Best All You Can Eat Cruise Buffets

[Bizmark'sMom]

The carved ham at Celebrity's breakfast buffet sealed the deal for me. That and the whipped orange butter I slathered on anything bread like. The omelet station doesn't just do omelets, they also do nicely over easy eggs and will scramble eggs fresh for you. The pasta / pizza station is open early and stays open late, so if you want dinner early or late you have a really decent option. (pizza is just ok, the pasta is really good) And the homemade ice cream is definitely worth saving room for!

 

I found Princess's buffet was just ok. A step above what you'd find in a hospital cafeteria, but not much of a step.

[alexspepa]

don't see how Oceania would not lead that pack...grilled lobsters, filet mingon, lamb chops at every dinner buffet. Breakfast and lunch also featured very good food and selections; I loved the fresh fruit options at breakfast.

[sail7seas]

I look for delicious fish on my cruises and have been somewhat let down. Is Oceania good with their fish offerings...... not shellfish,

[navybankerteacher]

I look for delicious fish on my cruises and have been somewhat let down. Is Oceania good with their fish offerings...... not shellfish,

 

The problem with fish on cruise ships is that it generally has to be frozen - except for those rare exceptions where staff goes ashore to pick up fresh local items. While I have no doubt that it is safe, frozen fish always seems to lose its texture and, in many cases, some of its flavor.

 

People who live within a few miles of the sea generally get spoiled by the quality of seafood available.

[sail7seas]

I live in Boston and get wonderful fish and the lots of it is previously frozen. Shell fish no but fish such as cod, haddock, flounder etc. They are flash frozen at sea within minutes of being caught. Cruise ship fish can be just as good as what we enjoy here in the Northeast but sadly it often is not.

 

Yes, I do have some fish mongers where I can buy fish that has not been frozen but most of the major markets sell wonderful fish that has been frozen.

 

Lobsters, mussels, steamer clams never, never do I buy frozen. I buy lobsters still swimming in the tanks in my local lobster pound.

 

Edited October 13, 2015 by sail7seas

[LHT28]

I look for delicious fish on my cruises and have been somewhat let down. Is Oceania good with their fish offerings...... not shellfish,

Only once did we have a problem with some sole on Oceania but I imagine it can happen on any cruise line

 

 

[ronandannette]

So how did this list get compiled? What was the criteria? I would definitely take any such survey with a grain of salt' date=' especially about something that is so subjective.[/quote']

 

So very true, but since I'm here I'll chip in my $.02:

 

Best buffet was on Princess; equally good for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

 

Carnival & RCCL buffets are uniformly dreadful for breakfast and lunch; I've never eaten there in the evening. (Carnival had me resorting to boxed cereal and yoghurt on our last cruise with them, at which point I'd just as soon sleep in and skip breakfast altogether.)

 

Just got off of NCL and was very pleasantly surprised by how good the buffet food was, even though it was served in a very outdated, hospital cafeteria set-up.

[alexspepa]

I look for delicious fish on my cruises and have been somewhat let down. Is Oceania good with their fish offerings...... not shellfish,

 

I do remember one night on our Med cruise that they picked up some fresh fish locally and it was very good...not sure what kind of fish it was.

[cruznjan]

All the buffets I've been to were good.

[slidergirl]

Just my limited opinion, but I enjoyed the buffets on the NCL ships I have sailed. I'm not a red-meat eater, and I do like to go vegetarian when I travel - my body will react less to the changes in latitude/time/etc. I always find enough good tasting variety at the NCL buffet to keep me happy. That is a big reason I do the buffet rather than the MDR for many meals - I just don't like the same, bland, limited offerings for a vegetarian put on the menus at MDRs on any line.

As for bacon: my opinion here, too. There is something about seeing a mound of bacon that turns many people into, well, pigs. Not just on cruise ships. My worst vision of bacon-hoarding was at the Rome Cavalieri hotel (one of the best hotels in Rome). They have a marvelous breakfast buffet. Most people who I saw in the buffet were taking small portions of items and then returning for more when finished with that plate. There was this family from Pennsylvania (yes, I knew because I had a casual conversation with them in the lobby) who came in and gave a classic example of the Ugly American Tourist: mom in capris with white tennis shoes and socks, dad and the 2 sons in basketball shorts and dad in a rock concert Tshirt and the sons in other logo'd Tshirts. When they walked by me, the one son had, I kid you NOT, an entire plate full of nothing but bacon! They must have taken most of the tray in that haul. Everyone around me just stared in amazement at the display of American conspicuous consumption :eek:

Edited October 13, 2015 by slidergirl

[NLH Arizona]

mom in capris with white tennis shoes and socks

I'm confused, should she have not worn socks and just had her bare feet in her sneakers? That would get pretty smelly.:eek:

[slidergirl]

I'm confused, should she have not worn socks and just had her bare feet in her sneakers? That would get pretty smelly.:eek:

 

capris and socks - make you look really cut off. There are socks (aka "pads" or "footies" that are low-cut and don't show. She had half crews - the ones that go up over your ankle bone. Plus, the white tennis shoes just shout "tourist"...

[NLH Arizona]

capris and socks - make you look really cut off. There are socks (aka "pads" or "footies" that are low-cut and don't show. She had half crews - the ones that go up over your ankle bone. Plus, the white tennis shoes just shout "tourist"...

