Royal Caribbean appears to be removing the lunch option at its signature steakhouse, Chops Grille, and replacing it with a more expensive brunch menu, based on reports shared online by passengers.
According to guest reports from Utopia of the Seas, the cruise line has already begun rolling out the change onboard, with traditional lunch service no longer available.
Royal Caribbean has not made a formal announcement, but early signs suggest the shift may extend across the entire fleet.
New Chops Grille brunch menu spotted on Utopia of the Seas
One passenger sailing onboard Utopia of the Seas shared the update on social media, stating the change happened without advance notice.
The guest shared the following from their sailing:
“We are currently on Utopia and had lunch reservations for Chops that I booked back in December. I have had Chops lunch 2 other times and it is always amazing so we were really looking forward to it.
We sat down and were given a Brunch menu. I asked where the lunch menu is and they said as of today this is the lunch/brunch menu.
We were given a refund promptly as we did not want pancakes from Chops since we already had breakfast. So, heads up, this is the new lunch menu.”
The new brunch option at Chops Grille is more expensive at $50 per person.
Chops Grille has been Royal Caribbean’s signature steakhouse for years, typically offering both lunch and dinner reservations. For many cruisers, lunch at Chops Grille provided one of the best values among specialty dining options.
For instance, on my recent Ovation of the Seas cruise, lunch was priced at $23.99 while dinner was more than double the price at $65 per person.
According to the impacted cruiser, the brunch at Chops Grille is now priced higher than the previous lunch fare for the steakhouse at $50 per person.
The cruiser shared with Candid Cruise and Travel, “They told us since it was changed, they would do brunch at what we paid, even though brunch was a higher cost. We left, though, not liking the menu or wanting brunch food. Wanted steak and burgers.”
The Chops Grille lunch menu used to feature a more limited version of the dinner offerings, allowing guests to try dishes like filet mignon at a lower price point. It was widely seen as an accessible way to experience the steakhouse without paying full dinner pricing.
If the lunch service is being removed, that lower-cost option would no longer be available.
Will this brunch menu be on other Royal Caribbean ships?
It remains unclear whether the change is limited to Utopia of the Seas or part of a wider shift across the fleet.
However, there are early indications that it may not be isolated. For my upcoming sailing on Star of the Seas, Chops Grille currently only shows dinner reservations available for purchase, with no lunch option listed. There is no lunch menu provided in the app either.
This could suggest Royal Caribbean is moving toward a dinner-only model for the restaurant, or replacing lunch with this new brunch concept on more ships.
So, what’s on the brunch menu?
Guests onboard Utopia of the Seas were given the following brunch menu:
Beverages
- Aperol Spritz: Sparkling wine, Aperol, club soda, orange wheel garnish ($14)
- Shirley Temple: Sprite, grenadine, cherry garnish ($7)
Bakery
- Selection of freshly baked breads and pastries: Loaves, Croissants, Muffins, Danishes
Starters (served family style)
- Sliced fruit selection
- Cheese and charcuterie selection
- Scallops wrapped in bacon
Toast
- Avocado Toast: Feta cheese, arugula and cherry tomatoes
Brunch Sweets (served à la carte)
- Buttermilk Pancakes: Fluffy, served plain, banana, and chocolate
- Very Berry Waffle: Fresh buttermilk waffles topped with whipped cream, berries, and honey dairy-free whipped cream and caramel drizzle
Hearty Bowls (served à la carte)
- Steak & Eggs: Cooked to perfection tender filet mignon, topped with fried egg
- The Royal Crab Benedict: Crab cake, two poached eggs, spinach, hollandaise, and English muffin
- Grilled Beef Short Ribs: Fork tender short ribs served with Romanesco sauce
- Shrimp Tortellini Alfredo: Homemade Alfredo sauce poured over golden shrimp and cheese tortellini
- Grilled Tofu: Peppers, shelled edamame, and sweet chili
Desserts (served à la carte)
- Floating Island: Silky meringue floating on vanilla cream sauce with spun caramel sugar
- Cherries Jubilee: Red cherry cooked in a wine cinnamon served with vanilla ice cream
- Chocolate Brownie: Rich, dark fudge with dairy-free whipped cream and caramel drizzle
Sides (served family style)
- Mac & cheese
- Roasted baby vegetables
- Mashed potatoes
- Arugula and Parmigiano salad with balsamic
