A Man Was Caught Doing Something Disgusting on a Cruise Ship. A Passenger Alerted the Crew – Then Another Incident on the Same Ship Left People Speechless

I’ve dreamed of taking a cruise for years. But recently, I’ve come across so many stories about what some passengers do on board that I’m starting to wonder just how careful I’ll need to be when I finally take one.

Remember the cruise passenger who was filmed using a dining fork to scratch her bare foot? Millions watched the videos, and people demanded consequences. Then there was the woman who was showering alone when two men entered her cruise cabin and, according to her account, didn’t leave when she told them to get out (and the front desk’s response wasn’t great either).

I thought those stories were disturbing enough. Then I found another passenger’s account of something that happened right in front of them on a cruise ship.

What the passenger witnessed was disgusting, but the incident raised an even more troubling question about something thousands of vacationers do every day (perhaps not only on cruise ships). And when other travelers began sharing their experiences, the discussion went far beyond the original incident – comments kept pouring in and, as you will see because I share many such examples, things are far more serious than we might think.

Some of the accounts are so revolting that I genuinely wish I hadn’t read them. The woman in the hot tub, especially. And wait until you read what another passenger reportedly found near an elevator on the very same cruise.

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A Cruise Passenger Witnessed Something Disgusting at the Buffet

A passenger who had recently returned from a sailing aboard Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas, departing from Los Angeles, shared an unpleasant experience in the r/Cruise community on Reddit.

The traveler described it as the most disgusting thing they’d witnessed on a cruise ship. They were standing at the buffet when a man directly in front of them did something they couldn’t believe.

According to the post, the man wiped his nose, picked up a container of salad dressing, covered the open pouring spout with his finger, and shook it vigorously. He then returned the container to the buffet without taking any dressing.

“I watched a man in front of me wipe his nose and then pick up the salad dressing container at the buffet, cover the open pour spout with his finger, vigorously shake the salad dressing, and then set it back, apparently deciding he didn’t want any after contaminating it.”

The witness was so shocked that they initially stood there staring. They eventually notified staff and asked them to remove the container.

“I stood there staring with my mouth agape before notifying staff to remove the container of dressing.”

But as they thought about what had just happened, the passenger realized something else. If they hadn’t been standing there at that particular moment, nobody might have known that the man had touched the dressing container with the same finger he’d just used to wipe his nose.

“I realized that had I not witnessed it, nobody would have seen/known about the contamination, which got me thinking: how often have I unknowingly eaten contaminated food at the buffet? I wish Royal would move to having the crew serve food at the buffet.”

The post attracted thousands of upvotes and numerous responses from people describing similar experiences on cruise ships and at other buffets.

Several thanked the witness for reporting what happened. Others wanted passengers who contaminated shared food to face consequences. One commenter suggested that staff should call ship security and ban offenders from the buffet.

Someone else thought public embarrassment might be more effective:

“i thought you were going to suggest booing. i feel like booing is the way.”

Other Travelers Had Witnessed People Doing Disgusting Things to Buffet Food

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One Reddit user described an incident involving a woman and a dish of curried chicken. According to the commenter, their husband watched the woman take a communal serving spoon, lick it to taste, and return it to the dish.

“My husband saw a lady lick the serving spoon of a dish to test its taste and put it back into the big container of curried chicken”

The original poster responded:

“That is so repulsive and unsanitary. How do people make it to adulthood without being taught the most basic of manners?”

Another traveler saw a man return an omelet to a buffet with his bare hands. Fortunately, an employee nearby reacted immediately.

“I watched a guy decide to put an omelette back with his hands. The server was right there. I’ve never seen someone move so fast to grab it and trash it before anyone else could take it. Kudos to NCL workers.”

Someone else reported seeing a man repeatedly dip vegetables into a shared container of sour cream, take bites between dips, and then do the same with another vegetable.

“People can really be clueless. We were recently on a cruise where we saw someone double and triple dipping his vegetable into the sour cream dip. Dip, take a bite, dip again. Then another vegetable, dip, bit, dip. I was thinking people don’t do that in family or friend gatherings–but he does it on a cruise ship (where things spread like wildfire) with a bunch of strangers??”

Another passenger said they watched someone eat a salad with their fingers, then went straight back to using communal serving utensils.

