Cruise Ship Pool Deck Grill Cooks Reveal the Burger Topping Regulars Always Request

There’s something quietly irresistible about a burger eaten poolside at sea. The sun is out, the water is just behind you, and the smell of a hot grill drifts across the deck. It’s a moment that cruise regulars know well, and increasingly, they arrive with a very specific order in mind. Pool deck grills have quietly become one of the most beloved dining spots on modern cruise ships. Scattered across pool decks and upper decks, casual eateries serve exactly the kind of food passengers want when they’re in full vacation mode. The burger station, in particular, has become something of a ritual for repeat cruisers. What goes on that patty, though, tells its own interesting story.

Crispy Bacon: The Topping Nobody Skips

Ask any pool deck grill cook what the single most popular add-on is, and the answer is almost always bacon. Bacon makes everything better when it meets a burger, with its smoky, fatty, salty flavor pairing exquisitely with beef. On ships like those in the Carnival fleet, adding bacon is practically a rite of passage for first-timers and veterans alike.

According to YouGov data, bacon ranks among the top four burger toppings globally, chosen by roughly four in ten people as a must-have addition. That preference clearly carries over onto the water. Opting for crispy bacon contrasts the softer textures of the patty and other toppings, creating a texture combination that adds crunch to every bite.

Melted Cheese: The Non-Negotiable Classic

Sliced cheese tops the list of burger favorites because of how seamlessly it brings the sandwich together, melting into every bite – so normalized in the burger world that a naked patty feels like a culture shock. On cruise ships, cheddar and American cheese dominate requests at the pool grill window.

Cheese is the clear overall winner in burger topping surveys, with data from YouGov showing that nearly two thirds of adults say it simply belongs on a burger. Melty, gooey, and undeniably comforting straight off a hot grill, cheddar brings sharpness, American cheese stays delightfully creamy, and Swiss adds a nutty quality. Cruise grill stations typically offer at least two or three varieties to keep everyone satisfied.

The Signature Sauce: Secret Blends That Keep Guests Coming Back

Proprietary sauces have become one of the most talked-about elements of the cruise burger experience. A shipboard favorite with thousands of Carnival guests on each sailing is the Straight Up burger, with regulars devouring the 80/20 patty topped with super melty cheese and Fieri’s signature Donkey Sauce. That sauce, a rich and tangy spread with a cult following, is one of the first things repeat guests ask about when they step up to the counter.

At Holland America’s Dive-In at the Terrace Grill, the burger patties are hand-formed before being grilled and loaded with a signature Dive-In Sauce, which is a blend of mayo, mustard, ketchup, and relish. Across multiple lines, these house-made sauces have replaced basic ketchup as the default finishing touch. Most toppings bars on pool deck grills also offer ketchup, mustard, mayo, chipotle mayo, and ranch as standard options alongside the signature blends.

Caramelized Onions: The Upgrade Regulars Know to Request

Caramelized onions are widely considered the MVP of the burger topping world, adding jammy, natural sweetness and a deep, slow-cooked flavor that melts right into the burger. Experienced cruisers tend to know this well. They’re among the first to ask the grill cook whether caramelized onions are on offer that day.

Caramelized onions add a sublime caramel undertone to a burger without taking it too far out of the savory realm, a welcome balance in a sandwich that gravitates toward meaty and heavy elements, while also curbing the sharper acrid onion flavor that raw onions can bring. In industry terms, caramelized onions rank alongside shredded cheese and jalapeño peppers as one of the most familiar and consistent premium burger add-ons.

Jalapeños: For the Guests Who Like a Little Heat

Not every cruiser wants sweetness. A growing portion of pool deck regulars specifically request jalapeños, and the grill cooks notice. At Carnival’s Guy’s Burger Joint, a separate toppings bar gives cruisers who want extra flair the option to add jalapeños, grilled onions, and chili. The spice lovers have a loyal community on board, and they tend to be very deliberate about their order.

Beyond jalapeños, toppings trends in 2025 and 2026 have expanded to include kimchi, chutneys, and chopped grilled spiced fruits like mango and pineapple, showing how even casual poolside dining has absorbed broader global flavor influences. Still, pickled jalapeños remain the most requested heat topping by a wide margin at the pool grill window, reliable and easy to pile on.

Onion Rings: The Textural Star

An onion ring tucked inside a burger is a very specific kind of pleasure. It delivers crunch, a hint of sweetness, and a visual stack that looks great. Carnival’s “The Ringer” burger is built around exactly this concept, featuring a cheeseburger topped with an onion ring and slathered with Guy’s Bourbon and Brown Sugar BBQ sauce. It’s a combination that has earned a devoted following among repeat passengers.

Viking Ocean Cruises takes a similar approach at its Pool Grill, where the Viking Burger features cheddar cheese, red onion marmalade, bacon, and barbecue sauce – another example of how cruise lines have elevated the humble onion into a star topping. Chopped crunchy onion rings and corn chips have also begun appearing as mix-in toppings rather than just side companions, reflecting how cruise culinary teams continue to push texture combinations forward.

