More than 200,000 guests have already enjoyed sailing aboard the newest Carnival cruise ship, Carnival Jubilee, and it is time for the vessel to end her inaugural sailing season.
The news has been announced by Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, and means a slight change in dining options for guests onboard the Excel-class vessel. Passengers should be rest assured, however, that the change is minimal and the Texas-sized fun will remain.
“As we did on Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration we will end the official inaugural season with one included meal at the fabulous Cucina del Capitano starting from the September 7, 2024, sailing and at the brilliant Chibang starting from the October 12, 2024, sailing,” Heald explained. “Each meal after that will have only an $8 charge.”
The two specialty restaurants have offered free dining since the ship debuted on December 23, 2023. Now, guests will still enjoy one free meal if they choose, but additional meals will incur the $8 per guest service charge.
Considering that other specialty restaurants onboard have much higher charges, this is still a great deal for cruisers. The elegant Rudi’s Seagrill, for example, is $49 for adults and $15 for children, while the energetic Bonsai Teppanyaki is $44.84 for lunch and $49.56 per person for dinner.
It should be noted that Carnival’s website is slightly unclear, as Cucina del Capitano is listed at $24 per person ($11 for kids) for the first meal and $8 per meal thereafter. Chibang! is still listed as a free first meal and $8 per visit afterward.
Both restaurants are amazingly popular and offer delicious dining options not available elsewhere onboard. Of course, Carnival Jubilee also has a wide variety of other specialty dining options as well as highly popular included venues such as Guy’s Burger Joint, Shaq’s Big Chicken, the BlueIguana Cantina, and much more.
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The 183,521-gross-ton Carnival Jubilee is the third of the Excel-class ships and the newest vessel in the Carnival fleet. With the Texas Lone Star on her bow, she is homeported year-round from Galveston, welcoming 5,228 guests at double occupancy for every sailing, or up to 6,631 travelers when fully booked with all berths filled.
Carnival Jubilee sails 7-night Western Caribbean itineraries visiting Cozumel, Costa Maya, Roatan, with multiple days at sea for every guest to thoroughly enjoy all the amazing features, amenities, and venues onboard.
Cruise ship inaugural seasons vary and may last for just a few weeks or could be as much as a year or longer. Factors such as the limited availability of “Inaugural Season” merchandise, strength of bookings, itinerary diversity, or the addition of even newer ships to a fleet can impact exactly when a cruise line declares one ship’s inaugural season complete.
About the Restaurants
Cucina del Capitano is an Italian-themed restaurant, complete with red-and-white checkered tablecloths, exposed brick walls, and a true “neighborhood” feel.
Especially fun is the Carnival-themed artwork on the walls, including both historical photos as well as construction photos of Carnival Jubilee and other vessels.
Chibang! is the cruise line’s new Mexican-Chinese fusion restaurant, offering unique menu pairings that permit guests to customize their meal to both international tastes at once. The bold décor also reflects both cultures and celebrates the vibrant culinary traditions of each one.
While Cucina del Capitano is available on a number of ships in the Carnival fleet, Chibang! is only found on the three Excel-class vessels – Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Jubilee.
Both restaurants are located on Deck 8. Cucina del Capitano is located portside at midship, across from the Marina Bar and the Pixels gallery, while Chibang! is portside forward of Grand Central, across from the Havana Bar.
Reservations are not required for either restaurant but are highly recommended for peak dinner hours, when wait times could become significant.
