Is there a midnight buffet?

[KnightsofColumbus]

I use to see something on Carnival's website about a midnight buffet, but can't find it anymore. Was I mistaken about that? Does anyone know how what times there are buffets open? For that matter can you get food in the middle of the night? What time is the pizza open? Can you get burgers late at night?

 

Actually is there a good place to find out what food there is to get at what times?

[Catrin]

There is no more GALA buffet.

 

One night, there will be a Mexican Buffet to coincide with the deck party.

 

There is always Pizza and Room Service 24 hrs/day!

 

Catrin

[KnightsofColumbus]

There is no more GALA buffet.

 

One night, there will be a Mexican Buffet to coincide with the deck party.

 

There is always Pizza and Room Service 24 hrs/day!

 

Catrin

 

 

What's a Gala buffet?

 

The Mexican buffet sounds good, what time does that take place? Is it late at night or at the same time as dinner? I figure I'll probably be going to bed around 1:00 AM and I have early dinner so might want a snack around 9 PM- midnight.

[ManyMore]

When I was first cruising there was a buffet EVERY night and then the Grand Buffet one night in the dining room. I admit the grand buffet was pretty but really a waste of a whole lot of food. PEople took more pictures of it then ate it. I think a nice little limited selection buffet at around 12-1 would be good though.

[Ehpride]

The mexican buffet is typically during the deck party one night around 11 p.m. or midnight.

 

There is always food available. Ice cream and pizza are availabe 24 hours a day. So is room service. Buffet, grill, coffee shop, etc...have set hours but it kind of varies depending on whether it's a sea day or a port day. I'm not sure how late the buffet is open though.

 

You definitely won't go hungry. If nothing else, there's free room service (I give a tip that varies depending on how much I order) with decent sandwiches, baked goods, salads, etc...

[pkrchkr]

I think they cancelled the gala buffet but they have the chocolate buffet..yummm!!!

[CorbinCatFan]

What's a Gala buffet?

 

The Mexican buffet sounds good, what time does that take place? Is it late at night or at the same time as dinner? I figure I'll probably be going to bed around 1:00 AM and I have early dinner so might want a snack around 9 PM- midnight.

 

The Gala buffet was the buffets that you see pictures (fruit carvings, ice sculptures, food arrangements) and was typically in one of the dining rooms. I have since heard that this is being done away with.

 

Other nights, there is typically a late night snack buffet in the Lido deck resturant from about 11:00 PM to 1:00 AM.

[klmorg]

What? No more midnight gala buffet on any of the ships??? :(

[KnightsofColumbus]

The Gala buffet was the buffets that you see pictures (fruit carvings, ice sculptures, food arrangements) and was typically in one of the dining rooms. I have since heard that this is being done away with.

 

Other nights, there is typically a late night snack buffet in the Lido deck resturant from about 11:00 PM to 1:00 AM.

 

 

That sounds cool! I wonder why they did away with it, it sounds like it would be very popular.

[cuyahoga11]

That sounds cool! I wonder why they did away with it, it sounds like it would be very popular.

 

too much waste

[dan40]

That sounds cool! I wonder why they did away with it, it sounds like it would be very popular.

 

Years ago, every line had an extravagant midnight buffet every night. As ships became more destinations onto themselves, I think people got more wore out by midnight and attendance fell at the late buffets. Carnival had one right outside the casino that started at 2:30AM. Eggs, ham, bacon, sausage, potatoes, toast. That was first to go. Then the midnite buffets got cut down to one per cruise. And even that became a photo op instead of people eating the food. So now all the Gala Midnight Buffets are gone. But the lido buffet area does serve food at 11ish on to about 1. No fanfare, just some food. The Mexican Buffet is part of a deck party starting around 11:30 one night. Don't know if that happens on short cruises.

 

Also, as already posted, ice cream, 24 hrs. and pizza, calzones, 24 hrs and coffee tea and hot choco available all nite too on Lido deck, plus "ruin sorbees", 24/7.

 

Dan

[KnightsofColumbus]

Years ago, every line had an extravagant midnight buffet every night. As ships became more destinations onto themselves, I think people got more wore out by midnight and attendance fell at the late buffets. Carnival had one right outside the casino that started at 2:30AM. Eggs, ham, bacon, sausage, potatoes, toast. That was first to go. Then the midnite buffets got cut down to one per cruise. And even that became a photo op instead of people eating the food. So now all the Gala Midnight Buffets are gone. But the lido buffet area does serve food at 11ish on to about 1. No fanfare, just some food. The Mexican Buffet is part of a deck party starting around 11:30 one night. Don't know if that happens on short cruises.

 

Also, as already posted, ice cream, 24 hrs. and pizza, calzones, 24 hrs and coffee tea and hot choco available all nite too on Lido deck, plus "ruin sorbees", 24/7.

 

Dan

 

 

mmm that all sounds good. I'm getting hungry thinking about it. I guess as long as the have food from 11:00 - 1:00 that is good enough. It might have been nice to take some pictures though. I wonder if there is any chance it will make a come back if people send them emails asking for it back? It's worth a try I guess.

[kansas kruiser]

mmm that all sounds good. I'm getting hungry thinking about it. I guess as long as the have food from 11:00 - 1:00 that is good enough. It might have been nice to take some pictures though. I wonder if there is any chance it will make a come back if people send them emails asking for it back? It's worth a try I guess.

:cool:What ship are you on? K of C?? I'm a past GK!!:)

[KnightsofColumbus]

:cool:What ship are you on? K of C?? I'm a past GK!!:)

 

Hey brother, I'll be on the Carnival Victory in July.

[kansas kruiser]

Hey brother, I'll be on the Carnival Victory in July.

