why no trays at the buffet?

[Azure Moon]

On our last cruise, I used a regular plate to set my beverages on so that I could get them to the table without having the drinks slosh on my hands or on the floor.

When in a pinch, you've got to use what's available :).

 

If you are looking for a tray to take with you, places like Gordon Food Service stores sell them pretty inexpensively. We bought four of them to take camping for use during pot luck dinners.

[Curly-Q]

Haven't cruised on NCL but wondering....WHAT do the dining room attendants do, besides clean tables...assuming they do that? Are utensils placed on tables, or do you have to get your own? Do they take your drink order and bring it to you? I don't care about the trays, but if passengers have to carry all this to their respective table, I can see where it could be a problem...not to mention, it reminds me of a school cafeteria...how lame. If the passenger is responsible for carrying all this, I suppose the best solution is to get all the necessary stuff, then go for the food last so that your plate of food isn't sitting on the table getting cold and collecting germs. Another solution, spend a little more money and eat in the "served" restaurants on board or land-based restaurants while in port.

[Philob]

[TonyFred]

Cosmopolitan, PLEASE keep eating all of your meals in the dining room. The buffet areas have a no snobs policy that may be enforced at any given time. :o

[bulgargirl]

Trays are less sanitary. I eat at buffets and, in fact, love them. But I am also kind of scared of them. A cult tried to kill off my town when I was a little kid by poisoning the salad bar/buffet areas of all the local restaurants. So maybe I am just paranoid, but that being said.

 

People are more apt to hit trays with serving utensils than if they were just carrying a plate alone. Also (surprising how often you see this) people will pick things up that dropped on trays and put them back. Watch. I'm not kidding. People are also more willing to overflow plates when the overflow will drop on the tray and not themselves, leading to more spillage. And because they are trays lots of states don't require the same level of cleaning for trays as they do dishes. Hopefully, they are getting over that. That's just where I think the increased rates of bacteria come from.......

[JenDalessan]

DING DING DING!! We have a winner!! The rudest and most unnecessary post of the day:

 

 

Cosmopolitan, PLEASE keep eating all of your meals in the dining room. The buffet areas have a no snobs policy that may be enforced at any given time. :o

 

Congratulations!! Rather than give a speech perhaps you could just write the forward for the new book "Cruising with no Class"....:o

[JenDalessan]

Trays are less sanitary. I eat at buffets and, in fact, love them. But I am also kind of scared of them. A cult tried to kill off my town when I was a little kid by poisoning the salad bar/buffet areas of all the local restaurants. So maybe I am just paranoid, but that being said.

 

 

OMG....WHERE do you live? Did anyone get hurt??

[Toyz711]

at the buffet, they have several stations near the food lines, at these stations the crew are passing out plates and the utensils. they hand them to you with their gloved hands, they don't like you just picking them up. the ones that are around the table areas, some have a beverage cart, some are picking up plates and cleaning tables, if they hear you say that you need anything...often they will say they will get it (like a drink refill).

they are constanting moving around TCB.

the buffet area is not one big line, where you pick up everything in one swoop through. the salads are in one area, the made-to-order ceasar salad is in another area...more then 2 areas of food, some of the same things, some different. then you have the pasta station in the evening, the omelet station in the morning and the dessest crepes stations some night.

it really is easier to get one course at the time..relax and enjoy that.then go and get the next course. the lines and crowd start when people try to get everything at one time and block the stations. the drinks are self-serve, but the attendents will refill for you. you some photos of the area on the Spirit, you can peek at my photos (see link to webshots below)

more photos coming, but i had to take a rest...took waaaay too many.

[Serial Mom]

Oh how I agree with Cosmopolitan! We did try the buffett and it was OK, but not my idea of a vacation. So nice to have a chance to be waited on and be able to relax and enjoy my meal. Raffles is not relaxing and the food just isn't as appealing.

 

And, I agree with Raffles not appearing as clean. It wasn't downright messy or dirty and I didn't have a problem eating there, but it did look like it could use a good "polish".

 

Now that said, please don't think I taking a heavy slam at Raffles. It was fine for a quick bite, but it just wasn't my first choice.

[JohnIreland]

I still want to know where the 25,000 trays went to....

 

Coka

 

I think they are building the F3s from them :D

[deepnite10]

Tray "heaven".

Amen:D

more likely they re with my missing sock s:mad:

 

with the money they re saving on the trays..think we ll

get our lobster s back?:p

[Toyz711]

i had no trays, but excellent lobster last week.

[Lachase]

I thought I read that you could buy your own tray somewhere on board. That really stinks that they are not accomodating guests and make it hard to serve yourself at the buffet. I agree that you could easily sanitize trays as you can dishes. Never been on NCL but if they cut corners too much, this may be my first and last cruise with them. I've already read bad things about the buffet food and the tray issues is one more thing...

[ohioNCLcruiser]

The only trays in dining rooms you will find on the America are in the crew mess. We never had trays in the buffet as long as I have worked here. When I was on the Dawn they had them and I think they did not when I was on the wind.

