Royal Caribbean has no shortage of food on its ships, but the next time you’re on a cruise and you’re craving lasagna, chicken parmigiana, or soup that makes you feel like your nonna is sailing with you, head to the specialty restaurant, Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen.

When you’re there, a great bottle of wine is never far away and everything from penne to steak will have you shouting “Mangia!”

Here you can find out everything you need to know about the restaurant, the menu, the prices and the ships on which it is represented.

Note: Menus and prices were correct at the time of publication but are subject to change without notice.

What is Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen?

Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen is not the same as Giovanni’s Table. Although both Italian restaurants are open for an additional fee on select ships, Giovanni’s Table serves a family-style menu designed for sharing. On select ships, Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen also houses the onboard wine bar.

The atmosphere is upscale, but the dress code is casual, making it a great place for a family gathering, special occasion, or just because – without feeling like you have to dress up.

The kitchen is open for dinner every evening and for lunch on sea days. Reservations are not required but recommended.

A special mention goes to the location on Utopia of the Seas. Not only is the wine bar located in this ship’s restaurant, but the two-story venue also offers fantastic views of the ship’s promenade area, which are especially breathtaking after dark.

On some ships, Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen is located right next to the wine bar, while on other ships the two are combined into one outpost.

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Giovanni’s Menu

The only difference between the lunch and dinner menu is that Giovanni’s popular osso buco and filet mignon selections are only available during dinner hours. (Click here to view a PDF of the menu as well as a kids’ menu.)

Each meal begins with garlic knots, which are absolutely delicious. Guests then choose from a selection of appetizers, including a platter of assorted meats and cheeses, Italian sausage soup, stromboli with salami and mozzarella, and calamari with polenta. My favorite appetizer, however, is the giant meatball served with marinara sauce and crispy breadsticks. House salads, Caesar salads, and Caprese salads with truffles are also available in this section.

Next come the mains; the choices all sound so delicious that don’t be surprised if you have trouble deciding what to order. Choose from chicken parmigiana, fettuccine alfredo with chicken, linguine with mussels or shrimp, salmon with penne, spaghetti carbonara, spaghetti pomodoro and grilled filet mignon. Dishes marked as “Nonna’s favorites” are marked with hearts and include ossobuco, lasagne and steak muffuletta. I ordered the fettuccine without chicken and they were fantastic.

Guests craving a slice of pizza can opt for a whole pizza as a main course. Choose from classics like Margherita, pepperoni and meat, or try something more daring like mushroom, truffle and egg, or prosciutto. Giovanni’s pizza is phenomenal, but consider how much you’re paying to eat there and decide if you’d rather get your cheese fix for free at the ship’s Sorrento’s.

If there’s room for dessert – and that’s a big if, believe me – you can’t go wrong with the cannoli with ricotta cream filling, the pistachio panna cotta with raspberries or the chocolate ravioli (fried pasta dough with Nutella filling and chocolate sauce).

Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen also offers a menu for children ages 3 to 12. Most of the dishes are simply kid-sized portions from the adult menu. These include the giant meatball, pizza Margherita and chicken parmigiana, and spaghetti bolognese. For dessert, they can choose from tiramisu, Nutella and banana stromboli, as well as fresh fruit.

Although there are several vegetarian-friendly dishes on the menu, vegans will likely have difficulty. If you have dietary restrictions, be sure to speak to Royal Caribbean in advance about your meal plans.

How much does Giovanni’s cost?

Lunch at Giovanni’s is $25 per person and dinner is $55 per person. Children ordering from the kids’ menu at any of the meals is $15. Children 3 and under eat free.

The food at Giovanni’s is consistently excellent and, in my opinion, well worth the extra cost to eat here.

Alcohol and most other drinks cost extra unless you have a drinks package that covers them.

Which Royal Caribbean ships have Giovanni’s?

Passengers on the following Royal Caribbean ships can enjoy Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen and Wine Bar.

• Odyssey of the Seas
• Wonders of the seas
• Icon of the seas
• Utopia of the Seas

Learn more about Royal Caribbean: