Carnival Celebration restaurants come to more than 20 places to eat, and most of them cost nothing beyond your cruise fare. The free list includes two main dining rooms, the Lido Marketplace buffet, Guy’s Burger Joint, Big Chicken, BlueIguana Cantina, and your first dinner at both ChiBang! and Cucina del Capitano. Paid options include Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, Rudi’s Seagrill, Bonsai Teppanyaki and Emeril’s Bistro 1397. This guide covers every venue, what each one serves, where it is on the ship, current prices and how to plan your meals.
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Carnival Celebration launched in 2022 as the second of Carnival’s Excel-class ships, after Mardi Gras and before Carnival Jubilee. It sails mostly from Miami. Like its sister ships, it is divided into themed zones, and many restaurants are linked to a zone. To see where it fits in the fleet, read our guide to the newest Carnival ships in order.
How Many Restaurants Are on Carnival Celebration?
The count depends on whether you include snack counters and coffee bars. You can reasonably count around 22 to 25 food venues, plus 24-hour room service. Roughly two-thirds are included in your fare. The rest are either fixed-price specialty restaurants or a la carte spots where you pay per item.
Carnival Celebration has three kinds of venue:
- Included: no charge at all (the main dining rooms, buffet, burgers, tacos, pizza, chicken and more).
- Included once, then a small surcharge: ChiBang! and Cucina del Capitano. These are full-price specialty restaurants on older Carnival ships.
- Specialty or a la carte: the steakhouse, seafood, teppanyaki, sushi, Emeril’s, the Seafood Shack and JavaBlue Cafe.
Free Restaurants on Carnival Celebration
You can eat very well on this ship without paying extra for food. The table below lists the included venues, where they are and when they are usually open. Hours change by itinerary and between sea days and port days, so check the Carnival HUB app each day.
| Venue | What it serves | Where | Typical meals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carnivale Restaurant | Main dining room, multi-course menus | Deck 6, midship | Dinner, sea day tea |
| Festivale Restaurant | Main dining room over two levels | Decks 6-7, aft | Breakfast, sea day brunch, dinner |
| Lido Marketplace | Buffet with rotating stations | Deck 16, Lido zone | Breakfast, lunch, dinner |
| Guy’s Burger Joint | Guy Fieri burgers and fries, with a toppings bar | Lido zone, upper pool deck | Lunch, plus sea day dinner |
| Big Chicken | Shaquille O’Neal’s fried chicken sandwiches and tenders | Lido zone | Breakfast, lunch |
| BlueIguana Cantina | Burritos and tacos with a salsa bar | Deck 16, Lido zone | Breakfast, lunch |
| StreetEats | Three street-food windows (fries, bao and skewers) | Deck 16, Lido zone | Sea day lunch, later on port days |
| Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse | Brewhouse | Barbecue, with beer brewed on board (beer extra) | Summer Landing, aft | Sea day breakfast and lunch, dinner |
| Deco Deli | Hot and cold deli sandwiches | 820 Biscayne, Deck 8 | Lunch, dinner |
| Miami Slice | Pizza | 820 Biscayne, Deck 8 | Most of the day, late night |
| Fresh Creations | Made-to-order salads | Lido zone | Sea day lunch |
| Swirls | Self-serve soft-serve ice cream | Pool decks | Afternoon and evening |
| ChiBang! | Chinese and Mexican dishes, served family-style | Deck 8, forward | Sea day lunch, dinner (first dinner free) |
| Cucina del Capitano | Family-style Italian | Dinner venue | Dinner (first visit free) |
| Room service | Basic continental breakfast is free. Other items cost extra | Your cabin | 24 hours |
The ChiBang! and Cucina del Capitano rule
This is the part of the dining setup that confuses people most. On Excel-class ships, your first dinner at ChiBang! and your first dinner at Cucina del Capitano are both included. After that, each repeat visit costs about $8 per person at the time of writing. Carnival lists Cucina del Capitano at around $24 per adult on most other ships, so the Excel-class arrangement is a real saving. Both restaurants also offer an optional Steakhouse Selections menu. Those entrees cost extra (recently about $25 each), but you don’t have to order from it.
