Guy's Pig and Anchor BBQ is a feature Carnival Cruise Line has been adding to some ships that serves a variety of BBQ meats and sides. This post will give some information about Guy's Pig & Anchor BBQ and includes some tips for eating at this venue if your ship has it. 

What ships is Guy's Pig & Anchor BBQ on?
            Guy's Pig & Anchor BBQ is on Carnival's Dream class ships (Dream, Magic, & Breeze), Carnival Vista class ships (Vista, Horizon, & Panorama), and Carnival Sunrise. The Carnival Radiance get this venue after its 2020 transformation dry-dock and Carnival's 2020 newbuild, the Mardi Gras, will have Guy's Pig & Anchor BBQ. 

Guy's Pig & Anchor BBQ Menu: 
Meats: Pork Butt, Blue Ribbon Chicken, Smoked Beef, & Smoked Andouille Sausage 
Sides: Mac Daddy Mac & Cheese, Scratch-Made Slaw, Old Skool Potato Salad, Collard Greens, & Molasses Baked Beans
The names of these items are the same as the menu posted on Carnival's website and at the actual venue onboard. 

Tips For Guy's Pig & Anchor BBQ: 

• This dining venue is usually only open at lunch on select days of the cruise. From my experiences, this venue opens on sea days and the first day of the cruise, but is not open when the ship is in a port of call. Once you are on your ship check the daily Fun-Times newsletter or Carnival Hub App to see the hours of the venue. 
• The food is served from behind the counter. You will tell a crew member which meat and/or sides you would like. If you are not served enough, just tell the crew member and he or she will give you more. 
• Guy's Pig & Anchor BBQ Smokehouse is complimentary. The meats and BBQ sides are included in the price of your cruise. However, some ships have something called Guy's Pig & Anchor Brewhouse. The brewhouse is a bar and is NOT complimentary. 
• A variety of sauces are available for your meal. The sauces can be found to the side of the serving line. If you do not want to put any sauce directly on your plate, little sauce bowls are available by the sauces.
• Due to this venue not being open everyday, there are times when the line can get long because people want to try the BBQ during the limited hours it is offered. However, the line moves decently fast. 
• Currently, the dining venue is outside on all the Carnival ships that have Guy's Pig & Anchor BBQ. Sometimes wind can be strong and after you get your food you will want to be careful to make sure your food does not blow off your plate. I have personally lost food to strong wind (was not BBQ). It is not fun to have to get back in line to get more food after already waiting in line once. 
• This venue is 100% different than ships that have something called "Ol' Fashioned BBQ". 

Guy's Pig & Anchor BBQ Food Pictures:
              I took these pictures on my recent Carnival Dream cruise, but these food items should be prepared the same way on all of the ship's that have Guy's Pig & Anchor BBQ.  Click any photo to make it larger!

           Today Carnival Cruise Line officially announced transatlantic cruises that will take place before and after the Carnival Valor's 2021 dry-dock. 

Transatlantic Cruises
                   The Carnival Valor will operate two one-way 15 day transatlantic cruises. The first transatlantic cruise will depart from New Orleans and sail to Barcelona, Spain. Guests will debark the ship in Spain. This cruise departs New Orleans on January 25, 2021 and arrives in Barcelona Spain on February 9, 2021. 
                       The second transatlantic cruise will take place after the Carnival Valor's dry-dock and will sail from Barcelona to New Orleans. This cruise departs Barcelona on February 26, 2021 and will arrive in New Orleans on March 13, 2021.  

Dry-Dock:
                   The Carnival Valor's dry-dock is scheduled to last approximately 17 days. During this time out of service work will be done to the ship. However, at this time, the extent of the work is not yet known. Carnival's press release states information will be available in the coming months. 

Transatlantic Cruise Itineraries:

15 Night Cruise From New Orleans To Barcelona
             Below is the scheduled itinerary for the transatlantic cruise that will go from New Orleans to Barcelona. Please note, this itinerary is subject to change! 

 Carnival Cruise Line has posted their Christmas dinner menu online for Christmas 2019. For dinner on Christmas the ship's dining room will serve a special menu that contains several items not normally served in the dining room, but the menu also contains several of Carnival's typical dining room options. The menu was posted by Mr. John Heald, Carnival's Brand Ambassador, to his Facebook page. 

Carnival Cruise 2019 Christmas Dining Room Dinner Menu
Below is a list of the items that are planned on Carnival's Christmas Dinner dining room menu. I have excluded food item descriptions for the sake of space, but if you scroll down you can view a link to John Heald's Facebook post for the full menu (including descriptions). ​

Appetizers
Cold
Shrimp Cocktail
Truffled Dates
Tuna Crudo

Hot
Christmas Tortellini and Spinach Soup
Creole Gumbo
Slow Cooked Pork Belly
Crab and Shrimp Cake

Salad
Roasted Beet
Baby Greens and Pickled Plum
Caesar Salad 

Main Courses
Seafood
Roasted Cod
Grilled Jumbo Shrimp
Mussels and Clams

Meat
Slow-Roasted Tom Turkey
NY Strip Steak
Guava Glazed Stuffed Chicken
Smoked Pork Loin

