Indulging in all of the delicious food is always one of the highlights of cruising, and Carnival Cruise Line is known for having some of the most popular dining options in the cruise industry.
The food onboard Carnival’s cruise ships appeals to a wide range of tastes and preferences. While you might not necessarily find sophisticated cuisine, you can indulge in some of the tastiest cruise food at sea. In fact, the most popular dining options on Carnival Cruise Line typically include quick, casual dining options.
The best part? Almost all the food onboard Carnival's ships is included in your cruise fare! Of course, you can splurge on specialty dining for an elegant steak dinner or teppanyaki experience if you want, but the majority of Carnival cruisers thoroughly enjoy the included food onboard without needing to spend extra for dining.
From the juicy burgers at Guy’s Burger Joint to the decadent melting chocolate cake in the main dining room, Carnival’s cruise ships are full of delicious, hearty cuisine.
Moreover, one thing that has always impressed me the most with Carnival Cruise Line is the variety of complimentary dining options, even on the cruise line’s oldest and smallest ships. Regardless of which Carnival ship you’re sailing on, you can find multiple dining venues.
In fact, you might even run out of time before you can try all of the included food during your sailing. This has happened to me multiple times, especially on the cruise line’s Excel Class ships with dozens of restaurants onboard. If you're sailing on the cruise line's newest and biggest ships, you'll find the widest variety of food options.
Read more: 11 foods you must eat on a Carnival cruise
Recently on TikTok, one user named Professor Melissa (@professormelissa) shared her top four food hacks when sailing on Carnival Cruise Line. The viral video has been viewed over half a million times on TikTok, amassing 13.6k likes and 164 comments. Melissa’s viral video has also been shared nearly 4,000 times!
Whether you’re a Carnival cruise veteran or taking your first sailing with the cruise line, you might be surprised to learn a few of these viral food hacks. Even after six cruises with the cruise line, these creative food hacks are something I will be trying next time I board a Carnival cruise!
Consider these food hacks to make the most of your Carnival dining experience next time you’re cruising.
1. Kid’s Menu
First, Melissa says cruisers should not forget to check out the kid’s menu when dining in the main dining room. Carnival Cruise Line provides a multi-course meal in their main dining rooms each evening; however, kid's meals are available for even the tiniest of cruisers.
"Check out the kid's menu. The mac-n-cheese and the banana split are two stand outs that you can always order,” says Melissa. In the video, Melissa shows a large serving of mac-n-cheese in the dining room, along with a bowl of ice cream smothered in chocolate sauce, bananas and sprinkles.
According to Carnival’s website, a kid’s menu is available at most onboard dining venues with "foods that are sure to satisfy even the pickiest eaters." Other items on the kid’s menu include chicken nuggets, corn dogs, peanut butter and jelly, hot dogs, and spaghetti with meatballs. Healthy options include fresh fruit and vegetables as well. More dessert options from the kid's menu include chocolate brownies and chocolate chip cookies - perfect for adults and kids alike!
Some viewers were surprised by this food hack. One user commented, “Wait, there is a kid’s menu? My toddler is a chicken nugget kid lol, so we just ask for that no matter what.” In response, Melissa responded, “Yes, and it’s not always obvious. And when they have paper menus, they don’t always offer it to the kids, which is kind [of] wild.”
“Great tips! I did the banana splits on my last cruise,” says one responder in the comment section.
Another follower commented, “The Mac-n-cheese is awesome! After the first two days, our waiter had it automatically brought to our table for us.”
Moreover, some commenters shared their love of other items from the kid’s menu. “The peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on the [kids'] menu are so good. I order one at least one, everyone thinks I am crazy, but they are so good,” writes one viewer.
“My granddaughter ordered spaghetti every night and it was very good. I am doing that on our next cruise cause there are more than half the nights I don’t care much for the dinner items,” explains one commenter on the video.
Read more: Carnival menus 2024: Main dining room, specialty restaurants & more
2. Lava Cake with Peanut Butter
Perhaps the most famous dessert at sea, Carnival’s chocolate melting cake is available every evening while cruising. The chocolate melting cake is served in a small ramekin and features an ooey, gooey chocolate center. With one bite into the cake, the center turns into melty chocolate that oozes like lava.
Typically, the melting cake is served with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream in the main dining room. According to Melissa, however, you should consider asking for some add-on toppings to enhance your favorite chocolatey dessert. In particular, she considers the side of peanut butter as a game changer for this desert.
