If you’re looking for information about food and drinks on the Carnival Venezia, this post is the perfect companion to our video.
We’ve already explored the ship from top to bottom, so now it’s time to talk about all those dishes we tried, the drinks, and of course, the coffee! And I’ll also share a few tips we picked up during our 11 nights aboard the Carnival Venezia.
You can read our previous post about the cruise and watch the video here.
Because on a longer cruise, knowing where to eat is one thing, but understanding how the different dining options work can make things much easier.
And during this cruise, we didn’t try any of the specialty restaurants that require an additional fee. We did, however, try a few individual items that had an extra charge.
Breakfast: More Than Just Coffee and Eggs
We showed some of our favorite breakfast choices in the video, but there were actually many more options available than we could fit into the video.
At the buffet, we found waffles, eggs prepared in different ways, bacon, sausages, several types of bread, yogurt, parfaits, oatmeal and fresh fruit… basically, plenty of good things to choose from.
There were also breakfast sandwiches and other options that changed throughout the cruise.
So if you’re thinking you’ll end up eating the exact same breakfast every morning on a cruise, that wasn’t our experience at all.
There was enough variety that we could change things up depending on what we were in the mood for that day.
Brunch at Canal Grande: The Restaurant with the Gondola
Here’s a little tip I wish we’d known from day one. The Carnival app allows you to check in for some of the restaurants and wait for your table to become available.
The first time we went to Canal Grande, we simply showed up and checked in there. It wasn’t a big deal, but we ended up waiting at the restaurant until we received the notification that our table was ready.
After that, we figured out a much easier way to do it. We would check in through the app from our stateroom before leaving. Then we’d take our time walking toward Canal Grande while waiting for the notification.
Once you receive the message that your table is ready, you have about 10 minutes to get to the restaurant.
Of course, you can still check in when you arrive. The advantage of using the app is simply that you can wait wherever you happen to be instead of standing around at the restaurant.
For us, it was one of those little cruise tricks that made things much more convenient after that first visit.
Dinner at Marco Polo
For dinner, we chose Marco Polo. Well… the truth is that we didn’t have much choice. We booked this cruise fairly late, and by then there were no more dinner reservations available at Canal Grande.
The option we found was around 7:45 p.m., and since we prefer eating earlier, we decided to go with Marco Polo.
One thing we really enjoyed was having the same table and the same waiters and assistants throughout our cruise. Everyone was wonderful and incredibly friendly.
For us, that made the experience feel a little more personal.
We enjoy getting to know the people who take care of us during a trip and building a good relationship with them, especially when you’re going to be onboard for several nights.
What About the Specialty Restaurants?
During our Carnival Venezia tour, we also showed some of the specialty restaurants that we didn’t actually try.
These include Il Viaggio, Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, Bonsai Sushi and Bonsai Teppanyaki.
And I want to make an important clarification here: we did not eat at any of these restaurants, so I can’t tell you whether the food is good or whether they’re worth the additional cost.
I’m simply mentioning them because they’re available and could be interesting for anyone who wants to add a different dining experience to their cruise.
If you’re thinking about trying one, the Carnival app can be especially helpful. You can check menus, see pricing and, when available, make reservations directly through the app.
That makes it easier to decide ahead of time whether you want to include any of these restaurants in your cruise budget.
You Don’t Have to Pay Extra to Eat Well
One of the things we liked most about this cruise was how many included dining options we had.
Between the main dining rooms, buffet and various casual food spots, we had plenty of choices and never felt like we needed to book a specialty restaurant every night.
That doesn’t mean the specialty restaurants aren’t worth trying. It really depends on what you’re looking for during your cruise.
If you’re a serious foodie and want to try different dining experiences, you may want to include one or two in your budget.
But if you’d rather spend that money on excursions, drinks, shopping or simply keep a little more money in your pocket—the included options can definitely be enough.
And as you can see in our video, there were a few things we did pay extra for.
That included some specialty coffees, shrimp and a bowl of clam chowder one afternoon.
There’s also a spot offering empanadas. I thought they were good, but nothing particularly special. My husband, however, really liked them and actually regrets not eating more!
Our Tip: Get Familiar with the Carnival App
If you’re sailing on the Carnival Venezia, one of my simplest recommendations is to download the Carnival app and take some time to explore it before and during your cruise.
Honestly, I do this with every cruise.
Besides helping you with restaurants and menus, the app is useful for organizing and checking different parts of your trip.
For us, it ended up being especially helpful with dining and avoiding unnecessary waits.
And after 11 nights onboard, you start to realize that those little conveniences can make a big difference.
Watch Our Carnival Venezia Food & Drinks Video
In our video, we get into the fun part: what we actually ate and drank, the coffees, desserts, restaurants and some of our favorite food moments during our 11 nights aboard the Carnival Venezia.
So if you want to see all that food in action, that’s where you want to go!
And if you’re planning your own cruise, save this post as a reference for those little details that don’t always make it into a video.
Our Carnival Venezia journey was an 11-night cruise from Florida to New York, and we still have plenty more to share about each of the ports we visited. On the video, go to settings to select English audio.