Vegetarian 
Malai Kofta
Portobello
Paccheri 

Desserts
Melting Chocolate Cake
Textured Chocolate
Apple Pie
Crunchy Cookie, Cheesecake Cream

Steakhouse Selections
Note:  This section of the menu has a $20.00 per entree surcharge.
Lobster Tail
Surf & Turf
Broiled Filet Minion
​Grilled Lamb Chops

If you would like to view the actual menu and each food item's description I recommend you check out the embedded post below that is by John Heald on Facebook. Clicking into this post will take you away from RyG's Cruise Guide to John Heald's Facebook page. The menu items listed above were taken directly off this photo of the menu that was posted, but you can get better information on the food descriptions by looking at this post:

If you are cruising during Christmas, have a great cruise and enjoy the food! Please note, I am not responsible for any changes that may occur to the menu as I am simply re-posting information Carnival released. Check with Carnival for the latest information!

         Earlier this week Almaco announced it will be outfitting the Carnival Elation with 30 new staterooms during the Carnival Elation's 2020 dry-dock. Almaco is the same company that was responsible for adding new staterooms during the Carnival Elation's last dry-dock to the Grand Deck.
            The 2020 dry-dock's stateroom addition will be taking place on Deck 9, which is the Carnival Elation's Promenade Deck. It is unclear at this time where on the Promenade Deck the new staterooms will be added. I reached out to Carnival Cruise Line's media department requesting more details and have not yet heard back. Furthermore, the booking engine has not yet been opened for these new staterooms. 
                The Carnival Elation's March 2020 dry-dock will take place at the Grand Bahama Shipyard in Freeport, Bahamas. The ship's time out of service is scheduled for 3/02/2020 until 3/25/2020. 
             I  will update this post if and when I learn more about the Carnival Elation's new staterooms. Please see my unofficial dry-dock schedule that I post known ship dry-dock updates: Click Here. 

The information in this post is from Almaco's press release regarding the Carnival Elation. Click Here to read the full press release on Almaco's website. Please note, clicking this link will take you away from RyG's Cruise Guide. 

         Carnival Cruise Line has posted their Thanksgiving Dinner menu online for Thanksgiving 2019. For dinner on Thanksgiving the ship's dining room will serve a special menu that contains several items not normally served in the dining room, but the menu also contains several of Carnival's typical dining room options. The menu was posted by Mr. John Heald, Carnival's Brand Ambassador, to his Facebook page. 

Carnival Cruise 2019 Thanksgiving Dining Room Dinner Menu
Below is a list of the items that are planned on Carnival's Thanksgiving Dinner dining room menu. I have excluded food item descriptions for the sake of space, but if you scroll down you can view a link to John Heald's Facebook post for the full menu (including descriptions). 

Appetizers
Cold
Shrimp Cocktail
Beef Tartare
Grilled Peach, Tomatoes, and Torn Mozzarella 

Hot
Pumpkin Leek Bisque
New England Oyster Stew
Smoked Brisket Slider
Mascarpone & Prosecco Arancini

Salad
Field Greens
Tomato Salad
​Caesar Salad

Main Courses
Seafood
Grilled Jumbo Shrimp
Roasted Bass
Salmon

Meat
Slow Roasted Tom Turkey
Pan Seared Steak
Smoked Pork Loin
​Braised Duck Legs

Vegetarian
Pappardelle
Roasted & Dressed Petite Eggplant
Chickpea Stew and Baby Carrot Pilaf 

Desserts
Melting Chocolate Cake
Bourbon Pumpkin Pie
Honey Plum Crisp
Southern Pecan Pie

Steakhouse Selections
​Carnival's menu states a surcharge of $20 applies per entree. 
Lobster Tail
Surf & Turf
Broiled Filet Mingion
​Grilled Lamp Chop

If you would like to view the actual menu and each food item's description I recommend you check out the embedded post below that is by John Heald on Facebook. Clicking into this post will take you away from RyG's Cruise Guide to John Heald's Facebook page. The menu items listed above were taken directly off this photo of the menu that was posted, but you can get better information on the food descriptions by looking at this post:

If you are cruising during Thanksgiving, have a great cruise and enjoy the food! Please note, I am not responsible for any changes that may occur to the menu as I am simply re-posting information Carnival released. Check with Carnival for the latest information!

         Today Carnival Cruise Line announced starting in January 2020 Pepsi products will be sold on Carnival's ships. A variety of PepsiCo products will be sold including Bubly, Pure Leaf, Naked Juice, Gatorade, Mountain Dew, Starbucks, Pepsi, Pepsi Zero Sugar, Sierra Mist, and Sierra Mist Zero Sugar. A full list of the PepsiCo products planned to be sold & served onboard can be found below.
                The full variety of PepsiCo beverages will be available as Carnival ships deplete inventories of Coca-Cola products and receive shipments of the PepsiCo beverages. Carnival's website states for some time ships may have a mix of Coca-Cola and Pepsi products onboard until the Coca-Cola inventory is sold out. 
                  Through this change in beverage suppliers, Carnival will be taking an additional step to reduce single use plastics on the ships. Carnival's website states more aluminum and glass bottling will be used, but soda dispensers will be used when space allows. It is unclear which ships or bar areas will receive soda dispensers. 
                 There will be an impact to Carnival's beverage package programs, Cheers and Bottomless Bubbles. Some of the newly offered beverages will be available under one program but not the other, both, or not included in the program for either. Carnival's website notes that the change to PepsiCo products is not changing the price of Cheers or Bottomless Bubbles. 

