Complete Food Guide on Carnival Cruise Jubilee and Travel Tips!
- Cici Cao
- 13 hours ago
- 11 min read
All photos are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers
We embarked on our cruise on November 1st, 2025. The Carnival Cruise Jubilee marks our inaugural experience with Carnival Cruise Line, as well as our first departure from the Galveston, TX cruise port. As seasoned cruisers, we naturally intend to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of this cruise line in comparison to others we have experienced, such as NCL, Virgin, MSC, Princess, Celebrity, and Royal Caribbean. In this blog, we will primarily focus on the culinary offerings, while also providing tips that we hope will be useful in planning your next Carnival cruise.
The Carnival Jubilee embarked on its maiden voyage on December 23, 2023, departing from Galveston, Texas. The ship measures 1,130 feet in length and has a gross tonnage of about 183,521. It can accommodate 5,374 guests at double occupancy, supported by a crew of 1,735. The vessel includes 18 passenger decks and can host up to 6,630 people when the crew is included.
Preboarding Preparation
Don't forget to download the Carnival Hub app! It's super handy since you can check the ship's time, see what's happening daily, find out where to grab food or drinks, check your room account balance, book excursions, see your casino tier and balance, book the onboard rollercoaster, reserve restaurants, get an internet package, and view the ship's deck plans.
Make sure to print out your embarkation papers, or you'll end up having to wait in another line at check-in to get it printed by an employee. It was pretty annoying because they didn’t mention this, and we always just used the app before for other cruise lines. But they're really strict about needing a paper ticket for everyone.
If you've got drinks in plastic or your own bottles, you'll need to toss the liquid. You're allowed to bring a 12-pack on board, but make sure they're in metal cans.
Bringing a water bottle was a lifesaver since there aren't any cups in the gym. You'll either have to use the water fountains or bring your own bottle.
The TV channels on board are pretty limited. You can get movies on demand, but you'll have to pay for them. It's a good idea to download a bunch of movies beforehand so you have something to watch. They do have movie nights on certain days, but it can get a bit repetitive.
Onboard Cruise Tips:
If you didn't pick a dining time when you booked your cruise, make sure to use the app to check in when the Pacific or Atlantic restaurant is open. They usually let you check in a bit earlier on the app. Once your table's ready, they'll send you a notification. It's much better than hanging around in the crowd by the restaurant. On sea days, everyone wants to do brunch at Pacific. We checked in pretty early but still ended up waiting about an hour for our table.
Cucina del Capitano and Chibang are two special dining spots you can try out for free on your first visit, and then it's just $8 per person after that. Make sure to check in on the app ahead of time, as the wait can get pretty long. We recommend hitting up other specialty dining places you’re interested in first and saving these for later in your cruise since most folks will have already tried them by then. These restaurants are also open for lunch on some sea days, but remember, the charge still applies if you've already used your freebie.
There's no strict limit on how many dishes you can order at specialty dining spots. They seem pretty chill with you getting two or three appetizers and one main dish. At Cucina del Capitano and Chibang, the server mentioned you can even order two main dishes if you want. Just be friendly with your server and avoid wasting food, and I'm sure you'll get to try more than one dish in each category.
On most sea days, the pools on the 8th and 16th floors are packed with kids. If you're looking for a chill spot, head to "Serenity" for adults on the 18th floor. It's a hidden gem (and it's FREE) that most folks don't discover until later in the cruise. Also, the towels there are a different color, so make sure you check in and check out when you return them, or you might get charged.
We ran into a few problems like our stateroom not being super clean, a kind of broken balcony door, and some undercooked chicken at one of the restaurants. Just a heads up, you can ask them to take off the daily tips on the last day of your cruise, and then you can just tip the servers or stateroom attendants in cash if you think they deserve it.
If you want to snag an early disembarkation time, the app is your best bet. Make sure to do it ASAP, because even if you pick the earliest time, you might end up in a later group since a lot of experienced carnival cruisers are on the same page.
If you're into board games or cards, make sure to pack your own since there’s no spot on the ship that offers them. Also, there's no library, so don’t forget to bring something to read. But hey, you can grab crosswords daily at two bars—one on the 6th floor and the other on the 8th.
There are a couple of cool free activities on board: a craft/color event on sea days and a virtual aquarium. You can color your own fish and watch them come to life in the display! Mini-golf is also free. The roller coaster costs $15/PP.
If you go for the thermal suite option at the spa, just know that the "jacuzzi" pool only has one corner with bubbles; the rest is more like a lukewarm soaking tub. The steam room, aromatherapy room, salt therapy, and sauna are pretty nice, but sometimes people don’t shut the doors properly, and the heat escapes. The best time to visit is in the last few hours before they close at 10pm because it’s less crowded, and you can snag one of those hot stone beds.