Tables for these two restaurants go quickly at prime dinner times. If you have Your Time Dining, book through the HUB app or at the restaurant as soon as you are on board. If you have assigned dining, you can usually request a table the evening before. Walk-up waitlists are also an option if you don’t mind waiting.
Best free restaurants on Carnival Celebration
Most cruise reviews and forums agree on a few favorites among the included venues:
- Guy’s Pig & Anchor for slow-cooked barbecue. A couple of premium cuts, such as ribs and prime rib, now cost extra, but most of the menu is still free.
- ChiBang! for a dinner that tastes like specialty dining but is included once.
- Guy’s Burger Joint, a Carnival classic. Go early, because the lunch line can be long on sea days.
- Big Chicken for a quick breakfast or lunch sandwich.
- The main dining rooms for a relaxed multi-course dinner. Lobster is often on the menu on elegant nights.
If you are deciding whether Carnival is the right line for food lovers, our ranking of the cruise lines with the best food shows how it compares with its competitors.
Carnival Celebration Specialty Restaurants and Prices
The specialty restaurants are where most of the extra dining costs come from. Carnival raised several specialty prices for 2025 sailings, and prices can change again, so treat the figures below as approximate guides at the time of writing. Check the current price in the Carnival HUB app or on Carnival’s website before you book. An 18% service charge is generally added to specialty dining and a la carte bills.
| Venue | Cuisine | Zone / deck | Approximate price (per adult) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse | Premium steaks, seafood, classic sides | Steakhouse, dinner only | From around $52, cover charge |
| Rudi’s Seagrill | Seafood-led menu from Carnival’s master chef Rudi Sodamin | 820 Biscayne, Deck 8 | Around $52, cover charge (kids’ pricing available) |
| Bonsai Teppanyaki | Hibachi-style grill cooked at your table | Celebration Central | Around $49 for dinner before the service charge (about $58 with it); lunch is cheaper |
| Bonsai Sushi | Sushi, rolls, bento and small plates | Celebration Central, Deck 7 | A la carte, priced per dish |
| Emeril’s Bistro 1397 | New Orleans Creole and Cajun dishes from Emeril Lagasse | The Gateway, near Latitudes | A la carte, priced per dish |
| Seafood Shack | Lobster rolls, fish and chips, peel-and-eat shrimp | Lido zone, by the Beach Pool | A la carte, priced per dish |
| JavaBlue Cafe | Specialty coffee and sweet treats | Celebration Central | A la carte. Some pastries are free |
| Chef’s Table | Multi-course tasting menu with wine pairings, held in the galley | Limited seats | Typically the most expensive option on board (well over $100) |
| Carnival Kitchen | Hands-on cooking class | Deck 6 | Extra charge, varies by class |
Which specialty restaurant is worth paying for?
Rudi’s Seagrill is only found on Excel-class ships, so it is the natural pick if you sail Carnival often and want something new. Fahrenheit 555 is the safe choice for steak lovers, and it is a popular spot for celebrations. Bonsai Teppanyaki is the most fun for groups and families because the chefs put on a show while they cook. Emeril’s Bistro 1397 and the Seafood Shack are good if you want one or two special dishes without committing to a full cover-charge meal.
If you are working to a budget, one specialty dinner plus your two included visits to ChiBang! and Cucina del Capitano gives you plenty of variety on a seven-night cruise for the price of a single meal.
Carnival Celebration Dining by Zone
Carnival Celebration is organized into six themed zones, and knowing which restaurants are in each one helps you find your way around this large ship.
- Celebration Central: JavaBlue Cafe, Bonsai Sushi and Bonsai Teppanyaki, near the Aquaria Bar and the Tropicale lounge.
