Carnival Celebration Free Dining Guide: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Options
One of the best things about sailing on Carnival Celebration is the sheer number of places to eat without paying for a traditional specialty restaurant every time you want something different. Beyond the main dining rooms and Lido Marketplace, the ship offers burgers, fried chicken, tacos, burritos, pizza, barbecue, international dishes and several quick-service options throughout the day.
If you are trying to figure out where to eat on Carnival Celebration, the guide below provides an overview of many of the included dining choices available for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Keep in mind that restaurant schedules can change from one sailing or day to another. Always check the Carnival HUB App and the daily schedule once onboard for current opening hours and availability.
Free Breakfast Options on Carnival Celebration
Breakfast on Carnival Celebration does not have to mean heading straight to the buffet. There are several different places to start the morning, ranging from a traditional sit-down breakfast to breakfast burritos and chicken biscuits.
Main Dining Room
The Main Dining Room offers a sit-down breakfast option on applicable mornings. This is a good choice for passengers who would rather have table service than navigate the breakfast buffet.
Carnival Celebration has two main dining rooms, Festivale Restaurant and Carnivale Restaurant. The exact restaurant used for breakfast and its operating hours can vary, so check the Carnival HUB App for the schedule during your cruise.
Big Chicken
Big Chicken is Carnival’s restaurant created in partnership with Shaquille O’Neal and is one of the ship’s complimentary casual dining venues.
While most passengers associate Big Chicken with its fried chicken sandwiches, it also serves breakfast. The breakfast selection includes items such as chicken and biscuits and other morning favorites.
Because Big Chicken operates beyond the traditional early breakfast period, it can also be particularly useful for passengers who sleep late.
Lido Marketplace
Lido Marketplace is Carnival Celebration’s primary buffet and provides one of the largest selections at breakfast.
Passengers can expect a variety of traditional breakfast choices, and Carnival also offers made-to-order eggs and omelets as part of its breakfast buffet service.
The buffet is particularly convenient when everyone in a group wants something different or when you want a relatively quick breakfast before leaving the ship for a shore excursion.
BlueIguana Cantina
BlueIguana Cantina isn’t only a lunch destination. In the morning, the poolside venue serves freshly prepared breakfast burritos.
Passengers can customize their breakfast with different fillings and toppings, making BlueIguana a useful alternative to a conventional eggs-and-bacon breakfast.
Bagels and Other Morning Choices
Breakfast offerings around Carnival Celebration may also include bagels and other grab-and-go selections depending on the venue and daily operating schedule.
Because individual venue hours and offerings can change, check the Carnival HUB App each morning rather than assuming that every breakfast location will be operating at the same time throughout the cruise.
Free Lunch on Carnival Celebration
Lunch is where Carnival Celebration’s complimentary dining selection really expands. In addition to the buffet, passengers can choose among burgers, chicken, Mexican food, international dishes, pizza, barbecue and other casual options.
Guy’s Burger Joint
Guy’s Burger Joint is Carnival’s popular collaboration with Guy Fieri.
The complimentary poolside restaurant serves freshly prepared burgers with hand-cut fries. Guests can choose from the featured burger combinations or customize their meal with additional toppings.
For many Carnival passengers, Guy’s Burger Joint is one of the signature casual meals of the cruise.
Big Chicken
Big Chicken remains available beyond breakfast and serves its better-known selection of fried chicken sandwiches and sides.
It is another convenient option for a casual lunch without needing to sit down for a full restaurant meal.
BlueIguana Cantina
At lunchtime, BlueIguana Cantina switches its focus to tacos and burritos.
Carnival’s official dining information describes freshly made tacos and burritos with a selection of fillings, toppings and salsas. The venue also makes tortillas onboard.
Lido Marketplace
The Lido Marketplace buffet remains one of the most flexible lunch options on Carnival Celebration.
Selections can vary, giving passengers an easy option when members of the group want different foods or when they simply want to see what is being served that day before deciding.
Chibang!
Chibang! combines Chinese and Mexican influences in a single restaurant.
At lunch, the experience is more casual than its dinner service, with options centered around customizable noodle and burrito bowls. It is an especially useful choice if you want something different from burgers, pizza or the buffet.
