The quality and variety of food on Carnival Celebration and Carnival in general, is well beyond what one would normally expect on a mass-market cruise ship. Service issues, particularly in the main dining rooms and complimentary venues, however, weigh down the enjoyment factor: even after a year in service, food service staff seem unusually overworked and unhappy. A noticeable uptick in service was present in the ship's for-fee specialty venues.
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.
There are two main dining rooms, the Carnivale on midships Deck 6 and the Festivale on aft Decks 6 and 7. On the lower level of Festivale and at Carnivale, there are fixed early and late sittings while the upper level of the Festivale is open seating.
For room service, breakfast basics like fruit, coffee, yogurt and cereal are complimentary but charges apply for sandwiches and other items. There is also a 24 hour room service menu with a la carte priced items (plus 18% service charge) available on the Carnival HUB app.
Free Restaurants on Carnival Celebration
Carnivale Restaurant. 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.
Otherwise, this is one of two main dining rooms with revolving lunch and dinner menus, where guests can order time-held Carnival favorites like a Caesar salad, melting chocolate cake and an absolutely delicious, authentic and out of this world Indian vegetarian dinner.
Tip: Each night there is a selection from one of the specialty restaurants like a delicious Chicken Parmesan from Cucina del Capitano and for a surcharge, guests can even order a steakhouse selection.
Festivale Restaurant. Located on aft Decks 6 and 7, this is a spectacular double-deck space with a dome supported by lily pad columns straight out of the legendary Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Johnson Wax office building in Racine, Wisconsin.
Named for Carnival’s third ship, the Festivale offers up the same fare as Carnivale and is also home to the popular sea day brunch. The lower level is for fixed early or late seating and the upper level is for Your Time (open seating) dining.
Tip: In both of the main dining rooms, you can expect singing and dancing waiters and a festive dining experience for all. Be prepared to wave your napkin and maybe even dance!
Guy’s Burger Joint. In an enclave between the upper level of the RedFrog Tiki Bar and Club 02 on Deck 17, Guy’s Burger Joint is one of two Guy Fieri-partnered dining venues on the Carnival Celebration. As the name implies, this is the place to get freshly made ground chuck burgers with hand cut fries and a selection of toppings to slather on them.
Tip: Everyone wants to get their hands on one, and that leads to long wait times during the prime lunchtime hour. Visit at off-times for a far more enjoyable experience.
The Lido Marketplace. Located on Deck 16 between the midships Beach Pool and the aft Tides Pool, the Lido Marketplace is the ship’s traditional buffet dining venue. Full length windows infuse the space with sunlight and a nice touch is the elevated booth seating, so the views are great from just about every seat. I personally loved the fresh ingredients in the salad bar, which is better than most with extra selections like Greek salad, kale salad and other daily specials. In addition to the expected meat, pasta and potato dishes, there are some nice international choices like curry, couscous and Asian specialties in the mix. Basically, there’s a little something for everyone here.
Tip: Don’t miss the often mislabeled but delightfully crispy caramel cookies at the dessert station.
BlueIguana Cantina. A staple on every Carnival ship, this go-to for authentic Mexican food is located forward of the Beach Pool on Deck 16. From the scratch-made corn tortillas to assorted picos and a tongue-searing selection of salsas, it is a convenient place to grab a bite to go. Like Chipotle or Baja Fresh, you basically point to the ingredients you like and the staff does the burrito and taco making.
Tip: A nice plus is that on Carnival Celebration, the BlueIguana has its own sink area to wash up in before using the salsa bar.
StreetEats. Located across from BlueIguana at the forward end of the Beach Pool on Deck 16, StreetEats is a newly exclusive to the Excel Class ships. My main beef with it was on port days when it didn’t open up until 3:00 PM, while I was still sated from lunch, so I missed sampling it until most of the cruise was over.
This new eatery is comprised of three venues that emulate big city fast ethnic food trucks: Time Fries for varied fries with different flavors and toppings; SteamDream, which features morsels like Asian steamed bar buns and pot stickers and Mad Sizzle for kebabs and satays. In a week of excellent and varied dining, Mad Sizzle may have provided my favorite bite on the ship with its spicy curried chicken atop a lentil and rice pancake. So fresh, aromatic and tasty!
