In a nod to the Mexican Riviera itinerary of the new Carnival Splendor, a new burrito bar debuted during the ship’s two-day familiarization cruises in San Francisco and Los Angeles last week.

Located within the expansive poolside restaurant, The Lido, the venue allows guests the opportunity select a variety of meats, rice, vegetables and other ingredients and have a custom-made burrito created right before their eyes.

The burrito bar has garnered positive feedback from Carnival Splendor guests and the company is evaluating expanding the concept to other ships in the fleet.

Carnival Cruise Lines has launched “Your Choice Dining” which provides a selection of three different dinner seating options for guests aboard the line’s 22-ship fleet. In addition to Early or Late assigned seating, the cruise line is rolling out “Your Time” open seating to accommodate individual guest preferences. Also, under the new Your Choice Dining program, dining assignments will be confirmed at the time of booking.

Your Time open seating, currently available on five ships, will be implemented one vessel at a time over the next several months as modifications in dining room table configurations are completed on each ship.

An additional eight ships are scheduled to be converted by the end of year and the balance of the fleet by summer 2010.  Confirmed dining assignments are now being offered fleetwide.

At the time of booking, guests will be asked to choose from among Early dining at 6pm, Late dining at 8:15 pm or Your Time dining which allows guests to dine at any time between 5:45pm and 9:30pm (if applicable depending on ship and sailing date). Dining assignments will be accommodated on a first-come, first-serve basis according to when guests made their reservation.

If the preferred dining choice is not available, guests may confirm an alternate choice and be placed on a waitlist for their first preference.  Waitlists will be cleared prior to sailing and guests will be notified via email of their confirmed seating assignment.

As Your Time dining is implemented on each ship, guests already booked will be contacted via email or through their travel agent and provided the opportunity to switch to Your Time dining or retain their original choice.  

Your Time guests are able to request any table size or waiter and are typically seated immediately when arriving at the dining room.  However, if a modest wait time is required, guests are given a pager so they are free to relax elsewhere on the ship until their table is ready.

Additional options available under Your Choice Dining include extensive poolside eateries offering a wide variety of cuisine choices in a casual environment and, on a number of ships, elegant, reservations-only restaurants serving fine quality dry-aged U.S.D.A. prime steaks and other dishes in an intimate, upscale atmosphere.     

Below is a timetable for the introduction of Your Time open seating throughout the Carnival fleet:

*  Already implemented:  Carnival Legend, Carnival Liberty, Carnival Sensation, Carnival Paradise, Carnival Miracle

*  End of April: Carnival Conquest, Carnival Elation, Carnival Pride

*  Mid-June:  Carnival Fantasy, Carnival Spirit

*  Late September:  Carnival Dream

*  Mid-October:  Carnival Ecstasy

*  Mid-December: Carnival Glory

*  February 2010: Carnival Fascination

*  By summer 2010: Carnival Imagination, Carnival Inspiration, Carnival Destiny,   Carnival Triumph, Carnival Valor, Carnival Splendor, Carnival Freedom and Carnival Victory

The largest “Fun Ship” ever constructed, the 3,006-passenger Carnival Splendor makes maximum use of its size, featuring the widest variety of formal and casual dining options at sea with delicious, palate-pleasing offerings from around the world.

In addition to multi-course meals served in spectacular two-level main dining rooms, a diversity of global choices await diners in The Lido restaurant, which boasts a tandoori oven offering Indian-style chicken, fish kebobs, breads and other delicacies, a Mongolian wok where guests can select vegetables, seafood, meat and spices and have it prepared right before their eyes, and the ever-popular 24-hour pizza with seven kinds of pies and calzone. Carnival’s successful supper club concept will also be taken to new heights with The Pinnacle serving the finest dry-aged U.S.D.A. prime steaks and other dishes in a refined atmosphere.

