The Main Dining Room is one of main dining options on Carnival cruises. This is the sit-down restaurant version with three courses, whereas the Lido offers a buffet version. Plus, tons of other options but these are the big ones.
Breakfast
On days where the ship is in port, there is breakfast available in the Main Dining Room. It is always the same menu and consists of morning pastries, french toast, pancakes, waffles, fruits, cereals, eggs benedict, omelets, yogurt parfaits, avocado toasts, smoked salmon bagels and more.
SeaDay Brunch
On "sea days," where the ship is out to sea all day, there's a special brunch. It has similar items - breads, cereals, burgers, french toast, skillet cake, flamin' tomato soup, huevos rancheros, eggs benedict, salad, steak and eggs, fried chicken and salmon bagels.
Lunch
I learned that on longer cruises, they sometimes have specialty lunches on select days. This was a treat because they were themed and a bit of a surprise for me.
Tea Time
Held on sea days, tea time features tea, light pastries and sandwiches.
Dinner
For the Main Dining Room, you are select early dining, late dining, or "your time" dining for the duration of the cruise. Essentially, if you have early or late, you have a set time for dinner each night, you have the same table, and you have the same waiter. If you choose "your time" dining, you can request a table at any time during those dinner hours via the app, which is what I selected. You put in your table request and usually they have one ready for you within 30 minutes or so. So, the waiter changes, the table changes and, of course, the time changes depending on when you are hungry. That gives you a bit more flexibility, which I enjoy. You're also assigned a dining room based on those options.
While the breakfast options don't change, the lunch and dinner ones do. The Main Dining Room in general has set menus depending on how many days the cruise is. For example, on my first cruise, it was seven days long, and most cruises of that length have the same options. However, this cruise is 14 days long, so there are many new menus that I have not yet tried. Here are the new-to-me menus:
DAY 2 DINNER
DAY 4 LUNCH
Specialty lunch menu "Far East Asia"
Eggdrop Soup - with chicken, corn, tomato and mushrooms
Pork Meatballs - with sweet chili sauce, mushroom soya, ginger and spring onions
Sweet & Sour Fish - with tomatoes, pineapple, peppers, plum sweet & sour sauce
Mango Sago pudding - with tapioca pearls and coconut milk; Lychee cream - with pomegranate jelly
DAY 4 DINNER
Shrimp escabeche - sweet pickled vegetables and plantain chips
Ricotta & spinach crepe - charred cherry tomato and three cheese sauce
Linguine with smokey mushrooms & ham - Emeril's original essence, cream, and parmesan cheese
Orange sorbet
Cheese plate
DAY 5 DINNER
Sopa - chicken, avocado & lime tortilla charred poblano and roasted tomatoes.
Caldo de Queso - cheese soup with tomato and green chili salsa.
Fideos Secos - spaghetti, tomato chipotle ragu, confit chicken and pickled onion
Coconut Tres Leches - with trio of milk and spiced coconut crema
DAY 8 DINNER
Cucumber Basil Avocado Soup - with roasted pumpkin seeds
Grilled jumbo shrimp and fish cake - cauliflower and mashed peas, roasted broccoli
Grand Marnier Souffle with warm Creme Anglaise - this is maybe my favorite dessert on the cruise now
DAY 9 DINNER
Cheese Ravioli - tomato cream sauce, wilted garlic spinach
Tuna Tiradito Nikkei - crispy fried quinoa, kaffir lime, ginger orange dressing
Spinach, ricotta and feta filo - with grilled steak tomato and pinenapple beurre blanc
Shrimp Creole - Emeril's essence creole seasoning and steamed rice
Banana split
DAY 10 LUNCH
Ceviche de camaron y atun - shrimp & tuna ceviche with fresh citrus juice, onion, pepper, and cilantro.
Croquetas de jamon - ham & potato croquettes
Albondigas - beef meatballs, tomato sauce, sheep's milk cheese & basil
Pollo Rustido - Catalan-style roasted chicken, lemon, herbs & salsa verde
Creme Catalana - slow-cooked caramelized milk custard with a brown sugar crust
DAY 10 DINNER
Stuffed Mushrooms - spinach, romano cheese & truffle herb veloute
Linguine & Clams - linguine e vongole, white wine, garlic, red pepper flakes & Italian parsley
Artichoke & Potato Cheesecake - with sweet chipotle sauce & tomato relish
Chicken Parmigiana - pounded, breaded chicken breast, roasted broccoli, cauliflower
Barlett Pear Almond Cake - pumpkin spice sabayon
DAY 11 DINNER
DAY 12 DINNER
Brioche crab melt - Old Bay seasoning, gruyere cheese, red onion, chives, dijon mustard
Broiled lobster tail & grilled jumbo shrimp - served over mushroom risotto
Fresh tropical fruit
DAY 13 DINNER
Spicy shrimp deviled eggs - with mixed greens, tropical fruit, scallions
Breaded beef cutlet - with pickled vegetables, yam and dipping sauce
Eggplant and potato moussaka - with feta cheese, garbanzo bean and tomato salad
Orange & pineapple sorbet
DAY 14 LUNCH
Caribbean pepper pot (Guyana) - island flavored soup with yams, okra, pepper, coconut and cilantro
Beef empanada (Spain) - served with salsa de aji picante "hot pepper salsa"
Chicken chasseur (French) - most popular French dish with bone-in chicken, mushrooms, tomatoes, wine and herbs, served with roast potatoes and sauteed green beans
Rigatoni (Italian) with three meat bolognese
Brownie sundae (American) - hot fudge, vanilla ice cream and whipped cream
Milhoja (Spain) - flaky pastry layered with dulce de leche
Breakfast
On days where the ship is in port, there is breakfast available in the Main Dining Room. It is always the same menu and consists of morning pastries, french toast, pancakes, waffles, fruits, cereals, eggs benedict, omelets, yogurt parfaits, avocado toasts, smoked salmon bagels and more.
