Best (and worse) Buffet at Sea?

[Chris]

Personally, I always thought the Lido worked VERY well as a buffet.

On Port & Starboard, one line in, one direction, easy access to food and plenty of staff. There was optional extras on the little island and it made for simple, easy queuing and no stress at breakfast / lunch.

I think it goes to show that Simplicity is best. In that respect, QM2's Kings Court and the Queen Elizabeth / Victoria's Lido have missed the mark I think, with too many entries and too many separate buffet areas.

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Now, many will say it's because the diners want choice. I sailed aboard Royal Caribbean's Enchantment of the Seas and she had a plethora of choice in the Windjammer Cafe. This really was the buffet to end all buffets - huge, with over 2,000 diners rolling through it is in operation all day. There's no 'break' between breakfast and lunch, they just rope off certain areas and the traffic flow changes as they set up for the next meal. It was quite astounding to watch.

Why it works so well: Simple entry, one direction, lots of staff to assist and easy, simple queuing.  

So in one small way, QE2 and a RCI ship shared a similarity.

Here's an image of Windjammer with and without indications of traffic flow.

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So - what's your favourite buffet, and least favourite buffet at sea?

[Lynda Bradford]

Interesting comments about the benefits of traffic flows in the one direction. 

I liked the Lido on the QE2 for many of the same reasons as you had mentioned.  Also if my memory is correct you were served tea and coffee on the QE2 Lido which cut down the traffic of passengers trying to serve themselves. 

The worse buffet restaurant I have experienced is the Kings Court on QM2.  It just did not work for me.  This was partly because I am a vegetarian and as I liked choosing foods from different stations I had to queue at each one so my food got cold.  I also did not like the closed in feel of the Kings Court.  I prefer to see the sea like in the Lido. 

The Lido in the QV is an improvement on the QM2 King Court but could be improved by traffic flows put in place as people do tend to approach the buffet from both ends.  Also the tea and coffee stations could be improved and with a bit of thought there could be an improvement to the process. 

I have always found the food good in all the Cunard ships casual dining I have sailed on and also on the Celebrity Constellation.  So no complaints.

 I particularly like the option for freshly made pasta dishes or sandwiches at lunch time.  I wish I could say I hate the cakes but I don't they are delicious as well.