Followed you for a number of years now. What differentiates your channel from others is your ability to come up with new, unusual and most needed topics.
Gary, all of your tips are very enlightening. My wife and I will be cruising for our first time very soon. I’ve considered there is a great deal to be mindful of during booking and embarking listening to your videos. Have you created anything that is obtainable, a handbook of sorts that captures all of your advice?
Great comments about hand washing with soap, Gary. Here's a quote from the CDC that confirms your good advice: "Hand sanitizer does not work well against norovirus. You can use hand sanitizers in addition to hand washing, but hand sanitizer is not a substitute for handwashing, which is best."
And the reason norovirus is so contagious is because it takes a miniscule amount of virus to make a person sick. It takes about 100 virus particles to make someone sick, and each sick person is producing BILLIONS to TRILLIONS of particles out their back end. The good news is that it's self-limiting, so it only lasts 24-72 hours, but it can be dangerous for the very young and the elderly.
I was in charge of sanitation for my region of a national grocer. The best way to avoid norovirus is to use gloves while touching any common touch surface. Second is to wash your hands after filling your plate and before eating. These methods can be effective if there is norovirus on serving pieces etc. You cannot eliminate risk. But you can vary and minimize your exposure to it. How much is a personal choice.
Even if everyone is forced to wash their hands before using the buffet, there is no forbidding touching things like your phone after doing that, and quite frankly, who knows what is on peoples telephones these days? They even use those in the bathroom, and shaking everyones hands then touching the phone and so on..
There is nothing better, and more endearing, than the people that Royal Caribbean has reminding (forcing, thank goodness!) you to wash your hands. Happy happy, washy washy!
On our Oceania Riviera cruise, the buffet was fantastic with a continual changing menu of interesting foods. Great sushi. It was our go to venue at lunch time because of the fantastic outside terrace. A huge plus is that the staff serve the food - there is no self serve and a really selling point for Oceania. We rarely went in the evening because the other restaurant venues were spectacular.
I actually did this on my last cruise every time I’m in the buffet. I find it both easy and effective. But since I still have to pull out my chair at the table, I end up washing my hands again 😆 I love my vacations too much to get sick and miss out
You forgot about the salt & pepper shaker, & the napkins. Someone had to TOUCH the napkins & stuff it into the holder. Same for the utensils. Someone took them out of the dishwasher & put them in the holder. What about the chairs when you grab them to sit down? Nobody is wiping the chair down.
@@loganurquhart11 I could go on & on. Like buttons on the ATM or at checkout registers, gasoline handles, anything you buy at any grocery store (someone had to unboxed them & stock the shelves), hotels/motels. Practically anything in public once you step outside your home.
@@Vagabond_Etranger making it a bit ridiculous now. It is sensible to do so on an expensive cruise where you dont want to catch any illness and spoil your cruise. Outside of the cruise , just sensible to take precautions .
That’s me, I do a big lap or overview of what’s in the buffet and then make my choices. Also, if there’s a storm to prevent seasickness, I visit the sushi part not to eat sushi, but to serve myself some fresh ginger since it works on me to prevent seasickness which I’m prone to but I only have seasickness when there has been a storm which has happened once across Atlantic.
I not only wash my hands with soap and water going into the buffet, I also put my plate at my place and go wash them again (since I have touched many surfaces and serving utensils getting my food.) I never put my cutlery on the placemat or the table. And I wash any whole fruit (unless it is in individual bowls). Am most of all, I avoid touching my face in the dining room. I too have been on ships with Norwalk and stayed healthy, and enjoyed food in all the venues including buffet.
Totally agree with how you/ smart cruisersuse the buffet. I also was my hands again once I have gathered my food and then get my cutlery. Maybe over the top but so far I have not been ill on the ships.
I use hand sanitizer often, especially before touching napkin or silver after getting food from the buffet, yet I get sick on almost every single cruise from those coughing! Respiratory illness or Covid. SO disappointed every trip.
@@GLD-hopeful You get sick from not washing your hands. sanitizer simply coats your hands with slime and spreads any dirt on your hands all over them. Then you put that to your mouth. Never sanitize, always wash the shit off your hands and use napkins and never pick food up with your hands to eat if others may have touched it in a buffet and put it back.
I think I will take disposable gloves with me next time, and use one while I use the serving spoons, then take it off at table, use it again if I go back to the food. Thx
I cruise solo, and eat infrequently in the MDR as I dislike sitting alone waiting for food to be served. I cruise primarily on repositioning cruises. So I stick to the buffet or the specialty restaurants where the service is faster. I'm an early riser and never have a problem with crowding at that time. For port visits I almost always eat lunch ashore.
I'm 65 and considering my first cruise. Your channel has really opened my eyes for both the positive, and the negatives of cruising. I'm on the fence, but I know if I go it will be for just a few days. Lots of information here, so thank you for that.
I'm 70 and took my first cruise with Cunard in 2022. I'm about to go on my fourth - Queen Mary 2 to the Caribbean at Christmas. Cunard all the way - the cruise line for grownups. I'm having a great time.
Love a good buffet. Some lines seem to assume that passengers want to use the mdr, but I like to choose when I eat and what portions - it's my holiday. If a ship has a bad buffet, I won't sail on it again.
Gary, I just wanted to say thank you for your channel. We have been watching your videos for a couple of years now and they have helped us make great decisions for a European river cruise we took 2 years ago and an Alaskan cruise we took this year. These turned out near perfect largely because of lots of the advice in your videos. We plan to take a couple more cruises in the next few years, and we will be watching your channel for more great advice.
I worked in construction not food industry but during 43 years of work it has taken me behind the scenes of a lot of restaurants. What you see out the front is the least of your worries. If you knew what went on behind you would think twice about eating anything. Chefs have got the most disgusting habits. Not least they all have a filthy cloth stuffed about their person. It wipes their hands, spills, tidies up the sauce they pour over your food. And it goes in and out the bathroom with them. The universal clean up tool that hangs there all day. Common practice. Everything about commercial kitchens is shocking when you get to witness it. I seldom ever eat out. Over the years I have seen enough to put me off.
My friend who was a regional manager for a restaurant chain told me the same thing, but I still enjoy going out to eat once in a while. The only time I've gotten sick was on a land tour where the guide bought sandwiches early in the day and didn't store them properly. Maybe I've just been lucky.
@@elisaastorino2881 Maybe not so much lucky as you have a good strong immune system. That's what most people should be working towards. Filth and germs are everywhere!
@@marty0077yes construction workers coming in covered in mud, dripping mud all over buffets and Salad bars, reaching in with bare, dirty hands to pick up food, leaving mud filled seats.
Our last Holland America cruise, we hit the MDR for lunch on embarkation day. Maybe 50 people there. The waiters outnumbered the customers. Meanwhile, we heard people complaining that the buffet was crazy busy.
I always wash my hands before entering the buffet. After I've made all my choices and go to a table, I will use hand sanitizer before touching my own cutlery or cups, thus trying to eliminate any germs picked up on serving utencils.
Hi Gary, just wanted to let you know the link for the follow up video didn’t work for me. Not sure if that’s my issue or your issue. Just wanted to let you know. Great video as always thanks.
My family is in the hotel business, my father who was an hotel manager for decades NEVER ate at a buffet, reason, fear of contamination and disease. I follow the same rule, to many people, not sure about all the health status of different people, trying to serve themselves or touching food. The dining room is my choice always.
