I'm a little disappointed in the cost cutting done at Cabana's

[randumb0]

Here are the 4 items that I noticed and I'm sure there are more

1. No more Jonah crab legs. They now use a cheaper crab
2. No more Pirate Night buffet. I know that brought it back last year for a few sailings but at this point I don't think it will ever come back
3. No more Krispy Kreme doughnuts
4. No more salad station

 

[greensombrero]

I’m curious about your salad station comment. There has been one on all our recent cruises. They had pre made salads of different varieties in bowls along with some toppings and dressings you could add. Did they used to have more/better options for salads? I kind of wish they had more of a traditional salad bar vs the pre made ones.

We have cruised mainly post restart and only once pre so I’m not sure how things have changed on the salad front. Also possible what you saw recently was even less than what we had recently as I’m sure things vary from ship to ship.

I will also add we are super disappointed about the pirate night buffet. We got it on one cruise when they brought it back but we weren’t expecting it and had late dining so we weren’t hungry. It looked so good. Then we were all ready for it and it was gone by the next cruise. I get the desire to manage food waste but they could have maybe cut it back without eliminating it entirely. I’m sure it is more about cost than anything else.

 

[Girl of the South]

I would guess the more extensive salad bar was lost to Covid changes. And I find a lot of those things we were used to (not only just on DCL) are gone for good. I did notice (in December) there was a dedicated "ice cream guy". He didn't get the ice cream for you but was constantly cleaning up messes and would give you a cup if you preferred that to the cone. Nice guy. Warm heart. Cold hands!

 

[Kwami]

I would guess the more extensive salad bar was lost to Covid changes. And I find a lot of those things we were used to (not only just on DCL) are gone for good. I did notice (in December) there was a dedicated "ice cream guy". He didn't get the ice cream for you but was constantly cleaning up messes and would give you a cup if you preferred that to the cone. Nice guy. Warm heart. Cold hands!

I actually wish that they still had a cast member making the ice cream cones. They do it better than I can and they keep the machines clean, too.

 

[randumb0]

I’m curious about your salad station comment. There has been one on all our recent cruises. They had pre made salads of different varieties in bowls along with some toppings and dressings you could add. Did they used to have more/better options for salads? I kind of wish they had more of a traditional salad bar vs the pre made ones.

We have cruised mainly post restart and only once pre so I’m not sure how things have changed on the salad front. Also possible what you saw recently was even less than what we had recently as I’m sure things vary from ship to ship.

I will also add we are super disappointed about the pirate night buffet. We got it on one cruise when they brought it back but we weren’t expecting it and had late dining so we weren’t hungry. It looked so good. Then we were all ready for it and it was gone by the next cruise. I get the desire to manage food waste but they could have maybe cut it back without eliminating it entirely. I’m sure it is more about cost than anything else.

The salad station allowed you to create your own and had more toppings available

 

[DisneyMomJen]

I actually wish that they still had a cast member making the ice cream cones. They do it better than I can and they keep the machines clean, too.

Here are the 4 items that I noticed and I'm sure there are more

1. No more Jonah crab legs. They now use a cheaper crab
2. No more Pirate Night buffet. I know that brought it back last year for a few sailings but at this point I don't think it will ever come back
3. No more Krispy Kreme doughnuts
4. No more salad station

I am so disappointed in the removal of Krispy Kreme donuts!!!

I did not realize the salad stations are gone. The last cruise we were on was the Inaugural Wish and I thought they still had that. I used the salad station on every cruise.

 

[lollidrop]

Yeah the selection is like half of what it used to be. The stations repeat.

I noticed some on the MDR too- for bfast they used to walk around with a plate of pastries, you had to ask now.

 

[cvjw]

And they only had crab legs a few days of our cruise last week.

 

[Clarkson U]

And they seem to have gotten rid of sushi as well - or all but one lunch in cabanas last summer.

 

[randumb0]

And they seem to have gotten rid of sushi as well - or all but one lunch in cabanas last summer.

I totally missed that!!

 

[TooBoyz4us]

I actually wish that they still had a cast member making the ice cream cones. They do it better than I can and they keep the machines clean, too.

