Emma Cruises

Carnival Food Review – EVERYTHING I Ate During my Cruise: (Photos and Menus)

If you are taking a Carnival cruise you might be wondering what the food will be like. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included at no extra cost on a Carnival cruise.

I’ve just disembarked Carnival Magic and in this post we will look at everything I ate in the main dining room, buffet, Guys Burger Joint and other restaurants. Menus are also provided.

Buffet – Included

The buffet on the Carnival Magic was open from early in the morning until late at night, it is split into two separate sections.

Breakfast was served 7am – 12pm. Lunch 12pm – 2.30pm and dinner 6pm-9.30pm.

Carnival Buffet

“Meals are served buffet-style, with an array of pastas, steaks, prime rib, grilled chicken, specialty salads and desserts along with a daily Chef’s Special.”  Carnival Cruise Line

Below are some examples of my buffet meals. All of the food in the buffet is free and unlimited.

There was always a large selection of cakes available and cookies too.

Carnival Buffet

I found that the quality of the food in the buffet was good but I did find that the options were often the same on multiple days.

We usually ate breakfast in the buffet and although I am not a big buffet fan, there were lots of choices. I mostly had bread and fruit.

We didn’t ever see any drinks waiters in the buffet so I’m not sure if this service is offered within the buffet. If it was, they never approached us.

Within The Buffet Was a Deli

At the larger end of the buffet, there was a deli that served sandwiches and wraps throughout the day. This would often be open even if the main buffet was closed.

The deli was open 11 am – 11 pm .

There were a couple of vegetarian options but no markings on the menu to say which were vegetarian.

Carnival do have a separate team that deals with allergies and intolerances but it was a shame that this information was missing from a lot of the menus.

I often had to ask the waiters if a dish was vegetarian which could have easily been avoided had the information been on the menu.

pictures of carnival cruise food

My favourite thing to have at the deli was the mozzarella and tomato sandwich.

There were often lines for the deli and I did feel bad for the crew trying to make the sandwiches as fast as they could! The crew were always incredibly friendly and polite.

The deli also offered fries and chocolate chip cookies.

Carnival Deli

My main concern with the buffet was the lack of hand washing and hand sanitisation.

On most cruise lines you’ll have to wash your hands before you enter the buffet but this wasn’t the case on my Carnival cruise, there were no sinks by the doors and no crew member ever told me to sanitise my hands.

As guests all share the tongs I would usually get my food, sit down and then sanitise my hands before picking up food.

Main Dining Room – Included

Guests can either choose fixed dining, where you have the same table at the same time each night or flexible dining. We opted for flexible dining and it worked very well.

There was only one large main restaurant offering flexible dining but sometimes we would be sat on the upper level, and sometimes lower.

I preferred sitting on the upper level as it felt as though the tables for 2 had more space. Downstairs the tables for 2 were often so close together that it felt like you were sharing a table.

This is pretty common on cruise ships!

Carnival Main Dining Room Food

I was very impressed with the quality of the food in the main dining room. I hadn’t expected amazing things from Carnivals food but we were always very happy with our meals.

The service was great and we never had to wait long for anything.

Below on the left is the always-available vegetarian Indian dish which I had a couple of times. On the right is the Carnival chocolate cake which was very tasty. It was gooey in the middle and always warm.

Carnival Main Dining Room Food

Below is the menu as it appeared on my phone. We weren’t given physical menus during our cruise and instead scanned the QR code on our phones.

If you don’t have a phone Carnival do have some physical copies of the menu but I never saw any guests using these during our cruise.

Carnival Cruises Dinner Menu

There was no allergen or dietary information on the menus which sometimes did make it difficult to know which dishes were vegetarian. You’d think it would be obvious, but it isn’t always.

On some cruise lines you’ll find that there are specials in addition to whats on the menu, we didn’t find that on our Carnival cruise.

Carnival Main Dining Room Food

The fried mozzarella seen below was my favourite starter.

Carnival Main Dining Room Food

I was very happy to see a Tofu steak on the menu one evening, this was the only time I ever saw any and there weren’t usually any sources of protein other than cheese in my vegetarian dishes.

The staff were always happy to change dishes slightly or to put together something off-menu if there’s something you’d prefer.

Carnival Cruises Dinner Menu and Main Dining Room Food

Caesar salad was always available as a starter as you’ll find on most cruise lines.

It is possible to order a starter as a main or a main as a starter if you’d prefer.

There aren’t any limits on how many courses you can order, so if there are multiple things that take your fancy, order them all!

Many people order a couple of starters and a couple of mains. The waiters are very used to it.

Other Included Food – Guy’s Burger Joint

In addition to the food in the buffet and the main dining room, there was freshly made pizza and burgers served on the pool deck.

The poolside grill is called Guys Burger Joint and it was created by Guy Fieri.

For the first 5 days of the cruise I believed that there were no vegetarian options at Guys Burgers because there was no vegetarian burger on the menu.

I had resigned myself to a life of eating fries but when I did ask, they actually had veggie burgers!

They added one to the grill and freshly cooked it for me. I added onion rings and cheese and lots of other toppings (seen below right).

It was AMAZING I just wish I knew about it earlier in the cruise!

Carnival Guys burger joint

My partner Jono who eats meat said that the Guy’s Burgers he had were good, no better than the poolside grill on other cruise lines, but good.

Other Included Food – Blue Iguana

Also on the pool deck, there is a Burrito and Taco restaurant called the Blue Iguana.

Here you can create your own burritos and they are freshly made while you wait.

I had a rice and beans burrito and it was amazing. It may have been my favourite thing that I ate during the cruise. It was full of flavour and a great lunch.

Carnival Blue Iguana Food

Below are the topping that you can add to your burrito.

Soft tacos are also available.

Carnival Mongolian Wok

Other Included Food – Pizzeria Del Capitano

At the back of the ship there is a pizzeria where you can get freshly made pizza either by the slice or the pie.

The pizzeria was open 9am – 4am.

We would often go to the Pizzeria at night to pick up a pizza and a drink from the bar that was nearby, both were near our cabin so we would take these back to our room.

You are always allowed to take food from the buffet or any of the pool side restaurants to your cabin. Carnival don’t let you take food from the main dining room to your room, but everywhere else is fine.

Carnival Pizzeria Del Capitano

Ocean Plaza Café (Extra Cost)

I spent very little extra during this cruise but the little bit of money that I did spend I spent on doughnuts at the Ocean Plaza Cafe.

The cafe was incredibly popular, especially on sea days.

Each of the doughnuts below cost $3, plus taxes.

Carnival are an American cruise line so taxes aren’t included in the prices that you see.

Both doughnuts weer good, but incredibly sweet. I shared them and even half was more than enough.

Carnival Ocean Plaza Cafe

Would I Recommend Carnivals Food?

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food on my Carnival cruise, particularly in the main dining room.

I did find the vegetarian options lacking compared to other cruise lines, but all the vegetarian food I had was good.

I particularly enjoyed the deli within the buffet, my burger from Guy’s Burgers and the cookies that were available most of the time in the buffet.

Taking a Cruise: Recommendations and Resources Get Captain Hudson Book a Cruise Get Travel Insurance Emma Cruises Shop My Favourite Bags – Mia Tui

pictures of carnival cruise food

Free Insiders Cruise Line Guide

Enter your email address below:

Magical Family Travel Guide

The Ultimate Guide to Carnival Cruise Food

pictures of carnival cruise food

Curious about what to expect from Carnival cruise food ? I was, too! Here are tips for making the most of your Carnival dining experience , cruise food photos and menus, and more!

Food on Carnival Cruise

Food is a big deal on cruises.

I mean, for the most part, you can get delicious food at all hours of the day and night – and it can really make or break your experience.

There’s a reason why the average person gains between 5-10 pounds while cruising (thankfully, I was able to escape that fate!)

When I was researching which cruise line to go with, Carnival seemed to have a good reputation for having delicious food.

The first meal we had was at a buffet, and I’ll admit, I was very underwhelmed. However, the food throughout the rest of the cruise really impressed me, and I came away feeling very satisfied with my experience.

Since I know many people who are about to cruise with Carnival for the first time are probably like me and very curious about how food works, I thought I would put together this guide to Carnival cruise food. Please be aware that this is specific to the Carnival Ecstacy, though they have very similar dining on all the ships.

I’ve heard that the best cruise food is on the Carnival cruise line – and I was pretty impressed by the end of the trip!

Cruise Food

Is food included on cruises .

I wasn’t totally sure of this at first when we booked our cruise. I’d heard that cruises were all-inclusive, but then I saw people talking about paying for food, so I was confused.

If you don’t want to pay an extra dime on your cruise, you don’t have to! There are free options available for every meal – including room service. And they are more than sufficient in my opinion. They have a huge variety, and the food is available all day and into the evening, so if you are wondering if food is included – YES!

There are, of course, premium options or special activities – like the Dr. Seuss breakfast – but these are purely optional.

Can You Bring Food on a Cruise?

You can bring your own food on the cruise if you need/want to. Just be aware that at most ports, you will not be allowed to bring food off of the boat into the country you are going to.

Dining Times

When you book your cruise, you will be given an option for different times to eat dinner:

  • Early Dining (around 8 PM)
  • Late Dining (Around 5:45 PM)
  • Your Time Dining (Between 5:45 and 9:30 PM)

When we booked our cruise, the only options available still were late dining and your time dining. Since we have small children, it was a pretty easy choice what we were going to do.

Here are the main differences between set dining times and the Your Time Dining times:

  • With set dining, you sit at the same table every night; you are typically placed with other people you may not know.
  • You will also have the same waiter every night
  • If you are more than 30 minutes late, you typically won’t get to eat in the dining room that night
  • With Your Time Dining, you can go any time between 5:45 and 9 PM; much more flexible – we found this to be helpful, especially with having kids
  • You sit somewhere different every night, and you typically won’t have the same waiter

I know a lot of people love having the same waiter every night, and they create a fun bond, so if that’s important to you…the set dining time might be helpful!

You may also enjoy:  Cruise Clothing 101: What to Wear on Your Cruise!

Because gratuities are automatically added to your bill for the trip, you do not need to tip each waiter individually. However, there are some instances where you will need to add an additional gratuity, such as for room service (even for the free items) or often at bars.

Carnival Cruise Dining Options

There are SO many options for eating aboard Carnival Cruise ships – and I found the food to all be pretty delicious. There’s really something for everyone.

The actual dining facilities may vary depending on the cruise, but in general, you will typically find:

  • Open Buffet
  • Formal dining rooms
  • Steak House ($$)

And now I’ll go over the specific options aboard the Carnival Ecstacy. Most of these are going to be available on other ships in the Carnival fleet.

Main Dining Room

Since most people will eat dinner in one of the main dining rooms, I will start with that. We really enjoyed being able to sit down in a nice restaurant each night. Even though we had our young children with us, they did pretty well!

As soon as we sat down, they brought out a variety of different breads and butter. I LOVED these, and I probably filled up on them too quickly (even though I didn’t gain weight on the cruise !) But they were so good. These were great for keeping our kiddos at bay as their meals were prepared. You can request they bring them out with your actual food, though, which might be a good way to avoid eating too much!

cruise food pictures

We were able to order drinks at this point as well, but we always opted for water. Most drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) will cost a premium, so keep that in mind.

Each night, the menu was somewhat different. There were some of the same staples, but for the most part, there was a nice, big variety. They typically offered at least one special that was based on the port of call from that day – for instance, they had Shrimp and Grits when we left Charleston, and one night they had some kind of conch dish after we left Princess Cay.

cruise food pictures

They also had premium options, such as surf and turf, that you could pay extra for. However, I found that they included options were delicious enough to not even be tempted!

Here are a couple of photos from the different menus for each night:

carnival cruise food menu

You can order appetizers, a main dish, side dishes, and a dessert. There’s definitely no reason to be starving after coming for a meal. If there are multiple main dishes you want, you can order an appetizer portion so you can try and larger variety without wasting a bunch of food.

I enjoyed getting an appetizer each night (or more than one). Some of them were a bit strange. I didn’t love the corn chowder or the Caesar salad – for some reason, they tasted rather fishy to me.

carnival cruise food

I did really enjoy these stuffed mushrooms, though. So yummy!

pictures of carnival cruise food

I tried a lot of different items, but I think my favorite was definitely the lasagna and an Indian vegetarian dish. It was SO good. I was sad I didn’t actually eat much of it, because I had filled up on appetizers and bread!

pictures of carnival cruise food

The last night I got ribs, a baked potato, a cornbread muffin, and baked beans. It was also totally delicious.

pictures of carnival cruise food

The first night, I decided to try and be healthy, and I got salmon. It wasn’t really my favorite – it seemed a bit dry, and I wish it had been paired with some kind of dill sauce. It wasn’t bad though!

pictures of carnival cruise food

The kid’s menu was great – they had several different options, and our boys loved being able to pick one out. They came with either veggies, fries, or pasta as a side. Be warned, though – the pasta side was HUGE, and it definitely was more like a main dish.

pictures of carnival cruise food

EXPERT TIP:  One thing that I think is worth noting is that even though macaroni and cheese wasn’t on the menu, they did offer it…and it was GOOD macaroni and cheese. I normally don’t like mac and cheese, and I almost wanted to order it for my dinner, too. They also have kid-friendly desserts – our boys loved the banana splits. They had some kind of custard on them that as to DIE for.

pictures of carnival cruise food

EXPERT TIP:  Ask them to bring out the kid’s meals as soon as they are ready. The main dishes seemed to take a little longer, and I’m not sure my kids would have loved waiting for food that long (and I wouldn’t have, either!).

The desserts from the main menu were delicious. They had a few staples every night (such as the molten chocolate cake), but then they would have several different options each night as well. I had a Mexican tres leches that was SO good, and the dessert I had on the last night, I could hardly get enough of it. It was a bread pudding of sorts, and I just wish I had one to eat right now.

cruise food pictures

Lido Restaurant

pictures of carnival cruise food

This was the buffet that was available throughout the day and evening on the Carnival Ecstacy. During the evening, the food at the buffet was pretty much a condensed version of what you could order in the main dining rooms – every time we walked by, I was like, “Hey! That’s what I had tonight!” If you prefer a more casual dining experience, this is definitely a good option for that.

They offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and each of these meals has a dessert and pastry table (breakfast was more baked goods than desserts). I only ate at the buffet once for lunch, and it wasn’t my favorite…but it wasn’t terrible either. They have a well-stocked salad bar, which is nice.

