Cruises Sailing Out of Louisiana Will Enforce Buffet Rule at Sea

Life aboard a cruise ship seems to mesh with life in Louisiana just fine. On board, there is plenty to do and lots of good food. Here in Louisiana, there is plenty to do and we have lots of good food too. The main difference is the "stuff to do" on a cruise ship is fun while the "stuff to do" here in Louisiana might more closely resemble work.

We say that to drive home the point that Louisiana loves cruise vacations. Literally millions of people sail out of the Port of New Orleans every year and that number is expected to grow. The Big Easy offers cruise packages on Carnival, Norwegian, Disney, and Royal Caribbean. The Carnival Valor and Carnival Glory along with the Norwegian Breakaway, Disney Magic, and Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas all consider New Orleans to be a "Home Port".

One of the big draws of a cruise ship vacation is the all-inclusive feel of the trip. Once you've paid for your passage you've paid for a lot of things on a cruise ship. One of the things that is included in almost all cruise vacations is meals. On cruise ships, there are usually two main places to get food. There is the Main Dining Room. That's the more formal of the dining halls.

The second and less informal of a cruise ship dining experience is usually on one of the vessel's upper decks. We call it "the trough" in my family. Because, well, it is. It's a large buffet spread that almost always seems to be in operation. And because this dining option is so popular among passengers this is where the "rules" are about to be reinforced.

Now, these are not new rules by any stretch of the imagination but as the cruise industry moves forward out of the pandemic and onto more healthy trips you can expect more cruise lines to really monitor how you serve yourself at their buffets on board.

The one thing they will be watching for? Are you using a clean plate when you visit the buffet? Yeah, that's what they will be looking for. And yes, it actually is a rule. The same thing applies to your drink cup too. If you're getting a refill you should be getting it in a clean glass.

It's all about keeping things cleaner and keeping you healthier while on board. Cruise lines have discovered that cross-contamination from buffet lines and drink stations can lead to outbreaks of onboard illness and none of us want that. So, remember the rule when you go to the buffet, always use a clean glass and a clean cup. They'd rather wash an extra dish than deal with vomiting and diarrhea later.