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Vegas buffets vs cruise ship buffets?

Discussion in 'Restaurants & Buffets' started by thess, Jan 5, 2016.

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  1. thess

    thess Tourist

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    Very basic question, just curious. I've been on several cruises (including slightly more 'upscale' ones), but have never been to Vegas. First trip next month. For those who have done both, is the quality of food in Vegas resort buffets about the same as on a cruise ship? (i.e., nothing to write home about?) It seems like they may be able to at least have easier sourcing for good ingredients?

    (I know that for quality vs quantity, a buffet is probably never the right choice anyway, but I sometimes prefer the buffet for ease and speed. For example, the 'main dining room' on cruise ships can take forever for a three course meal to be served, so the buffet is easier, especially when travelling solo.)
     
  2. kboltwkreations

    kboltwkreations Low-Roller

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    A buffet is a buffet in my opinion. Food is never better than average and there are just SO many better places to eat. Cruise buffet is better because its included with the price! Vegas buffets are so over priced. I am in awe of the people who stand in those long lines and pay those high prices.
     
  3. MikeOPensacola

    MikeOPensacola El Jefe

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    I've got to agree with this. The only exception being that I will usually opt for a breakfast buffet because it is quick and I can get the exact amount, and variety, of fruit that I like.

    As for lunch and dinner though there are simply too many other choices that, at least for me, are more appealing. I usually eat lunch on the fly and have a nice dinner. The dinner scene in LV is rediculously good and I've found that a nice restaurant works better for me than a dinner buffet.

    To each his own but there are so many great places to eat in LV that I can't justify waiting in a long line and paying big $$$ for a meal that won't be near as good as what I'll get at my favorite restaurants.

    Different strokes for different folks but the only buffets that I consistently frequent are breakfast buffets.

    :peace::beer:
     
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  4. DaiLun

    DaiLun R.C., L.C., and A.A.N.G.

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    I have to disagree. Anyone whose eaten at any of (what I consider to be) the top end buffets, such as Wynn, Wicked Spoon, Bacchanal, or Bellagio, would acknowledge that their food is a cut above many of the "normal" restaurants.
     
  5. wigwam_salesman

    wigwam_salesman VIP Whale

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    That is true, but you're basically paying restaurant prices at those buffets. At least in my experience. Let's say it's 50 bucks with tax, your still going to only be able to eat your normal amount but with a lot more choices. I have given up on buffets as I invariably get soup then prime rib and maybe a dessert. I can get better quality at a restaurant charging me 50 bucks for those things.

    However, if you haven't tried a Vegas buffet before I'd definitely try one for the experience.
     
  6. DBear

    DBear VIP Bear

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    You're best to try one of the better buffets to have a better experience. Otherwise it's a buffet. Better ones are proceed accordingly. Wynn, Caesars, Cosmo, Bellagio tend to be the better ones.
     
  7. UTE

    UTE Plastics

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    My wife and I cruise regularly. Frankly, we prefer the regular dining room - but do pop into the buffet for snacks and for quick bites.

    The downside: Ship buffets are smaller and have limited selections compared to LV.
    The upside: The food moves fast and is replenished just as fast.

    As you move up in cruise length you're not going to get fresh fish after the first few days. It's still good fish, but it's been frozen.

    On most lines, if you book full suites, you can request dishes from any of the ship's menus - formal or buffet (including High Tea).

    Bill
     
  8. dmr

    dmr Registered Abuser

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    A co-worker of mine has coined the term Prime Rib Roulette for prime rib night at the local casinos, meaning that you don't know until you pay for it whether it's too well done or too tough and just a crap shoot if it will be worth the trip, and worth the money (and worth the calories).
     
  9. ken2v

    ken2v This Space For Rent

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    It's like everything else, you can (and should) ask for input. But however the input comes back, ultimately you still need to make the call for yourself. If inclined toward buffets elsewhere, Vegas probably isn't going to fail the test. But it's still a buffet.
     
  10. thess

    thess Tourist

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    Thanks for the replies. We're staying at the Aria, so I figured we'd try the buffet there one night with one of those silly MyVegas coupons. I'm willing to try other adjacent properties instead though.

    I was about to type "sadly we're usually not big breakfast eaters so a breakfast buffet is wasted", but then I remembered that our stomachs are going to be on Eastern time for a day at least. Hmm.

    How long are we talking, these lines? Any better or worse at places like Aria/Bellagio? Long lines would negate the ease/speed advantage of buffet in the first place.
     
  11. vegasmeister

    vegasmeister Tourist

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    When we used the MyVegas 2 for 1 dinner buffet we were able to skip the line and go to the invited guest line. It saved us an hour.
     
  12. vegasmeister

    vegasmeister Tourist

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    That was at the Bellagio
     
  13. mrstealth

    mrstealth VIP Whale

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    I agree with DaiLun on this one. Perhaps if you haven't been to a buffet in a while or go to one at a major property it will be average at best, but the food at most of the major hotels is way better than average, and if you go to one of the higher end buffets like wicked spoon, bachanal, etc, the food rivals anything you will find in any high end restaurant. I have also eaten at some regional properties - Harrah's Rincon, Harrahs Joliet, Harrahs Phoenix, Harrahs Laughlin and found the same experience. o

    I prefer buffets for a variety of reasons with the most obvious being variety. I enjoy eating and trying a variety of foods and the buffet allows me to do this. I also don't like todays fine dining settings where you have multiple waiters and buss people, and the emphasis on wine and upselling you.

    Finally, I'll admit, I have a hell of a "sweat tooth" and I love the variety of dessert offerings at the buffets and trying everything from pies, to crepe's to Gellato.

    I also find them to be an overall good value.
     
  14. 44inarow

    44inarow VIP Whale

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    Having been on a number of cruises, I'd agree with this, and would also add that the regular dining room will often let you order as many appetizers/entrees as you want (maybe sometimes not as easily on lobster night, but even then I've had no trouble getting multiple dishes), and it's generally much better quality than the buffet. Vegas buffets are probably better than cruise buffets, but you can get much better unlimited food on a cruise than you can in Vegas.
     
  15. thess

    thess Tourist

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    Good grief, people are waiting an hour to get seated at these things?

    Is it all the time, or peak dinner hours?
     
  16. bjpcyclone

    bjpcyclone High-Roller

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    The higher end LV buffets will have much, much more selection (and higher end choices like crab legs, prime rib, etc) than the cruise ship buffets. We've been cruising with Celebrity lately and I'll take the quality of their food over a LV buffet, they just don't have near the selection.

    But as someone said, you are going to pay $40-$50 for a higher end LV buffet dinner.
     
  17. vegasmeister

    vegasmeister Tourist

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    That was around 8pm at the Bellagio buffet on a weeknight. The few times I have been to the Bacchanal (Caesars) buffet during peak hours the lines have been in the 90 to 120 minute range for those without CET 'status'
     
  18. irmster

    irmster Low-Roller

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    I ate in both Wynn and Wicked Spoon buffets last week. Any half decent restaurant would beat the re-heated stuff that was on offer in the buffets. Buffets are a money making machine for a reason -low quality food/food left over from other on-site restaurants. The better buffets may have higher quality low quality food, but that's about it.
     
  19. PayTriple

    PayTriple VIP Whale

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    Sounds like Dailun and Irmster are saying the same thing, but Dailun sees the glass as being "half-full", and Irmster sees it as "half-empty".
    So try it, and make up your own mind.
     
  20. bjpcyclone

    bjpcyclone High-Roller

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    Exactly. It's a buffet and not made to order food so of course the quality is going to be better at a restaurant. But you sacrifice quality with quantity/selection.
     
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