Cucina del Capitano
Cucina del Capitano is Carnival’s Italian restaurant, and its daytime service can be very different from the evening experience.
Carnival lists a complimentary made-to-order pasta bar at lunch, allowing passengers to build a pasta dish rather than ordering from the full dinner menu.
Street Eats
Street Eats is one of the more interesting quick-service choices on Carnival Celebration because the selections rotate.
The concept consists of three small stations:
• Steam Dream
• Mad Sizzle
• Time Fries
The stations feature changing dishes inspired by different international street foods. Because the offerings rotate, Street Eats is worth checking more than once during a sailing rather than assuming that the same food will be available every day.
Deco Deli
On Carnival Celebration, the ship’s deli is called Deco Deli.
In addition to familiar deli selections, Carnival designed the venue around Celebration’s Miami influence. Its menu includes options inspired by South Florida and Cuban cuisine, such as the Cubano, croqueta sandwich and pan con lechon.
Deco Deli is complimentary and operates for lunch and dinner.
Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse | Brewhouse
Carnival Celebration also has Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse | Brewhouse.
Lunch availability can depend on the day and schedule, but Carnival offers complimentary barbecue service during designated lunch periods. This gives passengers another included option for smoked meats and traditional barbecue sides.
Free Dinner Options on Carnival Celebration
Dinner is when the distinction between complimentary dining and specialty dining becomes particularly important.
Carnival Celebration offers traditional Main Dining Room service, buffet dining and several alternatives that can be included under Celebration-specific dining policies.
Main Dining Room
The traditional Main Dining Room remains the centerpiece of dinner for many passengers.
Carnival Celebration offers both assigned dining and flexible dining arrangements depending on the dining selection associated with the reservation. Dinner is served as a multi-course sit-down meal, with menus changing throughout the cruise.
The Carnival HUB App is the easiest way to keep track of dinner schedules and, where applicable, request a table.
Lido Marketplace
Passengers who do not want a formal sit-down dinner can head to Lido Marketplace.
The buffet provides a more casual evening meal and can be particularly convenient after a long port day or when you don’t want dinner to take up a large portion of the evening.
Chibang!
Chibang! offers a full sit-down dinner built around Chinese and Mexican cuisine.
On Carnival Celebration, guests currently receive one complimentary dinner at Chibang! during the voyage. Additional dinner visits are subject to a nominal per-person charge under Carnival’s current policy.
Because Carnival can change dining policies and pricing, verify the current terms for your sailing before making plans around multiple visits.
Cucina del Capitano
Cucina del Capitano serves Italian-inspired dishes in a sit-down restaurant setting.
Carnival’s current policy for Carnival Celebration allows guests one complimentary dinner at Cucina del Capitano during the voyage, with a charge applying to additional visits.
This Celebration-specific arrangement is important because Cucina del Capitano operates under different pricing structures on some other Carnival ships.
Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse | Brewhouse
Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse | Brewhouse offers barbecue in an indoor/outdoor setting.
Carnival specifically identifies the venue on Carnival Celebration, Carnival Jubilee and Mardi Gras as an alternative to the Main Dining Room that is inclusive in the cruise fare, despite different pricing arrangements on some other ships.
The restaurant features Guy Fieri-inspired barbecue dishes and sides.
Miami Slice
Miami Slice is Carnival Celebration’s complimentary pizza venue.
It provides pizza for passengers looking for a casual meal or snack without sitting through a traditional dinner. Its extended operating schedule can also make it useful later in the evening when many other restaurants have closed.
Soft-Serve Ice Cream
Complimentary soft-serve ice cream and frozen yogurt are also included in the Carnival cruise fare.
It is an easy dessert or snack option throughout the day and evening, although individual machine availability can vary.
What About Seafood Shack?
Carnival Celebration does have Seafood Shack, but it should not be confused with the complimentary venues in this guide.
Seafood Shack is an additional-cost dining option serving seafood selections. If you are specifically trying to eat only at restaurants included with your cruise fare, Seafood Shack should be treated separately from the free dining choices above.
Carnival Celebration Has More Dining Than You Can Try in One Day
One of the advantages of Carnival Celebration is that passengers don’t have to rely on the buffet and Main Dining Room for every meal.
