Carnival Celebration, Mardi Gras, & Jubilee - Free Specialty Dining At Dinner

          Carnival Cruise Line guests on the Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Jubilee are able to enjoy some of Carnival's specialty dining options for free at dinner. This includes Cucina Del Capitano, Guy's Pig & Anchor Smokehouse, and Chibang. These venues are treated as an alternative to the main dining room on Carnival's XL class ships. In this post, I will take a look at the specialty dining options that are complimentary on these three ships at dinner as well as discuss who is allowed to eat in these places at dinner & when.

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How Eating In These Three Venues Works For Guests
Carnival has setup Chibang, Cucina Del Capitano, and Guy's Pig & Anchor Smokehouse as alternative venues to the main dining room on Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Jubilee. T​he time that guests are allowed to eat in these venues for free during dinner depends on which dinner dining assignment guests have. 

• Guests with Your-Time Dining can eat dinner in one of these venues at any time during the open hours at night. These guests can easily check-in using the Carnival Hub App during the open hours at dinner. 
• Guests With Early Seating Dinner -  Guests with early seating are allowed to eat free in these 3 dining venues at dinner, but are not allowed to enter the venue until after 7:30pm. 
• Guests With Late Seating Dinner - Guests with late seating dinner are allowed to eat free in these 3 dining venues, but similar to the guests with early seating are not able to dine at the venue until after 7:30pm. 

Cucina Del Capitano
The Cucina Del Capitano venue on the Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration at dinner is complimentary for each guest for one dinner during the cruise. Each dinner after the first is $8 per meal. On the Carnival Jubilee for the inaugural season Cucina Del Capitano will be complimentary for dinner. 
Cucina Del Captiano serves a variety of Italian themed dishes. Some people have reported that the menu options available in Cucina Del Captano are a little different for the free version on these three ships. 

• Mardi Gras:  The Cucina Del Capitano venue is located on Deck 8 in La Piazza. The Mardi Gras' Cucina Del Capitano has some outside seating available on the Mardi Gras' Lanai. 
• Carnival Celebration: The Carnival Celebration's Cucina Del Capitano venue is located on Deck 8 in 820 Biscayne. The Carnival Celebration's Cucina Del Captiano has some outside seating available on the Lanai. 
• Carnival Jubilee: The Carnival Jubilee's Cucina Del Capitano venue is located on Deck 8. It is expected outside seating will be available for Carnival Jubilee guests when the ship launches in 2023.

Carnival does have a section of the Cucina Del Capitano menu on these three ships that has a few favorite dishes from the main dining room. 

Chibang
​The Chibang venue on Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Jubilee serves Mexican and Chinese food. The venue has two separate menus that feature appetizers, main courses, and desserts for each of the cuisine types. You can mix and match which cuisine type(s) you pick as an appetizer, main course, and dessert. 
Guests on the Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration can enjoy one complimentary meal at Chibang during the cruise and can pay $8 for an additional dinner. On the Carnival Jubilee for inaugural season Chibang will be complimentary at dinner. 

• The Chibang venue is located on Deck 8 near the Havana Bar area on all 3 ships.

Carnival does have a section of the Chibang dining room menu at dinner that has some of the favorite dishes from the main dining room.

Guy's Pig & Anchor: 
The Guy's Pig & Anchor Smokehouse on the Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Jubilee serves BBQ dishes at dinner. The venue is considered an alternative to the main dining room and is complimentary on these 3 ships. The Guy's Pig & Anchor Smokehouse not on these three ships does charge extra for the food served. From what I have seen, the menu is a little different between the ships with Guy's Pig & Anchor Smokehouse where it is not free versus the complimentary dinner menu available on the Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Jubilee. 

• The Guy's Pig & Anchor Smokehouse is located on Deck 8 near the back of the ship. Patio Pool (outside) is located right behind the Guy's Pig & Anchor Smokehouse area.

Dining Room Menu Items Typically Available:
The exact dining room menu items available in the alternative main dining room options can vary some, but these are the dishes I have typically seen on the menu in Chibang and Cucina Del Capitano. I do not know for sure if this menu is also available at the Guy's Pig & Anchor Smokehouse at dinner. 

• Appetizer - Shrimp Cocktail and Caesar Salad 
• Main Courses - Grilled Salmon, Roast Chicken, and Broiled Striploin Steak
• Dessert -  Carnival Melting Chocolate Cake and Fresh Tropical Fruit

Frequently Asked Questions:

• If I have early or late seating, can I eat in these venues for free prior to 7:30pm?  Carnival's rule is that guests with the early or late dining room seating can only eat in these venues free after 7:30pm. You might have luck if you show up at one of the venues and speak to the host/hostess about eating earlier, but it is not guaranteed that you will be allowed in earlier than 7:30pm.
• Can I make a reservation for Cucina Del Capitano, Guy's Pig & Anchor Smokehouse, or Chibang?  On the Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Jubilee you cannot make a reservation pre-cruise for these venues since they are considered alternatives to the main dining room. 
• How long is the Carnival Jubilee's inaugural season?  The venues are complimentary on Carnival Jubilee at dinner during the inaugural season, but Carnival has not clarified how long this will last. 

Carnival offering these three specialty dining venues on the Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Jubilee gives guests on the ships an opportunity to try some exciting food options! However, if guests prefer the traditional main dining room experience eating in the main dining room each night of the cruise is an option as well. 

For more Carnival Cruise food and dining tips please check out my guide:
Click Here For Carnival Cruise Food Guide!
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