The desserts were usually quite tasty! They had at least ten different things each day, so you definitely can satisfy that sweet tooth. There is also a soft serve ice cream station, which our boys loved going to. Jack was SO excited because one day we let him have ice cream with his breakfast (I know, parents of the year).

Sometimes if we were too full for dessert at dinner, we would come to the Lido later to get dessert and eat on the deck as we watched sunset. It was so fun!

pictures of carnival cruise food

Pizza Pirate

pictures of carnival cruise food

I went here on the first day since I didn’t really find much of the buffet to be very appealing. I didn’t understand how it worked at first, so I ended up standing in line for a long time.

The pizzas are – more or less – cooked to order, though they always seemed to be cooking pizza and cheese. 1/2 the pizza is considered a slice, at least when I got it. They have about eight different pizzas to choose from.

The pizza was thin and chewy. I thought ours tasted quite good. I got a pizza with arugula and prosciutto, but to be honest, I preferred the pepperoni. This is open all day, and I believe into the evening.

pictures of carnival cruise food

Sandwich Place

I don’t even know if this has a name! It didn’t really stand out, but it was right next to the Pizza Pirate. I never got a sandwich there, but every time I saw someone with one, I really wanted it! They paninis looked amazing. They have tons of different sandwich meats, cheeses, and breads (as well as items like peanut butter and jelly), so it’s a great place for a quick lunch or snack.

Guy’s Burger Joint

pictures of carnival cruise food

We are big Food Network fans, so I was excited to try this place out. I was a little surprised when I found that it was pretty much a burger buffet, but that was fine.

When you first get into the line, there is a sign with a bunch of different burgers. You can tell them which one you want, and if it has specialty items on it, they will cook those to put on the burger. It was really loud when I ordered mine, so the guy didn’t quite understand me, and I didn’t end up getting what I wanted…but that was fine! There is a big buffet area with different toppings and sauces you can put on top.

Each burger comes with lots of french fries. I thought it was all pretty good. The burgers were thinner, but I like them like that. It did feel a little bit greasy, though. I only had a burger once, but they are worth trying. I thought the buns were great!

Blue Iguana

pictures of carnival cruise food

I loved this place! It’s a little Mexican restaurant you can eat at, and it’s right outside by the pool. For breakfast, they have breakfast burritos, which I LOVED. They put everything that I wanted in it, and I thought they tasted delicious.

pictures of carnival cruise food

During the rest of the day, they have tacos and burritos with a variety of toppings and meats. I had these for lunch one day, and I thought they tasted pretty good. There is a large salsa bar, so you definitely can put whatever you want on it.

The only thing I wish was that they offered tortilla chips!

pictures of carnival cruise food

So this may not be applicable to all Carnival cruises, but if you go on one that goes to Princess Cay (and I believe Half Moon Cay as well), they host an island BBQ for you while you are on the beach.

The line for this took FOREVER! As I was standing in line, I kept thinking, “Forget this! We’ll just eat when we go back to the boat!” However, it was really, really good. They had hamburgers and hot dogs, but they also had BBQ chicken, tons of salads and sides, and delicious desserts. There was definitely something for everyone, plus you didn’t have to pay extra for it!

pictures of carnival cruise food

I think breakfast was my favorite part of the day – they had SO many great options, and I just loved them. Their scrambled eggs were delicious.

pictures of carnival cruise food

There was such a huge variety of foods – I had everything from omelettes, to burritos, to breakfast taquitos, to egg muffins. They also have all the traditional options, such as sausage, bacon, eggs, grits, and lots of breads. We only ate out at the Lido (except for one morning), and this worked well for us. They do have other breakfast options – some that come at a premium cost, and you can eat in the main dining room. There was a Sea Day Brunch one day that sounded delicious, but we didn’t do this.

**Expert tip –  The line for the breakfast buffet in the Lido was always REALLY long! However, they had a breakfast buffet outside at the Blue Iguana/Guys’, and the lines were SO much shorter – and they had everything that they had inside. In fact, they also had an omelette station, which I really enjoyed, as well as breakfast burritos at the Blue Iguana.

Dr. Seuss Breakfast 

This was a fun activity for the kiddos and adults! It was just $5 per person, and on the last day of the cruise, we dined on whimsical meals themed from Dr. Seuss. The tables were decorated in really fun decorations, they had Dr. Seuss-themed music playing, and they even had some special guests (aka, Dr. Seuss characters) come visit the kids.

I wish I had worried less about how many calories I was eating and gotten a better breakfast. I ended up just getting an egg white omelete, and I didn’t like it. Here are some of the more fun additions to the day:

pictures of carnival cruise food

Room Service

pictures of carnival cruise food

Carnival offers a great room service option with free and paid options. The free options are pretty simple (for breakfast, they had cereals, pastries, fruit, etc., and for other meals, they had sandwiches and salads and a couple of desserts), but they are nice if you don’t want to have to leave your room. They do have some options that you can pay for.

Keep in mind that the gratuity for room service is typically extra, so don’t be surprised when you are asked to add gratuity.

Expert Tip:  Okay, I’m not sure this will make me seem like an expert, but when we ordered breakfast room service one day, I filled out the card to put on our door the night before. I just put a checkmark next to each item I wanted, and I figured they would bring one of each.

Nope, they brought one for EACH person in our room – so we ended up with a lot of food that we didn’t want/need. So make sure you specify the quantities that you’d like.

Premium Restaurants

They had a restaurant called the Chef’s Table, which cost extra. We didn’t go to this, but I’m sure it was great…we just didn’t want to pay 🙂 I know bigger cruise ships have other paid options, but you can check on the Carnival website for more specifics on these.

Carnival Cruise Drinks

Water and juices are typically free. In the Lido, there is a drink station where you can get cups of water, lemonade, and juice in the morning. I would always fill up my large 64-ounce water bottle there each morning, With that said, the water from the bar and restaurants is much better than the water from the buffet area. You can go up to any place like this and ask for ice water for free.

You  cannot bring your own soda or alcohol on the boat, so don’t even try. You can bring an empty water bottle, though. As I mentioned, I brought my 64-ounce water bottle, which worked great. They have water bottles you can buy, but I didn’t want to waste my money on that!

They offer two drink packages that you can buy in bulk either before you get on board, or on the first or second day of the cruise (pro-rated on the second day). This allows you to have unlimited soda (and certain alcoholic drinks if you get that package). We don’t drink much beyond water, and the occasional lemonade, so we didn’t feel like this would have been a good option for us.

Carnival Cruise Food Allergies

I have a lot of friends who have allergies (or who have children who have allergies), and I know how stressful a trip can be where you aren’t able to prepare your own food. Here is some good information on what to do about dietary restrictions. They can only accommodate them fully in the main dining lounge, though they do have a variety of allergy-friendly and vegetarian options in other restaurants (but this may not be as controlled, especially at the buffets).

pictures of carnival cruise food

Similar Posts

How to choose a cruise: tips for picking the best cruise itinerary.

Choosing which cruise you want to go on is a big decision! Here are several things to consider on…

Cruise Clothing 101: What to Wear on Your Cruise!

Not sure what cruise clothing means? Chances are, you have everything you need! In this post, we break it…

How to Save Money on a Cruise: The Best Tips For Cruising on a Budget

Cruises are an affordable and fun way to travel – but the extras can add up quickly. Here is…

The Three Best Cruise Lines for Toddlers

While most cruise lines don’t have an age limit, some just aren’t going to be that toddler-friendly. If you…

15 Comments

Yes!!!! This post made me so hungry! And we had the same menu on our cruise in March! I LOVED the Indian vegetarian option! It was so good! And the chocolate melting cake is ALWAYS at the top of my list!! And of course, pizza for days!!

Going on a carnival cruise next week! Really excited for rhe food now!

So glad you enjoyed this post! I really did love the food. Let us know what you think!

Lovely photos! You CAN bring canned sodas and wine/champagne on Carnival ships in your carry on bags. They allow 1 12-pack of cans per person and 1 bottle of wine per person. We usually take a rolling backpack with these items. (They don’t have to be individually carried — just with your party as you board.) If you open the wine in your room, there’s no corkage fee. Your room steward can come up with a corkscrew and wine glasses. You can pour yourself a glass of wine in your room, and take it with you to dinner or up on deck to watch the sunset. Next time, be sure to make the Sea Day Brunch! It’s worth it.

Thanks for the comment and correction! I appreciate it. And we will definitely do the Sea Day Brunch next time!

This was great…nice pictures. Keep up the good work

I totally agree that you don’t want to miss the sea day brunch. The steak and eggs are awesome! My husband and I always bring our drinks with us. We put both of our 12 packs in one rolling carry-on. I rarely eat on Lido anymore because I love the restaurants. Also, ice cream and pizza are free and available 24 hours a day. What more can you ask for?

I’m going to have to try the sea day brunch next time!

Hello! Lots of good info, but as a very frequent cruiser and travel agent, I struggled to get past your statement that Carnival has the best food. I have never heard anyone say that and have never found that to be the case. Don’t get me wrong, I like their food and am a fan of Carnival, but it’s not the best. Other than that, great job highlighting everything they have to offer! I will be sharing this with my clients and appreciate the work you put into this. Thank you!

Haha, to each their own! In my defense, we only have been on one cruise 😉 However, in all the groups I’ve been in where people have asked food, they said Carnival was the favorite. But I would imagine as a frequent cruiser, you’d have different opinions 🙂 We really loved it! Glad you will share it still! I definitely look forward to trying other cruises. I would love to hear what you think the best cruise line for food is\.

Hi! Thank you for your cruise posts, they’ve been so helpful! We are going on our first cruise in December and taking our son who will be 19 months at the time. He usually eats what we eat instead of eating food off the kids menus. For example, at the beach last weekend he ate lobster tail and veggies. Will we be able to order food for him off of the regular menu? or have to stick to the kids menu? I’m just wondering because we pay in advance. Thanks!

I’m so sorry that I missed this! I’m assuming you have already gone on the cruise. But for others reading this, kids can order from any menu!

just wanted to say, reading this brought tears to my eyes, I LOVE CRUISES! I ESPECIALLY LOVE THE CARNIVAL PRIDE OUT OF BALTIMORE IN OCTOBER! when i saw the menu all i could think about is the carnival pride, i have been on her four times, my wife loves that ship too. i might have missed it, but i also love the afternoon teas onboard, usually in the upper level of the main diningroom on sea days, i also love the dress up nights and compliments to the gentleman in the tie and shirt, he looks the part for a cruise. as a side bar, if you are a carnival stockholder, depending on the number of days, when you book your crusie show ownership in the company and you get a minimum of 50$ in your shipboard account. since we took a seven day cruise, we got 100$

Thanks for the info here. So detailed and nice to compare. We are Australians who have cruised South Pacific with both P&O and Celebrity. Though both were good, Celebrity arguably has the best food at sea. Options are more varied and refined. Australians are very particular about their coffees a d both cruise lines are good in this regard. Considering Carnival as a cheaper option.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

You've got a foodie in you — everyone does! Awaken and delight yours on a Carnival cruise with delicious main dishes, tempting desserts and general yumminess everywhere you look.

A FEW OF OUR TOP DINING CHOICES

carnival kitchen

Carnival Kitchen

A fun vacation is the perfect time to learn something new… like how delicious picking up culinary skills can be!

shaq’s big chicken restaurant with an oversized sandwich

Big Chicken

It’s always chicken o’clock at Shaq’s new onboard restaurant!

Seafood with a side of ocean view

Seafood Shack

Favor flavor above all? See your way to Seafood Shack for something simply delicious.

Steakhouse

Premium cuts and seafood are the centerpiece to this evening dining experience.

Seaday Brunch

Seaday Brunch

You never need a special reason to enjoy brunch, but Carnival has the perfect one: sea days!

Guy's Burger Joint - Guy Fieri

Guy's Burger Joint

Take a big juicy bite of one of the best burgers at sea, brought to you by none other than celebrity chef Guy Fieri.

cruise news

  • Cruise Advice

The Ultimate Menu Guide to Carnival’s Main Dining Room

Doug Parker

Doug Parker

  • March 12, 2019

lobster

Contents Show

The main dining rooms on Carnival Cruise Line’s ships are a staple for guests. They add to the overall cruise experience, as cruisers generally value food and service.

Carnival’s dining rooms consist of varied menus and experienced and attentive staff. Having dinner in the main dining room (otherwise known as MDR to the seasoned cruiser) is a three-course affair.

Should you choose not to eat in the main dining room, you’ll also have plenty of other options, free or for fee, around the ship, as various dining venues are available. In other words, you will not be hungry during your sea vacation.

This menu guide to Carnival’s Main Dining Room will provide insightful information about where to dine, what dishes to eat, and an overview of the cruise line’s main dining rooms!

Where it’s located

main dining room carnival

Carnival offers both Set-Time Dining and Time Dining, which gives guests more flexibility, making it an excellent option for those who don’t necessarily want to be on a set schedule.

READ MORE: 31 Carnival Main Dining Room Tips

Most Carnival ships have two dining rooms, but although the Spirit-class ships ( Carnival Pride , Carnival Spirit , Carnival Legend , and Carnival Miracle ) have only one dining room, they still offer traditional Set-Time and Your Time Dining options.

Carnival’s signature “Sea Day Brunch” is also served in one of the main dining rooms. Because of its popularity, it’s typically served in the larger dining room, which is located in the aft (back).

What to Expect in the Main Dining Room

Now and then, Carnival tinkers with the menus. O ne thing’s for sure, though: any change, no matter how small, will surely be appreciated by guests.

Given that Carnival ensures that people have a great experience, they take the feedback they receive on changes very seriously.

Currently, the Carnival fleet offers two separate menus: the American Table menu and the American Feast menu.

  • American Table : This is your typical main dining room menu with a selection of appetizers, soups, salads, entrees, and desserts. This is the rotating menu you’ll find each cruise night, except on formal nights.

American Feast Carnival Cruise Line

  • American Feast : This is the menu offered in the main dining room on formal nights, and it’s not all that different from the American Table menu. This menu will be provided once or twice per cruise, depending on the length of your sailing. Formal nights are also the only evenings in which tablecloths are used in the main dining rooms.

Menu Download

  • Download a sample American Table menu here
  • Download a sample American Feast menu here

The experience usually takes 90 or so minutes. If you are crunched for time, you should consider eating dinner at the Lido deck buffet or another venue offering a more casual experience.

