Cruise passengers warn against the one thing you should never do on board

While a cruise is a popular getaway choice for Britons, like every type of holiday, it has its downsides.

Most of the time, the buffet is the most popular option onboard when it comes to dinner, as it's often included in the majority of package deals.

However, some experienced cruising fanatics from around the world have taken to social media to warn travellers against some  'disgusting' foods you might stumble across at the self-service style eatery.

While others say it's the one thing you should avoid entirely.  

They've also shared their top tips for making the dining experience 'better' while sailing the seas.

Posting into the 'Cruise' forum on Reddit, an anonymous Redditor wrote: 'Buffet Hacks, we all have a few tricks to make the buffet better, let's hear them! (Dining/Drinking tips in general are welcome).

Most of the time, the buffet is the most popular option onboard when it comes to dinner, as it's often included in the majority of package deals (stock image)

'My favourite is to bring a pat of butter from the bread station to the omelette station so they can use butter instead of spray/oil to make my eggs. 

'Game changer. Who wants some aerosol all over their breakfast when sweet, delicious butter is an option.'

Seasoned cruise fans were quick to share their best pieces of advice with each other, including what to steer clear of when filling up your all-inclusive plate.

One user quipped: 'This should be obvious to some but you're allowed to customise your burger. 

'You can ask for bacon, double patties, extra cheese, etc. A lot of people just ordered regular burgers and didn't know they could customise them until they saw us do it. And then it was a double patty bacon trend.

'Also putting soft serve in your coffee - what I call the Americano Affogato.'

Inspired, a second agreed: 'I'll be trying that in a few months, I really like an Affogato. And when it comes to add-ons, I'm all over that. It's all there for the taking, why not mix and match?'

Meanwhile, a third advised: 'Ask for your scrambled eggs at the omelette station, they can add in cheese/tomato/ham etc into your scramble, plus the eggs are fresh, not powdered.'

Breakfast was also a controversial subject, with one user dubbing eggs and bacon as 'disgusting' and 'nasty'.

They insisted: 'Leave the barely cooked nasty bacon on the line, ask for the crispy cooked bacon and they usually have a bucket of it behind the counter.

'If the scrambled eggs look disgusting on the line because they're too wet/you don't like powdered eggs, ask the omelet station to make "Dry" Scrambled Eggs.'

Adding: 'Don't get fries in the buffet if there is a grill open you can get freshly fried ones instead of heat lamp ones'.

However, some users steer clear of the buffet altogether, with one cruiser penning: 'My favourite trick is not going to the buffet at all - no crowds, no gross people coughing/sneezing/not washing their hands.'

Another chimed in with: 'It can be quite shocking to see how many people really are gross. Worst offenders are the non-handwashers who come out of the bathroom. Bleh!'

Meanwhile, someone else simply added: 'Skip the buffet. There’s lots of other options for breakfast and lunch'.

Other more practical suggestions included taking items from the salad station such as artichokes and putting them on your pizza, and squeezing oranges from the salad bar into 'the swill they claim is orange juice'.

Another cruise enthusiast revealed: 'At the stir-fry station I would get other stuff I liked at the salad station and had them use it for the stir-fry.

'Best one was on New Year's Day I got fries from the sandwich station cheese from the buffet and gravy from the carving station. Cruise ship poutine.'

The advice and warnings come just after passengers on the Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas passengers revealed what the food is really like inside the ship.

Decked out with 40 restaurants and bars, the world's largest cruise ship certainly caters to all passenger tastes. 

And now, as the 1,198ft long vessel makes its way around the globe on its inaugural voyage, a spread of cruise-goers have been offering a glimpse of some of the culinary delights on offer. 

In a TikTok uploaded by @magic_vacations, travel agents Suzie and Lee Altpeter rate some of the bites on offer at the informal Basecamp eatery, which serves up food to passengers throughout the day so they can 'refuel between adventures.'

Suzie and Lee gave the restaurant's free pretzel bites a 6 out of 10, the $9 grilled chicken sandwich an 8 out of 10, and the $7 waffle chicken nuggets an 8.5 out of 10.