For people who love to eat, a cruise vacation is like a dream. On board these floating cities you can really find everything from fast food to fancy dishes, from fish to meat, from pasta to risotto.
With so many people on board (modern cruise ships can go up to 7,000), organizing all the meals is a true challenge.
Chefs, assistant cooks, bakers, and pastry chefs work day and night to prepare and meet the needs of all the passengers.
Although food safety regulations are quite stringent, there are some foods that it would be best to avoid eating at the buffet on a cruise.
Let’s see what they are and why it would be better to choose something else!
1. Sushi and Raw Seafood
A lot of people love sushi and raw seafood. They are sometimes available at the buffet, especially on premium cruise lines.
However, it’s important to consider that seafood is very sensitive to temperature changes and can deteriorate easily.
If the temperature is not under strict control, it can lead to the growth of harmful bacteria and parasites.
In addition, the quality of the fish used is often lower than what you’d find at a dedicated sushi restaurant. You should only consume it if you are sure of the quality and freshness of the fish.
2. Cream-Based Salads
All dishes where mayonnaise is one of the main ingredients can be risky. Think about potato salad, chicken salad, macaroni salad, or coleslaw.
They can quickly spoil if not kept at the right temperature. Modern cruise ship buffets have refrigerated countertops, but some may not.
Usually, these types of salads are out for hours, and create the perfect environment for bacteria like Salmonella to thrive.
3. Raw or Undercooked Meat
I personally love meat and I have eaten excellent meat many times on cruises.
The only thing you should watch out for is that the meat is well-cooked, especially chicken and pork.
Once in a restaurant, I was served fried chicken that wasn’t cooked through, and since then, I always cut it open with a knife before taking a bite. You should do that too.
In the picture above you can see some fried chicken that was served on a cruise and was completely raw.
Mistakes can happen but this one was really bad.
4. Deep-Fried Food
I do not recommend getting deep-fried foods at the cruise buffet.
First of all, it can make you feel very heavy and drowsy after the meal, which might prevent you from fully enjoying the activities the ship has to offer.
Second, they are often cooked in low-quality oil that’s reused multiple times, it can make the food greasy and unappetizing but also increases the risk of trans fats.
In addition, if you do not eat it right after frying it, fried food will immediately lose its crispness and become mushy.
I recommend making an exception for the deep-fried lobster tail you see in the picture above. It was excellent!
5. Shellfish
Similarly to sushi, items like shrimp, oysters, and mussels are delicate and highly perishable. For this reason, you should only eat them when you’re sure that they have been stored and prepared in the right way.
As I said before, buffets can often struggle to keep a constant temperature and shellfish can harbor dangerous bacteria that can cause food poisoning.
To avoid the risk of ruining your vacation, I would steer clear of them.
6. Long Pasta Like Spaghetti
As an Italian, I am a big fan of pasta and eat it practically every day for lunch.
As you probably know, pasta is not a risky type of dish from a food safety perspective. Why then is it not a good buffet food?
Well, simply because pasta once cooked and left there for quite becomes chewy and gets all sticky, especially longer shapes like spaghetti.
Let me tell you a secret: you can usually find pasta at the buffet entrance and in large quantities.
It’s a strategy of the cruise lines to fill passengers with the cheapest foods so they eat less meat and seafood, which are way more expensive.
As I’ve already told you in the 10 things you must never do at the buffet on a cruise, it’s better to move towards the end to find less people and more types of food.
7. Rice-Based Dishes (if they are not fresh)
The same thing applies to rice-based dishes as well.
Rice can dry out, become hard, or clump together if it sits for too long. This is especially true for fried rice or pilaf.
In addition, many people believe that rice is a safe choice but it can actually be harmful. If it’s not stored properly it can develop a type of bacteria that causes food poisoning.
8. Casseroles
Do you like casseroles? I do and I love to try them out.
However, they are often left out for quite a long time and usually, the top layer becomes dry and crusty while the inside cools down.
All this process creates an uneven temperature that is not good for either taste or food safety.
9. Creamy Desserts (like Custards and Puddings)
And now, we’ve reached the desserts—everyone’s favorite, especially for those with a sweet tooth!
The great thing about the buffet on a cruise is that you can have so many different desserts, and you can look at them all before you pick your favorites.
The only important thing you need to remember is that most desserts (almost all of them actually) need to be stored at a low temperature. Especially those with custards or whipped cream.
This is my strategy. Before putting them on my plate, I check that the refrigerator is well chilled and, if possible, I take the desserts that are at the bottom of it or the coldest part, avoiding those closest to the opening.
10. Dishes with Sauces
Lastly, the other foods that might not be so good at a buffet are those that require a sauce.
Consider that dishes that rely heavily on sauces, like gravy-covered meats or saucy stir-fries, can suffer in both texture and flavor after sitting out.
It often happens that the sauce congeals and the oils separate from the other ingredients.
To Conclude
These were the foods you should avoid or at least pay attention to at a cruise buffet.
As a reminder, all major cruise lines follow food safety standards, so it is very rare to have problems with food.
If you want to know more about cleaning on board take a look at the article on the ranking of the cleanest and dirtiest cruise ships.
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