MIAMI, June 11, 2026 – Today, Carnival Cruise Line revealed The Next Course, a new wave of culinary experiences featuring restaurants and bars launching on Carnival Festivale in 2027 and Carnival Tropicale in 2028, and with new innovative dining experiences now being rolled out across the fleet.
Carnival carries more than six million guests and serves over 100 million meals annually, giving the cruise line unique dining trend insights which fueled the new culinary offerings.
To unveil The Next Course, Carnival hosted an immersive event in New Orleans with Chief Culinary Officer Emeril Lagasse that gave attendees a behind-the-scenes look into Carnival’s culinary future.
“Our approach to dining combined with our team’s amazing service is a driving force behind Carnival’s success,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “Our latest culinary adventure marks a bold step forward to give guests an unforgettable experience with a variety of new vibrant flavors fleetwide.”
New Restaurants and Bars:
The Next Course line-up will feature new innovative specialty restaurants and bars, including:
- Emeril’s Coastal Seafood: Coastal-inspired cuisine from Emeril Lagasse.
- Uku Lei Lei: Hawaiian specialties and Asian classics.
- Fetaccine: Mediterranean-inspired, combining Italian favorites and Greek specialties.
- Le Bistro Musicale: Classic French cuisine in a relaxed, music-filled Parisian setting, which will be exclusively on Carnival Festivale.
Carnival Festivale will also uniquely feature several new bar outlets, including:
- The Spark: Vibrant lounge featuring live performances and cocktails inspired by iconic songs.
- Mix: Playful bar where guests can order creative cocktails or craft their own drinks, layering unique flavors.
- Festival Grounds Coffee & Bar: Specialty coffees and cocktails served in a dynamic space.
Fleetwide Culinary Enhancements:
Carnival’s The Next Course also introduces new fleetwide dining options:
- Refreshed Menus: New culinary creations in the Main Dining Room for breakfast, brunch and dinner; Lido Marketplace including, a new Lido Family Menu offering daily kid-approved favorites; and BlueIguana Cantina with daily rotating specials.
- Bagels @ Sea: Freshly baked bagels with assorted toppings.
- Chef’s Table Menu Revamp: Elevated multi-course dinners with regionally inspired flavors.
- Pop-Ups: Fruity & Frosted Breakfast Bars and Ice Cream and Milkshake Bars add new fast-casual options to Excel-class ships, and a variety of other fun pop-ups fleetwide.
- Mobile Coffee Shop Order & Pickup: Expanded grab-and-go options and mobile ordering for greater convenience.
- Express Dining: Offers faster, more convenient dining in the Main Dining Room.