Self serve buffet

[Cruiser79]

Just got off Allure of the Seas on Sunday. The Windjammer buffet was self serve 100% of our 8 night cruise for all meals. Just thought some might like to know!

[Moby Dick]

13 minutes ago, Cruiser79 said:

Just got off Allure of the Seas on Sunday. The Windjammer buffet was self serve 100% of our 8 night cruise for all meals. Just thought some might like to know!

Did you notice that a lot of items, like salads, were pre-plated?  Some VLOGS are showing that as a work around.  

[Cruiser79]

Nothing was really pre plated either, not even desserts. The salad bar was a typical salad bar where you build your own salad.

[Moby Dick]

I'm actually torn between being glad that they have done away with the crew serve vs the self serve buffet.  

I was really grossed out when I saw kids and adults using the buffet as their own personal tasting station(s).  Also, I actually saw a crew member. many years ago, clean around a steam table pan where guests accidentally dropped food and the crew member picked it up and put it back in the pan.  I only observed that once though.  And yes, I did mention it to one of the officers in the Windjammer.  He said he would deal with it.  I have no reason to believe he didn't.  It's none of my business how an employer disciplines an employee.

However, and I generally only go to the buffet for breakfast and I may walk through during lunch and/or supper to grab a roll (love Royal's rolls), I like to serve myself for many reasons.  

So, for me, the jury is still out. I'll be on Ovation in 31 days and I'll go to the buffet for breakfast and remind myself about the experience and decide if self serve or crew serve is better from my own prospective.  I don't do buffets in my regular life.  

[KWong]

It's hard to mitigate everything that could happen at self serve stations. Not sure if there is a best practice here.

But I wouldn't mind if they kept some of the pods as crew-service. 

[BoxOfFrogz]

Got off of Anthem this past weekend.  Also self-serve in buffet the whole week.

There were both self-made as well as pre-made salads there ... might depend on the size of the buffet, for what they have room to accommodate.

 

[BrianB]

Self serve buffet has been around virtually since the dawn of mass cruising. It’s been the industry standard for decades and very little has changed. Although I have only been cruising since 2015, I very rarely have been on a ship where Norovirus raised its ugly head. When it did, the ship went to a ‘code red’ and instituted pre-planned health protocols which included crew-served buffets.

I would like to see a choice program at the buffet. Many food-type stations are repeated throughout the buffet. Give passengers a choice to get their meal from a self-serve or a crew-served buffet station. Then the cruise lines can get an idea of what their customers want. Stand in line for a crew-served station…or move quickly through a self serve. Just an idea.

[Done]

5 hours ago, jay1021 said:

Did you notice that a lot of items, like salads, were pre-plated?  Some VLOGS are showing that as a work around.  

We sail in August and I have suggested to my wife that we eat at the MDR more often to avoid the self serve buffets as much as possible.  For past cruises we had been at the Windjammer more as we didn't feel like retuning to our cabin to change clothes for dinner.   That now seems more likely.