Cruise passengers warn against the one thing you should never do on board

Although a cruise is a popular choice for Brits, like any type of holiday, it also has its drawbacks.

Typically, the buffet is the most popular option on board when it comes to dinner, as it is often included in most packages.

However, some veteran cruise fanatics from around the world have taken to social media to warn travelers about the ‘disgusting’ food you’ll encounter in the self-service restaurant.

While others say this is the one thing you should avoid completely.

They also shared their top tips for making the dining experience ‘better’ while sailing the seas.

Post in the ‘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! (Tips for food and drinks in general are welcome).

“My favorite is to bring a pat of butter from the bread station to the omelet station so they can use butter instead of spray/oil to make my eggs.”

‘Game changer. Who wants a spray can on their breakfast when sweet, delicious butter is an option.’

Seasoned cruise fans were quick to share their best advice, including what to look for when filling your all-inclusive plate.

One user joked: ‘This should be obvious to some, but you can personalize your burger.

“You can ask for bacon, double patties, extra cheese, etc. A lot of people 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 put soft ice cream in your coffee, what I call the Americano Affogato.’

Inspired, a second chimed in: “I’ll try that 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, and the eggs are fresh and not powdered.’

Breakfast was also a controversial topic, with one user calling eggs and bacon ‘disgusting’ and ‘nasty’.

They insisted, ‘Leave the barely cooked dirty bacon on the line, ask for the crispy cooked bacon and there’s usually a bucket of it behind the counter.

“If the scrambled eggs look disgusting on the line because they are too wet or you don’t like powdered eggs, ask the omelet station to make ‘dry’ scrambled eggs.”

Addition: ‘Don’t have fries in the buffet, if there is a grill open you can get freshly fried ones instead of the ones from the heat lamp’.

However, some users are avoiding the buffet altogether, with one cruiser token: ‘My favorite trick is not going to the buffet at all – no crowds, no rude people coughing/sneezing/not washing their hands.’

Another said: ‘It can be quite shocking to see how many people are really dirty. The worst offenders are the non-handwashers coming out of the bathroom. Bleh!’

Meanwhile, someone else simply added: ‘Skip the buffet. There are many more 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 rinse they claim is orange juice.”

Another cruise enthusiast said, “At the stir-fry station, I would get other things I liked from the salad station and let them use that for the stir-fry.

‘The best part was that on New Year’s Day I got fries from the sandwich station, cheese from the buffet and gravy from the meat station. Cruise ship poutine.”

The advice and warnings come just after Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas passengers revealed what the food is really like on the ship.

With 40 restaurants and bars, the world’s largest cruise ship is sure to accommodate all passengers.

And now, as the 350-metre ship sails around the world on its maiden voyage, a large group of cruise-goers are offering a glimpse of some of the culinary delights on offer.

In a TikTok uploaded by @magische_vakantiestravel agents Suzie and Lee Altpeter review some of the snacks on offer at the casual eatery Basecamp, which serves food to passengers all 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.