Cruise lines always walk a fine line when it comes to the onboard experience.
Change things too much and many passengers will be shocked that the classic cruise experience has been altered. Don’t change things enough, and you risk getting stale.
Carnival’s latest announcement looks to thread the needle with the announcement of some major changes to food and dining onboard.
Specifically, the cruise line has revealed multiple new restaurants and dining changes that look to improve the experience without taking away favorites.
Four New Restaurants Coming to New Ships
The cruise line is calling the changes “The Next Course” and unveiled the changes in New Orleans in an event with Chief Culinary Officer Emeril Lagasse.
Carnival fans can look at the changes in two categories. First there are several new restaurants and bars coming to new ships Carnival Festivale (debuting in 2027) and Carnival Tropicale (2028). This includes:
Emeril’s Coastal Seafood: “Where flavors from the Gulf to New England are infused with his [Emeril Lagasse] signature Creole flair,” says Carnival’s website. Looking at deck plans, this spot seems to be a re-imagining of Rudi’s Seagrill found on other ships in the class.
Uku Lei Lei: A new concept that mixes Hawaiian and Asian flavors, this restaurant promises items like Mongolian beef ribs, poke bowls, and tropical desserts. While other Excel class ships have ChiBang! (Mexican/Asian food), this new concept takes its place.
Fetaccine: Not just Italian, Fetaccine is Mediterranean… or as Carnival says, “where Greek seaside flavors meet rich Italian culinary tradition.” Here, you can get chicken parm or Greek lamb chops. On Festivale and Tropicale, it’s taking over for Cucina del Capitano, the classic Italian dining option on other ships.
Le Bistro Musicale: A change from Emeril’s Bistro on other Excel-class ships, this spot will have the “timeless charm of a Parisian cafe” with items like steak frites, French onion soup, and chicken cordon bleu. There’s also breakfast served.
Fleetwide Dining Changes, Too
It’s not just Carnival replacing restaurants with new concepts on its upcoming ships. There are also changes coming across the fleet in a number of areas. So no matter which ship you sail, you can expect some upcoming differences in dining.
New Menu Items: Carnival says they are rolling out new items in the main dining room for all meals (including breakfast and lunch) as well as a new “Lido Family Menu” with kid favorites in the buffet. BlueIguana Cantina will now have rotating specials each day.
Bagels @ Sea: No word on where (we’d assume the buffet) but there will now be fresh-baked bagels on the ship.
Chef’s Table Refresh: While the cruise line didn’t share specific details, they did say that Chef’s Table is getting a menu update.
Pop-Ups: Small pop-up spots with snacks ranging from breakfast bars to ice cream and milkshake spots will be coming soon.
Mobile Coffee Ordering: No need to wait in line for a coffee as the cruise line will implement mobile ordering.
Express Dining: Don’t like taking 90 minutes to eat a meal in the dining room? Carnival says it will offer “faster, more convenient dining” in the main dining room.
Many Staples Staying the Same
While it’s always a big concern when something passengers love — like food — on a cruise changes, social media points to passengers overall being excited about the moves.
First, the replacement restaurants are adjacent to the ones they are replacing instead of being completely different. As well, favorites like Guy’s Burger Joint, the deli, and others are staying the same. The fleetwide updates also point to adding more options instead of removing or replacing items, which is always a plus.
If you’re a Carnival fan, there’s plenty to like with this announcement.
