You can't get everything you ask for on a cruise. Just like how ships rotate between theater performances each evening, choices have to be made regarding dining venues.
While you'll never go hungry on a Carnival cruise, the crew can't keep each restaurant open 24/7. Instead, the HUB app will tell you the hours popular spots, including Guy's Burger Joint and BlueIguana Cantina, are open.
Recently, John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line's Brand Ambassador, addressed why certain venues aren't open for longer, explaining how the cruise line makes these tough decisions.
Responding to questions asking why BlueIguana and Guy's can't be open throughout the night, he says, "One of the reasons is that the crew have to work...very strict hours. Now back in the day when I was first a Cruise Director...there were no recorded or set hours. These days every crew member has to 'clock in' and 'clock out' of a special computer program called Fun Time."
"These hours are recorded, documented and shared with outside agencies as well as our own internal beards at the Mothership," Heald adds.
Because cruise ships are registered outside the United States, such as Panama, Malta, or the Bahamas, they aren't bound to U.S. labor laws. As such, most crew members work long shifts without receiving overtime pay. Plus, they rarely receive a day off.
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"So take the crew [members] who work at Guy's [Burger Joint]. They start the day in the morning preparing the food, getting everything ready to serve anywhere from 1000 plus of the best burgers at sea," Heald explains.
"They open a couple of hours later and between noon and 6:30pm they smile and slap another brilliant dollop of meat on the grill. They have breaks but it is hard work for sure. Then once they close at 6:30pm they have to clean and [sanitize] the grills and preparation areas to the highest of standards."
If Guy's Burger Joint were to stay open later, Carnival would have to employ more workers. While cost is one consideration, there’s also the issue of space and resources. On a cruise ship, space is at a premium. Everything from the kitchens to the storage areas is carefully designed to maximize efficiency.
Hiring more crew members would require more living space for them as well.
"There is no 'more crew.' You see every department has a budget. Every department wants more people, every department [will] tell the beards that but here’s the thing. We can only put the number of crew on each ship to the number of beds we have on board. And [on] every ship, every single week for the very most part, every crew bed is taken," he says.
By keeping dining hours manageable, Carnival can ensure the quality of food and service stays consistent while respecting the crew's time to rest.
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Guy's Burger Joint usually closes around 6:00pm
The HUB app will confirm each venue's operating hours, from the Main Dining Room to Guy's and BlueIguana Cantina.
While the hours are subject to change, you can typically expect Guy's to be open from 12:00pm to 6:00pm daily.
BlueIguana opens a little earlier for breakfast, usually from 7:30am to 10:30am. It'll reopen for lunch somewhere around 12:00pm to 2:30pm, meaning BlueIguana is a popular lunch spot, rather than somewhere passengers go for an early dinner.
Read more: 15 things I wish I knew before setting foot on a Carnival ship
Late-night dining options
Recently, Heald announced that Carnival would close the dedicated pizza spot around midnight. That said, guests craving a greasy slice of pie won't be disappointed. Now, passengers are diverted to the late-night buffet, which serves pizza, hot dogs, french fries, chips & salsa, cookies, and more.
"Now around midnight, our fabulous team on Lido will take over from our wonderful pizza chefs as our service moves from the counter to the buffet line," he writes, "You can find delicious pizza still, but also other options, like chicken tenders, hot dogs, sandwiches, cookies and other desserts."
"This is disappointing news"
"The late buffet hasn’t been good in our experience. The pizza saves the day with kids and teens who don’t love MDR food. It’s great after the casino and the line moves quickly. I think the pizza needs to stay open," shares Melissa Hackett Fox.
Paige Erickson adds, "Please keep the pizza place open late! It's my favorite thing to grab before heading to bed. I strongly dislike the 'Chicago' style pizza and most of the other options are unappealing as well."
"The Chicago pizza is awful though 😞," says Kerry Smith, "The buffet line at night is never long for a reason. So the solution is to take the better food away because it takes longer to get?? Shouldn’t the fact that people are CHOOSING to go get the pizza instead of the midnight buffet tell you it is better??"
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Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she had the privilege of traveling frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas her freshman year of high school. She wanted to pursue a career that highlighted her passion for travel and strengths as a writer.
