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Failure to launch
No more midnight buffet? Cruise highlights that have come and gone
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No smoking! Oh, never mind
In November 1998, Carnival Cruise Lines launched the Paradise, the world’s first completely nonsmoking ship. The ship was designed and built by nonsmokers and smoking on board was verboten; in fact, anyone caught smoking was given the heave-ho at the next port and was slapped with a $250 fine. Fast-forward five years: Now the Paradise has been moved to the West coast, where it sails three- and four-day cruises to Mexico -- smoking permitted.
“With only one ship operating this itinerary, we couldn't limit the vessel to nonsmokers,” says Carnival spokesman Vance Gullicksen. While that may be true, cruise industry insiders say the decision to go smoking came down to money. Where there’s smoke, there’s revenue -- specifically, gambling revenue. Turns out nonsmokers don’t drink or gamble as much as their nicotine-addicted shipmates.
The disappearing midnight buffet
It used to be a cruise cliché, the gluttons’ favorite meal: the midnight buffet. These days, the midnight buffet is slim pickings, indeed -- if you can find one at all. How come? Cruise lines are just reflecting the tastes of today’s passenger, offering lighter fare and specialty eating events instead of the late-night groaning board. For example, Carnival now offers its “Gala Midnight Buffet” just once on cruises seven days or longer, and Norwegian Cruise Line usually offers one midnight chocolate buffet on its cruises. If you’re a stickler for tradition, try Costa Cruises, which still indulges its passengers with its lavish, over-the-top midnight buffets.
Formal attire? It’s optional
Dressing to the nines is a thing of the past as most cruise lines have adopted a more casual approach to cruise attire than the old ball-gown-and-dinner-jacket standard. Yes, cruise lines like Cunard and Silversea Cruises continue to offer plenty of black-tie evenings because that’s what their clientele prefer, but even aboard these swanky ships, a dark suit and tie will do. (If you’re determined to wear a tuxedo, you can rent one aboard most cruise ships.) Elsewhere, dress codes range from Carnival’s mainstream wear-what-you-want dictum to the laid-back-luxury style of Windstar Cruises.
Turn in your shotguns
Alas, the days when Captain Stubing and his passengers happily fired away at clay pigeons are long gone.
“We discontinued skeet shooting many years ago for a variety of reasons, including environmental, safety, and the noise impact on the guest cruise experience,” says Carnival’s Gullicksen.
Others say liability issues forced the end of skeet shooting, along with the practice of hitting golf balls off the back deck. “Handing out loaded shotguns on the back deck always made for some fun moments, especially when you had passengers who had never done it before swing around points onto the deck to say, ‘Hey look at me holding a shotgun!’” says Allan E. Jordan, a cruise industry writer and noted ship historian. While skeet is gone, many ships do offer golf simulators or golf nets for passengers who itch to make that long drive.
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