NCL Chocolate Buffet

[GoAndHaveFun]

Just like the old midnight buffets, now chocolate buffets are gone too. I did have some great chocolate covered bananas at the last one I went to. However, I really can't miss them much....just can't stay up that late and eat that much anymore:(

 

What is the midnight buffet again? Nowadays, they got snacks in the buffet so I wonder what they used to have in the past.

 

As for chocolate buffet, it's like I enjoyed it (tho I didn't pig out) but I also thought it wasn't anything super extravagant. Like someone said earlier, it's all about quantity and not so much quality. I still remember back in early 2010 when I was on the Star, I tried the chocolate sushi from chocolate buffet. That was..interesting to say the least.

[Rancher Dave]

The best tasting thing I remember on it from our last cruise was the chocolate fountain with fresh fruit! Thank goodness they had a crew member spooning the chocolate for all the passengers, and it had a glass shield in front of it. I'd hate to see what some people would do if there was free flowing chocolate in front of them!

 

Saw the chocolate fountain the other day here on Jewel and thought how nice to see a glass shield and server helping with the fruit and chocolate. Some folks don't consider that food is being shared by many and personal bad eating habits aren't welcomed by others.

[Barb Nahoumi]

I experienced a mid-night buffet once on my first cruise in the late 1990's. Always wondered what became of the left-overs. Was it offered to the crew?

[bangzoom6877]

What is the midnight buffet again? Nowadays, they got snacks in the buffet so I wonder what they used to have in the past.

 

As for chocolate buffet, it's like I enjoyed it (tho I didn't pig out) but I also thought it wasn't anything super extravagant. Like someone said earlier, it's all about quantity and not so much quality. I still remember back in early 2010 when I was on the Star, I tried the chocolate sushi from chocolate buffet. That was..interesting to say the least.

 

The midnight buffet back in the 1990s was in one of the MDRs (or the only MDR on the ship for the smaller ships). I experienced them on Carnival and Royal Caribbean, before the days of any time or freestyle dining existed on any mass market cruise ships. They were very extravagant and beautiful. The fanciest one was the Captain's Gala midnight buffet which was on the second formal night (back when they had traditional formal nights and everyone dressed up). At that one they would allow passengers into the dining room before the buffet was open, in order to take photos. There were beautiful ice sculptures, and I remember some butter sculptures as well. There was special bread baked into works of art, which they said were not edible (I believe they actually varnished them and that's how they got their beautiful shine). The food was fancy at the gala buffet. I remember on Carnival, they had cold lobster tails on the gala buffet. On Royal Caribbean, the midnight buffet had a different theme every night, such as on country western night they would have wings and ribs at the buffet. There were tons of food. When you got to the end of the buffet line, there were servers there to escort you to a table for your party size, so you didn't have to worry about finding a seat. The servers then took your beverage order and served you your beverage. There was bar service as well.

 

The best midnight buffet I have ever been to was in 1992 on Royal Caribbean's Sovereign of the Seas (the largest cruise ship in the world at that time), because I sat with Jerry Van Dyke! He had performed some stand-up comedy on the cruise and it was so great to meet him. I was with a bunch of other teens (I was 15) that I met on the ship at the teen activities, and we sat with him and his wife. They were so warm and friendly. The TV show "Coach" was very popular at that time (he played Luther) so it was a nice treat to see him perform live, and it was amazing to sit and eat with him and his wife.

 

The craziest thing about the midnight buffets was that back then, there were also a lot of rude people who would push and shove their way through. The late seating dinner started at 8:15 back then and took about 2 hours. You'd think some of these people hadn't eaten in years, the way they acted. I remember at one of them, a lady even made a comment to her husband (who was piling the food onto TWO plates) that they just finished eating dinner an hour and a half ago!

 

Oh, and on Carnival, when I was on the Holiday in 1994, in addition to the extravagant midnight buffets, there was an area near the casino and lounges called the Bus Stop, and it had an antique looking bus. That opened up at 1:30 in the morning and served a full breakfast buffet! I haven't seen anything like that before or since then.

Edited April 14, 2015 by bangzoom6877

[jenseib]

I hope one day NCL will do a Baked Alaska presentation. I read somewhere that some cruise lines ( i think is HOLLAND AMERICA) in their Alaska itinerary the chefs walk around the main dining room with baked alaskas lit and then the diners have a piece. I have never had baked Alaska so would be nice to see that :-):D:) maybe they don't do it for safety reasons.

