Cruise passengers split over cutting buffet lines; experts say it can frustrate diners

Cruise ship passengers are sharply divided over whether cutting ahead in buffet lines is acceptable, a practice that can frustrate fellow diners and disrupt the flow of service, Fox News Digital reported on Nov. 15, 2026.

Fox News said the issue was highlighted in a post on the Royal Caribbean Blog and discussed by etiquette expert Diane Gottsman, who called jumping ahead in a buffet line rude and said it can cause traffic jams at serving stations.

Gottsman told the Royal Caribbean Blog that passengers should generally wait their turn even for quick items such as toast or fruit. She said limited exceptions may be reasonable — for example, reaching for a napkin or briefly stepping forward for a utensil when only a few people are present — but that holding a place for an adult companion risks frustrating others who have been waiting.

The Fox News story noted passengers in an online Reddit discussion were divided on when, if ever, it is acceptable to step ahead in a buffet, with some saying a wide opening is fine and others saying any move that makes others wait constitutes cutting in line.

Gottsman advised against confronting a passenger over a minor infraction and suggested that repeated violations be brought to dining-area staff so managers can handle the situation.

Fox News Digital said it reached out to Royal Caribbean for comment.

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