Cruise food is one of the best parts of a cruise vacation, but not everything on the buffet or in the dining room deserves a spot on your plate. Some foods and drinks can leave you feeling bloated, queasy or just plain disappointed.
To be clear, cruise food is not unsafe. The standards of cleanliness and hygiene on a ship are very high.
The real issue is that some foods simply don’t taste as good as you’d hope. The good news is there are better options on board if you know where to look.
This list is subjective. It comes from my own opinion and experience after more than 50 cruises, along with responses from members of our Facebook group.
If you’d like a second opinion, we’ve also shared more foods to avoid eating on a cruise from seasoned cruisers.
Breakfast and Buffet Foods to Skip
1. Buffet Coffee
If you don’t have a drink package, chances are you’ll be drinking the drip coffee in the buffet. Honestly, it’s just not the best coffee.
To me it seems worse than the coffee at a hotel continental breakfast. Some cruise lines might do it better than others, but for me it’s a pass.
2. Scrambled Eggs in the Buffet
I hate to pick on the buffet, although a few more buffet items are coming up. The scrambled eggs in particular just aren’t great quality, and I’d say the same about a hotel breakfast.
From what I understand, they’re often made from a powdered or liquid mix rather than fresh eggs. That’s why they tend to be watery and bland.
The good news is you can still get fresh eggs in the buffet. Head to the omelet station, where your omelet is made fresh with whatever ingredients you like.
Eggs Benedict and fried eggs are also better choices.
3. Buffet Bacon
Don’t shoot the messenger, because I know this one upsets a lot of people. The bacon in a cruise ship buffet is not very good, and plenty of cruisers say the same.
It tends to be dry, flaky, clumpy and thin. I don’t enjoy the taste of bacon very much, so I may be biased.
My husband and sons both eat it, though, and the slices in the dining room are nicer. You can skip the buffet and have breakfast in one of the restaurants.
Another option is a carving station, where freshly carved ham is a much tastier choice.
4. Buffet Pizza
This one might be controversial because people love cruise ship pizza. I’m talking about the pizza sitting under the heat lamps in the buffet.
The dough is bland and the cheese is bland. It seems to be there for picky eaters, or just because people like pizza.
A few cruise lines do pizza really well, though. Princess has takeout style pizza by the pool, plus pizza restaurants like Alfredo’s or Gigi’s, and you can read more about Alfredo’s Pizzeria on Princess.
MSC also has amazing takeout style pizza that you can find in the buffet. Carnival is another good one with its own style, but you’ll need to wait in line, so it comes down to whether it’s worth the wait for you.
Curious how the lines compare? Take a look at our guide to the best cruise line pizza.
5. Condiments Left Out on the Table
I’m talking about ketchup, mustard, salt and pepper. There’s nothing wrong with the condiments themselves.
The trouble is how many people touch them, so I’d avoid them if you’re trying to stay healthy on a cruise. I’ve sat in the buffet for a while and I rarely see anyone wiping them down.
I’m sure the staff do clean them, but I’m not convinced it happens every time someone leaves the table.
Dining Room Foods to Rethink
6. Dinner Rolls
Just like on land, it’s worth skipping the dinner rolls. They aren’t bad, but there’s so much other really good food to eat.
I’m saying this to myself as much as to you. I’ll have one roll, then two, and on occasion three.
The exception is when the bread is really good. I absolutely love the cheesy bread at Crown Grill on Princess.
Which cruise restaurants do you think have bread worth filling up on? Tell us in the comments.
7. Chicken in the Dining Room
In our household we have an unwritten rule that we don’t order chicken on a cruise. I like chicken and I make it at home.
On a cruise, though, it always seems to come out dry in the restaurant or dining room. I just haven’t experienced anything different.
8. Onion Soup
This one might be personal. We live in Montreal, Quebec, so we’re used to a bit of French cuisine influence and more onion soup flavor at home.
If you make it yourself, a splash of white wine really does make a difference. Use three cheeses and get it thick and bubbly on top.
On a cruise, I’d go for the cream of mushroom soup instead. Celebrity, Carnival and other lines all have a mushroom soup that we find really good.
9. Very Spicy Foods and Beans
Any food that makes you feel bloated or gassy is worth skipping. You’re already eating and drinking more than you would at home, so you probably feel bloated enough.