“Today’s consumers are savvier than ever when it comes to cuisine, and they want not only longtime favorites but also the opportunity to enjoy new choices they typically wouldn’t try at home,” said Natko Nincevic, Carnival’s senior vice president of hotel operations. “Carnival Splendor’s size has enabled us to explore different culinary options for our guests’ enjoyment and raise the bar on our ocean-going cuisine,” he added.

Main Dining Rooms Offer Carnival Favorites
In keeping with the theme of culinary diversity, Carnival’s main dining rooms, the Golden Pearl, located aft, and the forward Black Pearl, offer guests a choice of six different appetizers and soups, two salads, and six entrees, and the ever-popular Broiled Lobster Tail served once each voyage, Additionally, Carnival Classics – a selection of popular appetizers, entrees and desserts — is available daily.

A variety of decadent desserts, including Carnival’s legendary Chocolate Melting Cake, and an extensive wine list, featuring a number of reserve selections, will also be available.

Reservations-Only Supper Club

For those seeking a more intimate meal, there’s The Pinnacle, a reservations-only supper club, which will offer the finest cuisine in elegant and memorable surroundings that include a glass dance floor suspended over a mini-atrium that’s sure to be a conversation starter.

Modeled after New York’s top steakhouses, The Pinnacle’s menu includes a nine-ounce filet, 14-ounce strip loin, and a 24-ounce porterhouse, along with lobster tail, veal and lamb chops, Dover sole and surf and turf with seared lobster and grilled filet mignon. Traditional steakhouse accompaniments such as creamed spinach, wasabi mashed potatoes and sautéed mushrooms, will also be available. Impeccable, leisurely-paced service, the finest china and stemware, and one of the most extensive wine lists afloat – hand selected by the line’s master chefs to match the cuisine – make dining at The Pinnacle a truly unforgettable experience.

Increased Casual Offerings
Continuing Carnival’s efforts at expanding the quality and variety of its casual dining choices, Carnival Splendor’s poolside restaurant, The Lido, will offer a wide range of breakfast, lunch and dinner alternatives served buffet-style.

In addition to Indian tandoori and Mongolian barbecue venues, The Lido will include a New York–style deli with piled-high sandwiches and popular sides, a 35-item salad bar, pasta and meat-carving stations, and a grill serving hot dogs, hamburgers and chicken and steak sandwiches.   

Carnival Splendor will also feature a rotisserie upstairs on Panorama Deck, serving rotisserie chicken with the cruise line’s signature spice rub, along with traditional accompaniments.

Carnival Splendor’s culinary choices don’t end there. The ship also features The Coffee Shop, offering espressos, lattes and cappuccinos and decadent sweets; California Roll, a sushi bar offering complimentary Asian specialties prior to dinner each evening; and El Mojito, which, like the name implies, will offer different variations of the classic cocktail, along with a selection of wines and martinis.

There’s also 24-hour stateroom service – complimentary, of course – where guests can have freshly made hot and cold sandwiches, salads and other fare delivered to their cabin any time of the day or night. Late-night buffets with a different theme each night, including the Gala Midnight Buffet and Chocolate Extravaganza, will be featured, as well.

Carnival Splendor will also offer the popular “Fountain Fun Card,” offering unlimited soft drinks throughout the voyage for a one-time fee. Adult and children’s versions of the card will be available.

Carnival Splendor is set to debut July 2, 2008, with an eight-day voyage from Genoa followed by the launch of 12-day Northern Europe cruises from London (Dover) July 13, 2008. The ship will be deployed to Rome (Civitavecchia) for 12-day voyages to the Mediterranean, Greece and Turkey then reposition to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for seven-day Caribbean departures. Following a series of 14- to 18-day South America voyages, Carnival Splendor begins year-round seven-day Mexican Riviera voyages from Long Beach, Calif., March 29, 2009.

For additional information and reservations on Carnival Splendor’s various European, Caribbean, South American and Mexican Riviera cruises, contact any travel agent, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit carnival.com.