Buffet line question?

[BoPippy]

I you have been through the buffet line and are just going up to pick up a little extra of something and there are a lot of people just starting and looking is it allright to go ahead of the line just to pick up one item if there is open space in the line where you want to grab just an extra item rather than standing and waiting for the line to move along to where you want to be?:eek:

[MichCook]

Yes, the buffet is set up in "stations". As long as you don't cut in front of anyone that is waiting at a specific station.

[chrysalis]

yes.....

[alicam]

or you could say "excuse me" and hopefully be not like the rest of the horde...lol

being polite and saying that might work with letting you get what you want

[rcacace]

I'll often just grab a smaller plate & merge in with the line where there's space without pushing anyone out of the way. I seriously doubt if anyone would expect you to go to the end of the line to get an item or two.

[sunshine426]

I like the station lay out. Other than embarkation day, I usually could move thru the area pretty quickly. Sometimes we would come in the exit, just to see what was where, and then go back to the entrance to get a plate.

[Pam in CA]

I you have been through the buffet line and are just going up to pick up a little extra of something and there are a lot of people just starting and looking is it allright to go ahead of the line just to pick up one item if there is open space in the line where you want to grab just an extra item rather than standing and waiting for the line to move along to where you want to be?:eek:

That's the beauty of the Princess buffet -- it's set up so that anyone can go to any food and get what they want without waiting in line. It looks like chaos and yes, there should be more room between food stations, particularly if someone is there in a wheelchair or walker, but when you look closely, it's like a ballet with people going in all different directions but being able to get exactly what they want when they want it.

[mii]

Yes, if there is something in a certain buffet station and there is a line I politely ask and say excuse me I just want that one thing. No problems yet. Most of the time there is not a line and I go from station to station and get my food. I think sometimes there is confusion because passengers have been on other cruiselines where is a loooooong line and they are just not used to the station aspect.

 

Marilyn

[Camelia-]

the reality though is that when there are too many people there at once..the "stations" get lost (except for the middle salad ones) and it's just one long line. THere have been times when I've gone back a second time for one specific thing, politely explain what I'm doing and STILL get dirty looks..lol..at times I just find it easier to go to the back of the line..if it isn't too long that is. I really think that if the stations were placed differently it would be a big improvement.

 

Camelia

[Treven]

I sure do like the station set-up. I had that on a previous cruise and yes it flowed very nicely. In addition, with my walker, I didn't have a lot of trouble going from one station to another.

[Psee]

Usually most of the confusion comes during the first few buffet meals. Lunch the first day and breakfast the next morning. Once the the first-timers understand the concept it flows much better. I normally just hover around the different stations until I see something I want, and if there is a line for that station I'll fall in at the end. The egg/omelette station at breakfast can still get a little confusing since it's usually right in the middle of the hot food area. The line can get backed up since some folks don't realize the folks in front of them are waiting on a custom order.

[FritzG]

I wish Princess would put up signs to that effect or have staff at HC early in the cruise to explain the station concept. Most of the time when there are long lines and confusion, it's because people are getting a line and not going to stations as they wish. Sometimes I get the "bad eye" from someone when I move to a station, and they think I'm getting out of line.

[Shifra]

I wish Princess would put up signs to that effect or have staff at HC early in the cruise to explain the station concept. Most of the time when there are long lines and confusion, it's because people are getting a line and not going to stations as they wish. Sometimes I get the "bad eye" from someone when I move to a station, and they think I'm getting out of line.

 

Totally agree that signs would be a good idea! New Princess cruisers don't realize they don't have to wait in line and sometimes hold things up. Eventually they get the idea and then things really flow. I think the way Princess buffet is set-up makes it so easy to go from station to station.

[BalconyBumz]

I love Princess, but one of the main things I do NOT like is the layout of their buffet areas. Way too tight and not spread out very well. It's always a cluster during rush hours bumping into people. I like RCCL's and Carnival's layout in the buffets much better than Princess.

[KreinKrunker]

We refer to getting your food from the buffet as a scrum.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I suggested on my last comment card that there should be signs above the islands, listing the items, big enough so that those in line could read what's available and decide ahead of time what they want. Too often, you'll get people at the front of the line taking forever to decide what they want (which is causing the line to get even longer). You may still have people waiting until they get to the food, because they can't read the sign or feel they need to see the food first, but maybe it would help speed things up.

[brian72]

Yes you can skip stations. There is no need to stand on the salad line for example when you are just going to grab something from the meat station ahead of it. Just simple find a place to politeky slip in at the next station.

[MichCook]

....but when you look closely, it's like a ballet with people going in all different directions but being able to get exactly what they want when they want it.

 

I never thought of it that way! :D

[JohnR49er]

As long as you stay right and pass on the left its easy... When you get a gap change lanes. I like it alot better than standing in a long long line of cattle.

And while I'm at it here.......... There is no need to use the tongs to examine every piece of bacon, looking for the perfect one...... They will all have pretty close to the same rubbery consistency. LOL

[bigguy6]

I think it is important to point out, espescially to those new to Princess, that this thread is talking about the Horizon Court buffet. That buffet (usually open breakfast and lunch) has the stations concept which has pluses and minuses. The Cafe Caribe buffet (usually open lunch and dinner) has the normal one line buffet that most people are use to.

[Hlitner]

I am going to be a contrarian and say I do not like the Horizon Court buffet systems. Why? Because (on most of the ships) the buffets are in a very confined area (surrounded by gates and walls) and the area between the various stations is quite narrow. Its not unusal during busy times to find ones self bumping into other folks, trying to squeeze between people to get to a different station, etc. On our most recent cruise (Emerald Princess - 18 day transatlantic) certain items were often moved from day to day which meant we had to squeeze through crowds to find certain items. I would compare this to Carnival, Holland America and some RCI cruises where they also have stations, but they are spread out over a larger non-confined area...thus avoiding the "squeezing" we see in the Horizon Court. We particularly like what we have seen on some of the HA ships where they will have an entirely seperate sandwich station where they grill sandwiches to order, they will have an oriental station where they make fresh wok-based dishes (hot out of the wok), ice cream stations where you can get ice cream at the lunch buffets, etc. Another Horizon Court "pet peeve" is the omelet station at breakfast. In the Horizon Court they really have no omelet station (like on most other cruise lines) but you must again squeeze through the masses to get to a counter corner (near the egg buffet) and get somebody to take your order (they give you a paper receipt). You than need to stand around the congested buffet area waiting until they call-out your omelet. Most other cruise lines have seperate omelet stations (away from the congestion). In fact, on our Emerald Princess cruise we met a passenger near the end of our cruise who did not even realize you could order omelets or eggs to order.

 

Hank

[DanJ]

We found the Cafe Caribe buffet to be the same station setup, just laid out differently than Horizon Court. You don't have to lineup from one end or the other if what you want is in the middle. We ate there at breakfast everyday because it was convenient to our aft Riviera deck cabin, and it was less busy. There are, apparently, other items at HC that Caribe doesn't have but it had everything we were after.