SeaDay Brunch
On "sea days," where the ship is out to sea all day, there's a special brunch. It has similar items - breads, cereals, burgers, french toast, skillet cake, flamin' tomato soup, huevos rancheros, eggs benedict, salad, steak and eggs, fried chicken and salmon bagels.
Lunch
I learned that on longer cruises, they sometimes have specialty lunches on select days. This was a treat because they were themed and a bit of a surprise for me.
Tea Time
Held on sea days, tea time features tea, light pastries and sandwiches.
Dinner
For the Main Dining Room, you are select early dining, late dining, or "your time" dining for the duration of the cruise. Essentially, if you have early or late, you have a set time for dinner each night, you have the same table, and you have the same waiter. If you choose "your time" dining, you can request a table at any time during those dinner hours via the app, which is what I selected. You put in your table request and usually they have one ready for you within 30 minutes or so. So, the waiter changes, the table changes and, of course, the time changes depending on when you are hungry. That gives you a bit more flexibility, which I enjoy. You're also assigned a dining room based on those options.
While the breakfast options don't change, the lunch and dinner ones do. The Main Dining Room in general has set menus depending on how many days the cruise is. For example, on my first cruise, it was seven days long, and most cruises of that length have the same options. However, this cruise is 14 days long, so there are many new menus that I have not yet tried. Here are the new-to-me menus:
DAY 2 DINNER
DAY 4 LUNCH
Specialty lunch menu "Far East Asia"
Eggdrop Soup - with chicken, corn, tomato and mushrooms
Pork Meatballs - with sweet chili sauce, mushroom soya, ginger and spring onions
Sweet & Sour Fish - with tomatoes, pineapple, peppers, plum sweet & sour sauce
Mango Sago pudding - with tapioca pearls and coconut milk; Lychee cream - with pomegranate jelly
DAY 4 DINNER
Shrimp escabeche - sweet pickled vegetables and plantain chips
Ricotta & spinach crepe - charred cherry tomato and three cheese sauce
Linguine with smokey mushrooms & ham - Emeril's original essence, cream, and parmesan cheese
Orange sorbet
Cheese plate
DAY 5 DINNER
Sopa - chicken, avocado & lime tortilla charred poblano and roasted tomatoes.
Caldo de Queso - cheese soup with tomato and green chili salsa.
Fideos Secos - spaghetti, tomato chipotle ragu, confit chicken and pickled onion
Coconut Tres Leches - with trio of milk and spiced coconut crema
DAY 8 DINNER
Cucumber Basil Avocado Soup - with roasted pumpkin seeds
Grilled jumbo shrimp and fish cake - cauliflower and mashed peas, roasted broccoli
Grand Marnier Souffle with warm Creme Anglaise - this is maybe my favorite dessert on the cruise now
DAY 9 DINNER
Cheese Ravioli - tomato cream sauce, wilted garlic spinach
Tuna Tiradito Nikkei - crispy fried quinoa, kaffir lime, ginger orange dressing
Spinach, ricotta and feta filo - with grilled steak tomato and pinenapple beurre blanc
Shrimp Creole - Emeril's essence creole seasoning and steamed rice
Banana split
DAY 10 LUNCH
Ceviche de camaron y atun - shrimp & tuna ceviche with fresh citrus juice, onion, pepper, and cilantro.
Croquetas de jamon - ham & potato croquettes
Albondigas - beef meatballs, tomato sauce, sheep's milk cheese & basil
Pollo Rustido - Catalan-style roasted chicken, lemon, herbs & salsa verde
Creme Catalana - slow-cooked caramelized milk custard with a brown sugar crust
DAY 10 DINNER
Stuffed Mushrooms - spinach, romano cheese & truffle herb veloute
Linguine & Clams - linguine e vongole, white wine, garlic, red pepper flakes & Italian parsley
Artichoke & Potato Cheesecake - with sweet chipotle sauce & tomato relish
Chicken Parmigiana - pounded, breaded chicken breast, roasted broccoli, cauliflower
Barlett Pear Almond Cake - pumpkin spice sabayon
DAY 11 DINNER
DAY 12 DINNER
Brioche crab melt - Old Bay seasoning, gruyere cheese, red onion, chives, dijon mustard
Broiled lobster tail & grilled jumbo shrimp - served over mushroom risotto
Fresh tropical fruit
DAY 13 DINNER
Spicy shrimp deviled eggs - with mixed greens, tropical fruit, scallions
Breaded beef cutlet - with pickled vegetables, yam and dipping sauce
Eggplant and potato moussaka - with feta cheese, garbanzo bean and tomato salad
Orange & pineapple sorbet
DAY 14 LUNCH
Caribbean pepper pot (Guyana) - island flavored soup with yams, okra, pepper, coconut and cilantro
Beef empanada (Spain) - served with salsa de aji picante "hot pepper salsa"
Chicken chasseur (French) - most popular French dish with bone-in chicken, mushrooms, tomatoes, wine and herbs, served with roast potatoes and sauteed green beans
Rigatoni (Italian) with three meat bolognese
Brownie sundae (American) - hot fudge, vanilla ice cream and whipped cream
Milhoja (Spain) - flaky pastry layered with dulce de leche
