Monday, April 1, 2024

Carnival cruise food: The ultimate guide to restaurants and dining on board

is food free on carnival cruise

Awaken and delight yours on a Carnival cruise with delicious main dishes, tempting desserts and general yumminess everywhere you look. The Lido’s pizza station is open 24 hours a day and lets you design your own thin crust pie with the ingredients you want. There’s also unlimited soft-serve for those with a taste for ice cream at a special station in a nook on Lido deck. The package can be utilized during the whole journey except for the stay at Princess Cays and Half-Moon Cays islands in the Bahamas. Guys Burger Joint offers the yummiest burgers at Carnival Cruise exclusively with Guy Fieri.

Are beverages included with the free meals?

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Try the deli counter, barbecue spot, pasta bar or Asian noodle station. Finish up with soft serve ice cream, frozen yogurt or an enormous cake slice and other goodies from the dessert station. Lunch in the dining room – Most cruisers rush to the Lido Deck for a buffet lunch on embarkation day, but a little known fact is the dining room is also open during lunchtime. When we choose this option, there is usually only a handful of guests dining with us. There is a wide range of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack options around the ships.

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Another one worth exploring is Cucina Del Capitano, an Italian restaurant offering a cozy setting and traditional Italian fare. For an unparalleled dining experience, the Chef’s Table is an exclusive offering featuring a multi-course meal prepared by the ship’s head chef. For casual, at-your-leisure dining, don’t miss the Lido Restaurant on board every ship. These buffets are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with extended hours to accommodate all dining time preferences. Steakhouse selections in the dining room – Carnival’s Steakhouse is truly one of the best restaurants at sea. I’ve dined there at least 10 times and I’ve never had a bad meal.

is food free on carnival cruise

What Restaurants Cost Extra on Carnival Celebration

Typically, the bigger ships will have more options, but even the smallest ships tend to have more than one restaurant. Carnival Hub offers an onboard chat feature which allows you to message your family or friends onboard the cruise ship. Thus has an additional charge of $5 per person and is a great way to reach people when you’re on the cruise.

Lunch on Carnival Cruise Ships

Split into Daytime Dining from 6 am to 10 pm and Nightime Dining from 10 pm to 6 am you can order from a selection of salads and sandwiches. The Lido Marketplace is a global cuisine help-yourself buffet. A great opportunity to try foods from all over the world and perhaps choices you wouldn’t ordinarily try. As a general rule the food quality is similar across the fleet, from largest to the smallest Carnival ships.

The Redfrog Rum Bar is a must-visit place on your Carnival cruise trip. Additionally, you can also order yummy salads with desired toppings. For alcoholic drinks, you might have to buy a separate drink package. Outside food is generally not permitted on Carnival cruises. However, exceptions may be made for baby food, specific dietary needs, or medical reasons. An homage to casual food trucks and stalls, Street Eats is like a miniature open-air food market with three different stations serving street food favorites.

Hotel Reward Programs

Simultaneously, for those who enjoy a more laid-back dining ambiance, Carnival Cruise Line offers the Lido Marketplace. This buffet-style restaurant serves all three meals and remains open 24 hours, providing an anytime dining option. The food choices are abundant, including pizza, burgers, sandwiches, salads, and more, along with international cuisines.

In the main dining room, however, guests are limited to two free entrees (which, let's be honest, is still plenty!) before having to pay for additional entrees. The Carnival Conquest ship offers a variety of dining options, including the main dining room, Lido Marketplace, Guy’s Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina, Pizza Pirate, and more. Additionally, there are specialty dining options available for an additional fee, such as the Steakhouse, Bonsai Sushi, and The Chef’s Table. Carnival Dream class ships offer a variety of dining options, including the main dining room, Lido Marketplace, Guy’s Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina, Pizza Pirate, and more. Additionally, there are specialty dining options available for an additional fee, such as the Steakhouse, Bonsai Sushi, and Cucina del Capitano. Big Chicken and on sea days, Street Eats, were my favorites for quick and delicious casual lunch bites.

How can I learn more cruise ship food?

Among the favorites is the Main Dining Room, a sit-down restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It offers a constantly changing menu of delights like steak, roasted duck, scallops, and prime rib, ensuring a different meal every day. Carnival cruises include complimentary sit-down service meals in the Main Dining and help yourself buffet meals in the Lido Marketplace for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on every ship. In addition, there is a range of other food outlets which vary per ship. Cruise ship restaurants pretty much always have vegetarian options; low-salt, low-carb, gluten-free and vegan food is either available and noted or can be prepared with advance notice.

