5 Foods to Avoid on a Cruise
Getting sick is a quick way to ruin a vacation. If you a book a cruise, try to avoid these foods so you don't get an unwanted upset stomach.
1. Spicy Foods
While spicy foods can be a tantalizing experience, they can irritate your stomach lining which can cause you to feel nauseous. Mixed with the unique motion of the ocean, this can be a recipe for disaster — especially for those who have had prior experience with travel sickness. Even a history of car sickness can manifest as sea sickness.
It’s best to avoid spicy foods during your time on the ship, as well as in the days before you set sail. Fortunately, cruise ships are a culinary marvel with so many great foods to choose from. By saying no to spice, you won’t be missing out on taste or food diversity.
2. Condiments
At the cruise ship buffet, ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise tend to be provided in the form of large communal bottles. The advantage of this practice is that, unlike small plastic sachets, you can get as much as you need. Plus, there’s much less plastic waste which is a plus. The issue is that shared condiment containers are touched by lots of people in a short space of time.
Picture the lines of people queuing to apply a squirt of mayonnaise to their fries. Each person has potentially just coughed into their hands. Once they touch the nozzle, germs can spread at speed.
Eating your food without condiments is the best practice for a better voyage. If you can’t imagine sacrificing your sauces, use napkins or gloves to reduce the risk of illness and carry hand sanitizer to apply after using shared nozzles. Don’t forget that consuming too many condiments can cause you to feel sick, a feeling which will be exacerbated significantly by the ocean waves.
3. Sushi
Sushi is one of the world’s most delicious foods, but it's unfortunately one of the riskiest foods too. On cruises, food is left out for a long time so passengers have access to it. While this is a great service in many ways, it can mean that by the time you get round to eating, the food might already be bad.
Unless you see the sushi being prepared and put out, it’s best to stay away. Sushi that’s been left out for a while is sure to upset an already unsettled sea stomach.
4. Pizza Slices
We’re pleased to report that you can definitely still eat pizza on your upcoming cruise. Phew, right! But that’s not to say that there aren’t some suspicious slices to avoid. Keep an eye out for those that appear to have been sitting out for a while. The crust and cheese will have gone hard and potentially even slightly off-color. If you see such a slice, it’s best to swiftly move along the buffet and not succumb to temptation.
The advantage of a cruise is that there is food always available. The disadvantage is that food may be sitting out for hours at a time, which can make it less desirable to eat. Cheese pizzas that have been sitting under a hot lamp can quickly go bad and trying even a small slice can cause you to feel sick. And don’t forget, any nausea you feel during your trip will be made even worse with every jolt of the sea.
It’s good practice to establish whether you’re sourcing food during off-peak hours and how the slices themselves look. If there’s a lonely single slice sat out, chances are it’s been there a while!
5. Salad
While chefs on cruise ships are always working to uphold food safety standards, mistakes inevitably happen. If that mistake happens with salad, this can lead to food poisoning. Unwashed salad items, especially leafy greens, are a major source of food poisoning. Steer clear of this healthy alternative when you can’t be sure if they’ve been run through fresh water. Food poisoning and choppy waters are not a good mix!
Avoiding these foods is the best way to ensure that you’re fighting fit and ready to enjoy your ocean adventure to the fullest.