There is a specific kind of despair that sets in around 3 p.m. on a sea day. Lunch is a memory. Dinner is a rumor. The Lido has gone quiet, and you are left staring into the middle distance wondering whether a soft-serve cone counts as a meal. (It does. But now you have options.)

Carnival has quietly rolled out free, customizable nacho bowls from the BlueIguana Cantina as a late-afternoon snack. You pick a base — chili con carne, chicken tinga, or refried beans — then pile on pico de gallo, cheddar and jack, crema fresca, or cheese sauce until your bowl achieves structural instability. Signage promises “bold flavors and fun bites, made for cruising,” which is marketing for “yes, there are jalapeños, you brave soul.”

Hours are 3–6 p.m. on sea days and 4–6 p.m. on port days, precisely engineered to fill the afternoon void. No charge.

Which ships have them?

Brand ambassador John Heald confirmed the snack on his verified Facebook page this week from aboard Carnival Vista, part of his renewed campaign to be on more ships and fewer feeds. Beyond Vista (Port Canaveral), the bowls have surfaced on:

• Carnival Conquest — Miami
• Carnival Paradise — Tampa
• Carnival Firenze and Carnival Panorama — Long Beach
• Carnival Dream — Galveston

“More to come and I will let you know as we add this to more ships,” Heald said. Curiously, Firenze doesn’t even have a BlueIguana, so its nachos are apparently coming from an undisclosed location — the cruise equivalent of a speakeasy.

This joins Carnival’s recent all-day feeding frenzy: the wildly popular Bagels at Sea and the late-night buffet spread. Which raises the real question for the Golden Crew — Tom, does a 4 p.m. nacho bowl finally settle the breakfast-burrito-versus-French-toast debate, or does it just open a third front? Bring your appetite and your opinions to the next episode.