8 Popular Cruise Ship Seafood Restaurants

If there’s one cuisine that’ll make your cruise experience excellent, it’s the seafood. Aboard the ships, you’ll taste dishes like lobster tail, roasted branzino, clam chowder, mussels, seafood linguini, oysters, crab cakes, fish and chips, and pan-seared halibut.

In this article, we’ve put together a rundown of eight popular seafood cruise restaurants across various cruise lines, ranging from counter-service spots to elegant sit-down venues.

1. Hooked Seafood (Royal Caribbean International)

Ships: Navigator, Symphony, and Wonder of the Seas

Hooked Seafood debuted on Royal Caribbean International’s Symphony of the Seas in 2018 and was added to Navigator during her massive 2019 renovation. It was also included aboard Royal Caribbean’s newest ship, Wonder of the Seas.

Hooked Seafood has a New England coastal, modern, casual vibe, serving traditional seafood dishes mixed with more casual options, such as the Messy Fish Sandwich (which I love and recommend). Other menu items include the Whole Maine Lobster, Royal Seafood Platter, Surf & Turf, Drunken Mussels, Alaskan Salmon, and a Maine Lobster Roll.

Sides and desserts include coleslaw, corn on the cob, lobster mac & cheese, cherry pie, a chocolate brownie, and a lemon tart.

Dinner costs $43 per person, and lunch is significantly cheaper. If you want to try affordable food, watch for the Happy Hour specials.

Each day of the cruise will have a special you can order at the bar in Hooked from 5 to 7 pm. Among the offers you can take advantage of are the Messy Fish Sandwich and a pint of beer, a crab cake and an oyster shooter, or a lobster roll and a pint of beer — all for $10 each.

See the dinner menu for Hooked.

2. Rudi’s Sel de Mer (Holland America Line)

Ships: Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam, and Rotterdam

Holland America’s Rudi’s Sel de Mer is an upscale, intimate seafood brasserie that serves classic French dishes with a contemporary twist. Menu items include whole Dover sole meunière with shaved pink Himalayan sea salt, oysters on the half shell, the Grilled Seafood Platter, Maine lobster tail, and salt-crust baked branzino (European bass), as well as favorites such as steak frites, duck cassoulet, and coq au vin.

On ships with no Sel de Mer, you can still see menu items from the restaurant on select evenings in the Pinnacle Grill Steakhouse.

Rudi’s Sel de Mer is open for dinner and costs $40 per person if reserved before the cruise or $49 per person if booked once on board. Kids cost half if ordering from the regular menu but may eat off the kids’ menu for free.

3. Seafood Shack (Carnival Cruise Line)

Ships: Carnival Breeze, Conquest, Dream, Freedom, Glory, Horizon, Liberty, Magic, Panorama, Radiance, Sunrise, Valor, Vista, Splendor, Celebration, Jubilee, and Mardi Gras

Seafood Shack is an open-air, New England-inspired venue in Carnival Cruise Line, which serves a la carte seafood options throughout the day, such as a lobster roll ($12), New England clam chowder in a bread bowl ($4), fish and chips ($6), and crab cake sliders ($8).

Guests can order buckets of fried buffalo shrimp, clam strips, or a combo of both. There’s also seafood by the pound available at market price, including steamed lobster and snow crab.

See the Seafood Shack menu.

4. Ocean Blue (Norwegian Cruise Line)

Ships: Norwegian Bliss, Breakaway, Encore, Getaway, and Joy. A version of Ocean Blue, called Bayamo by Ocean Blue, is available on Norwegian Escape.

Ocean Blue is Norwegian Cruise Line’s sophisticated seafood restaurant, which offers indoor and outdoor seating. The venue is open for dinner and has a la carte pricing, with dishes including cold water lobster, mussels bianco, Hong Kong-style snapper, seafood linguini, and surf and turf.

Those who don’t like seafood can choose from entrées like filet mignon, chicken breast cordon bleu, and NY strip steak. There are also wine and champagne lists.

At lunchtime on sea days, Ocean Blue offers casual a la carte options on the outdoor Waterfront promenade, such as lobster rolls, crispy calamari, and crab tostadas.

