Guy’s Burger Joint is Carnival Cruise Line’s free poolside burger counter, created with celebrity chef Guy Fieri and found on most of the fleet. Burgers, hand-cut fries and the toppings bar are all included in your fare, and you can go back as often as you like while the grill is open. It is usually open from around lunchtime to late afternoon. For a free burger on a cruise, it is one of the best on any mainstream line, which explains the lines on sea days.
Free: download our 2027 Luxury Cruise Calendar →
This 2026 guide covers the menu, the toppings bar, opening hours, which ships have it, how to skip the queue, and how it compares with Guy’s Pig & Anchor, the barbecue venue next door on some ships.
What Is Guy’s Burger Joint on Carnival?
Guy Fieri, the Food Network host known for Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, partnered with Carnival in 2011. Guy’s Burger Joint came out of that deal. Carnival rolled it out across the fleet as part of its “Fun Ship 2.0” upgrades. Today it is one of the line’s best-known food venues, and Carnival markets it as serving the “best burgers at sea.”
The setup is simple. You order at a counter by the main pool, the crew cook the patty to order on a flat-top grill, and you finish the burger yourself at a self-serve toppings bar. Patties are 80/20 ground chuck on a toasted bun. Every burger comes with a scoop of hand-cut fries dusted with Guy’s seasoning.
Is Guy’s Burger Joint Free?
Yes. Burgers, fries and toppings at Guy’s Burger Joint are included in your cruise fare. There is no cover charge, no per-item fee and no limit on visits. Some guests have one a day. Others order two at once. The only things you pay for are drinks you order separately, such as beer or soda, unless you have a drinks package.
Because it is free and right by the pool, it is a handy lunch for families. If you are still choosing a cabin, a room near the Lido deck saves some walking. Our Carnival interior room guide explains how locations differ.
Guy’s Burger Joint Menu (2026)
The core Guy’s Burger Joint menu is short and changes very little between ships. These are the five regular burgers:
| Burger | What’s on it | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Plain Jane | A plain beef patty on a toasted bun, with or without Super Melty Cheese | Kids, picky eaters, building your own at the bar |
| Straight Up | Cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and Donkey Sauce | A classic cheeseburger, and a safe first order |
| The Ringer | Cheese, bourbon BBQ sauce and a crispy onion ring | Anyone who likes a sweet, smoky burger |
| Chilius Maximus | Chili, cheese, crispy onion ring and Donkey Sauce | Big appetites (bring napkins) |
| Pig Patty | Beef patty topped with a crispy patty made of bacon, plus cheese | Bacon lovers |
Donkey Sauce is Guy’s house sauce, a garlic mayonnaise seasoned with mustard and Worcestershire. If you don’t like garlic, ask for it on the side.
Featured and Ship-Specific Burgers
Carnival also adds limited-time burgers. In 2025 it launched the BBQ Rum Runner to mark the opening of its Celebration Key destination. That burger has rum barbecue pulled pork, jalapeño-pineapple salsa and coleslaw on a cheeseburger. On the Italian-themed ships, Carnival Venezia and Carnival Firenze, the menu has an Italian twist, with options such as a pepperoni pizza burger and the mozzarella-topped Super Melty Mootz. Featured items come and go, so check the menu board on board.
Is There a Veggie Burger?
No vegetarian patty appears on the printed menu. Many guests report that the crew will cook a veggie patty on request, though this can vary by ship. If you need one, ask at the counter or tell the dining team early in the cruise. Then load it up at the toppings bar.
The Guy’s Burger Joint Toppings Bar
The toppings bar is what makes a Guy’s burger stand out, and many first-timers skip it. It sits next to the pickup window. It usually has:
- Lettuce, sliced tomato, raw and grilled onions, and pickles
- Sautéed mushrooms and jalapeños
- A row of sauces, typically Donkey Sauce, BBQ sauce, ketchup, mustard and often a chipotle-style sauce
A few ideas: add grilled onions and mushrooms to the Pig Patty, put jalapeños on the Ringer, or order a Plain Jane and build your own. Hot toppings sell out quickly at peak times, so the bar is best right after a fresh batch comes out.
Guy’s Burger Joint Hours and Location
Carnival lists Guy’s Burger Joint as a lunch venue and doesn’t publish fixed fleet-wide hours. On most ships it opens around 11:30am to noon and stays open until mid or late afternoon, often around 6pm. Check the Carnival HUB app or the daily schedule, because times change on embarkation day, port days and late departures. Mardi Gras and Carnival Sunrise have also offered a separate breakfast menu at times.
