Carnival Cruise Line has added delicious new late night snack options onboard for guests, with availability beginning the week of July 17, 2023.

Exact dates and opening/closing times for the new options will vary by ship and may even vary on different sailings, but this is a welcome option for passengers interested in grabbing a bite after karaoke, late night comedy, evening shows, or other nighttime activities.

New Late Night Snacks to Be Offered

Rumors have been floating around social media recently that Carnival Cruise Line planned to bring back the “Midnight Buffet” that was offered onboard years ago.

These gala events involved not only amazing spreads of delicious eats carefully arranged into appetizing displays, but also showcased ice sculptures, carved fruits and vegetables, and other beautiful accents.

Brand ambassador John Heald has addressed the rumors, confirming that the cruise line will not be recreating the sumptuous late-night feast – much of which went uneaten and was wasted.

What the cruise line is doing, however, is expanding late night dining options by offering different foods for guests to choose from rather than just one more slice of pizza or an extra ice cream cone.

“We will be complementing the wondering pizza we offer with these late night options,” Heald said as he revealed the “Late Night Snack” menu.

The snacks available include chicken noodle soup, coleslaw, potato salad, chips and salsa, fried chicken tenders with a honey mustard sauce, hot dogs available with chili or grilled onions, an Italian meatball sandwich, and a ham and cheese roll.

Chicago-style pizza will also be available in cheese or pepperoni, and guests with a sweet tooth will want to snack on the chocolate chip and sugar cookies. All items are complimentary and included in the cruise fare with no extra charge.

Heald mentions that the new snack menu will be starting “next week” (the week of July 17, 2023), and the availability times may be different on different ships. “Timing may vary from ship to ship, considering factors such as peak periods and guest demographics,” Heald explained.

This news is almost one year after Carnival Cruise Line announced several permanent dining cutbacks, including eliminating the popular 24-hour pizza. At the same time, Late Night Snacks that had been offered in each ship’s Lido Restaurants were also discontinued.

It is possible that guest feedback and requests have contributed to Carnival bringing back these late night snacks, including the pizza on the menu. In recent days, Carnival Cruise Line has demonstrated its responsiveness to guest feedback by resuming the Diamond Lunch loyalty benefit as well as adding more vegan menu options to the main dining rooms.

Room service remains available 24 hours a day onboard Carnival ships, but nominal fees do apply for late night orders. Only the continental breakfast menu, available from 6-10 a.m., is complimentary.

Reducing Food Waste

All cruise lines are concerned with waste and efficiency, and food waste is one of the biggest culprits onboard.

Revamping menus to remove less popular ingredients, trimming buffet dining hours, changing portion sizes, charging for third and fourth entrees, and developing cocktails that use rinds or other normally wasted food scraps are all strategies different cruise lines have used to combate food waste.

In 2022, Carnival Cruise Line added food waste biodigesters to its fleet, and in March 2023, the cruise line made an additional $500,000 investment in more biodigesters, parts, and maintenance for the technology.

Biodigesters rapidly break down food waste using beneficial microorganisms, resulting in much less waste being discharged into marine environments or offloaded in port.

Hopefully, the addition of the Late Night Snack menu will be a welcome option for cruise guests without contributing to food waste.

Carnival Cruise Line has addressed guest concerns about the potential for cheating at trivia games onboard, once again showing responsiveness to guests’ feedback and willingness to raise awareness of the issue and what can be done about it. While it may seem trivial to some, onboard trivia contests can be serious fun for fans of popular music, television, movies, and more.

Trivia Cheating Claims Brought to Attention

Every cruise guest is aware of onboard trivia games, fun contests that test passengers’ knowledge. While general trivia matches may be more casual, some themed trivia activities can be very competitive indeed.

Particularly popular are trivia contests about television shows like Game of Thrones and Friends, the Harry Potter franchise, different sports, and musicians such as Michael Jackson and The Beatles.

Carnival Cruise Line brand ambassador John Heald has noted recently that some guests have concerns about cheating at these most popular trivia games. Some questions are deliberately designed to stump even the most knowledgeable fans, yet teams seem to get perfect scores consistently.

Accusations of cheating during trivia contests have arisen, with claims made that questions are so difficult that it’s impossible for teams to get perfect scores, hence they must be cheating. Other claims allege that passengers have observed rival teams using cell phones to search for correct answers even while the game continues.

Worth Reading: Can Carnival Guests Get Perfect Trivia Scores Without Cheating?

“I know that some people take trivia very seriously and I know that the staff tell people to turn their phones off and check for this kind of thing,” Heald said. “But, at the end of the day it is supposed to be, well you know, Fun.”

Carnival “Fun Squad” members – crew members who host trivia and other onboard activities as part of the Entertainment staff – do generally ask that participants not use cell phones, shout out answers, or otherwise detract from the fun of the game. When some trivias attract dozens of participants, however, it can be difficult to ensure nothing at all nefarious is going on during the game.

Is It Cheating?

Of course, it is impossible to control all possible perceived attempts at cheating. Sometimes a “cheater” may simply be using the Carnival Hub app to check on other activities, texting a family member onboard about the game they’ve joined, or reviewing photos they’ve taken of their cruise.