Gary has many, many good points I agree with in this video: (As a (so far) 100% Disney cruiser)... * I have virtually always had breakfast in the buffet, for the selection and speed. ** I virtually never breakfast at one of the three rotational dining rooms, because of the relatively limited menu and sedate (albeit quality) service. ** The same goes for lunch - virtually never at one of the three main dining rooms, for the same reasons. * In the past, I almost always obtained lunch from one of the pool deck outdoor kitchens - pizza, sandwiches, etc. However a couple of cruises ago I learned to: * I always survey (and usually use) the buffet for lunch, because there are always a rotation of international menu themes for lunch. (Gary's "more exotic foods"). Many items (Mexican, Subcontinental, ...) are only available in the buffet, and the quality is rather good. (Items from cultures heavily represented amongst the crew are likely to be good, because they are served frequently in the crew mess, and the crew will demand that they be prepared well. Also, international items may well be prepared by cooks from the cultures in question. (Although Disney would strive to get foreign recipes correct in any case). The existence of international food themes is easily the most important single thing I've learned about dining in the past few years of cruising. * Notwithstanding Gary's points about embarkation day, I would still focus on the buffet going forward, for the same reasons. (Previously we would usually use the pool deck venues, especially because that is the most convenient place to relax until we are allowed access to the cabin decks). However,... * Given Disney's unique rotational dining scheme, we have _always_ had supper in our assigned main dining room. The only exception is the one night we dine in the Palo specialty restaurant. The main dining room cuisine is frankly the best part of the entire cruise. There are no circumstances where I would blow if off to relax with the pool deck food. (Disney serves no dinner buffet).
Hi Gary! Really enjoy your channel. I have a good deal of experience in the cruise industry (former cruise ship captain) but your insights are great! Working on doing the QM2 transatlantic as a bucket list. I’m generally averse to doing cruises at this point but that one is so unique I need to do it. So really appreciate your Cunard videos. (Which is how I found your channel!) Keep up the great work.
Great video Gary. Oceania has limited dining options for lunch on embarkation so my wife and I eat lunch at our local hotel before going to the port. Due to my wife’s food allergies we avoid the buffet.
Instead of using a paper napkin to hold your ice cream cone with a contaminated hand, you should use the paper napkin to pull the lever, then discard the napkin and proceed with two clean hands.
I like your practical idea about picking up the condiments and other things with the napkin that many people have handled. I never thought of that. I’ve gone on many cruises and always keep my hands washed, but I was sick just one time in the Mediterranean and normally I’m not a person that gets sick ever.
I don't know whether I'll have the chance to go on a cruise, but I find your information very interesting and useful. Buffet restaurants are also available in hotels, so this is very useful for eating there, too.
What I love on HAL newer ships is that they have these automated hand washing devices that cleans your hands at the required minimum time. I also favor the made to order dishes at their Lido Market.
Ours last week on the Nieuw Statendam were not that great. And the Pastrami Sandwich from NYDeli was atrocious! I hate throwing out food , but that was the worst meat ever. Bah!
Most of the time, on the ships I’ve been on, there is a menu posted at the entrances to the buffet. So I stop, check what I might like, tell my husband and then find a table. Because I am in a wheelchair and it’s just too much of a struggle to weave around people who don’t pay attention to where they are going. This gives me the bonus that, between washing my hands in my cabin and getting my plate & cutlery, I’ve touched nothing but the controls on my chair. I still use antibacterial gel before starting to eat, though. I’ve never been sick on or after a cruise. Touch wood (and then washes hands).
Realizing what other lines do really makes me appreciate Norwegian's approach. No assigned times or tables for non-premium restaurants. Cruises are already so regimented it was nice having one aspect that was relaxed. We only went to the buffet when we wanted to get food before an excursion or after leaving too early for an excursion and getting back before the end of breakfast.
@TheOnlyLilithcat , unless it's a server that isn't very good. One server, named Moses, took our empty butter dish and returned an empty butter dish. We had him for breakfast in a different restaurant. Took our empty butter dish, and just never brought one back. I don't know if he didn't like us or butter. I'm glad I didn't have him every time.
This all depends on the cruise line . On p&o we very rare use the buffet we may go and get a sandwich or cake buscuit mid afternoon or very late at night but the food served at the buffet is generally on offer at restaurants. Especially on there larger ships like iona. As for boarding day we generally have 2 to 3pm boarding time. So we again we just grab a drink and sandwich
I bring surgical gloves to touch serving utensils. I avoid the ice cream dispenser bc parents let their children run wild with it. Children are notorious for bad hygiene. If I want ice cream, I get the served scoops by staff. I try to select anything from the top shelves for this reason and reach a little further back just in case someone touches the plate or bowl. I dont eat at the buffet daily. I might about 3 times the entire cruise. I prefer a served meal. I wish people would wash their hands after eating, too. Buttons on elevators and door handles are another hit spot for norovirus. I use a napkin to touch those. I try to go to my cabin to use the bathroom more than the public restrooms. I think that helps reduce the risk of norovirus. I take the stairs as much as I can, avoid touching the railing if I can. I wash my hands as soon as I enter my cabin. I know it sounds overkill but I am willing to do it because vomiting and crapping myself for days sounds worse.
I loved our recent Oceania Vista buffet - we got to know the staff who also got to know us and often, one of the chefs or the absolutely delightful section manager would come over with a smile and "strongly recommend" something special that they knew we would enjoy. It was also a great place to connect with others who wound up on many of the same excursions and became wonderful friends we're still in contact with.
We always do a lap around the buffet to see the offerings. Our other "rule" is to not serve more than one or two BITES of an item that is being served out of a large dish. Always wash hands before and after and use hand sanitizer between serving and eating. New plates and glasses each course if not all on one plate. We find we eat less this way and dont gain weight on a cruise.
Great clip Gazza! Some very relevant tips that are easily forgotten by some. This video should be compulsory viewing for all cruisers. Cheers, and keep up the excellent work!
What would you think about putting gloves on to get the food, taking them off to eat, and putting (fresh) gloves on each time you go to the buffet again? Yes, wash the hands as you enter, but with the gloves it doesn't matter if someone with norovirus had just used the tongs before you picked them up. Before you do anything near your face with the norovirus contaminated glove, you've taken off the gloves.
After washing hands and going through the buffet, my wife and I use antibacterial Wet Ones to cleanse our hands. They claim it kills 99.99% of bacteria. We’ve been cruisers since 1990 and never have gotten sick.
Have been on many cruises with the same group of friends and we have never gotten sick even when on one cruise every second person was down..but we always wipe our table down with disinfectant wipes before we start..and followed your tips..
I have secondary adrenal insufficiency and usually avoid all buffets for the reasons you have mentioned. All the people that touch the tongs and condiments could really get me sick so I’d like to mention that you can wash your hands as you enter but wash them again before you eat. I also avoid cruises too many people but I do love watching your videos.
We are dominant buffet cruisers and especially like HAL because they do most of the serving. We also have a good track record for not gaining weight on cruises (even multi-month cruises!). This is a great video.
Washing your hands before entering really doesn’t do much good if you don’t repeat before actually eating the food because if you did touch something contaminated during serving your hands are dirty when you start eating.
I was in a country a couple years ago, with a tour group, most visitors were with groups. A lady with another group went around the buffet and picked up numerous breads, squeezed, then returned, until she found a roll, etc that suited her. She was asked by servers to refrain, yet continued
I agree with the buffet choices. Often I like the buffet because I simply do not know what type of food I want to eat and/or I don't want to eat the same type of food as my wife. Plus if you try something that you don't like, not eating it works and you can go get something else.
Just know though, in the MDR's, they have higher end foods + soups (like French Onion). They serve u, + u can have as much as u want off the menu. If u don't like something, just leave it.
I didn’t know that Holland America did not have a self-service buffet, another reason for me to choose them to go on my first Alaska cruise since I’m really against a self-service buffet because I always see people doing unhealthy things with the food.
You mentioned hand washing and Neurovirus. On our last cruise out of Southamption we embarked the ship and got in our car for a 4hr drive home ,an hour later I felt ill and was violently sick at the wheel of the car , it happened within seconds , i lost control of the car ,veered off the motorway up a 30foot embankment rolled the car my wife had to be cut out and sustained a broken back, ,I had multiple injuries turns out we had both had Neurovirus which apparently we picked up on the ship which caused the sickness.The moral of the story is use sanitizer and hand-wash at every opportunity, I wouldn't want our experience to happen to anyone else ,thank you for the video.