It is always by the main pool on the Lido deck, but the exact deck depends on the ship class:
- Excel class (Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, Carnival Jubilee): on the upper pool decks (Deck 17 by most guest accounts). Check your ship’s deck plan, because these ships are spread across several zones.
- Vista class (Carnival Vista, Horizon, Panorama): Deck 10
- Dream class and Venice class (Carnival Dream, Magic, Breeze, Venezia, Firenze): Deck 10
- Conquest and Spirit classes: Deck 9
Which Carnival Ships Have Guy’s Burger Joint?
As of late 2026, Carnival’s own site lists Guy’s Burger Joint on 26 ships:
Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, Jubilee, Venezia, Firenze, Vista, Horizon, Panorama, Breeze, Dream, Magic, Conquest, Freedom, Glory, Liberty, Valor, Splendor, Legend, Miracle, Pride, Spirit, Radiance, Sunrise, Sunshine, Elation and Paradise.
Carnival says it is also coming to its next new ships, Carnival Festivale and Carnival Tropicale. The ships not on the list are Carnival Luminosa and the two ships that joined from P&O Australia, Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter. These have their own poolside burger options. If burgers are the main reason you are booking, check the ship’s dining page before you pay.
Guy’s Burger Joint vs Guy’s Pig & Anchor
Guy’s other Carnival venue is barbecue. It is easy to mix the two up because they often sit side by side.
| Guy’s Burger Joint | Guy’s Pig & Anchor | |
|---|---|---|
| Food | Burgers, fries, toppings bar | Smoked pulled pork, brisket, chicken, sausage, sides |
| Cost | Free | Lunch Bar-B-Que free on sea days; Smokehouse dinner free or à la carte depending on ship |
| When | Lunch to late afternoon, most days | Lunch on sea days; dinner on Smokehouse ships |
| Where | Most of the fleet | Selected ships; the full Smokehouse | Brewhouse on Mardi Gras, Celebration, Jubilee, Horizon and Panorama |
On Mardi Gras, Celebration and Jubilee, the Smokehouse dinner is included apart from some premium extras. On Horizon and Panorama, dinner is priced per item, roughly $2 to $16 a dish. The brewhouse ships also brew their own Parched Pig beers on board. If you like both, have barbecue on one sea day and burgers on another.
Tips for Getting the Most Out of Guy’s Burger Joint
- Avoid the noon rush on sea days. Lines are longest from opening until about 1:30pm. Go right when it opens or after 2pm.
- Go on port days. On days ashore it is often quiet, and some guests make it their lunch when they get back on board. On Bahamas sailings that stop at RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, you can eat ashore and still catch Guy’s in the afternoon.
- Customize your order. The crew will usually do double patties, no bun or no cheese if you ask.
- Grab extra fries. They are best hot, so eat at a table nearby instead of carrying them back to your cabin.
- Don’t fill up before dinner. The burgers are large, and the main dining room menu is included too. A late-afternoon burger can spoil a three-course dinner.
Are Guy’s Burgers Really That Good?
For a free cruise-ship burger, yes. Cruise reviewers often say Guy’s Burger Joint is the best complimentary burger at sea. The patties are fresh off the grill, not kept warm, the fries are properly seasoned, and the toppings bar means you get the burger you want. They aren’t gourmet steakhouse burgers, and on a crowded sea day they can be rushed. As a fast, free lunch by the pool, though, they are a big reason Carnival does well in food rankings. See our list of cruise lines with the best food for how Carnival compares.
FAQs
Is Guy’s Burger Joint free on Carnival?
Yes. Burgers, fries and toppings are included in your fare, with no limit on visits. You only pay for drinks you order separately.
Is Guy’s Burger Joint on all Carnival ships?
Nearly all. Carnival lists it on 26 ships. It isn’t currently listed on Carnival Luminosa, Carnival Adventure or Carnival Encounter.
Does Guy Fieri own Guy’s Burger Joint?
Guy Fieri created the concept and recipes with Carnival, and the venue carries his name. Carnival runs it on board as part of a long-running partnership.
What time does Guy’s Burger Joint open?
Usually around 11:30am to noon. It stays open until mid or late afternoon, often around 6pm. Check the Carnival HUB app for your ship’s exact hours each day.
Is there a vegetarian burger at Guy’s Burger Joint?
It isn’t on the menu, but the crew can often cook a veggie patty on request. Ask at the counter.
