Disney needs rethink their buffet

[we"reofftoneverland]

The restricted food service on dcl is a real problem and according to dh it’s enough of a reason not to sail dcl . He wants to eat at the buffet every night and doesn’t enjoy the sit down dinners at all— regardless of cruise line. Ugh.

Also, WTH is up with cabanas closing so early and “violently” at lunch. On more than one occasion we saw CMs whip curtains in front of the food down almost hitting people’s hands. And why does half the buffet close down almost an hour before the entire buffet closes? We really feel like Disney is trying to stop people from eating. It’s crazy.

 

[Karin1984]

I have a feeling...

Disney wants as many people in the MDR's. Probably because this is where they feel they can make a difference in service and theming in comparison to other cruiselines. Or, I can imagine this process is easier for the cruiseline than it is convenient for the guest.

Disney is already a little different from other cruiselines with the rotating dining rooms, the serving staff going with you and the fully fixed dining times. Flexibility is not a thing when it comes to dinner on a Disney cruise. Unless you go to Palo/Remy, poolside grills or room service.

 

[yowcruiser]

At breakfast, they close half of the buffet earlier as the crowd gets usually more controllable, and they prepare that one half for the switchover between breakfast and lunch... then that half opens up first for lunch. As for doing the same for lunch... a bit more of a crowd management and less waste as all the food is now on one side and they do not have to maintain a second display. It also allows them to send a portion of the crew to other food serving areas or give them a bit of a break.

As to why no buffet in the evening... this has always been the case on DCL, and as mentioned, a way for DCL to direct most of the guests toward MDR, and reducing the need to have a service crew at Cabana's. If you walk by Cabana's at dinner time, or slightly later at night, you will see that they are using some of the space to prepare breakfast for the next morning... those waffles are definitely not baked the morning of... Also, it reduces waste in both MDRs and Cabanas.

 

[Dug720]

At breakfast, they close half of the buffet earlier as the crowd gets usually more controllable, and they prepare that one half for the switchover between breakfast and lunch... then that half opens up first for lunch. As for doing the same for lunch... a bit more of a crowd management and less waste as all the food is now on one side and they do not have to maintain a second display. It also allows them to send a portion of the crew to other food serving areas or give them a bit of a break.

As to why no buffet in the evening... this has always been the case on DCL, and as mentioned, a way for DCL to direct most of the guests toward MDR, and reducing the need to have a service crew at Cabana's. If you walk by Cabana's at dinner time, or slightly later at night, you will see that they are using some of the space to prepare breakfast for the next morning... those waffles are definitely not baked the morning of... Also, it reduces waste in both MDRs and Cabanas.

All of this.

Also, when the "close half the buffet" it is literally just the other side where the same things were on display.

The staff at Cabanas at breakfast and lunch is also mostly dining room staff - just depends on if they get assigned there or in the open MDR for those meals. When it was open at dinner as a sit-down with a menu made up from the MDR menus, it was mostly staff that was training before getting moved to the MDR rotations.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

I get it but I think disney is making a bad choice. Other cruise lines are only becoming more flexible while disney becomes more restrictive. And I think they are way to aggressive with shutting the buffet down.

 

[MomOTwins]

I understand why the closed the Cabanas dinner service—nobody ever went there. BUT on my last couple cruises, I now tend to agree it would be beneficial to have it open. It used to be the case that anyone who wanted early dining could get in off the waitlist but my last few cruises there were a lot of families who never had a waitlist come through. Yes I know there is room service but try feeding a family of 5 in a small stateroom without making a huge mess! I would definitely be willing to book more last minute cruises if I could be sure we’d have a nice place to eat each night as a family before 8pm.

 

[braysmommy]

As to why no buffet in the evening... this has always been the case on DCL, and as mentioned, a way for DCL to direct most of the guests toward MDR, and reducing the need to have a service crew at Cabana's.

Actually it used to be open for dinner when we first started cruising but they haven't brought it back since Covid.

 

[lanejudy]

Actually it used to be open for dinner when we first started cruising but they haven't brought it back since Covid.

I think what the PP meant was Cabanas was never a buffet at dinner time. Yes it was open for dinner most (not all) nights; it was sit-down dining to order from a menu and the servers were in-training.

 

[Karin1984]

I understand why the closed the Cabanas dinner service—nobody ever went there. BUT on my last couple cruises, I now tend to agree it would be beneficial to have it open. It used to be the case that anyone who wanted early dining could get in off the waitlist but my last few cruises there were a lot of families who never had a waitlist come through. Yes I know there is room service but try feeding a family of 5 in a small stateroom without making a huge mess! I would definitely be willing to book more last minute cruises if I could be sure we’d have a nice place to eat each night as a family before 8pm.