That includes chilies and other very spicy dishes, and beans, for obvious reasons.
Snacks and Poolside Treats
10. Self-Serve Soft Ice Cream
I hate to say it, but watch the soft ice cream, especially the self-serve machines on the pool deck or Lido deck. If there’s a mess around it, like ice cream all over the floor, skip it.
Think about the kids coming straight out of the pool, and the adults too. You just don’t know where those hands have been.
Many cruise lines now have a crew member serving the soft ice cream, and that’s a completely different story. You’ll sometimes find a machine inside the buffet too, which I think has less chance of germs.
Look out for the hard ice cream several cruise lines offer, which is often made on the ship.
11. Pre-Made Burgers in the Warming Tray
You’ve all seen them sitting in a little bit of grease in the buffet. Sometimes the hot dogs are there too, and the buns tend to be dry.
Several cruise lines have a grill next to the pool, and I think that’s the best place to get your burger. You can also order a chicken burger or hot dog there.
12. French Fries as an Afternoon Snack
Fries with your burger are fine, especially at the grill, which is my favorite place to have them. I do like french fries.
Afternoon snacking is where they add up, because it’s easy to gravitate toward them. Here are a couple of lighter swaps:
- Nachos with fresh salsa, which you’ll often find in the buffet around 3:00 or 4:00.
- Fresh fruit from the buffet instead of ice cream.
Port Days and Private Islands
13. Fresh Cut Fruit and Street Food in Port
If you see food stands in a cruise port, avoid the fresh cut-up fruit. It can have bacteria, and it definitely doesn’t meet the standards you’ll find on the ship.
I’d say the same about street food, tap water and ice in port.
14. Lunch at the Private Island
At private islands you’ll often find a beach barbecue buffet with burgers, hot dogs, barbecue chicken and a few salads. If you want to stay on the beach, that’s fine, but there isn’t a huge amount of variety.
In some cases there are food trucks, and you pay extra for those. There also seem to be a lot of flies around, and sometimes bees, which is less than pleasant.
That’s not the cruise line’s fault, though. We usually head back to the ship, where there’s more variety, fresher food and an hour of air conditioning.
We still have a great day at the island, and you can simply stay out an hour later to make up for it. For more ideas, see our cruise private island mistakes to avoid.
Drinks, Sushi and Other Things to Skip
15. Frozen Drinks
I’m talking about piña coladas, mango daiquiris and even a Miami Vice, which I happen to like. Most of the time they’re made from pre-made mixes.
They’re loaded with calories and sugar, and a lot of people say they feel really bloated on a cruise. I think a big reason is the extra sodium hiding in the food, the cocktail mixes and the sugars.
I’m not telling you not to drink, because I certainly do. A good swap for a piña colada is pineapple juice and coconut rum, which still has calories but nowhere near as many.
16. Buffet Sushi
I’m not talking about sushi in general, just the buffet kind. It isn’t unsafe, because they won’t keep it out longer than is healthy.
We’ve sometimes found the rice is dry or the tray looks picked over, so check it before you take any. If you like buffet sushi, go when the buffet first opens and it will be fresher.
The quality won’t match the sushi restaurant, so if you love sushi, head there instead.
17. A Heavy Breakfast Before a Tender Port
Tender rides can take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes, and sometimes you sit on the boat for a few minutes while it fills up. You can feel the movement, and a lot of people say they feel a little unwell on the tender.
If you’re heading out early in the morning, don’t load up on a heavy breakfast that could leave you queasy. Our post on tender port mistakes to avoid has more on making tender days easier.
The Most Important One: Wash Your Hands
The most important thing to avoid is skipping the hand washing, especially in the buffet. I see a lot of people walk in without using the hand washing station or the disinfectant.
Washing up before you eat helps prevent the spread of germs that cause stomach ailments, colds and coughs. There’s a second moment too.
When you get to the table, especially after using utensils that other people have touched, disinfect your hands or stand up and go wash them before you eat. I bring my own disinfectant to make that easy.
Want more buffet habits worth knowing? Our posts on cruise buffet mistakes and what not to do at the cruise ship buffet cover the rest.
Final Thoughts on Foods Not to Eat
Do you agree or disagree with any of these? Please let us know which other foods and drinks you skip on a cruise.
For more ways to get the most from the buffet, take a look at our cruise ship buffet tips.
Happy cruising!
Ilana