For many people who decide to book a cruise for their vacation, the food is a major consideration. Sure, you’re traveling to a potentially new and likely beautiful place and you have tons of fun activities at your fingertips, but the food! There’s so much of it, and it’s all included!
Unfortunately, so much food and so many people in relatively tight quarters means an increased risk for foodborne illnesses that could confine you to your cabin for an entire cruise. Can you imagine not seeing the shows or the waterslide or the ports or the dessert buffet for your whole trip? If the answer is no, there’s one specific type of food you may want to avoid. Read on to find out what it is and why it could be a problem.
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Which type of food should you avoid on a cruise?
In order to limit your chances of getting sick, you may want to avoid raw seafood like oysters and sushi. “Raw seafood, especially raw mollusks (such as oysters), are considered higher-risk foods,” says Martin Bucknavage, a senior food-safety extension specialist in the food science department at Penn State University. “Since these foods are not cooked, pathogens such as salmonella, norovirus and vibrio can be passed directly to the consumer if proper controls are not in place.”
According to the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program, there have been 17 outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on cruise ships so far this year. Of the 17 outbreaks, 12 were related to norovirus infection, which Bucknavage says can be transmitted from person to person or from person to food to person. While symptoms usually last only one to three days, per the Mayo Clinic, you can still be contagious for days after, and norovirus can stay on surfaces and objects for weeks.
Why is raw seafood such a problem?
While Bucknavage notes that there’s no official data to suggest that the raw seafood on cruise ships specifically is making people sick, he names it as a food he would avoid. “The issue is that raw seafood overall represents a higher risk, and after spending a lot of money to go on a cruise, consideration for avoiding higher risk foods should be given to ensure avoiding foodborne illness,” he explains. Indeed, there are many factors that are present on cruise ships that only increase the chances of raw seafood carrying a foodborne pathogen. These include:
It is served cold
When it comes to pathogens that cause illnesses, many of them are killed and the risk is eliminated during the cooking process. But, says Bucknavage, “raw seafood is served cold, so there is no opportunity for heat to destroy the organism.” Indeed, cooking food essentially involves raising the temperature high enough to kill potentially dangerous germs. If the food isn’t cooked, this important step is missed.
It’s likely on a buffet
“The biggest risk with buffet-style service is that cross-contamination can occur from other passengers who are already ill to the foods displayed on the bar,” says Bucknavage. “This is especially the case with people who have norovirus infection.”
As we mentioned earlier, noroviruses can survive on surfaces for days or even weeks, and they can also withstand both hot and cold temperatures. So if someone with norovirus transmits it to the raw seafood on the buffet, it will most likely make its way to the next person who decides to enjoy some, especially if guests are handling the serving utensils themselves, as is often the case at a buffet.
Long cruises can mean less frequent provisioning
Cruise ships will stock up with provisions while in port before leaving for a trip, bringing on enough food to last until they reach the next port. If the ship has good food-safety practices in place, this should not be an issue as far as raw seafood goes. Raw oysters, which are still alive, can be stored in a refrigerator just under 40 degrees Fahrenheit for as many as 21 days, while sushi-grade fish needs to be refrigerated between 32 and 38 degrees Fahrenheit or frozen. As long as the ship is following these requirements, your chances of getting sick from raw seafood won’t be any higher on day seven than they were on day one—the food will just be slightly less fresh.
How can you tell if the raw seafood on your ship is safe or a potential problem?
There are a few different ways that raw seafood can become contaminated with foodborne illnesses. The first is if it arrives that way, which you unfortunately have no way of knowing. Apart from that, there are two key giveaways: temperature and odor. Raw seafood should be served chilled (aka not too warm and not too cold), and it should not smell unappetizing. If it does smell bad or it is too warm, it’s definitely a no-go. When in doubt, err on the side of safety.
Is some raw seafood on ships safer than others?
If your cruise ship is following a tight food-safety program, the raw seafood should be safe to eat, no matter where you’re ordering from. “Cruise ships go to great lengths to ensure safety through having tight food-safety management systems, and from what we can tell, there has not been a big issue with raw seafood being served,” says Bucknavage.
However, your chances of catching something from other passengers are significantly higher if you’re eating from the buffet, as we previously discussed. So if you really want some sushi or a plate of oysters, ordering them in a sit-down restaurant can mitigate this risk.
What else can a ship’s raw seafood indicate?
Say you do notice that the raw bar at the buffet seems a little warmer than it should be. If that’s the case, you may want to stick to cooked foods, washed, whole vegetables and fruits, and omelets instead of over-easy eggs for the rest of your trip. That one misstep could be a sign that it’s not a tightly run ship, so to speak, and these are safer choices when trying to avoid foodborne illnesses.
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Sources:
- Martin Bucknavage, senior food-safety extension specialist and team lead for Industrial Food Safety and Quality at Penn State University; email interview, June 10, 2025
- CDC Vessel Sanitation Program: “Outbreaks on cruise ships in VSP’s jurisdiction”
- Mayo Clinic: “Norovirus infection”
- Mac’s Oysters: “Shellfish handling”
- Fresh Farms: “Preservation techniques”
- CDC Food Safety: “Safer food choices”
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