Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival Cruise Line is already a spectacular value in cruising, and when you factor in its tasty 24-hour Pizza Pirate stands, there’s even more bang for your buck to savor. Best of all, the pies that are available here all day and night aren’t just sitting around under a heat lamp. Varieties like Margherita, Funghi, Prosciutto, Pepperoni and Quatttro Formaggi are hand-made fresh each time, and my personal favorite is the Prosciutto one topped with arugula.
Costa Cruises
Similar to corporate cousin Carnival Cruise Line’s pizzas but with authentic Italian flair are the ones crafted on Costa Cruises. I’ve only had the opportunity to once tour the Costa Deliziosa, but the appropriately delicious pizza we briefly sampled onboard stood out then and continues to remain a fine example in the cruising world.
Holland America Line
A number of Holland America Line ships now feature New York Pizza eateries for poolside pies made to order in true metropolitan style with thin crust and savory tomato sauce. You can build your own or select a traditionally-inspired one such as the Bronx, Grand Central and Wall Street. Even the cruise line’s Culinary Council member Elizabeth Falkner has her own Finocchio pizza and my fave with Italian sausage, fennel, onion, chili flakes, panna cream sauce, aged provolone and pecorino Romano cheese.
MSC Cruises
Like Costa Cruises, MSC Cruises has Mediterranean roots from which to draw flavors from, and its pizza is as good as those in Italy itself. In fact, there are two venues onboard the MSC Divina sailing from Miami, Florida to enjoy: complimentary pies from the buffet or pies at Eataly for a surcharge. The free pizza is some of the best at sea to begin with, but for freshly made excellence on another level, the specialty kind at the latter is superb.
Princess Cruises
Like MSC Cruises, pizza can be had on Princess Cruises from two different sources, and the varieties at either the takeaway poolside oven or sit-down Alfredo’s Pizzeria on the Royal Princess and Regal Princess are free. In fact, Alfredo’s is named after the line’s master chef Alfredo Marzi, and even USA Today voted it as the “Best Pizza at Sea.” You can even order a calzone as an alternative here, and antipasto starters, as well as soup and salad make a full meal out of it.
Silversea Cruises
Of the companies included here, Silversea Cruises is the most expensive as a luxury line, and as you would expect from a higher price point, its pizzas are some of the very best at sea. Indeed, Silversea’s, whether enjoyed on deck or delivered to your suite, is an exceptional Neapolitan style pie, from a basic Margherita to a spicy Piccante, the latter of which is my favorite with tomato, mozzarella cheese and Calabrian sausage.
Jason Leppert is the Editor-in-Chief of Popular Cruising, the leader in video cruise reviews.