“Carnival is famous for its melting chocolate cake - or I call it lava cake. Ask for a side of peanut butter to cut the richness or fresh fruit, like strawberries,” says Melissa.
Many users in the comment section praised Melissa for this tip. One of the top comments reads, “The melting cake and peanut butter combo is top tier!”
“I saw a melting cake with strawberry ice cream [once]. I’ll be trying next week,” writes one follower.
In regards to the richness of the chocolate cake, another user stated, “I love getting peanut butter with my melting cake. Honestly, it’s the only way I’ll eat it.”
“I’ve done the peanut butter with the cake. Now, I am going to have to add strawberries,” responded one viewer. Melissa agrees, “That’s my favorite way to do it! Such a nice contrast.”
Read more: The one place I'll never eat at again on Carnival cruises
3. Coffee with Cocoa
While classic drip coffee is available for free on cruise ships, specialty coffee is not included in your cruise fare. However, other drinks like orange juice, tea, lemonade, and hot chocolate are included.
If you’re someone who likes to start your day with specialty coffee, this can add up quickly! For lattes or cappuccinos, you can spend upwards of $7 for specialty coffees while cruising. Though they're included in Carnival's CHEERS Package, that's also an expensive investment. Instead, Melissa says to consider making your own specialty-style coffee during your Carnival cruise to rival a mocha.
“Tired of paying $6 for a specialty coffee? Combine your coffee and hot cocoa for a nice little hot mocha,” explains Melissa in her viral video. She shows two separate coffee cups in the TikTok - one with coffee and one with hot chocolate. Melissa proceeds to pour the hot chocolate into her coffee to create a mocha-style beverage for breakfast.
In the comment section, many of the viewers shared how they like to spruce up their own coffee while cruising with Carnival. “Coffee and soft serve are often side by side. Vanilla makes a latte. Chocolate makes mocha. Free all day long,” says one of the top comments.
This was a common response, as more commenters shared how they utilize the free soft serve to enhance the free coffee provided onboard. One follower responded, “I get vanilla ice cream and coffee for a quick latte-type drink.”
Another user responded, “I’ve never thought to do the mocha coffee!” Personally, I will be trying this hack when I sail on Carnival in a few weeks. As someone who likes specialty coffee every morning while cruising, this hack will be especially useful for me to save some money!
Read more: Are cruise drink packages worth it?
4. Soft Serve and Lemonade
Speaking of ice cream, the final food hack that Melissa provides in her viral TikTok is creating your own frozen lemonade. Soft serve ice cream is free on Carnival’s cruise ships and available around the clock from Swirls. The self-service machine has both vanilla and chocolate ice cream, along with a strawberry flavor and frozen yogurt options sometimes.
Because lemonade is one of the free drinks provided on Carnival ships, Melissa encourages guests to get creative again by combining lemonade and vanilla soft-serve ice cream.
“Carnival is also famous for its soft serve, but you can amp it up with their delicious lemonade. It’s a DIY frosted lemonade, Carnival style,” says Melissa. In the TikTok, Melissa can be seen filling up a plastic cup with ice cream before heading over to the drink machine for complimentary lemonade. Melissa shared how this hack was especially tasty once the ice cream melted and it created a frosty.
The comment section was flooded with people surprised by this refreshing combination. One person even shared, “That frosted lemonade hack just changed my life.”
Another viewer responded, “Oh, I’m definitely doing the frosted lemonade! That’s a great hack!!! Going on Mardi Gras in May!”
“How did I not think of doing the lemonade and ice cream before?” writes another commenter.
One responder stated, “Going on [Carnival] Sunshine [on] Sunday. Definitely trying the soft serve with lemonade."
In addition, many cruisers commented their own food hacks with Carnival’s complimentary self-serve ice cream. One of the most popular responses was making your own ice cream sandwich using chocolate chip cookies.
Of the top responses, one follower said, “Get the big chocolate chip cookies from the buffet, take them to the soft serve machine and make your own cookie ice cream sandwich! So good!”
Next time you're sailing in the hot Caribbean on Carnival Cruise Line, consider making this frosted lemonade to cool down with a refreshing drink!
Allie Hubers
Allie Hubers has been cruising since she was a tiny toddler. What started as a yearly vacation with family quickly turned into a passion for travel, cruising and adventure. Allie's been on over 45 cruises all over the world. She even studied abroad on Semester at Sea, sailing the world on a ship while taking courses for college and visiting 4 continents.
