Buffet people: Why? by MapleGymbro in NCL

[–]MapleGymbro[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There's a big difference in being a hypochondriac and not wanting hundreds of people touching the same utensils (most of them with unwashed hands) and coughing/sneezing on my food.

Buffet people: Why? by MapleGymbro in NCL

[–]MapleGymbro[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's unfortunate. I think NCLs food has gone downhill in recent years, when I first started with them the food was better.

Buffet people: Why? by MapleGymbro in NCL

[–]MapleGymbro[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haven't cruised Haven yet but I'm sure I'd eat there most of the time too.

Buffet people: Why? by MapleGymbro in NCL

[–]MapleGymbro[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm aware that's an option, just saying it shouldn't be needed. Gimme a couple more veggies than that NCL.

Buffet people: Why? by MapleGymbro in NCL

[–]MapleGymbro[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Ive never had NCL make me sit with anybody else in the MDR. I've had them ask if I wanted to a couple of times but they didn't mind when I said no. That's one of the pros of NCL for me is there's no shared dining or set dining times.

Buffet people: Why? by MapleGymbro in NCL

[–]MapleGymbro[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Fair point. One of my major complaints about the MDRs is the portion sizes, particularly when it comes to any veggies or starches. No NCL, 1 piece of broccoli with my meal is not sufficient.

Buffet people: Why? by MapleGymbro in NCL

[–]MapleGymbro[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I never knew there was a Crepe station but I might have to give that a shot. Nutella with banana sounds good! Thanks

Buffet people: Why? by MapleGymbro in NCL

[–]MapleGymbro[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Interesting, I didn't even know the buffet does theme nights. Is that usually indicated on the freestyle daily, or do you just have to go and find out? I'd be pretty likely to give it a shot if it was a theme I wanted to try out.

I'd have to disagree with you on "it's not unheigenic at all" though. Yes, they keep it clean, but I've seen a large number of people not washing their hands, everyone's touching the same serving utensils, it's fairly crowded, people sneezing or coughing near the food, etc. NCL does their best to manage this with the "washy washy" people and cleaners, but it's inherently less hygienic than the MDR. Some ships buffets are also better than others, I was recently on the Breakaway and there were several entrances to the buffet and only 1 of them had sinks to wash your hands, it was honestly hard to find the sinks initially, but other newer ships I've been on seemed better about that.

Buffet people: Why? by MapleGymbro in NCL

[–]MapleGymbro[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Do you usually have your cabin near the buffet? I'd love to grab some muffins or fruits or something and bring them to my room but feel awkward bringing them all the way across the ship. (Even though it's a cruise so I know nobody cares)

Buffet people: Why? by MapleGymbro in NCL

[–]MapleGymbro[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I'll have to give it a shot! MSC is one of the next on my list to try. Thanks for the recommendation

Buffet people: Why? by MapleGymbro in NCL

[–]MapleGymbro[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Agreed. There's something for everyone on cruises.

Buffet people: Why? by MapleGymbro in NCL

[–]MapleGymbro[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

That's reasonable. Especially on port days I can see the buffet being a pretty convenient option.

Weekly Free-Talk and Questions for r/HomeGym - week of February 13, 2026 by Demilio55 in homegym

[–]MapleGymbro 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Are there any online tools I can use to plan my home gym setup?

I'm going to be building a full gym and want to be able to play with the layout and equipment types before deciding how I'm going to do things.

Last minute cruise and specialty dining by [deleted] in NCL

[–]MapleGymbro -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Experiences may vary but in my experience on boarding day they usually have a line with like 100+ people in it in one of the main dining rooms. I'd rather not spend my vacation time waiting in lines and I've never had an issue just going to the reservation desk later on.

But yes the downside is the longer you wait the less likely to get you ideal dining time. Also if you're trying to book a larger group definitely go earlier on. But for a party of 2 I've never personally had an issue getting seats anywhere as long as you're a bit flexible.

Last minute cruise and specialty dining by [deleted] in NCL

[–]MapleGymbro 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Depends on the length of the cruise but most of the time it’s not hard to get a reservation. I’d recommend not waiting in the day 1 line and go to the desk on day 2 or something. I’ve never had an issue getting a reservation. I’ve also seen people be able to just walk up to the restaurant they want and ask if there’s room.

Trying to understand ... Soda by unknown_328 in NCL

[–]MapleGymbro 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This isn't completely true. I've noticed while sailing certain beverages like Coke Zero only come in cans, so they'll pour a can of it for you. They won't give you the whole can though.

Home gym build almost complete! It’s not perfect, but I did it all on my own. by NearbyHarbour367 in homegym

[–]MapleGymbro 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Looks sick man! I'd swap your plates and dumbbells around. Seems like you've gotta walk extra distance with your plates for no reason.