Gimme a Tray Please!!!

[Trip]

I get grumpy when in line for the buffet, I get a large oval plate, and not a tray.....How come they want to make me juggle 30 pounds of food and a driink? I hope they are listening YOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOO

[Mike M]

Trip:
Great suggestion.

Princess stopped using trays a number of years ago but I would love it if they brought them back. I do enjoy being able to make one trip through the buffet and have my hot food on one plate, cold on another and my dessert and beverage. It isn't quite 30 lbs. but at least I don't have to make two trips.

I know it's an added item to purchase and clean but it's also a nice added touch.

Take care,
Mike

[Y2C]

Have to agree. Princess really needs trays.
One plate for salad, one for the meal, glasses for drinks. That is 3 trips to the table, and if you are not quick enough the waiters pick it up and have to start over before our return... .

Come on Princess get on the stick.
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Sea of Cortez on Ryndam 9-28-2005


Round trip Los Angeles to Hawaii, Summit March 26, 2006


Vancouver – Alaska – Los Angeles, Sept 16, 2006 on Summit
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[UConn1]

What a great idea Trip - come to think of it, while I am trying to balance by milk, cereal bowl, and plate for pastries, it is difficult to handle them without a tray.

Jodi

[beenie weenie]

Trip, you are so right. That was a frustration on our last Carnival cruise, since d/h and I were cruising with our two small kids 2 and 4. So one of us would sit with the kids and make sure they were behaving and the other would go up to the buffet to fill plates for the entire family. There were no trays available and it required several trips to the buffet. That was aggravating to say the least. I was thankful we were on a smaller ship and there were few lines though. Thanks for the reminder, I know it probably sounds strange but that is one thing I will probably pack I don't think it would take up much space and it will make my cruise much more enjoyable.

No trays, just another thing to worry about germs.....probably why they stopped it.

[UConn1]

Desta4,
Highly unlikely that is why they stopped it.

[Lombard]

If they bring back trays, put handles on them.
All the trays I have used in the past (non cruise, cafes etc) are very difficult to hold sometimes, especially with 30lbs of food on it.

[sue]

I agree with this one 100%. To go back and forth and get food is just plain silly.Lets get the trays back!

[getsemani]

We want trays! We want trays!

WE WANT TRAAAAAAAAAYS!!!

That would make our eating at the buffet so much enjoyable.

Good suggestion.

Nereida

Celebrity cruise lines still uses trays at their buffets.

Anne Maria

Wow, so does NCL. I can't believe these other lines don't have 'em!

[daysatsea]

Celebrity not only uses trays, real silverware and china, but also has waiters who carry your tray to a table for you.

[Lisa]

We Want Trays....We Want Trays.....We Want Trays....We Want Trays!!!!!!!!!!!

A tray affords you the space and the time to load up on EVERYTHING you see in one pass.

I bet if you were to witness the total amount of food left on plates and thrown away each day you would understand a ships "no tray" policy of : If you really want more, please, come back and have another plate full.

No trays !

That's true, Ron and Jon. I hadn't thought of that.

But it does sound like it'd be hard to balance a drink, ONE plate and silverware without a tray!

[beenie weenie]

Ron,
It does make perfect sense if one is only gathering food for themselves. But those of us who are making plates for our selves, children or those who may be travelling with us who are disabled. It makes mealtime very cumbersome and difficult. Trays please!

[Trip]

Trust me when I say, I was stretching my 30 pound food tray to the nth degree....So many times I find little to tempt me on the line..For ME, its the level of control over the plate that's an issue sometimes. For many people, who walk with a cane, lets say, having to juggle, could be an issue, then getting to the table, and now having to go up and get a drink...I for one, dont't think for a minute, that a tray makes you take more food.

A rolled napkin with cutlery firmly tucked into one hand still affords us the ability to carry a plate, while the other hand a second plate or glass. Thousands of people do it every day. And the idea of returning to the buffet isn't foreign to us, we do it for dessert.

A buffet , while a time saver and more casual is difficult enough to navigate with the best of health and age. Those of us who find it near impossible should avail themselves of the dining rooms.

But now that we have raised the question, take a moment or two on your next cruise to scan the yet cleared vacated tables of fellow passengers. The waist of food is outrageous in today's world.

Completely agree about the wasted food.

[zr2_Thunder]

Carnival still use's trays, there a great feature.

[ssca]

Holland America still uses trays.

[Joie]

We had trays on the Conquest.....but not the Sensation.
Anyone know if the Glory has them ?????

[buffetfan2004]

Destiny July 2005-- did I miss the trays? Sorry to say, I think they have vanished.
What about Carnival Miracle?? Anyone verify?

[Lisa]

It is much easier to carry a tray with your food, silverware and glasses on it rather than trying to juggle all that!

I really like Carnivals new trays. They have a peebled textured surface that decreases the likelihood the plates will slide. I thought they were great, however a small indentation the size of a glass bottom to hold your drink a little better would have been nice.

[Terri102066]

I think the trays need to come back. The buffet area is very crowded and you have to scout a table out (especially if there is several in you party), then someone has to sit with the table while the others go get food and then that person has to go get there food and all the time the table is being held, where it can not be used by someone else. I think the trays would allow everyone to get there food faster therefore the table would be emptied faster so it would not be as crowded. If you have to go thru the line several times to get salad, food, desert and drink that is time consuming. If you could have gotten it all set down, ate and been up for someone to sit down.

People that waste food will waste food no matter if they have a tray or not.

Terri

[Joie]

Hope they have them on the Glory for our Nov cruise.....it is so hard to get your complete breakfast when you have to go back and reach thru the line to grab milk or fruit or something.....AND I think it is annoying to others in line.

[cruisecrazy2]

The trays are necessary, and I have no idea why they stopped providing them on some lines. Not having them makes about as much sense as handing an ice cream cone to someone without a napkin. Seems like the cruise lines are just asking for spilled food all over the place. Inevitably, there are those who will try to carry more than they can manage in one trip and they will spill or drop their load onto the floor, themselves and other passengers. Definitely, bring the trays back!

[Cincyrick]

The reason why they don't supply trays is probably the same reason regular buffets use small plates; if you have to make more than one trip, you'll eat less and therefore save them money.