 

They did when I sailed them in 98. It was the first time I ever had it and it was a great presentation.

They also had the chocolate buffet and midnight buffets back then. It was not Freestyle though. That came shortly after.

[NMLady]

Really? No more chocolate croissants? I'll miss them, I used to love those. :(

 

In April I was on the Jewel and there were chocolate croissants on the room service breakfast card. I had one almost every morning. But now that the free continental breakfast is strictly Danish/muffins I wonder if the chocalate croissants are gone fom buffet too.

Edited May 31, 2015 by NMLady

[NLH Arizona]

Just last month, April, there were chocolate croissants on the room service breakfast card. I had one almost every morning. But now that the free continental breakfast is strictly Danish/muffins I wonder if the chocalate croissants are gone fom buffet too.

On the food porn thread, someone posted a picture of the chocolate croissants and said they were from the Market Café, not sure which ship they were on.

[tarheelmjfan]

I agree too much food is wasted in the MDR & buffet, but it was understandable at the chocolate buffets. First time cruisers would see all these fabulous looking desserts & want to try several. One bite of any of it was all you could force down. You'd try the next piece thinking it would surely be better. Unfortunately, you soon found out it was the same horrible taste, just a different look. After the first cruise we learned to look, but not partake. If it was actually edible, there wouldn't have been so much waste.

[Byron_1978]

I agree too much food is wasted in the MDR & buffet, but it was understandable at the chocolate buffets. First time cruisers would see all these fabulous looking desserts & want to try several. One bite of any of it was all you could force down. You'd try the next piece thinking it would surely be better. Unfortunately, you soon found out it was the same horrible taste, just a different look. After the first cruise we learned to look, but not partake. If it was actually edible, there wouldn't have been so much waste.

 

We only experienced it once, 3 years ago on the Pearl.

We were lucky enough to be in a suite so we could get in before the masses.

The displays were wonderful, but everything had the same bland taste to it.

We indeed left a large plate of food to be wasted...but simply because it tasted terrible (although it is very possible we felt that way because we are Belgian and hence are used to chocolate of a certain quality :D )

[mking8288]

For those who never missed it and for others who missed it, here's a few pic from old times, to jolt those memories - when it was still held in the MDR - before it was moved to the Garden Cafe ...

 

It was elaborate plus those ice carvings - NCL Star's presentation on our Alaska sailing, September 2008 - :)

[legion3]

On the Dawn we were invited early, as we were in a suite, so we were the second group through.

 

It looked beautiful, but looks were not everything, most of the stuff was just OK, some was good, some not good, nothing really fantastic at all but in general it was more of a photo op rather than a worthwhile feast.

 

Went by an hour later and it was no longer even a photo op as it had been destroyed by the herd.

 

 

Baked Alaska back in the 70's, flaming with sparklers, the way its supposed to be.

 

I understand MSC cruises still do the baked alaska parade

[Turtles06]

I agree too much food is wasted in the MDR & buffet, but it was understandable at the chocolate buffets. First time cruisers would see all these fabulous looking desserts & want to try several. One bite of any of it was all you could force down. You'd try the next piece thinking it would surely be better. Unfortunately, you soon found out it was the same horrible taste, just a different look. After the first cruise we learned to look, but not partake. If it was actually edible, there wouldn't have been so much waste.

 

My EXACT reaction. Thanks for your comments!

[GoAndHaveFun]

I still remember on my 1st cruise, I just thought the concept of a Chocoholic Buffet was just so cool! I also believed I wasted a lot of food as well as like others said, the taste was bland.

[jethrojam]

In case anyone is wondering why the chocolate tasted so terrible, I maybe able to provide some insight. I have no idea which brand or company supplied the chocolate to the cruiselines, but I did make industrial chocolate for big companies a few years ago. The reason why formed chocolate tastes terrible is that it is blended chocolate with coconut oil and other oils that melt at a different temperature than coco butter and therefore is able to be utilized easier in a fountain or in formations. Coco butter will freezeup and glob in the fountains, and melt quickly in the beautiful displays before they can be enjoyed and photographed.

[sfaaa]

No more chocolate buffet. However, a special chocolate dessert or two is offered in each restaurant on a particular night that's called something like chocolate extravaganza night or something like that.

 

Order as many as you want. Same as a buffet.

[DMH15]

Order as many as you want. Same as a buffet.

 

 

Not quite. Lots on choc buffet were small bite-sizes. Orders are full size.