The Best Pizza at Sea: Here Are the 8 Top Pizza Spots on Popular Cruise Lines
Not all food on a cruise ship is stereotypical self-service buffet style or even full-service gourmet. Pizza is a staple at sea just like it is on land, and it can be delivered casually or more formally depending on the specific cruise line, ship and venue.
Here’s our list of the eight best pizza at sea options on some of the most popular cruise lines.
1. Best Pizza on Carnival Cruise Line: Pizza Pirate or Pizzeria Del Capitano
Pizza Pirate and Pizzeria Del Capitano both serve up the best pizza on Carnival Cruise Line. The duo are available 24/7 and are complimentary, making these pizza places on Carnival even more outstanding to so many potential cruisers -- and economically friendly to boot.
Should you want a slice elsewhere onboard, either in your own cabin or any other venue, Carnival will deliver a full custom pizza to you, via mobile app, for a nominal charge too.
2. Best Pizza on Costa Cruises: Pummid'Oro Pizzeria
As a corporate cousin to the aforementioned Carnival, Costa Cruises is another brand that shines in the pizza department. The line between Carnival and Costa is blurring some now as several of the latter’s ships are transferring over to the American market to offer “Carnival Fun Italian Style”: Carnival Venezia (formerly Costa Venezia) and soon Carnival Firenze (previously Costa Firenze).
Costa’s Pummid'Oro Pizzeria is a crowd-pleaser through and through. With its wide selection of authentic Italian pizza, this spot is bound to satisfy any cruiser's pizza craving. Note that Pummid'Oro Pizzeria is only available on Costa Toscana, Costa Smeralda, Costa Deliziosa, Costa Diadema, Costa Fascinosa, Costa Pacifica, Costa Fortuna and Costa Serena.
3. Best Pizza on Holland America Line: New York Pizza and New York Deli & Pizza
While not available fleet-wide, Holland America Line’s New York Pizza on Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam and New York Deli & Pizza on Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam and Rotterdam are another option featuring artisanal pies.
The parlor’s nine-inch, thin-crust pizzas are indeed New York style and named after the city’s five boroughs. Or raising the bar even further are gourmet alternatives crafted by members of Holland America's esteemed Culinary Council. The free pizza here can be made to order in person or via Holland America’s mobile app.
4. Best Pizza on MSC Cruises (and Explora Journeys): The Buffets and In-suite Pies
MSC Cruises and, by extension, its Explora Journeys luxury spinoff are two sister lines that dig deep into their Mediterranean heritage when it comes to the pizza they serve onboard.
Rustic-style pies come fresh out of the oven with perfect starchy crusts and top layers of savory bubbling cheese. MSC and Explora both offer their baked goodness for free at their buffets during opening hours or via room service (a surcharge may apply).
On the luxury line specifically, in-suite pies arrive as pinsas, which are Roman-style pizza crusts that are overall healthier than traditional pizza crusts.
5. Best Pizza on Princess Cruises: Alfredo's Pizzeria or Gigi's Pizzeria by Alfredo
Across the fleet, Princess Cruises has always had great complimentary poolside pizza to easily grab and go, and its latest ships in the Royal class and beyond also fully serve them off of their signature Piazza atriums.
Even though the sit-down Alfredo’s Pizzeria or Gigi’s Pizzeria by Alfredo, depending on the ship, are no longer free, their Neapolitan pizza is still a culinary highlight of a Princess cruise, and those dubbed after each ship make for a specialty set of toppings.
6. Best Pizza on Silversea: Spaccanapoli
Named after the street in Naples, Italy that's known for its popular pizzerias, Spaccanapoli on Silversea propels rustic pizza to an exceptional level. Imagine the best ingredients that only a luxury cruise can deliver, including shaved truffle, on a freshly baked pie, and picture enjoying it all in a beautiful al fresco setting.
The line’s latest panoramic outdoor venue on its newest Silver Nova and upcoming Silver Ray, is The Marquee, where the pizza dining experience is elevated yet again.
7. Best Pizza on Virgin Voyages: The Pizza Place
Virgin Voyages is already making waves as one of the cruise industry’s new kids on the block thanks in large part to its all-inclusive restaurants -- and yes, also gourmet pizzeria.
Known simply as The Pizza Place and available throughout the day and late at night, Virgin’s parlor never pre-cooks its pies and, in fact, can customize every one down to the individual ingredient, ranging from basil pesto to white truffle.
8. Best Pizza on Royal Caribbean: Sorrento's Pizza
Found on Royal Caribbean's Freedom-, Oasis- and Quantum-class ships, as well as Majesty of the Seas, Sorrento's offers complimentary sweets and Italian fare, including pizza.
The line bills the venue as offering "a Caribbean twist on New York-style pizza." Options change periodically and include chorizo and Hawaiian varieties. Best of all, Sorrento's is centrally located along the Promenade, so you're never far from cheesy goodness.