On one cruise, we found ourselves booked on back to back excursions with no lunch break. We ordered a box lunch to go delivered to our stateroom in the morning. Problem solved.
Also, just like to add something: one of the issues for me regarding the buffet is if you indeed go there when it is packed you don't know if you can find a seat when you got your food. This is specifically an issue if you are a solo passenger. However some cruise lines has solved this by having staff at the doors who actually find a seat for you (like in the main dining rooms) and THEN the buffet works as usual: you get up and get your food. I know for a fact that Fred Olsen's ships do this.
Oh I could, and I did, and I call them out. Loudly. So everyone in earshot can have a good look. I put up with enough stupidity for work to have to tolerate that during the few days I can be on leave.
On a recent Celebrity cruise, I was really tempted to get the corn chips with salsa, but after seeing the fingers that went into that bowl of chips, I had to restrain myself. 🤮 Ditto for the "make your own dessert crepe" station.
@ThisWontFly I could tell u stories of what I've seen kids do at the buffet. With one boy, I followed him to his table + told his parents what I saw him do. I also suggested they go with him when he goes up (can't believe they didn't already). I don't care, thought they should know.
we take normal sanitary precautions (seems like the perseverating trend only started in March, 2020). The only illness we've had (foodwise) was when part of our family ate 'sushi demo' sushi that was made in the atrium, on NCL on day 7 of our cruise. They clearly did not handle the fish properly. Other than that, no issues. Some have mentioned that norovirus outbreaks often hit a bunch of rooms on certain hallways. Tbh, it's likely something tainted was in the water supply, also possible some raw food, typically lettuce, had something wrong with it. So the jist is: stay sanitary--but be aware that numerous ships (including Hal) have had noro outbrakes and it's uncertain why. No one should get upset with other passengers unless they see some really obvious types of 'buffet fouls' like coughing excessively, putting partly eaten food back near the cooked food, etc. I've also come home and gotten ill once or twice, I think last time it was from someone near me in the gym that would not stop coughing (elderly woman that should NOT have been there at all since she was coughing).
Not everyone who coughs is suffering from a contagious disease. I have cough variant asthma, which is definitely NOT contagious, and I resent all the dirty looks I get. I'm just waiting for someone to get in my face about it. I'm very careful about keeping sanitary and I think most people are. So perhaps you shouldn't be so judgemental of that lady at the gym.
@@elisaastorino2881 it was a crowded space, she was coughing repeatedly, more like a respiratory ailment. The considerate thing would for her to not have been in there.
@@monkeyb1820A side affect to a blood pressure medication is coughing for some people, like my husband. Since Covid, people think he is contagious with a respiratory issue but obviously not since he has had this problem for years.
On our Royal Caribbean cruise to Norway last week, there were no walking stations that I saw, and we had to ask for gloves. NCL had them readily available last year when we sailed. (Of course, we were on an older RC ship - Jewel of the seas)
While hand washing is good to do regardless, I sort of am wondering if you wash your hands when entering the buffet and then you handle tongs or other commonly handled items, I would think that the hand washing would then only have a limited impact on your safety in regards to germs. This is where santizer may be helpful or I guess if you really wanted to, bring some disposable plastic gloves that you use only when getting your food. I feel it's similar to the bathroom thing where you wash yuour hands only to have to touch the handle to open the door. The hand washing helps, but then you're touching something that potentially has something nasty on it. Some of these MAY be overly cautious like using napkins, but it sure beats getting sick and being sick your entire trip. So IMO a little inconvenience can make for a better experience if it prevents you from getting sick.
On the recent QM2 crossing I was on, I was happy to see that the public restrooms had signs on the doors that a paper towel should be used to open the door when leaving.
The second I saw the 'Dive In' clip from Holland America, I needed those Dive In fries - so good... I actually tend to avoid the MDR on embarkation day, as I'm often restless and keen to explore the ship on Day 1 - I don't want to spend time waiting for my lunch to be served. Strange, I know, ha!
If you cruise RC, main dining is not available for embarkation day lunch unless you paid for the Key program. If you have to do the buffet, it’s best to arrive as early as possible before the big families arrive.
Hi, thank you for your insightful calm views and cruising insights. Would you consider doing an update on either World Cruises or Partial World Cruises. Its amazing that I see very few vids on the subject.
Thankyou for the tips. I really did not give much consideration to the info you so well outline. It's great information & I take note and thank you for. You cruise much more than I do , but we need 5his Info, as it helps avoid an issue. Thankyou SIR for your good stewardship in helping the rest of us & educating us as cruisers. Good vid, safe travel to you and yours.
I'm following your suggestion next week when we board the QV and will go straight to the Princess Grill to check out our table. If it's not in the best location I've prepared my opening statement to the wait staff - "Gary Told Me"
Gary: I went on a HAL Alaskan cruise in June. Your observations and suggestions are spot-on. My biggest buffet gripes were with the morbidly obese passengers (on scooters) cutting in line, running you down, a rude entitlement attitude, and most of the time overloading their trays with everything they could get their hands on. Really unpleasant experiences! The main dining room was a bit better. The specialty restaurants were worth the up-charge in this circumstance. We should have a better experience on our future Regent 7Seas cruise around Japan next year! Thanks again!!!😊
Hello my fellow UA-camr. Firstly I would like to thank you for taking the time, effort and resources it took, in making this very informative film about cruise culture and cruise ships, I have been thinking about a cruise for some time, I have never been on a cruise before, I have been on many ships over the years and I enjoy them, but never on a cruise or even a cruise ship, in my entire life. My Parents loved them and did many cruises over the years on many different ships, and I thought I might like them as well, but what your production has made me realise, is several issues I would have on a cruise ship, and the culture around them. After watching this I realized that cruise ships and being on a cruise is not for me I really won’t go into long explanations it would just fill this page with what I think, feel and understand and what I see wrong about a ship cruise in today’s modern world. But I would say that the days of adventure on the high seas, in luxury and comfort with awesome company, in wonderful exotic and interesting locations on land or at sea, are a thing of the past, and in short, I would probably end up just spend all my time in my cabin. I thank you again for your time and effort and for saving me a lot of money and so much wasted time if I had gone throw with my plans.
Yeah, norovirus is my main concern with buffets. My body can’t fight viruses very well and I get VERY sick whenever i contract a norovirus. I spent four days this week in hospital after contracting norovirus last week, in fact. I never eat at buffets and I wash my hands before I eat, but unfortunately not all cooks and servers wash their hands all the time. I only ate one meal outside of my home last week, and I ended up sick enough to require hospitalization. This has happened to me three times over the past five or six years, including once while at Walt Disney World. Trust me when I tell you that Celebration Hospital is NOT the most magical place on Earth… I’ve never eaten at a buffet on a cruise ship, partly because of this. One of the things about cruising that I enjoy the most is fine dining. I want fancy meals, and that’s not going to happen at a buffet. While I’ll eat most meals in the main dining room, I really prefer the elevated dining options. I’m also not a big eater, so a buffet is kind of wasted on me when I’m just going to eat a small plate of food. That’s one of the things I love about fine dining, in fact - I don’t ever feel like I’m wasting food by not eating everything on my plate. But I’m also not a picky eater, so I never have trouble finding things I’ll enjoy even on limited fine-dining menus. But it’s mainly the norovirus that makes buffets too scary for me to enjoy. Were I to catch it on a cruise, I’d likely have to be hospitalized at the next port of call, because the medical facilities on cruise ships aren’t set up to act as an ICU for someone whose entire system goes haywire upon contracting a gastrointestinal virus.
