Late Night Buffet?? Do you care About It?

For the first time in our memory on an HAL cruise, there was no Late Night Buffet every night on Ryndam. Many nights they had the usual Buffet listed in the daily program but on at least 3 or 4 nights, they had what they called "Light Bites" passed around in all Lounges. Stewards had trays of nibbles they passed around in lieu of the late night buffet.

We had no interest in either so it doesn't matter in the least to us. We have not been to a late night buffet in years except to very occassionally pass through and pick up a cup of coffee----we did that maybe three times in the last 3 years.

Do many people even go to the Buffets? It must be a terrible waste of food and the effort to prepare and display it and then to serve and clean up the mess?

Do you care if they discontinue it?

If I was ever up that late (few and far between) and I wandered through the buffet area, there was so much food and no people.

Ed

We've never been to the late night buffets so wouldn't notice if they were discontinued. On cruises we go to bed early and are up early.

In the last 20 years I have been to the Midnight Buffet once - and that was to check out the Chocolate (or was it Dessert?) Extravaganza. I only went to see what it looked like, and it was very impressive but I was so full from dinner that I couldn't even think about actually eating anything.

It seems such a waste of time and effort and I doubt that it would be missed by most people.

Our last cruise was in November on Carnival, and though they did have a buffett every night, it was not that nig a deal. Cold cuts and a variety of breads and some salads and a few desserts. They may have had the grill going for hot dogs and hamburgers (can't recall for sure though).

Of course they always had the 24 hour pizza and that is always a big hit. But if all the late night buffets on all ships are heading in that direction. I could do without them.

As long as you can get a cup of coffee/tea or a soft drink. I would be happy :)

As we usually have the late seating for dinner, we have little, if any, interest in eating again.

Enough is enough...... or in this case, too much!

B

We always have late sitting, so by the time the midnight buffet comes around we are only a couple of hours from the dinner feast, and we are not hungry.

We never go, it's just too much food....if someone is starving aren't the pizza places open all night?

I have to admit other than attending just a few Dessert Extravaganza buffets, we have never gone to eat the midnight buffet. I don't even like the Dessert one to be then. I really prefer it to be held like High Tea in the afternoon.

I agree with the many others -- we wouldn't miss it. We enjoy dining at a late seating and who needs to eat and hour and a half later? I have gone a few times to check out the chocolate buffet, but have rarely eaten anything -- I just like to see how things are presented and garnished.

In the days that I really cooked, I occasionally entertained at a dessert open house and I was well known for my many varieties of cheesecakes, but now I occasionally broil a steak or stick a lean cuisine into the microwave!

In more than 300 days of cruising with HAL, I have never attended a midnight buffet.

I certainly wouldn't miss it. Might be a good place to cut costs, and even improve crew morale with an extra hour of sleep.

Pincus

As many of you long-time cruisers have probably noticed, over the years the late-night buffets have been substantially, albeit gradually, downsized. We've always preferred the early dinner seating and, after the show and post-dinner drinks in one of the lounges, would visit the buffet for a small snack and/or dessert and decaf coffee before retiring for the night. We would see pax piling their plates and then, after a few bites of this and that, leave most of the food they had taken. We would always comment to each other about the extraordinary amount of wasted food resulting from this behavior. The attitude of "It's there, we paid for it," was obvious.

After post-dinner/show drinks in the Crow's Nest, we'll visit the Lido buffet for some cheese and crackers to take back to the cabin for munching while watching a bit of TV. If it happens to be the evening dessert extravaganza, we'll sit and have something with a decaf coffee. But as for serving up ourselves another "meal," no way, Jose. The elastic waistband can handle just so much.:D

By that time of the night, we have eaten all we're going to eat for the day. We've only cruised one other time, and on that cruise, we didn't make it to any of the midnight (or late night) buffets.

It has been many, many years since we went to a midnight buffet. We don't eat that late at home, so why should we on a cruise?

They could discontinue it and it wouldn't bother us.

It seems to be unanimous.......

Not surprisingly, IMO.

The days of people wanting to stuff all that food into themselves seem to be over.

