Cruise Guests Face Fee for Taking Buffet Food to Cabins

Costa Cruises has warned passengers they could face a €60 cleaning fee if they take buffet food back to their cabins. The rule applies to food removed from designated dining areas, rather than orders made through room service. The cruise line said the measure has been shared on a limited number of specific sailings as a preventive step under existing onboard policies.

Costa told Sun Travel that guest safety and wellbeing were its top priority. The company said the notice was meant to encourage responsible behaviour and keep the onboard experience safe and enjoyable. Room service remains available 24 hours a day, so passengers can still eat in their cabins if food is ordered through the proper service channel.

The policy has split cruise fans online. Some passengers said they like taking breakfast or snacks back to their room, especially for balcony cabins or quieter meals away from crowded dining areas. Others supported the move, saying dirty plates and cups left in corridors are unpleasant and create extra work for crew. The fee has therefore become both a hygiene issue and a comfort debate.

The rule may make room service more useful for guests who prefer private meals, while buffet areas could become tidier during busy sailings. Costa Cruises operates trips across the Mediterranean, Caribbean, South America, Asia, the Canary Islands and Northern Europe, including fjord routes and shorter mini cruises. On those itineraries, passengers may now need to check food rules more carefully before sailing.

The change is small, but it touches a very familiar cruise habit: taking something from the buffet "just for later". Guests who like balcony breakfasts or cabin snacks may find the rule frustrating, while others may welcome fewer dirty plates left in corridors. On Costa sailings affected by the notice, anyone wanting to eat in their room will be safer ordering room service instead of carrying food from the buffet.