Good points made here...on a submarine mess deck (food service area), the deck, all horizontal surfaces, all metal and all glass surfaces get wiped down before and after every meal, and the food is placed on your plate by the MS (Mess Specialist or "cook") or by one of the "mess cranks" (all junior enlisted personnel must spend time doing food service). Even the waffle maker has to get cleaned after breakfast, that thing is a real pain to clean. My first week, I was ordered to re-clean it at least once every day, as it wasn't clean to the satisfaction of the Culinary Specialist Senior Chief..... "clean it again, aye, senior" (groans internally)....lol. Was so glad to be able to go to sonar, my normal duty station, when my obligated time in the mess deck was complete. 🙂 What makes the food on submarine better (or so I hear, never served on a surface ship so can't compare) is that the officers and the enlisted members get the same meal (though they still eat in a different area, can't fraternize with enlisted), the cooks are only cooking for about 30-40 at a time instead of hundreds or thousands, and they send us the best cooks, usually at least one CS (Culinary Specialist)...on my first boat, one of the CSs used to cook at the White House, under Bush 43. 🙂
Travelled with 2 kinds under 6 at Quantum.... we went to the buffet for basically every single meal. Was basically the only way for them to eat as there were more variety and you can mixed/match to create more dishes. Eg. There's mashed potatoes, sliced cheese, and assorted cooked veggies... now it's cheesy mashed potatoes with mixed veggies for the kids.
Having the crew serve at the buffet also reduces food waste. Self serve people over fill their plate instead of getting up for second or third small plates.
Gary, love your channel and the tips. If only everyone would wash their hands before eating in the buffet the risk of illnesses would drop dramatically. I have seen so many cruisers just walk in without any attempt at hand washing or sanitising.
Love these video wonderful information about tips for cruises. One thing I always wonder how do you keep the pounds off the waist line? Food on most cruises very tempting and keeping that balance really difficult. Do you miss out on say lunch or avoid anything?
I only eat things that are served by the workers and not the self service things. Last HA cruise I was on 2 years ago, I watched a man take food on a used plate, change his mind and scoop the food off the plate and back onto the buffet! The staff was around and no one took the food off. I never liked buffets before because some people don't have manners in food care, but watching guy that solidified my choice to only eat what isn't self service.
On a recent Alaska cruise the buffet was absolutely PACKED all the time--even between typical meal times. Why? The weather was bad. Because of the cold and rain, everyone spent the day hanging out in the buffet. People weren't eating and leaving. They were eating and then sticking around talking and playing games. It was nearly impossible to find a table every time we went. So prepare for a more packed buffet when the weather turns South.
The buffet had a similar problem on a Panama Canal cruise I took a few years ago, not because of rain but because of heat and humidity. As well, there were quite a few people who would settle by themselves at a table for four with a favourite book and sit there and read by the hour, even though the ship had a library and plenty of other spaces where one could sit and read.
I love going to the buffet on embarkation day for lunch. I don't mind the crowds; I like the people watching. My last couple of Royal Caribbean cruises, I got The Key and enjoyed a steakhouse lunch in the MDR and that was fantastic, though. They have reduced that menu, in recent years, though. There are good tips here, especially about Norovirus, which I got for the first time on my last (and 27th) cruise and it was not fun!
I try to eat every meal possible in the MDR because of the food quality and the wonderful service. The only exception is an occasional lunch because I love Indian food and the buffet always has delicious choices.
Going on a cruise for the first time in 2026...so I'm subscribing to your channel to make the most of it... so happy I found your channel. I know, I have a whole year, and I want to be prepared.
@@loganurquhart11highly recommend small cruises although they generally don't have the budget or space for all the over the top entertainment. I have been on a few dozen cruises with family and friends but my wife had never been on one until a couple weeks ago. Although enjoying the smaller number of passengers and more personalized experienced she now wants to try a massive ship where the onboard entertainment is the reason for the trip.
I wish they offered gloves for us to use while handling tongs etc. but i have washed my hands after getting food before eating it. Even on Viking the buffet foods dont fit my no salt diet so I only use buffet if noother choice.
My husband has been wanting us to try a cruise, but I am very paranoid about germs and foodborne illnesses. I noticed what you said about the hand-washing stations, which are great. What about disposal gloves? One hand holds the plate, the other touches the spoons and tongs, but never the plate. I could put my full plate on the table, go back to the hand-washing station, remove my gloves, and wash my hands again. Would that work? Also, some strains of the virus are airborne so you could wash your hands raw and still get sick. I guess a mask might help as well.
As far as contamination, washing coming in is for you, on the way out is for the buffet. If you hands become contaminated, you are probably OK if your hands do not touch around your head. Washing or sanitizing on the way out remove contamination and you may lose track of keeping your hands on the table.
Followed you for a number of years now. What differentiates your channel from others is your ability to come up with new, unusual and most needed topics.
He's opened my eyes about many things ,as I have not been on a cruise. I'm planning 🎉❤
100%
Differentiates.
Not sure talking about dinning is exactly a new or unique idea on UA-cam cruisers.
Gary, all of your tips are very enlightening. My wife and I will be cruising for our first time very soon. I’ve considered there is a great deal to be mindful of during booking and embarking listening to your videos. Have you created anything that is obtainable, a handbook of sorts that captures all of your advice?
Great comments about hand washing with soap, Gary. Here's a quote from the CDC that confirms your good advice: "Hand sanitizer does not work well against norovirus. You can use hand sanitizers in addition to hand washing, but hand sanitizer is not a substitute for handwashing, which is best."
That is a nice information. Thank you!
Ooh..Norovirus/coronovirus/ and a thousand other viruses!
And the reason norovirus is so contagious is because it takes a miniscule amount of virus to make a person sick. It takes about 100 virus particles to make someone sick, and each sick person is producing BILLIONS to TRILLIONS of particles out their back end. The good news is that it's self-limiting, so it only lasts 24-72 hours, but it can be dangerous for the very young and the elderly.
i tend to drink some hand sanitizer before i enter the room , to ensure am all nice and clean inside and will kill any germs i ingest
I was in charge of sanitation for my region of a national grocer. The best way to avoid norovirus is to use gloves while touching any common touch surface. Second is to wash your hands after filling your plate and before eating. These methods can be effective if there is norovirus on serving pieces etc.
You cannot eliminate risk. But you can vary and minimize your exposure to it. How much is a personal choice.
Even if everyone is forced to wash their hands before using the buffet, there is no forbidding touching things like your phone after doing that, and quite frankly, who knows what is on peoples telephones these days? They even use those in the bathroom, and shaking everyones hands then touching the phone and so on..
There is nothing better, and more endearing, than the people that Royal Caribbean has reminding (forcing, thank goodness!) you to wash your hands. Happy happy, washy washy!
Washee-washee
On our Oceania Riviera cruise, the buffet was fantastic with a continual changing menu of interesting foods. Great sushi. It was our go to venue at lunch time because of the fantastic outside terrace. A huge plus is that the staff serve the food - there is no self serve and a really selling point for Oceania. We rarely went in the evening because the other restaurant venues were spectacular.
I always wash my hands before the buffet. I also grab a napkin and use it to handle the tongs and toss it out after I'm finished getting my food.
I actually did this on my last cruise every time I’m in the buffet. I find it both easy and effective.
But since I still have to pull out my chair at the table, I end up washing my hands again 😆 I love my vacations too much to get sick and miss out
You forgot about the salt & pepper shaker, & the napkins. Someone had to TOUCH the napkins & stuff it into the holder. Same for the utensils. Someone took them out of the dishwasher & put them in the holder. What about the chairs when you grab them to sit down? Nobody is wiping the chair down.
That’s a pretty good idea. Never thought of that before with the condiments.
@@loganurquhart11 I could go on & on. Like buttons on the ATM or at checkout registers, gasoline handles, anything you buy at any grocery store (someone had to unboxed them & stock the shelves), hotels/motels. Practically anything in public once you step outside your home.
