Carnival introduced all new fleet-wide 3-night dinner menus in 2026 and is rolling them out to all ships. You’ll notice some old favorites as well as a new section called “Carnival Crew Favorites” featuring global flavors from the home countries of crew members. While this will almost always be the order of the menus for 3-night itineraries, if you’re using these to plan for specialty restaurant nights, I highly recommend stopping by the MDR on embarkation day and double checking with the maître d,’ as occasionally on certain itineraries the order will be different.
Here are answers to some commonly asked questions followed by the menus for 3 night cruises.
There is one “elegant” (formal) nights on a 3-night Carnival cruise. This will usually take place on night two.
No, complimentary lobster is not served in the main dining room on a 3-night Carnival cruise. Complimentary lobster is only served on cruises 6 nights or longer.
Yes, dinners in the main dining room (MDR) are included as part of your cruise fare on Carnival. However, note that there will be an additional $5 charge for each entree over two (so the first two entrees per person are included at no extra charge). Appetizers and desserts are unlimited. There are some sushi and steakhouse items you can order for an upcharge as noted on the menus below.
No, these items are included as part of your cruise fare at no extra charge.
No. Except for a few rare exceptions, Carnival does not allow “to go” or leftover items to be taken from the MDR. This policy is primarily due to the logistical difficulty of getting MDR-specific dishes and cutlery back into service if they’re removed.
Night 3 menu coming soon. Please check back.
I always buy travel insurance to cover my cruises, but I never purchase it through Carnival. It costs more and usually covers less than policies you purchase on your own. I go through sites like travelinsurance.com* to compare plans and prices and get the best deal for the coverage I want. It’s a simple process – just enter your travel dates, total travel costs (airfare, cruise fare, hotel, etc), and a few bits of information about yourself and see quotes and read reviews. Spend less on insurance and spend more on excursions, special onboard cruise experiences and…future cruises!
*I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you when you purchase products and services through links on my site. All funds go to maintain the blog. Thanks for your support!
The rollout schedule for when the new menus are coming to each Carnival ship.
Carnival's Express Dinner Menus (new 2026 menus).
Carnivals new updated gluten free dinner menus for 2026.