Because many Carnival trivias reuse questions on different sailings, it is also possible that loyal guests are already familiar with even the toughest trivia questions, and therefore do indeed score perfectly on an otherwise challenging trivia.

With more Carnival cruise ships achieving faster, more reliable internet connections – 11 ships in the fleet are now equipped with Starlink Maritime Wi-Fi – it is of course easier than ever for someone to look up an answer to a puzzling trivia question. Cheating does happen occasionally, and can be sour note on what is supposed to be a lighthearted, fun activity.

Unfortunately, calling out a potential cheater, banning them from games, or otherwise creating penalties is not possible, as these games are meant to be fun and not taken to extremes. While everyone wants to win a 24-karat-gold-ship-on-a-stick – the most coveted of Carnival prizes – there can only be one winner, and sometimes, it isn’t the person who thought they would win a particular game.

Preventing Cheating

So, what can Carnival Cruise Line do about the possibility of trivia cheaters? Heald has promised to make attempts to rectify the problem.

“I will pass this on to my colleagues in the entertainment department and see what we can do to try and stop trivia cheats,” he said.

With higher onboard internet speeds and more Carnival team members using tablets as they host games, it could be possible to use a larger question bank even for the most popular themed trivias. With more questions to choose from, fewer guests would be familiar with every question on every sailing, and other fans may have more opportunities to win.

Guests could also be asked to put their phones and tablets away more frequently, or disqualified from a particular game if they are using their phone as questions are being asked.

It might even be possible for the cruise line to keep a list of the stateroom numbers and names of trivia winners and restrict the top prizes to one per stateroom, per sailing, which could spread the honors out to more guests.

In the end, however, it is as Heald said – trivia is supposed to be fun, and enjoying the game with a lighthearted attitude will go a long way for all guests to have a great time no matter who “wins” each trivia contest.

Carnival Cruise Line has announced that it will be returning a popular benefit for the most loyal cruisers, those in the “Diamond” tier of the cruise line’s loyalty program. Beginning in August, the special lunch for Diamond cruisers will be reinstated, with a revamped menu sure to entice discerning cruise travelers.

Loyalty Lunch to Resume

Carnival Cruise Line brand ambassador John Heald has announced that the Diamond Lunch for the highest loyalty level of VIFP (Very Important Fun Person) guests will be returning after feedback and requests. The lunch, which was a mainstay benefit for years, was recently discontinued to become a cocktail party rather than a full lunch.

Guest reaction and feedback, however, showed how popular the lunch is among Carnival cruisers, which prompted Heald to take the matter to the cruise line’s executives for reconsideration.

“I had a few of you write to me saying how much you missed the lunch,” Heald said. “I sent those comments to my colleague and our wonderful Senior Vice President Beard of Food and Beverage who has told me that as of cruises starting on or around August 1st he will reinstate the Diamond Lunch with a new menu.”

This reaction shows that Carnival Cruise Line does in fact monitor and take into account guest feedback to continue improving their offerings and bringing travelers the experiences they want to have.

While Heald confirmed the lunches will begin on or around August 1, 2023, there is no firm date for exactly when each ship in the Carnival fleet will resume the Diamond Lunch. Only Diamond levels guests receive the “special event invitation from the Captain” for the lunch, which is separate from the Diamond and Platinum VIFP Party that is offered on sailings of five nights or longer.

New Diamond Lunch Menu

The revamped menu for the Diamond Lunch includes appetizers, entrees, and desserts, with a range of delicious options for all food preferences.

To whet the appetite, guests will be able to choose from Tuna and salmon crudo with a wonton crisp; natchitoches meat pies from Emeril’s Bistro, or Caesar salad as appetizers.

This is followed by a choice of grilled jumbo shrimp with butternut-cauliflower gratin accented with creamy sun-dried tomato sauce; bacon-wrapped filet mignon with roasted potato and asparagus; or baked vegetable casserole with cheddar and parmesan gratinate and pumpkin garlic bread.

For dessert, guests can opt for rich chocolate decadence with lemon gratin and raspberries; pear almond crostata with mascarpone cream, or fresh fruit with pineapple sorbet. For each course, a vegetarian option is available, and guests can also let their servers know of any food allergy concerns.

Read Also: Which Cruise Lines Match Loyalty Programs?

Previously, the Diamond Lunch menu had similar options, such as filet mignon but without the bacon-wrapped accent, and chocolate hazelnut icebox pie rather than the chocolate decadence dessert. The menu tends to be refreshed approximately every quarter (four times per year), but favorite dishes do generally remain available.

Becoming a Diamond Guest

Guests reach Diamond level VIFP status when they have cruised with Carnival for at least 200 nights. At this time, Carnival Cruise Line does not offer extra “points” for booking suites, special cruises, or using special offers, but Heald has hinted that the loyalty program is due for an overhaul and such changes may be coming.

In addition to the Diamond Lunch, other benefits exclusive to the highest loyalty level include unlimited Wash & Fold laundry service, guaranteed seating time requests for dinner in the Main Dining Room, and priority reservations at onboard specialty restaurants.

One-time benefits are also provided to guests who have achieved Diamond status, including charitable donations in the guest’s name and a complimentary meal for two at a specialty restaurant of the guest’s choice.