Passengers Agree This Cruise Ship Has The Worst Buffets

When intrepid epicures shell out for a vacation, they (rightfully) want to get their money's worth. From activities to lodging, every part of a vacation should be a fun, positive experience — including the food. Gourmands beware: If you're looking forward to a cruise ship buffet, then booking with Carnival might be a mistake. Here at Tasting Table, we've previously ranked Carnival Cruise Lines a dismal 10th-place out of 11 popular cruise ship dining programs, and passengers seem to agree that Carnival offers the worst buffets.

Traveler reviews posted on Cruise Critic, a subsidiary of Tripadvisor, have given Carnival's dining scathing reviews. One reviewer for the Carnival Spirit ship wrote, "Worst buffet food we have had on a cruise ship," adding that, "The choice of food in the buffet for dinner was incredibly restricted — only about five dishes were on offer!" Another Cruise blog review of Costa Cruises — an Italian-based cruise line owned by the Carnival Corporation — shares that, in addition to a lack of variation in the dishes served from day to day, the buffet itself is a structural nightmare: Crew members serve and portion passengers' plates. The buffet isn't self-serve, and enjoying different options requires waiting in multiple separate lines, which tend to be long and crowded. "Even though this style of buffet is more sanitary — far fewer hands are touching buffet tongs — it's a slow method of serving on a ship with 6,000 passengers," the reviewer says.

Beyond limited options and long lines, customers have some complaints about the food's taste and quality — which seems to drop even further at night. Even the more positive reviews of Carnival's buffets aren't exactly glowing. One Reddit user writes, "Yes options are kinda limited and it's a hit or miss but usually I manage to find a couple of things I like [...] You can also supplement the buffet food with a Guy's Burger or the food from the Blue Iguana." Another post, specifically about Carnival's late-night buffet, has drawn far less forgiving testimonials. The poster asks, "Y'all I am not a complainer. I love Carnival's food. ... But why the HECK is the late night buffet so GOD AWFUL?" Instead of comforting (if unglamorous) late-night fare like pizza or chicken tenders, the passenger noted that Carnival's evening buffet spread is filled with unsatisfying dishes like "a dry breaded log called 'buffalo chicken stick' or 'Mac and cheese stick'" (no thanks). 

Cruise ships typically offer three arenas for eating: Buffets, the main dining room, and specialty restaurants. Of the three, buffets offer the most laid-back atmosphere, and often the most everyman hours. But, on a "pleasure cruise," that buffet should be more than just utilitarian. It should be (well) pleasurable. Word to the wise: Carnival's Fahrenheit 555 sit-down concept placed in our lineup of the 12 best cruise line restaurants. Passengers might be better off dining here than hitting the buffet.