@@Vagabond_Etranger making it a bit ridiculous now. It is sensible to do so on an expensive cruise where you dont want to catch any illness and spoil your cruise. Outside of the cruise , just sensible to take precautions .
18 Laps Around The Buffet = One Mile 🤣 Great Video Gary. We Like HAL And Oceania Buffet Due To It Being Served By The Crew.
HAL is on my list because they don't use Flag of Convenience; their ships are flagged in the Netherlands. 🙂
😂
That’s me, I do a big lap or overview of what’s in the buffet and then make my choices.
Also, if there’s a storm to prevent seasickness, I visit the sushi part not to eat sushi, but to serve myself some fresh ginger since it works on me to prevent seasickness which I’m prone to but I only have seasickness when there has been a storm which has happened once across Atlantic.
I not only wash my hands with soap and water going into the buffet, I also put my plate at my place and go wash them again (since I have touched many surfaces and serving utensils getting my food.) I never put my cutlery on the placemat or the table. And I wash any whole fruit (unless it is in individual bowls). Am most of all, I avoid touching my face in the dining room. I too have been on ships with Norwalk and stayed healthy, and enjoyed food in all the venues including buffet.
Do you also wear a mask full time and walk around the ship in an inflatable/enclosed bubble?
I am going to take disposable gloves next cruise, for when I use the serving spoons, then take it off at table.
Me too!
Being perinoid is an illness
Sensible advice.
Totally agree with how you/ smart cruisersuse the buffet. I also was my hands again once I have gathered my food and then get my cutlery. Maybe over the top but so far I have not been ill on the ships.
It is a good move. I am an infection control nurse, who loved my Microbiology class.
I think a microbiology class should be mandatory in high school.
I use hand sanitizer often, especially before touching napkin or silver after getting food from the buffet, yet I get sick on almost every single cruise from those coughing! Respiratory illness or Covid. SO disappointed every trip.
@@GLD-hopeful You get sick from not washing your hands. sanitizer simply coats your hands with slime and spreads any dirt on your hands all over them. Then you put that to your mouth. Never sanitize, always wash the shit off your hands and use napkins and never pick food up with your hands to eat if others may have touched it in a buffet and put it back.
I think I will take disposable gloves with me next time, and use one while I use the serving spoons, then take it off at table, use it again if I go back to the food. Thx
I do not think your buffet hygiene tips are overkill! I do all the same things!!! 😊
@@lindab5789 Your use of exclamation marks is overkill though. 🤣
I cruise solo, and eat infrequently in the MDR as I dislike sitting alone waiting for food to be served. I cruise primarily on repositioning cruises. So I stick to the buffet or the specialty restaurants where the service is faster. I'm an early riser and never have a problem with crowding at that time. For port visits I almost always eat lunch ashore.
I learn so much from Gary’s videos that makes me be a smarter cruiser ❤
I'm 65 and considering my first cruise. Your channel has really opened my eyes for both the positive, and the negatives of cruising. I'm on the fence, but I know if I go it will be for just a few days. Lots of information here, so thank you for that.
DO IT. It was soo much fun when I went the first time earlier this year
I have been on a cruise once but would not do it again. It was mostly dreadful.
I'm 70 and took my first cruise with Cunard in 2022. I'm about to go on my fourth - Queen Mary 2 to the Caribbean at Christmas. Cunard all the way - the cruise line for grownups. I'm having a great time.
Love a good buffet. Some lines seem to assume that passengers want to use the mdr, but I like to choose when I eat and what portions - it's my holiday. If a ship has a bad buffet, I won't sail on it again.
Gary, I just wanted to say thank you for your channel. We have been watching your videos for a couple of years now and they have helped us make great decisions for a European river cruise we took 2 years ago and an Alaskan cruise we took this year. These turned out near perfect largely because of lots of the advice in your videos. We plan to take a couple more cruises in the next few years, and we will be watching your channel for more great advice.
I worked in construction not food industry but during 43 years of work it has taken me behind the scenes of a lot of restaurants. What you see out the front is the least of your worries. If you knew what went on behind you would think twice about eating anything. Chefs have got the most disgusting habits. Not least they all have a filthy cloth stuffed about their person. It wipes their hands, spills, tidies up the sauce they pour over your food. And it goes in and out the bathroom with them. The universal clean up tool that hangs there all day. Common practice. Everything about commercial kitchens is shocking when you get to witness it. I seldom ever eat out. Over the years I have seen enough to put me off.
My friend who was a regional manager for a restaurant chain told me the same thing, but I still enjoy going out to eat once in a while. The only time I've gotten sick was on a land tour where the guide bought sandwiches early in the day and didn't store them properly. Maybe I've just been lucky.
@@elisaastorino2881 Maybe not so much lucky as you have a good strong immune system. That's what most people should be working towards. Filth and germs are everywhere!
i have worked in catering for 45 years and strangly enough i know some really bad construction workers too . ironic eh?
Very true mate. Every trade has it's dodgy brothers. @@marty0077
@@marty0077yes construction workers coming in covered in mud, dripping mud all over buffets and Salad bars, reaching in with bare, dirty hands to pick up food, leaving mud filled seats.
Our last Holland America cruise, we hit the MDR for lunch on embarkation day. Maybe 50 people there. The waiters outnumbered the customers. Meanwhile, we heard people complaining that the buffet was crazy busy.
On the large ships Dutch cafe...love Krokets
I always wash my hands before entering the buffet. After I've made all my choices and go to a table, I will use hand sanitizer before touching my own cutlery or cups, thus trying to eliminate any germs picked up on serving utencils.
Yes, the way to do!
Hi Gary, just wanted to let you know the link for the follow up video didn’t work for me. Not sure if that’s my issue or your issue. Just wanted to let you know. Great video as always thanks.
My family is in the hotel business, my father who was an hotel manager for decades NEVER ate at a buffet, reason, fear of contamination and disease. I follow the same rule, to many people, not sure about all the health status of different people, trying to serve themselves or touching food. The dining room is my choice always.
There are some great tips there Gary. Thanks for that.
Great suggestions. The link to the main dining room no-nos doesn't work. I was trying to watch it.
Gary has many, many good points I agree with in this video:
(As a (so far) 100% Disney cruiser)...
* I have virtually always had breakfast in the buffet, for the selection and speed.
** I virtually never breakfast at one of the three rotational dining rooms,
because of the relatively limited menu and sedate (albeit quality) service.
** The same goes for lunch - virtually never at one of the three main dining rooms,
for the same reasons.
* In the past, I almost always obtained lunch from one of the pool deck outdoor kitchens -
pizza, sandwiches, etc. However a couple of cruises ago I learned to:
* I always survey (and usually use) the buffet for lunch,
because there are always a rotation of international menu themes for lunch.
(Gary's "more exotic foods").
Many items (Mexican, Subcontinental, ...) are only available in the buffet,
and the quality is rather good. (Items from cultures heavily represented amongst the crew
are likely to be good, because they are served frequently in the crew mess,
and the crew will demand that they be prepared well. Also, international items
may well be prepared by cooks from the cultures in question. (Although Disney would
strive to get foreign recipes correct in any case).
The existence of international food themes is easily the most important
single thing I've learned about dining in the past few years of cruising.
* Notwithstanding Gary's points about embarkation day,
I would still focus on the buffet going forward, for the same reasons.
(Previously we would usually use the pool deck venues,
especially because that is the most convenient place to relax
until we are allowed access to the cabin decks).
However,...
* Given Disney's unique rotational dining scheme, we have _always_ had supper
in our assigned main dining room. The only exception is the one night we dine in
the Palo specialty restaurant. The main dining room cuisine is frankly the best part
of the entire cruise. There are no circumstances where I would blow if off to
relax with the pool deck food. (Disney serves no dinner buffet).
