Self-service is risky business - Letters - Letter to the Editor

Cruise Travel, May-June, 2003 by John O'Brien

I have been a long-time reader of Cruise Travel. The letters to the editor are always especially interesting; but I've never taken the time to write about my particular cruise subject of interest. In fact, I haven't seen any letters concerning the self-service/service buffets aboard cruise ships. I have experienced the best and the worst of these buffets over my 28 years of cruising.

The quality of buffet food on the ships that I have sailed is excellent. The method of serving the various dishes is what concerns me. The self-service buffet has a variety of utensils, one for each food item. Some 2,000 or more cruisers may use the same utensils. For example, I was behind a man at breakfast who took a large serving spoon to dig into a well-presented batch of scrambled eggs. He dug into the eggs five times before he finally had what he desired. You can imagine what the neatly presented eggs looked like after so many rejections and put backs.

Now, I and several hundred people will use the same utensil and reject or accept what satisfies us. This not only takes a lot of time and causes an unsightly appearance, but using the same utensil over and over again is most unsanitary. According to health experts, hand-to-hand contact is a major way of spreading sickness and disease.

I have also experienced aboard ships the service buffet. This method includes a crewmember with gloves standing behind one or two items. The food is distributed by the server neatly and in good quantity according to the person's wishes. This service method is neat in appearance, sanitary, healthy, and moves the buffet line in a timely manner. It also helps to prevent people from jumping ahead and butting into the line while saying, "excuse me." (In fact, I have tended to call the self-service buffet the "excuse me buffet.")

In my evaluation remarks at the conclusion of my cruise, I always compliment the ships on their service buffets and politely criticize the ones with the self-service buffets. I know that this is a lengthy letter, but it is very important in light of the widespread news of passenger sickness aboard certain ships. And what I'm saying about self-service buffets aboard a ship can also be said about buffets in fancy hotels, clubs--right down to church funeral dinners.

In writing about new ships or renovation of ships, I would appreciate and hope to read something about whether a particular line or individual ship has a self-service or service buffet. John O'Brien, DePere, WI