BBQ Sauce: A Poolside Crowd Favorite

Barbecue sauce has earned its place as one of the most consistently requested condiments at cruise pool deck grills. Burgers often benefit from the sweetness that a condiment like barbecue sauce provides, adding flavor and complexity to the overall experience. Regulars tend to gravitate toward the smoky, bold versions rather than the standard sweet varieties.

At Oceania’s Waves Grill, the Texan burger specifically highlights this trend with cheddar cheese, grilled onions, bacon, and a bourbon BBQ sauce as its headline components. The bourbon-inflected variation in particular has grown popular across several cruise lines in recent years. For a bacon cheeseburger, BBQ sauce pairs especially well alongside cheddar or smoked gouda, crispy fried onion straws or caramelized onions, and pickles.

The Classic Lettuce, Tomato, and Pickle Trio

Some guests arrive at the pool grill counter knowing exactly what they want: the absolute classic. Lettuce, tomato, pickle. No deviations, no upgrades. Popular toppings like lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles remain among the most universally requested options across burger formats globally. The simplicity is the whole point, and good cruise grill cooks respect that as much as they respect any custom order.

YouGov data confirms that lettuce and tomato consistently rank within the top five most requested burger toppings, chosen by roughly four in ten consumers. The Straight Up burger at Guy’s Burger Joint captures this directly, coming standard with super melty cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, and Donkey Sauce. It remains one of the most ordered items across the entire Carnival fleet for good reason.

Chili: The Bold Request That Separates the Regulars

Ordering chili on a burger at sea is a move that distinguishes the experienced cruiser from the first-timer. It’s a messier, bolder, more committed choice, and the pool deck regulars who request it do so without hesitation. Carnival’s Chillius Maximus burger is built around exactly this, featuring lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, and of course, chili piled on top of the patty.

Chili ranks as a hearty, filling topping described as perfect for any meat lover, consistently appearing among the more indulgent specialty options that trend-following burger menus include. Chili fries are also available at several cruise pool grill venues, extending the theme beyond just the burger and turning it into a broader comfort food moment. The grill cooks say the chili orders tend to cluster mid-afternoon, when appetites are biggest and the sun is highest.

Guacamole and Avocado: The Gourmet Touch That Keeps Growing

The request for guacamole or sliced avocado at the pool deck grill has grown steadily over the past few years. It fits with the broader movement toward fresher, more ingredient-forward dining even in casual settings. Viking Ocean Cruises’ Pancho Villa Burger, for example, features arugula, blue cheese, guacamole, and spicy habanero mayo as its signature build. This kind of combination would have seemed unusual on a cruise pool deck a decade ago. Now it’s expected.

According to Seatrade Cruise’s F&B Trends Report, authentic cultural food experiences and local culinary options are among the three food trends most likely to define the cruise dining space through 2024 and 2025. Avocado and guacamole fit neatly into that shift, bringing a fresh, globally familiar element to what is otherwise a very classic format. Sustainability has also entered the conversation, with plant-based options and fresh produce gaining priority in cruise culinary planning.

The Volume Behind the Topping Choices

The poolside Guy’s Burger Joint is featured on all of Carnival Cruise Line’s 24 ships with upwards of roughly one thousand burgers served per day per ship, adding up to approximately eight million burgers a year, making them the most popular burgers at sea. That volume gives grill cooks an unusually clear picture of which toppings guests reach for without thinking. Bacon and cheese emerge at the top every time. Sauces are a close second.

Burgers make up the majority of a US market estimated by multiple sources to reach somewhere between 50 and 55 billion burgers consumed yearly. On cruise ships, that appetite follows passengers onto the water. There’s no vacation more closely associated with food than a cruise, and sometimes you just feel like comfort food in the form of a big, satisfying burger. The toppings regulars always request, it turns out, are less about novelty and more about getting the fundamentals exactly right.

What the Patterns Really Tell Us

There’s a certain clarity to what cruise pool deck regulars ask for. The requests aren’t exotic. They are precise. Bacon cooked until it snaps. Cheese melted all the way through. A sauce that has enough personality to make the whole thing memorable. Increasing consumer demand for diverse culinary experiences is driving broader burger market growth, fueled by a preference for quick, convenient, and deeply satisfying meal options.

The pool deck grill is, in many ways, the most honest restaurant on the ship. There are no reservations, no dress codes, no prix fixe menus. Just a queue of people who know what they want. At Carnival’s Guy’s Burger Joint, everything is fully included in the cruise fare, so guests can enjoy as many freshly made burgers as they want throughout the sailing. That accessibility is precisely why the same toppings get requested again and again. When something is this good and this available, there’s very little reason to change the order.

AI Disclaimer: This article was created with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed by a human editor.