Carnival cruisers say this $6 snack is worth the extra charge
Most recent Carnival cruise food discussions and debates have centered on specialty restaurants coming to new ships and what's new on main dining room menus across the fleet. But suddenly, chicken wings have stolen the spotlight on Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald's popular Facebook page.
When one satisfied passenger wrote to Heald requesting that he shout out the cruise line's chicken wings to his massive following, he didn't just comply - he kicked off a comments-section debate about the extra-charge cruise snack.
Here's what to know about Carnival's chicken wings - from flavor and value to whether they're worth paying extra for, and the one major competitor that still offers cruise ship wings all day long at no additional cost.
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Carnival passenger tells brand ambassador to ‘big up' All Things Wings
In a July 3 Facebook post, John Heald shared the chicken wing message he received from a passenger named Cassandra with his 674,000 followers.
"John, you need to big up the chicken wings on the Venezia. They are so good. My favorites are hot buffalo and parmesan garlic with some Guy's fries. So good! And the price is great! The wings are delicious. We all need hot wings in our life," Cassandra wrote to Heald.
Related: The best burgers on cruise ships
The brand ambassador was more than happy to comply with Cassandra's request, offering more details about the wings and where cruisers can find them on board.
"Thank you, Cassandra, and as requested I will ‘big up' the wings. All things wings - the Excel-class ships serve wings through Street Eats, while all other ships offer wings via Blue Iguana Cantina," Heald shared alongside a photo of the All Things Wings menu.
Carnival offers multiple chicken wing flavors and size options
As Cassandra noted in her message, chicken wings will cost you extra on a Carnival cruise. Here's a breakdown of the pricing, size options, and flavors:
All Things Wings pricing:
- 24 wings: party fun - choose two flavors for $19
- 20 wings: family style - choose two flavors for $17
- 15 wings: friendly sharing - choose one flavor for $13
- 10 wings: poolside snack - choose one flavor for $9
- 6 wings: tasty bite - choose one flavor for $6
All Things Wings flavors:
- Barbecue: bourbon sauce
- Parmesan Garlic: rich and creamy
- Chipotle Honey: sweet and spicy
- Hot BBQ: dry seasoned and tossed
- Buffalo: spicy and tangy – the hottest heat level
All wings are served with blue cheese dip and celery sticks.
Carnival cruisers are divided over All Things Wings
Heald's post racked up more than 150 comments, and the debate splits cleanly into two camps. On one side are cruisers who've already tried the wings and rave about them.
"She's not lying. On the Venezia now and my family loves these wings. Great selection and you can get either flats or thumbs," Neff Germany commented.
On the other side are passengers held back by the same sticking point: paying extra for casual dining on a cruise.
"Love wings but we tend to not spend extra on food other than the steakhouse. No need to with so many options," Ann Dietz commented.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line addresses common Guy's Burger Joint complaint
Some passengers pointed out that chicken wings are something that (select) competitors offer on board at no additional charge.
"I eat them on other lines where they are included. This nickel and dime is getting out of hand," Nicole Waddle Allen commented.
A few other wing-loving cruisers just want the chance to eat them later in the day, whether for dinner or a late-night snack.
"I loved the wings! Please consider having them open beyond 6 p.m.," Christian Fenderson commented.
Which cruise lines offer chicken wings for free?
Wings are available as complimentary dining options on select cruise lines, most notably Norwegian Cruise Line, which offers wings as an appetizer all day and late night at its 24-hour eateries serving pub fare, O'Sheehan's and The Local.
Norwegian's wing flavors include buffalo, smoked BBQ, and sweet chili.
But while Norwegian wins a point for making wings complimentary and available as a late-night option, the line's wings don't get as high of marks for quality as Carnival's.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line aims to level up cruise dining
"Although the wings themselves would typically have fallen into the Dry Hot preparation [colorless , flavorless, and dry] that often finds itself lacking on these cruise ships, the sauces that coat the wings help add a new life to the meat and brings it up to fairly mediocre instead of outright bad," wing reviewer Kevin Eats Wings wrote about the wings served at O'Sheehan's on Norwegian Escape.
Other major cruise lines like Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises offer chicken wings as a specialty, extra-charge sports bar menu item. But as with Carnival, passengers tend to say Royal Caribbean's barbecue wings at Playmakers and MSC Cruises' buffalo wings at its Sports Bar are worth the upcharge.
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This story was originally published July 6, 2026 at 8:02 AM.