PepsiCo Beverages That Will Be Served On Carnival's Ships:
               Once the roll-out is complete the following PepsiCo beverages are expected to be on the menu for Carnival's ships (per Carnival's website). I have also included information about whether the PepsiCo beverage is eligible for consumption under Carnival's Cheers or Bottomless Bubbles beverage packages:

             If you are a beverage package user (Cheers or Bottomless Bubbles) I recommend checking onboard to make sure you desired drink is included in the package you selected. Please keep in mind beverage availability and inclusion in a beverage package is subject to change. I compiled this list using Carnival's website on 11/13/2019, but information could have changed since this time.

Carnival's Press Release:
Click Here To View -  will take you away from RyG's Cruise Guide to Carnival's News website. This webpage will open in another window. 
Carnival's Beverage FAQ Section Over The PepsiCo Product Change:
Click Here To View -  will take you away from RyG's Cruise Guide to Carnival's website. This webpage will open in another window. ​

        Carnival Cruise Line recently announced the Carnival Freedom will be re-deployed to sail Alaska cruises for summer 2021. With the deployment of the Carnival Freedom to sail Alaska, Carnival Cruise Line is increasing its Alaska cruise capacity. 

Overview Of The Ship's Alaska Itineraries:
              The Carnival Freedom's Alaska cruises will begin after a 17 night Panama Canal re-positioning cruise departing from Galveston. Starting on Tuesday, April 27, 2021, the Carnival Freedom will begin sailing seven night round-trip Alaska cruises departing from Seattle, Washington. These cruises are scheduled to visit Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, Victoria, and have a scenic cruise day in Tracy Arm Fjord. The port of call stop in Victoria is an evening stop.  The Carnival Freedom's Alaska cruise season will end with an 8 round-trip cruise from Seattle that visits Juneau, Skagway, Icy Straight Point, Ketchikan, Victoria, and has a scenic cruise day in Tracy Arm Fjord. This 8 night cruise will depart on Tuesday, September 14, 2021. For more details on both of these itineraries see the tables below:

Carnival Freedom's 7 Night Alaska Cruise Itinerary Departing From Seattle, Washington:
                 Carnival has the Carnival Freedom scheduled to sail this itinerary weekly starting April 27, 2021 and the last cruise on this itinerary beginning on September 7, 2021. Please note, this itinerary is subject to change!

Carnival Freedom's 8 Night Alaska Cruise Itinerary Departing From Seattle, Washington:
                    The Carnival Freedom will end its 2021 Alaska cruise season with an 8 night round-trip cruise from Seattle, Washington. This cruise departs on Tuesday, September 14, 2021. ​Please note, this itinerary is subject to change!

The Carnival Miracle will also be sailing a variety of 10 & 11 night Alaska cruises from San Francisco, but this will be topic of another post! 

For more Alaska cruise information, including some generic Alaska cruise tips, check out Alaska guide:
Click Here

​All information was compiled from Carnival Cruise Line's booking engine and press release. Please visit Carnival's website for more information. All information is subject to change at any time! Make sure you check Carnival's website or with your travel agent for any changes to the ship's itineraries. 

        The Carnival Ecstasy recently underwent a nearly two-week dry-dock at the beginning of October 2019. During this time out of service, Carnival added and updated some features in the ship's public areas as well as used the dry-dock time to do some routine maintenance.

New & Updated Features:
             Carnival added Bonsai Sushi Express to the Carnival Ecstasy during this dry-dock. Bonsai Sushi Express serves a variety of sushi, sashimi, and rolls to cruisers that want to quickly get a bite to eat. This feature is not complimentary, which means guests do have to pay a little extra. Bonsai Sushi Express is located on the Carnival Ecstasy's Promenade Deck (Deck 9) across from the Crystal Palace Casino. 
             Another new feature is the Dreams Studio venue. The Dreams Studio is an area for private photography sessions with the ship's photographers. This studio is a part of the ship's Pixels Photo Gallery and Carnival sells photo packages for purchase. The Dreams Studio is located on the Carnival Ecstasy's Promenade Deck (Deck 9) on the same side of the ship as Club 02. 
                   When Carnival added the Dreams Studio, this took the place of the ship's old arcade. The Carnival Ecstasy received a brand new arcade in dry-dock that is now located on the Promenade Deck (Deck 9) where the ship's old conference room was located. 

Other Maintenance: 
               Carnival typically uses dry-dock time to refresh carpet and tile on the ship. Carnival's press release said this dry-dock was used to replace tile, carpet, and furniture in areas where work was needed. 

For more information on the Carnival Ecstasy visit Carnival's website: Click Here (will take you away from RyG's Cruise Guide and will open in a new browser window).