?(No) Trays in Lido

[jjb415]

I have heard some ships have trays and others do not. I am wondering if I should sneak one in my suitcase.

 

On Royal Caribbean and Norwegian, I've just taken a small room service tray (mine or from the hallway) to the Buffet Restaurant, especially when I'm taking food back to eat in my room. I save the same tray for the next time in the closet. I've never been questioned by anyone about doing this.

 

On the Oosterdam's November 1st sailing, we had trays in the Lido, but Marcella, the Hotel Director, mentioned that the Westerdam's experiment may be expanded to more ships. (Sounds like the Oosterdam may have folowed).

[Gravity Railroad]

Well I do not know which posters reason would be considered correct, but I sure hope the Executive Geniuses in Seattle do read these forums.

[fann1sh]

For families with children, and family members helping mobility challenged or seniors, "no trays" is a nightmare.

 

Answer is simple: no Lido meals for us.

 

My wild, unfounded suspicion is HAL has discovered the Lido is too small for the increased passenger numbers of the Signature class. Rather than an attempt to go green, save tray washing, or even save wasted food, this may be an attempt to redirect passengers to the underused dining room for breakfast and lunch.

 

Yes, I know...the flaw in my logic is the experiment didn't start on the Eurodam....

[Mary Ellen]

For families with children, and family members helping mobility challenged or seniors, "no trays" is a nightmare.

 

Answer is simple: no Lido meals for us.

 

My wild, unfounded suspicion is HAL has discovered the Lido is too small for the increased passenger numbers of the Signature class. Rather than an attempt to go green, save tray washing, or even save wasted food, this may be an attempt to redirect passengers to the underused dining room for breakfast and lunch.

 

Yes, I know...the flaw in my logic is the experiment didn't start on the Eurodam....

You may be on to something. We normally enjoy the Lido, but because of the (over)crowding of the E'dam's Lido, we made the change to the dining room. There were still sometimes we were forced into the Lido (lunches when the ship was in port and the dining room was closed), but then it wasn't too crowded IF we timed it correctly.

[tomc]

I'm a part-time prof at a college. We went topless -- uh, trayless (sorry, guys) to reduce food waste.

[sail7seas]

I'm a part-time prof at a college. We went topless -- uh, trayless (sorry, guys) to reduce food waste.

 

Did it accomplish the goal? Was the quantity of food served decrease?

[GeriatricNurse]

Yeah, but the problem here is that just about anyone traveling with children is gonna need assistance. How to you manage the children in the serving line, and then get all the food necessary in one trip to feed everyone? Once you sit down with the kids, especially if you're a single parent, you're not going to want to leave them unsupervised while you go back through the serving line again. Who knows what mischief they can get into in that amount of time?

 

I think what will happen if they eliminated trays is that more people with kids will just to to the dining room to eat. The Lido will be an absolute nightmare. Can you imagine having to go through another long line just to get the rest of your meal ... while the first part is sitting on the table getting cold?

 

This is a bad idea in my opinion. If water usage is that big of a deal, then use some sort of cardboard tray that's disposable.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

 

 

DW & I will be each taking an inexpensive tray, costing $1.00 that can be purchased at a local discount store (chain) called "Dollarama"

[markf]

I left NCL primarily due to no trays--as crazy as that sounds--I am on vacation and really do not want to balance a glass of juice a plate and cup of coffee---They argue they want to make it a Hotel atmosphere--which would be ok if they have servers serving drinks--

 

I hope Holland America still has trays- and i am surprised Celebrity stopped uisng them

My take is that it is eliminated simply to save money-less space is less food

[Terpnut]

As an RCI cruiser who will sail HAL (on Noordam) for the first time next summer, I read this thread with some interest. We've never had trays on our RCI cruises and they'd certainly save me the separate trip for beverages. However, this drawback is mostly offset by the lack of tray clutter at the table and by the mostly-adequate service. Overall we've never thought of this as an issue, and we cruise with two small children and my elderly parents--still no problem really. Just don't make the plates smaller...:rolleyes:

[bobpatj]

We experienced NO trays on Princess and hated it! :mad: We had trays in the Lido on our Rotterdam cruise (just back). Most take their plates and glasses off the tray before sitting down to eat, and usually there's a steward, close by, to take the tray away. :)

[tomc]

Originally posted by tomc: I'm a part-time prof at a college. We went trayless to reduce food waste.

 

Posted by s7s: Did it accomplish the goal? Was the quantity of food served decrease?

 

I'll check Food Service Tuesday. The radio station isn't far from the college, so I just run over and back. Food's not bad at all at the school, btw. Sodexo (formerly Sodexho) is the provider.

[hammybee]

[Williebill]

Hopefully, the experiment on the Westerdam will fail!!!:mad:

[CC Help Michell]

I left NCL primarily due to no trays--as crazy as that sounds--I am on vacation and really do not want to balance a glass of juice a plate and cup of coffee---They argue they want to make it a Hotel atmosphere--which would be ok if they have servers serving drinks--

 

I hope Holland America still has trays- and i am surprised Celebrity stopped uisng them

My take is that it is eliminated simply to save money-less space is less food

 

Why does that reason -- saving money -- equate to a "bad thing?" I'm just wondering -- for individuals, especially these days, saving money is a goal. For corporations, doing the same thing is also a goal, and always should be, I would think?