Did they promote the buffet as an option for dinner? Or was it the same as on disembarkation day? I don't have a navigator at hand, but I seem to remember that they pushed people to go to their MDR for their breakfast before leaving the ship instead of going to the buffet.

Not sure everyone knows Cabanas is an option at that final day.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

Did they promote the buffet as an option for dinner? Or was it the same as on disembarkation day? I don't have a navigator at hand, but I seem to remember that they pushed people to go to their MDR for their breakfast before leaving the ship instead of going to the buffet.

Not sure everyone knows Cabanas is an option at that final day.

They did not promote it. We only knew about it through these boards. But… funny, for the first time ever on our last cruise our server mentioned it to us on the last night. “Just so you know cabanas is an option tomorrow morning.” So maybe they are starting to promote it.

 

[Dug720]

Did they promote the buffet as an option for dinner?

No - because it was NEVER a buffet at night.

Pretty sure it was listed as a sit-down option in the dining schedule on the Navigator.

That said, the one time I thought I'd go because they did a solo dump table that was AWFUL, it was like they took the worst dishes from the MDR menus and combined them. So I'm not surprised very few people went.

 

[MomOTwins]

Did they promote the buffet as an option for dinner? Or was it the same as on disembarkation day? I don't have a navigator at hand, but I seem to remember that they pushed people to go to their MDR for their breakfast before leaving the ship instead of going to the buffet.

Not sure everyone knows Cabanas is an option at that final day.

I know the Cabanas dinner hours were listed in the navigator though back then it was all paper navigators. It was not hidden like the last morning buffet—it just wasn’t popular as main dining or the adult only places.

Last morning buffet is deliberately kept quiet—the main dining breakfast helps them keep people on schedule and out the door so they can turn over the ship for the next cruise.

 

[Kwami]

I know the Cabanas dinner hours were listed in the navigator though back then it was all paper navigators. It was not hidden like the last morning buffet—it just wasn’t popular as main dining or the adult only places.

I just checked some of my navigators from back in 2018. On a 4-night Bahamian cruise on the Dream, "Cabanas Table Service" was available from 6:30pm-8:30pm on nights 2 and 3. It was not available on nights 1 and 4. On a 7-night Caribbean cruise on the Fantasy in 2019, it was available at the same time on nights 2-6, but not on nights 1 and 7.

 

[CastawayCayLover]

I just checked some of my navigators from back in 2018. On a 4-night Bahamian cruise on the Dream, "Cabanas Table Service" was available from 6:30pm-8:30pm on nights 2 and 3. It was not available on nights 1 and 4. On a 7-night Caribbean cruise on the Fantasy in 2019, it was available at the same time on nights 2-6, but not on nights 1 and 7.

Yes, it was never available first or last night. First night I assume was to get people used to going to the MDR’s. Last night was to minimize people skipping out on tipping their serving team.

 

[Kwami]

Yes, it was never available first or last night. First night I assume was to get people used to going to the MDR’s. Last night was to minimize people skipping out on tipping their serving team.

Well, the gratuities are automatic. Some guests add extra cash to the envelopes, but I don't think that many guests would skip the automatic gratuities if they missed the last night of dinner. More likely, the crew that would be working Cabanas had other tasks to prepare for the next cruise.

 

[71 Truck]

I think the reason they stopped the sit down dinner service at Cabanas was a staffing issue. Because you might see your dinner servers and your head waiter during the buffet service for breakfast and lunch, then they would have to be at the main dinning rooms in the evening.
The times we were on the ship when dinner was being served at Cabanas I do not remember it being that busy.

 

[lanejudy]

I think the reason they stopped the sit down dinner service at Cabanas was a staffing issue.

I agree with this. Dinner service at Cabanas was handled by staff "in-training" for the MDRs. I don't think they've actually had excess serving staff since the restart. Whether that is now intentional or simply a by-product of staffing challenges in general might be more the question.

 

[braysmommy]

I think what the PP meant was Cabanas was never a buffet at dinner time. Yes it was open for dinner most (not all) nights; it was sit-down dining to order from a menu and the servers were in-training.

Thanks for catching this and why I should wait until after my coffee to respond.

 

[cvjw]

One side of cabanas opens earlier than the other for breakfast and lunch. Makes sense that one side would also close earlier!

 

[Sleepyluke]

Well, the gratuities are automatic. Some guests add extra cash to the envelopes, but I don't think that many guests would skip the automatic gratuities if they missed the last night of dinner. More likely, the crew that would be working Cabanas had other tasks to prepare for the next cruise.

They were not automatic in 2018, I dont think. Seems like that is a newer add on.