[Toyz711]

no, they don't sell trays..unless it's a logo one in the gift shop, but not for use in the buffet.

see my photos and review for more on my views on this.

but you are going on a older ship, things will be different then my trip.

i ate at the buffet for 4 of my 7 day cruise last week (for dinner), 6 days for breakfast and 6 days for lunch...it worked into our plans and schedule best, plus we liked for crew that worked there..ate what we want/when we wanted it. plus, we actually like/loved the food.

but your ship will be different, it's a older ship. i don't think any 1 cruise can be a totally representative all the ships/crews/ports of NCL. people who dismiss NCL after 1 cruise,or before their 1st cruise are being silly, IMO.

like i have said before, the only buffet i know of that still uses trays is golden corral. none in this area and none at any of the buffets at the casinos in tunica. if you want trays in your buffet, stay away from tunica/memphis.

plus it's a trivial matter and shouldn't even be considered when traveling or cruising. ports/ship/crew should be the reasons to time.

k, i am done..back to editing my photos and videos of last week.:D

but thanks for the break, i needed that.

[Bisous3]

Skip the buffet and eat at a main restaurant.

 

You're on vacation...be waited on;)

 

Cosmopolitan, first you tell me my kids shouldn't go to the kids club, then you tell me I should skip the buffet....any other very popular and readily available thing I should avoid on my cruise?

[greywillow]

I guess I just don't understand this fascination with carrying trays around at a buffet. I haven't used a tray since the cafeteria in college.

 

We have a local restaurant that offers a beautiful Brazilian buffet at lunch and dinner every day. Several classy restaurants in the area serve wonderful Sunday brunch buffets. There's even a very well done Chinese buffet featuring all kinds of seafood--including lobster on Sundays. We just returned from the spectacular five-star-plus Westin Hotel and Spa in Puerto Vallarta where a champagne breakfast buffet is served every day along with other theme buffets at dinner (Saturday night at the Tex-Mex buffet, they were grilling-to-order New York sirloins, rib-eyes, and skirt steaks in addition to a wide array of interesting Tex-Mex items). Not one of these nice restaurants would stoop to making its patrons walk around carrying trays. I couldn't imagine patrons in these restaurants wandering around with trays in their hands. How inappropriate to the setting and the food offerings.

[tomk3212]

We recently cruised on the Gem and they did NOT have trays in the Garden Cafe. (that's what the buffet is called on the Gem)

 

I asked Klaus (the Hotel Director) why and he said primarily for health purposes; it's just another thing to have to keep clean. That said, though, he ALSO said that if anyone asked for a tray they would provide them with one. He said that they keep some in the back mostly for pax with kids. I saw some pax with trays at meals so they ARE available; just ask.

 

One thing they did in the Garden Cafe on the Gem (which we failed to mention in our review) was that each table has a wire basket where they keep your utensils inside a folded napkin. I thought this was a GREAT idea as it almost eliminated the need for the trays; trying to carry your plate AND your napkin w/utensils can get a tad complicated! They had wait staff walking around filling up the baskets regularly with fresh napkins w/utensils inside.

 

We honestly didn't miss the trays at all. I got used to just bringing my plate to the table in one hand and a beverage in the other. DW opined that I ate less at the buffet without a tray. Oh, well, she may be right...:o

 

Tom and Eileen

[NorthernNeighbour]

Order room service breakfast the first morning with lots of items so they bring it on a tray. Insist that the steward leaves the tray in your cabin. You are now set for rest of cruise.

 

Better yet, just order room service every morning. You don't have to dress, they bring you anything you want and you get a tray. Plus you don't have to fight any crowds in the buffet line.

 

It's one of the best things we like about a cruise.

[NorthernNeighbour]

Skip the buffet and eat at a main restaurant.

 

You're on vacation...be waited on;)

 

Or if you want to eat on a tray -- order room service. They bring you anything you want AND you don't have to get all dressed up.

[Cosmopolitan]

Cosmopolitan, first you tell me my kids shouldn't go to the kids club, then you tell me I should skip the buffet....any other very popular and readily available thing I should avoid on my cruise?

 

Was I talking to you:confused:

[Cosmopolitan]

Cosmopolitan, PLEASE keep eating all of your meals in the dining room. The buffet areas have a no snobs policy that may be enforced at any given time. :o

 

I serve enough meals at home to my family. I relax and enjoy my cruise.

 

I think your avatar says it all:eek:

[Bisous3]

Was I talking to you:confused:

 

I assumed so since I started this thread and participated in the other....

 

 

Its not a "fascination" with trays geywillow, its a need for them in cases where multiple trips become an inconvenience. I did ask for a tray one day, incidentally , because my dd had made a friend at the kids club who wanted to eat lunch with us. By the time I got the three of us settled with whatever we wanted at a table I had made like 7-8 trips....

 

I survived, but kept thinking about the other passengers who had to do this whenever they ate there.

 

I guess the cruiseline has just decided that the work (or waste....) involved with providing them outweighs the need.

[cantwaitt]

Of course it is about saving money.

 

At the same time, I have seen people, especially kids, inadvertently drop food/gravy/sauces from the plate, creating a dangerous potential sliding mishap on the floor.

 

One cracked head after slipping on food will quickly restore trays faster than you can say "multi-million -dollar lawsuit."

[Philob]

Of course it is about saving money.

 

At the same time, I have seen people, especially kids, inadvertently drop food/gravy/sauces from the plate, creating a dangerous potential sliding mishap on the floor.

 

One cracked head after slipping on food will quickly restore trays faster than you can say "multi-million -dollar lawsuit."

 

They can drop the tray too...