It seems few of us will miss that buffet if they discontinue it.

I

"Lite Bites" - another new concept.

Not that we would be having any of those that late in the evening, but I am curious as to what is served. The same thing that they serve for appetizers at cocktail time?

It depends. By-and-large I don't pay the Late Night Buffet much mind, especially so given that I usually eat at 8 or 8:30 pm. Nevertheless, I do usually go up once or twice on a cruise -- not counting the Desert Extravaganza -- if only to see what they have on the menu. If it looks interesting, I *might* taste a bit; but, usually, no. A few times I've gone up with various ship's staff members and eaten with them ... cruise staff, casino staff, shop's staff, etc. I tend to make friends easily among the crew and, sometimes (especially if I'm chaplain aboard), they enjoy the company. One of the most hilarious evenings was the night I went up to the Buffet with DJ Jazzy Jeff and a few casino dealers and we ended up trading jokes for most of their meal. I had coffee and a small dessert, but Jeff ate a meal fit for 3 while "holding court" the whole time. ;) I had a ball.

"Lite Bites" - another new concept.

Not that we would be having any of those that late in the evening, but I am curious as to what is served. The same thing that they serve for appetizers at cocktail time?

No midnight buffet for us. Way too late to eat. Attending the Dessert Extravaganza is just to see and photograph the beautiful creations. It would not affect my enjoyment at all if they simply did away with the late night buffet.

Each night on my Amsterdam cruise this past January, they would have a theme buffet in the Lido at around 11:30 p.m. The couple of nights that I happened to be up there late ... for my before bedtime cigarette and cup of java ... it looked like all that food was sitting out there with very, very few people partaking. What a waste.

If I were in charge ... :) ... I would have a small dessert buffet set up late, and bag the full-blown one. With the exception of the Dessert Extravaganza, I never saw more than a few people up there on any night at the late night buffet. 11:30 is waaayyyy too late for me ... and I think for most people.

Blue skies ...

--rita

Okay - I agree with S7S in that the vote seems unanimous, at least amongst CC posters, that the Late Night/Midnight Buffet has become a Dinosaur and it's time has come and gone. Let it die a peaceful death (thereby saving HAL, and hopefully us, some dollars:D ).

Rita (Kryos) does have a good point though: for those who just have to have another "snack" before retiring for the night - why not just offer a very small dessert buffet instead of the full blown affair?

I honestly cannot imagine anyone being hungry enough to scarf down food after 11:00 p.m., but if indeed there are such people then there is always the 24-hour a day room service, and since it's HAL then the room service always comes "with a smile":) .

 

Any time that Jazzy Jeff is present, there are loads of laughs and always a good time.

 

You must have enjoyed seeing him in February on Noordam? He's great, isn't he???!!!! :)

Twenty years ago when we started cruising we always went to the midnight buffet. But we only took a bit of dessert and an iced tea. We are at an early seating, watched the show and actually took a nap before the buffet. We have not been to a midnight buffet in over 15 years though. I would not miss it and would really like the idea that food was being saved. If anything a bit of dessert might be welcome now since we do eat at the later seating anymore.

We have never gone to the late buffet (except for the Chocolate/Dessert Extravaganza) because we always have late dinner. When we were on the Ryndam in March, they passed the lite bites on formal evenings instead of having the buffet, and it was noted in the daily program.

We did meet someone at breakfast in the dining room one morning who always has early dinner specifically so he can go to the late buffet and chow down!

I vote for bringing back the old Chocolate Extravaganza - it's now called the Dessert Extravaganza and is not nearly as extensive or as high quality or chocolatey as in previous years.:(

I, too, do not remember the last time that I actually attended a buffet except for accompanying some friends who wished to see the late night dessert buffet. I do, however, appreciate the ability to grab a finger sandwich or something else that is savory maybe once a cruise if I stay up late and get a bit nibbly. It seems a huge effort to call room service for a tiny snack and so easy if there is something small to be grabbed on my own. I would hate to see all late night food disappear -- but an extravagant buffet, not really necessary for me.