Carnival Christmas Dinner Menu Released

The holidays are filled with delicious foods, from once-a-year treats to elaborate meals to both sweet and savory snacks. Holiday menus on a cruise ship are much the same, with fantastic options specially prepared for special dates, one more thing that makes a holiday sailing even more memorable.

Carnival Cruise Line has announced the Christmas Gala Dinner menu for all 2023 Christmas cruises, and it is filled with delicious options for all guests’ tastes and dietary needs.

Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald has revealed the Main Dining Room Christmas Gala Dinner menu for the Carnival fleet, with amazing dishes on offer for a truly delicious dinner to celebrate the season.

The special Christmas menu includes baked brie with cranberry-pecan crumble and fig and olive crostini as a special appetizer. Other classic appetizers are also available, including shrimp cocktail, short rib and yam croquette, a BLT wedge salad, a classic Caesar salad, and a surf & turf with crab salad and beef tartare.

The delicious holiday entrees begin with a roasted tom turkey with sage stuffing, sweet potato casserole, giblet gravy, and cranberry relish – all the classic fixings many travelers would enjoy for a holiday at home, letting them preserve their holiday traditions onboard.

Honey glazed ham with herbed potatoes, roasted carrots, asparagus, candied pineapple, and raisin sauce is another special entrée offered for Christmas dinner, and for a vegetarian option, guests can opt for cauliflower and cheese pie with sautéed spinach and sweet pepper sauce or an Indian vegetarian entrée of paneer butter masala with spiced mixed vegetables.

For even more delicious entrees, the menu includes oven baked salmon, grilled black tiger jumbo shrimp with fava bean and pea stew, flame-grilled striploin steak, ahi tuna salad with sesame ginger dressing – one of Carnival’s new entrée salads on its revamped menus – and pappardelle pasta with wild mushroom sauce and freshly grated parmigiano cheese.

For an extra charge, guests can also opt for Steakhouse Selections – a great option for an extra-special holiday dinner.

Dessert will include several decadent holiday treats, including eggnog cheesecake with raspberry cremeux, spiced cream, and mint “snow” for extra flair. Bourbon pecan pie and buche de Noel – a chocolate log with coffee anglaise and honey oat crumble – will also be available for even more seasonal sweets.

Of course, guests can also indulge in the classic Carnival melting chocolate cake – always a top favorite on any sailing – as well as fresh tropical fruit for a lighter touch. Ice creams, sorbets, and the classic savory cheese plate are also available.

More Casual Fare

While the Main Dining Room selections are certainly offering an elegant Christmas dinner, guests can also enjoy delicious favorites at other dining venues onboard every Carnival ship.

The casual Lido Marketplace buffets are sure to be offering carved turkey and ham with appropriate trimmings, though without the elegant plating of the Main Dining Room service. A variety of other dishes will also be available, as well as several sweet desserts.

Guests can also make Christmas dinner extra special by indulging in the specialty restaurants onboard, such as the steakhouse, the Italian eatery Cucina del Capitano, the fun of Bonsai Teppanyaki, fresh seafood at Rudi’s Seagrilll, or other great restaurants depending on which ship guests are spending the holidays with.

For more casual fare on Christmas Day, Carnival’s delicious eateries will still be available, including Guy’s Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina, Pizza Pirate, Big Chicken, and more.

The hours of different dining venues will vary, and passengers should check the Carnival Hub app during their cruise to see exact hours, preview menus, or make specialty dining reservations for all the holiday cruise deliciousness.