They charge $5 for texting in the Hub APP, but we found a little loophole. Somehow, our texts still went through to everyone in the outside world, even non-iPhone users, just by connecting to the free ship WiFi. So, definitely give it a shot before paying that extra fee you don't really need.
Food Options
Complimentary
"Pacific Restaurant" - (you might also get "Atlantic Restaurant" for dinner, so just check your app to see which one you're assigned to) – They're open for brunch and dinner. The brunch menu stays the same, but for dinner, there's both an express dining menu and a full menu that changes daily. With so many food choices on this ship, we only managed to have dinner here once, on the last day.
Big Chicken – We tried this on our first day on board. It's pretty saucy and fried, so if that's your thing, you'll probably enjoy it. They're open for lunch and also offer a light breakfast in the morning.
Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse – They offer breakfast just like Lido, but if you're up for a change of scenery, give this spot a shot. They've got an ice cream truck and an espresso machine, so it's the only place to snag a free "specialty coffee." You can also grab a smaller lunch menu and a full dinner menu here. If you're willing to pay, they have ribs and wings. Our top picks were the brisket and pulled pork.
Lido Market – This is your usual buffet spot. Unlike other ships with loads of stations, there are usually just one main station and some other stations that all serve the same stuff. In the morning, there's a separate area for omelets and bread, and some of the paid stations are open for dinner too. There's a salad station, but it doesn't have a huge selection. Lida is open late at night from 11:30 pm to 2 am.
Blueguana Cantina –You can snag breakfast options like arepas and huevos rancheros, plus lunch burritos and tacos here. The best part? They've got a ton of toppings you can add to your dishes.
Guy’s Burger Joint – They're open for lunch, and you can create your own burger. Everyone goes on about the Donkey sauce, but we thought it was just okay.
Street Eats – There are three spots here where you can snag a free item each day, and they switch it up daily. There's a fries station offering different kinds of fries with all sorts of toppings, plus two Asian stations that sometimes serve bao, dim sum, or kababs. Everything's super tasty. Also, if you're in the mood for bagels in the morning, you should definitely check out what they've got. They've got all sorts of cream cheese and fun combos. The rainbow bagel was definitely our favorite.
Fresh Creation –This salad bar spot is only open on seadays, not every day, so be sure to check the daily planner. They've got a few extra ingredients, but the salad dressing options are pretty limited on this ship.
Coastal Slice – Pizza is open from 9am to midnight. They've got the same 5 types for free all the time, but the paid ones switch up every day. We loved the pizzas and went there A LOT.
Swirls Soft Serve & Froyo – You can find these machines at Guy’s Burger Joint, Lido Market, and Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse. They switch up the flavors every now and then.
Beach Buns – They're usually open from 12 noon to 10 pm. They serve sandwiches, hot dogs, salad, soup, and the cheese melt is sooo good.
Speciality Dining (Paid)
Emeril’s Bistro 717 – We didn't check out this spot. It's not in a typical restaurant setting; instead, it's in an open seating area on Deck 6. They offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner, focusing mostly on Southern and seafood dishes. The menu is a la carte.
Cucina Del Capitano – The first time's free for everyone, and after that, it's $8 per person. They're open for both lunch and dinner. We only went for dinner and tried the Arancini, Nonna’s Meatballs, Caprese Salad, and the Rucola, Cracked Farro Salad as appetizers. The Arancini was really good, but the meatball was a bit overcooked, though the sauce was tasty. Both salads were just okay. For the main course, I went with the Paccheri Patate E Cozze since it’s the captain’s favorite, and my husband got the short ribs. The pasta was a bit too heavy for us, but we'd definitely come back just for those short ribs. For dessert, the Tiramisu was amazing, and the Apple Crostata was just okay for me, but if you like apple desserts, you might enjoy it.
Chibang - Your first visit is on the house, and after that, it's $8 per person. We kicked things off with egg drop soup, slow-braised pork belly, spring rolls, and lettuce wraps for starters. The egg drop soup was delicious, the pork was a tad too fatty, the spring roll was just okay, but the lettuce wrap, even though saucy, was really good. Since this place mixes Chinese and Mexican flavors, we also tried the Queso Fundido as an appetizer. It was a bit salty, but the cheese was spot on. For the main course, I went with the beef and broccoli, and my husband chose the steak ranchero. They were both just alright. The appetizers definitely outshined the main dishes. Plus, there's a lion performance during dinner that's a must-see.
Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse – We hit up this restaurant on the first day of our trip because they throw in a free bottle of house wine if you book on embarkation day. It's $52 for adults and $15 for kids 11 and under. We tried the pork belly, jumbo shrimp cocktail, baked onion soup, and tuna tartare. If you're into cool pics or videos, definitely go for the smoked oyster—the presentation is awesome. For appetizers, the onion soup and tartare were the real winners. For the main course, we had the cowboy steak and prime ribeye. My husband thought his cowboy steak was pretty bland and couldn't really taste the marbling. My ribeye was better since it had some seasoning, but it still didn't match up to a real steakhouse steak. The mac n cheese and Yukon gold mash were tasty, though they were a bit cold, like they'd been sitting out for a while. For dessert, we had the chocolate sphere and cheesecake. If you’re after a show, the chocolate sphere is the way to go. It was also my husband's birthday celebration. Usually, on other cruises, they give you a separate cake for birthdays (we were celebrating my husband’s), but here they just brought out a plate with "happy birthday" written on it. It didn't feel as "special."
Rudi’s Seagrill – It's $52 for adults and $15 for kids 11 and under. We started with tuna, blue mussels, oysters, and scallops. My husband thought the scallops were buried under too much mashed potato and there weren't enough scallops, but I enjoyed the mash, so it's really up to personal taste. The tuna and mussels were super fresh. The oysters had too much sauce, which kind of overpowered their natural flavor. For the main course, I went with the full 9 oz lobster, and my husband had a surf and turf. There's no extra charge for that, but you'll get half a lobster tail instead of a whole one, which the waiter said was about 5 oz. It was really good, and we were both pretty stuffed afterward. For dessert, we tried the apple cheesecake and key lime pie, and they were both pretty tasty.
Seafood Shack – You'll find this spot in the Street Eats area, and they're open for both lunch and dinner. They offer an à la carte menu. It was pretty busy on our cruise, so we didn't get a chance to try it.
The Chef’s table – They're open for dinner and you'll need to make a reservation. It's $124 per person. We didn't get a chance to try it on this cruise, but the menu is heavy, so make sure you arrive hungry!
Donuts & Biegnets –This spot at Street Eats serves breakfast with an à la carte menu.
All things Wings – This spot at Street Eats serves lunch with an à la carte menu.
Empanada & Pie and Masala Tiger - Both spots are in Lido Market. They offer an a la carte menu for both lunch and dinner.
Bonsai Sushi – This spot is right next to the Teppanyaki. They serve lunch and dinner with an a la carte menu and stay open late.
Bonsai Teppanyaki - It's $49 per person, and it's right near Bonsai Sushi. You'll start with a set menu featuring four appetizers: teppanyaki white shrimp, pork belly yakitori, spicy tuna on the rocks, and your choice of miso soup or salad. For the main course, you pick one entrée—I think the combo options are the way to go since you get to try both a meat and a seafood dish. These come with fried rice and stir-fried veggies. To wrap it all up, you get a chocolate bento box with green tea ice cream for dessert. If you like a bit of a show with your meal and don't want to fuss over too many choices, this spot is perfect.
Java Blue Café –This spot offers desserts, sandwiches, and coffee, all available a la carte.
Tea Time in Atlantic Restaurant – On certain sea days, there's a tea time from 3-4pm where you can enjoy some specialty teas (the coconut one is awesome) and pastries. The App doesn’t list this as a “fee” event, and when you go, they just give you a tea box without a menu. You’ll find out later that there’s a charge for the tea bags. It feels a bit sneaky if you ask me. We managed to get the charge removed, but it’s a good idea to ask before picking your teas. The front desk mentioned there’s also a free tea event in the Lido Market, but it’s not listed anywhere on the App. Occasionally, they also have special dining events here. For example, on this cruise, they had a birthday breakfast ($15 for adults and $10 for kids) with a theme (this time it was Thing 1 & Thing 2).
In Conclusion
We thoroughly enjoyed Carnival's diverse food options, high-quality shows, and the abundance of entertainment available around the ship. Seating is never a concern, as there are plenty of seats everywhere. The ice maker is consistently operational, ensuring a plentiful supply of ice, unlike the issues we've encountered with other cruise lines. However, we believe that the service, particularly the cleanliness of the ship, sanitation (no "washy-washy" staff at the port or in front of the lido), the warmth of the staff, and conveniences to enhance passengers' experiences (especially during embarkation and debarkation), do not yet match the standards of other cruises we've experienced. We hope to see improvements in these areas over time, but for now, we'll likely return to our preferred cruises that truly make us feel at home.
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