Cruise Lines changing policies for second entrees
I’ve long said that cruises are the perfect place to experiment with new foods, as if you don’t like an entree, you can just request another one! While that worked out well for my adventures in seafood, some people have recently abused the system. One social media personality bragged about consuming 27 lobster tails in one cruise dinner! This is why we can’t have nice things, y’all.
Of course, the cruise lines have had to start cracking down on the ridiculousness.
The info below is sourced from customer reports, as official policies are difficult to locate.
Norwegian
NCL has started adding a $5 fee as of Sept 2025 if you order a second entrée in the main dining room. It’s printed on the menu.
Carnival
Carnival’s policy hasn’t changed: two entrées are free, and the third will cost $5. This has been in place since 2022 and is still showing up on current sailings.
Royal Caribbean
This one depends on the ship and itinerary. On “Royal Night” you usually get one lobster tail included, with extras priced at around $16.99 plus gratuity. Some sailings treat lobster as a full add-on instead of an included item. There are also mixed reports of servers only bringing one entrée at a time and asking guests to finish it before another is served.
MSC Cruises
On U.S. sailings, MSC now lists a $5 charge for a second entrée in the main dining room. Some passengers have even spotted it printed right on the Seaside menus. Interestingly, not everyone reports being charged, but the policy is officially in place.
Holland America
Holland America does not currently tack on a fee for ordering more than one entrée in the MDR. Guests still mention a few premium items (like steak or lobster) that carry an extra charge, but the standard menu is flexible if you want to try more than one dish.
Disney Cruise Line
Disney keeps things old school: you can order multiple appetizers, mains, and desserts at no extra cost. The only wrinkle is that you usually place your full dinner order at once, so doubling up on entrées is encouraged up front rather than after the fact.
It already takes ages to be served in the main dining rooms, so to help speed things up, consider going to the buffet if you really want to load up.
