The Next Course: Carnival Unveils Fleetwide Menu Enhancements, New Restaurants

Carnival Cruise Line has revealed The Next Course, a wave of culinary experiences featuring new dining experiences fleetwide along with new restaurants and bars launching on  Carnival Festivale in 2027 and Carnival Tropicale in 2028.

Carnival carries more than six million guests and serves over 100 million meals annually. It took dining trend insights from that vast amount of date to fuel the new offerings. 

To unveil The Next Course, Carnival recently hosted an immersive event in New Orleans with Chief Culinary Officer Emeril Lagasse that gave attendees a behind-the-scenes look into the line’s culinary future.  

“Our approach to dining combined with our team’s amazing service is a driving force behind Carnival’s success,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “Our latest culinary adventure marks a bold step forward to give guests an unforgettable experience with a variety of new vibrant flavours fleetwide.” 

New Restaurants and Bars:

The Next Course line-up will feature new innovative specialty restaurants and bars, including:

Emeril’s Coastal Seafood: Coastal-inspired cuisine from Emeril Lagasse.

Uku Lei Lei: Hawaiian specialties and Asian classics.

Fetaccine: Mediterranean-inspired, combining Italian favourites and Greek specialties.

Le Bistro Musicale: Classic French cuisine in a relaxed, music-filled Parisian setting, exclusively on Carnival Festivale.

Carnival Festivale will also uniquely feature several new bar outlets, including:

• The Spark: Vibrant lounge featuring live performances and cocktails inspired by iconic songs.
• Mix: Playful bar where guests can order creative cocktails or craft their own drinks, layering unique flavors.
• Festival Grounds Coffee & Bar: Specialty coffees and cocktails served in a dynamic space.

Fleetwide Culinary Enhancements:

Carnival’s The Next Course also introduces new fleetwide dining options: 

Refreshed Menus: New culinary creations in the Main Dining Room for breakfast, brunch and dinner. A new Lido Family Menu in the Lido Marketplace offering daily kid-approved favourites; and daily rotating specials in the Blue Iguana Cantina.

Bagels @ Sea: Freshly baked bagels with assorted toppings.

Chef’s Table Menu Revamp: Elevated multi-course dinners with regionally inspired flavours.

Pop-Ups: Fruity & Frosted Breakfast Bars and Ice Cream and Milkshake Bars add new fast-casual options to Excel-class ships, and a variety of other fun pop-ups fleetwide.

Mobile Coffee Shop Order & Pickup: Expanded grab-and-go options and mobile ordering for greater convenience.

Express Dining: A faster, more convenient dining option in the Main Dining Room.