5. Fish & Ships (Royal Caribbean International)

Ships: Independence and Ovation of the Seas

Fish & Ships is Royal Caribbean International’s answer to Carnival’s Seafood Shack. You’ll find that the a la carte pricing is similar, and several items can be found on both menus.

Fish & Ships, though, doubles as a seafood counter-service venue and a bar, serving cocktails and beers alongside the food. It’s on the main pool deck and is perfect for grabbing a quick bite between dips in the water. Menu items include fish & chips for $7, a lobster roll for $10, fried shrimp for $5, and fried calamari for $5. Those who don’t like seafood can try the battered sausage with chips ($4) or the Chip Butty ($3), which is a sandwich comprised of bread and fries.

For dessert, they have a deep-fried candy bar, which will make you remember your childhood days.

6. Ocean Cay (MSC Cruises)

Ships: MSC Seaside, Seaview, Seashore, Seascape, and Meraviglia

Ocean Cay, also the name of MSC’s private Bahamian island, is an intimate 32-seat seafood restaurant on MSC’s Seaside class ships and MSC Meraviglia.

The venue serves Mediterranean-style fish and seafood dishes made with fresh ingredients. Appetizers include Boston lobster, oysters, caviar, smoked salmon, lump crab cake, and king crab. Entrées include tuna, lobster tail, black cod, and sea bass. An extensive wine list is also available to complement the various seafood options.

Guests can pay a cover charge for a “dining experience” at Ocean Cay, which includes an appetizer, entrée, and dessert. Alternatively, they can pay for menu items individually like at a typical restaurant.

7. Rudi’s Seagrill (Carnival Cruise Line)

Ships: Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Jubilee

Rudi’s Seagrill is a new specialty restaurant that debuted on Carnival Cruise Line’s Mardi Gras last year. As with Sel de Mer, this restaurant also bears Chef Rudi Sodamin’s name. Indeed, Holland America shared its Master Chef Consultant and seafood expert with sister line Carnival for another specialty restaurant at sea.

The space is light-filled, modern, and fun, featuring accents and furniture. Plates include Chef Rudi’s “food face” artwork, and the restaurant uses fun fish-shaped “gurgle pots,” which create gurgling sounds when poured. Some dishes are even arranged when served as Sodamin’s famous food faces.

Menu items include crab stuffed lobster tail, roasted halibut, blue mussels, seafood bisque, crab cake, and lobster mac n’ cheese. Non-seafood eaters will enjoy free-range chicken, New York strip steak, and Berkshire pork chops. The restaurant also offers a cocktail menu and an extensive wine list.

Rudi’s Seagrill is open for dinner, costing $42 per adult and $13 per child.

See the menu for Rudi’s Seagrill.

8. Steamers Seafood (Princess Cruises)

Ships: Caribbean and Emerald Princess

Steamers Seafood isn’t a standalone restaurant; it’s a pop-up specialty dining experience in a section of the World Fresh Marketplace buffet area. Princess Cruises’ Steamers Seafood is available every other night of the cruise, alternating with a specialty barbecue concept called Planks BBQ. Both have a cover charge of $12 per person. Reservations are required but cannot be made ahead of the cruise.

The menu for Steamers is simple, with — of course — steamed seafood combos. Guests can choose the Black & Blue Mussels Steamer or the Classic Clams Steamer with one of three sauces. Each comes with red potatoes, corn on the cob, green beans, and seasoned fries.

Those who don’t want one of the steamed specialties can opt for the Princess Fried Seafood Platter served with carrot & raisin salad and seasoned fries. Guests can add a lobster tail and crab to the three options for an additional $10.

Appetizers are chopped Caesar salad and clam & smoked ham chowder, and dessert offerings are strawberry shortcake and key lime pie in a jar. For an additional charge, Steamers also features specialty cocktails, beer, and wine.

Out of the eight venues listed, which one of the seafood cruise restaurants is your favorite? Let us know.

READ NEXT: Mardi Gras Dining Guide: Which Restaurants Are Complimentary?

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