3 Royal Caribbean Menu Changes That Cost You Extra

Royal Caribbean still includes dinner in your fare. What changed is where the free line stops. Three patterns now show up on menus and package fine print: a paywalled lobster order in the Main Dining Room, specialty venues that charge again after you buy the dining package, and an included-vs-chargeable split the cruise line publishes in its own dining FAQ.

Prices move by ship and sailing. Check Cruise Planner and the current menu before you treat any figure below as locked.

1. Second lobster tail in the Main Dining Room

Formal night still serves cold-water lobster as the featured entree. The first tail stays free. Order a second and you pay $16.99 plus 18% gratuity.

That fee started as a test on Symphony of the Seas in late 2022, alongside a broader Main Dining Room menu rework. A Royal Caribbean spokesperson told The Points Guy the new menus came from guest comments and fleet-wide data, with a different theme each night. Royal Caribbean Blog tracked the fleet rollout into early 2023. The second-tail charge is now standard.

The same $16.99 rate applies if you order lobster on a night that is not Royal Night. One complimentary tail on lobster night. Everything after that is a line item.

Carnival moved in the same window. On sailings of six nights or longer, Carnival caps free Main Dining Room entrees at two. A third costs $5. Royal Caribbean’s lobster rule is tighter on allowance. One free lobster tail. No two-tail buffer.

Seventeen dollars will not wreck a cruise budget. The signal matters more. An included menu now meters a dish that used to feel unlimited.

2. Paying again inside specialty dining you already paid for

Specialty restaurants always cost extra. The newer trap is the tier above the cover charge, including venues that still bill you after you buy the Unlimited Dining Package.

Giovanni’s Table

Giovanni’s Table is a family-style Italian specialty restaurant. It is not included in the cruise fare. Royal Caribbean Blog’s specialty dining guide, updated 14 Jan 2026, lists Giovanni’s Italian Table at $49.99 per adult for dinner and $24.99 for lunch. Pre-cruise sales often cut those numbers. Your Cruise Planner is the live price.

That cover is the normal specialty model. You pay once for the room and the menu. The pattern gets sharper at the premium venues below.

Empire Supper Club

Empire Supper Club on Icon of the Seas is a multi-course, jazz-paired dinner. Full price is $200 per person plus 18% gratuity, per Royal Caribbean Blog’s February 2024 review and the January 2026 pricing guide. Royal Caribbean’s own Unlimited Dining Package FAQ lists a $130 per-person surcharge if you already hold the package.

You still pay. The package lowers the bill. It does not erase it. Similar supper-club concepts now sit on other new ships. Treat each one as a premium experience, not a standard specialty reservation.

Chef’s Table

Chef’s Table follows the same structure. Royal Caribbean Blog lists the walk-up cover at $109.99 per guest as of 14 Jan 2026. Royal Caribbean’s FAQ lists a $49.99 per-person surcharge with the Unlimited Dining Package.

Royal Caribbean’s package FAQ also states, in plain language, that the Unlimited Dining Package does not include premium experiences such as Chef’s Table, and that premium menu selections can carry upcharges even at otherwise-covered restaurants.

If you bought the package to stop paying for specialty dining, read the surcharge list before you reserve Empire, Chef’s Table, Royal Railway, or Izumi Omakase.

3. Included vs chargeable is now written down

This is the frame under the other two.

Royal Caribbean’s dining FAQ keeps Main Dining Room and Windjammer in the included bucket. Specialty restaurants run through cover charges or dining packages. Room service carries a $7.95 service charge plus 18% gratuity. The Unlimited Dining Package page lists which venues are covered and which still add a per-visit surcharge.

Included food still exists. The newer and more marketed experiences increasingly sit in the chargeable column. The lobster fee, the Giovanni’s cover, and the Supper Club / Chef’s Table package surcharges are three checkable examples of that line.

Why Royal Caribbean does this

CEO Michael Bayley has said the line’s strategy is unbundling. Asked why Royal Caribbean has not matched Celebrity-style all-inclusive fares, he said research shows around 50% of guests do not want a beverage package, and that unbundling gives people choice. That quote, reported by Royal Caribbean Blog on 26 Jan 2024, was about drinks. The same logic shows up on the menu. Keep the base fare lower. Let you choose what to add.

What it can cost in one evening

None of these charges are required. Skip them and your dinner bill stays at zero beyond the fare.

If you do not skip them, the math stacks fast. One extra lobster tail is $16.99 before gratuity. Two adults at Giovanni’s Table dinner at the $49.99 list price is about $100 before restaurant gratuity and promotions. Empire at full price is $200 per person before the 18% gratuity. Package holders still face the published $130 and $49.99 surcharges at Empire and Chef’s Table.

What you should do

Check current Main Dining Room and specialty pricing for your ship before you sail. If you buy the Unlimited Dining Package to avoid extra charges, open the surcharge list and confirm Empire Supper Club, Chef’s Table, and any other premium venue you want. Treat “included” as something to verify, especially if your last Royal Caribbean cruise was a few years ago. Budget on purpose for the extras you want. That beats finding them on the menu with a card in your hand.