Hi Gary! Really enjoy your channel. I have a good deal of experience in the cruise industry (former cruise ship captain) but your insights are great! Working on doing the QM2 transatlantic as a bucket list. I’m generally averse to doing cruises at this point but that one is so unique I need to do it. So really appreciate your Cunard videos. (Which is how I found your channel!) Keep up the great work.
You and Gary should have a chat. I'm sure he'd find your perspective fascinating. And vice versa.
Great video Gary. Oceania has limited dining options for lunch on embarkation so my wife and I eat lunch at our local hotel before going to the port. Due to my wife’s food allergies we avoid the buffet.
Instead of using a paper napkin to hold your ice cream cone with a contaminated hand, you should use the paper napkin to pull the lever, then discard the napkin and proceed with two clean hands.
I use 2 napkins--one for the cone AND one to operate the lever.
I like your practical idea about picking up the condiments and other things with the napkin that many people have handled. I never thought of that. I’ve gone on many cruises and always keep my hands washed, but I was sick just one time in the Mediterranean and normally I’m not a person that gets sick ever.
Post-Covid, no preventative measure seems like overkill. My sister & BIL caught Covid on their last cruise 😢
I prefer the dining room, less crowded, more sanitary and wonderful service.
I totally agree, however some cruise ships don't offer breakfast or lunch in their dining room. Only dinner unfortunately.
Great tips, Gary! I thought I was pretty smart, but didn't consider the condiment area. I will avoid them in the future!
I don't know whether I'll have the chance to go on a cruise, but I find your information very interesting and useful. Buffet restaurants are also available in hotels, so this is very useful for eating there, too.
What I love on HAL newer ships is that they have these automated hand washing devices that cleans your hands at the required minimum time. I also favor the made to order dishes at their Lido Market.
Don't forget to get the super fries at the Dive-In bar, on Holland America. It is located by the main swimming pool.. Enjoy.
Ours last week on the Nieuw Statendam were not that great.
And the Pastrami Sandwich from NYDeli was atrocious!
I hate throwing out food , but that was the worst meat ever. Bah!
Most of the time, on the ships I’ve been on, there is a menu posted at the entrances to the buffet. So I stop, check what I might like, tell my husband and then find a table. Because I am in a wheelchair and it’s just too much of a struggle to weave around people who don’t pay attention to where they are going. This gives me the bonus that, between washing my hands in my cabin and getting my plate & cutlery, I’ve touched nothing but the controls on my chair. I still use antibacterial gel before starting to eat, though.
I’ve never been sick on or after a cruise. Touch wood (and then washes hands).
As a diabetic, I often see the buffet as a way to eat the amounts of certain foods that I should be eating.
Realizing what other lines do really makes me appreciate Norwegian's approach. No assigned times or tables for non-premium restaurants. Cruises are already so regimented it was nice having one aspect that was relaxed.
We only went to the buffet when we wanted to get food before an excursion or after leaving too early for an excursion and getting back before the end of breakfast.
I don't like assigned times, but I do like assigned tables. That way, I have the same servers and they get to know my preferences.
@TheOnlyLilithcat , unless it's a server that isn't very good. One server, named Moses, took our empty butter dish and returned an empty butter dish. We had him for breakfast in a different restaurant. Took our empty butter dish, and just never brought one back. I don't know if he didn't like us or butter. I'm glad I didn't have him every time.
The timing of your info about Nero virus was spot on, @11:53 you show someone handling food with his hand and putting it back on the buffet.
This all depends on the cruise line . On p&o we very rare use the buffet we may go and get a sandwich or cake buscuit mid afternoon or very late at night but the food served at the buffet is generally on offer at restaurants. Especially on there larger ships like iona.
As for boarding day we generally have 2 to 3pm boarding time. So we again we just grab a drink and sandwich
I was very impressed with Royal Caribbean handwashing stations at the buffet entries.
I bring surgical gloves to touch serving utensils. I avoid the ice cream dispenser bc parents let their children run wild with it. Children are notorious for bad hygiene. If I want ice cream, I get the served scoops by staff. I try to select anything from the top shelves for this reason and reach a little further back just in case someone touches the plate or bowl. I dont eat at the buffet daily. I might about 3 times the entire cruise. I prefer a served meal. I wish people would wash their hands after eating, too. Buttons on elevators and door handles are another hit spot for norovirus. I use a napkin to touch those. I try to go to my cabin to use the bathroom more than the public restrooms. I think that helps reduce the risk of norovirus. I take the stairs as much as I can, avoid touching the railing if I can. I wash my hands as soon as I enter my cabin. I know it sounds overkill but I am willing to do it because vomiting and crapping myself for days sounds worse.
Great advice
I do like the buffet for its variety
I like Chinese and Indian and there are always options available
I loved our recent Oceania Vista buffet - we got to know the staff who also got to know us and often, one of the chefs or the absolutely delightful section manager would come over with a smile and "strongly recommend" something special that they knew we would enjoy. It was also a great place to connect with others who wound up on many of the same excursions and became wonderful friends we're still in contact with.
We always do a lap around the buffet to see the offerings. Our other "rule" is to not serve more than one or two BITES of an item that is being served out of a large dish. Always wash hands before and after and use hand sanitizer between serving and eating. New plates and glasses each course if not all on one plate. We find we eat less this way and dont gain weight on a cruise.
Great clip Gazza! Some very relevant tips that are easily forgotten by some. This video should be compulsory viewing for all cruisers. Cheers, and keep up the excellent work!
What would you think about putting gloves on to get the food, taking them off to eat, and putting (fresh) gloves on each time you go to the buffet again? Yes, wash the hands as you enter, but with the gloves it doesn't matter if someone with norovirus had just used the tongs before you picked them up. Before you do anything near your face with the norovirus contaminated glove, you've taken off the gloves.
After washing hands and going through the buffet, my wife and I use antibacterial Wet Ones to cleanse our hands. They claim it kills 99.99% of bacteria. We’ve been cruisers since 1990 and never have gotten sick.
Bacteria is different to a virus, and sanitizer does not work with Norwalk so probably not Covid.
Have been on many cruises with the same group of friends and we have never gotten sick even when on one cruise every second person was down..but we always wipe our table down with disinfectant wipes before we start..and followed your tips..
I have secondary adrenal insufficiency and usually avoid all buffets for the reasons you have mentioned. All the people that touch the tongs and condiments could really get me sick so I’d like to mention that you can wash your hands as you enter but wash them again before you eat. I also avoid cruises too many people but I do love watching your videos.
Sounds like all you wanted to do is complain about your ailments.😂
We are dominant buffet cruisers and especially like HAL because they do most of the serving. We also have a good track record for not gaining weight on cruises (even multi-month cruises!). This is a great video.
Love the buffet onboard! I always bring nitrile gloves with me, to use in the serving lines, so I don’t have to touch the tings directly.
Washing your hands before entering really doesn’t do much good if you don’t repeat before actually eating the food because if you did touch something contaminated during serving your hands are dirty when you start eating.
I was in a country a couple years ago, with a tour group, most visitors were with groups. A lady with another group went around the buffet and picked up numerous breads, squeezed, then returned, until she found a roll, etc that suited her. She was asked by servers to refrain, yet continued
I agree with the buffet choices. Often I like the buffet because I simply do not know what type of food I want to eat and/or I don't want to eat the same type of food as my wife. Plus if you try something that you don't like, not eating it works and you can go get something else.
Just know though, in the MDR's, they have higher end foods + soups (like French Onion). They serve u, + u can have as much as u want off the menu. If u don't like something, just leave it.
I didn’t know that Holland America did not have a self-service buffet, another reason for me to choose them to go on my first Alaska cruise since I’m really against a self-service buffet because I always see people doing unhealthy things with the food.