Oh, I see, not really fashionable in your eyes means ugly American. :eek:

[iheartbda]

What is best? By the way, that's a rhetorical question.;)

 

Two "best" lists have been posted with different results. I imagine there are other lists which would differ from the ones posted here. One poster loves a buffet on a particular cruise line and then someone comes along and says it was the worst.

 

IMO, best can only be defined on a personal level since it's obvious, with the posts, that everyone has different tastes in food.:)

[sail7seas]

Only once did we have a problem with some sole on Oceania but I imagine it can happen on any cruise line

 

 

 

I agree that even the bests of restaurants can have a 'bad night'.

 

[sail7seas]

capris and socks - make you look really cut off. There are socks (aka "pads" or "footies" that are low-cut and don't show. She had half crews - the ones that go up over your ankle bone. Plus, the white tennis shoes just shout "tourist"...

 

I have never understood the big aversion to looking like a tourist. We are tourists when visiting places other than our home area. It is a compliment to the locals you are interested enough in them and their 'hometown' to spend your time, energy and money visiting there.

 

The objection might come from being an unpleasant visitor.

 

[NLH Arizona]

I have never understood the big aversion to looking like a tourist. We are tourists when visiting places other than our home area. It is a compliment to the locals you are interested enough in them and their 'hometown' to spend your time, energy and money visiting there.

 

The objection might come from being an unpleasant visitor.

 

I'm just happy that I have black sneakers, so they will only know I'm a tourist when I speak.

[sail7seas]

I actually always wear comfortable walking shoes when in Europe and never been on the streets in sneakers. Years ago, when we first started touring Europe, I used to buy a fabulous Bass rubber soled shoe in black and another in brown. Gave the same protection from cobble stone streets but looked a bit better. :) In cities, I never wear sneakers but do in Caribbean etc

 

 

Just want to add that I was so pleasantly surprised with NCL's buffet when I sailed them this summer. Of course, it is all individual taste but I had some very good lunches in their buffet and had no complaints. If one thing didn't look appealing to me, there was plenty else to choose from.

Edited October 13, 2015 by sail7seas

[navybankerteacher]

capris and socks - make you look really cut off. There are socks (aka "pads" or "footies" that are low-cut and don't show. She had half crews - the ones that go up over your ankle bone. Plus, the white tennis shoes just shout "tourist"...

 

It is not just sneakers which shout "tourist"; so many articles of clothing indicate it, gestures give it away, just walking slowly, looking up at buildings (with or without map in hand) is another giveaway. Don't sweat trying (most probably unsuccessfully) to look like a native - just try not to act like a jerk.

[sail7seas]

I was standing silently in Rome Airport waiting for my DH to return from a quick stop he made. I was dressed in clothes I had bought in Italy, carrying an Italian designer handbag and did not speak.

 

At least two people approached me and spoke in English. I asked why they thought I was an English speaker and they said Italian women hold themselves differently. :eek: Oh well..... I am a tourist and don't mind being identified as one as long as my behavior is appropriate. :)

[NLH Arizona]

I was standing silently in Rome Airport waiting for my DH to return from a quick stop he made. I was dressed in clothes I had bought in Italy, carrying an Italian designer handbag and did not speak.

 

At least two people approached me and spoke in English. I asked why they thought I was an English speaker and they said Italian women hold themselves differently. :eek: Oh well..... I am a tourist and don't mind being identified as one as long as my behavior is appropriate. :)

I have found that in all my travels throughout the years, there has only been one city where the locals were not very hospitable; every place else they have been very hospitable, nice and helpful and most times wanting to learn as much about the United States as I wanted to learn about their country and that is why I love traveling. I don't mind being a tourist either, because that is what I am.

[ronandannette]

capris and socks - make you look really cut off. There are socks (aka "pads" or "footies" that are low-cut and don't show. She had half crews - the ones that go up over your ankle bone. Plus, the white tennis shoes just shout "tourist"...

 

Oh for pete's sake...:rolleyes:, your comments are ridiculous and catty. Not very becoming to someone who is apparently of your good taste and sophistication. Props for how you managed to work them into a thread that had absolutely nothing to do with fashion or high-end Roman hotels though.

Edited October 13, 2015 by ronandannette

[mugtech]

Oh for pete's sake...:rolleyes:, your comments are ridiculous and catty. Not very becoming to someone who is apparently of your good taste and sophistication. Props for how you managed to work them into a thread that had absolutely nothing to do with fashion or high-end Roman hotels though.

 

Not to mention nothing to do with buffets on cruises.

[mugtech]

I have found that in all my travels throughout the years, there has only been one city where the locals were not very hospitable; every place else they have been very hospitable, nice and helpful and most times wanting to learn as much about the United States as I wanted to learn about their country and that is why I love traveling. I don't mind being a tourist either, because that is what I am.

 

Off topic, nothing about buffets on cruises.

[mugtech]

I was standing silently in Rome Airport waiting for my DH to return from a quick stop he made. I was dressed in clothes I had bought in Italy, carrying an Italian designer handbag and did not speak.

 

At least two people approached me and spoke in English. I asked why they thought I was an English speaker and they said Italian women hold themselves differently. :eek: Oh well..... I am a tourist and don't mind being identified as one as long as my behavior is appropriate. :)

 

Has nothing to do with buffets on cruise ships.