Mac N Cheese and Kid Friendly foods

We have a 4 year old who is a picky eater when it comes to lunch / dinner (breakfast is fine...). His #1 choice is Mac N Cheese.

Where on Carnival can you find "kid friendly" food for lunch? We have not seen Macaroni and Cheese at the buffet at all. We couldn't really find anything that usually appears on a kids menu. Even fries that we found were heavily seasoned.

Its much easier at dinner in the MDR since we can order Mac & Cheese, unseasoned fries, etc..there and they provide a kids menu but lunch at the buffet is a struggle.

Oh no, this makes me nervous! We will be cruising next month with my nearly three year old niece who is very picky as well. She basically eats macaroni and cheese, cheese pizza and ice cream. I assumed there would be Mac n cheese on the buffet. What about pizza?

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Oh man! That is not good news.

I have a 5 year old who is such a picky eater, my 2 year old will eat just about anything tho. Not worried about her.

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You can always get pizza over at the pizza place so no worries there. I can't remember if mac and cheese is offered on room service or not, I don't remember seeing it but you might ask someone who's recently been on if it's an option.

There is pizza but our son won't eat that too. So frustrating. Kids love pizza and he loves Ninja Turtles who love pizza yet he won't eat it.

We tried calling room service to ask if we can get Mac N Cheese and they said no. We also asked about chicken nuggets and that was a no as well (you can order chicken tenders for $5)

Considering that Carnival markets itself as a "family" line which I assume includes kids I would have imagine that they would have more / easily accessible kid foods (I wish ours wasn't picky so we wouldn't have to deal with this but the doctor says to just let him grow out of this...starve him until he eats whatever...)

My kids didn't eat much on our recent cruise - they didn't even seem to like the kid friendly foods like cheese pizza and hot dogs. I didn't worry too much about it since I figure they would eat if they were really hungry. They did, however, eat a lot of frozen soft serve :). Oh well, at least they got their calories from something.

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If you are super nice to the Supervisors at the lunch Buffet they can make you a Mac and cheese. On our last cruise a TA from England there was no true hard boiled eggs or crispy bacon. I sucked it up for 3 days. Then I finally asked the supervisor and he said " Sorry mam that is something we don't have as there are not a lot of Americans on board. But I can make you some and bring it to you." So everyday after that at breakfast he would see me come in and he had a small plate with 2 hard boiled eggs and 3-4 pieces if crunchy bacon. I tipped him well.

So justAsk. You never know.

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I never thought about this because I don't have kids yet and when I sailed as a kid I usually ate pizza/burgers/the buffet food but Carnival really should have some kid friendly buffet options. Seems like a very big oversight.

There is a kids menu -you will find it on the Carnival website under explore / dining / all dining options / kids menu. Sorry I couldn't get a link posted. There is Mac n Cheese, nuggets and lots more. They say that it's available at most of their on-board dining venues. I would think that the buffet would be included.

I also remember a post were they said they didn't like the selection offered in the buffet so they are off the kids area of the buffet.

There is a kids menu -you will find it on the Carnival website under explore / dining / all dining options / kids menu. Sorry I couldn't get a link posted. There is Mac n Cheese, nuggets and lots more. They say that it's available at most of their on-board dining venues. I would think that the buffet would be included.

 

I also remember a post were they said they didn't like the selection offered in the buffet so they are off the kids area of the buffet.

Thanks for that tip. Now, my DD will have less problem with her sons.

https://www.carnival.com/cruise-food/kids-menus

Lot of it is presentation. ;)

Kids lived on fish sticks when they were younger. In Mexico we got fish tacos from a shack, on the beach. Convinced the kids that people in Mexico are their fish sticks wrapped in tortillas. Think they are 5 each.

Chicken tenders are simply larger nuggets.

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I never thought about this because I don't have kids yet and when I sailed as a kid I usually ate pizza/burgers/the buffet food but Carnival really should have some kid friendly buffet options. Seems like a very big oversight.

They have pizzas and burgers available on every ship at lunch and a kid's menu in the MDR. I have no idea about dinner at th buffet, never attempted, we do MDR, specialty, or room service. They have those basics, but not necessarily specifically chicken nuggets and Mac and cheese at every meal. However, if your kid only eats 2 things, that isn't really Carnival's fault. Pizza is open 24/7 and burgers usually 11-6 so the options you describe do exist.

Edit - I have also definitely seen Marc and cheese at the buffet before, though I'm not sure if it's there daily and I've never eaten it. There's also peanut butter and jelly on room service, which I imagine most kids would eat if an in room option is wanted.

I never thought about this because I don't have kids yet and when I sailed as a kid I usually ate pizza/burgers/the buffet food but Carnival really should have some kid friendly buffet options. Seems like a very big oversight.

What do you suggest? There is hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, mac and cheese, pizza, p &b sandwiches, nuggets etc?

I have not seen a lot of lunchtime mac & cheese although with more ships adding BBQ places it may be more readily available. The deli will make a grilled cheese sandwich if that helps.

3 of my kids were picky eaters and the youngest, 18, is not exactly a gourmand.