Yet Holland Am has a Norovirus outbreak every year. It starts in the kitchen ... high in the CDC charts are Royal Car, Princess and Celebrity.
We were on Holland America last year and it was a self serve buffet
You mentioned hand washing and Neurovirus. On our last cruise out of Southamption we embarked the ship and got in our car for a 4hr drive home ,an hour later I felt ill and was violently sick at the wheel of the car , it happened within seconds , i lost control of the car ,veered off the motorway up a 30foot embankment rolled the car my wife had to be cut out and sustained a broken back, ,I had multiple injuries turns out we had both had Neurovirus which apparently we picked up on the ship which caused the sickness.The moral of the story is use sanitizer and hand-wash at every opportunity, I wouldn't want our experience to happen to anyone else ,thank you for the video.
How horrible. You need to wash hands to avoid noro. Hand sanitizer doesn’t work.
On one cruise, we found ourselves booked on back to back excursions with no lunch break. We ordered a box lunch to go delivered to our stateroom in the morning. Problem solved.
Also, just like to add something: one of the issues for me regarding the buffet is if you indeed go there when it is packed you don't know if you can find a seat when you got your food. This is specifically an issue if you are a solo passenger. However some cruise lines has solved this by having staff at the doors who actually find a seat for you (like in the main dining rooms) and THEN the buffet works as usual: you get up and get your food. I know for a fact that Fred Olsen's ships do this.
"I don't use my fingers to dip in and taste sauces and dishes". Oh lordy I couldn't believe it if I saw anyone doing that
Oh I could, and I did, and I call them out. Loudly. So everyone in earshot can have a good look. I put up with enough stupidity for work to have to tolerate that during the few days I can be on leave.
What?! Surely peeps don't do this do they?! Now I feel ill 🤢
On a recent Celebrity cruise, I was really tempted to get the corn chips with salsa, but after seeing the fingers that went into that bowl of chips, I had to restrain myself. 🤮 Ditto for the "make your own dessert crepe" station.
I NEVER eat in a buffet. I simply don't trust my fellow cruisers to not handle my food before it hits my plate.
@ThisWontFly I could tell u stories of what I've seen kids do at the buffet. With one boy, I followed him to his table + told his parents what I saw him do. I also suggested they go with him when he goes up (can't believe they didn't already). I don't care, thought they should know.
we take normal sanitary precautions (seems like the perseverating trend only started in March, 2020). The only illness we've had (foodwise) was when part of our family ate 'sushi demo' sushi that was made in the atrium, on NCL on day 7 of our cruise. They clearly did not handle the fish properly. Other than that, no issues. Some have mentioned that norovirus outbreaks often hit a bunch of rooms on certain hallways. Tbh, it's likely something tainted was in the water supply, also possible some raw food, typically lettuce, had something wrong with it.
So the jist is: stay sanitary--but be aware that numerous ships (including Hal) have had noro outbrakes and it's uncertain why. No one should get upset with other passengers unless they see some really obvious types of 'buffet fouls' like coughing excessively, putting partly eaten food back near the cooked food, etc. I've also come home and gotten ill once or twice, I think last time it was from someone near me in the gym that would not stop coughing (elderly woman that should NOT have been there at all since she was coughing).
Not everyone who coughs is suffering from a contagious disease. I have cough variant asthma, which is definitely NOT contagious, and I resent all the dirty looks I get. I'm just waiting for someone to get in my face about it. I'm very careful about keeping sanitary and I think most people are. So perhaps you shouldn't be so judgemental of that lady at the gym.
@@elisaastorino2881 it was a crowded space, she was coughing repeatedly, more like a respiratory ailment. The considerate thing would for her to not have been in there.
@@monkeyb1820A side affect to a blood pressure medication is coughing for some people, like my husband. Since Covid, people think he is contagious with a respiratory issue but obviously not since he has had this problem for years.
I just finished the cruise on the celebrity reflection. The buffet was so good. I didn’t need to go anywhere else.
I find the buffet is good if you're just looking for something simple too, like just a sandwich or the like.
we always eat lunch in the buffet on the embarkation day on Celebrity! Just have to be patient to find a table. Quick and easy for a small meal.
Great advice for public dining in general.
On our Royal Caribbean cruise to Norway last week, there were no walking stations that I saw, and we had to ask for gloves. NCL had them readily available last year when we sailed. (Of course, we were on an older RC ship - Jewel of the seas)
While hand washing is good to do regardless, I sort of am wondering if you wash your hands when entering the buffet and then you handle tongs or other commonly handled items, I would think that the hand washing would then only have a limited impact on your safety in regards to germs. This is where santizer may be helpful or I guess if you really wanted to, bring some disposable plastic gloves that you use only when getting your food. I feel it's similar to the bathroom thing where you wash yuour hands only to have to touch the handle to open the door. The hand washing helps, but then you're touching something that potentially has something nasty on it.
Some of these MAY be overly cautious like using napkins, but it sure beats getting sick and being sick your entire trip. So IMO a little inconvenience can make for a better experience if it prevents you from getting sick.
Monkey see, monkey do is the idea behind hand washing besides you doing courtesy to others.
Only soap kills norovirus. Hand sanitizer does not. CDC and other medical sites have studies on that.
On the recent QM2 crossing I was on, I was happy to see that the public restrooms had signs on the doors that a paper towel should be used to open the door when leaving.
The second I saw the 'Dive In' clip from Holland America, I needed those Dive In fries - so good...
I actually tend to avoid the MDR on embarkation day, as I'm often restless and keen to explore the ship on Day 1 - I don't want to spend time waiting for my lunch to be served. Strange, I know, ha!
If you cruise RC, main dining is not available for embarkation day lunch unless you paid for the Key program. If you have to do the buffet, it’s best to arrive as early as possible before the big families arrive.
Hi, thank you for your insightful calm views and cruising insights. Would you consider doing an update on either World Cruises or Partial World Cruises. Its amazing that I see very few vids on the subject.
Thankyou for the tips. I really did not give much consideration to the info you so well outline. It's great information & I take note and thank you for. You cruise much more than I do , but we need 5his Info, as it helps avoid an issue. Thankyou SIR for your good stewardship in helping the rest of us & educating us as cruisers. Good vid, safe travel to you and yours.
I'm following your suggestion next week when we board the QV and will go straight to the Princess Grill to check out our table. If it's not in the best location I've prepared my opening statement to the wait staff - "Gary Told Me"
We took Gary’s advice recently on the QM2. Maître d wouldn’t change the table! Fortunately it all turned out well in the end.
@@helenhall3705 But did you tell him that Gary told you so!!😄
@@calumshaw clearly my error 🤣🤣
I don't see any excitement in some buffet to stuff ones face.
Keep me posted ! Going as early as you can at lunch should work out. Fingers crossed ! Have a great trip
Great video - we cruise a lot and fundamentally follow your guidelines!
You can also arrange tour plate in a (relatively) healthy way if you do it yourself. Like myplate. 1/4 fruit, 1/4 veggie, 1/4 protein, 1/4 grain.
Gary: I went on a HAL Alaskan cruise in June.
Your observations and suggestions are spot-on.
My biggest buffet gripes were with the morbidly obese passengers (on scooters) cutting in line, running you down, a rude entitlement attitude, and most of the time overloading their trays with everything they could get their hands on. Really unpleasant experiences!
The main dining room was a bit better.
The specialty restaurants were worth the up-charge in this circumstance.
We should have a better experience on our future Regent 7Seas cruise around Japan next year!
Thanks again!!!😊
Hello my fellow UA-camr.
Firstly I would like to thank you for taking the time, effort and resources it took, in making this very informative film about cruise culture and cruise ships, I have been thinking about a cruise for some time, I have never been on a cruise before, I have been on many ships over the years and I enjoy them, but never on a cruise or even a cruise ship, in my entire life.
