Carnival Cruise Line Gluten-Free Dinner Menus
Eating gluten-free on a cruise can take a little more planning, especially when you want to know what will actually be available before you board. Carnival Cruise Line offers dedicated gluten-free dinner menus in its main dining rooms, giving guests a much clearer look at suitable choices each evening.
The Carnival gluten-free menus shown below provide a substantial range of appetizers, entrées, desserts and other dinner selections. Rather than being limited to a handful of basic alternatives, the menus include dishes ranging from seafood and steak to pasta, chicken, vegetarian options and desserts.
Carnival currently states that ships sailing outside Australia offer a separate gluten-free menu in the main dining room. Carnival also advises guests with dietary requirements to speak directly with the Maître d’ and dining team, particularly when allergies or special preparation are involved.
Here is a look at the Carnival Cruise Line gluten-free dinner menus and the types of dishes you may encounter during your cruise.
Carnival Gluten-Free Dinner Menu: Welcome Aboard
The Welcome Aboard menu begins with a featured gluten-free section highlighting several of the chef’s selections.
The featured choices include BBQ baby back pork ribs and Cobb salad as appetizers, strip loin steak au poivre as the entrée and cappuccino cheesecake for dessert.
The broader dinner menu offers additional appetizers such as warm spinach-artichoke dip, shrimp and crab bisque, shrimp cocktail, chilled mango and pear soup, beet and goat cheese mousse, Caesar salad and mixed greens.
Entrées shown on the menu include rotelle pasta, broiled swordfish, chicken Marsala, braised lamb shank, vegetarian chili pot and a featured Indian vegetarian dish.
There is also a Carnival Crew Favorites selection of Kung Pao chicken, along with choices from the grill.
The Bonsai Sushi Ship for two is listed at $34 on this menu.
Optional Steakhouse Premium Selections are also shown for an additional charge. The menu lists a $25 surcharge for each premium entrée, with choices including surf and turf, broiled filet mignon, New York strip steak, grilled lamb chops and a 14-ounce Wagyu cheeseburger. A 20% service charge is noted for these selections.
Dessert choices shown include Carnival Melting Chocolate Cake, vanilla ice cream or mango sorbet, fresh fruit and a cheese plate. Mile-High Gelato Pie is listed for an additional $6.
Day 2 – Carnival Gluten-Free Dinner Menu
The next menu features oven-baked meatballs and beetroot carpaccio and greens among the chef’s appetizer selections. Roast beef strip loin is the featured entrée, followed by Bitter ’N Blanc for dessert.
The appetizer section includes New England clam chowder, fried shrimp, vegetable spring roll, shrimp cocktail, chilled cantaloupe soup, tuna crudo, Caesar salad and mixed greens.
Dinner entrées include spaghetti carbonara, BBQ salmon, Southern fried chicken, bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin, Sichuan ginger tofu and a featured Indian vegetarian selection.
Carnival Crew Favorites highlights Lomo Saltado, while the grill section includes barramundi, chicken breast and pork chop.
The $34 Bonsai Sushi Ship for two appears again on this menu.
Day 3 – Carnival FEAST Gluten-Free Dinner Menu
Some of the menus use Carnival’s FEAST branding.
One FEAST menu features braised beef short ribs confit and French onion soup as the chef’s appetizer picks, followed by veal piccata and bourbon pecan pudding.
Other appetizers shown include Low Country crab dip, fried shrimp, spinach and cheese empanada, shrimp cocktail, chilled strawberry and chia seed soup, prosciutto and melon, burrata and heirloom tomato salad, Caesar salad and mixed greens.
The entrée selection includes spaghetti Alfredo, jumbo shrimp, sea bass, crispy pork belly, grilled filet mignon and a featured Indian vegetarian dish.
Butter chicken appears under Carnival Crew Favorites.
The menu also shows the $34 Bonsai Sushi Ship for two and additional selections from the grill.
Day 4 – Carnival Gluten-Free Menu
Another dinner menu highlights beef arancini and Southwestern quinoa baby shrimp as the chef’s appetizer selections, followed by BBQ pork spare ribs and banana cream delight.
Other appetizers include cream of mushroom bisque, queso fundido, fried oysters, shrimp cocktail, watermelon tomato gazpacho, hummus and lamb kebabs, Caesar salad and mixed greens.
The entrée section includes rotelle mariscos, grilled fish, Madeira-braised short ribs, cauliflower parmigiana and a featured Indian vegetarian selection.
Baked chicken is featured under Carnival Crew Favorites.
Grilled salmon, grilled chicken breast and strip loin steak are shown under From the Grill, while the Bonsai Sushi Ship for two is again priced at $34.
This menu also shows the optional Steakhouse Premium Selections at a $25 surcharge per entrée, plus a 20% service charge.