Dining times

American Table Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival offers two different dining programs, and you’ll generally select one when you book your cruise. Traditional Dining, which allows you to eat at the same table with the same people at the same time each night, is generally served at 6 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.

Your Time dining lets you decide what time you’d like to eat. But be aware that because Your Time dining is in demand, you must request this option as soon as possible.

If you find it unavailable on your sailing, recheck it once you’re on board to see if there are openings.

In 2020, Carnival moved on its HUB app to allow guests to check in for Your Time dining and receive an alert when the table is ready. This avoids the long lines at the entrance of the dining room.

  • Pros and Cons of Traditional Dining  vs. Your Time Dining

What should I wear?

Carnival breaks dinner up into two evenings: cruise casual and cruise elegant.

Carnival’s website says the main dining room does not permit cut-off jeans, men’s sleeveless shirts, tee shirts, gym or basketball shorts, baseball hats, flip-flops, or bathing suit attire.

For men, they may wear khakis, collared shirts, and dress slacks suits in the main dining room. Tuxedos, a sports coat, and a tie are not required. However, cruise elegance is a great photo opportunity, and you can dress as fancy as you’d like.

Carnival also lists jeans forbidden for elegant evenings, but in our experience, they tend to look the other way as long as the jeans are excellent. You can read their dining room dress code policy here .

Summer dresses, blouses, casual dresses, pantsuits, and capris are all acceptable for casual cruise nights.

Carnival Main Dining Room menu explained

Carnival Breeze dining room

The menu in the main dining room is pretty straightforward, but it can be overwhelming, given all the options available.

Since we know a lot of people want to know at least the basics of what will be available, we thought it might be helpful to take a look at both the American Table and American Feast offerings and break down the menus.

Keep in mind that selections change periodically, so what you’ll find below is more an example of what you’ll discover than a written-in-stone guide.

shrimp cocktail carnival

If you’re the type of person who loves kicking things off with an appetizer (or three), Carnival’s menus have you covered. Generally speaking, you’ll find about 10 different options in Carnival, with the always-popular shrimp cocktail available every night.

Some of the other tasty treats they offer to start your meal include:

  • Fried Calamari
  • Chilled Vietnamese Roll
  • Strawberry Bisque
  • Smoked Chicken Quesadillas with salsa
  • Smoked Poblano and Corn Soup
  • A variety of salads

Dishes to try

carnival cruise line escargot

While this is one of our favorite menu sections, it’s not for everyone. However, what you’ll find here are items that, as the name suggests, aren’t exactly everyday fare.

Found just beneath the appetizers, you never know precisely what you’ll discover. But for folks who are open to trying something new, this is a tasty option.

Some items you will find on this menu are:

  • Blood Sausage
  • Escargot (snails)
  • Alligator Tail
  • BBQ Pulled Wild Boar
  • Philadephia Pepper Pot (with Honeycomb Tripe)
  • Braised Frog Legs

READ MORE: Carnival Cruise Food Reviews

Nightly entree menu

delicious entree menu

When it comes to entrees, you’ll find plenty of options from both land and sea. The portion sizes are generous, but don’t be shy if you want to order two entrees.

As with every menu section, you can order as much as you like. If there’s one department in which the menus might be lacking, it’s the vegetarian options.

Some of the entrees you’ll find on the menu include:

  • Veal Parmesan
  • Pan-Seared Tilapia
  • Rosemary Lamb Shank
  • Southern Fried Chicken
  • Salmon Cakes
  • Crisp Portobello Mushrooms
  • A Featured Indian Vegetarian dish (lentils, basmati rice, papadam, and raita)

If you want prime rib and lobster, you’ll find them on the American Feast menu. So yes, you’ll have to dress up if you wish to have your lobster!

From the grill menu

If none of the regularly listed entrees appeal to you on any given night, give this section a look. It offers some great selections and a bit of variety with the two main items — the beef and fish selections — usually changing daily.

Like the other menu sections we’ve discussed, these are complimentary. People sometimes confuse these for the upcharge items, which we’ll discuss a little bit later on.

Here are some menu items you’ll find on the From The Grill menu:

dinner at Carnival Vista

  • Salmon Filet: Citrus and pepper rubbed salmon served with broccoli, carrots, and red potatoes
  • Flat Iron Steak: Cooked with herbs and peppers, served with broccoli and baked potato
  • Chicken Breast: Roasted with garlic and herbs, served with peas and carrots with red potatoes
  • Pork Chop: Cooked with caramelized onions and served with stewed apples and mashed potatoes

The beef dish comes with a selection of BBQ Sauce, Béarnaise, Peppercorn, or Wild Mushroom sauce.

Side dishes

mac and cheese carnival cruise line

Every night, you’ll find six sides offered at the bottom of the main dining room menu. These are served in addition to whatever sides you have with your meal.

They’re individual-sized, not family-style. So, if you’re the kind of person who likes a whole lot of creamed spinach with your beef, make it a double order.

The selections can vary nightly, but they typically include items such as these:

  • Baked Potato
  • Broccoli, Carrots, and Onions
  • Mac n’ Cheese with Bacon
  • French Fries
  • Ratatouille
  • Creamed Spinach

Port of call menu

port of call menu carnival

The port menus are unique to every destination. This can be found in the regular menu, which gives you information about the port of call. Some days, this section will feature a specific port, depending on your itinerary and sea days.

Sample Port of Call Menus 

  • Download a sample St. Maarten Port of Call Menu 
  • Download a sample Eastern Caribbean Port of Call Menu

Here’s an example of what you might find on the port of call menu.

Port: St. Maarten

The whole island is known for its excellent cuisine, partly due to its French influences. Creole, French, and West Indian cooking are particularly renowned. Many other nationalities have influenced the fare of St. Maarten because of its heavily diverse roots.

  • Featured Drink:  Island Martini. A refreshing mix of Bacardi Limon, Pineapple, and Orange Juices, and a touch of Grenadine. $9.50
  • Featured Appetizer:  Caribbean Bouillabaisse. Local Fish and Seafood in a Saffron Broth with Tomato, Fennel, and Sauce Rouille.
  • Featured Entree:  Coq au vin. Chicken Marinated and Cooked in Red Burgundy Wine with Mushrooms, Silver Onions, and Bacon, Finished with some aged Brandy.

Steakhouse Selection

steakhouse selection main dining room

The Steakhouse Selection is available for a $20 upcharge and offers guests a chance to get a cut of beef served in the steakhouse while in the main dining room. The steakhouse selections are available across all of their cruise ships.

Featured items here generally include:

  • Broiled Maine Lobster Tail served with drawn butter
  • Surf & Turf, Maine Lobster Tail with Grilled Filet Mignon
  • Filet Mignon, 9 oz premium aged beef
  • New York Strip Loin Steak, 14-oz

Dessert menu

warm chocolate melting cake

The main dining room’s dessert menu consists of three selections rotating every night. One of the selections offered each night is usually a low-cal, no-sugar treat. There are also coffees and teas available to complement your dessert.

Sample dessert menu

  • Download a sample dessert menu

Some examples of desserts you might find on the menu are:

  • Boston Cream Cake
  • Orange and Almond Baked Cake
  • Chocolate and Cheese Brownie
  • Carnival Melting Chocolate Cake
  • Fresh Tropical Fruit Plate
  • Cheese Plate
  • Selection of Ice Creams

Tropical fruit plate carnival cruise

Not too long ago, Carnival brought Baked Alaska back to their ships. It’s typically served on the final night of the cruise. And if a banana split is more your speed, ask to see a kid’s menu.

For an added cost, you’ll find a selection of dessert drinks listed at the bottom of the menu, along with cappuccinos, lattes, espressos, and the “Art of Tea” selection.

carnival main dining room ultimate menu guide

Recent Posts

  • Bar Harbor cruise passenger limit partially waived for 2024 season
  • Disney Cruise Line details new destinations in 2025, sends Fantasy to Europe
  • Norwegian Viva Southern Caribbean Review [Podcast]
  • 7 Best Cruise Lines for Babies and Toddlers

Share this post

Popular posts.

A massive Carnival Cruise Line ship out at sea.

Carnival warns passengers to behave on their Spring Break cruise

An artist's rendering of a large cruise ship docked at the new pier of the Alaska cruise terminal.

Alaska port set to welcome new cruise terminal and pier by 2026

Two pictures of a damaged Jamaican dock at Ocho Rios Port with an MSC Cruises boat in the water.

Jamaican dock struck by Carnival cruise ship to stay closed until May

Holland America's Koningsdam in San Diego, California

Holland America ship hit with norovirus on 35-day cruise sailing the Pacific

Australian Billionaire's conceptual design of a Modern Titanic, labeled as Titanic 2, is in the building phase.

Titanic II could start construction in 2025 as Australian billionaire seeks shipbuilder

A Royal Caribbean cruise ship docked at Labadee, Haiti.

Royal Caribbean continues to cruise to Haiti amid conflict but is canceling shore excursions

Cruise Radio header

Bringing you 15 years of cruise industry experience. Cruise Radio prioritizes well-balanced cruise news coverage and accurate reporting, paired with ship reviews and tips.  Learn more  about our team . 

Quick links

Cruise Radio, LLC © Copyright 2009-2024 | Website Designed By   Insider Perks, Inc

Any Tots

Carnival Cruise Menu and Food Pictures

We’re a few weeks away from cruising again. So here I am perusing through our old cruise photos and realized I haven’t even shared a lot of them yet. Especially what everyone is looking for – Carnival Cruise Menu.

carnival cruise menu

The Carnival Cruise Menu and Food you’ll be seeing are from our cruise last year back in April, I’ll also be sharing the ones from our February 2016 cruise in the days to come. They were from the dining area where you have your sit down dinner every night. The menu changes every night and I want those who have never cruise before to have a glance at what to expect, or how much calories you might consume, LOL.

WHAT CAN YOU EAT ON A CRUISE? HERE ARE MORE ARTICLES ON CRUISE DINING OPTIONS:

  • You can order Freshly Made Tacos & Burritos on Carnival Cruise
  • Chef Guy Fieri’s Burger Joint onboard Carnival Cruise is a Must Try
  • Have an Afternoon Tea in the Middle of the Sea
  • The Better Cruise Breakfast Buffet is on board Princess Cruises
  • Do not leave Carnival Cruise without trying their Sea Day Brunch
  • Princess Cruise Menu & Food Pictures

A big note to everyone, Carnival Cruise now charges for lobster during the formal night unless it’s a longer cruise, a plate costs $20.

pictures of carnival cruise food

The best seat in the house is by the windows. As long as it hasn’t gotten dark when you have your dinner of course. You can choose early dining, late dining or anytime dining when you register for your cruise with Carnival. We go for anytime dining as that is even more earlier than early dining. If you don’t want to do a sit down dinner though, just head to the buffet at the Lido deck where your breakfast and lunch is also served.

CARNIVAL IMAGINATION 1ST NIGHT: CARNIVAL CRUISE MENU & FOOD

Here’s the Carnival Cruise Dinner Menu for the 1st Night with Carnival Imagination 5 Day Cruise from Los Angeles Port:

pictures of carnival cruise food

Carnival Cruise Menu

pictures of carnival cruise food

A variety of bread is always served on Carnival Cruise Sit Down Dinner. My fave bread basket though is served during Carnival Cruise Sea Day Brunch , check out that experience HERE . We make sure not to miss that every time we cruise. Sea Day is when the cruise ship doesn’t dock on ay of the ports and just stay in the middle of the sea.

pictures of carnival cruise food

Carnival Cruise Appetizer: Seared Ahi Tuna

pictures of carnival cruise food

Carnival Cruise Food: Flat Iron Steak

pictures of carnival cruise food

Carnival Cruise Dessert: I forgot what this one was called. Some pudding that I shouldn’t order again.

pictures of carnival cruise food

CARNIVAL IMAGINATION 2ND NIGHT: CARNIVAL CRUISE MENU & FOOD

Here’s the Carnival Cruise Dinner Menu for the 2nd Night with Carnival Imagination 5 Day Cruise from Los Angeles Port. This is the Cruise Formal Night Menu. This would be the our last cruise where lobster was still included in the sit down dinner. They started charging $20 for it on our following cruise.

pictures of carnival cruise food

The table decor also differed on the second night. First night was somehow old Hollywood, second night is nautical in design.

pictures of carnival cruise food

CARNIVAL CRUISE APPETIZERS

Carnival Cruise Appetizer: Escargot

pictures of carnival cruise food

Carnival Cruise Appetizer: Carpaccio

pictures of carnival cruise food

Carnival Cruise Dinner: Spaghetti Carbonara

pictures of carnival cruise food

Carnival Cruise Dinner: Lobster

pictures of carnival cruise food

Carnival Cruise Dinner Menu: Slow Cooked Prime Rib

pictures of carnival cruise food

Carnival Cruise Dessert Menu: Melting Chocolate Cake & their Creme Brûlée is a staple to every cruise. You can also order a cheese plate or ice cream on top of your dessert as long as there’s still room in there. Just remember, there’s food all day, don’t over stuff yourself.

pictures of carnival cruise food

Carnival Cruise: Coffee Cream Cake

pictures of carnival cruise food

Carnival Cruise Dessert: Our fave, Carnival Chocolate Melting Cake and Creme Brûlée.

pictures of carnival cruise food

Carnival Cruise Dessert: Malted Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

pictures of carnival cruise food

CARNIVAL IMAGINATION 4TH NIGHT: CARNIVAL CRUISE MENU & FOOD

Here’s the Carnival Cruise Dinner Menu for the 4th Night with Carnival Imagination 5 Day Cruise from Los Angeles Port. Due to obvious overeating, we skipped the 3rd night and just went for some food from the Lido Deck. For those who has never cruised before. Your options includes the dinner buffet, a deli where they serve really good sandwiches like their pastrami sandwich, salads, pizza. You name it.

pictures of carnival cruise food

Carnival Cruise Appetizer: Salmon Cake

pictures of carnival cruise food

Carnival Cruise Food: Jerked Pork Loin

pictures of carnival cruise food

Carnival Cruise Food: Penne Mariscos

pictures of carnival cruise food

Carnival Cruise Dessert Menu

pictures of carnival cruise food

Carnival Cruise Dessert: Banana White Chocolate Bread Pudding

pictures of carnival cruise food

We are not leaving the cruise on the final night without the hubby ordering his last Carnival Chocolate Melting Cake. Hope I didn’t make you guys too hungry.

