buffet etiquette

[Kristi Williamson]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMCNOpjrg68

 

 

Ok.....EWWWWW!!!! :eek:

 

My most horrific buffet story comes from the Fascination. It's the lunch buffet: The couple in front of us really checked stuff out closely, right? I thought it was just careful consideration. It must have been that she didn't know what each item was and she NEEDED to know. So she gets to about the 5th item on the buffet and she picks a piece of fish up with the tongs.....SNIFFS IT.....and REPLACES IT!!! Evidently my filter from my brain to my mouth disconnected right about then. I gasped, looked at my DH and said, " OH MY GOSH! DID YOU SEE WHAT SHE JUST DID? GROSS!"

 

So...HER dh picks it up with the tongs and apologetically puts it on his own plate. I felt kinda bad for him. I was just really nasty! Buffet etiquette is NOT brain surgery, ya know? LOL

[marshhawk]

When you are new to something, like a ship or restaurant you have never been on, it is easy to to forget something, like butter, cream, milk, because you don't know where it is. Buffets are my down fall. I'm on a "sea food" diet, see food and I eat it. So now I do a recon mission when I am faced with the buffet option. I walk behind everyone and look at what is on the buffet. When I am pretty sure what I want I then get in line. This way I don't hold up the line by 1) putting everything on my plate or 2) trying to make up my mind while holding up the line. But, if someone says excuse me, and gets that one item, why should I worry. I would hope that if that happened to me, and I forgot one thing(forgot one thing, not get the whole plate) I would hope someone would forgive me and let me get the butter. I would not forget the bacon. We worship the mighty swine.

My peeve and it's been mentioned in this thread is with buffet lines, ticket lines, any line, don't let your friends in and hold up everyone else who have been waiting patiently. If you are that inseperable, then tie yourselves together and go through the line together.

[Scott_F]

Wait in line. Better yet, only wait in line once. Get what you need and don't be a glutton. One trip. Better on the waist line.

 

My biggest "complaint" about cruising is the lack of self-respect, gluttonous, chow hogs.

 

Funniest part of the movie Wall-E are the humans on the space cruise ship that ride around on little carts. Freaking hilarious to watch that movie then jump a cruise ship for vacation. Should be mandatory requirement. Skip the life boat drill and make everyone watch that part of the movie. ;)

[Powriv]

I too like to recon the buffet to see what is being offered before joining whichever line I need to get a delicious meal. Usually after the recon the crush of people is less and the line moves much quicker

 

I also will let people in for one item if they ask rather than just barge in

[cwiggy]

I would if they just wanted to "break in line". As a matter of fact, I've flat said to some people, "OH no!, the line starts back there!" and then proceeded to move BACK in front of them and continue on as though they didn't exist. Rudeness is unacceptable to me. Manners are free and everyone should have some. If you don't, yeah...I may help you figure it out. ;)

 

I don't consider sliding in to get that piece of bread you forgot, or grab one more piece of bacon, breaking in line. I'm more irritated by those people who bog the line down by standing in line for those one things and the people who think making a salad is an art form.

 

Right on Kristi - I''m with you on this one!!! Chris

[cwiggy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMCNOpjrg68

 

Ohhhh man, ... L2J, now that is just so nasty, funny, but nasty, but funny but nasty but... well you know ... LOL:p

[ryoku]

I'll wait in line but I have been known to skip you if you are making a beautiful salad and I don't want one. But only if I can skip the whole salad section and proceed directly to the hot food items. Some people take waaaaaaay too long to make a salad.

[GottaLuvCruising]

It makes no sense to stand at the end of a line while the section you want is open. Jumping into an open section is not "breaking a line" since nobody is in that section in the first place. Waiting at the end of the line for something that is available anyway just bogs down the system.

 

Butting in front of others or asking others to move so you can pick up even one item is rude. That would bog down the system and inconvenience others (because you are special?)

[pnjkeith]

do you think its alright to not stand in line if you only want one thing from that particular station? just slip in, grab what you want and leave? or should you wait in the whole line for one thing?

 

Grab and go!

[starglazer]

As a general rule, please just wait.

 

That said, there are times when we need to be polite and respectful enough to allow others to line jump. On the Legend a few years ago, there was a precious couple, like teenagers in love but at least 70+ yos. She was using a walker, he a cane. God love him, hew would get her plate and then return for his own. (Once we figured this out, our dds would help or ask if the needed anything)The people that were "offended" by his line jumping about caused me to go bolistic :eek:.

 

IMHO, it's a matter of caring for each other and having high expectations of our own choices and actions.

 

I think you should be proud of your dds for trying to help this couple, what a wonderful example to set for the rest of us to follow. Too bad that others was rude to them. If I was in line I would of tell you that dds are raise with care for others. I hope they was not upset by the others who went ballistic on them. I but the elderly couple was happy that someone was trying to help them. I was wondering why others did not try to help them as well. Oh, well, in todays society, it me me me me not you! :rolleyes:

[DEL67]

I think it's okay..

Just say excuse me,just ask if you can

jump in quick........