A single day could start with a breakfast burrito at BlueIguana Cantina, continue with a Guy’s Burger Joint lunch, include a snack from Street Eats and finish with dinner at Chibang! or the Main Dining Room.
That variety is particularly useful on a weeklong cruise because you can rotate among restaurants instead of repeating the same meals every day.
Check the Carnival HUB App for Dining Hours
Restaurant operating hours are not necessarily identical every day.
Sea days and port days can have different dining schedules, and some venues may operate only during relatively short windows. Carnival can also adjust restaurant availability during a sailing.
Once onboard Carnival Celebration, check the Carnival HUB App and daily schedule for:
• Breakfast hours
• Lunch hours
• Dinner hours
• Restaurant availability
• Main Dining Room information
• Current menus
• Table requests or reservations where applicable
• Changes to complimentary dining policies
This is especially important if there is a particular restaurant you do not want to miss.
Carnival Celebration Free Dining FAQ
Is food included on Carnival Celebration?
Yes. Carnival Celebration has numerous dining options included in the cruise fare, including the Main Dining Room, Lido Marketplace and several casual restaurants. Specialty restaurants and certain food items may cost extra.
Is Guy’s Burger Joint free on Carnival Celebration?
Yes. Guy’s Burger Joint is a complimentary dining venue on Carnival Celebration.
Is Big Chicken free on Carnival Celebration?
Yes. Big Chicken is included in the cruise fare and serves breakfast as well as its fried chicken-focused daytime menu.
Is BlueIguana Cantina free on Carnival Celebration?
Yes. BlueIguana Cantina is complimentary. It serves breakfast burritos in the morning and tacos and burritos at lunch.
Is Street Eats free on Carnival Celebration?
Yes. Street Eats is included in the cruise fare. Its three stations — Steam Dream, Mad Sizzle and Time Fries — feature rotating street-food-inspired selections.
Is Chibang! free on Carnival Celebration?
Under Carnival’s current Celebration dining policy, guests can enjoy one complimentary dinner at Chibang! during their voyage. Additional dinner visits carry a nominal per-person charge. Chibang! also offers a casual lunch service.
Is Cucina del Capitano free on Carnival Celebration?
Carnival currently allows Carnival Celebration guests one complimentary dinner at Cucina del Capitano during the voyage, with a charge for additional dinner visits. The restaurant also offers a complimentary made-to-order pasta bar at lunch.
Is Guy’s Pig & Anchor free on Carnival Celebration?
Carnival currently treats Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse | Brewhouse on Carnival Celebration as an alternative to the Main Dining Room that is included in the cruise fare. Its operating format and hours can differ between lunch and dinner.
Is Miami Slice free?
Yes. Miami Slice is Carnival Celebration’s complimentary pizza venue.
Does Carnival Celebration have Carnival Deli?
Carnival Celebration has its own version of Carnival’s deli concept called Deco Deli. It is complimentary and includes classic deli choices alongside Miami and Cuban-inspired sandwiches.
Does Carnival Celebration have Seafood Shack?
Yes. Carnival Celebration has Seafood Shack, but Seafood Shack is an additional-cost venue and is therefore not part of the complimentary dining options covered by this guide.
Do Carnival Celebration restaurants stay open all day?
No. Individual restaurants have their own schedules, and hours can change between port days and sea days. Check the Carnival HUB App onboard for the current day’s dining schedule.
Final Thoughts on Free Dining on Carnival Celebration
Carnival Celebration offers an unusually broad selection of food that can be enjoyed without relying exclusively on specialty restaurants. Traditional dining is available in the Main Dining Room and Lido Marketplace, while venues such as Guy’s Burger Joint, Big Chicken, BlueIguana Cantina, Street Eats, Deco Deli and Miami Slice add considerably more variety.
The ship also has Celebration-specific arrangements for restaurants such as Chibang!, Cucina del Capitano and Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse | Brewhouse, making it worthwhile to understand which meals are included before the cruise.
Restaurant hours, menus and dining policies can change, so use this guide for planning and check the Carnival HUB App once onboard for the most current schedule. With so many choices spread across breakfast, lunch and dinner, it is entirely possible to spend a week aboard Carnival Celebration without eating the same kind of meal twice.