Another Cruise Tip: You can check out the Carnival Cruise Menu outside the Dining room (posted on the wall) before dinner starts so you can check if you like anything on the menu or would rather just eat something else at the buffet.

pictures of carnival cruise food

EXCITED FOR YOUR CRUISE? READ UP ON THESE 40 USEFUL THINGS TO PACK FOR A CRUISE:

useful things to pack for a cruise

40 Useful Things to Pack for a Cruise

LEARN MORE ABOUT CRUISING WITH OUR LATEST CRUISE TIPS & ARTICLES:

  • Group Cruise Tips
  • 101 Cruise Tips
  • Princess Cruises Kids Daycare
  • Cruising with Kids Tips
  • Princess VS Carnival
  • Carnival Cruise Review
  • What to Pack for a Cruise

VISIT OUR CRUISE POSTS CATEGORY FOR A COMPLETE LISTING OF CRUISE ARTICLES.

Pin for later:

pictures of carnival cruise food

Discount to Theme Parks, Water Parks, & other Major Attractions:

  • Legoland Arizona Discount  (Discovery Center)
  • Aquarium of the Bay Discount (San Francisco)
  • Aquarium of the Pacific Discount (Long Beach)
  • California’s Great America Discount
  • Castle Park Discount
  • Disneyland Discount
  • Gilroy Gardens Discount
  • Knott’s Discount  &  Knott’s Soak City Discount  &  Knott’s Scary Farm Discount
  • Legoland California Discount
  • Medieval Times Discount
  • Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Discount
  • Pirate's Dinner Adventure Discount
  • Raging Water Los Angeles Discount
  • Raging Waters San Jose Discount
  • San Diego Safari Park Discount
  • San Diego Zoo Discount
  • SeaWorld San Diego Discount  &  Howl-O-Scream Discount
  • Sesame Place San Diego Discount
  • Universal Studios Hollywood Discount  &  Halloween Horror Nights Discount
  • Warner Bros Studio Tour Discount
  • Wild Rivers Waterpark Discount

Connecticut

  • Lake Compounce Discount
  • Busch Gardens Tampa Discount  and  Adventure Island Waterpark Discount
  • Disney World Discount
  • Kennedy Space Center Discount
  • Legoland Florida Discount
  • SeaWorld Orlando Discount and  Aquatica Waterpark Discount
  • Universal Orlando Discount &  Universal Orlando Halloween Horror Nights Discount
  • Wild Adventures Discount
  • LEGO Discovery Center Atlanta Discount
  • Adventureland Discount
  • Kentucky Kingdom Discount
  • Michigan’s Adventure Discount
  • ValleyFair Discount
  • Worlds of Fun Discount
  • Legoland New York Discount

North Carolina

  • Carowinds Discount  &  SCarowinds Discount
  • Columbus Zoo Discount
  • Kings Island Discount
  • Monsoon Lagoon Waterpark Discount
  • Zoombezi Bay Discount

Pennsylvania

  • Dorney Park Discount
  • Dutch Wonderland Discount
  • Idlewild Discount
  • Kennywood Discount
  • Sesame Place Philadelphia Discount
  • George H.W. Bush Presidential Library Discount
  • LBJ Presidential Library Discount
  • San Antonio Zoo Discount
  • SeaWorld San Antonio Discount
  • Schlitterbahn New Braunfels Waterpark Discount
  • Busch Gardens Williamsburg Discount
  • Kings Dominion Discount
  • Noah’s Ark Waterpark Discount
  • Canada’s Wonderland Discount

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. AnyTots.com has made every effort to confirm the information in this article and we try our best to update as often as possible but things can often change so we urge you to confirm every event detail like date, time, location, ticket price from the host of the event or attraction, and actual savings calculation in case of an error on our part. AnyTots does not sell any tickets but only lists reliable sources where you can buy discounted tickets, make sure to check the refund or exchange policy before buying tickets through them .   AnyTots is in no way responsible for any injuries or damages you sustain while visiting an attraction or event posted on our website and you assume the sole risk of relying on any of the information in our post.

4 thoughts on “Carnival Cruise Menu and Food Pictures”

Your blogs on cruises make me want to go on a cruise!

Their food looks so yummy.

This looks so delicious!

the food looks great. I love cruise restaurants

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - KAT

AnyTots Author

For over a decade, Kathleen has been chronicling her family's travel adventures to assist travelers in planning their vacations while staying on budget through firsthand experience and insider tips. She also shares recipes and free printables. For inquiries, reach out to [email protected].

pictures of carnival cruise food

Houston Food Finder

We tried the food on a carnival cruise ship, and here’s what we thought.

Green Tea Cupcakes from Bonsai Sushi on the Carnival Breeze.

Green Tea Cupcakes from Bonsai Sushi on the Carnival Breeze. Photo by Tori Rock.

Recently, I took a cruise from Galveston onboard the Carnival Breeze. Sailing for Cozumel, my companion and I played in the sun and enjoyed the boat’s nightlife (can’t praise “Piano Matt” enough for evenings spent singing along to the classics). However, what most interested me about our cruise was the plethora of food available. From sushi to steak, if you were hungry for it, you could find it in one of the restaurants. 

pictures of carnival cruise food

Lido Marketplace : On the Lido Deck, there is a food-court-style cafeteria with two buffet areas and menus that rotate throughout the day. Continental Breakfast service opens at 6:30 a.m. with pastries , cereal and fruit options, and a full-service spread that includes an omelet station that opens an hour later. The lunch and dinner services are expansive, with an assortment of buffet counters offering comfort food , deli counter , Mongolian stir-fry and more. Late at night, the Lido Marketplace offers a snacking station . One thing I cannot stress enough no matter what time you are dining: try the bread . It’s fresh, and the taste is just delightful, no matter if it’s a bun or a slice.

pictures of carnival cruise food

Guy Fieri Restaurants : Fans of the Food Network celebrity can get a taste of his creativity via two on-boat restaurants: Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que and Guy’s Burger Joint . The latter is on the Lido Deck and serves burgers and fries in a buffet-style line for dining at area tables or taking back to your deck chair. Toppings include the standards — lettuce, tomato, bacon, and onions — and more. Find Pig & Anchor outdoors on Deck Five across from the Ocean Plaza and Alchemy Bar. It offers cruisers options such as round of beef , smoked andouille sausage and Blue Ribbon Chicken in Fieri’s flavor-packed style.

Pizza Pirate : Satisfy cravings for pizza any time night or day at this pizza stand on the aft side of the Lido deck. The 24/7 menu just has two categories: pizza and salad. There are five types of pizza — Margherita, Funghi, Pepperoni, Quattro Formaggi (four cheese) and Prosciutto — and two salads. Stop by before or after visiting Liquid Nightclub or attending the late-night shows.

pictures of carnival cruise food

Dining Room Dinners : There are two formal dining rooms on the Breeze called Blush Restaurant and Sapphire Restaurant. Every guest is assigned to one of these large dining rooms for dinner, whether you choose early dining, late dining or “your time” dining. Each serves identical dishes each evening from a three-course menu that includes your choice of an appetizer, entrée and dessert. The menus rotate nightly, and the main course options include a vegetarian Indian dish served with lentils. My favorite on this four-day cruise was the Steak Ale and Cheese Soup, which was filling and well-seasoned.

pictures of carnival cruise food

The major highlight in these evening dining venues is Carnival’s famous molten chocolate cake . It is sweet, decadent, rich and dreamy, and it’s served alongside cooling vanilla ice cream . It is available nightly alongside other classic desserts such as crème brulée and Baked Alaska .

pictures of carnival cruise food

Bonsai Sushi : The Breeze is also equipped with a sushi restaurant on Deck Five. Bonsai Sushi offers an additional-cost menu with appetizers, sashimi, rolls, sake and more. Guests at this restaurant simply check the boxes next to their menu choices and sit back to enjoy. This restaurant features two unique dessert options: green tea cupcakes and yuzu custard . 

Seafood Shack : Carnival’s Seafood Shack is a New England-style eatery serving dishes such as clam chowder, lobster BLTs and snow crab . Open for lunch and dinner, this seaside restaurant is located on the Lido Deck (Deck 10, aft). 

BlueIguana Cantina : Cruisers can enjoy a taste of Mexico midship on the Lido deck at this lively cantina. Find it across from the Red Frog Rum Bar and Blue Iguana Tequila Bar. The made-to-order menu includes tacos , burritos and a salsa bar , with specials for breakfast and lunch. 

Cucina Del Capitano : Nestled above the Lido Marketplace midship on Deck 10, this swanky, wood-decked space offers diners a casual Italian meal at lunch and, for an additional fee, a high-class pasta dinner in the evenings. The menu is inspired by the Italian heritage of the ship’s captains and officers. It features favorites such as minestrone soup , Nonna’s Meatball and biscotti with gelato . 

Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse : Meat-loving Texans will love this onboard steakhouse. For an additional cost, it offers cowboy steak , filet mignon and New York strip steaks , along with other steakhouse favorites. There are seafood dishes, soups and salads, too, and a variety of appetizers. Try a plate of escargots bourguignonne or broiled lobster tail , and finish off your meal with a Chocolate Sampler or Caramelized Washington Apples .

pictures of carnival cruise food

Room Service : We couldn’t resist the luxury of (included!) room service, and ordered a variety of breakfast plates on our third day at sea. The night before, the steward left a door hanger in our room on which we could fill out each item we wanted, and we chose a couple of breakfast sandwiches , toast , bagels , coffee and orange juice . The food came hot and fresh, packaged in airline containers to keep the contents at temperature.

pictures of carnival cruise food

As two cruisers who don’t drink alcohol, my sail-buddy and I spent some time hunting through the ship’s offerings in search of the perfect by-the-ocean beverage. Carnival impressed us again and again, with delightful bartenders eager and willing to make our mocktail dreams come true. We started with fruit punch in bar glasses, made more festive with a dash of grenadine. Limelight Lounge served us perfect virgin piña coladas , and the bartenders at Alchemy Bar embraced our challenge by creating a fabulous purple concoction with pomegranate and lemon. Liquid Nightclub came through, too, with delicious virgin mojitos to quench our thirst while we danced the night away. 

pictures of carnival cruise food

Having sailed on other cruise lines in the past, I have to say that Carnival goes above and beyond when it comes to serving up fun. From our first day of massages and spa treatments to our late nights dancing in the club and lunging for the best seats at the piano bar, we had four days of nonstop entertainment. Cozumel was amazing, too, with beautiful weather and nice beach resorts to relax the day away. Our boat was relatively quiet this time, with precautions in place that kept cruisers and staff safe in each other’s company. (Carnival currently requires either proof of vaccination or a medical exemption to sail.)

If you’re looking for a vacation that’s all-inclusive and relatively cheap during the winter, Carnival is the way to go. The weather was beautiful, and aside from a rocky morning at sea, we couldn’t have enjoyed ourselves more. 

Tori Rock

Share this:

Comments (3), share your thoughts on this article cancel reply.

' src=

Quality has dropped a lot the last couple years IMO. Breakfast has not changed much, lunch is still ok but a few things have dropped, but the dinner is way down on quality.

' src=

You described what is available but offers no opinions on it?

' src=

I see some opinions! That said, this is not “restaurant criticism.” Otherwise, with the number of onboard restaurants, this article would be 5,000 words and no one would finish it. We also didn’t pay Ms. Rock to try every place onboard (or anything towards her expenses, actually). If you’re curious about something specific, please ask. I’m sure she’s happy to give you more detail.

If you’re interested in us providing formal restaurant criticism, you can help us give writers dining budgets by sending advertisers our way or supporting our work through Patreon. It’s a significant cost for any publication. https://www.patreon.com/houstonfoodfinder

Carnival Spirit Dining

pictures of carnival cruise food

Free Dining

Carnival Spirit has six options for free dining, which is quite a wide selection. Three new free eateries were added to the ship in August 2015.

Empire Restaurant (Decks 2 and 3): The 1,300-seat, two-deck Empire Restaurant has an over-the-top splendour, with ceiling domes painted with murals and hung with crystal chandeliers. Even the large portholes are trimmed in gold, and the grand circular staircase is decorated with a sculpture of Napoleon at his coronation. Flanking the entrances are pilasters in the form of female statues. Passengers can opt for assigned tables at one of two dinner sittings (5:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m.) or choose Your Time Dining, open-seating on the starboard side of the upper level, anytime from 5:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. There are tables for two, four and six, but fewer than usual for eight or more.

Menus consist of starters (entrees, soups and salads), main meals and desserts, with healthier Spa Carnival choices and always-available Carnival Classics dishes such as Caesar salad, French fries, and grilled fillet of fish, grilled chicken breast and steak. Vegetarian items are always on the menu, but they aren't marked; be warned that the hot soups are typically made with chicken broth. Vegans and others with dietary requirement are catered for; on my cruise my vegan companion was well looked after. Food quality at dinner ranged from good to excellent. Waiters provide song-and-dance entertainment in the dining room most nights and patrons seem to love it, twirling their napkins and sometimes getting up to join in the dancing. Newcomers look a little bemused but soon get into the swing of it.

An open seating breakfast is served from 8 a.m. until 10 a.m. on Deck 2 only and a Sea Day Brunch has been introduced for days at sea. This takes place from 8:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. and replaces breakfast and lunch in the dining room. This is perfect for late risers or those who want an early lunch away from the hot sun and the buffet restaurant. The menu consists of breakfast items such as omelettes and eggs to order, as well as some interesting options such as "Hey Pork Chop," a thick-cut chop served with caramelised onions, Gorgonzola cheese and a side of chips and beans. Fruit platters, French toast and Caesar salads are also available. A Bloody Mary bar is set up for people to choose their own ingredients, from vodka to tequila (bar prices apply).

Afternoon tea is held in the Empire Restaurant daily for an hour from 3 p.m. although you have to call ahead and book earlier that day. Waiters serve the usual small sandwiches and cakes to individual diners.

La Playa Grille (Deck 9): This buffet occupies a large area on the Lido Deck between the main Dome pool and the adults-only Serenity retreat. There are 10 food stations serving a variety of food for lunch and dinner including Asian, carvery meats, deli sandwiches, pies and wraps, salads and desserts. The pizza and ice cream bars, which are found inside this eatery, are open 24 hours.

Breakfast includes a made-to-order omelette station, in addition to typical pastries, fruits, cereals and hot items such as pancakes and bacon. Breakfast pizzas, topped with poached eggs and spinach, can also be made in 10 minutes from the Pirate Pizza counter.

BlueIguana Cantina (Deck 9): This Mexican-style cantina around the main midship pool is open from 7:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m., offering breakfast burritos and huevos rancheros , and in the afternoon from noon to 2:30 p.m. Lunch options include a range of soft tacos with chicken, beef, fish and vegetarian fillings, and burritos with plenty of relishes, sauces and salsa to add to the mix. The food at BlueIguana Cantina is tasty and quite substantial.

Guy's Burger Joint (Deck 9): This open-air hamburger bar is located just a few metres from the cantina. This American-style burger joint is named after U.S chef, restaurateur and TV's Food Network personality Guy Fieri. Apart from the usual burger offerings, Fieri has created the Boomerang Burger, which has Australians' must-have ingredient: beetroot. But rather than adding a few slices of the canned stuff, this burger features a more refined beetroot relish together with Fieri's signature Donkey Sauce (a blend of tomato relish and aioli). It's not listed on the menu so you have to ask for it. Guy's Burger Joint is open from noon to 6 p.m.

Fat Jimmy's C-Side BBQ (Deck 10): Directly above the pool deck is this outdoor barbecue serving sizzling Black Angus beef sausages, smoked chicken breast, pulled-pork sandwiches, salads, jacket potatoes, grilled onion rings, mixed greens and other roast vegies. Don't miss the pork, which is bursting with flavour and slightly spicy, or the beetroot salad with feta cheese. The tantalising smells waft over the top deck at lunchtime. Open from noon to 2:30 p.m.

There are four alternate dining options charging a fee. The variety is terrific and all are very good, particularly Bonsai Sushi, Nouveau and the Chef's Table, which are an outstanding value for the money.

Bonsai Sushi 2 (Deck 2); a la carte pricing: This Japanese venue is a winner, serving fresh food at reasonable prices. Servings are large and designed to be shared. Starters, priced at just AU$5, such as Wagyu Kakuni (braised Wagyu short ribs with caramelised onion) are delicious; miso soup and noodle salad are AU$3 each and a large California roll (which is about 10 small pieces) is AU$6. A bento box of soup, side salad, three pieces of sushi and California roll is $12. There are two desserts (a green tea cupcake and yuzu custard) at AU$2, Japanese beers (AU$7.50), wines (from AU9 a glass, AU$35 bottle) and sake. Bonsai Sushi i s open for lunch (noon to 2:30 p.m.) and again from 5 p.m. to midnight. Items can also be ordered to your cabin via room service.

Coffee Bar (Deck 2): Just outside the RedFrog Pub is a kiosk for those who like good coffee -- the baristas are Australian-trained and can whip up a flat white, long black, latte and cappuccino in no time. There are also cakes on offer, all at a reasonable price.

Seafood Corner (Deck 9): Previously known as Freshie's Corner, this new venue was added in January 2017. A smaller version of the Seafood Shack found on Carnival ships overseas, Spirit's Seafood Corner is open from 4 p.m. until 11 p.m. (Earlier in the day, it is used as one of the food stations in the Lido buffet.) Much of the seafood (except calamari) is sourced from Sydney's fish markets at the beginning of each cruise, so you should eat here on the first day or two to get the daily catch at its freshest. We tried it on the fifth day of our cruise and it was still delicious. The menu includes fish'n'chips, lobster rolls, seafood platters, local prawns, oysters and fresh whole fish (barramundi, snapper and flounder).

Nouveau Restaurant (Deck 10); AU$45 per adult; AU$12 per child: The reservations-only, 152-seat Nouveau Restaurant at the top of the ship features aged prime beef cooked to order, classic dishes such as surf and turf (beef and lobster tail), lamb chops, grilled fish and lobster ravioli. There are also some 17 gourmet appetisers, entrees, soups, salads and desserts to choose from to make up a superb meal. Highlights include escargots, tuna tartare, lobster bisque and crab cake. We ordered all the sides: mash with wasabi horseradish, creamed spinach, steamed broccoli, mushrooms and baked potato with all the trimmings.

The cuts of meat are plump, juicy and attractively decorated with sprigs of rosemary. Sizes vary from a small filet mignon to a big, thick, half-kilo of scotch fillet. The surf 'n' turf is a perfect combo of steak and lobster tail. The service is excellent, the wait staff 'know their meat' and the sommelier will walk you through the wine list and help you choose the perfect vintage. At AU$44 for four courses (plus the cost of your drinks), it's a fantastic deal.

The restaurant has its own bar, which is the perfect place for pre- and post-dinner drinks. Many of the officers also use this bar after their shift as it is tucked away from view. Nouveau is entered via lifts or via a somewhat scary glass staircase. It's OK walking up, but going down the see-through stairs is a little disconcerting, especially after a few drinks.

Also in Nouveau, on the last day with no ports of call, is the Long Lunch at Sea. For AU$30 per adult, four courses are served (entree, soup or salad, main and dessert) while you enjoy a lazy afternoon of great food and service. Dishes include spatchcock, spaghetti with clams, duck breast, Wagyu burger and mushroom cappuccino with truffle oil. A generous cheese platter, coconut flan and raspberry and dark chocolate dessert are among the sweet endings. Add AU$20 for a 75ml glass of wine paired with each course.

Chef's Table (Deck 2): This wonderful degustation begins in the atrium with a glass of Champagne, before moving to the main galley for a tour with the executive chef or sous chef. Guests then stand around a table, watching all the action, and enjoying appetisers such as little cornets of salmon tartare, double-cooked lamb, and beef carpaccio on an air pillow with curly ribbons of apple. A mango sphere, delicately created to look like an egg yolk, bursts in the mouth. This part of the experience can be a little noisy as the pots and pans clunk away in the background but it's all part of the fun. The group then proceeds to Dancin' Nightclub where a beautifully decorated table has been set up under the mirror ball and disco lights (which are subdued). Here, another seven dishes, many prepared using molecular gastronomy methods, are served on elegant crockery on a table with exquisite decorations. Dishes may include blue swimmer crab stack, duck textures, tomato bisque and barramundi, but make sure you save some space for the Wagyu beef with bone marrow souffle. Dessert is likely to be a beautiful tasting plate of six sweet treats. If you can only fit in one, slice open the chocolate praline and scoop out the salty caramel centre.

While each dish appears small, they are rich and many people may find it a struggle to get through it all. Don't eat lunch is the best advice. Free-flowing red and white wine are served throughout the sit-down meal, followed by tea and coffee. Everyone takes home a copy of the menu, a recipe for Carnival's famous warm chocolate melting cake, and a group photo taken before dinner. At AU$90 a head, this has to be one of the best deals on the high seas. Chef's Table is held a few times during a cruise, depending on demand, with 10 to 14 people on each occasion. Book it as soon as you get onboard and frock up for the occasion.

Room Service: A 24-hour room service menu is available with items individually priced. The limited menu includes soup and salad at AU$4 per item; sandwiches, pies and pizza for AU$7; desserts for AU$4; and non-alcoholic beverages for AU$3. There is a separate room service continental breakfast, with items ranging from AU$3 for fruits and cereals to AU$4 for breakfast breads with spreads. Sushi can also be ordered to your cabin, priced from AU$6 to AU$8 for eight rolls. Full stateroom bar service is available from 9 a.m. until 3 a.m. at bar prices.

.css-161q0su{font-style:normal;font-weight:400;font-size:1.125rem;margin-right:0.5rem;}.css-161q0su::before{content:"\e001";display:inline-block;font-style:normal;line-height:1;speak:none;-ms-transform:rotate(-0.001deg);-webkit-font-smoothing:antialiased;-moz-osx-font-smoothing:grayscale;} Restaurants

  • Alchemy Bar - Martini Bar *
  • Bar - Pool Bar *
  • BlueIguana Cantina - Mexican
  • BlueIguana Tequila Bar - Poolside Tequila *
  • Bonsai Sushi - Japanese *
  • Buffet - Casual
  • Deli - Sandwiches
  • Empire Restaurant - American
  • Fountain Café - Coffee & Pastries *
  • Guy's Burger Joint - Fast Food
  • La Playa Grille Lido Restaurant - Casual
  • Lido Café - Coffee Bar *
  • Napoleon Room Restaurant Annex - American
  • Nouveau Restaurant - Steak House *
  • Ol' Fashioned BBQ - Southern BBQ
  • Pizza - Pizza
  • RedFrog Pub™ - Pub *
  • RedFrog Rum Bar - Poolside Rum *
  • Salad Bar - Healthy bites
  • Shanghai Piano Bar - Piano Bar *

* May require additional fees

Find a Carnival Spirit Cruise from $484

© 1995— 2024 , The Independent Traveler, Inc.

cruise with gambee

  • Havana Cuba
  • Bimini SuperFast
  • Carnival Breeze
  • Carnival Victory
  • Disney Dream
  • Allure of the Seas
  • NCL Breakaway
  • Oasis of the Seas
  • X Silhouette
  • Holland America
  • MSC Wine List Prices
  • Royal Caribbean
  • Virgin Voyages
  • Royal Caribbean Specialty Restaurants Menus
  • Viking River Cruise
  • Castaway Cay
  • Great Stirrup Cay
  • Half Moon Cay
  • Falmouth, JM
  • Grand Cayman
  • Labadee, Haiti
  • Ft. Lauderdale
  • Port Canaveral
  • San Francisco

Carnival Cruise Line Menus and Food pictures

Here are the menus from our recent Carnival Victory cruise, paired with a few food pictures of that trip. Notice I am missing day 2, that is because we failed to bring elegant clothes and were denied access to the MDR. These menus are from before they pulled the lobster off the menu.

The spring rolls were great.

The duck was really good.

And so was the escargot.

Cheese Dip? It was good I guess, never tried it, but it was gone in seconds.

The every day beef, was really nice!

Grilled chicken, good as well.

Grilled Salmon (I missed the focus on this picture, sorry :/) Tasty as well

And my lasagna, it was really nice.

Cheesecake, it was ok, I dislike cheesecakes, so I might be biased.

Black Forest, no clue, never tasted it.

My cheese platter, it was really good, unlike the Breeze one.

You all know this one.

Orange cake, no clue, but it did not look very good. I think it was a diet cake… I have never eaten anything diet that tastes good.

My shrimp cocktail, good, as usual.

Fried shrimp, really good! They were like a sweet and sour shrimp.

And my uncle had a tasty chicken noodle soup

Please tell me, who names a fettuccine Alfredo with chicken, as “Grilled Chicken Breast”?

That said, it was excellent! OMG those mushrooms, so savory!

Everyday steak, good as usual.

And shrimp tempura, good I guess. Can’t really remember.

Here is the $20 lobster with fillet, mom says it was good. I tried some of the meat and it was nice and tender. Is it worth it? In our particular situation, you bet it was, she had to have her lobster! There was no way that my mom was going to go on a cruise and not have her traditional lobster, I would never have allowed it.

But on another situation, I don’t think so. The lobster looked kind of small to me. You be the judge. Tasty though.

My uncle got the coconut cake, mehhhhhhhh.

We got 3 of these. Now that they have found how good it was, everyone wanted to get it!

I got the frog legs, they were really good. I ended up ordering a second portion to give to my uncle and aunt. I forgot to share with them, oppssssss.

Two of them ordered the lobster bisque, it was really really good. It had nice chunks of lobster in it! I was quite surprised.

And two of them got spring rolls, they were good. But there are much better options.

For dinner, I got the fish and chips, YAYYYYYY. It also came with shrimp tempura. It was really good! The only thing not good was the onion rings. I ended up sharing most of my dish.

Two of them ordered the Chateaubriand. They said it was good, I thought it was kind of mehhhh. My mom ordered one medium rare and actually both of them came almost well done.

Two blackened chickens? No clue, did not try them.

Cappuccino Pie. EXCELLENT!!! GET IT!!!

HAL Amsterdam to Alaska 87%

pictures of carnival cruise food

Norwegian Sky to Havana Cuba!

pictures of carnival cruise food

Norwegian Escape 85%

pictures of carnival cruise food

Oasis of the Seas 89%

Oasis of the seas review

Disney Dream Review 89%

Disney Dream

Allure of the Seas Review 86%

Allure of the seas gambee

Carnival Breeze Review 83%

Carnival Breeze

Breakaway Review 78%

norwegian breakaway gambee

Silhouette Review 77%

pictures of carnival cruise food

Carnival Victory Review 74%

Carnival Victory Review

MSC Divina Review 70%

MSC Divnia

Norwegian Sky Review 62%

norwegian Sky gambee

Bimini SuperFast Review

Bimini SuperFast

The 411 on me :)

Facebook Twitter Google+

Return to top of page

Copyright © 2024 · Metro Child Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

  • Carnival Cruise Lines

Carnival Horizon Quick Review (Mostly food Pictures)

Ideb

By Ideb , January 5 in Carnival Cruise Lines

Recommended Posts

Cool Cruiser

" hank you for sharing your review with everyone at Cruise Critic. Please consider submitting it to the site for publication as well: Click: Write a Review "

Ideb was awarded the badge 'Great Review'

We were on the December 23-31 Horizon Christmas cruise from Miami. Port stops were Bonaire, Aruba and Dominican Republic. Overall, it was a good cruise. It was our 4th Carnival cruise and we've sailed on two recent Royal Caribbean cruises. I wouldn't rate this as my favorite cruise. I think the entertainment and food was much better on prior cruises on Vista and Dream. Our whole family thought there was room for improvement on Horizon but we still enjoyed the cruise.

One of the things I missed on RC was the cakes in the buffet. I remembered them being so good on both Vista and Dream. I've read several times where people said they didn't like them because they were dry and I didn't believe it because my experience had been so good. However this time the cakes looked the same as before but every time I tried them I thought they were dry and the icing tasted like butter or shortening. They weren't very sweet at all. They do look pretty.

First day cakes:

20231223_121422.jpg

Link to comment

Share on other sites.

First night dinner: Pappadelle with braised lamb, crawfish strudel, szechuan shrimp, 12 hour braised short ribs. Pasta was pretty good. The shrimp itself was very good but there were only a few shrimp on the plate. The noodles that came with the shrimp dish had no flavor and were greasy. Ribs were kind of overcooked and dry. Mac and cheese was good. The last picture was a pudding dessert from the buffet called "chocolate indulgence". It was pretty good.

