In communications sent to cruise partners, Carnival Cruise Line has announced some permanent changes to onboard dining locations throughout FLEET.
Many of these changes, which have been implemented for some time due to crew shortages, won’t have dramatic impacts on guest experiences, while others will be sorely missed.
Dining Abbreviations
Beginning August 1, 2022, Carnival is cutting a wide range of dining services, venues and hours of operation. However, these cuts are not as extreme as they may seem at first.
Carnival cruise ships will no longer have a 24-hour pizzeria. Instead, Pizza Pirate or Pizzeria del Capitano (depending on the ship) will operate from 9 a.m. to 4 a.m. and will be closed for the five least busy hours of the 24-hour period. These hours, or a similar closure, have been in effect for many weeks due to lack of staff.
Guests craving a late-night snack will no longer be able to enjoy late-night meals at the Lido restaurant, which have often been light meals from a single buffet line, but instead will be able to get Pizza Plus options. This includes late night pizza as well as pasta, Caesar salad and sandwich options from the pizzeria.
The popular Seafood Day lunch with its exclusive offerings in the main dining room, always a guest favorite, will be shortened by an hour, ending at noon instead of 1pm As with the new shortened hours of the pizzeria, this late hour is usually less popular. for breakfast guests, and therefore will not affect many cruisers.
The fun atmosphere of Ocean Plaza, an amenity on board seven Carnival ships – the breeze, Dream, horizon, Magical, Panorama, sunAND Vista – will no longer be available with a light snack menu for breakfast and lunch.
Room service door hanger menus will no longer be available for placing outside room doors to request breakfast. While room service offerings will not change, guests must now call room service to place their orders. This change may be one of the most missed for frequent travelers who like to arrange a room service breakfast, but it will easily adapt to in-room phone ordering.
Complimentary occasion cakes – popular for birthdays and anniversaries – will no longer be available during dinner in the main dining room. Instead, happy occasions will be marked with candles on guests’ chosen dessert, ordered from that day’s menu selections – such as warm chocolate fudge cake.
While this may seem like an extensive list of closures, cutbacks and changes, it’s actually not that drastic and Carnival cruise ships still offer plenty of delicious and tempting options for all tastes.
Gone – But not forever
Two popular dining options are still on hiatus across the Carnival fleet, but may return soon.
The extraordinary and delicious Chocolate Extravaganza Buffet, usually offered on the last Fun Day at Sea, will continue to be on hiatus at this time, but may return on future sailings.
This decadent buffet often includes an array of chocolate desserts, mousse, cookies, truffles and more, as well as a chocolate fountain and delectable swans made from pastry and ice cream.
Afternoon tea time, an elegant snack time and social hour, is still on hiatus but will be back. Similarly, post-Military Appreciation event snacks will also be returning soon.
No firm dates have been set for the resumption of these events, but they are likely to return to individual ships as personnel leave.
Already Back!
Two very popular dining options that were initially discontinued in mid-May are now back – franchises The Chef’s Table event resumed at the end of Juneand the specialty restaurant Cucina del Capitano do reopens across the fleet on August 6, 2022. Both are great hits with guests.
The Chef’s Table is available on every Carnival ship, while Cucina del Capitano is available on nine ships – the breeze, horizon, Magical, Panorama, Radiation, Sunrise, sun, VistaAND Mardi Gras.
Both will also appear in future Carnival celebrationand Carnival jubilee at the end of 2023.
