Cross-Line Comparison
The cruise steakhouse showdown.
Every major line puts its fanciest room behind a steakhouse cover charge, and they are not created equal. Here is how all six stack up on price, kids policy, and what you actually get — with links to each verified menu. Prices verified July 2026; they drift by ship and demand.
Carnival
Fahrenheit 555
- Adults
- $52 prix fixe
- Kids
- $15 (11 and under)
- The beef
- USDA Prime, up to 18 oz
Best value at sea. Prime beef at a price the others cannot touch, and the $15 kids cover makes it a family option.
See the menuRoyal Caribbean
Chops Grille
- Adults
- $55–70 dinner / ~$25 lunch
- Kids
- ~$14 (6–12); 5 and under free
- The beef
- Filet, NY strip, lamb, lobster
The most polished room and the famous wild mushroom soup. Lunch is the sleeper deal. Kids under 6 free is quietly the best family policy here.
See the menuNorwegian
Cagney's Steakhouse
- Adults
- ~$60 prix fixe or a la carte
- Kids
- Kids menu available
- The beef
- Certified Angus Beef, four cuts
The classic Free at Sea credit spend. If your fare bundle includes a specialty credit, this is effectively the free steakhouse.
See the menuMSC Cruises
Butcher's Cut
- Adults
- $55 flat three-course
- Kids
- Varies by sailing
- The beef
- Premium steakhouse cuts
The simplest bill on this list: one flat fee, three courses, no math. The safe pick for less adventurous eaters on an MSC sailing.
See the menuPrincess
Crown Grill
- Adults
- $55 ($60 Sun/Star Princess)
- Kids
- Half price (3–11)
- The beef
- Filet to porterhouse, sea bass, lobster
The grandparents-treat-everyone dinner, and the black and blue onion soup has a cult following. Premium cuts carry a surcharge on top.
See the menuDisney
Palo / Palo Steakhouse
- Adults
- $55 prix fixe
- Kids
- Adults only (18+)
- The beef
- Italian steakhouse, Wish-class ships
The only adults-only room on this list, which on a Disney ship is precisely the point. Book the nursery, book Palo, thank us later.
See the menuThe one-paragraph verdict
Chasing pure value, book Fahrenheit 555: USDA Prime for $52 is the best beef-per-dollar afloat. Chasing the best overall meal, most repeat cruisers give it to Chops at dinner or Cagney's on a Free at Sea credit. Sailing with kids, note the fine print that the brochures skip: Chops feeds under-6s free, Fahrenheit 555 and Giovanni's charge $15, Crown Grill is half price, and Palo will not seat them at all — which, one night per cruise, is exactly what you want.