If you’re eating scrambled eggs at the cruise ship buffet, you’re making a grave mistake.
Additionally, if you’re struggling to find a table or (gasp!) not washing your hands before getting food, you need to rethink your buffet game.
Cruise ship buffets are popular for a reason. They’re quick, convenient, and offer options to please almost every passenger onboard. Yet I often see cruisers doing things wrong at the buffet that negatively affect their meal.
Luckily, it’s easy to learn the ins and outs of the cruise ship buffet. After eating hundreds of meals on dozens of ships, I’ve learned the most useful strategies to make the most of the buffet's offerings.
These are the six things you should always do at a cruise ship buffet to have a better meal.
First, wash your hands before and after touching the buffet tongs
Cruise ship buffets quickly become a hotspot for germs, so it’s important to keep your hands clean before (and during) your visit to the buffet.
Many cruise lines have handwashing stations available at the entrance to the buffet. Some, like Royal Caribbean, enforce handwashing for every guest as they enter, but other cruise lines do not. The handwashing station, whether a sink or a hand sanitizer dispenser, is merely there as a suggestion.
Enforced or not, I’ve seen far too many passengers skip these handwashing stations and head straight into the buffet. Every time I see this, it makes me cringe. By forgoing washing your hands, you’re not only increasing the risk of illness for yourself, but also for every other passenger. No one wants to spend their cruise on the toilet with norovirus!
In addition to washing your hands before entering the buffet, I also recommend washing your hands again after touching the buffet utensils. Even if passengers have clean hands the first time they grab a plate, there’s no telling how many germs are on the buffet tongs themselves.
A passenger could sit down for their first plate of food, lick their fingers after eating, and return to the buffet stations to grab more food with those germy hands. Yuck!
Without fail, I always bring a travel-sized bottle of hand sanitizer to the buffet. Every time I sit down to eat after touching the buffet utensils, I use the sanitizer as an added precaution.
Read more: Your Really, Really Dumb Cruise Ship Dining Questions Answered
Try a few buffet “food hacks”
Getting creative at the cruise ship buffet lets you make your own tasty inventions. There are several unique and easy tricks to make your buffet meals even tastier.
If the complimentary coffee isn’t your favorite, why not make it a mocha? Grab a hot chocolate packet and mix it in with a warm cup of coffee for a sugary, chocolatey treat.
If you’re hoping to upgrade your pizza slice, head to the salad bar to add unlimited toppings to your slice of pie. From artichokes to olives and extra cheese, you have full freedom to make your own customized pizza.
Finally, if the buffet has a soft serve station, the options are endless for decadent desserts. Grab a brownie or cookie from the dessert table and top it with ice cream, use soda to make a soda float, pour espresso over soft serve for an affogato, or grab a banana to make a banana split.
Read more: Top 4 food hacks you need to know for Carnival Cruise Line
Save a seat before you grab a plate
At peak times, cruise ship buffets can quickly become jam-packed with passengers. It's challenging to find an empty table during these times, especially if you’re eating with a larger party.
I frequently see frantic passengers nervously walking in circles around the buffet while holding plates of food. By the time they finally find an available table, their food might already be cold.
One of the most useful hacks when eating in the buffet is to reserve a seat before you start getting food. As soon as I enter the buffet at a busy time, I’ll put a bag or jacket on an available seat so that I have a table ready once I return.
If you don’t have a spare item available, consider having one guest in your travel party sit at the table to reserve it. Once you finish getting food and return to the table, the other guest can go grab a plate.
Read more: How to beat the crowds on your cruise ship
Eat outside of peak times
Speaking of crowds in the buffet, try to avoid the peak dining times whenever possible.
On any given cruise, the busiest time at the buffet is during lunch on embarkation day. Thousands of hungry passengers board the ship and immediately go to the buffet for lunch. I’ve learned to avoid the buffet on embarkation day whenever possible because the crowds can be absolutely insane.
Instead, I’ll opt for a specialty restaurant for lunch on embarkation day, or I'll dine at another complimentary venue onboard. Carnival cruise ships, for example, offer places like Guy’s Burger Joint and Big Chicken, while Royal Caribbean offers lunch at venues like Park Cafe and the AquaDome Market.
Also, outside of embarkation day, breakfast in the buffet can be extremely busy on port days.
If you dock at 9AM, the buffet will be at its busiest anytime after 8 or 8:30. If you’re an early riser, try to enjoy a quieter breakfast before swarms of other guests arrive. On the other hand, if you’re not headed off to port, consider a later breakfast for a quieter experience.
Read more: Why you should eat dinner in the cruise ship buffet
Try the live cooking stations
Most cruise lines offer cooking stations in the buffet where you can enjoy a made-to-order custom dish. Generally, the types of cuisines found at these stations are easily customizable, such as Asian stir-fry dishes, pasta dishes, and omelets.
I highly recommend the omelet station over the buffet's scrambled eggs. On many cruise lines, scrambled eggs are made with powdered eggs, and they leave a lot to be desired. Fortunately, the made-to-order omelet station is a widely available alternative on most ships.
Pasta stations are always a hit, too, whether you’re in the mood for a creamy alfredo sauce or traditional marinara sauce. Don’t even get me started on Princess Cruises’ made-to-order ramen station... I think I ate almost ten bowls on my weeklong cruise.
These buffet stations are popular, so there are often waits at busy times, especially for omelets. Despite this, you may find the quality and customization to be worth the wait.
Browse what’s available before you pack your plate
Finally, be sure to browse all of the available options before putting food on your plate.
There could be a hundred different foods offered for any given meal, and you don’t want to miss out on any of your favorites.
It’s tempting to grab a warm cinnamon roll, generous scoop of mac and cheese, or pile of chicken tenders immediately upon seeing them. However, don’t forget to see what else is available beforehand.
Often, passengers pile their plate with whatever they see first, but later see something that looks even better. Even though you can just get rid of your old plate to grab something new, try to avoid wasting too much food.
Looking around beforehand will help you better plan your meal.
Jenna DeLaurentis
Jenna DeLaurentis enjoys exploring new ports of call around the world on a cruise ship, learning about new cultures, discovering beautiful landscapes, and trying diverse cuisine. She loves to get active while in port, whether cycling through mountains in the Caribbean or scuba diving under the sea.
