There is a lot to love about a cruise buffet. The food never seems to stop, the variety is endless, and nobody has to wait for a table or a menu. But anyone who has spent time in one will tell you it can also bring out some questionable behavior, and a pair of seasoned cruisers say a few simple rules make the whole experience smoother.
The couple behind the Eat Sleep Cruise channel says they have watched plenty over the years and have learned there are 15 things you should never do at the cruise buffet. Their list is aimed at first-timers and regulars alike, and two rules stand out above the rest: never move serving tongs from one dish to another, and always grab a fresh plate.
They start before you even reach the food, with the very first move after boarding. Here is how they would handle it, and why.
Skip The Buffet On Embarkation Day
One thing the couple no longer does is head straight to the buffet the moment they board. On embarkation day it is usually packed, because most people board around the same time and cabins may not be ready yet. Passengers arrive with carry-on bags in tow, and the lines grow fast.
Instead, they scout other dining options. That might be a cafe with sandwiches, a pizza spot or a burger stand, and several cruise lines open the main dining room for an embarkation day lunch. The payoff is less time in line and a much easier time finding a table.
Find A Table Before You Fill A Plate
Speaking of tables, they make a beeline for the seating area first. They do not start loading plates until they know where they will sit, since buffets fill up fast and wandering around with a full plate while the food gets cold is no fun. If you travel with someone, have one person grab a table while the other gets food, and if you are solo, set down a bag to show the seat is taken.
Always Take A Fresh Plate
Going back for more of the same fries or dessert? The couple still grabs a second plate. It may feel wasteful, they say, but once you have eaten off a plate, your fork has been in your mouth and then back on your plate. Bring it back to the buffet and you create another chance for germs to reach the serving area.
They add that most cruise lines specifically ask passengers to take a fresh plate every time they return, regardless of what they are getting.
Never Swap Serving Tongs Between Dishes
This is the one they call among the most important on the list. Say you grab shrimp, then notice the rice next to it has no serving spoon. It might seem harmless to use the same tongs for both, but they never move serving utensils from one dish to another.
Every utensil belongs to its own dish. Moving the tongs carries allergens from one tray to the next, and for a guest with a serious allergy, that cross-contamination can end a vacation in the medical center. If a station is missing tongs or a spoon, they ask a crew member instead of improvising, and crew members are often happy to bring one quickly.
More Habits That Keep The Line Moving
The rest of their list is about simple courtesy and common sense, much of it what your mother taught you.
- Do not snack in line. Popping a fry into your mouth and then reaching for the next serving spoon with the same hand is, in their words, so gross. Wait until you are back at the table.
- Do not overload your plate. Take a small portion first and go back if you like it, which also cuts down on the staggering amount of food thrown away on a cruise ship.
- Do not block the station. Read the labels, choose, serve yourself and move on so the next person can reach the food.
- Do not walk backward through the line. Buffet lines generally move in one direction, so circle back around for anything you missed, and never reach across a stranger’s plate.
- Do not cut the line. That includes custom stations such as omelets, a Caesar salad station or a carving line, even if you want just one item.
- Do not walk in soaking wet from the pool. A damp swimsuit leaves a wet seat and a slippery trail on the floor.
- Do not come to breakfast in pajamas, a bathrobe or slippers. The buffet is not an extension of your cabin, and room service is always there for breakfast in bed.
- Do not leave kids unsupervised. Unsupervised children are how bare hands end up in the fruit and tongs end up on the floor.
Hygiene And Allergies Come First
The couple always washes their hands before getting food. If there is no hand washing station, they use hand sanitizer, and they sanitize again at the table after handling shared serving utensils. They also use the utensils rather than grabbing rolls or cookies with bare hands, and they turn away from the food and cover coughs or sneezes with an elbow or napkin, never the serving hand.
One of them has an allergy to scallops, and they say they have often walked through a buffet with no idea what was in a particular dish. Labels sometimes say only “seafood medley.” Their advice: never guess, find a crew member and ask. If that person is unsure, they will often find a cook who can say what is in each dish.
Timing, Manners And Being Kind To The Crew
The couple also suggests skipping the rush. The buffet is busiest right when everyone thinks to go, especially at breakfast before the gangway opens on a port day, so shifting your visit even 30 minutes can mean shorter lines and an easier table. Check the cruise line’s app daily for buffet hours.
When they finish, they stack their plates, keep trash together and tell a crew member about spills. They do not claim a table for an hour or camp at a window seat after the plates are cleared, which they call the buffet version of pool chair hogging.
All in all, the message is easy to follow: respect the food, the crew and the folks behind you in line, and your next cruise will be smooth sailing.
More Stories You May Like
- Grandpa Turned 100 and Heard His Family Say Surprise We Are Taking You to Hawaii and He Showed Up on the Plane in His Best Hawaiian Shirt
- Man Says the Best Tacos in Ireland and Maybe All of Europe Came from a Place He Did Not Expect
- Man Spends the Most Money He Has Ever Spent at Costco and Shows the Grocery Bill for the Week
