Carnival Refreshes Main Dining Menus

Countdown to Carnival Jubilee, Cruises

Following a successful pilot on Carnival Dream sailing from Galveston, Carnival Cruise Line is rolling out new dinner menus for its dining rooms in a phased approach across the fleet beginning with Carnival Conquest today. The new menus bring more variety to its dining room offerings with dozens of new dishes curated by Chief Culinary Officer Emeril Lagasse in conjunction with Carnival chefs. Among the many new menu items are Emeril Selects, which are personally recommended by the renowned chef and restauranteur.

“Food is an ever-evolving art, so our approach to the dining room offerings is to infuse a selection of new dishes, feature more international flavors and complement the Carnival classics our guests love,” said Lagasse. “Working with our skilled team of Carnival chefs, we recently tested and selected more than 60 new dishes to mix into the dining room rotation. I’m pleased that these dishes were very well received by our guests on Carnival Dream, so we are very excited to roll them out to the Carnival fleet.” 

Guests embarking Carnival Conquest in Miami today will be the next to experience the enhanced offerings, followed by Carnival Horizon and, next month, four more ships, Carnival Sunrise, Carnival Vista, Carnival Radiance and Mardi Gras, will implement the changes as well. Each month, the new menu items will be introduced aboard several ships based in Carnival’s U.S. homeports into early 2024. Carnival’s Australia-based ships will implement the new menu items later next year.

A sampling of items guests will find on the newly enhanced menus is summarized below. In addition, dining room menus will include a periodic rotation of offerings from Carnival’s well regarded specialty restaurant.

Palate-Pleasing Additions Bring New Flavors Aboard

  • Hawaiian Shrimp Poke – a flavorful starter that combines avocado, edamame, rice, creamy spicy sauce, togarashi chili and wakame. 
  • Roasted Duck Rolls – a delicious appetizer made with rice paper and scallions and served with sweet garlic sauce.
  • Pappardelle with Braised Lamb – an Italian-inspired first course featuring tomato cream sauce, garlic and parsley. 
  • Grilled Swordfish – a tasty seafood entrée that’s served with smashed fingerling potatoes, fava beans and cherry tomato salad in a citrus saffron sauce. 
  • Cornish Game Hen – an elegant entrée served with roasted root vegetable and pan gravy. 
  • Salad Entrees –the Ultimate Cobb Salad, the Asian Chopped Salad with Chicken, and the Beefsteak Salad. 
  • Desserts – the Dutch Double Chocolate Pave, a rich chocolate cake, along with a refreshing Banana Cream Pie. 

‘Emeril Selects’ Elevates Dining Experience

  • Crab and Shrimp Cake – this seafood appetizer is served over charred corn and apple slaw and remoulade sauce. 
  • Beef Carpaccio – mascarpone-truffle cream flavors this Italian-inspired appetizer. 
  • Coffee Glazed Roast Duck – Creole potato wedges accompany this delectable duck entrée. 
  • BBQ Salmon – house-made Worcestershire sauce flavors this entrée that’s served with an Andouille potato hash and topped with fried onion rings. 

Carnival Classics Continue to Flavor the Fun

  • Escargots Bourguignonne – this popular appetizer features shallots, garlic and parsley Pernod butter. 
  • Stuffed Mushrooms – spinach, Romano cheese and truffle herb velouté complete this tasty appetizer. 
  • 12-Hour Braised Short Ribs – this mainstay entrée is served with green beans, chive mashed potato and a truffle au jus. 
  • Classic Beef Wellington – A delicious beef fillet is wrapped in puff pastry and served with sweet and sour Brussels mushroom Madeira sauce.
  • Chocolate Melting Cake – This rich and warm chocolate dessert is one of Carnival’s most popular dishes of all-time and the perfect complement to a scoop of ice cream. 
  • Bitter & Blanc – another guest-favorite, this bread pudding dessert is made all the tastier and more flavorful with a cinnamon dulce sauce. 

Bookings for Carnival cruises are now open through April 2025. Carnival Jubilee, the line’s newest ship, will make her debut (with the new menus) in Galveston this December.