:cool: Have fun!! I always do!!:p

[bklsmom]

I was just on the Valor last month, and indeed the gala buffet is gone. Staff told us that too much waste in the past few years. Trying to keep cost down, they made a corporate decision to cancel it. They did have a chocolate buffet one night, but it was not a late night buffet, but rather mid evening. The only other midnight buffet was the "mexican" buffet, the night of the big deck party, and even that has been scaled way back from years past mexican buffets. Other than that, all that was available late night was the pizza bar and room service. I even noticed that the room service menu was much smaller than usual. One night my DH ordered a pastrami sandwich through room service, and the entire sandwich was fat, very poor quality lunchmeat from previous cruises. Most nights even the icecream was not going after midnight, as all machines were being cleaned. This being said...It was still a wonderful cruise and still more than enough food to keep ones belly full. Now for a little hint, bring ziploc baggies and bag yourself some cookies or whatever sandwich from the deli that you like, put it in the fridge in your cabin and that becomes your midnight snack. I had a couple cookies and cup of tea most evenings when we retired to our room, DH usually had a turkey sandwich and cookies.

[KnightsofColumbus]

I was just on the Valor last month, and indeed the gala buffet is gone. Staff told us that too much waste in the past few years. Trying to keep cost down, they made a corporate decision to cancel it. They did have a chocolate buffet one night, but it was not a late night buffet, but rather mid evening. The only other midnight buffet was the "mexican" buffet, the night of the big deck party, and even that has been scaled way back from years past mexican buffets. Other than that, all that was available late night was the pizza bar and room service. I even noticed that the room service menu was much smaller than usual. One night my DH ordered a pastrami sandwich through room service, and the entire sandwich was fat, very poor quality lunchmeat from previous cruises. Most nights even the icecream was not going after midnight, as all machines were being cleaned. This being said...It was still a wonderful cruise and still more than enough food to keep ones belly full. Now for a little hint, bring ziploc baggies and bag yourself some cookies or whatever sandwich from the deli that you like, put it in the fridge in your cabin and that becomes your midnight snack. I had a couple cookies and cup of tea most evenings when we retired to our room, DH usually had a turkey sandwich and cookies.

 

 

Can you grab some burgers or pizza and take that to your room?

[bklsmom]

I suppose you could, but they would be cold if you wait till evening to eat them.

[bklsmom]

Can you grab some burgers or pizza and take that to your room?

I suppose you could, but they would be cold if you wait till evening to eat them.

[jnicktem]

When I was on the Freedom last Jan., the chocolate buffet (My favorite) was in the afternoon! I thought that was a MAJOR bummer cause it was packed! Little kids running all over the place grabbing chocolate (chocolate and kids don't mix well). I liked it much better when the midnight chocolate buffet was at midnight... not many people there and easier to get what I want.

[bklsmom]

When I was on the Freedom last Jan., the chocolate buffet (My favorite) was in the afternoon! I thought that was a MAJOR bummer cause it was packed! Little kids running all over the place grabbing chocolate (chocolate and kids don't mix well). I liked it much better when the midnight chocolate buffet was at midnight... not many people there and easier to get what I want.

You are so right...way too many kids running around with everything chocolate, spilling, and cutting in lines. It would be much better in the late night. Didn't you notice also how scaled back the chocolate buffet was too? It use to be huge and all these beautiful chocolate sculptures, now just on the lido buffet and nothing fancy. Most of the cakes were very unflavorful too.

[dan40]

mmm that all sounds good. I'm getting hungry thinking about it. I guess as long as the have food from 11:00 - 1:00 that is good enough. It might have been nice to take some pictures though. I wonder if there is any chance it will make a come back if people send them emails asking for it back? It's worth a try I guess.

 

 

Gala Midnight buffets have stopped on many other lines too. Basically people are not interested in them as food. Photos of the food sculptures has been the only interest for some time now. Sometimes, virtually ALL the food was thrown in the garbage. And not just on Carnival. The times of conspicuous WASTE [waist?:o] are over.

 

Dan

[jnicktem]

You are so right...way too many kids running around with everything chocolate, spilling, and cutting in lines. It would be much better in the late night. Didn't you notice also how scaled back the chocolate buffet was too? It use to be huge and all these beautiful chocolate sculptures, now just on the lido buffet and nothing fancy. Most of the cakes were very unflavorful too.

 

I do remember that! All of these neat chocolate carvings... heck, that was half the experience (the other half was eating!). I also remember the galas with all of the AMAZING sculptures made from food. I understand the reason why they cut that, though.

 

The only thing I got at the chocolate buffet last time was those donut things that you can dip in the chocolate fountain, those are good. I would have gotten more but I didn't want to wait in line behind a bunch of kids with chocolate all over their faces, clothes, and hands.

[Candleshoe]

What is this "big deck party" ya'll keep mentioning?

 

We've only been on the Fantasy last August. They did have the midnight chocolate buffet, b/c my daughter and I were settled in for the night and my husband ran back to the room to grab a camera and go take pictures of it. He'd wandered in to it by accident. :p

[Tweety1961]

We were on RCI this summer and they have discontinued the midnight buffets also. I don't think our last 4 Carnival cruises have had them. They do have the pizza and sometimes the grill stations open late, my husband and his friend had hamburgers/steak sandwiches many nights, which they didn't have years ago, so people didn't really eat the food at the midnight buffet, they were more interested in taking pictures. That food wasn't usually very good anyway, too much fancy stuff none of us ate anyway. The deck party is usually on Wed night, starts around 10-10:30 by the pool. They do line dances and other fun games, then have a buffet, most times it was a Mexican buffet with tacos, nachos and such. I for one don't miss the midnight buffet. Who really needs to eat that anyway? They had them years ago, but then they didn't have all the different buffets and pizza places to eat all the time!