Her other culinary mission in life is to convince her family and friends that vegetarian dishes are much more than a basic salad.She lives with her husband, Dave, and their two sons in Alabama. Carnival offers diverse culinary experiences with a variety of cuisines ranging from American comfort food to international dishes, including Italian, Mexican, Asian, and more. The newest ships in the fleet (Norwegian Escape, Bliss, Joy and Encore) offer fewer free dining spots than the rest of their fleetmates, with no free Asian restaurant or outdoor grill by the buffet. Cruise Critic editors who have sailed and reviewed Royal Caribbean ships, rate the dining onboard at an average rating of 3.8. Again, ratings do not make a distinction between free and for-fee dining.

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Guys, Burger Joint is Carnival’s joint lunch time offering with Guy Fieri to offer you the best burgers at sea fresh off the grill. That said, Carnival can provide meals suited for vegetarian, low-cholesterol, low-fat, low-carbohydrate, low-sugar, and gluten-free preferences. For Neapolitan style pizza lovers, Carnival’s pizza is among the best at sea with it’s thin, chewy and authentic dough, excellent cheese and quality toppings.

Located on Deck 6, it is directly aft of the Golden Jubilee, which features the doors, an etched glass panel and a brass telegraph from its namesake, the Carnivale, Carnival’s second ship. This restaurant is a single deck venue decorated in pleasing deep blue and autumn-hued tones. On the final sea day, it is the setting for the delightful (and extra-charge) Dr. Seuss Green Eggs and Ham breakfast. Counting every included and for-fee food venue on the top and in the heart of the ship, there are 21 food options to choose from, plus room service. Cruise ships offer a variety of onboard restaurants and dining options.

If this is your first Carnival cruise and you’re not sure what is included, don’t be shy to ask a fellow passenger or staff member onboard. It’s better to know what’s included so you don’t miss out on any of the fun, and they won’t mind at all. This package includes social media apps, whether apps and finance apps (does not include streaming such as Netflix and Spotify). Onboard Carnival ships, there are 3 different wifi packages. There is a Social Wi-Fi Plan, Value Wi-Fi Plan and Premium Wi-Fi Plan. In the Thrill Theatre your seat will shake, you will feel wind and you may even get splashed by water.

Join me as we explore the captivating world of cruise ships together. Bottomless Bubbles is a soda and juice package that costs $6.95 per day per child and $9.50 per day per adult. Guys’ Burger Joint will bring free burgers and fries in the cruise fare.

While some specialty restaurants have formal dress codes, the complimentary dining options on Carnival cruises generally do not have strict dress requirements. However, appropriate attire is expected during dinner service in the main dining rooms. Norwegian pioneered the concept of offering numerous and diverse for-fee dining on its ships.

What's Included on a Carnival Cruise Everything You Need to Know

is food free on carnival cruise

Either way, there's no need to make a reservation for the main dining room. This Key West, Florida-inspired pub is the spot for a round of trivia or foosball, brews and tunes. You can also enjoy Caribbean bites like conch fritters and coconut shrimp with your laid-back island vibes.

Lunch on Carnival Cruise Ships

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Carnival Hub is Carnival’s app, where you will be able to schedule activities, book dinners, see what’s going on around the ship and complete your online check-in. If you’re into working our then you are going to love the fitness center. Every Carnival ship is equipped with a fitness center that will have cardio machines, weights and an area to stretch. This is loads of fun, a great workout and a good way to get a great view of the ocean. If you prefer to eat in the comfort of your stateroom, try ordering room service.

Pizza Pirate / Pizzeria del Capitano

Guys Pig and Anchor bar-b-que only offer free meals at lunch. But what if the cruise requires you to pay additional money every time you want to enjoy some meals? Carnival Cruise has exclusive dining options, and the delicious continental and oriental food makes it the best cruise line for foodies.