 

For what it's worth, my elementary school eliminated trays a couple of years ago after some pretty scary studies showed that next to the water fountain (close contact with kids' lips all day), cafeteria trays harbor the most germs in a school environment. HAL isn't the first cruiseline to eliminate trays, nor do I suspect it will be the last.

 

Contrary to some of the posts here, I also seriously doubt this measure was implemented to irritate people, force disabled pax to choose a different cruiseline, etc. It's been widely reported (not only here at HAL but on every board where this change has been made and generated a lot of buzz) that the cruiselines still have servers who will gladly help you and your plate(s), silverware, and drink, find a table, even without trays.

 

Hope everyone has a nice cruise and doesn't let this "issue" affect their plans.

[hammybee]

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Why does that reason -- saving money -- equate to a "bad thing?" I'm just wondering -- for individuals, especially these days, saving money is a goal. For corporations, doing the same thing is also a goal, and always should be, I would think?

 

For what it's worth, my elementary school eliminated trays a couple of years ago after some pretty scary studies showed that next to the water fountain (close contact with kids' lips all day), cafeteria trays harbor the most germs in a school environment. HAL isn't the first cruiseline to eliminate trays, nor do I suspect it will be the last.

 

Contrary to some of the posts here, I also seriously doubt this measure was implemented to irritate people, force disabled pax to choose a different cruiseline, etc. It's been widely reported (not only here at HAL but on every board where this change has been made and generated a lot of buzz) that the cruiselines still have servers who will gladly help you and your plate(s), silverware, and drink, find a table, even without trays.

 

Hope everyone has a nice cruise and doesn't let this "issue" affect their plans.

 

You are entirely too reasonable.:)

[Luv4dacruise]

I have to say, there was another thread on here a few days ago regarding the same topic. It's really not a big deal, its a tray, are you guys that high strung that its worth making a big stink about it?......I said it before, i'll say it again, HAL is pretty much the last mainstream line to have trays, everyother line hsa already done away with them, its not a big deal. Mountain out of a molehill IMO.

[Luv4dacruise]

On Royal Caribbean and Norwegian, I've just taken a small room service tray (mine or from the hallway) to the Buffet Restaurant, especially when I'm taking food back to eat in my room. I save the same tray for the next time in the closet. I've never been questioned by anyone about doing this.

 

On the Oosterdam's November 1st sailing, we had trays in the Lido, but Marcella, the Hotel Director, mentioned that the Westerdam's experiment may be expanded to more ships. (Sounds like the Oosterdam may have folowed).

 

Thats nice of you to take some else dirty RS tray so the RS guy or cabin stewards have to carry each and every dish......

[RevNeal]

Oh, brother ... what a STUPID idea.

I don't care if someone thinks this a "green" idea ... it's ludicrous! Indeed, FAR from being green, it's going to generate more waste (from staff clearing the food, etc, of people who have put their stuff down and gone to get something else).

 

I hope they decide to undo this "experiment." Sadly, so often HAL "experiments" are really NOT experiments but phased-in changes.

[RevNeal]

I travel by myself, and can picture this scenario - I get my food, and set it down at an empty table. I go to get a glass of water and a cup of coffee. I come back to the table, only to find that my food's been removed by a well-meaning crew member :D .

 

When I mentioned this elsewhere the response I got was "why don't you have your husband/wife watch it for you while you go get the other stuff." Like you, Roz, the last time I looked there was only ONE of me. And it doesn't take not having trays to have this happen. I've been at lunch, about half way through, realized I needed to get something (water, coffee, etc) and I've gotten up to go get it, and I come back and everything is GONE. Wasted food, etc. This once happened to me twice. I went, got more, came back, put it down, went back to get water, came back, and caught the steward clearing my table. I asked him what he was doing, he said he didn't see anybody watching it, and I gave him my dead-pan: "the last time I looked, there was only one of me. What are single people supposed to do?????"

[pipedreams62]

[kryos]

When I mentioned this elsewhere the response I got was "why don't you have your husband/wife watch it for you while you go get the other stuff." Like you, Roz, the last time I looked there was only ONE of me.

Exactly my problem. I've actually had to ask people at an adjoining table to tell the stewards to leave my stuff alone if I have to run and get a refill on my java. They will be so quick to clear everything.

 

This is going to be the problem with eliminating trays. Going back and forth to the serving line to get your entire meal in multiple trips is not going to work too well. If you can only carry so much, and you make the first trip, but need to return for the rest, your meal is getting cold while you are doing that. It's not like it's always a quick trip back up ... you could have to wait in line for a bit to be served.

 

I really can't believe that HAL will save so much by eliminating the trays in the Lido. I think the waste that will be created as people simply try to manage too much with only two hands, and fail, is going to far outweigh the savings on the trays.

 

I personally think this is a bad idea.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[dvdfreakmc]

Hmmmm, sounds like another good reason not to go to the Lido. With Cameron's service dog, it has always been an "adventure". We'll keep doing room service and dining where the brilliant service team takes care of every need.

[mancunian]

There is also going to be far more traffic passing tables if people have to keep going back for things which will be irritating. I much prefer to get my whole meal in one trip and then sit quietly to enjoy it. As I don't eat that much it will not save on waste - and indeed this is the case for the majority of people. We tend to use trays to carry food at home therefore always assumed this would continue to be the case on cruise ships. Not happy.

[mancunian]

Perhaps they will have to supply (germ ridden) labels to stick on the table saying please do not clear this away.