Carnival Breeze outside view of oceanview and cove balcony rooms

Sometimes on a cruise it’s nice to go somewhere different than the main dining room or the buffet for dinner occasionally. Passengers looking for something special can find what they seek at the ship’s premium restaurants. All the major cruise ships have premium restaurants of some sort. Carnival Breeze has several including their Italian restaurant, Cucina del Capitano.  Many cruise ship captains come from Italy which is why Italian food could come from the captain’s kitchen.

Fancy menu from Cucina del Capitano

As premium restaurants go, this one is not too pricey at just $15 per adult or $5 per child for dinner (and a free pasta bar at lunch.)

A little bit of Italy inside Cucina del Capitano

A stairway near the dessert bar at the back of the Lido buffet leads up to Cucina, where the décor changes from the Caribbean casual look found in most of the ship to old world Italy. It can also be accessed directly on deck 11 from the rear elevator.

Menu at Cucina del Capitano

The menu offers starters, mains and if that isn’t enough additional sides as well as dessert. Portions are larger than those found in the dining room with the appetizers about big enough for a meal.

slices of toasted bread double as serving dishes

Bread served with roasted garlic and tomatoes starts the meal, followed by tasty starters.

if you like squid you can order calamari

this soup and the bread could have made a meal, but it’s just a starter

This menu is just for dinner. At lunchtime they have a completely different menu for the free pasta bar. It’s a great choice for lunch. The food is good and it’s not usually very crowded so you can avoid the lines at other lunchtime venues.

spaghetti carbonara

One of the main dishes is spaghetti carbonara, a recipe revived from Carnival’s very first ship, the Mardi Gras.  This spaghetti with a rich sauce and topped with bacon tastes better than the spaghetti carbonara they serve in the dining room.

dessert menu

Dessert offerings include tiramisu, cannoli, and a warm apple tart.

Tiramisu

The tiramisu is different from that found in other restaurants on the ship and comes topped with chocolate in a big bowl.

apple tart

The crust of the apple tart is cake-like rather than a pie crust pastry. Prepare to leave well stuffed even without finishing all of any of the tasty courses.

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