Thrown back in time.....

[Tithonus]

YES...the Gala Midnight Buffets were amazing! Such beautiful and unusual work from the ice carvings to the cakes, pastries, sugar work and vegetable "flower" arrangements.

 

I know why they were discontinued - alot of food was wasted, I'm sure. :o But it was a great thing to see and you could tell that there was competition between the chefs to produce something more beautiful or unique than last week to have the bragging rites until the next week! ;)

 

Here is a link I found through google with awesome photos of one from 2002. http://trips.donretzlaff.com/2002Cruise/GalaBuffet/GalaBuffet01.html

 

I don't know why some insist food was ever wasted. After the viewing, the dining room was opened for eating. It was always reworked. You would see what was left at the late late buffet, which started around 1:30.

Edited October 27, 2013 by Tithonus

[happy cruzin]

I don't know why some insist food was ever wasted. After the viewing, the dining room was opened for eating. It was always reworked. You would see what was left at the late late buffet, which started around 1:30.

 

Maybe you're right...I always wondered if it was not more because of the general cutbacks. :confused: If there are fewer chefs - in general - then they would have less time to work on things like were on display.

 

Who knows! I just still really miss the display....it was always very special. :cool:

[patrice1]

Love the photos & memories of the Midnight Buffet! I remember I couldn't eat hardly anything as I was still full from dinner, but the first line past the buffet was just for photos and then you had to get back in line for food!:D I remember all I ate was shrimp from a giant shrimp tree!:eek:

[happy cruzin]

Love the photos & memories of the Midnight Buffet! I remember I couldn't eat hardly anything as I was still full from dinner, but the first line past the buffet was just for photos and then you had to get back in line for food!:D I remember all I ate was shrimp from a giant shrimp tree!:eek:

 

Agreed! We always went for pictures - but I rarely ate anything. ;)

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[Ocean Dancer]

Free rum Swizzle parties, and now no free drinks at the Captain's party.:eek:

[JimAOk1945]

I'm enjoying this thread a lot. Now that I see the comparison between now and then, I know what people mean when they say the cruising experienced has changed over the years.

 

Happy cruising everyone!

Edited October 28, 2013 by JimAOk1945

[happy cruzin]

I'm enjoying this thread a lot. Now that I see the comparison between now and then, I know what people mean when they say the cruising experienced has changed over the years.

 

Happy cruising everyone!

 

Yay...I'm glad!! ;) :D

[abisha]

On the formal nights EVERYONE was dressed to the nines...lots of tuxes and gorgeous beaded evening gowns. Everyone would be lined up on the promendade deck to meet and greet the captain.

 

The food was excellent (no specialty restaurants back then) and it was the focal point of the cruise. Cruising = top notch cuisine and you were so stuffed and gained weight at end of cruise!

[matondo]

When my husband and I were dating we would watch "The Love Boat" on Saturday nights. It was our dream to go on a cruise. We got married in 1980 and there was no way we could afford to take a cruise so that is my memory for the 80's they were quite pricey. Fast forward to 2005 our 25th wedding anniversary we took our very first cruise and we are now hooked!!

[smrn]

Formal was formal

Had flaming banana's foster in the dining room

Live bands on deck

Free drinks at the captain's dinner

Real sail away party...was fun!

The conga line in the dining room!

 

So much fun...

[rolaur]

This was the second cruise ship for me. I worked on this wonderful ship the Windjammer Fantone (french for ghost) in high school and college (1978-1983). She was lost at sea in 1998 during hurricane Mitch off the coast of Honduras with 31 souls lost. The ship was never found. This was cruising. No shoes, no shirts, no night clubs, no casino. Sailing, stars, lots of rum and the sea!

 

Edited October 28, 2013 by rolaur

[OCruisers]

When docked at Nassau, the little kids would shinny up the bow ropes from ashore, and dive back into the water, from the bow of the ships, to retrieve coins thrown into the water by the cruise passengers! Yep, that's how much smaller the ships were then. (We thought they were HUGE at the time!) :eek:

 

"SKY"

 

Isn't that the truth! :D

 

