Picky Eaters Get Exactly What They Want on a Carnival Cruise #CarnivalPartner

One of the things I looked forward to most about our Carnival Cruise was escaping from “kitchen duty” for seven whole days! It’s pretty hard for me to make a large family meal where all three of us will eat same thing. A.J. has food allergies where we must avoid seafood and nuts; I do my best to eat low carb; my husband has a more adventurous palate, but he doesn’t eat beef. We rarely eat dinner together or at the same time, unless it’s a weekend. For one week, we ate most of our meals together (except for an occasional solo parent meal here or there) on the cruise.

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Here’s a glimpse at the array of cuisine we enjoyed on board Carnival Glory as part of our collaboration. As always, all of my opinions, thoughts and ideas in this post are my own. If you have picky eaters in your family, this will cover all of your questions and concerns.

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On your family’s next cruise, you’ll be blown away by the massive amount of work and attention the ship’s staff dedicates to getting your food just right. Head Chef Frank Fernandes told me each night his staff is responsible for at least 1,700 dinners at each of the three nightly seatings. There are four galleys, or kitchens, including its own set of escalators to move food from floor to floor. Although the Carnival Glory stopped throughout the Caribbean, all off the ship’s food comes from the United States.

Kids’ Cuisine

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A.J.’s favorite place to eat was the Pizza Pirate on the ship’s Lido Deck. With fresh dough each day and made to order pizza, it’s perfect for kids and teens. I admit, I enjoyed Pizza Pirate for lunch several days too. It wasn’t exactly low carb, but it was made to order every day.

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A.J. was excited to examine the dinner menu each night where he could choose from allergy-friendly foods like chicken fingers with mixed vegetables, chicken noodle soup, veal parmesan and of course – pepperoni pizza. He impressed me with selecting healthy choices like fresh vegetables every night to dip into honey mustard salad dressing.

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Low Carb Cuisine

Each night for dinner I ordered the Caesar salad or kale salad as my appetizer. The fresh greens and creamy dressing were just what I needed after time at the pool and our excursions in the Caribbean.

For a rare treat, I went to dinner by myself at the Emerald Steakhouse. This dining option requires a reservation and offers premium cuts of meat like New York Strip Loin, Grilled Prime Cowboy Steak, Filet Mignon and Lamb Chops. The Emerald Steakhouse staff gives you a thorough look at the available cuts, and then you can select a complimentary sauce.

I started with the shrimp cocktail, which was so succulent and juicy that I wasn’t sure how I could eat a full dinner. But I found room for the surf & turf: lobster tail with drawn butter and filet mignon with peppercorn sauce.

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Pescatarian Cuisine

My husband was all about the seafood selection on each night’s menu. We were careful to ask the serving staff handling my husband’s seafood not to handle A.J.’s food as well.

He’d start with an oyster appetizer and finish with something reminiscent of his Mississippi roots, like shrimp creole with rice.

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For my husband, it was a stress-free dinner because when he usually makes these foods at home they’re expensive and labor-intensive. Since he also has a larger appetite at night, Antoine Sr. was delighted to know he could order more than one appetizer or entrée at a time.

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Comment below: On your family’s next Carnival Cruise, what menu item would be their favorite? Does your family have allergy concerns or foods they usually avoid?

What I’ll remember most is how each nightly meal together allowed us to calm down and reflect on our vacation. No one had to set the table or wash dishes. Our wait staff was amazing. It was the little things like remembering that A.J. and Antoine Sr. sat together each night. Or remembering to put a kids’ cup and a straw at A.J.’s place setting that made our cruise cuisine marvelous.

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This post was created for Away We Go with Carnival, the destination for getting in the getaway state of mind. Head on over.

About Joyce Brewer

Creator & Host of Mommy Talk Show. Emmy award-winning TV journalist.Wife & Mommy; Mom Blogger; Social Media Coach; Long Island, New York transplant living in Atlanta, GA. Follow Joyce on Twitter @MommyTalkShow Author of Use What You Know: A Business Idea Guide for Moms featuring interviews with mompreneurs who created businesses using their skills & backgrounds.

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37 comments

  1. I love cruising. So many choices, and the fact that l only unpack once :-). All the food looks yummy, especially the pizza. My goodness, your boy is so cute with those trendy glasses. I’ve taken a Carnival cruise before and would definitely do it again..

  2. It’s such a relief that they cater to everyone’s likes.
    My son is BEYOND picky and it narrows down wherw we go to eat.
    I wanted to plan a cruise but the food issue was one of my worries.
    Thanks for this post.

  3. Thanks for the sneak preview of the menus!! Red will love all that pizza!!

  4. Oh, he’s so cute! I hear so much about the food on cruise ships. I would go on one just for that alone!

  5. I have never been on a cruise but I can imagine that what’s there is whats there so you can’t be to picky. I always wonder do they run out of food on ships?