20231223_184940.jpg

2nd night in the MDR. Some of the things ordered at our table that I got pictures of are: marinated chicken tenders (very good dish) appetizer lasagna, broiled striploin, key lime pie and bitter and blanc.

20231224_182114.jpg

Sea day brunch omelet with side of bacon and hash browns, chocolate layer cake and some smoked beef and mac and cheese from Guy's Pig and Anchor. If you asked for brisket they always say they don't have it so you must ask for "smoked beef"  😄  

20231225_101628.jpg

Christmas towel animal Santa and reindeer near the towel station on Lido, some of the Christmas cakes on Christmas Day and an afternoon pizza snack for a family member.

20231225_125540.jpg

Christmas dinner things we ordered: Deviled egg appetizer, Short rib and yam croquette (Just okay-it was like the pot roast and sweet potatoes mixed together and deep fried basically like it's name said), Parpadelle pasta with wild mushroom sauce (I love alfredo of most any kind but this was very bland) Grilled shrimp, turkey and dressing (didn't try these), Eggnog cheesecake and pecan pie. 

20231225_204607.jpg

Thank you for your pictures and reviews of the food.  We are long time Carnival cruisers, and will be trying out the new menu next month.  Sad about the cold soups not being on the menu anymore!!

john91498

Thanks for the review.

Seeing the P&A mac & cheese makes me hungry... 😀

mz-s

The food looks worlds better than on my last cruise, on Carnival Magic. I'm drooling at these photos.

Thank you for this!!  I have been looking for food pics from the new MDR menu, specifically the items that I would order.  Will be on Horizon for Easter.

3 hours ago, fbe2228 said: Thank you for your pictures and reviews of the food.  We are long time Carnival cruisers, and will be trying out the new menu next month.  Sad about the cold soups not being on the menu anymore!!

You are welcome. I'm glad to share. There is the strawberry chia seed cold soup on one of the menus one night but I didn't order it so no picture unfortunately.

1 hour ago, john91498 said: Thanks for the review.   Seeing the P&A mac & cheese makes me hungry... 😀

The mac and cheese is the best thing at Pig and Anchor. I wish it was served inside the restaurant instead of walking up to the window out outside. It was cold, rainy and windy the second time I went and none of the food was really warm but I devoured the mac and cheese anyway.

Haha

1 hour ago, mz-s said: The food looks worlds better than on my last cruise, on Carnival Magic. I'm drooling at these photos.

Some of it definitely looks better than it tasted but we found plenty to eat on Horizon.

8 minutes ago, dlphn501 said: Thank you for this!!  I have been looking for food pics from the new MDR menu, specifically the items that I would order.  Will be on Horizon for Easter.

I kept looking for food pictures from the new menu for this cruise before we sailed so I told my family I would be taking photos to share on here once we got home. There were a few things I wish I had tried and didn't. Maybe next time.

Some photos of extra cost items from Java Blue Cafe

20231226_121049.jpg

8 minutes ago, Ideb said: Some of it definitely looks better than it tasted but we found plenty to eat on Horizon.

Trust me on Magic it looked as bad as it tasted...

Appetizers from our table on this night: shrimp cocktail, caesar salad, Hawaiian shrimp poke (not something I normally eat but this was excellent. I really liked it.) BBQ beef spring rolls (didn't care for these), roasted sirloin of beef, fried chicken, spaghetti carbonara (also pretty bland), fruit plate, cappuccino pot de creme.

20231226_182920.jpg

10 minutes ago, mz-s said:   Trust me on Magic it looked as bad as it tasted...

Oh no, that sounds bad. Notice my carbonara picture in my latest post. It looks pretty sad. It was dry and it looks like they threw some bagged bacon bits on top.

I asked for a Quattro Formaggi pizza with pepperoni on it once when they weren't really busy and they made it for me. Some more of the cakes fro the lunch buffet and a mocha chocolate getaway drink. They had pineapple gelato one day in the lunch buffet and it tasted almost just like Dole whip.

20231227_092245.jpg

Your pictures have me missing Carnival, I can't lie...maybe my Magic cruise was just an off week and the next one will be better...hmm...

13 minutes ago, mz-s said: Your pictures have me missing Carnival, I can't lie...maybe my Magic cruise was just an off week and the next one will be better...hmm...

Hopefully it was just a bad week. The food also varies from ship to ship. We liked Guy's burgers on Vista and didn't think they were very good on Dream. They were really good on Horizon this time. Our next cruise will be on Jubilee in a couple of months so I know we will be trying some of the new restaurants and eating less in the main dining room.

Jambalaya pasta appetizer (pretty good), Beef Wellington ( My first time having this, I thought it was good and the cheesy potatoes with it were really good), a main dining room pic during "showtime", melting cake (Someone else ordered this. I went all week without trying one.) I think the last pic is Hazelnut mousse.

20231227_181904.jpg

Some buffet breakfast foods, a Mexcan rice bowl from Blue Iguana, a salad  and some cole slaw from the buffet, More cakes...

20231228_094856.jpg

This night we decided just to eat in the buffet. Most of the foods were the same as the ones listed on the main dining room menu. Two of us ordered steak and cheese sandwiches and while they were making them some water misters in the ceiling came on and sprayed everything. The ladies in the deli just kept working. I told one of them I was afraid to eat the sandwich with water from the pipes on the ceiling spraying down on it and asked for a new one. Oddly, she made me a different one but left the old ones there and handed the person I was with one of the ones that had been sprayed. I didn't want him eating it either so I gave him my fresh one and just ate something from the buffet. The last picture is the tiramisu and bartlett pear almond cake which is on one of the mdr menus. The tiramisu was good but the pear cake looked like corn bread and had no flavor whatsoever. The texture was very dry. I wonder how they thought this was a good addition to the new menus.

20231228_173550.jpg

First picture is from the breakfast buffet. They only had bacon every other day. On those days they always had these homemade looking cinnamon rolls right next to the bacon. They were really good. Also shown on the plate are some of the breakfast potatoes. More lunchtime cakes...

20231229_094718.jpg

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in

  • Welcome to Cruise Critic
  • New Cruisers
  • Cruise Lines “A – O”
  • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
  • River Cruising
  • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
  • Special Interest Cruising
  • Cruise Discussion Topics
  • UK Cruising
  • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
  • Canadian Cruisers
  • North American Homeports
  • Ports of Call
  • Cruise Conversations

Announcements

  • New to Cruise Critic? Join our Community!

Write Your Own Amazing Review !

WAR_icy_SUPERstar777.jpg

Click this gorgeous photo by member SUPERstar777 to share your review!

Features & News

LauraS · Started 18 hours ago

LauraS · Started Wednesday at 02:44 PM

LauraS · Started Wednesday at 11:22 AM

LauraS · Started Tuesday at 02:51 PM

LauraS · Started Tuesday at 11:38 AM

Viking French Toast on The Viking Mars at The Restaurant

  • Existing user? Sign in OR Create an Account
  • Find Your Roll Call
  • Meet & Mingle
  • Community Help Center
  • All Activity
  • Member Photo Albums
  • Meet & Mingle Photos
  • Favorite Cruise Memories
  • Cruise Food Photos
  • Cruise Ship Photos
  • Ports of Call Photos
  • Towel Animal Photos
  • Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos
  • Write a Review
  • Live Cruise Reports
  • Member Cruise Reviews
  • Create New...

Carnival Home Page

  • Today's Deals
  • Sign Up & Save!

United States flag icon

  • Top Cruise Destinations
  • Alaska Cruises
  • Bahamas Cruises
  • Bermuda Cruises
  • Caribbean Cruises
  • Europe Cruises
  • Mexico Cruises
  • 1.800.764.7419

Never Miss a Cruise Deal

  • Thank you for signing up! 
  • Click here to learn more about our specials.

Have Fun. Be Safe

  • Health Protocols and Requirements for Sailing

Travel Documentation and Online Check-in

  • Travel Documents
  • Online Check-In

Getting There

  • Cruise Terminal Information and Parking
  • Airport and Pier Transportation
  • Air Information

Before You Board

  • Embarkation Day Check-In

Youth and Family

  • Youth Programs (Under 2 and 2-11 years old)
  • Teen Programs (12-17 years old)
  • Carnival's Seuss at Sea
  • Age Policies

Things to Know

Onboard experiences.

  • Shore - Excursions
  • Spa and Fitness
  • Outdoor Fun
  • Entertainment and Activities
  • For Your Convenience
  • Onboard Guidelines and Policies
  • Past Guest Recognition Programs

Onboard Celebrations

  • The Fun Shops
  • Special Occasions
  • Wedding Cruises and Vow Renewals

Dining and Beverages

  • Dining and Snacking Options
  • Dining Rooms
  • CHEERS! Beverage Program
  • Liquor and Beverage Policy

Onboard Communication

  • WI FI Service and Carnivals HUB App
  • Staying Connected

Money and Gratuities

  • Gratuities (Tips)
  • Sail & Sign Onboard Account
  • Forms of Payment
  • Cruise Cash/Bar/Photo
  • Financial Access

Shipboard Health and Safety

  • Passenger Bill of Rights
  • Guest Screening Policy
  • Safety and Security
  • Safety Briefing - Muster Station Drill
  • General Health Information
  • Privacy Notice
  • What to Pack
  • Cruise Ticket Contract
  • Carnival Vacation Protection
  • Guests with Disabilities
  • Choosing Your Cruise
  • Tech Support
  • Early Saver Promotion
  • Minors / Infants / Pregnancy
  • Making changes to your booking
  • Carnival EasyPay
  • Financing Powered by Uplift
  • US Department of State Travel Tips
  • And more things to know....

Debarkation - After Your Cruise

  • Preparing to Go Home
  • Post Cruise Inquiries

Dining & Beverages

Image

Was this answer helpful?

Answers others found helpful.

  • For Your Eating Pleasure...
  • What to Wear
  • 24 Hour Room Service
  • Search Please fill out this field.
  • Manage Your Subscription
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Sweepstakes

A Guide to All 27 Carnival Cruise Ships

With 27 ships and hundreds of itineraries, there’s a Carnival cruise for everyone.

pictures of carnival cruise food

Courtesy of Carnival Cruises

Carnival Cruise Line offers numerous cruise options worldwide with a fleet of 27 ships. Their cruises include all the hits: celebrity chef-driven restaurants, onboard rollercoasters, dedicated kids venues, serene spa moments, adults-exclusive pool decks, and exciting destinations. Carnival has it all — and can be relatively affordable. But which ship is right for you?

After sailing on eight Carnival cruises, including voyages on its oldest ship, Carnival Elation , and the newer Carnival Celebration, I’ve learned that sailing on newer ships is generally more expensive, and older vessels are more budget-friendly. However, I often consider more than the total cost before booking a cruise. I look at the ports of call, the space-to-guest ratio, the amenities and onboard activities, and the launch point.

When I select a sailing, I book through Carnival Cruise Line’s reservation number to see if I can snag an exclusive deal not listed online. Carnival's free-to-join loyalty program, the Very Important Fun Person (VIFP) Club, offers deals like reduced deposits, onboard credit, and room upgrades. The more you book with the cruise line, the better your deals will be. 

Before committing to a cruise, I break down the price per person per night, particularly if I need multiple cabins because I'm traveling with a group. I recommend you take advantage of Carnival's convenient 24-hour reservation hold, which displays the total cost, itinerary, and a countdown timer so you know when to purchase to secure the locked-in price.

Here, find guidance on every Carnival cruise ship, from the newest to the oldest.

Related: How to Save Money on a Cruise

Carnival Firenze

Inaugural Year: 2024

Ship Class: Venice Class

Ship Capacity: 4,126 double occupancy; 5,245 total guests

Standout Amenities: Amari bar for a peritivi and digestivi ; Serenity Adult-Only Retreat when you need time away from kids; and Pizzeria Del Capitano for hand-tossed pizza made with imported Italian ingredients  

Originally debuted in 2021 as part of the Costa Cruises fleet (an Italy-based subsidiary of Carnival), the Firenze will set sail as a Carnival ship — with an Italian twist — in Spring 2024. Across Firenze , you’ll see touches of Italy; think cute cafe set-ups that look like they were picked up from a Florence sidewalk. Terrazza staterooms access a private sun deck with whirlpools and a bar. Carnival’s fan-favorite dining options and amenities, like Guy’s Burger Joint and WaterWorks, will be on board.

Carnival Jubilee

Inaugural Year: 2023

Ship Class: Excel Class

Ship Capacity: 5,374 double occupancy; 6,631 total guests

Standout Amenities: BOLT: Ultimate Sea Coaster rollercoaster; relaxing Cloud 9 Spa thermal suites with adjustable humidity and temperature; pickleball courts for challenging family and friends

Carnival Jubilee is the newest Excel-class ship in the fleet, sailing from Galveston, Texas. The massive ship offers Camp Ocean, the onboard kids club. Adults also have their own space at the Serenity Adult-Only Retreat with swaying hammocks and a bar.

Carnival Venezia

Ship Capacity: 3,934 double occupancy; 4,977 total guests

Standout Amenities: The Gondola Lounge, themed after Venice's beautiful canals; a pool area with a retractable roof

Initially built in 2019 for Costa Cruises, this ship joined the Carnival fleet in 2023. Carnival Venezia is ideal if you’re looking for a ship that celebrates one of Italy’s most iconic cities. Venice is the inspiration behind the indoor and outdoor areas, including the atrium, modeled after Piazza San Marco, and the Carnevale Lounge, inspired by Venetian masquerades. Don't miss the Venetian Toast, where the ship’s captain greets guests and crew don Venetian masks.

Carnival Celebration

Inaugural Year: 2022

Standout Amenities: Space Cruisers, a kids camp in partnership with Kennedy Space Center; The Golden Jubilee Bar for vintage cocktails; BOLT: Ultimate Sea Coaster

Carnival Celebration is all about never-ending good times. During my recent sailing, I found all the Carnival classics, like the Alchemy Bar and Guy’s Burger Joint, a thrilling ropes course, dive-in movies, and plenty of themed deck parties. If you’re looking to relax, it has that, too. Rent cabanas or lounge in the ocean-view whirlpools at Loft 19, where attentive staff take care of everything, like delivering you fruit and chilled towels. My favorite spot to hang out was the aft Patio Pool because it wasn't ever super crowded, and the view of the ocean was unmatched. 