Desserts include cappuccino crème de pot, Carnival Melting Chocolate Cake, vanilla ice cream or mango sorbet, fresh fruit and a cheese plate. Mile-High Gelato Pie carries a $6 charge.
Day 5 – Carnival Gluten-Free Menu
Another menu features catfish fingers and cherry mozzarella with mixed greens as the chef’s appetizer picks.
The featured entrée is Wiener schnitzel, accompanied by asparagus, mustard potatoes and creamy pan sauce, while Black Forest gâteau is featured for dessert.
The appetizer selection also includes roasted tomato soup, duck confit croquettes, shrimp cocktail, iced Bing cherry soup, antipasti, Caesar salad and mixed greens.
Entrées include spaghetti and meatballs, firecracker branzino, chicken in creamy mushroom sauce, enchiladas and a featured Indian vegetarian dish.
Singapore chili shrimp appears as the Carnival Crew Favorites selection.
The menu also includes grilled salmon, grilled chicken breast and strip loin steak, along with the $34 Bonsai Sushi Ship for two.
A note on this menu states that a $5 surcharge applies to a third entrée or more.
The Steakhouse Premium Selections remain available for a $25 surcharge per entrée, with a 20% service charge added to the order.
Dessert choices include piña colada cheesecake, Carnival Melting Chocolate Cake, vanilla ice cream or raspberry sorbet, fresh fruit and a cheese plate. The Mile-High Gelato Pie is listed at $6.
Day 6 – Carnival Gluten-Free Menu with Duet of Lamb
This menu features escargots Bourguignonne and classic iceberg wedge salad as the chef’s appetizer choices.
The featured entrée is a duet of lamb consisting of braised lamb leg and an herb-crusted double lamb chop with potato wedges and lamb jus. Opera gâteau is the featured dessert.
Other appetizers include country chicken soup, chipotle-lime chicken tenders, potato and Parmesan hash, shrimp cocktail, peach lemongrass soup, grilled shrimp summer rolls and Caesar salad.
The entrée section includes spaghetti with smoked turkey, pecan-crusted barramundi, fiesta chicken enchilada, spanakopita and a featured Indian vegetarian selection.
Beef Bourguignon appears under Carnival Crew Favorites.
The menu also offers grilled salmon, grilled chicken breast and broiled pork chop, plus the $34 Bonsai Sushi Ship for two. This menu likewise notes a $5 surcharge for a third entrée or more.
The premium section again lists the Steakhouse selections at an additional $25 per entrée and notes a 20% service charge.
Desserts include passion fruit and mango mousse, Carnival Melting Chocolate Cake, vanilla ice cream or raspberry sorbet, fresh fruit and a cheese plate. The Mile-High Gelato Pie is $6.
Day 7 – Carnival FEAST Gluten-Free Menu with Prime Rib
Another FEAST menu features steak and cheddar soup and Waldorf salad as the chef’s appetizer selections.
Slow-roasted prime rib is the featured entrée, accompanied by potato gratin, green beans and au jus, while cherry jubilee is the featured dessert.
Additional appetizers include New Orleans-style BBQ shrimp, Cajun fried frog legs, sticky pork belly, shrimp cocktail, cucumber basil avocado soup and seared peppered beef carpaccio.
The entrée selection includes lasagna Bolognese, broiled lobster tail, grilled salmon, chicken cutlets, braised pork shank, stuffed portobello mushroom and a featured Indian vegetarian dish.
Beef roulade appears as the Carnival Crew Favorites selection.
The $34 Bonsai Sushi Ship for two is also shown, along with additional choices from the grill.
The Steakhouse Premium Selections are again offered for a $25 surcharge per entrée, with the menu noting an additional 20% service charge.
Desserts include crème brûlée, Carnival Melting Chocolate Cake, vanilla ice cream or pineapple sorbet, fresh fruit and a cheese plate. Mile-High Gelato Pie is listed at $6.
Day 8 – Carnival Memories & Farewells Gluten-Free Dinner Menu
One of the menus is specifically titled “Memories & Farewells Dinner,” making it useful for seeing what guests may encounter toward the end of a longer menu rotation.
The chef’s featured appetizer choices are salmon gravlax and Greek salad, while barbecued beef brisket is the featured entrée. Baked Alaska is highlighted for dessert.
The appetizer section includes broccoli and cheddar soup, chicken tenders, crab cake, shrimp cocktail, chilled papaya and passion fruit soup, beef tartare and Caesar salad.
What the Carnival Gluten-Free Menus Are Like
Taken together, these menus show considerably more variety than someone might expect from a cruise line’s special-diet menu.
Across the menus shown here, choices include beef, chicken, pork, lamb, seafood, pasta dishes, soups, salads, Indian vegetarian dishes and desserts. Several menus also feature dishes associated with chef Emeril Lagasse, along with Carnival Crew Favorites.
