"The Next Course": Carnival has new dining & bar concepts

Carnival Cruise Line has unveiled The Next Course, a new lineup of culinary experiences that includes new restaurants and bars on upcoming ships and dining updates across the fleet.

The new restaurants and bars will debut on Carnival Festivale in 2027 and Carnival Tropicale in 2028.

Carnival is also rolling out new dining experiences across its existing fleet.

The cruise line says it carries more than six million guests and serves more than 100 million meals annually, giving it insight into dining trends and guest preferences.

Carnival introduced The Next Course at an event in New Orleans with chief culinary officer Emeril Lagasse.

“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 flavors fleetwide.”

New specialty restaurants and bars will include Emeril’s Coastal Seafood, featuring coastal-inspired cuisine from Lagasse, and Uku Lei Lei, which will serve Hawaiian specialties and Asian classics.

Fetaccine will offer Mediterranean-inspired dining with Italian favourites and Greek specialties.

Le Bistro Musicale, which will be exclusive to Carnival Festivale, will feature classic French cuisine in a relaxed Parisian-style setting with music.

Carnival Festivale will also introduce several new bar concepts.

The Spark will be a lounge with live performances and cocktails inspired by iconic songs.

Mix will offer cocktails and allow guests to create their own drinks by layering different flavours.

Festival Grounds Coffee & Bar will serve specialty coffees and cocktails.

Carnival is also introducing fleetwide dining updates as part of The Next Course.

The updates include refreshed menus in the Main Dining Room for breakfast, brunch and dinner, as well as updates to Lido Marketplace and BlueIguana Cantina.

Lido Marketplace will add a Lido Family Menu with daily kid-friendly favourites, while BlueIguana Cantina will introduce daily rotating specials.

Bagels @ Sea will offer freshly baked bagels with assorted toppings.

Carnival is also revamping its Chef’s Table menu with multi-course dinners featuring regionally inspired flavours.

New pop-ups will include Fruity & Frosted Breakfast Bars and Ice Cream and Milkshake Bars on Excel-class ships, along with other pop-up options across the fleet.

The cruise line is also expanding grab-and-go coffee options and mobile ordering through its Mobile Coffee Shop Order & Pickup service.

Express Dining will offer a faster dining option in the Main Dining Room.

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