“What’s cooking, good looking?” No, I’m not being flirty. If you’re familiar with chef and pop artist Rudi Sodamin, you’ll know that’s his catchphrase. (If you’re not familiar with him, you’re about to be.)
Sodamin’s larger-than-life personality and whimsical “food faces” — funny visages made from plated food — have led him to partnerships with several brands in the Carnival Corporation portfolio. Such partners include Princess Cruises and Holland America Line, whose ships boast seafood eatery Rudi’s Sel de Mer.
However, Sodamin truly shines with his latest venture, Rudi’s Seagrill on Carnival Cruise Line‘s Excel Class ships, which are the newest in the fleet.
Here, I’ll go over what you need to know — from menu items and pricing to the ships on which you’ll find Rudi’s Seagrill — so you can decide if dinner at this upscale seafood restaurant is right for you.
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What is Rudi’s Seagrill on Carnival cruise ships?
Rudi’s Seagrill, Carnival Cruise Line’s high-end seafood restaurant, offers a menu of delicious and beautifully prepared dishes, served in a dining room that’s light and airy. Glass fish accents and pops of blue color enhance the nautical vibe.
Although Carnival has had onboard seafood options for years, this is a far cry from the pool deck’s Seafood Shack (which recently sold me a mediocre crabcake). Instead, at Rudi’s, you’ll find a don’t-miss lobster mac and cheese, plenty of meat and seafood selections, and crabcakes that are actually worth the price of admission.
Related: Carnival cruise food: The ultimate guide to restaurants and dining on board
Although the official dress code is “cruise casual,” you might want to dress up a bit for dinner at Rudi’s, given the atmosphere.
Reservations are highly recommended.
Rudi’s Seagrill menu
The Rudi’s menu includes five sections from which you can choose your meal’s three courses: starters, soups and salads, entrees, grill items and desserts. For your first course, you can choose an item from starters, soups or salads. For your second course, select from entrees or the grill. Follow it up with a dessert for course number three.
Starters include blue mussels, seared shrimp, oysters and the aforementioned lobster mac and cheese. Soup and salad choices include seafood bisque, fisherman’s stew, house tossed salad or baby romaine with cauliflower and honey nut squash.
If you want to stick to seafood, go with one of the entrees like roasted halibut, red snapper, Dover sole, broiled lobster tail or the crabcake about which I was raving earlier. If meat is more to your liking, pick something from the grill — free-range chicken, a pork chop or prime New York strip steak — instead.
To top it off, enjoy dishes such as apple cheesecake with limoncello whipped cream, chocolate truffle cake, white chocolate bread pudding or key lime pie for dessert.
Wines and cocktails are also available for sale. Choose from sparkling, white, red and rose wines or unique-to-Rudi’s cocktails, such as Seagrill Sangria and the Santorini Martini.
For cruisers 11 and younger, a special menu offers smaller portions and kid-friendly fare. They can choose macaroni and cheese or shrimp cocktail as a starter. For mains, children can order beef sliders with Parmesan fries; a 4-ounce filet mignon with vegetables; fish and chips; or chicken fingers. Tasty dessert options are either a banana split or a chocolate and Nutella pizza.
Note: Menu items were accurate at the time of publication, but they’re subject to change without notice.
Rudi’s Seagrill price
How much does it cost to eat at Rudi’s Seagrill? Adults can dine there for $49 per person, which includes a starter, main and dessert. Kids 11 and younger can order from the children’s menu for $15.
Gratuity is included in the cover charge. Alcoholic beverages are charged a la carte unless you have a drink package that covers the price.
Which Carnival ships have Rudi’s Seagrill?
Rudi’s Seagrill is on all ships in Carnival’s Excel Class:
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