Unspoken Buffet Rules You'll Want To Follow On Cruise Ships

Craigs2118/Shutterstock

Taking a cruise can be an exciting way to visit new places, meet new people, and try new foods. The almost ubiquitous cruise ship buffet is not only one of the many perks of this experience, but it also makes enjoying the rest of your vacation so much easier. The format provides access to a wide variety of ready-to-serve foods whether you're hungry for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Occasionally buffets will offer late-night snacks for eager passengers.

All buffets have certain unspoken rules to follow, but a cruise ship has a few extras that you might not consider when eating at the local all-you-can-eat restaurant or your generous cousin's wedding. They address such matters as whether you should show up in poolside attire, if it's okay to let kids grab grub alone, and even how you should reserve a table. We get it: You're on vacation, you're ready to cut loose! But that doesn't mean you have a free pass to be rude to your fellow passengers. Everyone on the ship shares the dining space, and following these rules of etiquette will make those shared mealtimes less stressful for passengers as well as crew.

Casarsaguru/Getty Images

If you are vacationing on a cruise liner, chances are high that there is at least one swimming pool. Even smaller ships used for river cruising, often have plunge pools or hot tubs. If swimming isn't your thing, there is also the deck with lounge chairs for soaking up the sun. On hot days, some passengers may spend all day relaxing in their swimsuits. Who wants to change clothes just to pop into the buffet for a bite to eat only to change back when you're done eating? You do.

Even if it isn't a posted rule, wearing swimwear to dine out is considered a show of bad manners. The general rule is if you wouldn't wear your suit to a restaurant back home, don't wear it while dining on the cruise either. However, multiple Facebook users agree that passengers have a workaround. If you don't want to go all the way back to your room or change out of your suit completely, bring a cover-up or a T-shirt to the pool with you. You can throw it on when you're ready for lunch.

Karen Culp/Shutterstock

A mistake that diners often make on cruise ships is to not reserve a table. Of course, whether you're on a large MSC vessel or a riverboat, buffets usually operate on a first-come, first-served basis. That includes claiming the tables. But no family wants to wander around the dining room while loaded down with plates and not find a place to sit. It's easier to stake your claim on a table and then go get your food. However, doing so effectively can be tricky. You need to make it obvious that the table is yours.

Simply placing a cup or other dinnerware in the spot where you plan to sit is not enough. Those items could have been left by someone who had finished eating and neglected to clean up after themselves. Having a member of  your party babysit the table would ultimately be the clearest sign it's in use, but this isn't your only option. Personal items like a bag, jacket, sunglasses, or hat are less likely to be dismissed as the leftovers of a meal. The more items, the more obvious the claim.

Anchiy/Getty Images

As tempting as it might be to let your kids lose to grab their own meals, it's not a good idea. Buffets can get quite crowded during mealtimes, making it difficult and confusing for some children to navigate. Kids might become overly excited and run around, crashing into fellow passengers or servers, while they make a beeline for the dessert table to grab all the cookies. Many of the serving dishes are kept hot to make sure the food doesn't get cold before it hits your plate. There's a risk that young guests will burn little fingers. Plus, they could encounter sharp knives.

The sheer variety of choices can feel overwhelming to anyone, let alone a child who isn't used to it. Even for adults, all-you-can-eat tables of food are like a playground. Guiding your child through the buffet line, teaching them correct etiquette, and helping them make appropriate food choices are keys to a smooth dining experience for all.

Nikolay132/Shutterstock

Whether they deserve their reputation or not, cruise ships are commonly linked to pathogens like norovirus in the public imagination. This foodborne illness causes vomiting and diarrhea, the last things you want to experience on your vacation far from shore. To prevent the spread of disease, good hygiene should always be a priority. This goes beyond basic buffet etiquette like not putting food back after you touch it. For instance, you should also resist the temptation to get an early start on your meal by eating while in line.

For everyone's health and safety it is important to have clean hands. (This is also why it is considered best manners to use the provided serving tongs and not your bare hands to grab food.) When you bring your hands to your mouth, they could pick up bacteria or viruses and contaminate whatever you touch, like communal serving spoons. So please, no matter how slow the line is moving and as tempting it might be, do not eat while you are in line at the buffet. It is unsanitary.

Praetorianphoto/Getty Images

Because buffet dining rooms are such busy places, tables need to turn over quickly to accommodate everyone. If you want to take your time and linger over your food, the sit-down restaurant might be a better option. But if you've chosen the buffet, efficiency is your priority. You don't need to scarf down your food and make yourself sick, but at peak meal time you do need to be mindful of the crowd around you and who might be eyeing your table. This is not the time or place for after-dinner conversation or to enjoy a relaxing game or puzzle. There are plenty of other places outside the dining room for these activities.

If there are plenty of tables, you may feel freer to stick around for a bit after the meal, just don't become a nuisance to the staff. Once the buffet is closed, it's time to leave. If the food trays are being removed and the serving tables wiped down, this is your cue to find another place to unwind.