Carnival Cruise Thanksgiving Dinner Menus
Thanksgiving at sea still comes with many of the familiar holiday favorites. These Carnival Cruise Line Thanksgiving menus show the special dining options offered for Thanksgiving 2025, including a full dinner menu and a separate Bistro Thanksgiving selection.
Traditional turkey and sweet potatoes are represented, but the choices go well beyond a standard Thanksgiving meal. Depending on the menu, selections include beef short ribs, crab cake, salmon Wellington, lamb, steak, seafood, vegetarian dishes, and several holiday desserts.
For cruisers spending Thanksgiving onboard Carnival, these menus provide a useful example of what the cruise line’s holiday dining can look like.
Carnival Thanksgiving Dinner Menu
The main Carnival Thanksgiving dinner menu combines a traditional holiday meal with a much broader selection of appetizers, starters, entrées, steakhouse selections, and desserts.
Passengers looking for a classic Thanksgiving dinner can choose the Holiday Roasted Tom Turkey, while those who want something different have numerous seafood, beef, pork, lamb, and vegetarian alternatives.
Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner
The most recognizable holiday option on the menu is the Holiday Roasted Tom Turkey.
Carnival serves it with Thanksgiving stuffing, sweet potato casserole, green beans, giblet gravy, and cranberry relish. Together, those sides create the traditional Thanksgiving plate many passengers may be hoping to find while celebrating the holiday at sea.
Another seasonal entrée is Maple Glazed Pork Tenderloin, served with apple compote, creamed Brussels sprouts, and sweet potato gratin.
For a meat-free choice, Spinach & Ricotta Ravioli comes with pumpkin and tomato cream sauce, toasted breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and sage.
Appetizers and Starters
The menu offers a sizable selection before the main course.
The appetizer section includes Baked Brie topped with spiced pear, cranberry, fig, and pecan crumble and served with olive crostini. Wild Mushroom Soup en Croûte features wild mushrooms simmered with fresh herbs and cream inside a buttery puff pastry crust.
Additional starters include Beer-Braised Beef Short Ribs Confit served over a mac and cheese croquette, Beef Tenderloin Tartare, Deviled Eggs, Shrimp Cocktail, Crab Cake with Lobster Creole Sauce, Smoked Ham & Split Pea Soup, Holiday Salad, and Caesar Salad.
There is enough variety here for passengers who want a Thanksgiving-inspired meal without necessarily choosing traditional Thanksgiving dishes for every course.
Thanksgiving Entrées
Beyond turkey and pork tenderloin, Carnival’s menu includes a wide range of main courses.
Jumbo Shrimp is accompanied by seafood paella, lemon beurre blanc, roasted broccoli, and sweet peas.
Salmon Wellington with Tarragon Cream Sauce features baked puff pastry filled with salmon, spinach, and cream cheese, enhanced with dill and served with baby carrots and asparagus.
The Seared Duck Breast with Cherry-Port Sauce comes with wine-braised red cabbage, roasted butternut purée, fingerling potatoes, and asparagus.
A Lamb Duo combines roasted lamb loin and grilled lamb chops with potato rosette, carrot purée, braised fennel, and rosemary reduction.
The Blue Cheese-Crusted Filet Mignon is served with black truffle jus, warm mustard potatoes, and roasted vegetables.
A Lentil & Vegetable Pie and a Featured Indian Vegetarian selection provide additional meat-free alternatives.
Carnival Steakhouse Selection
The Thanksgiving menu also includes a Steakhouse Selection section featuring premium choices.
Options shown are Surf & Turf with lobster tail and grilled filet mignon, Broiled Filet Mignon, New York Strip Steak, Broiled Lobster Tail, and a 14 oz Wagyu Cheeseburger.
The menu states that the steakhouse selection features premium aged USDA beef and that a surcharge of $25 applies to each selection.
Thanksgiving Desserts
Carnival gives the dessert course a seasonal touch as well.
Swirled Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake is paired with spiced crisp vanilla anglaise, while Caramel Apple Cobbler comes with butter pecan ice cream.
Other choices include Carnival Melting Chocolate Cake, a Mile-High Gelato Pie listed at $6, a selection of ice cream and sherbet, cheese plate, and fresh tropical fruit.
Carnival Bistro Thanksgiving Menu
The second photo shows Carnival’s Bistro Thanksgiving 2025 menu.
This is presented differently from the full dinner menu and centers on a carvery selection accompanied by numerous additional dishes and sides.