Tip: Definitely try to squeeze a visit in between meals, if necessary.
Big Chicken. Big Chicken is one of my favorite eateries on the ship for its sizzling hot, crispy, juicy fried chicken offerings and some of the best fries afloat. And the lines move fast, making this the perfect option for a quick and satisfying meal.
Tip: My mouth is watering just writing about the MDE (Most Dominant Ever) chicken sandwich with pickles and Shaq sauce or even just a bowl of those chicken strips and fries!
Chibang. I love both Asian and Mexican food, so for me, Chibang, which was introduced on the Mardi Gras in 2022 and will probably go fleet wide, was a no brainer. This open kitchen, full-service restaurant borders the Havana enclave on forward Deck 8 and not only has one of the best logos (a split Chinese and Aztec calendar) but also a compelling menu of Chinese and Mexican staples like noodle bowls or burrito bowls for lunch and a dinner menu with everything from egg drop soup and beef sopas to Kung Pao Chicken and Chicken Mole.
This is an unusual but winning combination of cuisines in a festive setting filled with color and folk art details. For a surcharge, there is a golden roasted duck entree that is carved table side but don’t let the “for two” description fool you — it is big enough to feed four or more. My one quibble here is that there are no Asian beers like Tsing Tao or Kirin Ichiban on the menu, which would be ideal with dishes like Chicken Spring Rolls and Hakka Noodles.
In 2024, Carnival began introducing a $8 per person surcharge for subsequent visits, though the first time is free.
Tip: This venue books up fast, so make a reservation early.
Cucina del Capitano. This is a Carnival staple, many thanks to the company’s lineage of Italian officers who would not tolerate anything but truly authentic Italian cuisine. The free-for-now (there have been hints that a surcharge is coming soon to the Excel Class just as it is levied for the Cucinas on the other ships of the fleet) this space has a lighter, more contemporary vibe than its counterpart on the Mardi Gras. But it has the same menu with its own selection of historic photos of past officers and captains in the fleet. The minestrone soup and the salads are delicious and you can never go wrong with the Chicken Parmesan.
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 room for the Baked Apple Tart Topped With Hazelnut Streusel dessert.
Guy’s Pig and Anchor Smokehouse and Brewery. In addition to the sprawling interior dining area and bar, which features live music performances and is one of the ship’s most popular hangouts throughout the afternoon and evening, this venue has a wonderful patio area on the port side for lunch. Most food here is free of charge, though a few more premium items (the St. Louis Ribs and the Prime Time Prime Rib) are available for an additional cost.
Tip: The sides, like Scratch Made Slaw and MacDaddy Mac and Cheese can be a meal unto themselves.
Miami Slice. 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 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.
Deco Deli: Adjacent to Miami Slice in 820 Biscayne, this is the go-to for excellent sandwiches that are prepared on delicious, freshly baked breads. Deco Deli has some Cuban-inspired offerings like Pan Con Lechon (pulled pork) and Croqueta (ham and cheese on Cuban bread) and also some regular favorites like turkey, tuna and a Reuben, as well as hot dogs with sauerkraut.
Tip: For even more of a Cuban experience, you can get a Cuban coffee or tropical drink at the nearby Bar 820.
What Restaurants Cost Extra on Carnival Celebration
Fahrenheit 555, $$$: This beautifully decorated space with its sophisticated silver and crimson soft fittings and crystal chandeliers is one of the best steakhouses at sea. The nice thing is, unlike steakhouses on other lines which only offer steaks and fish, Fahrenheit 555 has a fantastic alternative with its rosemary-infused chicken entree. Popular selections include New England Crab Cake starters, a sun ripened beefsteak tomato with gorgonzola salad and a spice-rubbed prime ribeye or perhaps a broiled lobster entree.
Tip: If you are a baked potato fan, this is your chance to get one with all the trimmings.
Rudi’s SeaGrill, $$$: Chef Rudi Sodamin is not only Master Chef for Holland America Line and the Head of Culinary Art at Princess Cruises but also the namesake chef for this popular new exclusive-to-the-Excel Class Carnival eatery. The airy, modern space on Deck 8 boasts deep blue sea tones with sandy white accents and curved MidCenturyModern ceilings that would make Andy Warhol swoon. I actually prefer this eatery with its lighter atmosphere and fare to the rich courses in Rudi’s Sel De Mer on the Holland America ships but both venues feature his amusing vegetable “face plate” chargers.