LuLu

~~~~

[Tapi]

Theme nights. And people used to dress according to the theme.

 

Among the theme nights, there was a masquerade ball. Passengers were encouraged to bring their costumes, or you could swing by one of the lounges for materials to make your own.

 

Don't know if Costa still does it, but I also remember Toga Night in the early 90's. Passengers would be dressed in white sheets tied with a knot and gold leaves around their heads.

[Tapi]

No Sail and Sign card. You'd be given a plastic wristband to wear. You could purchase drink voucher booklets throughout the week. Cash and credit cards were acceptable currency onboard.

[Tapi]

No TV!!

 

No TV, no in-cabin phone, no "Cellular at Sea", no Internet, NOTHING. Getting away REALLY meant getting away.

 

I remember going with my dad to the ship's Radio Room to call my grandparents back home.

Edited October 28, 2013 by Tapi

[happy cruzin]

Theme nights. And people used to dress according to the theme.

 

Among the theme nights, there was a masquerade ball. Passengers were encouraged to bring their costumes, or you could swing by one of the lounges for materials to make your own.

 

Don't know if Costa still does it, but I also remember Toga Night in the early 90's. Passengers would be dressed in white sheets tied with a knot and gold leaves around their heads.

 

That makes me think about the horse races! Had forgotten all about them.....anyone else remember those?? Wooden horse heads decorated by teams with only things they brought with them or were found on board. Pretty funny!

[happy cruzin]

No TV, no in-cabin phone, no "Cellular at Sea", no Internet, NOTHING. Getting away REALLY meant getting away.

 

I remember going with my dad to the ship's Radio Room to call my grandparents back home.

 

How about the "daily newspaper" - which was a single sheet of news snips that kept us informed while we were away! :rolleyes:

[Trish12345]

I remember being issued an actual key to unlock our cabin door.

 

I remember having caviar at the captain's party-it was (hidden) between crackers. Yuck!

[gnocchi_mommy]

Our first cruise was our honeymoon in 92 (NCL but I am sure Carnival did the same thing) what I remember was the sail away party- waiters walked around with free cocktails all over the decks and we had real live ticker tape!! Ticker tap streaming all over the decks and off the sides (lol I guess thats why they dont do it anymore?) There were also people on the dock waving and cheering!

[gnocchi_mommy]

Oh my gosh yes, I miss those really over the top gorgeous midnight buffets!

 

My first cruise was in 1993 and I was 20 years old. Cruised with my best friend because we were too young to go to Vegas. We were so shy and totally lost. Did not know WHAT to do when the men working the ship would say...

 

"Where will I meet you?"

 

Never asked if we WANTED to meet them. Just where. I think it might have been the one English phrase they'd been taught. LOL. It was very disconcerting!

 

I ordered escargot on the menu in order to be adventurous but turned chicken by the time they arrived. Didn't want to hurt the waiter's feelings, so I swallowed three of them whole. Ick.

 

I don't remember what cruise line it was. Just that it was a 5-day out of Tampa and it ran aground. Nothing too serious. But on the last night things were a bit rough and they lined the halls with bags in case anybody got sick.

 

Also the midnight buffet, which was AMAZING! Lemons turned into fish, a giant replica of the ship made out of butter. Fantastic stuff.

 

I didn't cruise again after that until 2001 I think.

[sailinglisa]

I miss the dishes that were prepared table side. I remember on Princess there were pasta dishes and the sauces made table side; flaming baked Alaska paraded around and deserts made table side. This I really only saw on my first 2 - 3 cruises. By my fifth cruise in 2001 most of it had disappeared.

Edited October 28, 2013 by sailinglisa

[cruising maniac]

Our first cruise was on the Mardi Gras. We had twin beds that were secured to the floor. No pushing them together. The first thing we did after sailing was go to the liquor store and buy rum and vodka. Take it back to our room and have some drinks. Ah, those were the days!!!

Edited October 28, 2013 by cruising maniac

[ChicagoBarb]

This was the second cruise ship for me. I worked on this wonderful ship the Windjammer Fantone (french for ghost) in high school and college (1978-1983). She was lost at sea in 1998 during hurricane Mitch off the coast of Honduras with 31 souls lost. The ship was never found. This was cruising. No shoes, no shirts, no night clubs, no casino. Sailing, stars, lots of rum and the sea!

 

 

The Fantome was my first cruise - '75 maybe '76 - it was awesome and still top of my list.

[pe4all]

On our first cruise I remember :

1. Having our parents and relatives on board for a bon voyage party in our

cabin. It was so much fun!

2. Throwing streamers off the ship as we started sarted sail-away!

3. Picking the location we wanted our heavy wooden loungers with

padding set up in as we boarded. They then labeled them with

our names. They were ours for the week, set up in the same

location every day.

NO CHAIR HOGGING ISSUES!!:D

4. Live music in the dining room!

5. Skeet shooting and driving golf balls off the aft!

[SkyMaster]

That makes me think about the horse races! Had forgotten all about them.....anyone else remember those?? Wooden horse heads decorated by teams with only things they brought with them or were found on board. Pretty funny!

 

HA! I'd forgotten about the horse races. "Teams" would buy the horses, and decorate them. They'd carry them all over the ship to get interest in their horse, then they'd race them, with a toss of gigantic dice up on Lido Deck. GREAT FUN indeed!

 

"SKY"