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At the bare minimum however, you will always have the buffet as an option. On a Celebrity Cruises thread there was hope expressed that that line does not follow its sister line, Royal, in going back to self-serve buffets. On the Cruise Critic message boards, a surprising number of cruisers voiced their disappointment at the change to back to self-serve.
Buffet Rules Lifted on MSC Cruises
When you’re feeding literally thousands of passengers a wide variety of dishes, it’s not surprising that quality suffers. The chance that the cruise ship will run out of something you have your eye on is slim, so you have no reason to rush. The exception is if you stroll up to the buffet minutes before it closes.
Carnival Cruise Line Confirms One Food Rumor, Debunks Another - Cruise Hive
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Best Cruise Ship Buffets
Others prefer the variety offered in the buffet compared to the set menu in the dining room. "Just got off Apex yesterday and the crew is still serving," said Judla. "I really liked as no one was picking up food and the putting it back." Many cruisers said they would change their own behaviors to compensate for the return to self-serve, though few said they would skip the buffet. It’s just not anything we think most people would get excited about. We don’t mind eating there occasionally, but after a few trips find ourselves wanting something different.
Cruisers React
We’ve noticed that higher-end lines tend to have more elevated fare, such as the lobster night when we sailed Celebrity. But perhaps none of the changes is as disturbing to me as the return of self-service buffets, with six of the industry's eight major lines allowing passengers to, once again, serve themselves. Even if you are a trained waiter, you do not want to balance multiple plates and cups in your arms as you pick your way through a crowded cruise ship buffet restaurant. All cruise lines offer hand sanitizer at the entrance to the buffet, either in a wall-mounted pump or distributed by a staff member. The buffet offers breakfast, lunch and dinner selections. First things first, there are some basics of what to know about the buffet onboard.
"For the foreseeable future, our buffets will be crew-served and not self-serve," the line told The Points Guy. Along with sister brand Royal Caribbean, Celebrity was one of the first lines to say it would temporarily scrap self-service buffets. If you take the time to plan your meal, you will be less likely to waste food and will have a more satisfying lunch or dinner.
On certain cruise lines, the buffet offers a similar menu to the main dining room, just in a more casual, serve-yourself setting. Other lines offer a separate menu, complete with made-to-order stations or casual favorites such as burgers, pizza and chicken fingers every night. Knowing your cruise ship's MO will help you decide which meals are best eaten at the buffet and when you should dine elsewhere. The buffet restaurant will feature chairs and tables, as well as booths or banquettes, for seating, and in most cases, passengers are on their own to locate an empty table. Finding a table can get tricky during peak times, such as lunch on embarkation and sea days. In addition, there is usually alfresco seating, either out by the pool or behind the buffet at the very back of the ship.
No matter what you do, never use your hands instead of the provided utensils to pick up a bread roll, cookie or other food item. It's unsanitary, and you will get some well-earned glares from other passengers. Again, most of the food will be already prepared, and you can help yourself to (or request) servings. The made-to-order stations typically have longer lines. I have even heard of some lines going above and beyond and having a chef walk around with some cruisers with specific allergies pointing out what is safe for them to eat.
What if I have a food allergy or dietary restriction?
You’ll pay a daily gratuity charge (usually around $15-18 per person, per day) when you cruise. This covers people like the room steward that keeps the cabin clean, dining room staff, and yes, the crew in the buffet that cleans the tables and clears plates. There is basic fare like burgers, dogs, pizza, salad bar, and desserts that are always on the buffet. But then there are a number of dishes that rotate out nightly. Often there are themed nights such as Italian or Indian where many dishes of a specific style are offered. So no, you aren’t going to be stuck eating hot dogs and hamburgers!
And one thing to note is that we’ve tried buffets across all the major lines. Some may be better than others, but in general we actually find the quality similar. Frankly, the basic staples are hard to get wrong and whether you want an omelet, pancakes, cereal, fruit, French toast, or any other classic breakfast dish, you’ll find it available.
Finally, no one will stop you if you make a plate of food and carry it elsewhere on the ship, such as your cabin. The main food areas are either self-serve, or there is a crewmember behind the counter, who will dish up food at your request. However, most buffets do have wait staff who come around to bus dishes or take drink orders.
They do ask that you always have a shirt and shoes on if you’re going to be eating. If you’ve been swimming as well they would prefer your dry off before walking into the buffet. Some like to do this because they have small children and the main dining room is too long of a time commitment for them.
Casual dress is always acceptable, and unlike the main dining room, shorts, flip flops and beach cover-ups are all acceptable attire. It's requested that you do wear a shirt and shoes to the buffet -- and dry off between swimming in the onboard pool and grabbing a bite to eat. Some put all the stations in one row, back-to-back, and you make your way through one long line.
There was a time shortly post covid where cruise lines had servers behind the different food stations and were the only ones who would touch the serving utensils. You can ask for a dining room manager to show you the available options, but if you're very concerned, it's often best to dine elsewhere. The Oceanview Cafe onboard Celebrity's Solstice- and Millennium-class ships, as well as Celebrity Edge, boasts some of the best international food at sea. This spacious buffet utilizes islands and active stations to serve a variety of cuisines, including stir-fry, sushi, pasta and pizza. It also has an exceptional salad bar, meat-carving station and dessert station. On some Celebrity ships with a high volume of Brits, there's even a British "comfort-food" area with different teas and fish and chips.
You are able to get your own drink most of the time or grab one out of a stack if they have some already done for you. Just know if you’re taking food back that usually staterooms will not have microwaves so you will not be able to heat your food back up if that matters to you. Breakfast is the meal you will most likely see the same offerings every day but this could still vary slightly.
Follow these 10 things you should never do at a cruise ship buffet if you want to have an optimal onboard smorgasbord experience. Most mainstream cruise ships will have high chairs available; ask a crewmember if you can't locate one. Free-of-charge drinks are available from dispensing machines. They include water, juice (maybe an iced tea or lemonade), coffee, tea (hot and iced) and hot chocolate.
That means whenever you dine in the buffet, the tip is already taken care of with this daily charge. Breakfast is classic American breakfast fare from pancakes and waffles to bacon, sausage, fruit, cereal, and more. When you’re done, there is no check to settle or tip to leave. You simply get up and walk out and get back to the fun.
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