My Parents loved them and did many cruises over the years on many different ships, and I thought I might like them as well, but what your production has made me realise, is several issues I would have on a cruise ship, and the culture around them.
After watching this I realized that cruise ships and being on a cruise is not for me I really won’t go into long explanations it would just fill this page with what I think, feel and understand and what I see wrong about a ship cruise in today’s modern world.
But I would say that the days of adventure on the high seas, in luxury and comfort with awesome company, in wonderful exotic and interesting locations on land or at sea, are a thing of the past, and in short, I would probably end up just spend all my time in my cabin.
I thank you again for your time and effort and for saving me a lot of money and so much wasted time if I had gone throw with my plans.
Yeah, norovirus is my main concern with buffets. My body can’t fight viruses very well and I get VERY sick whenever i contract a norovirus. I spent four days this week in hospital after contracting norovirus last week, in fact. I never eat at buffets and I wash my hands before I eat, but unfortunately not all cooks and servers wash their hands all the time. I only ate one meal outside of my home last week, and I ended up sick enough to require hospitalization.
This has happened to me three times over the past five or six years, including once while at Walt Disney World. Trust me when I tell you that Celebration Hospital is NOT the most magical place on Earth…
I’ve never eaten at a buffet on a cruise ship, partly because of this. One of the things about cruising that I enjoy the most is fine dining. I want fancy meals, and that’s not going to happen at a buffet. While I’ll eat most meals in the main dining room, I really prefer the elevated dining options. I’m also not a big eater, so a buffet is kind of wasted on me when I’m just going to eat a small plate of food. That’s one of the things I love about fine dining, in fact - I don’t ever feel like I’m wasting food by not eating everything on my plate. But I’m also not a picky eater, so I never have trouble finding things I’ll enjoy even on limited fine-dining menus.
But it’s mainly the norovirus that makes buffets too scary for me to enjoy. Were I to catch it on a cruise, I’d likely have to be hospitalized at the next port of call, because the medical facilities on cruise ships aren’t set up to act as an ICU for someone whose entire system goes haywire upon contracting a gastrointestinal virus.
May just be better to not cruise, then.
Agreed on Alfredo’s!! Delicious anytime of a princess cruise.
Good points made here...on a submarine mess deck (food service area), the deck, all horizontal surfaces, all metal and all glass surfaces get wiped down before and after every meal, and the food is placed on your plate by the MS (Mess Specialist or "cook") or by one of the "mess cranks" (all junior enlisted personnel must spend time doing food service). Even the waffle maker has to get cleaned after breakfast, that thing is a real pain to clean. My first week, I was ordered to re-clean it at least once every day, as it wasn't clean to the satisfaction of the Culinary Specialist Senior Chief..... "clean it again, aye, senior" (groans internally)....lol. Was so glad to be able to go to sonar, my normal duty station, when my obligated time in the mess deck was complete. 🙂
What makes the food on submarine better (or so I hear, never served on a surface ship so can't compare) is that the officers and the enlisted members get the same meal (though they still eat in a different area, can't fraternize with enlisted), the cooks are only cooking for about 30-40 at a time instead of hundreds or thousands, and they send us the best cooks, usually at least one CS (Culinary Specialist)...on my first boat, one of the CSs used to cook at the White House, under Bush 43. 🙂
Travelled with 2 kinds under 6 at Quantum.... we went to the buffet for basically every single meal. Was basically the only way for them to eat as there were more variety and you can mixed/match to create more dishes. Eg. There's mashed potatoes, sliced cheese, and assorted cooked veggies... now it's cheesy mashed potatoes with mixed veggies for the kids.
On my cruises I mix it up between the buffet and formal dining
I like that HALs buffet is not self-serve, particularly because the servers have better portion control than if it were left up to me 😂
Having the crew serve at the buffet also reduces food waste. Self serve people over fill their plate instead of getting up for second or third small plates.
Great topic, excellent advice (many things I've never thought of). Certainly whetted my appetite for more of your videos. Subscribed!
Gary, love your channel and the tips. If only everyone would wash their hands before eating in the buffet the risk of illnesses would drop dramatically. I have seen so many cruisers just walk in without any attempt at hand washing or sanitising.
Love these video wonderful information about tips for cruises. One thing I always wonder how do you keep the pounds off the waist line? Food on most cruises very tempting and keeping that balance really difficult. Do you miss out on say lunch or avoid anything?
I only eat things that are served by the workers and not the self service things. Last HA cruise I was on 2 years ago, I watched a man take food on a used plate, change his mind and scoop the food off the plate and back onto the buffet! The staff was around and no one took the food off. I never liked buffets before because some people don't have manners in food care, but watching guy that solidified my choice to only eat what isn't self service.
Thanks for your dedication to helping 🙌 👍
Great video! This is information I need in prep for trying my first cruise.
Great tips as always! Thank you for the video!
On a recent Alaska cruise the buffet was absolutely PACKED all the time--even between typical meal times. Why? The weather was bad. Because of the cold and rain, everyone spent the day hanging out in the buffet. People weren't eating and leaving. They were eating and then sticking around talking and playing games. It was nearly impossible to find a table every time we went. So prepare for a more packed buffet when the weather turns South.
Didn’t they have on the Alaska cruise any other rooms besides the buffet room to play games?
The buffet had a similar problem on a Panama Canal cruise I took a few years ago, not because of rain but because of heat and humidity. As well, there were quite a few people who would settle by themselves at a table for four with a favourite book and sit there and read by the hour, even though the ship had a library and plenty of other spaces where one could sit and read.
I love going to the buffet on embarkation day for lunch. I don't mind the crowds; I like the people watching. My last couple of Royal Caribbean cruises, I got The Key and enjoyed a steakhouse lunch in the MDR and that was fantastic, though. They have reduced that menu, in recent years, though. There are good tips here, especially about Norovirus, which I got for the first time on my last (and 27th) cruise and it was not fun!
You can't dip you finger in the sauce to taste it at a buffet ?
Or lick the food to see if you like it ??
too many people do not wash their hands! ick
Great video Gary.
I try to eat every meal possible in the MDR because of the food quality and the wonderful service. The only exception is an occasional lunch because I love Indian food and the buffet always has delicious choices.
I like the tip of the napkin for the self serve soft ice cream cone. You can also use a napkin to pull the lever.
Going on a cruise for the first time in 2026...so I'm subscribing to your channel to make the most of it... so happy I found your channel. I know, I have a whole year, and I want to be prepared.
Brilliant. Hope I can help
I haven’t been on one and I’m 45 years old. I’m thinking that a cruse ship with like 500 or less passengers may suite me best.
@@loganurquhart11highly recommend small cruises although they generally don't have the budget or space for all the over the top entertainment. I have been on a few dozen cruises with family and friends but my wife had never been on one until a couple weeks ago. Although enjoying the smaller number of passengers and more personalized experienced she now wants to try a massive ship where the onboard entertainment is the reason for the trip.
I tend to go to the buffet a bit more on cruises without many children. Children are very messy and unhygienic in a buffet.
I wish they offered gloves for us to use while handling tongs etc. but i have washed my hands after getting food before eating it. Even on Viking the buffet foods dont fit my no salt diet so I only use buffet if noother choice.
My husband has been wanting us to try a cruise, but I am very paranoid about germs and foodborne illnesses. I noticed what you said about the hand-washing stations, which are great. What about disposal gloves? One hand holds the plate, the other touches the spoons and tongs, but never the plate. I could put my full plate on the table, go back to the hand-washing station, remove my gloves, and wash my hands again. Would that work? Also, some strains of the virus are airborne so you could wash your hands raw and still get sick. I guess a mask might help as well.
As far as contamination, washing coming in is for you, on the way out is for the buffet. If you hands become contaminated, you are probably OK if your hands do not touch around your head. Washing or sanitizing on the way out remove contamination and you may lose track of keeping your hands on the table.