“Bro i saw a grown man standing at the buffet eating a salad with dressing on it with his fingers before directly going back through and using the shared utensils. I was in complete awe of the ratchetness”

One commenter described a woman apparently determined to taste every sauce available:

“I once saw a woman, get a spoon and walk along trying all the sauces – double dipping as she went 🤢”

Another person had witnessed a similar incident involving a shared soup ladle:

“The one that irks me to no end is the guy at a buffet trying the soup with the big spoon (ladle) used to pour and then just put it back in the soup. Absolute asshole behaviour. 🤦🤦🤬🤬”

Another commenter described something they witnessed while eating at IHOP with a coworker.

“I was at Ihop with a coworker and she ordered pancakes and after using the syrup that was on the table, she LICKED the spout and I’ve never been back to an Ihop.”

One Cruise Passenger Watched a Woman Do Something Disgusting With a Salt Shaker (Things Went Further On Other Cruises)

Another traveler described an incident on a Carnival cruise involving a woman and a salt shaker.

According to the commenter, the woman opened the shaker, licked her finger, rubbed it inside the lid, then closed it and returned it to the table.

“I was on a Carnival Cruise and a lady opened a salt shaker, licked her finger, inserted her finger into the lid and rubbed her finger in it. She closed it, used it, and then set it back on the table. People like this are probably the same type of people who leave the bathroom without washing their hands.”

Another passenger had an equally unpleasant experience aboard a Princess cruise. They described watching a woman retrieve a napkin from inside her swimsuit top, blow her nose, and then return the used napkin to her clothing.

The witness said the woman then noticed something on her hand and wiped it on the underside of the buffet counter.

“We witnessed a lady in front of us on the last princess cruise we were on take a napkin out of her swimsuit top at the buffet and blow her nose. She then wadded it up and put it back in her top. She noticed she had snoring on her hand so she WIPED IT on the underside of the buffer lip/top.”

Another traveler recalled watching a man blow his nose at a restaurant aboard Celebrity Cruises.

“I watched a man on a Celebrity cruise blow his nose with his napkin in the restaurant then put it back in his lap, almost threw up.”

And a Carnival passenger had a different account involving a woman in a buffet line during a hot August cruise.

“Worst I have seen in Carnival, an adult woman raise her arm straight up in buffet line and stoke her armpit stubble with the same hand she used tongs with; August cruise with 90f temp. Also spotted an adult older man walking away from buffet line holding plate with both hands to his face an eating away like a dog bowl. That’s when I said to myself, self! No more 5 day cruises from miami.”

Passengers Were Coughing and Sneezing at the Buffet – and Skipping the Handwashing Stations

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One Reddit user had recently returned from a Carnival cruise and described repeated incidents of people coughing and sneezing around the buffet. The commenter said they changed where they ate whenever they witnessed this behavior.

“I just got back from a Carnival cruise a week ago, and during the cruise, I saw people coughing and sneezing at the buffet countless times. Each time i saw this happen i left the line and just ate where they cook food in front of you. I remember, on a cruise ship, going to the bathroom in the dining hall and literally men leaving the stall, not washing, and walking right back to the dinner table.”

Another traveler described what they’d observed during a week aboard Carnival Mardi Gras, including passengers walking straight past the handwashing stations.

“I was on the carnival Mardi Gras a year ago for spring break, and in the entire week I was there in the buffet. I didn’t see, but maybe three other people washing their hands at the buffet station. As I’m washing my hands every time, I see a dozen people walk by without pausing, several coming from the bathrooms, right outside the doors.”

The same commenter said they’d personally witnessed a passenger leave a restroom stall without washing their hands and head straight to the buffet.

“I was once in the bathroom, washing my hands and followed someone who exited a stall and went straight to the buffet without washing anything and started grabbing utensils. He was not doing standing stall activities.”

Another person described what they’d seen while sitting in an Irish-themed bar on a cruise ship.

“Last cruise I was on, I was in the Irish bar, at a table next to me was this guy crazy sneezing where you could visibly and easily see snot flying out sneezing violently and not even attempting to cover his sneeze or mouth.

I got the heck out as quickly as I could.”

One Reddit user who said they’d recently recovered from norovirus also joined the discussion:

“As someone who just recovered from Norovorus 2 weeks ago, from which I got it from a salad bar, this is even more reason to not eat at the buffet.”

