Carnival Reveals New Restaurants, Bars, and Menus Coming Across the Fleet

Food has always been an important part of the cruise experience, and Carnival Cruise Line is planning to whet your whistle even more in the years to come with a significant expansion of its onboard dining offerings.

The cruise line announced on June 11, 2026, a culinary initiative called “The Next Course,” which will introduce new restaurants, bars, menu updates, and dining concepts across the fleet beginning with Carnival Festivale, scheduled to enter service in May 2027.

Many of the most significant additions will debut aboard the new Excel-class ship, currently under construction at Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany, as well as the next-gen ship, Carnival Tropicale, which will arrive in 2028.

Among the headline additions is Emeril’s Coastal Seafood, a new specialty restaurant featuring a menu developed by Carnival Chief Culinary Officer Emeril Lagasse.

Carnival is also introducing Uku Lei Lei, focused on Hawaiian specialties and Asian-inspired dishes, and Fetaccine, a Mediterranean venue combining Italian and Greek flavors.

Carnival Festivale will also be home to Le Bistro Musicale, a French restaurant that combines classic French cuisine with live music in a Paris-inspired setting. The venue will be exclusive to the ship.

Several new bar concepts are also planned. The Spark will feature live performances alongside cocktails inspired by popular songs, while Mix will allow guests to customize drinks by combining different ingredients and flavors. Festival Grounds Coffee & Bar will serve specialty coffees and cocktails throughout the day.

Beyond the entirely new venues, Carnival is introducing several additional dining concepts. Sunsation Point BBQ will serve smoked meats and barbecue favorites in the ship’s new family activity zone and remain open into the evening.

Far East Eats will replace ChiBang! and feature dishes inspired by cuisines from across Asia, while La Cucina Italiana will eventually replace Cucina del Capitano on future newbuilds with a menu centered on regional Italian cuisine.

Christine Duffy, Carnival Cruise Line president, said the changes are intended to reflect evolving guest preferences while maintaining familiar favorites.

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“Our guests love great food and we are always looking for ways to evolve and enhance our dining experience,” Duffy said. “The Next Course is about building on what guests already enjoy while introducing new options and flavors across the fleet.”

Carnival also announced a new Chef’s Table experience for Carnival Festivale. The multi-course dining event will take place in a dedicated venue and feature rotating menus developed by Carnival chefs.

Fleetwide Dining Updates

While much of the attention is focused on the new restaurants coming to Carnival Festivale, the fourth Excel-class vessel that will be based in Port Canaveral, Florida, many of the changes announced by the cruise line will affect guests sailing across the fleet.

One of the most noticeable differences may come in the Main Dining Room, where new breakfast, brunch, and dinner selections will be introduced. Carnival Cruise Line is also working to make dining more flexible with a new Express Dining option that will allow guests to finish meals more quickly instead of committing to a multi-course experience.

Families will also see more kid-focused options. The company says Lido Marketplace will receive a new family menu featuring daily selections geared toward younger travelers, while BlueIguana Cantina will begin offering rotating specials intended to add more variety.

The cruise line will simultaneously expand its casual and grab-and-go offerings, and new pop-up food venues will be arriving across the fleet. On Excel-class vessels, those temporary offerings will include breakfast-focused concepts and dessert stations.

Not all of the changes center on food itself. Carnival Cruise Line is also investing in expanded mobile ordering capabilities for coffee and other grab-and-go-purchases to reduce wait times.