Personally, the very thought of getting up at 5:00 in the morning while on a cruise ship feels like treason to my body and soul. It would take quite the cup of coffee to even get me to force my eyelids open.
But for one early riser, military life had programmed them to get up early, even when on vacation at sea. And at just 5 hours after the stroke of midnight, they found a cruise ship with little to do and not enough to eat, or so the post on Reddit explained.
The post on r/CarnivalCruiseFans from a self-described military cruiser sparked an outpouring of support and advice, revealing a community of fellow early-risers—who knew!
The original poster, cruising on Carnival Paradise, took to the social media site to explain their situation. “I’m bored and starving,” they wrote. “There is literally nothing to eat or do here right now. The continental breakfast doesn’t open till 0630.”
They added that even the casino was closed, and no hours were posted, a frustration they shared so their “fellow early risers can prepare better than I did!”
In response, people turned the simple complaint into a helpful guide for early risers on a cruise.
A Community’s Response
Instead of telling the passenger to “just wait,” the other early-risers rallied around the shared experience of being up before the rest of the ship.
One user described a similar scenario on an Alaskan cruise: “I would get up about 5:30 and go to the buffet for coffee. There were several people up there playing cards. On the second day, I was invited to join and everyday thereafter I played cards and drank coffee with other early risers from around the ship.”
Others offered practical solutions to the food dilemma. The most common advice was to get creative with leftovers.
As one user put it, they “bring ziplock bags to the buffet and take cookies and pastries back to the stateroom to snack on.” Another suggested a simple strategy: “Ration pastries from today for tomorrow.”
For those who plan ahead, many noted that “room service is available 24/7 if you’re really hungry,” a fact that seemed to be a surprise to some. But keep in mind that this is an extra charge and the complimentary continental breakfast menu is only available from 6-10am.
A Different Kind of Cruise Experience
For some cruisers in the thread, those early hours offer something you just can’t get at any other time on the cruise ship: some peace and quiet.
One user captured this sentiment perfectly, writing, “I like that time of morning best, it’s like I have the place to myself.” They use the time to get in their steps while enjoying some morning coffee.
Others mentioned their favorite pre-dawn activities, from going “duck hunting” around the ship to finding a quiet place to watch the sunrise.
“Slots are open if you’re not in port, gym is open, running track is always open,” another cruiser noted. “I’ve spent a lot of early morning hours in the arcade.”
“I get a quick workout…, drink some coffee, big breakfast, wake up my wife …, watch her eat breakfast,” another cruiser joked.
Bottom Line
As I often say, everyone has their own unique style of cruising. While some love to get up early and enjoy the solitude and serenity of a quiet ship, others can’t even imagine being up at the hour.
As one user put it, “I just said to my husband, the only way I see five am is if we’re still up.”
There’s a reason that 9 to 10am timeslot is so busy at the breakfast buffet. But if you can grab breakfast a couple hours earlier, you can at least avoid the crowds.
Read more: How to avoid crowds on a cruise ship (12 best tips)
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