The Good Old Days of Midnight Buffets

[guinnessirish]

Its been a number of years since I cruised with RCCL. Does Royal Caribbean do at least one midnight buffet on a 7 day cruise? I know they did away with the nightly ones about 15 or more years ago.

[Clarea]

Its been a number of years since I cruised with RCCL. Does Royal Caribbean do at least one midnight buffet on a 7 day cruise? I know they did away with the nightly ones about 15 or more years ago.

Not regularly. I saw one as a special event on a transatlantic cruise recently, but that was a rare exception.

[yuvraj]

No midnight buffets in my experience.

[LeesSummitCruiser1]

My first 2 majesty cruises in 2004, none since then.

[rajacks]

I haven't seen them regularly in years. As Bob said, once in a while for special occasion, but that's about it.

 

Ruth

[MikeNJ1109]

On our honeymoon in 2002, my wife and I were on the Brilliance when they were doing a Circle the Caribbean, for a 10 night cruise. One evening, there was the midnight buffet, a really elaborate affair, and another night they had a "Chocolate Buffet", which was elaborate as well.

 

Since then -- 8 other cruises, both RCL and NCL -- no midnight buffets. Just as well, frankly ... there's enough food during the daylight to make it seem like an eating orgy anyway, why over-do it with another one at Midnight?

 

Michael

[NRichard10]

I guess they don't want to waste food and spend all of those hours preparing the food either, but boy, I really do miss them! Especially the CHOCOLATE buffets. They were the best. Totally worth not being able to sleep all night after eating all that chocolate. But at least they made money in the casino to help offset costs. That is where everyone went after getting high on chocolate. :)

[BobnJac]

What time did they hold these buffets?

[Clarea]

What time did they hold these buffets?

11:30pm.

[dwayneb236]

On Carnival on my honeymoon cruise in 2004 there was the midnight buffet and chocolate buffet. Last one I saw. From what I heard a big waste as most of it was thrown out. Looked good though.

[PinkLemonade]

My first 2-3 cruises which were on Explorer all had the midnight buffets but since then I've been on Independence and Oasis and neither had them. Last year I was on Allure and they did the midnight buffet as a special thing just because it was the Presidents cruise but I would assume they normally do not. Anyways I'm not sure if they still do it on Explorer or not.

[guinnessirish]

I figured they had totally done away with it with the addition of the specialty dining and other options on board. I bet allot of it did unfortunately get thrown away. I also miss the live bands every afternoon on the pool deck much more pleasant to listen to then trivia. It's ok I'll bring my headphones and playlist of Bob Marley. I am glad I got to see what it was like to cruise before corners got cut. Cruising is still the best vacation value IMO even with the corners cut and the new up-charges.

[wocheez]

Last time on Princess they had them that was 2010.

[quack2]

After experiencing the inedible buffet on the Radiance last month, the last place I want to be at midnight is at the Windjammer.

[LMaxwell]

After experiencing the inedible buffet on the Radiance last month, the last place I want to be at midnight is at the Windjammer.

 

midnight buffet was in dining room. nothing to do with Windjammer.

[Seashoregal]

On one of our at Seas day they did a beautiful lunch buffet in the regular dining room of you could order from the set lunch menu too.

It was a 14 day cruise

 

 

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[Jasukkie]

Midnight buffet was extra fancy, nothing like WJ buffet. Very ornate displays, ice sculptures etc. People would line up just to take pictures. We chose later seating for our upcoming cruise after reading late night food options are limited now. We will have a late afternoon snack and then late dinner.

[ONECRUISER]

Midnight buffet was extra fancy, nothing like WJ buffet. Very ornate displays, ice sculptures etc. People would line up just to take pictures. We chose later seating for our upcoming cruise after reading late night food options are limited now. We will have a late afternoon snack and then late dinner.

Yes, every nite had a midnite buffet. Was pretty formal, no shorts back then. Lot of wasted food and wasn't as many people participating last one I saw...

[LeesSummitCruiser1]

midnight buffet was in dining room. nothing to do with Windjammer.

The two I experienced were on the Pool Deck, not in the MDR.

[mek]

I recall when we first started cruising back in the early 80's Carnival had a midnight buffet and then a scaled down version at 1:30 am. We're not big people and we can't figure out how we ate that much back then, unless we an around so much that we burned the calories off. Now we have a hard time eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

[Pitcruiser]

Remember the elaborate ice carvings and beautiful displays for the midnight buffets when we first cruised in the 80s. They would let you in an hour early to take pictures, then you lined up again to get in. We always took pictures and then went to bed! Had to be a ton of wasted food.

[MrsPete]

Number of times I've attended a midnight buffet: Zero.

Number of times I've wanted to attend a midnight buffet: Zero.

 

Of course, I also don't understand people who say they're "hungry" in the wee hours of the night on a cruise. Cruise meals are bigger than I'm used to eating at home, and I'm never hungry.

[goldenrod]

We have been cruising since 71 on 12 different cruise lines, they were pretty standard back in the 70's and 80's most stopped in the 90's with 24hr room service and buffet restaurants open late they just faded out. As TV in the rooms faded in!

 

 

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[Baron Barracuda]

Remember holding sleeping daughters on my shoulder while standing on line for an hour just to view le grand buffet. Then got back on line for a quick bite. That was 20 years ago when waiters in mdr wore different colored outfits each night and hw's prepared crepes and cherries jubilee near our table. Cruising was a lot more special then.

[LMaxwell]

On one of our at Seas day they did a beautiful lunch buffet in the regular dining room of you could order from the set lunch menu too.

It was a 14 day cruise

 

 

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Sounds more or less like regular MDR lunch

 

The two I experienced were on the Pool Deck, not in the MDR.

 

Pool deck buffet was like super light version of the real deal Midnight buffets. Really, the old midnight buffets were cruise traditions. You'd watch them carve ice by the pool as entertainment during the day and at night you had to line up to see the carvings and food in the MDR before being able to consume.