill?

 

Autumn

 

The cost is $2.00 not $20.

[anyname]

Gosh $2.00 is A LOT better than $20.00! LOL

 

So, do we just leave that or sign for it?

 

Sorry, we leave so soon - makes me think I should have book more than a few weeks out1 LOL

[Lois R]

Hi:) I cannot tell you how its done as I have never eaten

there. But if I were to eat there, I would bring cash, but again,

that is just me. Many others might sign it to the s&s card.

 

Oh..this is in reply to your newest topic.....he will

probably be allowed in the dining room, but a sweater is

really not formal.

[Leela]

Are the Sushi and Pasta stations at the same place? I assume these are inside, so if they make part of the buffet into alternative, is the pasta and sushi on the other part?

Pretty much. On the M-class ships, the "buffet" is divided into two different areas. On the Summit these were called the "Waterfall Cafe'" and the "Waterfall Grill." The "casual dining" was set up in the "Waterfall Grill" area, and the sushi and pasta and pizza areas were set up in the "Waterfall Cafe'" area. Or maybe I have it backwards. Anyway, the two areas are pretty much contiguous but are decorated differently. It's a nice set-up.

 

It cost $20 pp? Do we also tip and is the fee added to our bill?

The "casual dining" in the Waterfall Grill (where you sit down and are waited on) costs $2 per person (not $20). The $2 per person is considered to be the tip for the wait staff for that meal. It will be added to your on-board cruise account bill.

 

There is no extra charge for the sushi, pasta, pizza, Aquaspa, or Pool Grill.

[TravelerThom]

What if you're unexpectedly late returning from a shore excursion and miss your dining room seating? I assume you can check to see if anything is available on short notice in the casual dining?

On X as well as other cruise lines I have always been well taken care of when in port late [either scheduled or unscheduled]. On those specific days they will often have a full buffet in the cafe, and often have open seating in the main dining room. I did the Millie TA in March, and when we had an an over night stop in Bermuda there was open seating in main dining [we were scheduled for 6pm dinner, but on that night got back to the ship at 8:45 and still ate in the main dining room (they also maybe/probably had a full cafe buffet)]. And I agree that there are almost always space available at the late dinner seating, plus the other options mentioned. If all else fails there is 24 hour room service. You won't go hungry!

[Muushka]

Pretty much. On the M-class ships, the "buffet" is divided into two different areas. On the Summit these were called the "Waterfall Cafe'" and the "Waterfall Grill." The "casual dining" was set up in the "Waterfall Grill" area, and the sushi and pasta and pizza areas were set up in the "Waterfall Cafe'" area. Or maybe I have it backwards. Anyway, the two areas are pretty much contiguous but are decorated differently. It's a nice set-up.

 

 

The "casual dining" in the Waterfall Grill (where you sit down and are waited on) costs $2 per person (not $20). The $2 per person is considered to be the tip for the wait staff for that meal. It will be added to your on-board cruise account bill.

There is no extra charge for the sushi, pasta, pizza, Aquaspa, or Pool Grill.

 

When we were on the Century we asked how the $2 was handled. They said it was better just to bring the cash, which we did. It all worked out fine. And we checked our account and they had not added it.

[AngelaC]

Gosh $2.00 is A LOT better than $20.00! LOL

 

So, do we just leave that or sign for it?

 

Sorry, we leave so soon - makes me think I should have book more than a few weeks out1 LOL

 

 

 

We didn't know it was reservations only when we showed up one night. About three tables were being used, so we had no problem with just walking in.

 

Don't bring any money as the ship operates on a cashless system. The $2.00 is added to your seapass card.

[herewego]

Are the menus posted somewhere? I assume the main dinningroom has their posted after lunch - is this also true with the alternative restaurant as well?

[TravelerThom]

Are the menus posted somewhere? I assume the main dinningroom has their posted after lunch - is this also true with the alternative restaurant as well?

Not sure all the ships operate the same, but I have definitely seen it posted at the entrance of the "tablecloth casual" restaurant area [generally portside all the way aft in the Café], certainly by the end of afternoon tea [ie around 5pm], may be out long before this, I just don’t know. Some of the ships post both lunch and dinner main dining menus at the end of breakfast, some seem to post only the next meal – certainly near the entrance of main dining, and at least on some ships somewhere in the Guest Relations lobby area.

[catmand]

I don't think anyone mentioned the wait staff there are "in training." They fall all over themselves trying but at times the service can be a little spotty. You can tell some of them are pretty nervous.

The views from that area are very nice as you have the large buffet area windows.

Also, when we were on Infinity (6-'05) they took our card and added the 2 bucks to it. When on Summit 9 months later they told us either the card OR we could just leave cash on the table, go figure? Ever wonder why sometimes you get ten different answers to a question here.

Picture is of the alternative dining set up on Mercury

[mii]

When we were on the Constellation last Oct. they placed the $2.00pp on our seapass card. Frankly I thoroughly enjoyed the Alternative Casual Dining. They have three menus. After the third day then it gets changed. We always found a variety of food, and like Catmand said they bend over backwards to please you. Sure some of them were a little nervous but that is to be expected. We leave tomorrow on the Infinity and we plan to dine there a few times.

 

Marilyn

[junglejane]

I'm looking forward to trying the Alternative Casual Dining. As I mentioned above, three formal nights is one too many for me, so I definitely want to try it on one of the formal nights. DH and I aren't fond of buffets for dinner, so this sounds much more appealing.

--Junglejane

[Muushka]

I don't think anyone mentioned the wait staff there are "in training." They fall all over themselves trying but at times the service can be a little spotty. You can tell some of them are pretty nervous.

 

The views from that area are very nice as you have the large buffet area windows.

 

Also, when we were on Infinity (6-'05) they took our card and added the 2 bucks to it. When on Summit 9 months later they told us either the card OR we could just leave cash on the table, go figure? Ever wonder why sometimes you get ten different answers to a question here.

 

Picture is of the alternative dining set up on Mercury

 

 

How true about the waiters in training! We had a great meal and wonderful service for our dinner on Century. And the waiter did all he could to give us great service---during the meal. After the meal was over, we wanted to ask how to pay, card or cash. We had been told to pay by cash, but wanted to be sure.

So our meal was over and there we sat. And sat. And sat. We could not get that waiter to come back to our table! Funny because we were going to tip more than the $4 for the 2 of us, but because he would not return, that is all he got!

[Flipflopsnfrozendrinks]

Tuggers, I hope you were not kidding about the martini buffet! I am sailing on the Connie for the first time in Feb 2008, and that just about made my day! LOL..sometimes I can really be a bit naive about the posts here, so I hope you were serious, I would certainly get my moneys worth using that benefit.

Patiently waiting for my martinis in the caribbean...

Kim