Bonsai Sushi, $ to $$: This popular dining space on Deck 7 is a lovely space with its green-tea-colored soft fittings offset in tan and ash wood tones. In addition to a wide selection of a la carte priced sushi and sashimi courses, it has miso soup and intriguing desserts like green tea cupcakes and yuzu custard.
Tip: If weather conditions permit, try and get a seat on the exterior patio for nice sea views.
Bonsai Teppanyaki, $$$: Is it performance art or a dining experience? Well, actually, a bit of both. This is definitely not the place for a low-key romantic dinner, so be prepared to be dazzled by your chef as he chop, chop, chops steaming piles of rice, fish, chicken, tofu and steak into various shapes while singing, spinning and flipping his machete into the air. This is a venue to be enjoyed as an event unto itself and not where you grab a quick bite before the show.
Tip: Bring a big appetite but don’t come here famished as the “intro” portion of the meal takes a while and the first courses aren’t served for a good 30 minutes or so.
SeaFood Shack, $ to $$: Located by the Beach Pool, it offers up a la carte priced sea food from fish and chips and New England Clam Chowder to steamed lobster by the pound.
Emeril’s Bistro 1397, $ to $$$: Mardi Gras introduced the first celebrity chef Emeril Legasse-partnered Emeril’s to the Carnival fleet and on Carnival Celebration, the execution has been refined a bit. Located adjacent to the Latitudes Bar in the Gateway Zone, Emeril’s Bistro 1397 (the numbers are Carnival Celebration’s shipyard hull number) has the same a la carte-priced Creole courses as Mardi Gras' Emeril’s Bistro 1396 with some extra added specials inspired by the international travel themes that are projected in the fiberoptic ceiling and giant windows that surround the double deck space. On Celebration, the open kitchen has also been flipped to an inboard position, allowing more seating overlooking the sea.
Tip: For a decadent breakfast, try the beignets and/or the Bananas Foster.
JavaBlue Cafe, $: This was my first stop every morning for a frothy cappuccino. A nice plus is that complimentary pastries and sandwiches are available here without all the hustle and bustle of trekking up to the Lido. I found the sandwiches, like the delicious turkey and egg on whole wheat, a convenient and tasty way to fuel up before heading out on excursion. There are also some a la carte priced items like milkshakes, donuts, cup cakes and energy drinks.
Tip: Make sure you get a JavaBlue card — after six, the next specialty coffee is free. The downside is that the card is only valid at JavaBlue and not Bar 820 or Emeril’s, the two alternate go-to’s for espresso coffees when JavaBlue has a long line.
Carnival Kitchen, $$$: Located on Deck 6, this is the place to learn how to make Carnival menu favorites like the Melting Chocolate Cake.
Chef’s Table, $$$$: An epic dining event with champagne and wine pairings that is set deep within the galley. Available on a limited basis.
Cruise Critic Restaurant Picks on Carnival Celebration
Big Chicken and on sea days, Street Eats, were my favorites for quick and delicious casual lunch bites. Chibang and Cucina Del Capitano were wonderful evening options, especially if you're there on your complimentary visit. For a romantic dinner, the elegant setting and doting service of Fahrenheit 555 were unbeatable but this is an extremely popular venue, so make those reservations early.
Dietary Restrictions on Carnival Celebration
With all the varied dining venues on Carnival Celebration, there is no one overall method as to how the cuisine is prepared, so guests are encouraged to discuss any concerns with the headwaiter, dining room host or server. That said, Carnival can provide meals suited for vegetarian, low-cholesterol, low-fat, low-carbohydrate, low-sugar, and gluten-free preferences.
Prepackaged kosher meals can also be provided with two weeks’ advance notice and Carnival equips all ships with Menu Mate™ to accommodate guests with food allergies. The staff will ask guests about food allergies and enter any restrictions into the app, where the software sorts through all available options and displays which items are allergen-free, which options can be modified to exclude the specified allergen and which selections should be avoided.
