Cruise Lines With the Best Pizza, Complimentary and Pay Restaurants

While no one goes on a cruise to eat pizza, it is a nice comfort food after a day in port or by the pool on a sea day.

Which cruise lines have the best pizza at sea? After taking nearly 80 cruises, here are my favorite pizza joints that you can find on a cruise ship. 

I have them divided up between complimentary, those that come with a surcharge, and then a category that ranks them all together.

Surcharge

While most pizza on a cruise ship is free, there are a few restaurants that charge extra. They are all sit down restaurants where you will have a personal waiter. Spoiler alert, these places rate extremely well on my combined list at the end of this article.

1. Pummid’oro Pizzeria, Costa Cruises – Hands down the best pizza at sea, this sit down restaurant is found on Costa ships.

Yes, you have to pay extra for dine at this pizzeria but it is worth every penny. I ate here twice on my week-long Costa Toscana cruise because I enjoyed it so much.

And it wasn’t just me saying that it was the best at sea. I dined with different colleagues each time I went here and they said the same thing.

2. Alfredo’s, Princess Cruises – While Alfredo’s/Gigi’s used to be complimentary for everyone, you now have to pay to eat here unless you have one of the all-inclusive Princess packages.

This was my favorite until I had Pummido’oro pizzeria on Costa but I rank it a close second. I love dining at Alfredo’s when taking a cruise on Princess and the pizza is always perfect.

3. Frank & Lola’s, Margaritaville at Sea – I was pleasantly surprised by the pizza restaurant on Margaritaville at Sea. This a great option if you don’t want to go to the main dining room but don’t mind spending a few dollars on a casual dining experience.

Bonus points for Margaritaville at Sea because they had a robot bring the pizza to my table one of the times I dined there. I just thought it was cool and different.

Complimentary

1. The Pizza Place, Virgin Voyages – My favorite complimentary pizza on any cruise ship is found on Virgin Voyages. You custom order your personal pizza and it is usually ready in about 10-15 minutes or less.

2. New York Deli, Holland America Line – A close second to Virgin, New York Deli, found by the main pool on Holland America Line, also has custom made to order pizzas.

When they are busy, it can take up to 30 minutes but they are worth the wait.

They also have pizza by the slice ready to go but those are never as good as the made-to-order personal pizzas.

3. Slice, Princess Cruises – Slice on Princess cruise ships is my favorite ship pizza joint when you just want to grab a slice and go. It is found by the main pool and perfect for sea days when you just need a little snack.

4. MSC Cruises – Several years ago, the pizza on MSC Cruises was by far my favorite. Unfortunately on my last few cruises, it has not nearly been as good and has dropped a few spots. A few times it was just plain disappointing. However, I will try it again on my next MSC cruise and hopefully the cruise line will make their pizza great again.

5. Carnival Cruise Line – Carnival has a few different names for their pizza joints that range from Pizza Pirate to Miami Slice to Coastal Slice. If it is fresh out of the oven it’s decent but if it looks like it’s been sitting out awhile, just pass on it.

6. Sorrento’s, Royal Caribbean – You can’t miss Sorrento’s when walking through the Main Promenade on Royal Caribbean cruise ships.

While Sorrento’s may be my least favorite pizza at sea, that doesn’t stop me from grabbing a slice every time I walk by. 

Best Cruise Ship Pizza Overall (Combined List)

1. Costa Cruises – Pummido’oro Pizzeria*
2. Virgin Voyages – The Pizza Place
3. Princess Cruises – Alfredo’s*
4. Margaritaville at Sea – Frank & Lola’s Pizzeria*
5. Holland America Line – New York Deli
6. Princess Cruises -Slice
7. MSC Cruises
8. Carnival Cruise Line
9. Royal Caribbean – Sorrento’s

*Comes with a surcharge or you need a package to dine there