Who doesn’t love a Hallmark Holiday? Well, Carnival Cruise Line sure loves Valentine’s Day!
The cruise line has a one-of-a-kind Valentine’s Lunch hosted at its onboard specialty dining restaurant Steakhouse, featuring a special menu.
John Heald, a brand ambassador, shared the menu online, allowing fellow passengers and cruise fanatics to see the options.
“It really is a brilliant lunch, served as always by the wonderful Steakhouse crew,” said Heald.
It was also noted that the actual date of the lunch varied between February 13th and Valentine’s Day, as Heald added that the “special lunch which is booked and paid for on board and will be served today or on the 14th depending if the ship has a sea day or port day.”
Steakhouse is only open from 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM daily, so this lunch is a rare option for mid-day fine dining.
Carnival’s popular Steakhouse is an upscaled dining experience, so it comes with no surprise that the ‘Valentine’s Lunch’ menu is impressive.
Staters include either Crab Cakes in a Cajun lobster butter cream sauce, or Bisque Our Way with garnishes such as crisped brioche and garlic chips.
The only salad options is Beet and Petit Greens, which includes peaches and toasted sunflower, topped with an oregano-caramelized shallot vinaigrette.
There are four stunning entrées, including Chilean Sea Bass, Surf and Turf, Grilled Filet Mignon, and Eggplant Schnitzel.
The Chilean Sea Bass features a sweet potato croissant, white asparagus, and a mushroom beurre blanc (which is a rich butter sauce).
Surf and Turf, a classic, comes with Maine lobster tail and beef sirloin.
The Grilled Filet Mignon is served with a roasted butternut puree and petit carrots, topped with béarnaise and red wine sauce.
Finally, the Eggplant Schnitzel, which is breaded and pan-fried and topped with a cherry tomato sauce, comes with tempura cauliflower, plantain chips, and tzatziki.
But wait, there’s more! The menu also has four sides to choose from, including Glazed Mushrooms, Grilled Asparagus, Potato Wedges, and a Macaroni, Bacon, and Pecorino Bake.
The Glazed Mushrooms are cooked in a pepper jus with herbs, and the Potato Wedges are served with crispy onions and a garlic-chive aioli.
The first dessert option is a Raspberry Velvet made with cream cheese, micro sponge, and a chocolate heart. The second option is Fresh Fruit, which is actually berries and mango sorbet.
Read Also: Free Carnival Cruise Dining Options You’ll Want to Know (With Menus!)
58,507 passengers had the chance to attend this lunch between the two dates available.
This lunch is available on any Carnival Cruise Line ship with a Steakhouse, and lucky for passengers, only 2 of the cruise line’s fleet of 27 ships do not have one.
Carnival Cruise Line’s Steakhouses
While all of Carnival Cruise Line’s fleet have multiple dining options on board, only 25 have the Steakhouse restaurant.
The two ships that do not have Steakhouse include the Carnival Elation and the Carnival Paradise, which are currently the second and third oldest ships in the fleet.
Carnival Paradise does have the option for passengers to order Steakhouse selections in the main dining room, making Carnival Elation the only ship with no Steakhouse dining options.
The oldest ship in the fleet, the Carnival Sunshine, does have a Steakhouse. So why do Carnival Elation and Carnival Paradise not have a dedicated Steakhouse restaurant?
Both ships are the cruise line’s only Fantasy-class ships that are still operating. These ships are the smallest active ships in the fleet, and neither were built to accommodate an additional dining location.
Most Carnival Cruise Line ship’s Steakhouse is called Fahrenheit 555, however some of the ships have a more generic Steakhouse, all offering the same menu.
The Steakhouse restaurants encourage reservations in advance, but it is possible to book while onboard. Since it is fine dining, there is a set cost of $52 per adult, not including drinks. Walk-ins are accepted based on availability.
