Carnival Reveals New Dining Offerings for Fleet and New Ships

Emeril's Coastal Seafood,

Carnival Cruise Line today revealed what it called a new wave of culinary experiences for its ships with “The Next Course.”

According to a press release, the initiative includes new dining experiences to be rolled out across its fleet, in addition to new restaurants and bars for its two upcoming ships, the Carnival Festivale and the Carnival Tropicale.

Set to debut in 2027 and 2028, respectively, the upcoming Excel-class vessels will offer a lineup highlighted by exclusive restaurants and bars, such as a Parisian-inspired French bistro.

“Our approach to dining combined with our team’s amazing service is a driving force behind Carnival’s success,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.

“Our latest culinary adventure marks a bold step forward to give guests an unforgettable experience with a variety of new vibrant flavors fleetwide,” she added.

Carnival revealed “The Next Course” during an event in New Orleans with Chief Culinary Officer Emeril Lagasse.

According to the company, attendees had a “behind-the-scenes look into Carnival’s culinary future.”

Carnival said it carries more than six million guests and serves over 100 million meals annually, giving it unique dining trend insights that fueled the new culinary offerings.

Among the new venues being introduced as part of the initiative are specialty restaurants and bars, such as Emeril’s Coastal Seafood (pictured), which will offer coastal-inspired cuisine from Emeril Lagasse.

Other highlights include Fetaccine, a Mediterranean-inspired venue that combines Italian and Greek specialties, as well as Le Bistro Musicale.

Exclusively on the Carnival Festivale, the venue will serve classic French cuisine in what Carnival described as a relaxed, music-filled Parisian setting.

The company is  introducing a Hawaiian-themed venue with Uku Lei Lei, which will also offer Asian classics.

The Carnival Festivale will also offer several exclusive new bar outlets, such as The Spark, which will offer live performances and cocktails inspired by iconic songs.

Mix was described as a playful bar where guests can order creative cocktails or craft their own drinks for unique flavors. The ship will also feature Festival Grounds Coffee & Bar for specialty coffees and cocktails.

In addition, Carnival announced fleetwide culinary enhancements, including refreshed menus for its Main Dining Rooms with new culinary creations for breakfast, brunch and dinner.

Lido Marketplace will also offer a new Lido Family Menu with daily kid-approved favorites while BlueIguana Cantina will offer daily rotating specials.

The company’s ships are also introducing Bagels @ Sea, which will offer freshly baked bagels with assorted toppings.

Chef’s Table will see a revamped menu said to elevate multi-course dinners with regionally inspired flavors.

Other additions include Fruity & Frosted Breakfast Bars and Ice Cream and Milkshake Bars, which will add new fast-casual options to Excel-class ships, as well as a variety of other fun pop-ups fleetwide.

Carnival said it is expanding grab-and-go options and mobile ordering for greater convenience and introducing Express Dining for faster, more convenient dining in its Main Dining Rooms.

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