Although a cruise is a popular getaway for Brits, like all types of holidays it has its drawbacks.
Most of the time, the buffet is the most popular option on board when it comes to dinner, as it is often included in most package deals.
However, some seasoned cruising fanatics from around the world have taken to social media to warn travelers against some ‘disgusting’ food you might stumble across at the self-service restaurant.
While others say it’s the one thing you should completely avoid.
They have also shared their top tips for making the dining experience ‘better’ while sailing at sea.
Posting in ‘Cruise’ forum on Reddit, an anonymous Redditor wrote: ‘Buffet hacks, we all have a few tricks to make the buffet better, let’s hear them! (Eating/drinking tips in general are welcome).
Most of the time, the buffet is the most popular option on board when it comes to dinner, as it is often included in most package deals (stock image)
‘My favorite is to take a pat of butter from the bread station to the omelette station so they can use butter instead of spray/oil to make my eggs.
‘Game changer. Who wants some aerosol all over their breakfast when sweet, delicious butter is an option.’
Seasoned cruise fans were quick to share their best advice, including what to avoid when filling your all-inclusive plate.
One user said: ‘This should be obvious to some, but you are allowed to customize your burger.
‘You can ask for bacon, double patties, extra cheese, etc. A lot of people have just ordered regular burgers and didn’t know they could customize them until they saw us do it. And then it was a double patty bacon trend.
“Also putting soft serve in your coffee – what I call Americano Affogato.”
Inspired, another agreed: ‘I’ll try it in a few months, I really like an Affogato. And when it comes to add-ons, I’m all over it. It’s all there for the taking, why not mix and match?’
Meanwhile, a third advised: ‘Ask for your scrambled eggs at the omelette station, they can add cheese/tomato/ham etc to your scrambled eggs, plus the eggs are fresh, not powdered.’
Breakfast was also a controversial topic, with one user calling eggs and bacon ‘disgusting’ and ‘nasty’.
They insisted: ‘Leave the barely cooked ugly bacon on the line, ask for the crispy cooked bacon and they usually have a bucket of it behind the counter.
‘If the scrambled eggs look gross on the line because they’re too wet/you don’t like powdered eggs, ask the omelette station to make “dry” scrambled eggs.’
Adds: ‘Don’t get fries in the buffet, if there’s a grill open, you can get freshly fried instead of heat lamps’.
But some users steer clear of the buffet altogether, with one cruiser writing: “My favorite trick is not going to the buffet at all – no crowds, no gross people coughing/sneezing/not washing their hands.”
Another chimed in: ‘It can be quite shocking to see how many people really are ugly. The worst culprits are the non-washers who come out of the bathroom. Bleh!’
Meanwhile, another simply added: ‘Skip the buffet. There are plenty of other options for breakfast and lunch.
Other more practical suggestions included taking items from the salad station, such as artichokes, and putting them on your pizza, and squeezing oranges from the salad bar into ‘the cool they claim is orange juice’.
Another cruise enthusiast revealed: ‘At the stir-fry station, I would get other things I liked at the salad station and have them use that for the stir-fry.
‘The best was New Year’s Day, I got fries from the sandwich station, cheese from the buffet and gravy from the carving station. Cruise ship poutine.’
The advice and warnings come just after passengers on the Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas passengers revealed what the food is really like inside the ship.
Adorned with 40 restaurants and bars, the world’s largest cruise ship is sure to cater for every passenger’s taste.
And now, as the 1,198-foot-long vessel sails around the world on its inaugural voyage, a number of cruise guests have offered glimpses of some of the culinary delights on offer.
In a TikTok uploaded by @magic_vacationstravel agents Suzie and Lee Altpeter review some of the bites offered at the casual Basecamp eatery, which serves food to passengers throughout the day so they can “refuel between adventures.”
Suzie and Lee gave the restaurant’s free pretzel bites a 6 out of 10, the $9 grilled chicken sandwich an 8 out of 10, and the $7 waffle chicken nuggets an 8.5 out of 10.