A FEW OF OUR TOP DINING CHOICES

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It also includes non-alcoholic beverages, unlimited soda, energy drinks, specialty coffee, hot tea and water bottles. Yes, Carnival offers complimentary room service 24 hours a day, allowing guests to enjoy a meal in the comfort of their cabins without any extra charge. When hunger calls at odd hours of the night or you're craving a meal from the comfort of your balcony, you can access 24-hour room service on your Carnival cruise ship. While room service is generally only available for a cost, Carnival does offer free continental breakfast delivery to your room from 6 to 10 a.m. Carnival's main dining room menus are available in two dining rooms per vessel in addition to a buffet.

For dinner, you will have to reserve a table for your 3-course meal. This package gives access for social media apps such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Onboard Carnival Cruise Line Ships, there are a few activities that aren’t included in the cost of the cruise. If you prefer to have soft drinks instead of juice, ice tea and water then you are going to find the Bottomless Bubbles beverage package to be a really good value.

Dining and Beverages

Carnival is the only cruise line where you are able to watch an IMAX movie at sea. In the IMAX theatre, you will be able to watch new movies, Hollywood blockbusters and IMAX documentaries. Beverage package is a really good value if you plan on drinking while cruising. Buying drinks individually can be very pricey and ads up very quickly. Onboard Carnival Cruise ships you’ll find the Punchline Comedy Club with some amazing guest entertainers and comedians. Throughout the cruise, there will be different trivia games where you can win prizes.

Popular Carnival dining options

At breakfast, you'll even find shrimp and grits or bananas Foster crepes. Emeril's Bistro 1937 on Carnival Celebration also spotlights rotating international dishes daily in addition to these Nawlins favorites. The crispy chicken sandwich is a food fad that isn't going away anytime soon, and Carnival's chief fun officer Shaquille O'Neal is the face behind this new chicken spot on the latest Carnival ships. Here, you can find everything chicken — chicken sandwiches, crispy chicken strips and fried chicken baskets (even chicken biscuits at breakfast!) — plus essential sides like potato salad and jalapeno slaw.

is food free on carnival cruise

Are there any additional charges for specialty restaurants?

On the pool decks you’ll find different events and games going on to keep things fun and exciting! There is also a big screen on the pool deck where sports games and movies will be shown throughout the cruise. On my last cruise with Carnival a couple of years ago, I loved their room service menu and the food was always delicious.

Does Carnival still offer a Lobster Night?

Burritos are great, but again, they have some other options there. There are also omelet stations around the buffet where you can get a made to order omelets with various fillings such as bacon, ham, cheese, spinach, peppers, etc. The on-board nightclubs, limelight lounge, fun games, and fitness classes will enhance your cruising experience.

These specialty restaurants provide a more refined culinary experience beyond the complimentary offerings. Is free all sailing long for guests on Carnival Jubilee; on Carnival Celebration and Mardi Gras, your first meal at Chibang is included and additional visits are only $8 per person. This exclusive multicourse dining experience hosted by the ship's master executive chef takes place in untraditional spaces like the galley or library to give you a behind-the-scenes VIP feel. The dinner menu itself changes based on what's in season or local to the port, but it always includes wine pairings and, of course, dessert. The main dining room serves a sit-down breakfast and the nightly three-course dinner that's included in your cruise fare. Even better, Carnival's chief culinary officer, Emeril Lagasse, is now behind many of the dining room's new menu items.

Besides these hours, one must pay for the food ordered from room service. Here, you choose your noodles and vegetables cooked with flavorful sauces and toppings. Pizza Pirate, or Pizzeria del Capitano, will provide you with pizza free of charge 24 hours a day. Desserts are the icing on the cake, so you can have savory desserts at no extra cost.

In addition to room service, which can be ordered round the clock, many cruise ships make food available 24/7 (or at least during normal waking hours). All-night venues might include a small section of the buffet, a pizzeria or a shipboard diner. During the day, the buffet and some of the casual dining spots might serve food throughout the afternoon, and onboard coffee shops tend to offer small snacks and baked goods.

On Carnival Vista, sailors get a full RedFrog Pub & Brewery, which became North America's first brewery at sea when it opened. Another Carnival offering with Guy Fieri is available in the open air for lunch. Serving BBQ offerings of Pork, Beef, Chicken, and sausages with Guy’s signature BBQ sauces. For those, you might want to consider a Carnival drinks package.