At breakfast,,I like bacon with my

omelet,,,,I go to the omelet line

order my omelet,,,,then ask If I can jump

inline quick to get some bacon....

Most people are nice,,and would let you

jump in quick.....

 

Although I generally wait in line, I also will jump in to get bacon or sausage to go with my omelet. Generally I ask if it is okay though with whomever is standing there.

[oakleys]

I cant stand behind people trying to make the largest free standing structure from food. If the lines to big ill wait or go elsewhere.

[cpacheco212121]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMCNOpjrg68

 

LOL.....Ike on mad tv is soo funny. In a way i dont dount that really happen's!!!

 

Ok so i was in line for the midnight mexican buffet. I come up to the tacos..yumm...They are made to order and the beef has run out so i wait for some fresh beef..people behind me start asking what are you waiting for, i say there is no more taco meat just these ones they already made. so some say "oh ok" and just walk around me and some wait in line with me. What is ur stance on that????

[CaribbeanBlues]

Obviously, you haven't read all the responses or you wouldn't have spoken for EVERYONE. Most people do not mind someone asking to grab a pat of butter or a roll when they've already been through the line. You know, those people that wait in line like they are supposed to.

 

And it's appalling, not appauling.

How do you know what most people do not mind. You are blasting this poster for speaking for everyone and you speak for everyone????

[rsinj]

No offense to those of you who think this is ok, but I don't and have always found it rude. I am polite and say yes if someone asks, but it does always bug me a little bit. Kind of like, "Who made you special enough to not wait in line with the rest of us?" Yes - I am the person who will choose to wait in the line for only one item as I think that's what's fair to everyone and the polite thing to do.

 

Besides - asking the person you are cutting in front of is one thing, but what about everyone else? Shouldn't they have a say, too? If everyone who "just wanted a little something" tried this the buffet would be sheer chaos and those who were waiting in line would never make it to the front.

 

Either wait in line, or wait for the line to die down. The only really long buffet lines I've ever seen are at peak times tend to die down pretty quickly. It's one thing to run up to the condiment area and grab a pat of butter where there's usually no one waiting, but I say if you want a "main dish" item - bacon, or has browns, or toast, etc. you need to wait in line with everyone else.

 

Now, suppose you've waited in line for about five minutes, you get to where the food begins. Your child or spouse comes along and wants to jump in line with you. That's ok? Or you make him/her go to the end of the line?

 

Howard

[starglazer]

Now, suppose you've waited in line for about five minutes, you get to where the food begins. Your child or spouse comes along and wants to jump in line with you. That's ok? Or you make him/her go to the end of the line?

 

Howard

 

It all depends, did the child or spouse had to go to the bathroom? Or did they just got there? I had seen people let their family member in line, which is not fair, but most people do it. if they just got there, I think they should go back in line. IF they went to the restroom, I think they should go ahead and stay with you. But you will get alot of people criticizing you for letting them in the line. This is a no win sitituation. If you don't let them in, they will be :mad: at you all day. So what will you do???

[Capette]

This topic had me fuming. I am a very very very very very picky eater. That is no one's fault but my own. So it peeves me off to no end to stand in line in buffets and wait while everyone picks out there salads, salad dressings, salad fixings, condiments, etc when all I want is one or two things at the most that are almost always at the end of the line. But I stand there patiently and I wait with my empty plate until I get to something that I can eat. IF there is a huge buffet with lots of food items I have at times gone up to see if there is anything that I can eat and then I just ask politely if I can just slip in to grab one chicken breast etc. whew. .... that is my 2 cents worth... thank you for letting me rant. I feel better.

[rsinj]

It all depends, did the child or spouse had to go to the bathroom? Or did they just got there? I had seen people let their family member in line, which is not fair, but most people do it. if they just got there, I think they should go back in line. IF they went to the restroom, I think they should go ahead and stay with you. But you will get alot of people criticizing you for letting them in the line. This is a no win sitituation. If you don't let them in, they will be :mad: at you all day. So what will you do???

 

Thanks for your perspective - I agree, however, I'm looking for a response from the person I replied to as they were very adamant that everyone go to the back of the line - it's only polite.

 

Howard

[farler05]

How do you know what most people do not mind. You are blasting this poster for speaking for everyone and you speak for everyone????

Did you read the responses? Because if you did, you'd realize I was summarizing the responses thus far. Never claiming to speak for everyone. Go ahead & pull those undies out of your crack & relax.

[gypsymom3]

This is why we eat most of our meals in the dining room! No lines! Table service! It's great!

 

That's what we do too! It sounds kind of scary at the buffet!LOL Getting ready for our 4th cruise and my husband just said "they have a buffet?":eek:

I hope he was joking! I was going to try the breakfast buffet this cruise, but not sure if I can handle all the rules:cool:.

[yakdaddy42]

I hate line cutters. I had one last cruise on the Splendor cut in line. She got pived because I moverd her plate behind me she called me rude and every other word a "proper lady" would call you. I looked at her and said I was in line behind my wife and she was not my wife. As for a family member cutting, no way, in our family we have sent the kid to the back of the line more than once. If I have to wait so should everybody else. If you dont like the wait go to the MDR and sit.