Carnival Is Rewriting the Menu Across All 29 Ships

Carnival Cruise Line has unveiled The Next Course, a culinary program that touches dining across its 29-ship fleet. It pairs new venues on its largest Excel-class ships with upgrades to older vessels. Festivale is scheduled to debut the new offerings in 2027, with Tropicale following in 2028.

The new Excel-class restaurants include Emeril’s Coastal Seafood, developed with Chief Culinary Officer Emeril Lagasse; Uku Lei Lei, which blends Hawaiian and Asian flavors; Fetaccine, serving Italian and Greek Mediterranean dishes; and Bistro Musicale, a Parisian-style room with live music. Festivale gets new bars as well, including The Spark, with a guitar-shaped bar, and an electronic-music lounge called Mix.

The fleetwide changes may matter more to most guests. Dining times are being adjusted for people who prefer earlier meals, and a shorter three-course Express Dining dinner is aimed at travelers with shows to catch. Menus keep staples like filet and shrimp cocktail while adding Beef Wellington, a duo of lamb and bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin, plus lighter choices such as grilled salmon.

Breakfast and casual dining are also being expanded, with more Bagels at Sea, new Lido Marketplace items such as chicken and waffles, and milkshake pop-ups on Excel-class ships. Carnival says updates draw on data from more than 100 million meals served each year. Guests booking soon should check which changes apply to their specific ship.

Sources: Cruise Industry News, Cruise Hive