Located in the 820 Biscayne Zone on Deck 8 aft, Miami Slice is the Carnival Celebration’s dedicated pizza venue. Especially on embarkation day when the crowds on Deck 16 were in full force, this was a quick, convenient and less crowded pit stop for a tasty slice or even a whole pie. On the down side, there are five types of pizza here and that’s it, so if you want some salad to go with it, then you may have to head up to Deck 16, after all.

25 BEST Southern Caribbean Cruises 2024 Prices + Itineraries: Cruises to the Southern Caribbean on Cruise Critic

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Plus, cruise ships can change course to avoid bad weather, such as hurricanes, so you can salvage your beach vacation when a storm is headed toward a particular island by cruising to a different one. If you booked a land-based stay, you'd be forced to cancel — or hunker down and wait for the rain and winds to pass. Cruise Critic is not a booking agent and does not charge any service fees to users of our site.

Celebrity Equinox is the Best Cruise Ship in the Caribbean for Sophisticated Relaxation

In Bequia, you might splurge on a bespoke excursion about sea salt that includes a six-course lunch at Grenadine Wild Sea Salt (a company that produces artisanal sea salt from the waters off Bequia). Paul Gauguin Cruises operates just one ship, but it is exquisite, hosting 330 guests and sailing only in the South Pacific to destinations like Tahiti, Fiji, Tonga, and the Cook Islands. The ship is small enough to access private ports at remote beaches and take travelers well off the beaten path. Named the best small-ship ocean cruise line in T+L's 2022 World's Best Awards, Golden said the line is known for Tahitian-inspired massage techniques in the onboard spa and noted that cruisers particularly love the wonderful staff.

+ Kids sail free*

Traverse the Panama Canal, snorkel with sea turtles and parrotfish in St. Lucia, and ride horses on Half Moon Cay, the cruise line’s exclusive private island in the Bahamas. For family fun on the high seas, try a seven-night Western Caribbean cruise aboard Disney Fantasy. Departing from Port Canaveral, the ship stops in Cozumel, Mexico; George Town, Grand Cayman; Falmouth, Jamaica; and Castaway Cay, Disney's private island. There is no shortage of choices for a cruise to the Caribbean — the most popular place in the world for cruising. More than 200 cruise ships spend at least part of every year in the region.

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Features and Coolest Things to Do on Norwegian Escape in the Caribbean

The ship will sail in the Caribbean out of Miami, Bridgetown and San Juan to islands such as St Kitts, with the chance to take a cookery class, try your hand at making batik fabric or peer into a volcanic crater. Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve is a standout private island visited by a number of the line’s vessels, including the new 5,877-passenger flagship MSC Seascape, which has been designed for warm climates with an expansive outside deck space. In 2015 the island, 65 miles off Miami, was an abandoned sand mine strewn with scrap metal. Well known for a family-friendly welcome, MSC Seascape has one of the biggest kids’ clubs in the fleet and the swashbuckling Pirate’s Cove waterpark.

The Bahamas and Florida

SeaDream Yacht Club’s pair of yachts, SeaDream I and SeaDream II, cruise to dreamy Caribbean destinations in relaxed luxury. Recently renovated with a more contemporary vibe, the 112-passenger yachts deliver such luxuries as a romantic open-air overnight under a cozy duvet in a Balinese Dream Bed, isolated on the bow. There are new designer hammocks and parasols out on deck, too, as well as a pair of Jacuzzis for two. You can also lounge on a float or admire the glittering, yacht-dotted harbor from a large foam flotation island. Also, depending on the time of year you sail, you can enjoy special onboard activities and events for Halloween or Christmas.

best cruise lines caribbean

Best Caribbean cruise for families: Disney Cruise Line

Less visited than other areas in the region, the Southern Caribbean has expansive natural beauty and gorgeous scenery. Popular islands include the French West Indies (Martinique, Guadalupe and St. Bart's), lush St. Lucia, Dominica, and Grenada, and the sandy ABCs (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao). With Barbados and Puerto Rico as main embarkation ports, your cruise vacation begins before you even board the ship.

Grand Turk

It's always wise to book your shore excursions in advance of your cruise to the Caribbean. In addition to a main restaurant and casual buffet, Rotterdam features five separate specialty dining venues — everything from a pan-Asian eatery to an upscale steakhouse. Extensive onboard entertainment includes clubs featuring blues and classic rock as well as various musical performances in the main theater.

