Are cruise ship buffets safe?

Buffets are a favorite dining option on cruise ships, but they can present unique challenges for food safety. To minimize risks, use utensils when serving yourself, avoid touching food directly, and maintain a safe distance from other passengers to reduce the risk of contamination.



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Here's the list of foods she recommends skipping on your next cruise.
  • Sushi. Although cruise lines take safe food handling extremely seriously, nothing is foolproof. ...
  • Soft Serve Ice Cream Cones. ...
  • Scrambled Eggs. ...
  • Old Pizza. ...
  • Communal Condiments. ...
  • Compromised Food. ...
  • More Than One Plate at a Time. ...
  • Dessert During the Day.


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You're likely fine eating salads, fruit, and raw seafood on reputable cruise lines—they have strict guidelines for keeping foods clean—but avoid them when you're dining on land, particularly in less developed regions.

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Are cruise buffets self-service or are there waiters? The main food areas are either self-serve, or there is a crewmember behind the counter, who will dish up food at your request. However, most buffets do have wait staff who come around to bus dishes or take drink orders.

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You can take food from the buffet back to your room if you'd rather eat away from the crowds. If you take food from the buffet or another informal location and bring it back to your room, nobody will object.

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To the delight of many passengers (or to the chagrin of those watching their waistlines), cruises offer no shortage of nibbles at all hours of the day. Although cruise midnight buffets are nearly extinct, several lines still offer a spread of snacks that are available into the wee hours of the morning.

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Cruises are often known for decadence when it comes to food – it's available all day, every day, in unlimited portions, and it's certainly not all healthy. That said, it is possible to eat healthy while on a cruise ship – while still enjoying yourself, too!

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The easiest way for ships to do this is to liquefy the leftover food in an industrial grinder. The food is blended with water until it's a smooth mixture and then either disposed of in port, incinerated, or pumped out to sea when the ship is deep water and away from the coastlines. Simple as that.

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Your choices vary by ship, of course, but your basic cruise fare entitles you to eat three meals a day in the main dining room or the buffet, as well as free venues that can include Guy Fieri's Burger Bar, a Mexican restaurant open for breakfast and lunch, a deli, soft-serve ice cream, various snack spots, and 24-7 ...

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Unfortunately, the midnight buffet was fairly wasteful for cruise lines when most of the food was uneaten. Additionally, the crew members would spend a significant amount of time setting up the displays and taking them down each night.

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The safest way to eat an egg aboard a cruise ship is to get it hard-boiled, according to the CDC. Runny or undercooked eggs can cause you to fall ill with possible salmonella or listeria poisoning if they aren't cooked to at least 160 degrees.

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You'll see suits and ties, tuxedos or evening gowns, but don't have to go so formal yourself. Shorts (including cutoff jeans), T-shirts, sportswear, flip-flops, bathing suits, caps and men's sleeveless shirts are never permitted in the main dining room or specialty restaurants during dinner.

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How can I protect myself from gastrointestinal illness?
  1. Use proper handwashing techniques throughout your voyage, but especially after using the bathroom and before eating.
  2. Avoid any food or water that you think may be contaminated.
  3. Avoid raw or undercooked shellfish.


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Norovirus—a common cause of foodborne illness—is a regular passenger on cruise ships. When infected by norovirus, you're likely to experience diarrhea and vomiting.

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Getting on your ship means a lot of choices on how to begin your vacation, but many guests elect to start things off with lunch. Embarkation usually begins in the late morning to early afternoon, so lunch is the first opportunity to sit down for a bite to eat.

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Cruise ships are good at making food available 24/7, so if you're hungry, there's usually no one to blame but yourself. The main dining room usually has set meal times, but sections of the buffet will always be open, and you'll usually be able to find a diner, cafe, or pizza shop that's open at all hours.

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When a toilet is flushed on a cruise ship, the sewage travels to the onboard treatment plant. Here the waste is filtered before it enters an aeration chamber. The aeration chamber cleans the waste. It is then sterilized using UV light and released into the ocean when clean enough to do so.

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A majority of cruise ship lines offer their employees free food throughout the duration of their contracts. There's typically a special kitchen on the boat that prepares food for staff members. Employees may eat in separate dining areas, depending on their classifications.

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You can eat as much as you want, so don't worry. On a recent cruise, we were next to a table with a family of 8. EVERY night they all ordered every appetizer, every soup, every salad and every entree.

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Even though twice-daily stateroom cleaning has long been the standard in the cruise industry, how often you like your cruise ship stateroom cleaned by your cabin steward is a matter of personal preference. Some cruisers love the pampered feeling of a stateroom that is always clean -- when done by someone else.

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On informal nights, jackets (ties optional) for men are recommended, while women can opt for dresses or pantsuits. Tuxedos, dinner jackets or dark suits for men and gowns or cocktail dresses for women are suggested for formal nights.

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