Cruise Lines Are Quietly Shrinking Portions — And Passengers Are Noticing
You’re not imagining it.
Royal Caribbean now charges $16.99 for a second lobster tail on formal night — something that used to be free. Norwegian just started charging $5 every time you order a second entrée in the main dining room. And Princess has quietly swapped premium cuts of meat and seafood for cheaper alternatives across its menus.
Cruise passengers across every major line are noticing the same thing — and they’re talking about it loudly.
What Is Shrinkflation, Exactly?
Shrinkflation is when a company keeps the price the same (or raises it) while quietly reducing what you actually get. You’ve seen it at the grocery store — the bag of chips that’s the same price but half full of air. The cereal box that got shorter. The candy bar that shrunk.
It’s happening on cruise ships too. And unlike at the grocery store, you’re a captive audience 200 miles offshore with no alternative.
What Passengers Are Actually Seeing
The complaints aren’t coming from one line or one ship. They’re coming from everywhere — and the pattern is consistent enough that it’s hard to dismiss.
Second entrées now cost extra on multiple lines. Norwegian Cruise Line quietly introduced a $5 charge for any second entrée ordered in the main dining room, effective September 2025 — rolled out fleet-wide with almost no announcement. The fee appeared in small print at the bottom of menus, and many passengers didn’t notice until they got their bill. Previously, ordering two entrées was one of cruising’s most beloved perks. MSC Cruises has a similar $5 policy on US sailings. Carnival charges for a third entrée and beyond.
Lobster — once free, now comes with a catch. Royal Caribbean now limits guests to one complimentary Maine lobster tail on formal “Royal Night.” Want a second? That’ll be $16.99, plus an 18% gratuity. The charge has been rolled out fleet-wide after testing on Symphony of the Seas. A few years ago, ordering two or three lobster tails was a cruise tradition. Now it’s a $20+ line item.
Specialty restaurant prices have nearly doubled. Restaurants that were once a $25–$30 splurge per person now regularly run $60, $80, or over $100 — without a proportional improvement in what’s on the plate.
Menus have gotten narrower. Royal Caribbean overhauled its main dining room menus in 2023, replacing the nightly “Classics” section — which gave passengers familiar fallback options every night — with themed regional menus. Passengers who don’t eat Mexican, Mediterranean, or Indian food on the themed nights have fewer free choices and more pressure to pay for specialty dining.
Buffet variety is down on multiple ships, particularly late at night. Stations that used to be fully stocked past midnight are now closing earlier or offering reduced selections.
The Lines Most Mentioned
Carnival passengers have been the loudest, partly because Carnival has one of the most loyal repeat-cruiser bases in the industry — and loyal cruisers notice changes. Food quality and portion complaints on Carnival surged after the post-pandemic restart, with many passengers comparing current meals unfavorably to pre-2020 sailings. The Guy’s Burger Joint and BlueIguana Cantina are still fan favorites, but main dining room feedback has taken a hit.
Royal Caribbean introduced the $16.99 lobster upcharge fleet-wide and replaced its nightly “Classics” menu options with rotating themed nights — meaning passengers who don’t connect with that night’s theme have fewer free choices and more incentive to pay for specialty dining. One repeat cruiser summed it up on Cruise Critic: “They charge more and give you less.”
Norwegian Cruise Line made the most talked-about change: the $5 second entrée fee that landed in September 2025. The policy wasn’t announced in a press release. Passengers found out when they noticed the charge in small print on their menus — or on their bill. NCL also quietly restricted room service orders to one hot and one cold item per person, for the same delivery fee as before. Frequent cruisers on the Cruise Critic forums called it “death by a thousand cuts.”
MSC Cruises, which has grown rapidly in the North American market, has received mixed feedback — with some passengers praising the food and others saying it doesn’t match the price point, particularly on longer voyages.
Why Is This Happening?
Cruise lines aren’t doing this out of spite. There are real economic pressures driving it.
Food costs are up significantly. Protein prices in particular — beef, seafood, poultry — have risen sharply since 2021 and haven’t fully come back down. For a ship feeding 3,000 to 7,000 passengers three meals a day, that adds up fast.
Labor costs have increased. Recruiting and retaining crew post-pandemic has been harder and more expensive across the industry.
Fuel costs remain elevated. Every operational cost that’s gone up puts pressure on somewhere else — and food is one of the more flexible line items.
The business model has shifted. Cruise lines have moved aggressively toward a la carte revenue — drink packages, specialty dining, shore excursions, spa services, Wi-Fi. The base cruise fare is increasingly seen as a loss leader to get you onboard. The money is made once you’re there.
That last point matters. When specialty restaurants are a revenue priority, there’s a direct financial incentive to make the included food just good enough — but not so good that you never pay extra.
Are Cruise Lines Admitting It?
Not directly — and that’s part of what’s frustrating passengers.
None of the major cruise lines have issued statements acknowledging portion reductions. When guests complain onboard, they’re typically told that the food meets the line’s standards. Guest services doesn’t have a great answer for “this lobster tail is half the size it was in 2019.”
What cruise lines have said — in various earnings calls and investor materials — is that they’re focused on “optimizing the onboard experience” and “driving per-passenger revenue.” Read between the lines.
What Passengers Are Doing About It
Some are voting with their wallets — switching lines, downgrading from longer voyages, or booking less frequently.
Others have figured out workarounds:
- Ordering a second entrée is still free on Royal Caribbean and most Carnival sailings — but now costs $5 on Norwegian and MSC, so check your line’s policy before you assume
- Timing buffet visits for when stations are freshest (lunch service, not late night)
- Front-loading specialty dining on embarkation day, when lines offer discounts to fill restaurants
- Setting expectations differently — treating the main dining room as solid everyday food rather than a fine dining experience
The most vocal passengers are doing something else: posting about it. On Facebook groups, Reddit, and TikTok, the food quality conversation is constant. Some of it is going viral. Cruise lines are aware — and watching.
Is It Getting Better or Worse?
That depends on who you ask — and which ship you’re on.
Some passengers report that food quality varies dramatically not just by cruise line, but by individual ship, route, and even which dining room you’re assigned to. A good head chef makes a real difference. Some ships within the same fleet are consistently rated far higher than others for food.
What’s harder to argue with is the trend line. Repeat cruisers — the most reliable data points — are overwhelmingly saying that food was better five years ago than it is today. That’s not nostalgia. That’s a pattern.
The Bottom Line
Cruise lines are under real financial pressure, and food is one of the places that pressure shows up. Portions are smaller on many ships than they were pre-pandemic. That’s not a rumor — it’s what thousands of passengers are reporting, consistently, across every major line.
Whether it’s a dealbreaker depends on what you’re cruising for. If the food was a big part of the experience for you, it’s worth researching your specific ship before you book — and setting your expectations accordingly.
And if you’ve noticed it yourself, you’re in very good company.
Have portions changed on your last cruise? Which line and which ship — tell us in the comments.