One Woman Sneezed Over an Entire Salad Bar – and Staff Had to Replace Everything

Another traveler described an incident aboard Carnival Ecstasy that required more than removing a single serving spoon or dressing container.

According to the commenter, a woman walked up to the salad bar and sneezed directly toward the food. The witness and their husband immediately left the line and informed the maître d’.

“I was on Carnival Ecstasy and had a similar situation. A lady walked up to the salad bar and sneezed! She sprayed the whole thing with her sneeze! She was holding her plate off to the side but turned her head toward the food!”

The commenter said the maître d’ instructed employees to close the salad bar, replace the food, and sanitize the area.

“My husband and I immediately got out of line and called the Maitre D and told him! He jumped quickly toward the bar telling workers to close it and replace all food! Then stood there until it had been sanitized and new food brought in explaining to people who had not seen what happened that there had been an incident.”

Children Were Touching Clean Plates, Licking Scoops, and Putting Food Back

Several travelers also described incidents involving children handling food and equipment at buffets.

One commenter thanked the original poster for reporting the dressing incident, then recalled witnessing children handling clean plates at a buffet.

“Thanks for telling the staff about the salad dressing.

I once saw a bunch of little kids putting their fingers right onto the clean plates and then changing their minds and putting all the plates back. I removed the ones they touched because no one would have known.”

The same traveler described another experience aboard Holland America. At a special dessert station, the attendant stepped away briefly, and other passengers began touching the equipment and toppings with their bare hands.

“Even with Holland America’s self service, when the attendant walked away from the special dessert station to get something (it wasn’t behind the counter), people were handling the equipment and toppings with their bare hands. So I had to resist my desire to get one since everything was basically contaminated thereafter.

Less egregious would be people putting the handle of the tongs onto the food itself.”

Another person recalled an incident at an ice cream station involving a child who tasted the food directly from the serving scoop, then used it again to take a different flavor.

“It wasn’t on a cruise but I once watched a kid service himself ice cream. He licked the scooper clean and then went in for another flavor then put it in the water pot with the other scoopers. Kid was probably 10 so plenty old enough to know not to do that shit. I told a staff member and they binned both ice creams that the kid touched. So much wasted food all because parents can’t parent.”

Another commenter said they watched a child sneeze onto plates and cutlery. When the witness notified staff, the child’s mother reportedly overheard and disputed the account.

Another person shared a somewhat less unpleasant incident involving a young girl at a buffet:

“My dad watched a little girl scoop out her mashed potatoes from a spoon with her bare fingers. Not as bad as the time at Disneyland I watched a kid lick the hand railing for at least 3 levels. But a grown man is a whole other level of gross LOL”

The Chocolate Fountain Stories Were Just as Revolting

One Reddit user recalled visiting a buffet where children had access to a chocolate fountain. They didn’t initially explain what happened, but their reaction was unmistakable:

“I once went to a buffet where there were kids and a chocolate fountain and I can only explain this in a therapist session with dolls because it was so traumatic lol. But yes, you do not want to eat from a public chocolate fountain.”

Another commenter described a visit to Golden Corral, where several children repeatedly dipped marshmallows into the chocolate fountain, licked the chocolate off, and returned them.

“Several years ago, we sat and watched kids playing in a chocolate fountain in a Golden Corral. They would place a marshmallow on a skewer, run it under the chocolate fountain, lick it off and do it again. This went on for several minutes and the parents thought it was funny, they were even taking pictures of their little darlings being so uncouth.”

The first commenter recognized the restaurant and said they’d witnessed something similar there:

“Oh my gosh this was literally a golden corral as well. I never went back and never will.”

Another participant reported that Royal Caribbean had stationed an employee at a chocolate fountain, preventing passengers from getting close enough to use it themselves.

The original poster approved of that arrangement and suggested extending it to other buffet foods:

“Yes. I like how they have someone serve customers from the chocolate fountain and the soft serve machines. They desperately need to do this for all the buffet food as well.”

Then Came the Woman in the Hot Tub

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One of the most unpleasant accounts in the discussion came from a traveler who was sharing a hot tub with another woman. According to the witness, the woman sneezed, expelled mucus directly into the water, and then washed her hands in the same water.

