Review: Carnival Cruise Line’s Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse

Excellent steakhouse cuisine is nothing new to Carnival Cruise Line ships. Ask experienced cruisers if they should pay the cover charge required to dine at the steakhouse on any Carnival ship, and you will be met with a resounding, “Yes! Of course!”

With the brand-new menu on their most recent ship Carnival Horizon, how does the newest outpost of Fahrenheit 555 compare to its siblings? We stopped by during the ship’s transatlantic sailing to find out.

Dining experience

We had a reservation on the first evening of the cruise, which qualified us to receive a complimentary bottle of the house merlot, chardonnay, or 50% off any other bottle of wine on their list. We opted for the free merlot because I’m not picky, which is my favorite variety, anyway.

Reservations aren’t essential, but making one, especially for a larger group, is a good idea to get the time and day you prefer. The wine promo I mentioned applies to the first and second day of every sailing, so if you want to take advantage of that, I’d definitely recommend a reservation.

The steakhouses are meant to be a fine-dining experience, and it feels like that every step of the way. They took our dinner order, with each of us allowed to order an appetizer, salad, a couple of side dishes, and an entree.

Because we ordered steaks, our server returned with a saltbox so we could select which of the different salts we wanted our meats seasoned with. I’m not sure I could tell the difference, but it was still fun and different from your typical dining experience.

What’s on the menu?

Read the Fahrenheit 555 steakhouse menu here

After picking the salt for our steaks, our server brought a bread selection with two kinds of butter. We opted for one of the bread options.

Next came the amuse-bouche, a tiny one-bite cheeseburger with tomato and pickle. This was one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. I believe they rotate the amuse-bouche offerings so that you may get something completely different. 

The people seated at the table next to us ordered the Smoke & Ice Fresh Oysters. It is served on ice under a glass dome filled with smoke, making for a pretty memorable presentation! Then came our appetizers. We ordered a Caesar salad and the mushroom risotto.

The Caesar salad was pretty standard but was exactly what I wanted since I was still a little full from lunch. As for the risotto, it was just amazing. I would have gotten a second order if I hadn’t been so full, but I only regretted not doing so until our entrees came.

For our entrees, we got a Grilled Prime Cowboy Steak, a massive 18 oz Rib Chop Steak, and the Surf & Turf, featuring half a Maine lobster tail and a small grilled filet mignon.

There are five sauces to choose from, so we went with the bearnaise sauce for the cowboy steak and the red wine sauce for the filet minion. 

We both like our steaks cooked medium-rare and were impressed that that is actually how they came out. It is such a rarity for restaurants that primarily serve steak. Both steaks and the lobster were delicious, and somehow, none of the 18 oz ones remained on the plate!

In addition to our entrees, we ordered a baked potato, mac n’ cheese, and onion rings as sides. The baked potato was so cute, served with little dishes of sour cream, bacon, chives, and butter.

Finally came dessert. We were given a menu, and our server described the Chocolate Sphere as chocolate, filled with chocolate, and covered in chocolate. As for the Art at Your Table, well, here’s a photo, which will provide a clearer picture than any description could!

So the chef comes out with a bunch of dessert-y food items that can be used to make a mural/collage, as well as some white chocolate spheres that open and reveals the tasty goodness inside.

He did this one per table, though, and, having watched a video of this particular dessert before sailing, decided to opt out of the table art.

Instead, we chose to share the Chocolate Sphere, which was so good. Our server delivered the sphere of chocolate and poured melted chocolate over it, revealing the smooth chocolate-praline filling inside. We didn’t have a way to try the art dessert, but I would still pick the chocolate sphere over it.

Read More: 7 Reasons to Dine in Carnival’s Steakhouse

Is the steakhouse worth the cost?

As of July 2023, the per-person charge for a steakhouse dinner is $48, including the gratuity (but you can add more if you are feeling generous). Personally, I’m so-so on saying it’s worth the cost. While the food is always phenomenal, I like Carnival for its affordability.

I think it would be worth it if they have the wine promo (assuming you don’t have the CHEERS! package already) and if you are celebrating something.

There is nothing spectacular about it that I would, under other circumstances, want to spend an extra $48 for the Main Dining Room. However, I know that many others would disagree with me and say, “Yes, it is definitely worth the price.”

Final Thoughts

I like the new menu, even though they changed all the desserts, and the chocolate sampler I loved last year on the Vista is gone. The mushroom risotto more than makes up for any other changes!

I had read that the back wall of the restaurant opened, so there would be live piano music from the piano bar, but we were either too far away to hear it, or their cocktail music player was off that day. 

One thing I didn’t like about the new steakhouse was the layout of the restaurant. They removed all of the dividing walls to seemingly cater to larger groups. While this is great for groups who sail together, it lacked the intimate feeling I observed on the Vista.

Nonetheless, Carnival once again hits it out of the park with Horizon’s Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse.

Want to read more from our special guest columnist Lauren Rodgers? Visit her blog, Lauren of All Trades.

DIG DEEPER: Carnival Cruise Steakhouse Review and Menu