Do any cruises still have a midnight buffet?

To the delight of many passengers (or to the chagrin of those watching their waistlines), cruises offer no shortage of nibbles at all hours of the day. Although cruise midnight buffets are nearly extinct, several lines still offer a spread of snacks that are available into the wee hours of the morning.



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Royal Caribbean International no longer offers the traditional midnight buffet where guests parade through the dining room, take pictures, then eat, on a regular fleet-wide basis.

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Unfortunately, the midnight buffet was fairly wasteful for cruise lines when most of the food was uneaten. Additionally, the crew members would spend a significant amount of time setting up the displays and taking them down each night.

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Cruise ships are good at making food available 24/7, so if you're hungry, there's usually no one to blame but yourself. The main dining room usually has set meal times, but sections of the buffet will always be open, and you'll usually be able to find a diner, cafe, or pizza shop that's open at all hours.

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Main Dining Room Policies: Carnival guests are assigned to one of two seatings in the main dining room for their evening meal, early or late. The early and late seating times can vary by ship or itinerary, but are usually at 6:00 p.m. and 8:15 p.m., respectively.

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Pools are generally open 8:00am to midnight; hours may vary and are listed in the HUB App. Carnival Cruise Line® is committed to providing a safe and enjoyable environment for all of our guests in all aspects of their cruise experience. This includes pool safety, which we have always taken very seriously.

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Most cruise lines have relaxed their policies enough so that most travelers will be able to attend a formal night with the clothes they keep in their closet at home—even if it's a simple request for a collared shirt and a prohibition on jeans at dinner.

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The easiest way for ships to do this is to liquefy the leftover food in an industrial grinder. The food is blended with water until it's a smooth mixture and then either disposed of in port, incinerated, or pumped out to sea when the ship is deep water and away from the coastlines. Simple as that.

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Carnival only serves lobster on one formal night on cruises of six nights or more. It used to be unlimited on those nights, but now each lobster tail after the first two will cost $5, per the new policy.

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We offer reduced senior prices only on selected sailings exclusively for guests who are 55 years of age and older. We also offer special rates for police and firefighters on select ships and sailings.

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Yes, a few select bars and restaurants will be open on that first afternoon, and all will be in operation in the evening. Cruisers tend to flock to the buffet for lunch upon boarding, so it tends to get overcrowded with passengers and all their carry-ons. Explore your other dining options, should any be available.

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Early dining typically begins anywhere from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. Early dining frees up your entire evening for shows, live music, deck parties, and other activities around the ship. It's also great for families with children, because kids are often used to eating a bit earlier.

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Yeah, you can bring food back to your cabin.

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Cruise ship buffets -- you either love the smorgasbord of all-you-can-eat fare and the uber-casual setting, or you hate the crowds, queues and food that's sat out a bit too long. Whether you're a fan or not, you have to admit that some cruise lines have put more effort into their pool deck dining venues than others.

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Royal Caribbean only lets you order one drink at a time with your drink package. Even though you can get your fill of drinks, you can't order multiples at once.

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