Dawn Buffet - 08/10 - 08/17

[reenicruiser]

Have a read a lot about the Garden Cafe buffet and must say that CC steered me right.

 

First, Venetian was NOT open when we boarded, we had no choice but to go to the Garden buffet which was a madhouse. No one yet knowing where anything was, not enough seating, tired kids and confused adults, it was a zoo. I heard someone say "It's got to get better than this, doesn't it?"

 

Although the Venetian serves a much better, more relaxing breakfast, The Garden is a decent enough place for your morning meal based on the sheer number of choices. It's great if you aren't an early riser, if you want a snack later in the evening, or want a coffee or iced tea to bring to the nearby pool area (and not pay for soda/alcohol). It's also a good place to eat when you have little ones, there are even small tables and a "short" buffet for them to serve themselves).

 

But, as many have advised before me, avoid it for lunch or dinner, if you can. It's just never hot. Even if it starts out warm, by the time you're through the line it's tepid. Gross. Everyone I spoke to in our party of 43 said the same, so it's not just our cabin's review.

 

It's also somewhat of a guessing game. Main foods are labeled but other things aren't clear. I found cream cheese beside the butter and lox and put it on my bagel. It wasn't whipped cream cheese, after all, but just whipped cream. Yuch.

 

It's also confusing because each room of the three buffet rooms doesn't have all the same things, some repeats, some new stations. It's a long walk to try to check out everything and find a seat.

 

On the plus side, very good coffee. Fresh COLD milk, skim and (I think) whole, juices, cocoa, tea, iced tea, etc. Contrary to other posts you can't (shouldn't) fill bottles with juice to bring to your cabin, there are signs posted and the spigots are low to try to prevent this.

 

Fast crew service, they do their best to clear the tables so you can find a space.

 

Same menu every day but lots of choices, if you don't like your food hot.

 

Had chocolate buffet planned for Thurs night, for some reason changed it to Friday, they didn't post signs at the entrance so tons of people were in line for nothing. They finally came through and tried to let people know, who by then, were annoyed.

 

I generally like buffets and am not a food elitist but I strongly advise against lunch or dinner here. During the week, both the cruise director and the comedian trashed the place, so it's a consensus.

[ChiSquare8]

I was on the 7/27 sailing and thought the buffet was awful for lunch and dinner (I looked at it each evening but had to eat there one night). Breakfast was just OK certainly not up to other cruiseline standards.

 

One morning there were no napkins on any of the tables and i asked one of the crew behind the buffet line and he handed me some paper towels. I thought the service was extremely inpersonal and rushed in the main dining rooms except on "service charge" day (i.e Saturday). The service in the specialty restaurants is significantly better but at up to standards of other cruiselines. The chaos in the buffet on emabarkation day is worth skipping in order to start your vacation off without stress............. The service in Blue Lagoon was also very much lacking!

 

Out of 30 cruises, we experienced the worst cabin steward ever on the Dawn. I always tip significantly higher than suggested amounts on other cruiseline and i did not even think the majority of the crew that are paid through the "service charge" system warranted the allocated amounts.

 

Sorry for my negative experiences but the cruiseline needs to change thier mandatory service charge system in order to improve the service. In my opinion the crew that were covered by the service charges were miserable!