One of the biggest pandemic-related changes river cruisers will likely notice when they return to the waterways -- other than, of course, the masks, social distancing and other adaptations that have become the new norm -- will be in food service.
While most of the lines don't have the large buffets that are common on oceangoing ships, even the most luxe of the river lines usually have salad bars and a host of other preprepared hot and cold self-serve choices in addition to full service menu items offered for breakfast and lunch.
But in the age of Covid-19, self-serve isn't an option, so the lines have been working to revamp their kitchens and dining rooms to include stations where non-menu items are served to the guests as they come and make their selections.
That means overall choices might be reduced, but with a silver lining that could also be a long-term game changer in the movement toward more sustainable travel: less food waste.
Indeed, as luxury travel in many ways has become synonymous with endless supplies of snacks and meals at our fingertips, the issue of food waste is one that goes largely unmentioned when travel companies talk about sustainability.
At AmaWaterways, co-founder and president Rudi Schreiner says revamping food service, reducing food waste and offering more dining venues has become a major focus in recent months. And he emphasizes that "this is not a Covid focus."
"It will be focusing more on getting away from the buffet but still providing fast service with a big variety," he said. "It might come to the point where we may actually have to increase service staff and take out some passenger cabins. But the idea is to come up with a completely different way of doing it."
Besides being more sustainable, studies have shown a huge financial benefit to eliminating or changing the buffet focus that defines so much of hospitality today.
According to Champions 12.3, a coalition dedicated to reducing food waste, a 2018 analysis of 42 hotels in 15 countries found that nearly every company achieved a positive return when investing in food waste-reduction programs, with properties seeing an average 600% return on investment.
And World Resources Institute says case studies prove the point. The institute, also in 2018, reported that MGM Gold Strike Resort and Casino in Robinsonville, Miss., slashed waste by more than 80% and decreased food costs more than 5% in the first year after it prioritized waste-reduction on its all-you-can-eat buffet. And the Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit was able to achieve a 50% reduction in food waste by value in just 15 weeks, saving an estimated $60,000 per year.
That's a lot of food for thought as the world of travel looks for positive post-pandemic changes.