- The Gateway: Emeril’s Bistro 1397 and the Latitudes bar, which has a travel theme.
- 820 Biscayne: Miami-inspired, with Rudi’s Seagrill, Deco Deli, Miami Slice and Bar 820.
- Summer Landing: the aft outdoor area with Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse | Brewhouse and a pool bar.
- Lido: the main pool deck, with the Lido Marketplace, Guy’s Burger Joint, Big Chicken, BlueIguana Cantina, StreetEats, the Seafood Shack and the RedFrog Tiki Bar.
- Ultimate Playground: the top-deck activity zone with the BOLT roller coaster and water park. This zone is about activities, not restaurants.
The main dining rooms, Carnivale and Festivale, are on the lower public decks. They sit outside the themed zones, and most guests eat dinner in one of them.
Your cabin location affects how far you walk to meals. If that matters to you, our guide to the best and worst cabins on Carnival Celebration explains which areas are convenient and which are noisy.
Tips for Eating Well on Carnival Celebration
- Use the HUB app. It shows daily opening hours, lets you reserve specialty restaurants and ChiBang!, and often shows menus. Download it and sign in before you board.
- Eat in the main dining room on embarkation day. The Lido buffet is very crowded at lunch on boarding day. Check whether a main dining room or Guy’s Pig & Anchor is open instead.
- Book ChiBang! early in the cruise. Prime dinner times fill quickly on sea days. If you sail with a group, try an earlier or later seating.
- Look for embarkation-night specialty offers. Carnival sometimes offers perks, such as a free bottle of wine, for booking the steakhouse on the first night. Ask on board, because offers vary by sailing.
- Remember the 18% service charge. It is added to specialty dining, a la carte food and room service, so budget for it on top of the menu price.
- Try the sea day brunch. The brunch in the Festivale main dining room is included, and it is much calmer than the buffet.
- Tell the staff about dietary needs early. Main dining room staff can handle most allergies and dietary preferences. Mention them on your first night, or in your booking beforehand.
- Don’t miss the late-night pizza. Miami Slice is a good option after the evening shows. Our guide to cruise lines with the best pizza explains how Carnival’s free pizza compares with other lines.
How Carnival Celebration Compares With Its Sister Ships
Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration and Carnival Jubilee all have the same Excel-class dining basics. Each ship has Guy’s Pig & Anchor, Big Chicken, ChiBang!, Cucina del Capitano, Rudi’s Seagrill, Emeril’s Bistro and Bonsai. The differences are mostly in the theming and some of the zones. Carnival Celebration’s 820 Biscayne and Gateway zones reflect the ship’s Miami homeport and Carnival’s 50th-anniversary history. The dining rules can also differ slightly between sister ships, for example how many free visits each restaurant includes, so check the details for your specific sailing.
Onboard dining and drinks spending can now count toward the Carnival Rewards loyalty program, so it is worth knowing how points and stars are earned.
FAQs
Is there free specialty dining on Carnival Celebration?
Yes. Your first dinner at ChiBang! and your first dinner at Cucina del Capitano are both included. After that, each repeat visit costs about $8 per person at the time of writing. Guy’s Pig & Anchor is also included, apart from a few premium items.
How many restaurants are on Carnival Celebration?
There are more than 20 dining venues, depending on whether you count coffee and snack spots. Roughly two-thirds are included in your fare.
How much is the steakhouse on Carnival Celebration?
Fahrenheit 555 recently cost around $52 per adult, plus the service charge. Prices change, so check the HUB app or Carnival’s website before you sail.
Do you need reservations for restaurants on Carnival Celebration?
You don’t need reservations for the buffet or casual venues. Reservations are recommended for the steakhouse, Rudi’s Seagrill, Bonsai Teppanyaki, ChiBang! and Cucina del Capitano. You can make them in the HUB app or at the restaurant.
Is Big Chicken free on Carnival Celebration?
Yes. Big Chicken is included in your fare and serves breakfast and lunch on the Lido deck.