The featured carvery item is Holiday Roasted Tom Turkey with Thanksgiving stuffing, sweet potato casserole, giblet gravy, and cranberry relish.
Other selections include Wild Mushroom Soup, Beer-Braised Beef Short Ribs Confit, Crab Cake with Lobster Creole Sauce, Lentil & Vegetable Pie, Salmon Wellington with Tarragon Cream Sauce, Flame-Grilled Striploin Steak, Roast Lamb Leg, Maple-Glazed Ham, Spinach & Ricotta Ravioli, Seafood Paella, and Paneer Tikka Masala.
Sides include Creamed Brussels Sprouts, Seasonal Roasted Vegetables, Sautéed Green Beans, and Sweet Mashed Potatoes.
Vegetarian and Gluten-Free Choices
The Bistro Thanksgiving menu makes dietary choices particularly easy to identify through symbols.
Vegetarian selections include Wild Mushroom Soup, Lentil & Vegetable Pie, Spinach & Ricotta Ravioli, Paneer Tikka Masala, Seasonal Roasted Vegetables, Sautéed Green Beans, and Sweet Mashed Potatoes.
The menu marks Seafood Paella, Seasonal Roasted Vegetables, Sautéed Green Beans, and Sweet Mashed Potatoes as gluten free.
It also identifies dishes containing nuts and pork. Carnival advises passengers to inform their server of any food allergies.
Main Dining Room vs. Bistro Thanksgiving Options
Looking at these two Carnival Thanksgiving menus together shows two different approaches to the holiday meal.
The larger dinner menu follows a traditional multi-course format with appetizers, starters, entrées, steakhouse selections, and desserts. The Bistro menu presents the Holiday Roasted Tom Turkey as its featured carvery item alongside a broader collection of dishes and sides.
Both still emphasize Thanksgiving flavors while providing alternatives for passengers who would rather have seafood, beef, lamb, pasta, or vegetarian food.
What to Expect From Thanksgiving on a Carnival Cruise
These menus are useful for anyone considering spending Thanksgiving on a Carnival cruise because they show that celebrating the holiday at sea doesn’t necessarily mean giving up a traditional Thanksgiving meal.
Turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, gravy, and cranberry relish are all represented. At the same time, the menus provide enough alternatives that passengers who aren’t interested in turkey still have plenty to choose from.
Menus and individual dishes can change between sailings, ships, and years, so these 2025 menus are best used as an example of Carnival’s Thanksgiving dining rather than a guarantee of what will appear on a future cruise.
FAQ
Does Carnival serve Thanksgiving dinner?
These 2025 menus show Carnival offering special Thanksgiving dining selections, including traditional roasted turkey with Thanksgiving accompaniments.
Does Carnival serve turkey on Thanksgiving?
Yes. Both menus feature Holiday Roasted Tom Turkey with Thanksgiving stuffing, sweet potato casserole, giblet gravy, and cranberry relish. The main dinner version also lists green beans.
Are there non-turkey options?
Yes. The menus shown include beef, pork, lamb, seafood, pasta, and vegetarian selections in addition to turkey.
Does Carnival have vegetarian food for Thanksgiving?
Yes. Vegetarian selections shown across these menus include Lentil & Vegetable Pie, Spinach & Ricotta Ravioli, Paneer Tikka Masala, Wild Mushroom Soup, and several vegetable sides.
Are gluten-free selections marked?
The Bistro Thanksgiving 2025 menu uses a GF symbol to identify gluten-free selections.
Does Carnival offer Thanksgiving desserts?
The main dinner menu shown includes Swirled Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake and Caramel Apple Cobbler, along with Carnival Melting Chocolate Cake and several other dessert choices.
Is the Steakhouse Selection included with Thanksgiving dinner?
The menu specifically states that a $25 surcharge applies to each Steakhouse Selection.
Will Carnival serve exactly these dishes on my Thanksgiving cruise?
Not necessarily. These photos document Thanksgiving menus from 2025. Menus and individual selections can change, so passengers should check the menu available on their own sailing for current choices.
Conclusion
Carnival’s Thanksgiving menus show that passengers can enjoy a recognizable holiday dinner while still having the variety expected from cruise dining. Traditional roasted turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, gravy, and cranberry relish sit alongside dishes such as salmon Wellington, beef short ribs, lamb, seafood paella, steak, and vegetarian selections.
For anyone considering a Carnival Thanksgiving cruise, these 2025 menus provide a helpful look at the type of holiday dining experience Carnival has offered onboard—and show that spending Thanksgiving at sea doesn’t mean missing out on Thanksgiving dinner.
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