Be forewarned: the Mac and cheese is thick and can be super dry. It's not like "macaroni from home". There is a Mac and cheese with MDR entree that is definitely NOT like Mac and cheese from home, you could slice it with a knife.

My kids ate:

Fries from the buffet, they were shoestring and not seasoned

Melon (maybe), bananas, possibly other fruit

Cereal 24/7, I took boxes and milk back to the cabin

Bagels

Pizza

Chicken strips/tenders

Broccoli

Sliced cucumbers and celery from the salad bar

Soft serve ice cream 24/7

Honestly by day 6 of watching my sons sit next to me eating pizza and fries and 5 cartons of chocolate milk I realized this was about calories to sustain all their swimming and sliding and whatever, not about the most nutritious week possible (by a looooooooong shot).

Good luck, mother of five sons and I feel your pain ;)

I have not seen a lot of lunchtime mac & cheese although with more ships adding BBQ places it may be more readily available. The deli will make a grilled cheese sandwich if that helps.

Yes I think the Pig and Anchor had a Mac and cheese side but I bet it's really thick and kids might not like it (although I will, lol).

Yes I think the Pig and Anchor had a Mac and cheese side but I bet it's really thick and kids might not like it (although I will, lol).

My 5 year old nephew loved the Pig and Anchor mac and cheese. He also had it every night in the MDR. Thankfully he ate other things for lunch.

Why do I recall the Splendor having a childrens buffet - with specific "kids" food? Our girls ate off the buffet; fruits/pancakes/cerials, milk (lots of milk); and usually ate a combo at dinner of the "adult" menu and the childrens menu.. They would make us pasta with no sauce -- just ask for what your looking for.

What do you suggest? There is hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, mac and cheese, pizza, p &b sandwiches, nuggets etc?

I've never seen Mac and cheese on the buffet and nuggets/tenders can vary depending on whether your ship has a Guys Burgers or not. NCL has a kids section of their main buffet and I figured something like that with about 5 options for kids would be nice.

Is there access to a microwave? If so, you could pack enough single serving Kraft Mac n Cheese dinners and make them for lunch.

Good luck and I hope you have a great cruise!

We have a 4 year old who is a picky eater when it comes to lunch / dinner (breakfast is fine...). His #1 choice is Mac N Cheese.

 

Where on Carnival can you find "kid friendly" food for lunch? We have not seen Macaroni and Cheese at the buffet at all. We couldn't really find anything that usually appears on a kids menu. Even fries that we found were heavily seasoned.

 

Its much easier at dinner in the MDR since we can order Mac & Cheese, unseasoned fries, etc..there and they provide a kids menu but lunch at the buffet is a struggle.

OP the Sea Day Brunch in the MDR has Mac & Cheese on the menu.

OP the Sea Day Brunch in the MDR has Mac & Cheese on the menu.

Thanks. Yep, MDR seems to be the only place you can order Mac and Cheese if that's what you want...Freaking picky people...😄

Having cruised with a 3 yr old "special snowflake" who is very picky, I will offer some advice to a parent that would rather put in 10 minutes of work than tell her kid to "suck it up".

Take along a big mouthed thermos. At dinner order an extra mac n cheese. Take it back to your room, put in fridge. Next day about an hour or so before you plan on having lunch take your thermos up to the coffee stands and fill it w hot water (as if you were going to make yourself some thermos tea). Let it warm up the thermos for a few minutes, than pour it out. Grab your left overs, throw them in the thermos, seal it up and they should heat up well enough in time for lunch. Try it at home first to see if it works.

Alternatively take along a few Ziploc sandwich bags, put the left over mac n cheese in one and rest the sealed bag in large bowl of hot water (from the tea/coffee station). The heat will warm up your leftovers. Yes, it's a bit of extra work to "reheat" food without a microwave, but you do have options.

Offer your kiddo the best you can from the buffet and offset that with rewarmed mac n cheese.

Good luck, have a great trip, and know you not the only "crazy" Mom who might take an extra few minutes to help their kiddo eat.

By the date in your signature I'm guessing you are on board!

 

Hope the food issues are working out for you...Have fun.

Thanks. Its going good.

It's our fourth time taking our son with us on a cruise. We leave him with the grandparents whenever possible but sometimes he needs a vacation too.

We have a 4 year old who is a picky eater when it comes to lunch / dinner (breakfast is fine...). His #1 choice is Mac N Cheese.

 

Where on Carnival can you find "kid friendly" food for lunch? We have not seen Macaroni and Cheese at the buffet at all. We couldn't really find anything that usually appears on a kids menu. Even fries that we found were heavily seasoned.

 

Its much easier at dinner in the MDR since we can order Mac & Cheese, unseasoned fries, etc..there and they provide a kids menu but lunch at the buffet is a struggle.

I feel ya, webzila. I've got a 12 yr old on the autism spectrum with sensory issues who can be pretty picky about how his food is seasoned. I would, in your shoes, just take the kid along with me in the buffet line and ask if she thinks she would eat this item or that item. Good luck. :)