Although food is one of the most subjective topics when it comes to cruising, it’s also one of the most popular. Many cruisers continue to look for which cruise line has the best food in the industry when booking their next vacation.
As one of the biggest draws of cruising, the elevated, all-you-can-eat dining experience remains a defining pillar of life at sea. With thousands of meals served every day on a cruise ship, from buffets to fine-dining venues, opinions run very deep in the cruise community.
And after more than 50 sailings across mainstream and premium cruise lines, I’ve noticed patterns that match what many seasoned cruisers share online: some cruise lines consistently deliver better dining experiences than others.
As one of the more popular cruise topics, longtime travelers often compare notes across Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Disney Cruise Line, and more.
To answer the question of which cruise line actually has the best food, I blended my own experiences with insights from frequent cruisers on Reddit’s r/Cruise community. Here’s which cruise lines have the best food, including both specialty and complimentary dining options.
Celebrity Cruises has the best dining for a mainstream cruise line
For mass-market cruise lines, Celebrity Cruises earns some of the strongest praise for its overall food quality.
Across my own Celebrity sailings, the included dining has been consistent and well-executed, especially in the main dining rooms and expansive Oceanview Cafe buffet.
Celebrity’s dining presentation is always thoughtful, while the flavors are bold and balanced. In my experience, the dishes feel a notch above most competitors.
Reddit users also echo this sentiment regularly. In one widely upvoted thread discussing the best cruise food, several longtime travelers named Celebrity as their top pick among mainstream lines.
Many commenters cited better consistency, fresher ingredients, and a more elevated approach compared with its rivals. Even travelers who admit the food isn’t perfect still describe Celebrity as one of the most reliable choices in its category.
Royal Caribbean excels in specialty dining, but is inconsistent elsewhere
Royal Caribbean is known for its flashy entertainment and massive cruise ships. But, when it comes to food, the cruise line’s strengths depend heavily on where you’re eating.
After nearly 30 Royal Caribbean cruises, I find their specialty restaurants often rank among the best at sea, especially when compared to rivals Carnival Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Line.
Royal Caribbean’s specialty dining restaurants include Chops Grille steakhouse, Izumi Hibachi and Sushi, Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen, Jamie’s Italian, and even whimsical dining concepts on newer ships.
You can find Empire Supper Club on the new Icon class ships, while Utopia of the Seas recently debuted an immersive train experience called Royal Railway.
If you’re willing to spend extra for specialty dining, I’d argue that Royal Caribbean can easily compete with other high-end cruise lines.
When it comes to complimentary dining, the experience can be more hit or miss. On some ships, especially older ones, the buffet and main dining rooms often receive mixed reviews. Newer cruise ships have better options for complimentary dining, such as the Mexican snacks at El Loco Fresh.
Carnival Cruise Line shines in casual comfort food
Carnival Cruise Line doesn’t pretend to be upscale, and you shouldn’t expect it to be. However, some of its best dining options come from embracing fun, casual comfort food.
If you enjoy greasy burgers, juicy chicken tenders, freshly-made tacos, and late-night pizza, Carnival Cruise Line is a surprisingly great option. The cruise line’s partnership venues, like Guy’s Burger Joint and Big Chicken, are fan favorites and considered by many to be Carnival staples.
The trade-off is that Carnival isn’t the best cruise line for food if you want gourmet meals or beautifully plated entrées.
In particular, Carnival’s buffet is my least favorite in the entire cruise industry, with a lack of variety and subpar quality. However, for travelers who prioritize unfussy, indulgent food, Carnival Cruise Line often exceeds expectations.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s dining is rarely exceptional
Norwegian Cruise Line tends to land in the middle of the pack for food quality.
Across my own sailings, nothing about the included dining stands out as memorable — good or bad. The main dining room experience has been slightly inconsistent, and the cruise line just announced that guests will need to pay extra for additional entrees.
However, one major exception exists on the newest Prima class ships. Onboard, you’ll find the Indulge Food Hall, and this concept has become one of my favorite complimentary venues on any cruise ship. It offers dozens of small plates from multiple cuisines, designed more like a land-based upscale food hall.
And because cruisers receive specialty dining credits with the Free at Sea, the specialty restaurants aren’t comparable to Royal Caribbean. Even still, most would agree that Norwegian’s dining reputation is perfectly fine, but it’s rarely the best.
Holland America and Disney earn praise for food quality and consistency
While I haven’t personally sailed on either of these cruise lines, many longtime cruisers praise Holland America and Disney Cruise Line for having some of the best cruise food.
Holland America’s food reputation is strong across Reddit and cruise forums, especially in the buffet and main dining room.
Many travelers describe Holland America as offering some of the best included dining among non-luxury lines. The cruise line offers a more traditional dining experience and a quieter, refined atmosphere.
Disney’s cruise food also earns high marks, particularly for families who want both themed dining and reliably executed meals.
While Disney is often grouped separately because of its higher price point, many frequent cruisers say its dining experience beats the major mass-market brands.
What about Virgin Voyages?
Virgin Voyages has built a strong reputation for its dining experience, especially among younger cruisers and travelers who prefer a non-traditional dining setup.
Instead of buffets and main dining rooms, Virgin Voyages takes a reimagined approach to dining with multiple restaurants. Even better, nearly all of them are included in your cruise fare.
Cruisers often praise the variety available on Virgin Voyages, from Korean BBQ and elevated Mexican to a modern steakhouse, ramen bar, and a large food-hall concept called The Galley. Reviews on Reddit frequently describe Virgin as having some of the best included dining among mainstream lines, thanks to restaurant-style service and fresher preparation.
However, while the food is very good, some find it’s not necessarily gourmet. Some dishes can be hit or miss, and travelers expecting luxury-level cuisine onboard may find it slightly below that standard.
However, for an adults-only line with no upcharges for specialty dining, Virgin Voyages is widely considered one of the strongest food offerings in the mainstream cruise market.
Luxury cruise lines will have the best cruise food, but that’s a different category
If your budget allows, luxury cruise lines like Oceania, Regent Seven Seas, Silversea, Viking Cruises, and Seabourn will have better cruise food than mass-market brands. These cruise lines are in a different league altogether.
Luxury cruise lines are able to offer superior ingredients and more attentive service with far fewer passengers competing for tables.
On Reddit, many frequent cruisers describe Oceania as having “the best food program at sea,” praising its grilled-to-order seafood, steak, and made-to-order dishes even in the buffet.
Seabourn and Regent receive similar feedback, with cruisers noting that every venue, not just the specialty restaurants, feels very elevated.
Of course, luxury cruise lines will have a higher price point. These cruise lines cost significantly more than mainstream brands, and their food reputation reflects that higher fare.
But, for travelers who want the most refined culinary experience on a cruise ship, these lines are widely considered the gold standard.
Which cruise line actually has the best food?
For mainstream travelers, the answer is fairly consistent across both personal experience and cruiser feedback: Celebrity Cruises offers the strongest overall dining experience when considering what’s included in your fare.
Some would say that Holland America is a close contender, with Disney also ranking highly if your budget allows. Others appreciate the innovative and inclusive dining options on Virgin Voyages.
Moreover, Royal Caribbean is a great choice for specialty dining variety, while Carnival Cruise Line offers plenty of fast, casual food options included in your affordable cruise fare.
Meanwhile, Norwegian Cruise Line is reliable, but doesn’t dominate in any one category, with the exception of its standout Prima-class food hall.
If dining is a major factor in choosing your next cruise, Celebrity is the safest bet among the mainstream cruise lines. In my experience, the newest Edge class ships particularly receive high remarks for consistent, quality dining for both complimentary and specialty dining.