Yes, me to!
That was one of the things I had wished was still happening, as well as cast members serving in Cabanas, by the time we decided to take our first cruise.
We probably won't be visiting Cabanas much, if at all. I am still squeamish about buffets since Covid, and actually, I didn't care for them much before Covid either.
I ALWAYS end up with some sort of stomach upset after visiting a buffet.

 

[cvjw]

And they seem to have gotten rid of sushi as well - or all but one lunch in cabanas last summer.

Had sushi twice last week in cabanas. And they changed the sushi - it is different than our last cruise.

 

[NephieRN]

I noticed some on the MDR too- for bfast they used to walk around with a plate of pastries, you had to ask now.

They still did this on the Magic last month

 

[Calantha]

They still did this on the Magic last month

I'm curious about the pastries too. So, we had tons last summer in the MDR on the Wonder and the Fantasy. We didn't on the Wish in January, but I chalked it up to "the Wish does weird things" - will report back after the Magic in May.

 

[lollidrop]

They still did this on the Magic last month

I am just off the Fantasy yesterday! Maybe it was a supply issue or certain head servers have their own rules, but I went to sit down breakfast 4 times or so and never saw anyone bringing around a plate. A couple of the servers asked if we wanted a pastry, but you had to tell them exactly what you wanted and they brought only that out.

 

[Lynes88]

Had sushi twice last week in cabanas. And they changed the sushi - it is different than our last cruise.

Yes, I noticed this too. We have been on the Fantasy twice since COVID on 7 night sailings and had sushi and it was different from before and in my opinion it was a good improvement. I liked the variety better and felt the ingredients were really good.

 

[kiford]

I noticed some on the MDR too- for bfast they used to walk around with a plate of pastries, you had to ask now.

They did on the Wish. They kept coming by to offer us more.

We've only seen the Pirate night buffet offered on about half of our cruises over the years. It seems to come and go. We only went once and just had a crepe because we were stuffed from dinner. We went more to see what the hype was about.

No problem for me that they don't have Krispy Kreme - I think they're gross. I'm not sure if that's necessarily a cost-cutting measure (that it's not there, not that it's gross). Could even be a supply issue.

 

[Mango7100]

Yes, me to!
That was one of the things I had wished was still happening, as well as cast members serving in Cabanas, by the time we decided to take our first cruise.
We probably won't be visiting Cabanas much, if at all. I am still squeamish about buffets since Covid, and actually, I didn't care for them much before Covid either.
I ALWAYS end up with some sort of stomach upset after visiting a buffet.

Same! I have never liked buffets (well we would do some Vegas ones once in awhile). I have seen enough people sneeze into their hands or wipe/pick their nose then use serving utensils, cough on food, or pick up food with their fingers and put it back to avoid buffets. And I don’t find buffets relaxing at all—everyone is up and down getting food, hard to find seats, etc. We do sit down breakfast or lunch at whatever MDR, and we do the quick service pizza/burger/fruit and salad stations by the pool since the CMs serve you and the food is behind the counter.

 

[mighty quack]

I think they were contemplating removing the Pirate Buffet even before Covid. I had a few Waiters tell me pre-covid that to much food was wasted during it since everyone already ate in the dining rooms. Agree with the Krispy kremes, the new Donuts are like a worse version of Entenmann's donut.

 

[TooBoyz4us]

Same! I have never liked buffets (well we would do some Vegas ones once in awhile). I have seen enough people sneeze into their hands or wipe/pick their nose then use serving utensils, cough on food, or pick up food with their fingers and put it back to avoid buffets. And I don’t find buffets relaxing at all—everyone is up and down getting food, hard to find seats, etc. We do sit down breakfast or lunch at whatever MDR, and we do the quick service pizza/burger/fruit and salad stations by the pool since the CMs serve you and the food is behind the counter.

YES!!! Its nice to know I am not alone with these feelings,thankyou! My husband suggested we use a napkin to grab the serving utensils and then hand sanitize before we eat. Still, that doesn't help food that may have been coughed on etc.

And yes, I know that it could happen in a kitchen by one of the servers......I just think the chances are far less likely.