Carnival Cruise Line quietly cuts free drink selection
Complimentary cruise drink offerings seem to be shrinking on Carnival's dining room menus.
Although most cruise ships offer their passengers more included food options than they could ever endeavor to eat, complimentary beverage selections are quite limited.
That’s because cruise lines make a significant portion of their onboard revenue from beverage purchases. Passengers are encouraged to expand their cruise beverage options by purchasing pricey unlimited drink packages that promise ice-cold refreshment of all kinds, anytime they want.
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Carnival Cruise Line offers two main drink packages, the Cheers beverage program that includes alcoholic drinks and Bottomless Bubbles, an unlimited soda option.
When it comes to complimentary drink options, Carnival cruisers are limited to non-bottled water, lemonade, iced tea, hot chocolate, and non-specialty coffee and tea.
A handful of free juice options have typically been available for Carnival passengers as well, but it appears that the cruise line has been quietly shrinking those offerings and putting the squeeze on its passengers.
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Carnival Cruise Line cuts back on free juices
In the main dining room, passengers have come to expect to have a bevy of complimentary juices to choose from including orange, apple, grapefruit, cranberry, tomato, and pineapple juices. Recently passengers have noticed that their free juice selections have become much more limited, however.
One passenger wrote to the cruise line’s brand ambassador, John Heald, for clarification on the free juice offerings.
“There are rumors going around about Carnival charging for juice now, other than orange and apple juice,” Denice Hammell Gabany wrote to the brand ambassador on his Facebook page. “I know there is a charge for the fresh squeezed, but I haven’t heard anything about tomato and pineapple juice or any other juice having to pay for them.”
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Heald’s response to the passenger made it clear that Carnival cruisers who want enjoy another type of juice in the main dining room beyond orange or apple will now have to pay for it.
“Thank you, yes the two fruit juices that are available in the dining room are orange and apple,” Heald confirmed. “As the same as we charge in the bars, the other juices [do] carry the same charge in the dining room.”
Cruisers can find another beloved free juice drink at the Lido buffet
Although the main dining room juice selection may now be more limited, the Lido buffet still offers at least one additional complimentary juice drink during breakfast hours.
For breakfast at the buffet, passengers can start their day with a glass of orange passion fruit guava juice cocktail, a long-time cruiser favorite. Some say it tastes like a Caribbean vacation in a glass. Hopefully, the availability of this popular breakfast juice drink won’t begin to dry up amid the cruise juice squeeze.
More Carnival cruise news:
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- Carnival Cruise Line pushed to limit pizza delivery
- Carnival Cruise Line shares two critical warnings for passengers
For an upcharge, Carnival also offers fresh-squeezed orange juice and fresh-pressed juices like carrot-orange-lime-cayenne and pineapple-apple-beets-ginger. These specialty juices are not included with the cruise line’s beverage packages.
If you want to make sure you have access to your favorite juices without an onboard fee, consider bringing your own. Carnival allows passenger to bring a small quantity of non-alcoholic beverages, including juice, packaged in cans or cartons. A small quantity is considered a maximum of 12 sealed, unopened cans/cartons of 12-ounces/354-ml each or less, per person. The cans/cartons may be brought on board on embarkation day only and must be packed in your carry-on luggage.
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