The exact selections change from menu to menu, so passengers should not expect every dish pictured here to be available every night or on every sailing.
Carnival says its main dining room dinner menu changes each evening and confirms that a separate gluten-free menu is offered on its ships outside Australia.
Gluten-Free Options Beyond the Main Dining Room
Carnival says it can accommodate gluten-free diets and currently lists gluten-free pizza dough, pasta, bread for deli sandwiches, hamburger buns and cake as items available upon request.
Carnival uses its Menu Mate food ingredient program on most ships. Guests can enter dietary restrictions so available foods can be evaluated according to those restrictions.
That does not mean every dining location can provide the same level of dietary accommodation. Carnival specifically says dietary requirements can be accommodated in the main dining room with the chef, while food from the Lido buffet and other locations cannot be guaranteed to be free of allergens.
Important Information for Guests with Celiac Disease or Food Allergies
A gluten-free menu does not eliminate the possibility of cross-contact.
Carnival explicitly states that its ships have large galleys preparing foods containing gluten and other allergens and that it cannot guarantee a completely allergen-free environment.
For guests dealing with a food allergy, intolerance or another dietary requirement, Carnival recommends informing both the Maître d’ and dining team. The dining staff can also assist with planning meals and pre-ordering meals for the following day when necessary.
This is particularly important for anyone who needs strict gluten avoidance rather than simply preferring gluten-free food.
Are Carnival Gluten-Free Meals Included?
Most standard main dining room selections are included in the cruise fare, but some items shown on these menus carry additional charges.
The menus pictured here show the Bonsai Sushi Ship for two at $34 and Mile-High Gelato Pie at $6. Steakhouse Premium Selections are shown with a $25 surcharge per entrée plus a 20% service charge.
Some of the menus also state that a $5 surcharge applies when ordering a third entrée or more.
Prices and policies can change, so the photographs are best used as examples of the menus and prices offered when these particular menus were collected rather than a guarantee of what will appear on a future sailing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Carnival Cruise Line have a gluten-free dinner menu?
Yes. Carnival currently states that its ships outside Australia offer a separate gluten-free menu in the main dining room.
Does Carnival have gluten-free food besides dinner?
Yes. Carnival says gluten-free pizza dough, pasta, deli bread, hamburger buns and cake are available upon request, among other options.
Are Carnival’s gluten-free options the same every night?
No. The menus shown here contain different appetizers, entrées and desserts, and Carnival states that its main dining room dinner menu changes each evening.
Does Carnival have gluten-free desserts?
Yes. The menus shown here include numerous dessert choices, including options such as cappuccino cheesecake, Bitter ’N Blanc, bourbon pecan pudding, crème brûlée, Black Forest gâteau and Carnival Melting Chocolate Cake, depending on the menu.
Can guests with celiac disease eat on Carnival?
Carnival accommodates gluten-free dietary requirements, but guests who require strict gluten avoidance should speak with the Maître d’ and dining team. Carnival warns that it cannot guarantee a completely allergen-free environment or eliminate the possibility of cross-contamination.
Does Carnival have a food-allergy system?
Yes. Carnival says Menu Mate is available on most ships and can identify options based on entered food restrictions.
Are the Steakhouse Premium Selections free?
No. The menus pictured here list a $25 surcharge for each Steakhouse Premium Selection and state that a 20% service charge is automatically added.
Is the Bonsai Sushi Ship included?
No. The menus shown here list the Bonsai Sushi Ship for two at $34.
Are these exact menus guaranteed on my Carnival cruise?
No. Menu selections, availability, prices and menu rotations can change. These photographs provide a useful look at the Carnival gluten-free dinner menus represented in this particular menu set, but passengers should confirm current options onboard.
Conclusion
Carnival Cruise Line’s gluten-free dinner menus offer a surprisingly broad selection for guests who need or prefer to avoid gluten.
Across the menus shown here, the choices extend well beyond basic grilled meat and vegetables. There are soups, salads, seafood, pasta dishes, steaks, lamb, chicken, vegetarian selections and a rotating collection of desserts, along with featured dishes and Carnival Crew Favorites.
More importantly, Carnival provides a separate gluten-free menu in the main dining room on ships outside Australia and has procedures in place to help guests manage dietary restrictions.
Anyone with celiac disease, a food allergy or another condition requiring strict dietary control should still discuss their needs directly with the onboard dining team. Carnival makes clear that cross-contact cannot be completely eliminated, so the gluten-free menu should be viewed as part of the ship’s dietary-accommodation process rather than a guarantee of an allergen-free environment.
For passengers simply trying to see what eating gluten-free on a Carnival cruise may actually look like, these menus provide a detailed preview of the variety available.
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