Key Aspects:
- Carnival Cruise Line has released its New Year’s Eve Gala dinner menu to ring in 2026.
- Special appetizers, entrees, and desserts are all featured, along with vegetarian options.
- Guests will have to wait until midnight for the deck party’s free champagne toast.
The holiday season is all about treats, though many people make resolutions to eat healthier in the new year. But what about on New Year’s Eve? As it is technically still the old year, bring on the treats!
That is exactly what Carnival Cruise Line is doing with its New Year’s Eve 2026 Gala Dinner, which will feature the ultimate in decadence for appetizers, entrees, and of course, desserts.
John Heald, the cruise line’s brand ambassador, shared the menu with hungry guests on his Facebook page.
For starters, the Chef’s Pick for the New Year is a low-country crab dip, baked and served warm with buttery crostini.
Guests can also choose from a lobster and shrimp bisque, traditional shrimp cocktail, chicken potstickers, a white bean and spinach soup with parmesan, or slow-braised sticky pork belly with papaya slaw.
For guests who want a healthier option leading into the new year, three salads are offered as starters: a spinach and warm mushroom salad with toasted pine nuts and feta cheese, a beets and berries salad with candied pecans and lemon honey vinaigrette, or a classic Caesar salad.
For entrees, the maple-clove spiced baked Virginia Ham with apple and ham bread pudding and pineapple chutney is sure to be a burst of flavor, while the grilled filet mignon with double-cooked potatoes and wild mushroom cream sauce is an elevated option.
Other entrees on the gala menu include seared seabass with a dill champagne beurre blanc, cranberry-orange glazed roast chicken with fruit and nut stuffing, stuffed pork tenderloin with a peach whiskey glaze, garlic jumbo shrimp, and a duet of lamb leg and cutlets with beluga lentils and grilled zucchini.
Vegetarian entrees for this very special dinner include a spinach, artichoke, and mushroom en croute, pappardelle with butternut squash and portobello ragu, or paneer tikka with paratha, biryani, and bhindi masala.
If guests can’t choose between entrees, they’re welcome to select more than one, but a $5 charge will apply for a third, fourth, or higher entree, a fee that was instituted in November 2022.
The Steakhouse Selection menu will also be available for entrees, but comes with a $25 fee each for the broiled lobster tail, 14-ounce wagyu cheeseburger, New York strip steak, and other options.
Don’t Skip Dessert!
If New Year’s Eve dinner is truly a last celebration of those holiday calories, Carnival Cruise Line’s special menu doesn’t disappoint.
The s’mores chocolate bar with torched marshmallow is tempting, as is the pina colada cheesecake garnished with tropical salsa.
Naturally, you can’t go wrong with the time-honored (and oh so decadent) favorite, Carnival’s melting chocolate cake.
Nevertheless, there are still lighter sweet treats on the menu. The very berry yogurt panna cotta is topped with a granola crunch and has no added sugar. Guests can also enjoy the fresh tropical fruit plate, and as always, the selection of ice cream and sherbet is available.
Read Also: Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions for Cruisers
For even more indulgence, the mile-high gelato pie is a $6 surcharge but features salted caramel, mocha, toasted coconut, and Chantilly cream.
If guests prefer a more savory finish to their meal, the cheese plate is also on the menu.
More New Year’s Eve Celebrations
One thing not on the gala dinner menu is a champagne toast to ring in the New Year. For that, guests will have to wait for the midnight party on Lido Deck (or order their own bottle of champagne at dinner!).
“Celebrating New Year on one of our ships is an incomparable experience,” Heald said. “There will be parties all over the ship and of course especially on Lido deck with complimentary champagne, music, dancing, and of course, the fabulous countdown to 2026.”
There’s truly no feeling like standing on the deck of a cruise ship with tremendous crowds of guests and crew members ready to ring in the new year. The classic countdown will be held on the big screen and each ship will blow its horn to celebrate the start of 2026.
