Cruises are well known for their food. Not only is there an abundance of it, but it can typically be found 24 hours a day somewhere on the ship, and at no extra cost.
Carnival has offered a late-night buffet for some time, but in many cases the selection hasn’t been great. And if you wanted pizza, you still had to wait in a line where pizza was being continuously made. With most other dining venues closed after midnight and a so-so late-night buffet, the wait times for pizza could be rather long.
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The cruise line has decided to make some major changes to its late-night dining options.
Carnival brand ambassador John Heald recently shared an update on his Facebook page, where he started by discussing that many people have complained about the late-night snack options available, and that “After talking with the Beards at the Mother Ship I can share that we're expanding our late night eats.”
Note: Heald refers to Carnival’s leadership team as “the Beards.”
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Image source: Carnival Corp.
A big change for late-night snacking
Heald shared several different “late night snack” menus, and having been on a recent Carnival cruise, I can say firsthand that they are an improvement.
All of the menus included pizza and hot dogs, but there are also rotating options such as steak and cheese sandwiches, fried chicken tenders, ham and cheese rolls and more. They also include a soup, several cold items like coleslaw and potato salad, and at least one dessert, such as chocolate fudge cake or mango cream cake.
To be sure, Carnival has always had late-night pizza, as do most other cruise lines. But one major cruiser pain point has been that the lines can get long, and the wait times can be excessive.
I can’t speak for everyone, but when I’m hungry at midnight on a cruise, I want to simply grab something quick and go to sleep. The last thing I want to do is wait 45 minutes for a slice of pizza.
Carnival will now be moving the pizza from the walk-up counter to the Lido buffet after midnight. This is a major change, and arguably the most significant one Heald discussed today, as anyone who has been on a Carnival ship at 1 a.m. and thought “what I’d love is to eat a slice of pizza and be in bed in 15 minutes,” can tell you.
An overwhelmingly positive response
Hundreds of Heald’s followers commented on his post within a few hours, and the response was mostly positive.
“This is awesome and there are some really good food options! Thank you!,” Amanda Weingartner commented.
Heald follower Pat Barbera Dellacona said “Love the soups! A little something before bed but not heavy!”
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Many are relieved that pizza will be easier to come by. As cruiser LeAnnea Faye Furtick explained, “I only tried to get a "late night" snack one time on the Valor. The line was every bit of 50 people deep for pizza so never again did I try.”
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However, there were some who aren’t fans of the change and prefer the made-to-order pizza, even if there is a wait. Nancy Saville said “This looks good, but it doesn't taste that great. The sandwiches are usually dried out & falling apart. Keep the fresh late-night pizza!!!”
To be clear, the negative responses were scarce. More options and easier access to food in the late-night hours are things cruisers have been asking for. Kudos to Carnival for listening and delivering a change.
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