Silversea Cruises

If you enjoy the finer things in life, then Seabourn Cruises will not disappoint. Their cruise liner fleet has beautiful modern accommodation, excellent customer service, and an almost 1-to-1 ratio of guest to crew staff (that’s a lot of individual attention). The cruise costs around $299 and goes from Miami, Florida, to the Bahamas, Haiti, and back to Miami. This cruise is famous for its excellent authentic Italian food, and they have the best sushi. To help me focus on the task at hand and not get sidetracked by the beautiful scenery and great cruise boats, I had to come up with some criteria to help me select the best Caribbean cruises. The Pink Agave restaurant on the adults-only Virgin Voyages, where it’s all about the fun drinking, dining, and social atmosphere.

"T+L readers rave about the consistency of Viking's vessels and their Scandinavian design," cruise expert Fran Golden reported when Viking once again topped T+L's World's Best Awards last year. Viking came in at No. 1 in T+L's best mid-size ship category and river cruise category. Golden said the WBA Hall of Fame honoree's 50 river "longships" are "light-filled floating boutique hotels." When this luxury cruise line says it's all-inclusive, it's not overstating. Everything from shore excursions, Wi-Fi, and laundry to gratuities, top-shelf liquor, and business-class international flights are included with Regent Seven Seas Cruises' fares.

Caribbean voyages to off-the-beaten-path Caribbean islands such as St. Vincent, Bonaire, Guadeloupe, and Dominica depart on small designer-inspired ships from Miami. This culinary- and destination-focused cruise line offers expertly curated travel experiences. Find out why Grenada is dubbed the “Spice Isle,” try some authentic Caribe dishes at the lively and colorful Castries open-air market in Saint Lucia, and learn how to make real rum punch in Barbados. Indulge in regional delicacies like conch fritters while enjoying thrilling activities such as snorkeling and sailing. Discover the diverse ports of the Caribbean, from the charming Amber Cove with its vibrant local markets, to the picturesque island of Aruba known for its pristine beaches and lively nightlife.

The cruise line offers posh onboard amenities and activities carefully designed to keep holidaymakers entertained and happy. Family is so important, and holidays are where we make our happiest and most relaxed memories. Finding family-friendly cruises can be tricky, as you must pick something to keep everyone happy and entertained. Scarlet Lady, Virgin Voyages Caribbean cruise ship set out to break the cruise ship mold – and it succeeded. Come instead for something completely different and go home with a tattoo reminder of that time you cruised the Caribbean without feeling like you were on a cruise ship.

It offers six- and seven-night Caribbean cruises from the late fall until early spring. Viking takes an entirely different approach to no-kids cruises, catering to mature travelers craving culture and educational vacations. It also offers wintertime Caribbean cruises, though many are paired with a Panama Canal crossing. These lines offer a range of itinerary lengths, port combinations and departure cities from the Gulf Coast to the East Coast.

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Holland America offers two complementary shore excursions up to $116 per tour to all their guests. Cruise the entire length and breadth of the region with family-friendly Carnival, which sails year-round to the southern, eastern and western Caribbean. The line also has a wide range of departure points including the islands of Puerto Rico and Barbados and mainland ports in Florida, which are ideal for linking to a land-based stay in the Sunshine State. The bright and colourful Carnival Celebration, Carnival’s newest ship — which features the BOLT rollercoaster — sails out of Miami to all parts of the Caribbean.

You can lounge on the gorgeous Caribbean beaches when the ship docks or explore the local cities and villages. You also have the option to tailor your experiences yourself by renting a vehicle and going site-seeing or joining a local paint class. The Cunard Cruise Line has a 27-nights cruise called the Grand Eastern Caribbean cruise and will cost you around $2,663 per person. The Panama Canal Quest will take you on an iconic cruise from Miami along the breathtaking Caribbean coast.

If "more is better" is your mantra, skip the search and look up Icon of the Seas. At 250,800 gross tons, the new, 20-deck-high vessel is the biggest cruise ship in the world. Swimsuits and warm-weather clothing should top your Caribbean cruise packing list, but don't forget the sunscreen. The sun is stronger than you might expect in this part of the world, and you can easily burn during a long day at the beach if you don't apply and reapply plenty of sunscreen. Hats, sunglasses, moisture-wicking athletic clothing and your favorite cover-ups and sundresses are all must-pack items. Don't let planning a rejuvenating vacation add more stress to your life.

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