For millions of people around the world, there’s nothing better than a juicy burger. Carnival Cruise Line has plenty of evidence to prove it, too, since it serves nearly 30,000 burgers daily, fleet-wide, at the onboard venue Guy’s Burger Joint.
It’s one of the reasons why Carnival Cruise Line will celebrate International Burger Day on May 28.
Guy’s Burger Joint Serves 30K Burgers Each Day
On any given day, Carnival Cruise Line ships serve some 30,000 burgers to guests across its fleet, created and customized by crew working at Guy’s Burger Joint, the wildly successful casual eatery that resulted from the line’s partnership with Food Network personality and chef Guy Fieri.
That partnership was launched in 2011, when Carnival Cruise Line added the venue to Carnival Liberty, the first vessel to undergo Fun Ship 2.0 dry dock upgrades. The popular burger venue has since been added across the fleet, as each vessel received its Fun Ship upgrades.
How popular is the venue? According to the line, Guy’s Burger Joint will serve 10.5 million burgers this year alone. In honor of International Burger Day, Carnival Cruise Line revealed how many orders of several burger specialties will be served in 2023.
The Plain Jane is the most requested burger, with 3.7 million orders, since guests choose their own toppings. It is a seasoned ground chuck burger, grilled, and then handed over to guests who personalize it at the venue’s topping station.
The Straight Up is the second-most popular, with 3.2 million orders. It is a classic burger with melted cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, and Donkey Sauce.
The Ringer comes in as the third-most ordered, at 2.3 million. This one comes with melted cheese, Guy’s Bourbon and Brown Sugar BBQ sauce, and is topped with a spicy onion ring.
Chilius Maximus is ordered by about 640,000 guests. This beef burger patty is topped with chili. And finally, Pig Patty, at 577,000 orders, has traditional toppings like lettuce, tomato, and onion, plus crispy bacon. Guy’s Burger Joint also serves vegan burgers, for those uninterested in beef.
Fieri’s Partnership Continues to Expand
Fieri’s partnership with Carnival has broadened since Guy’s Burger Joint debuted. Since then, a second venue, Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse Brewhouses, has been added to select ships, including Carnival Horizon, Carnival Panorama, and Mardi Gras.
Additionally, in February 2023, Fieri expanded his Carnival pact to include products from Santo Tequilas, a company owned by Fieri and rock star Sammy Hagar, formerly of the band Van Halen. The brand’s Santo Blanco Tequila and oak-aged Santo Reposado Tequila are offered across the Carnival fleet.
The Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse Brewhouse venues now also serve Guy Fieri’s Caliente Margarita, made with Santo Blanco Tequila, triple sec, cilantro, jalapeno, lemonade, and lime.
Looking Back at Fun Ship 2.0
Carnival Cruise Line’s Fun Ship 2.0 upgrades were rolled out ship by ship, starting with Carnival Liberty 12 years ago. Vessels received various improvements while in dry dock, ranging from construction projects that added balconies to cabins, installed waterparks and other entertainment areas, plus restaurant and bar additions.
Along with Guy’s Burger Joint, other eateries that were added during the fleet-wide upgrades included RedFrog Rum Bar, a poolside watering hole offering a Caribbean vibe; BlueIguana Cantina: a poolside Mexican eatery serving burritos and tacos; and BlueIguana Tequila Bar, offering tequila-based frozen drinks and other beverages.
Fun Ship 2.0 also introduced Camp Ocean, a colorful marine-inspired play area designed for kids ages 2-11, offering more than 200 ocean-themed activities, including arts and crafts, science-oriented programming, and more.
