Lunch on a cruise should be free, easy, and delicious.  Carnival Cruises have some great, free, quick-service lunch options.  From burgers, to chicken sandwiches, to tacos, to Mongolian, lunch on board a Carnival ship is sure to please everyone if you know where to look.  

People who just head to the buffet for lunch on Carnival, or who haven’t been on a Carnival ship since they have been upgraded are probably wondering why anyone would think lunch on Carnival is good.  I remember those days before Carnival did it’s Fun Ship 2.0 upgrades and there was a buffet and substandard burgers.  

Those days are long gone, my friend.  

Lunch on Carnival really is something to write home about.

So what are the free lunch options on a Carnival Cruise? 

Disclaimer: This list includes things that are available on most Carnival cruise ships, however, not all ships have exactly the same options.  Check the details for your specific ship to see what is included on it.  (The Carnival website does a pretty good job of showing what food service places are on each ship.) 

Available on ALL Carnival ships: 

Guy’s Burgers

Absolutely my favorite lunch on a Carnival ship.  The first thing I do every time I step on board a Carnival cruise is make a bee-line to Guy’s for a burger and fries.  Sometimes we say this is the reason we sail Carnival so much – because we miss Guy’s Burgers.  

Seriously. 

They are amazing.  

Blue Iguana Cantina 

Blue Iguana is another great free lunch option on a Carnival Cruise.  They serve tacos and taco salads for lunch.  The tacos are fairly small and allow you to get a sampling and try different things. 

They have the choice of pork, chicken and fish as a meat.  (The fish is fried and is mostly breading, but I equally recommend both the pork and chicken.)  Once you choose your meat you can go over to the toppings bar and top your tacos however you like.  

Pizza 

Carnival serves pizza 24/7.  I mean, that’s what they say.  I’ve never tried to get pizza at 6 am, but I assume it’s really open then.  It is a thin crust style pizza and can be kind of hit and miss.  Some days you get it hot and fresh and it’s amazing.  Sometimes it’s just ok.

It does occasionally get a long line because they technically make it to order. It can get really backed up when people are getting back from a port day and there is very little open.  

The Buffet

I can’t talk about the free lunch choices on Carnival without talking about the options you find on the buffet.  Let’s start with the good parts.  It’s well organized.  It’s consistent – it has very similar items no matter what ship you are on or which day of the cruise.  

It has a theme every day, but there are some standard items.  You will always find a salad (normally at the beginning of the line) and some cold salad choices. 

Then there is a theme for the day.  Don’t eat the American food.  Eat something more international.  I’m not trying to say this because you’re on vacation and you should eat something more exotic or something like that.  My point is that the food was not cooked by someone who grew up cooking or eating American food.  There is amazing America food at home (assuming you live in America), but the chefs on Carnival are not experts at American food.  Make more international choices and the food quality will be better.  

Looking for more on my theories about what to eat on board Carnival. Check out the Ultimate Guide to Food on Carnival 

Also in the buffet you will find the desserts.  There is a cake station.  It is pretty awesome because they have a HUGE selection daily. You check out the cakes and tell them which ones you would like to try. 

I say which ones, because we find it best to grab a couple and sample.  Most of them are pretty good.  They usually cut small slices, especially if you are requesting several. 

The cakes will repeat if you are on a longer cruise, but they do change daily. Don’t assume that just because you didn’t like the choices yesterday you shouldn’t go take a look at them today. 

Free lunch options that are on some, but not all, Carnival Cruise ships 

Mongolian Wok 

This is our second favorite lunch option and it is not on every ship.  In the Mongolian Wok, basically you choose a base of rice or noodles and then you choose some vegetables to go on it.  When you get to the chefs you tell them what meat(s), sauces and your spice level.  They then toss everything into the wok and cook it in front of you.  

Because you can load up on veggies (you don’t have to get rice, noodles, or meat if you don’t want it) this feels like a healthy option.  The Mongolian Wok is also fresh, hot and fun.  It is, however, usually not the fastest.  It often has a long line and they do cook it in front of you so be prepared to wait if it is a popular time on the ship.  

Pig and Anchor 

Guy’s second quick service option on board Carnival is a barbecue spot.  Pig and Anchor has barbecue, sausages with traditional sides like baked beans and mac & cheese.  It is often located on a side deck and not with the rest of the buffet foods.  If you are craving good American food but don’t want a burger, this is the choice for you.  Different parts of America have different versions of Barbecue, so it might not be the one local to you, but it’s pretty good.  The other meats and sides they offer are good and that mac & cheese is on point.  

Shaq’s Big Chicken 

Full disclosure – we have not yet been on one of the ships with Shaq’s Big Chicken.  Currently this fried chicken joint is only on the Mardi Gras, Radiance and Celebration.  But a little fried chicken sandwich on a cruise sounds like it could really hit the spot.  

Cucina del Capitano 

The Italian specialty restaurant turns into a build your own pasta bar for lunch and is complementary.  This is a great option especially on longer cruises where you feel like you have sampled everything else and want to try something different.  Because it is highly customizable you can get your pasta pretty much any way with any sauce you want. 

The specialty restaurant is also slightly out of the hustle and bustle of the main buffet and it’s surrounding area so it is a great spot to have a quiet lunch on sea days.  It is made to order so that can take a minute, but because it is a little further away and not everyone knows about it, there is usually not a line.  

So what’s the best place to grab a free lunch on a Carnival cruise ship?  

I always start with a Guy’s Burger.  It is absolutely my favorite, but usually throughout a cruise I hit up all of these options at some point.  They all have some good options – it really just depends on your taste.  

What to read next: 

Top tips for your first Carnival Cruise

Embarkation Day on a Carnival Cruise

What is included in the price on a Carnival Cruise