Can you eat healthy on a Carnival cruise?
For many people, being on a cruise vacation is a reason to indulge. A break from work and daily routines often comes with treating yourself to indulgent foods and desserts that feel celebratory. On Carnival cruises, it's common for passengers to pair poolside relaxation with cruise treats like burgers from Guy Fieri's Guy's Burger Joint and unlimited soft serve ice cream.
Of course, burgers and ice cream aren't the only food options available on Carnival cruise ships. From the buffet and casual dining spots to main dining rooms and specialty restaurants, Carnival cruise ships offer a wide variety of cuisines and flavors.
But does that dining variety include healthy food options? Is it possible to eat healthy on a Carnival cruise?
Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald addressed cruise healthy eating concerns in an April 7 Facebook video after receiving a complaint from a passenger who wasn't satisfied with the options.
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Passenger insists healthy eating isn't possible on Carnival cruise
According to the passenger, healthy eating on mainstream cruise lines is a major challenge.
"My husband and I have cruised on Carnival and on another big cruise line. Both cruise lines are the same, meaning that both have no healthy food options," the passenger wrote to Heald. "We have found that unless you go to the specialty restaurants, most of the food is saturated in butter. We are both health-focused and found it impossible to eat healthy on the cruise."
Heald regularly gathers feedback from passengers on his popular Facebook page, so the passenger shared their suggestions for consideration as the cruise line works to enhance its menu offerings.
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"Carnival should focus more on adding healthy living food choices and not forcing greasy burgers and shopping mall food court food down their customers' throats," the passenger added.
Carnival's brand ambassador decided to share the passenger's message in order to provide his own thoughts on cruise healthy eating and offer a helpful suggestion for any passenger who may be looking for lighter options.
Tips for healthy eating on a Carnival cruise
"Listen, you can eat healthy. Absolutely, you can. And you know, you just have to ask if there's something that you don't see that you want. Maybe you ask for a piece of fish at dinner and you say no butter, they'll cook it. You just have to ask," Heald explained.
Heald also noted that healthy options are available that don't require any changes to how something is cooked. As an example, the brand ambassador shared one of the dishes featured on new dinner menus that the cruise line is currently testing on board multiple ships.
"On one of the ships that has the new menu, and I don't have the rollout schedule yet. So please don't ask, but we just put it on the Jubilee. And last night they had broiled swordfish," Heald said.
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Sure, burgers will always be a staple of Carnival cruise ships as long as passengers continue to choose them, but lighter options, including fish and grilled chicken dishes and fresh salads are offered daily, too. If you want to eat healthy on a cruise, you'll find plenty of options if you look for them. Consider your choices carefully, especially at the buffet - take a look around at all the options before you decide on how to fill your plate.
A number of Carnival passengers commented on Heald's video to attest to the variety of satisfying, healthy selections available to complement popular cruise indulgences.
"Not true! So many good, healthy choices on the cruise to choose from. The swordfish is amazing. It melts in your mouth. But I'll never pass up a Guy's Burger," Geneva Campbell Gordon said.
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This story was originally published April 7, 2026 at 1:44 PM.