The first place I eat on any cruise ship I go on is almost always the buffet. It's been a family tradition since I started cruising, and it offers the greatest variety of food to satisfy everyone's needs.
What I love about Royal Caribbean's Windjammer buffet is how many different types of food they offer. On embarkation day you can expect salads, soups, Indian curry, burgers, pasta, a carving station, and much more.
Depending on which ship you're on, there are other buffets too, such as El Loco Fresh, Sorrento's or Solarium Bistro. No matter which one you choose, there are certain expectations of every cruiser that dines there.
You won't find a list of do's and don't posted on the wall as you enter, but I've found after many years of cruising that there are things everyone should be doing while dining at a buffet.
After sailing on Wonder of the Seas, I came up with my own list of the unwritten rules of the cruise buffet to follow.
There's no excuse not to wash your hands before walking in
There is an opportunity to clean your hands before entering the Windjammer, and everyone should be doing that every time.
There's no excuse for not doing it, regardless if you washed your hands two minutes ago, just took a shower, or anything else.
I'm not a germophobe, but cruise ships are tight living quarters and reducing the risk of spreading something like Norovirus is worth it.
Not to mention it takes a few seconds to wash your hands at one of the stations. It's even faster if there's just a hand sanitizer option (as is the case on Royal Caribbean's smaller ships).
Don't cut the buffet line, unless you can swoop in quickly to get something down the line
There are buffet islands and the expectation is you'll wait in line for a turn to get to the food at that station if you spot something like.
Usually you'll see a couple of people already queued up, which is your indication to get behind them and wait for the food.
However, I do think you can "cut the line" if it's clear everyone is lined up for one or two things at the beginning of the buffet island and there's something at the other end that has no one in front of it and that's all you want.
It has to be a quick operation, however, to bypass the line and head straight to that item. You need to swoop in, grab the serving spoon and add it to your plate, and then be on your way before anyone can even notice which Buffalo Bills Zubaz pants you're wearing.
This unwritten rule requires speed and a well-meaning field judgement that you're bypassing a line of people not waiting for the thing you want.
When in doubt, wait in the line. It won't take very long.
Read the room how long you can linger at your table
Buffet tables can be quite busy, especially in the morning or on embarkation day lunch. So you should use them until it's socially appropriate to depart.
Certainly enjoy and use the table you pick while anyone at your table is eating. There is no rule about how long it should take to eat your food, so take your time and enjoy it.
But this rule has more to do with what happens after you're done eating.
If the buffet isn't busy, feel free to shoot the breeze and enjoy chatting with friends and family. If it's particularly not busy, you can use the tables for a card game.
But when the buffet is slammed, you should get up and be on your way to free up your table for someone else to eat. After all, there are plenty of chairs and tables elsewhere nearby to chat and hang out.
Once you're done eating, take a look around and see if your table is a hot commodity or you're surrounded by empty tables.
One order per person at the cooking stations
My controversial unwritten buffet rule is you should only have one order per person in line for the cooking station.
I love the cooking stations in the Windjammer, especially the Asian stir fry, because the food is freshly made and always tastes better than similar food pre-prepared.
The thing is we all gauge the line for the very popular cooking stations by who's in line. I'll hop on a line that's 2 or 3 people deep, but will skip if it's any longer.
However, I believe the expectation is the amount of people in line represents how many orders are ahead of you. It's frustrating to everyone else if someone is in line and places multiple orders, delaying the entire line.
I'm sure there are some people who will disagree with me on this one, but to those people, you're "that guy" in line that everyone suddenly finds frustrating.
Get a new plate every single trip to the buffet
I think it's a universal unwritten rule that at any buffet, you always get a new plate when going back up to the buffet.
Some people don't want to create an additional mess or be a burden so they believe re-using a plate is more "responsible", but the truth is it's a health concern to do so.
Despite your best intentions, you should always get a new plate when returning to the buffet for anything.
Always use the tongs
While on the subject of universal buffet truths, there is never an excuse to touch the food with your hands.
There are tongs or serving spoons for getting food, and that's the only acceptable means of retrieving food to put on your plate.
You'll sometimes see people use their hands to get bread, pastries, or other foods that are naturally eaten with your hands. I get it, those tongs can be tricky sometimes, but it's for everyone's benefit to use them.
Reserving a table requires something more obvious than a cup
It's a good idea to reserve a table before going to get your food so that you have somewhere to return and eat your food quickly.
However, you need to make it so painfully obvious you reserved it so there's no ambiguity.
I've seen people leave behind cups from the buffet station, and that's simply not clear if the table is reserved or the people that were there had a drink and are now finished.
A bag, hat, jacket, or some other personal belonging is all you need to mark the table as used. You shouldn't rely on things provided by the restaurant as a marker, or you're bound to end up with a surprise guest at your table.
Beware turning around blindly or turning around suddenly
Imagine this: you finish getting food at a buffet and then turn around quickly to return to your table only to find something right behind you and your food all over both of you.
The buffet can get crowded, so you want to avoid sudden 180 degree turns. Often people are right behind you because they're eager to get food, get to their table, or trying to find their family.
Slow turns are the key to avoid a food spill.
There's usually more seating in the back
You can usually bet you will find empty tables the further you go away from the buffet.
Nearly everyone prefers a table near the buffet stations for convenience of returning quickly, but I've found more tables in the rear.
Some Windjammers have outdoor seating too, such as on Quantum and Radiance Class ships. Just keep walking to the back to access it.
On Voyager and Freedom class ships, there are tables near the Windjammer bar that are usually empty as well.
