Cruise buffet etiquette: the debates every cruiser has an opinion on
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The buffet is the beating heart of most cruise ships, and the source of the fiercest arguments on every cruise forum. Hand washing, little fingers in the bread basket, plates carried back to the cabin and whether pyjamas belong at breakfast: here is where we land, and why.
- Most ships now have hand-wash stations at the buffet door
- Norovirus spreads by hands, not just surfaces
- Room service is usually the right way to eat in your cabin
- Go at off-peak times for the calmest buffet
Updated 26 September 2026 · By the Woodford Chauffeur Cars team · Tell us your view in the comments on our LinkedIn page
Should hand washing be mandatory before entering the buffet?
Many ships already place sinks or sanitiser stations at the buffet entrance, and crew often greet guests with a cheerful "washy washy". Health authorities point out that proper hand washing with soap and water is more effective than gel against norovirus, the bug behind most cruise outbreaks.
Our view: yes, it should be expected of everyone. Thirty seconds at the sink protects the whole ship, including you, from spending half your holiday in your cabin. During an outbreak most lines move to crew-served buffets anyway, so a little discipline keeps self-service open for all.
Should ships do more to stop children touching food?
Children picking up a pastry and putting it back is the complaint we hear most. Ships already use sneeze guards, tongs changed every 30 minutes and crew stationed at busy counters. The best fix is simple: parents serving small children, or letting crew plate up for them. Some ships keep a dedicated children's buffet area at child height, which helps everyone.
Should taking food away from the buffet be allowed?
A coffee and a pastry to the balcony is widely tolerated. Full plates carried through corridors are a different matter, because food left at room temperature in cabins is a hygiene risk and trays pile up in hallways. Most lines prefer you use room service for cabin dining, and it is often free or very cheap for continental breakfast. Never take food ashore: port authorities fine passengers carrying fresh food off the ship.
Best cruise buffet tips
- Walk the whole buffet first before picking up a plate. There is usually far more than the first counter suggests.
- Go early or late. Peak times are 8:30 to 9:30am and 12:30 to 1:30pm, especially on sea days.
- Use a fresh plate every trip. It is a hygiene rule on every ship, not a suggestion.
- Look for the hidden stations: made-to-order eggs, noodle bars and the carvery are often round a corner.
- On embarkation day, skip the packed buffet and look for the quieter main dining room lunch if it is open.
Would you like one "wear your robe or PJs to breakfast" day?
It is a lovely idea for a lazy sea day, and some guests already treat room service breakfast on the balcony that way. In the public buffet, though, most lines ask for cover-ups and footwear at all times, and bathrobes are generally not allowed in restaurants. A themed "pyjama brunch" in one venue on one sea day? We would absolutely go.
Start (and end) your cruise the easy way
A fixed-fare Woodford Chauffeur Cars car from Heathrow, Gatwick, London or Essex to any of the five Southampton terminals, and home again when you are back. Luggage included, ship and traffic tracked. From £146 per car.
Buffet manners on a winter or Christmas sailing
Winter sailings have their own buffet quirks. With early sunsets and cooler sea days keeping more people indoors, it is no surprise if the buffet feels busier, and hand-washing matters all the more in the season of coughs and colds. The etiquette debates on this page apply just as much in December, perhaps more so when a ship is full of families sailing over Christmas.
Getting to the ship is the less contentious part. Most Christmas cruises leave Southampton between Saturday 19 and Tuesday 22 December 2026, and there is little or no rail service on Christmas Day or Boxing Day. A private car on a fixed per-vehicle fare, luggage included, gets you to the terminal ready for that first lunch rather than chilled from a station platform.
- Door-to-terminal drop, so the family arrives warm and unhurried
- Flight tracked if you are coming from an airport in winter weather
- MPV for up to 6 people when the whole family is travelling
For a festive lunch somewhere without a queue, our Chewton Glen chauffeur serves the New Forest all year.
Quick answers
Do cruise ships make you wash your hands before the buffet?
Many ships have sinks or sanitiser at the entrance and crew encourage everyone to use them. It is rarely enforced strictly, but during an illness outbreak lines often switch to crew-served buffets.
Can I take food from the buffet to my cabin?
A drink or a snack is usually fine, but most lines prefer you order room service for cabin meals. Taking food off the ship in port is not allowed.
Can you wear pyjamas or a robe to the cruise buffet?
Generally no. Most lines ask guests to be fully dressed with footwear in the buffet and to keep bathrobes for the cabin and spa.
Can you get our family to the ship for a Christmas cruise?
Yes. We run transfers for festive sailings, including the main departure days from 19 to 22 December 2026, and our MPVs take up to six people with four large cases. If there are more of you, we have larger group vehicles, so the whole family can travel together.
If our flight into London is late because of winter weather, how will you know?
Your driver tracks the flight number and moves the pickup to the real landing time, whether the delay is fog, ice or a storm on the way. You do not need to call us from the aircraft; just switch your phone on when you land and the driver will be in touch.
Cruise line rules change. Always check the latest policies with your cruise line before you travel. This guide is general information, not legal or medical advice.