What happened to Late Night snacks on the Gem??

[dadiva18]

Hey, y'all.

Just got off the Boston to Bermuda cruise this past Friday on the Gem, and as a whole, it was a fantastic trip (as always).

My only qualm I had with this trip was the severe lack of late night food options after 9:30/10:00pm.

The only option for anything after "dining" hours was at O'Sheehan's, and combined with everyone there watching the Celtics play (wondering why it wasn't broadcasted in the Atrium at all, they have always did it in the past), it was absolute chaos and it took a bit to get food. Granted, I don't think they realized how many people were gonna be there and probably did not schedule enough people to cover, but it was crazy.

Last time I was on a ship was a couple of years ago, but there were late night snack options in the Great Outdoors until like 11:00pm with things like nachos and fries and whatnot.

Wondering if anyone felt the smidge of annoyance as well.

Still though, a fantastic trip! 

 

Edited June 3 by dadiva18

[G-DawgMN]

14 minutes ago, dadiva18 said:

Hey, y'all.

Just got off the Boston to Bermuda cruise this past Friday on the Gem, and as a whole, it was a fantastic trip (as always).

My only qualm I had with this trip was the severe lack of late night food options after 9:30/10:00pm.

The only option for anything after "dining" hours was at O'Sheehan's, and combined with everyone there watching the Celtics play (wondering why it wasn't broadcasted in the Atrium at all, they have always did it in the past), it was absolute chaos and it took a bit to get food. Granted, I don't think they realized how many people were gonna be there and probably did not schedule enough people to cover, but it was crazy.

Last time I was on a ship was a couple of years ago, but there were late night snack options in the Great Outdoors until like 11:00pm with things like nachos and fries and whatnot.

Wondering if anyone felt the smidge of annoyance as well.

Still though, a fantastic trip! 

 

 

 Sadly the late night buffet is no longer. I've seen the same thing on Royal also.

 

 

[njkate]

2 hours ago, dadiva18 said:

Hey, y'all.

Just got off the Boston to Bermuda cruise this past Friday on the Gem, and as a whole, it was a fantastic trip (as always).

My only qualm I had with this trip was the severe lack of late night food options after 9:30/10:00pm.

The only option for anything after "dining" hours was at O'Sheehan's, and combined with everyone there watching the Celtics play (wondering why it wasn't broadcasted in the Atrium at all, they have always did it in the past), it was absolute chaos and it took a bit to get food. Granted, I don't think they realized how many people were gonna be there and probably did not schedule enough people to cover, but it was crazy.

Last time I was on a ship was a couple of years ago, but there were late night snack options in the Great Outdoors until like 11:00pm with things like nachos and fries and whatnot.

Wondering if anyone felt the smidge of annoyance as well.

Still though, a fantastic trip! 

 

I think it’s fleet wide one of the major cuts in service and with O’Sheehans being the only game in town I’m sure they get slammed

[ChiefMateJRK]

1 hour ago, njkate said:

I think it’s fleet wide one of the major cuts in service and with O’Sheehans being the only game in town I’m sure they get slammed

You're probably right, but for many of us it wouldn't be considered a "major" cut in service.

[G-DawgMN]

10 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

You're probably right, but for many of us it wouldn't be considered a "major" cut in service.

 Some people’s early buffet closing is another persons hash browns. 

[shof515]

6 minutes ago, G-DawgMN said:

 Some people’s early buffet closing is another persons hash browns. 

hash browns, is that still a thing? i never seen any hash browns onboard a ship

[G-DawgMN]

1 minute ago, shof515 said:

hash browns, is that still a thing? i never seen any hash browns onboard a ship

No. They crispy deep fried hash browns have gone the way of the dodo. 

[BirdTravels]

8 hours ago, dadiva18 said:

Last time I was on a ship was a couple of years ago, but there were late night snack options in the Great Outdoors until like 11:00pm with things like nachos and fries and whatnot.

Wondering if anyone felt the smidge of annoyance as well.

 

What happened to late snacks? Very few people went to the buffet late at night and most of the food was being thrown overboard. So, it was dialed back from 11 pm to 9:30. We are just off a cruise and other than crew, there was hardly anyone in the buffet at the 9:30 closing. We would go and get some fresh fruit and ice cream at closing every night. And watch the freshly baked pizzas put out at 9:25 be promptly thrown in a trash can at 9:30 along with the rest of the hot dogs, hamburgers, fries and dinner food. 

 

Once upon a time, there was a midnight chocolate buffet. As interest by the contemporary cruiser dwindled and no one came, and 10,000 pounds of chocolate (across a smaller fleet) was being thrown overboard every week,, that also went the way of the dodo. 

[gizfish]

The buffet closes early for your convenience.  Well no, actually cutting out food options saves NCL money.  Let's call it what it is.  As an alternative example, MSC offers food in the buffet area for at least nineteen or twenty hours a day.  

[ChiefMateJRK]

38 minutes ago, gizfish said:

As an alternative example, MSC offers food in the buffet area for at least nineteen or twenty hours a day.  

If you need to eat twenty hours a day, then it sounds like MSC is your cruise line!!!

[shof515]

5 hours ago, gizfish said:

The buffet closes early for your convenience.  Well no, actually cutting out food options saves NCL money.  Let's call it what it is.  As an alternative example, MSC offers food in the buffet area for at least nineteen or twenty hours a day.  

Carnival offers pizza about 20 hours a day and their deli in the buffet is open until around 11pm. that is another cruise line you can try too

[dexddd]

The buffet has been getting scaled back for close to ten years.  More recently, hours reduced.

[Wayward Son]

14 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Very few people went to the buffet late at night and most of the food was being thrown overboard.

 

10,000 pounds of chocolate (across a smaller fleet) was being thrown overboard every week

 

I find it interesting how you create a visual that bears no resemblance to reality.

 

[luv2kroooz]

8 hours ago, Wayward Son said:

 

I find it interesting how you create a visual that bears no resemblance to reality.

 

So well said....I'm envisioning galley staff walking out to the open decks and literally dumping 5 tons of chocolate overboard every week using large cranes and shovels to do so....I don't know. And I sure hope it makes it into the sea and not on my balcony....especially those fresh pizzas or stale hot dogs. I'd hate to find them on my balcony the next morning....although breakfast of champions for those on the beverage plan. 😭😭 It does make for a great laugh though, sadly is some sort of fiction and illusion.

[Nola26]

Not sure if it's still available but NCL used to put out food in the casino late night. Not a big or varied spread, but some hot items (wings, meatballs,sliders, etc.), finger sandwiches, desserts, veggie or fruit platters. So some food, definitely not meant to be a meal.

 

I sailed on a couple of other lines in 2023 and I really missed The Local, it is a treat to have 24hr casual option, not just room service. One thing that was available on at least one of the lines was pizza until or 11pm or midnight. NCL doesn't have this as I don't recall pizza on The Local menu.

[SoloAlaska]

This isn’t just happening on NCL. Options were also very limited and at some times nothing but room service was available on Celebrity. The made to order pasta station however was great after several hours at the martini bar. I was really impressed at o’sheenans and the staff dealing with my new friends and I at 3 am.