Carnival Luminosa

Ship Class: Spirit Class

Ship Capacity: 2,260 double occupancy; 2,826 total guests 

Standout Amenities: Carnival fan-favorite Alchemy Bar; Circle “C” tween club; Cloud 9 Spa hydrotherapy pool for rejuvenating soaks

Carnival Luminosa (formerly the Costa Luminosa ) is for you if you want to sail to destinations like Alaska and Australia. It also offers occasional itineraries through scenic transpacific spots like Fiji, Tahiti, Hawaii, and Japan. The ship has all of the brand’s classic amenities, like the RedFrog Rum Bar and Punchliner Comedy Club, plus an array of dining options, including sushi, pizza, ice cream, and an over-the-top brunch.

Carnival Mardi Gras

Inaugural Year: 2021

Ship Capacity: 5,282 double occupancy; 6,456 total guests

Standout Amenities: BOLT: Ultimate Sea Coaster for adrenaline junkies; Havana Bar for Cuban drinks and live music; Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse and Brewhouse

Carnival Mardi Gras is a nod to Carnival’s first ship, also named Mardi Gras, which was launched in 1972. The vessel has six onboard zones where families can have fun together, including the Ultimate Playground, where BOLT and the SportsSquare are located. Of course, there’s no Mardi Gras without New Orleans, so the French Quarter zone is where you’ll find Big Easy-inspired amenities like an Emeril Lagasse restaurant.

Carnival Radiance

Inaugural Year: 2021 (formerly Carnival Victory , which set sail in 2000)

Ship Class: Sunshine Class

Ship Capacity: 2,984 double occupancy; 3,873 total guests 

Standout Amenities: BlueIguana Tequila Bar for great margaritas; ZSPA for teens who want a spa day; an outdoor gym on the ship's top deck

Carnival Radiance has culinary delights and family fun in spades. If you're a foodie, try Guy’s Burger Joint for loaded burgers straight from Flavortown or Shaq’s Big Chicken for the basketball star's incredible fried chicken sandwiches. Kids will love seeing The Cat in the Hat characters during activities like character parades, story time, and character breakfasts.

Carnival Panorama

Inaugural Year: 2019

Ship Class: Vista Class

Ship Capacity: 4,008 double occupancy; 5,146 total guests

Standout Amenities: Sky Zone trampoline park where families can bounce and play games; Skyride, a suspended bike on the top deck with great ship and ocean views; Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse and Brewhouse featuring Carnival Cruise Line exclusive craft beers

Carnival Panorama is smaller than today's mega-ships, but it packs a ton of fun into its 15 decks. Rooms are spacious; some come with exclusive perks like access to the Havana Pool area or unlimited use of the spa’s thermal suites. Kids will also love that there’s an onboard waterpark, kids club, and a Build-a-Bear Workshop at Sea.

Carnival Sunrise

Ship Capacity: 2,984 double occupancy; 3,973 total guests

Standout Amenities: Cloud 9 Spa cabins with access to the thermal suites; Lucky Bowl restaurant, which is only on Carnival Sunrise and only open for lunch

Carnival Sunrise  (formerly Carnival Triumph ) features an exciting splash zone for kids and a piano bar where adults can sing along to their favorite songs all night. The ship sails on two to five-night and six to nine-night cruises from Miami, Florida, to the Bahamas.

Carnival Horizon

Inaugural Year: 2018

Ship Capacity: 3,960 double occupancy; 4,977 total guests

Standout Amenities: IMAX movie theater for a family night out; Dr. Suess Bookville for family story time and character appearances; volleyball court where adults can test their skills or just hit the ball around

Carnival Horizon has all the makings of a fun family vacation. The kids clubs have dedicated counselors who ensure children are always having fun, and parents can slip away to an adults-only bar for a cocktail or the Serenity Adult-Only Retreat to catch some sun. Then, as night falls, you can come back together for a special meal in the main dining room or JiJi Asian Kitchen, which specializes in regional Asian cuisine.

Carnival Vista

Inaugural Year: 2016

Standout Amenities: The thrilling SkyRide suspended bike for great ship and sea views; Thrill Theater for a 3-D show with water, lighting, wind, and chair movement effects; RedFrog Pub & Brewery, the first brewery at sea in North America

Carnival Vista is perfect for new cruisers. Sailings range from two to nine days out of Port Canaveral, so you can get a taste of what a cruise is like without committing to a more traditional weeklong sailing. Expect an onboard brewery, incredible restaurants, and family-friendly fun.

Carnival Sunshine

Inaugural Year: 2013

Ship Capacity: 3,002 double occupancy; 3,758 total guests

Standout Amenities: Carnival WaterWorks with multiple slides and water features; BlueIguana Tequila Bar for poolside libations; an onboard steakhouse with a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for its exceptional wine list

Carnival Sunshine (formerly Carnival Destiny ) is 10 years old and a fan favorite. The lower guest capacity, at just over 3,000 for double occupancy, means you won’t have to fight hoards of people to get to and from activities. Families who want even more cabin space should book one of the aft-view extended balcony rooms with great wake views and ample private outdoor space.

Carnival Breeze

Inaugural Year: 2012

Ship Class: Dream Class

Ship Capacity: 3,690 double occupancy; 4,724 total guests 

Standout Amenities: Cloud 9 Spa for next-level relaxation; Mongolian Wok lunch restaurant; pickleball courts to get competitive with your family; waterslides

Carnival Breeze is ideal for a short cruise out of Galveston, Texas. The ship has plenty of activities throughout the day, including bingo, trivia, and live performances in the comedy club.

Carnival Magic

Inaugural Year: 2011

Ship Capacity: 3,690 double occupancy; 4,724 total guests

Standout Amenities: Cloud 9 Spa; a thrilling ropes course; Chef’s Table dining experience

Carnival Magic sails for a week or more from Miami, Florida. The ship debuted the restaurant Cucina del Capitano, which is now onboard multiple ships in the fleet. It’s also home to the original Guy’s Pig & Anchor. I sailed the Carnival Magic years ago, but I vividly remember spending an entire day enjoying the amenities at the Cloud 9 Spa and eating at the Mongolian Wok quick-service restaurant almost every afternoon for lunch.

Carnival Dream

Inaugural Year: 2009

Ship Capacity: 3,646 double occupancy; 4,631 total guests

Standout Amenities: Ocean Plaza, a multi-use entertainment venue that’s family-friendly during the day and a nightclub after dark; Guy’s Burger Joint for standout smash burgers; Cloud 9 Spa for adults to relax

Carnival Dream is known for exciting entertainment and food and beverage offerings, including Alchemy Bar, a vintage-themed cocktail "pharmacy." The ship sails from Galveston, Texas, on six to nine-day cruises. I loved playing the onboard mini-golf course.

Carnival Splendor

Inaugural Year: 2008

Ship Class: Splendor Class

Ship Capacity: 3,012 double occupancy; 3,734 total guests

Standout Amenities: Masala Tiger Indian restaurant, which is only open for lunch and only on this ship; a mini-golf course; a pool with a retractable cover

Carnival Splendor sails the Southern Hemisphere around Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific on cruises that range from two to 10 days. The ship has Carnival’s only quick-service Indian restaurant and boasts a pool with a retractable roof, so you can swim without worrying about the weather.

Carnival Freedom

Inaugural Year: 2007

Ship Class: Conquest Class

Ship Capacity: 2,980 double occupancy; 3,754 total guests

Standout Amenities: Space Cruisers kids program in partnership with Kennedy Space Center; RedFrog Pub, with Key West-inspired food and drinks; Dr. Seuss Bookville, a kids library that's themed after the famous author’s characters

Carnival Freedom is ideal for first-time cruisers because of the lower guest capacity and the smaller ship size. But don’t let the numbers fool you; this ship is packed with high-energy activities for all ages; from the kid's clubs to the casino, there’s no lack of fun to be had.

Carnival Liberty

Inaugural Year: 2005

Ship Capacity: 2,974 double occupancy; 3,576 total guests

Standout Amenities: Punchliner Comedy Club for family-friendly laughs during the day and adults-only fun at night; SkyBox Sports Bar to keep up with the big games back home; Mongolian Wok, a prime lunch spot with custom bowls

Looking to relax? Prefer a high-energy vacation? Carnival Liberty can do it all. Head to the main theater for enchanting live performances and shows every night, enjoy tacos and burgers on the pool decks, or find a lounge chair around the pool and soak up the sun.

Carnival Valor

Inaugural Year: 2004

Ship Capacity: 2,980 double occupancy; 3,756 total guests

Standout Amenities: Dive-in movies where you can catch a family-friendly flick under the stars; BlueIguana Tequila Bar for tequila and Mexican beer-based cocktails; Scarlett’s Steakhouse, where perfect steaks and impeccable sides await

Carnival Valor is almost 20 years old and still showing cruisers a good time. The ship's home ports are New Orleans, Louisiana, and Barcelona, Spain, and it offers two to over 10-night sailings. Don’t miss the epic Seaday Brunch, where you'll find all kinds of treats like huevos rancheros, french toast, loaded burgers, and chicken and waffles.

Carnival Miracle

Ship Capacity: 2,124 double occupancy; 2,680 total guests

Standout Amenities: Serenity Adult-Only Retreat where the 21-plus crowd can enjoy a kid-free space; pickleball courts that have great views of the ocean and ports of call

Fantasy worlds and elements inspired Carnival Miracle . Around the ship, you’ll find spaces like Phantom Lounge and Dr. Frankenstein’s Lab, where you can see shows or dance the night away. When you’re ready to soak up the sun, find a lounge chair at the adults-only pool deck or splash down on one of the slides at WaterWorks.

Carnival Glory

Inaugural Year: 2003

Standout Amenities: Camp Ocean kids club for children ages two to 11; AquaTunnel waterslide; 24-hour pizza delivery to anywhere on the ship

Carnival Glory is a vibrant ship inside and out. Think nightly dance parties in White Heat Dance Club, movies under the stars on the pool deck, and tacos from BlueIguana Cantina. The ship sails around the Bahamas, Caribbean, and more on two to 10-day itineraries.

Carnival Legend

Inaugural Year: 2002

Ship Capacity: 2,124 double occupancy; 2,610 total guests 

Standout Amenities: White Hot Night Party; jogging track with panoramic ocean views; Build-A-Bear Workshop at Sea where kids can make a new friend to bring home

Carnival Legend, themed around legends and lore around the world, has two pools and plenty of places to grab a bite, including the Golden Fleece Steakhouse for a stunning multi-course dinner. You're sure to return home with tales.

Carnival Conquest

Standout Amenities: Pickleball courts so you can keep up with weekly family matches; '80s Rock-In-Glow Party for an evening of throwback fun; Guy’s Burger Joint for tasty and quick meals between activities

Carnival Conquest takes cruisers to the Bahamas and the Caribbean on two to 10-day sailings. Special programs allow kids to see their favorite Dr. Seuss characters at sea, and adults can enjoy the enticing Alchemy Bar for one-of-a-kind cocktails.

Carnival Pride

Inaugural Year: 2002 

Standout Amenities: Mid-ship pool with a retractable roof; Heroes Tribute Bar, which recognizes each branch of the American military

For an extended cruise from Tampa, Florida, or Baltimore, Maryland, look to Carnival Pride . The ship has something for every type of traveler, including three kids clubs, adult-only spaces, and over a dozen different dining options.

Carnival Spirit

Inaugural Year: 2001

Ship Capacity: 2,124 double occupancy; 2,610 total guests

Standout Amenities: Domed swimming pool; two-deck fitness center; a pizza window open until 4 a.m.

Carnival Spirit sets sail from home ports around the United States to Alaska, Hawaii, the Caribbean, and the Panama Canal. The ship offers a wide range of entertainment options, including mini-golf, a jogging track, kids clubs, and adult-centric entertainment.

Carnival Paradise

Inaugural Year: 1998

Ship Class: Fantasy Class

Ship Capacity: 2,052 double occupancy; 2,606 total guests

Standout Amenities: Serenity Adult-Only Retreat when you need a place without kids; twin racing waterslides for all ages

With two to nine-day cruises from Tampa to the Caribbean and the Bahamas, Carnival Paradise literally takes cruisers to paradise islands. The ship brims with fun amenities like the WaterWorks splash zone and the relaxing Cloud 9 Spa.

Carnival Elation

Ship Capacity: 2,052 double occupancy; 2,606 total guests 

Standout Amenities: Duke’s Piano Bar for nightly sing-a-longs; Alchemy Bar for custom cocktails; BlueIguana Cantina for breakfast and lunch options with a Mexican twist

Carnival Elation is currently the fleet's oldest ship, debuting in March 1998, and the only cruise ship from any cruise line that sails from Jacksonville, Florida. Even though the ship is small, with a total guest capacity of 2,606, it’s ideal for a quick weekend away if you want a mix of relaxation and high-energy activities. I've sailed the most on Carnival Elation since the ship sails from my hometown of Jacksonville. Even though it's the oldest in the fleet, I love that the sailings are short weekend trips where I can sit outside in the sun enjoying a Guy's Burger Joint smash burger before heading inside to see a show or play bingo. And because the ship is so small, it's easy to navigate, and I always end up making friends with the delightful crew onboard.

  • Cruise Tips
  • Cruise Schedules
  • Carnival Drydock Schedule
  • Carnival Cruise Director Schedule
  • Carnival Dive In Movies Schedule
  • Galveston Cruises
  • General Cruise Blog
  • Carnival Ship Tracker
  • Cruise Ship Webcams
  • Just For Fun
  • Carnival Cruise Food
  • My Cruise Reviews
  • Banana Yogurt
  • Strawberry Yogurt
  • Blueberry Yogurt
  • Plain Yogurt

RyG's Cruise Guide Blog 

Quick links:.

Behind the scenes: How this Carnival cruise ship galley serves thousands of meals a night

pictures of carnival cruise food

"Behind the Scenes” is a five-part series focusing on the inner workings of the travel industry and how those impact the consumer’s final product. If you'd like to contribute to our future reporting and share your experience as a source, you can click here to fill out this quick form .

On any given night, Pacific Restaurant on Carnival Cruise Line’s newest ship is a hub of activity. On multiple evenings during a recent sailing, guests lined up at the entrance to one of the main dining rooms on Carnival Jubilee , which gave way to a two-deck space with ornate, twinkling light fixtures and soaring white columns.

But a windowless room several decks below is where the real action happens.

