Carnival Cruises rolls out a new 'express' dining option giving guests more flexibility on board

Sarra Gray
Wed, 18 Mar 2026 16:14:01 +0000

Carnival Cruise Line has unveiled a new dining option that is perfect for guests who want a sit-down meal without spending half their evening at the table.

Express Dining serves up a freshly prepared multi-course dinner in under an hour, available every night in the main dining room.

The service - available for parties of six or fewer - is already running on 15 vessels across the fleet, giving cruisers the chance to enjoy quality food quickly before exploring whatever fun awaits them on board.

President of Carnival Cruise Line, Christine Duffy, said: "Our guests continue to tell us they value greater flexibility in how they spend their time on board, and Express Dining was designed with that in mind.

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"Our pilot program generated positive feedback from our guests. With this in mind, we are excited to expand Express Dining to offer them the same high-quality dishes and attentive service our dining rooms are known for, while giving guests the ability to use more of their time to enjoy all the other onboard fun."

The new option works alongside the traditional leisurely dinner experience rather than replacing it.

Guests can expect a carefully selected menu that mirrors what is on offer in the main dining room, just with a slightly smaller selection. Those with special dietary needs can still be catered for.

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Every ship in the Carnival fleet will have Express Dining by the end of May, so it won't be long before all guests can take advantage of the speedier service.

Booking is simple for those who've chosen Your Time Dining – just opt in through Carnival's HUB App.

This latest addition follows the success of Family Express on the Lido Deck, which started as a trial on Carnival Vista and proved so popular that it is now available across all ships.

Carnival is giving passengers more choice when it comes to food and drink options.

In more cruise news, Royal Caribbean has announced a world-famous entertainment show will come to sea for the first time.

Virgin Voyages has also updated its dining options with a first-of-its-kind restaurant, "set to surprise guests".

Celebrity River Cruises has unveiled a programme shake-up with its most immersive experiences yet.