Guests wanting to enjoy something extra special on their next Carnival cruise will be paying more for the experience in 2025. The cruise line has quietly increased prices for various specialty dining options, which booked guests are noticing for their upcoming sailings.
Impacted venues include the popular Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse – a classic choice for many travelers – as well as the energetic Bonsai Teppanyaki and the fresh-from-the-sea Rudi’s Seagrill.
The price increases are not necessarily significant, but may be an unexpected surprise for guests who were already investigating reservation options only to now see higher fees associated with the different venues.
For the Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, the new fee is $52 per person, compared to the earlier price of $49 per person. The same prices are also now seen at Rudi’s Seagrill – $52 per person for sailings in 2025, $49 per person for sailings through the end of 2024.
Both the Bonsai Teppanyaki Lunch and Dinner prices have increased. The lunch has gone up just under $2 per person, from $44.84 to $46.02. Dinner is a more significant increase, from $49.56 per person to $57.82.
Prices at Bonsai Teppanyaki already include a service charge for the entertainment aspect of the high energy, skilled performance of the hibachi chefs.
While Carnival Cruise Line has not made any official announcement of the price increases, they appear to take effect from early 2025 across the fleet.
It is possible that some 2024 holiday sailings may also be impacted, or the rates may be reflected on varying sail dates for individual vessels depending on their departure schedules.
Cruise lines regularly adjust prices for specialty experiences such as dining, cooking classes, or behind-the-scenes tours. Carnival Cruise Line last adjusted its specialty dining prices in December 2023, when the Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse was $48 per person.
Several other specialty dining experiences have not changed prices at this time. For example, the fresh Italian restaurant onboard Carnival Firenze and Carnival Venezia, Il Viaggio, remains at $42 per person. Likewise, the whimsical Thing 1 & Thing 2 Birthday Breakfast available fleetwide is still $15 per adult and $10 per child.
Prices are always subject to change at any time, and travelers should be mindful of those extra costs when they make reservations. Booking early will often – though not always – lock in current pricing, even if a cruise is not setting sail for several months.
Are the Price Increases Worthwhile?
Most cruise guests understand occasional price increases, especially as inflation impacts the cost of supplies – expenses that impact every restaurant, on land and at sea, not to mention travelers’ own grocery budgets.
Read Also: Free Carnival Cruise Dining Options You’ll Want to Know – With Menus!
What many Carnival fans are concerned about, however, is the quality of the dining experience, even in onboard specialty restaurants.
While the prices can be considered comparable to land-based restaurants, travelers are noting that the overall experience appears to have declined in recent years.
“It’s no longer the ‘upscale’ experience it once was and their portions … are ridiculous. My husband’s lemon garnish was bigger than his filet,” one recent cruiser commented. “We won’t go back, especially with the new pricing.”
Other tweaks to the experience, made in the name of eliminating food waste, are also raising some travelers’ eyebrows. For example, Carnival Cruise Line has recently tested a simplified menu with smaller portions of sides in the steakhouse, which had mixed reactions from passengers.
Guests can still customize their steakhouse dinners and the per-person fee already includes the starter, entrée, dessert, and gratuities, but many travelers may decide not to make future reservations at the increased prices.
What price point do you think is fair for onboard specialty restaurants? Are these price increases going to change your mind about future reservations? Share your thoughts on the Cruise Hive boards!