“I was sitting in a hot tub when another woman in it sneezed and then decided to snot rocket her boogers into the water and wash her snot-covered hands off in it too. People are disgusting and hot tubs are forever ruined for me.”

The original poster replied that they’d already stopped using cruise ship pools and hot tubs. They were concerned about what passengers might be doing in the water, especially when people remained there for hours while drinking.

Another participant recalled watching guests at a swim-up bar at a Disney resort drink beer for hours without anyone visibly leaving to use the restroom.

One Reddit user had a nickname for communal hot tubs:

“AKA “People Soup.””

“Disgusting.”

A different participant described an experience at an upscale hotel in Grand Cayman, where they allegedly witnessed a woman popping whiteheads on her boyfriend’s back while they were both in a hot tub.

Even the Drink Dispensers Were Part of the Discussion

Several people raised concerns about passengers refilling personal water bottles at buffet drink stations, despite signs explaining how to use the dispensers.

One commenter complained that people were forcing personal bottles directly under water dispensers, bringing the drinking opening into contact with the equipment.

Another traveler agreed:

“I saw this so many times on a cruise! I don’t use the drink machines anymore. I’ll just get bottled water.”

Someone else described witnessing a man use his personal water bottle to scoop up discarded ice from underneath an ice dispenser.

“I watched a guy take his personal water bottle there and instead of using the ice dispenser he used it to scoop up the discarded ice that falls under the dispenser 😥”

A different participant said they’d watched a woman press the drinking end of her bottle against a buffet water dispenser. The commenter’s friend pointed out the sign telling passengers not to do that and asked the woman to stop, but she reportedly ignored the request.

Another commenter said they avoided touching communal serving utensils directly by wrapping a napkin around their hand, while others said they carried hand sanitizer or disposable food-service gloves.

A Behind-the-Scenes Cruise Ship Tour Changed One Passenger’s Mind

One person said a behind-the-scenes Royal Caribbean tour changed their opinion of cruise ship food preparation. The passenger described seeing tour groups walking close to uncovered food, with people coughing nearby.

“I thought that too, but that all changed when I attended a royal behind the scene tour.

Way too many people walking by in close proximity with out PPE and coughing near uncovered food. We were mearly a group of 50 with many many more groups incoming.

I need to know less to enjoy more 😂”

Another traveler had a different buffet strategy: getting there as soon as the food was put out.

“This is why I try to go to a buffet as SOON as it opens. Load my plates and that’s it. I want to see them bringing the food out the back for the first time. My family makes fun of me but it’s the only way I can do a buffet without being worried. Catch the food before the nasties arrive.”

Some Cruise Passengers Said They’d Stopped Eating at Buffets

Several Reddit users said they no longer felt comfortable eating at self-service buffets.

One wrote:

“Exactly why I don’t and will NEVER eat at a buffet – any buffet”

Another explained:

“And this is exactly why we switched eating to the main dining room 🤮”

A frequent cruiser was even more emphatic:

“I’m a very frequent cruiser. I NEVER eat the buffet. You can say I avoid it like the plague, pun intended.”

Others suggested choosing cruise lines where employees serve more of the food. One passenger aboard Sun Princess described a buffet where crew members served dishes protected by glass, including the salad dressing.

“I am currently on the sun princess and most everything at the buffet is covered with glass and staff actually serve it to you. Even the dressing, I got a salad yesterday and the girl poured the dressing on for me (and she did a little too much in my opinion) but it at least limits your situation”

The original poster said they liked this approach and might consider changing cruise lines. Another participant mentioned Holland America, where employees served much of the buffet, while others praised Virgin Voyages for avoiding traditional self-service buffets.

The commenter who had witnessed children touching clean plates and passengers handling dessert toppings shared a more measured approach:

“On one hand, I try not to be too paranoid. As someone else said, unfortunately it’s a reality and there are germs potentially everywhere. But on the other hand, I do try to stay alert and avoid when I see something blatant. The last thing one needs is to get food poisoning on vacation.”

Another Passenger on the Same Cruise Reported an Even More Disgusting Discovery

Among the accounts shared in response to the original post was one from someone who claimed to have been aboard the same Navigator of the Seas sailing.

When they saw the discussion title, they thought it might be about something they’d witnessed near an elevator. 

