Cruises are all about good vibes and great food, but not everything on the buffet is your friend. Some foods can turn your dream vacation into a queasy disaster. So if you want to have a smooth sailing one and get your money’s worth, then you should avoid these 10 foods. Trust us, it’s better to keep away than to risk trying something new.
10. Tap Water from Any Port
When your ship has docked somewhere, better bring your water bottle with you and avoid refilling it at a local tap. Why? Water safety standards vary globally, and drinking untreated water (or even ice made from it) can introduce bacteria your stomach isn’t used to. Make sure to only drink sealed bottled water when offshore.
9. Spicy Food
One thing about cruise ships is their world-class cuisine consisting of different foods from other countries. However, you should steer clear of that drenched spicy chicken. It’s better to wait on land before experimenting with spicy food. Why? Well, they contain hot chili peppers that have a compound called capsaicin. This may possibly irritate your stomach, which might cause you to vomit or, worse, acid reflux!
8. Buffet Scrambled Eggs
Who doesn’t love a breakfast buffet? It’s literally the reason why we wake up early on shore. However, you may want to avoid the scrambled eggs and opt for other food to get your protein intake instead. Due to the load that cruise ships should feed scrambled eggs to, they often opt for powdered eggs! While they’re not bad for the health at all, they may taste bad.
7. Shared Condiments
Take this: With everyone with you on the cruise, chances are the condiments are already contaminated. It’s better to use communal condiments or just avoid food with the need for heavy condiments. Keep this in mind: The less you need to touch the buffet, the better.
6. Buffet Sushi
One buffet staple would have to be sushi and the like. While you wouldn’t mind a fresh one, eating Buffet Sushi might not be ideal. They may have been standing on the buffet for a long period of time, so it may taste unpleasant or it might make you sick.
5. Raw Meat and Seafood
Other foods you may also need to stay away from are Raw Meat and Seafood. Foods like shrimp c*ckt*ils, shellfish, and poke may possibly contain bacteria or grow bacteria if they are stored or served improperly. But if you’re really craving meat, you may request a raw one and boil it at 149 degrees Fahrenheit to totally remove the unwanted bacteria.
4. Unpasteurized Products
Pasteurization is a process of heating and cooling products to remove dangerous bacteria such as E.coli and listeria. While it’s been widely practiced, it’s not a universal standard. Since cruise ships travel all over the world, there might be a slight possibility that they carry unpasteurized products. It wouldn’t hurt to ask the staff, just to make sure that you’re consuming bacteria-free food or drinks.
3. Buffet Pizzas
While a pizza is a good starter to get at buffets, it’s better to avoid them. Why? There’s a good chance that they’ve been sitting on the food lamp for hours. This results in a dry crust and chewy toppings, which isn’t really ideal for pizza. Remember, there are far better pizza options when you land.
2. Raw Fruits
A tropical cruise vacation with fruits is always the go-to combo. However, you may want to approach them with a little caution. Contamination is an easy catch, and as they were handled by multiple people, it caused the fruits not to be thoroughly washed. Instead, you can just consume fruits that you have washed or peeled on your own.
1. Fountain Sodas
A 2023 study from Loma Linda University that was published by the International Water Association revealed that 42% of samples that were tested in Fountain Sodas reveal that they are contaminated with coliform bacteria. Cruise ships are inspected twice a year, which is the same for fast food restaurants, so we can assume that it’s also the same case. Stick to canned or bottled beverages that are sealed instead to avoid any bacteria that you can possibly get.