An evening at Fahrenheit 555, the signature steakhouse on new Carnival Breeze, rivals many land-based operations. That’s no big surprise; Carnival’s chain of steakhouses has impressed us since dining at the original on Carnival Legend years ago. Noteworthy though is the trend setting menu itself, expertly prepared and served in a comfortable venue designed to complement it.
Epitomizing Carnival’s easy-going style aimed to create memorable vacation experiences for their “guests”, Fahrenheit 55 is reservations-only dining experience that, while worthy of special-occasion dining, is not a long, drawn out ordeal that lasts all night.
It can though, if that works out to be what diners prefer.
Ever-present but not overwhelming service staff is on hand to take care of every need. Watchful dining room managers keep an eye on the limited number of tables, spaced nicely from one another to allow an intimate setting
That alone is huge.
Land based venues often crowd as many tables into a space as possible to maximize revenue. Here, at sea on a ship that absolutely has space limitations to consider, Carnival has chosen to go a different direction, spacing tables far apart.
Huge too is a light, “breezy” décor, tastefully done, that replaces the dark wood tones and leather typical of a steakhouse operation.
The menu itself is sourced from proven favorites comfortably presented alongside the ships chef-created offerings. A nice but not overwhelming or intimidating selection of entrees is complemented by a choice of sides and sauces.
Diners will not find mysterious menu items like “Duck La Burgeoned en Ratatouille”, they will find familiar offerings like a 9oz “Filet Mignon” and “Surf and Turf”. Better yet, the nominal $35 per person cover (a bargain at twice the price) includes anything on the menu. Diners will select a “Starter” appetizer, a salad, the entrée and, if they have room, dessert.
It’s a full meal worthy of having a light lunch earlier in the day to prepare for, but not an insurmountable amount of food. Still, each section of the menu has a lighter fare item and special requests are no problem.
We dined with a party of eight, normally a “OMG this is going to take forever” red flag, in a bit over two hours with snappy service, expertly timed to present our photo-worthy selections at their most palatable moment. Couples or smaller groups could dine in less time if they wanted to but that would probably be a mistake
Fahrenheit 55 is truly a “dining experience” and while not intimidating in any way, it should be savored in the relaxed atmosphere provided, creating a memorable event.
Simply put, Fahrenheit 55 is a must-do part of the Carnival Breeze cruise experience that will be recalled for years to come. Not so much because of any one element of the carefully orchestrated way it is done but because all together the total experience is greater than the sum of its parts.
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