The ship’s main galley, lined with metallic counters, stoves and ceiling panels, cranks out 15,000 dishes per night on average. The kitchen – one of 18 galleys overall – supplies multiple meals, but dinner is its busiest time.

“It's not a small operation by any means, especially on this class of ship,” Vivek Menon, the ship’s Food and Beverage Director told USA TODAY on board. Here’s how they do it.

Ever wanted to ride an airport bag belt? You can't, but we can show you where they go.

Behind the scenes with Disney's baby elephant: 'We don't force our animals to do anything'

How does a cruise ship galley work?

Lots of planning happens before meals ever hit guests’ plates. Food orders are placed around two weeks in advance and loaded onto the vessel on turnaround days, said Menon, whose food and beverage team includes just under 900 members (Jubilee can accommodate more than 6,000 guests).

The ship's galley staff cooks roughly 5,000 pounds of whole chicken, grills around 5,000 pounds of strip steak and bakes approximately 600 loaves of bread every week.

One morning in late February, fish was thawing in a walk-in refrigerator the size of a small bedroom on deck 3, two decks below the galley. According to a label on its exterior, a nearby freezer housed ice cream, while another room was filled with boxes of cruise essentials like Grey Goose Vodka and Crown Royal whiskey.

Chefs then place orders with the vessel’s storeroom team two days before they need the ingredients. “Pre-prep” – such as trimming and marinating chicken breasts – takes place a day beforehand, with more prep following on the day of service, though the time required varies.

Those chicken breasts, for example, might be prepped an hour prior to service. By contrast, “Prime rib cooks for six hours,” Menon said. “A short rib braises for 12 hours, so obviously that has a huge lead time. So, it depends on the dish.”

Then it’s showtime. The galley provides food for an average of 4,000 people a night between Pacific Restaurant and the ship’s other dining room, Atlantic Restaurant.

Orders start trickling in at around 5:45 p.m., but the crew is ready. Chefs are given a head count at the beginning of the evening, at peak time and near the end of dinner.

For example, Menon said, “If we’re cooking 1,000 fish for early dining, 1,000 filets, the counts are spread out in such a way that in the first 15 minutes, the cook is running around 200 ahead of count, because these counts are very quickly going to catch up,” Menon said.

As orders slow down, they narrow the gap and reduce output accordingly. “At the end of dinner service, you have very little left,” Menon said. “By the time it's nine 9, 9:15, we’re already down one or two, four or five pieces, depending on the volume we're setting up.” Guest flow differs each evening, however.

At the beginning of a cruise, the crew starts logging how much of a given item is used on that sailing – down to details like how guests want their steak cooked – which allows them to prepare more or less as needed.

Does food go to waste?

Tracking guest preferences is about more than just providing good service. The line has paid close attention to what goes uneaten as part of efforts to reduce food waste. “We looked at what the guests don't like, what's coming back on the plate,” Menon said. Then they can make changes.

Carnival also introduced QR-code menus in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has made it easier to tweak menus (though they have printed ones as well). Other measures, such as adding a charge for once-included room service in 2022, have helped the line move closer to those aims, too.

“Before (when) you walked down a corridor, every second cabin, you're going to see a plate outside with some things half-eaten because it was complimentary,” Menon said.

The line generated nearly 2.5 pounds of food waste per person around five years ago. Now that number is about 1.5 pounds. (Read more about how cruise lines have been working to reduce food waste here .)

What is Carnival’s Chef’s Table?

If guests want to peek behind the culinary curtain, they can see the galley for themselves. Carnival’s Chef’s Table experience features a tour and a multi-course dinner for between 12 and 16 people, according to the line’s website .

The sleek dining room that hosts the dinner on Jubilee was tucked deep inside the galley space, giving passengers up-close views of the kitchen. The menus – which can’t be found elsewhere on board – vary from ship to ship but have included items like knotted parmesan herb brioche, black-garlic cannelloni, a “lamb trilogy” (roasted, broiled and confit) and more.

When is the best time to take a cruise? We broke it down by region.

The experience is available on all Carnival ships and ranges from $90-$150 per person, depending on the vessel and the menu. Passengers can make reservations online after booking their cruise.

The reporter on this story received access to this sailing from Carnival. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of content.

What behind-the-scenes aspect of travel would you like to know more about?

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].

pictures of carnival cruise food

Carnival in Brazil: Scenes from the Sambadromes

Highlights from the Sambadromes in Rio and Sao Paulo.

Carnival parade at the Sambadrome, in Rio de Janeiro

Share this photo

Carnival parade at the Sambadrome, in Rio de Janeiro

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL

Carnival parade at the Sambadrome, in Rio de Janeiro

More in this Collection

Carnival parade at the Sambadrome, in Rio de Janeiro

Share this gallery

Palestinian children wait to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen amid shortages of food supplies, in Rafah

More In Pictures

Our top photos of the week.

A selection of some of our top news photography from around the world this week.

Water is disappearing from Mexico's vital desert oasis Cuatro Cienegas

More from Reuters

IMAGES

  1. The Ultimate Guide to Carnival Cruise Food 2023

    pictures of carnival cruise food

  2. Carnival Cruise Food aboard the Carnival Magic cruise Ship

    pictures of carnival cruise food

  3. 19 Surprising Foods You Can Eat On A Carnival Cruise

    pictures of carnival cruise food

  4. Carnival Breeze: Amazing Cruise Food Facts: Interests Photo Gallery by

    pictures of carnival cruise food

  5. Yummy food aboard the Carnival Liberty

    pictures of carnival cruise food

  6. Carnival Cruise Food

    pictures of carnival cruise food

VIDEO

  1. CARNIVAL PANORAMA CRUISE 2023 (DAY 1)

  2. 2024 Carnival Celebration Food Tour

  3. TRICKED ON CARNIVAL PARADISE

  4. Carnival Celebration Cruise Ship

  5. Top FREE Things on Carnival Celebration! #shorts #cruise #eatsleepcruise #cruisetips

  6. carnival cruise food is great pt 1

COMMENTS

  1. Carnival Food Review

    Buffet - Included. The buffet on the Carnival Magic was open from early in the morning until late at night, it is split into two separate sections. Breakfast was served 7am - 12pm. Lunch 12pm - 2.30pm and dinner 6pm-9.30pm. "Meals are served buffet-style, with an array of pastas, steaks, prime rib, grilled chicken, specialty salads and ...

  2. Dining Room

    The number of Cruise Elegant evenings varies by sailing length — see below for details. Check the Fun Times when you cruise for your sailing's schedule. Cruise Elegant Nights. 0 1-day cruise. 1 2-5 day cruise. 2 6+ day cruise. Experience a full three course dinner at the dining room aboard your next cruise. See photos of these amazing ...

  3. I tried the best Carnival Cruise food options and here's how I'd rank

    6. Carnival Deli. One of Carnival's signature food options is the Carnival Deli, which serves old-time favorite sandwiches. There was a large menu with both hot and cold sandwich options. My sister tried the meatball sandwich and I had the ham and cheese sandwich.

  4. All Dining Options

    Carnival Venezia. Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner. Snacks. 24 Hours. Load More Results. Take a look at all of the amazing and delicious dining options onboard a Carnival cruise. From Italian to Mexican cuisine, you won't run out of variety!

  5. Carnival Cruise Main Dining Room Food Pictures

    Grilled Jumbo Shrimp. Spanakopita and Stuffed Bell Pepper. Fusilli Mushroom Cream. Tiger Shrimp Creole. Broiled Maine Lobster Tail. Note About The Broiled Main Lobster Tail: This dish is not offered complimentary on all cruises. Cruises that are 6+ days in length usually have lobster complimentary on the first formal night of the cruise ...

  6. The Ultimate Guide to Carnival Cruise Food

    Dining Times. When you book your cruise, you will be given an option for different times to eat dinner: Early Dining (around 8 PM) Late Dining (Around 5:45 PM) Your Time Dining (Between 5:45 and 9:30 PM) When we booked our cruise, the only options available still were late dining and your time dining.

  7. What Food Is Included On Carnival Cruises: Your Ultimate Guide

    Carnival Cruise offers a broad spectrum of food choices, from fast food, snacks, room service to exclusive celebrity chef collaborations. Exploring the Main Dining Options. Carnival Cruise Line presents its guests with diverse dining alternatives. Among the favorites is the Main Dining Room, a sit-down restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and ...

  8. Cruise Dining

    Guy's Burger Joint. Take a big juicy bite of one of the best burgers at sea, brought to you by none other than celebrity chef Guy Fieri. EXPLORE DINING. Check out the list of dining options aboard Carnival Cruise Line. We have exclusive restaurants onboard to provide you the best dining experience on a cruise ship.

  9. Carnival Cruise Dinner Food Tour & Review @ Main Dining Room (4K)

    See what food (appetizers, main entrees & desserts) to expect on a 7 day or longer Carnival Cruise Line ship at the main dining room for dinner! Also see ou...

  10. The Ultimate Menu Guide to Carnival's Main Dining Room

    Here are some menu items you'll find on the From The Grill menu: Dinner in the Carnival Vista's main dining room. Salmon Filet: Citrus and pepper rubbed salmon served with broccoli, carrots ...

  11. Carnival Cruise New Dining Room Dinner Menus With Food Pictures 4 Night

    This post will share Carnival Cruise Line's new 4 night cruise menus with some food pictures from Carnival Breeze cruises in September 2023 and November 2023. For the current main dining room menu roll-out schedule: Click Here To View. General Reminder Regarding Menus: Please note, menus are subject to change at any time as supplies and ...

  12. Carnival Cruise Dining Room Breakfast Menu, Food Pictures, and Tips

    Dining Room Breakfast Food Pictures: During my recent Carnival Breeze cruise I took pictures of some of the dishes we ate in the main dining room. Below are my food pictures: Grapefruit Juice. Baked Apples. Buttermilk Waffles With Added Side Of Sausage & Bacon. Vanilla French Toast with Added Side Of Bacon & Hash Browns.

  13. Carnival Cruise Menu and Food Pictures

    Carnival Cruise Appetizer: Escargot. Carnival Cruise Appetizer: Carpaccio. Carnival Cruise Dinner: Spaghetti Carbonara. Carnival Cruise Dinner: Lobster. Carnival Cruise Dinner Menu: Slow Cooked Prime Rib. Carnival Cruise Dessert Menu: Melting Chocolate Cake & their Creme Brûlée is a staple to every cruise.

  14. Carnival Celebration Dining: Restaurants & Food on Cruise Critic

    As with Chibang, Carnival now offers passengers the ability to dine here once for free, with subsequent visits charged at a rate of $8 per person, per visit. Tip: If you fancy apple anything, save ...

  15. We Tried the Food on a Carnival Cruise Ship, and ...

    This restaurant features two unique dessert options: green tea cupcakes and yuzu custard. Seafood Shack: Carnival's Seafood Shack is a New England-style eatery serving dishes such as clam chowder, lobster BLTs and snow crab. Open for lunch and dinner, this seaside restaurant is located on the Lido Deck (Deck 10, aft).

  16. Carnival Magic Dining: Restaurants & Food on Cruise Critic

    Open 24/7. Pasta Bar (Deck 11): One of the secrets of Carnival Magic is this free pasta bar, held during lunch in the Cucina del Capitano space. SeaDogs Hot Dog Cart (Deck 12): No need to ...

  17. Carnival Spirit Dining: Restaurants & Food on Cruise Critic

    Nouveau Restaurant (Deck 10); AU$45 per adult; AU$12 per child: The reservations-only, 152-seat Nouveau Restaurant at the top of the ship features aged prime beef cooked to order, classic dishes ...

  18. Carnival Cruise Food

    This guide shares Carnival Cruise Food & Dining tips, photos, information, and Carnival dining menus! From the Lido Buffet to the Main Dining Room and more, I hope to share food tips with you that will help you get ready for your next Carnival Cruise!! Eating dinner in Carnival's Main Dining Room restaurants is a highlight of the evening for many.

  19. Carnival Cruise Line Menus and Food pictures

    Here are the menus from our recent Carnival Victory cruise, paired with a few food pictures of that trip. Notice I am missing day 2, that is because we failed to bring elegant clothes and were denied access to the MDR. These menus are from before they pulled the lobster off the menu. Day 1. The spring rolls were great. The duck was really good.

  20. Carnival Horizon Quick Review (Mostly food Pictures)

    Port stops were Bonaire, Aruba and Dominican Republic. Overall, it was a good cruise. It was our 4th Carnival cruise and we've sailed on two recent Royal Caribbean cruises. I wouldn't rate this as my favorite cruise. I think the entertainment and food was much better on prior cruises on Vista and Dream.

  21. Carnival Liberty Dining: Restaurants and Food

    Explore Carnival Liberty dining. With a dozen restaurants, cafes, and casual eateries, Carnival Liberty's dining lineup provides quality and variety. Start the morning with huevos rancheros and spicy breakfast burritos from the BlueIguana Cantina, or indulge in the Seaday Brunch that's served in the Silver Olympian Dining Room — three words ...

  22. Dining & Beverages

    You've got a foodie in you — everyone does! Awaken and delight yours on a Carnival cruise with delicious main dishes, tempting desserts and general yumminess everywhere you look. Top Searches. For Your Eating Pleasure Anytime, Anywhere Dining Options Casual Dining in the Lido Restaurant 24 Hour Room Service Specialty Dining

  23. Guide to All 27 Carnival Cruise Ships

    Carnival Cruise Line offers numerous cruise options worldwide with a fleet of 27 ships. Their cruises include all the hits: celebrity chef-driven restaurants, onboard rollercoasters, dedicated ...

  24. Carnival Cruise Lido Buffet Breakfast Food Pictures & Pastries

    Bacon. Gravy For The Biscuits & Gravy. Sliced Ham. Waffles, Bagels, Toast, & Biscuits. Boiled Eggs. Jelly & Other Spreads. Pastries & Fruits: Carnival's Lido breakfast buffet is filled with a variety of different pastries and sweets. I reached out to Carnival to ask for a list of pastries typically served on the buffet.

  25. Behind the scenes: How this Carnival cruise ship galley serves

    The line generated nearly 2.5 pounds of food waste per person around five years ago. Now that number is about 1.5 pounds. (Read more about how cruise lines have been working to reduce food waste ...

  26. Carnival in Brazil: Scenes from the Sambadromes

    A reveler from Imperatriz Leopoldinense samba school performs during the night of the Carnival parade at the Sambadrome, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, February 12.