Carnival's Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse costs $55 per person (adults) and $15 for kids 12 and under in 2025, making it one of the most affordable specialty steakhouses at sea — and for most cruisers who enjoy a proper steak dinner, it's absolutely worth it.
Photo: Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival's Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse is one of the worst-kept secrets in budget cruising: a legitimate white-tablecloth steakhouse experience for $55 a head. That's less than most landlocked chain steakhouses — but is the food actually good enough to justify skipping the free dining room? Here's the honest breakdown.
Carnival Steakhouse Cost: The Real Numbers
Fahrenheit 555 (named after the temperature at which steak sears) charges a flat per-person cover charge. That cover charge includes your appetizer, entrée, sides, and dessert — but drinks are extra and come off your onboard account separately.
| Diner | Price (2025) |
|---|---|
| Adults | $55 per person |
| Children (12 and under) | $15 per person |
| Drinks (wine, cocktails) | Extra — billed to room |
| Service charge / gratuity | Included in the cover charge |
If you have the Cheers! Beverage Package, your drinks are covered even at Fahrenheit 555 — which dramatically improves the value equation. A couple sharing a bottle of wine could easily add $40–$80 to that $110 base tab without a package.
One important note: Carnival occasionally runs promotions where specialty dining is discounted 20–30% when booked before sailing through the Cruise Manager portal. Check before you board — booking onboard almost never gets you a deal.
Photo: Carnival Cruise Line
What's Included in the $55 Cover Charge
This isn't a stripped-down prix fixe. The $55 covers a full multi-course meal:
- Appetizers: Shrimp cocktail, lobster bisque, Caesar salad, calamari, charcuterie board
- Entrées: USDA prime cuts including filet mignon, ribeye, New York strip, plus lobster tail and non-steak options (salmon, chicken)
- Sides: Loaded baked potato, truffle mac and cheese, creamed spinach, asparagus — included, not à la carte
- Desserts: Crème brûlée, chocolate lava cake, cheesecake
Compare this to a Landside steakhouse where the sides alone run $12–$18 each, and the math tilts heavily in Carnival's favor.
Key Factors That Affect Whether It's Worth It
Your baseline dining habits matter most. If you'd spend $80–$120 at a steakhouse at home, $55 per person onboard feels like a steal. If you rarely eat steak on land, the value proposition weakens.
Ship matters — quality is consistent but not identical. Fahrenheit 555 is available on most Carnival ships but not all older vessels in the fleet. Newer ships like the Mardi Gras, Celebration, and Jubilee have the most polished version of the experience, with better ambiance and more attentive service ratios.
Night of the cruise matters too. Avoid the first night (chaotic embarkation energy) and the last night (staff distracted by turnover). Nights 2–4 are the sweet spot — kitchen is in rhythm, dining room isn't overrun.
What it doesn't replace: Fahrenheit 555 is a steakhouse, not a tasting menu. If you want culinary creativity, you're in the wrong restaurant. This is classic American steakhouse done competently at sea — not Michelin-starred ambition.
| Type of Traveler | Worth It? |
|---|---|
| Steak lovers who'd pay $80+ on land | Yes — great value |
| Cruisers who drink and have Cheers! package | Yes — drinks are covered |
| Families with young kids (picky eaters) | Maybe — kids at $15 is fair, but menu is adult-focused |
| Budget cruisers who are happy with the MDR | Skip it — free dining is decent on Carnival |
| Non-steak eaters | Probably not — limited alternatives |
| Couples on a date night | Absolutely — the ambiance upgrade alone justifies it |
Photo: Carnival Cruise Line
Practical Tips to Save Money and Maximize Value
Book before you sail. Log into Carnival's Cruise Manager and pre-book your reservation. You'll sometimes see a 15–20% early booking discount that disappears once you're on the ship.
Combine with the Cheers! package. If you're already drinking on the cruise, a nice bottle of wine or two cocktails each at Fahrenheit 555 gets fully covered — effectively making your steak dinner cheaper than the cover charge alone suggests.
Go on a port day evening. When a chunk of passengers are ashore or exhausted from excursions, the steakhouse is less crowded, service is more attentive, and the kitchen isn't slammed.
Ask about upsells — and say no to most of them. Servers may suggest premium add-ons like a larger lobster tail or a côte de boeuf for two. These can add $20–$40 per person. The base menu is already solid — you don't need to upgrade unless you genuinely want to.
Loyalty perks: Carnival VIFP members at Platinum and Diamond tier sometimes receive a complimentary specialty dining credit. Check your offers before booking — you may not need to pay at all.
How Carnival Stacks Up Against Other Cruise Line Steakhouses
For context, here's how Fahrenheit 555 compares to the competition in 2025:
| Cruise Line | Steakhouse | Price Per Person |
|---|---|---|
| Carnival | Fahrenheit 555 | $55 |
| Royal Caribbean | Chops Grille | $59–$65 |
| Norwegian | Cagney's Steakhouse | $49–$59 |
| Celebrity | Tuscan Grille / Fine Cut | $65–$75 |
| MSC | Butcher's Cut | $49–$55 |
| Disney | Palo Steakhouse | $45 |
| Princess | Crown Grill | $39–$59 |
Carnival sits squarely in the middle on price — cheaper than Celebrity, comparable to Royal Caribbean, and offering similar value to Norwegian's Cagney's. The food quality is honest, not exceptional — think well-executed American steakhouse, not a Michelin contender.
The Verdict
At $55 per person with sides and dessert included, Fahrenheit 555 is one of the better-value specialty dining options afloat. It won't blow your mind, but it will deliver a genuinely enjoyable meal in a quieter, more intimate setting than the main dining room. For a date night, a birthday, or simply one evening of feeling like you're not on a floating cafeteria — it's worth it.
Not sure if specialty dining fits your cruise budget? Run your full Carnival cost breakdown — including drinks, excursions, and gratuities — with CruiseMutiny before you book a single add-on. You might be surprised how fast the extras stack up.