  6. I’ve been on a cruise once and I really enjoyed the food. I can’t wait to go on another one.

  7. Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle

    That is so great! Normally, I’m in the “you eat what we eat” school of thought. But I think for a cruise vacation, this is a great way to keep everyone happy.

  8. One of the best things about going on a cruise is all of the food options. They have something for everyone. I can going on two Carnival cruises this year.

  9. My daughter is gluten free so it’s always a struggle to find places on vacation that can accommodate her celiac disease. We have heard great things about Carnival Cruise Line for food choices and being allergy friendly.

  10. I love cruising with Carnival! I’m heading on a cruise with them in less than a month. Can’t wait to get away – especially from kitchen duty.

  11. Looks like there was tons of variety to choose from ! Carnival is the perfect cruise spot for those picky eaters.

  12. I have heard that eating on a cruise is fantastic. It is great to know they are so willing to help out picky eaters.

  13. We have been on a few cruises, all with Carnival, and absolutely loved the food selection. Everything tasted delicious and I still crave their chocolate molten cake!

  14. OMG this food looks so good, and so many options to choose from. The thought of no kitchen duty for a week sounds good too. It’s been 16 years since I went on a cruise, our first and only.

  15. It’s awesome that you guys were able to have some stress-free family meals. I’d be pretty happy with some of those dishes!

  16. I’ve always wanted to go on a cruise, but the hubby is not having it. That food looks really good!

  17. Toni | BoulderLocavore

    Your son has to be the most darling child on the face of this planet! I know I’m suppose to be paying attention to the cruise food, and I did, but he radiates such joy and happiness in every photos it’s impossible not to grin from ear to ear when one sees his little picture! I appreciate the food run down. So many options!

  18. I love Carnival Cruise food! Man I blame them for the extra weight I gained on my 8day cruise on Carnival Sunshine but man I can say my favorite part was the food!! I was so happy to see your social update when you went on this trip and I am happy you son enjoyed the food selections too!

  19. I have heard how amazing the food is on a Carnival Cruise. I would love the great selection of treats they have.

  20. Looks like you all had a wonderful selection of food on your trip. I would have gone for the seafood, my favorite. Thanks for sharing!

  21. It’s nice to know that they are so accommodating to everyone’s specific needs. The food all looks amazing! And that is such a luxury to have a delicious meal that you didn’t have to prep, cook and clean up after!

  22. Wow – the cruise sounds awesome and the food looks amazing! Having that kitchen vacation sounds pretty awesome too – I think I’d like that. I’ve been wanting to try a cruise, but with food allergies in the family it was something about which we’ve been concerned. Seems like it might be a possibility for us after all!

  23. What a beautiful family! I love that cruise ships have so many food options that actually taste good. Initially, I envisioned the food being bland due to the large quantities of food that they have to make. I’m glad I was mistaken.

  24. BIG thumbs up for a picky eater menu. Vacation is the last place you want melt downs about meals.

  25. This is exactly why I love cruising! A week off from kitchen-duty, a week off from the grumpy faces pushing peas around their plates, and a week of eating together!

  26. Now this is something I need to try with the boychild. He is an extremely picky eater so this would be right up his alley.

  27. Chrystal | Nevermore Lane

    These days I opt for the low carb cuisine. It helps so much with the health problems I am battling. All of this looks amazing. I hope to take a fabulous cruise one day.

  28. I have friends who go on many cruises, and the most epic thing for them is always the food. Lol. That’s so funny to me.

  29. I love that they offer allergy friendly foods for those who need to watch for that. It was also nice to see low carb choices. It seems easy to stay on your diet while on the cruise.

  30. Chasing Joy (Arlett) (@Chasing_Joy)

    Cruise food is so good. They have so many options for every diet imagenable. My first cruise was on carnival and we ate a lot! LOL

  31. Chanel | Cultural Xplorer

    The food on your cruise looks divine – I have yet to go on a cruise to date, however when I do go on one, it seems like the meal options would be great for any picky eaters I might travel with 😀

  32. It is so nice to know that you guys were able to enjoy any type of food that your heart desires…

  33. That looks and sounds amazing. I would love to enjoy seven days of not worrying about food. Eat what I want and others eat what they want.

  34. Thanks for sharing this. We are planning to take The Boy Child for his birthday in September.

  35. We’re thinking of taking The Boy Child on a cruise for his birthday in September. I know he’s going to enjoy it

    • He will. Camp Ocean was A.J.’s favorite. They had non-stop fun and video games. He never wanted to leave. Camp Ocean also has child care until 1 a.m.!