Why you should always avoid the cruise buffet as soon as you board – and where you should go instead
BRITS have been warned to avoid the buffet when holidaying on a cruise ship.
The convenience of an all-inclusive buffet draws most of the passengers on the first day of their trip - but it's not the only option.
Most of the time the cruise ship's buffet will be the boat's most popular restaurant as it's usually included in guest packages.
And on embarkation day - when passengers first board the cruise ship - it can be the first place guests go.
After spending hours upon hours travelling to the port, checking in luggage and going through any other processes, the first thing holidaymakers want is a plate full of food.
But because it's the first day, the buffet restaurant isn't always the best option because it's full of other guests chowing down on what's on offer, reports the .
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To avoid a busy, loud and potentially lower-quality meal, soon-to-be boarding Brits should check out what else the ship has to offer.
Most of them will have more than just a buffet restaurant - with different cuisines, tastes and prices throughout - and are often more peaceful than busy buffet stations.
But if you do decide that the buffet is the best option available, cruise experts have listed some foods that are best to be avoided.
Travel experts Ashley Kosciolek and Katherine Alex Beaven put the helpful list together and it could help you dodge a funny tummy for the first few days of your trip.
They recommend avoiding something that could have been left out for a while, in favour of something that has been made fresh right in front of you.
The list includes pre-prepared sushi, ice cream, scrambled eggs, pizza and communal condiments.
The same goes for pizza, while eggs are best eaten in the form of omelettes at a made-to-order station.
And because ice cream is usually offered at a self-service station, lots of other hands will have touched the dispenser, and the cones, so they recommended always using a bowl and a napkin to dispense the dessert.
The same issue is present with condiments, lots of other people use them and they'll be left out for a while - making them a hotbed for germs.
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