The commenter described leaving their stateroom with their family, taking the elevator, and returning just a few minutes later to retrieve something they’d forgotten. When the elevator doors opened, they reportedly found human excrement on the floor near the Deck 9 starboard-side elevator area.

“Funny, I was on the same cruise as you and thought you were going to talk about what I witnessed. What I saw were two thick meaty turds on the floor. I think it was deck 9 starboard side elevator area. I had just left my stateroom with my family, went up the elevator and I came down a few minutes later to retrieve something I forgot. Doors part and there it was. I was like wtf! This was not here a minute ago. There was already a worker standing nearby trying to clear the are area of people so it could be dealt with.”

The same commenter added:

“Who just takes a crap on the floor? That was the nastiest thing I ever witnessed.”

The person didn’t know who was responsible. They said the area had been clean just minutes earlier and a crew member was already attempting to keep passengers away while the mess was handled.

Another Cruise Passenger Reported Finding a Disgusting Cabin

Another frequent cruiser described finding a cabin that hadn’t been cleaned properly, with personal items apparently left behind by previous occupants.

The passenger said they cruised multiple times a year and had never experienced conditions like those on their current Royal Caribbean sailing.

“We found male hygeine items in the cabinet and an open bag of candy/food items in a drawer. I was so grossed out and disgusted.”

According to the commenter, staff had to clean and sanitize the cabin again before they returned. They also complained about trash and water spills in communal areas.

I’ve previously covered other unpleasant things discovered in hotel rooms, as well as the strange suggestion that travelers should use a hotel coffee maker to wash their underwear.

Some People Are Reconsidering Cruises Altogether

The collection of accounts prompted reactions from people who hadn’t yet taken their first cruise. One wrote:

“I have never been on a cruise and have always wanted to. This sub is making me think twice”

Another person who had considered taking an Alaska cruise said they were having second thoughts:

“Would love to take a cruise to Alaska but not going on a floating Petri dish. People are so disgusting. There used to be people who were more upper class and had manners. You have so much ‘new money’ and class does not go along with it.”

Another commenter remembered a woman standing in a buffet line, licking food off her fingers.

“Not close to the grossness you witnessed but I watched a woman gathering her food at the first lunch buffet first day and standing there licking her fingers. I actually mouthed the words without realizing I wasn’t using my inner voice, on a cruise? 😭”

And another person raised the same concern as the original poster:

“I’m sure this happens all the time undetected”

I think many people will have that thought after reading the original incident and all these comments, especially since some accounts came from restaurants and resorts, not just cruise ships.

Not everyone agreed that avoiding buffets or cruises was necessary. One Reddit user explained their approach:

“I deal with this in a simple way.

I don’t worry about it.

Sure, there’s the possibility that you may get sick at the buffet. Always the case even if people aren’t being disgusting.

The truth is that there are germs and grotesque things all over the place all the time. I simply ignore it, and I’ve never had an issue.”

Another commenter pointed out that customers often have no idea what happens behind the scenes in restaurants:

“Honestly if you saw how food is prepared in a lot of restaurants, you might decide to never eat out…”

Conclusion: Would You Still Eat at a Cruise Buffet?

I’ve wanted to experience a cruise for years, and I still do. But I understand why so many people in this discussion prefer having crew members serve their food or choosing the main dining room over a self-service buffet.

At least in the original incident, someone witnessed what happened and reported it immediately. Employees removed the dressing container, but the passenger never learned what happened to it afterward.

Would you have confronted the man at the buffet or simply alerted the staff? And after reading what other travelers have witnessed, would you still feel comfortable eating at a self-service cruise buffet?

Source

Original Reddit discussion, r/Cruise – May 2026

Note: The incidents described in Reddit comments are individual eyewitness accounts, and I have not independently verified them.

Violeta Loredana

Violeta-Loredana Pascal is a communications expert, business mentor, and the founder of Earth’s Attractions and PRwave INTERNATIONAL. A pioneer in the Romanian digital PR landscape since 2005, she holds a degree in Communication and Social Sciences from SNSPA Bucharest. Violeta is a senior trainer at AcademiadeAfaceri.ro, where she leverages over 20 years of experience to teach professional courses in PR strategy and workplace productivity. By blending high-level business consulting with a passion for holistic travel and wellness, she empowers solopreneurs to overcome procrastination, build profitable brands, and design a life of purposeful adventure.