Carnival passengers say 'no' to once-popular menu item
Most cruisers don’t want this unique offering, but those who do are big fans.
Carnival’s main dining room menus have a few dishes that stay the same every night, and there are a few signature items the cruise line is known for. The chocolate melting cake dessert is arguably the most notable example, but there are others that frequent Carnival cruisers often mention, such as the dishes created in partnership with celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse.
Some of the more unique dishes are favorites among some cruisers, while others would never order them.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line passengers reject Royal Caribbean staple
One of the more unique features on the main dining room dinner menus on Carnival cruises is chilled soups, listed under the appetizers section. Several chilled soups are commonly featured, including, but not necessarily limited to, chilled strawberry soup, chilled peach soup, chilled cucumber soup, and chilled mango soup.
With the exception of the chilled cucumber soup, all of these can best be described as smoothie-like. They are made primarily of fruit and heavy cream, and while not as sweet as something you might order for dessert, they are certainly sweeter than most other appetizers.
It’s also worth noting that Carnival overhauled its menus not long ago, incorporating appetizers and entrees from its partnership with Emeril Lagasse. The cold soups were largely removed from the new menus and brought back, as many cruisers were quite vocal in their disappointment.
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Do Carnival cruisers want cold soups on the menu?
Carnival’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, recently conducted an informal poll on his Facebook page, and three of the responses were intended to gauge whether cruisers wanted to see chilled soups every night:
- I would like to see a cold soup offering on every evening menu in the main dining hall.
- I like cold soup, but not enough to order it every evening at dinner.
- I do not like cold soup.
Given how many people complained when the cold soups mostly disappeared from the new menus, the poll results might surprise you. The third option, “I do not like cold soup,” received twice as many votes as the other two options combined. Plus, the option of having a cold soup on the menu every night was by far the least popular one.
Cold soups have been a Carnival staple for decades. They were not part of the original menu revamp the cruise line went through last year and were later brought back.
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What cruisers had to say
In addition to receiving nearly 80,000 votes from Carnival cruisers, Heald’s poll also received more than 900 comments, many of which expressed the reasons beyond the votes. As you might expect, several simply said “I don’t like cold soups,” or something similar.
Some commenters clarified why they chose option two – that is, they’ll order cold soups, but don’t need it on the menu every night. Heald follower Kari Bivona said, “Love cold mango and strawberry soup but not every day.”
Others said that they prefer only certain types of the chilled soups, and that’s why they don’t order them nightly. As Charles Gordon put it, “Make that cold soup strawberry soup, and I'll order it every night!”
More Carnival dining news:
- Carnival Cruise Line passengers speak out on Guy Fieri
- Carnival Cruise Line shares important menu news
- Carnival Cruise Line passengers reject major dining change
A few of the cruisers who were in the small minority also chimed in. Jessica Pierce commented, “Those cold soups are like smoothies!! My favorite. When y’all cut back my soul was shattered.”
Shelley Hotte said, “Love cold soups. I would definitely enjoy one every day if offered.”
Cold soup aficionado Deb Heister even offered a tip, saying “Cold soup every night! I get it served in a glass. So much easier to "eat" that way!” Admittedly, this had never occurred to me (and I’m a big fan of Carnival’s cold soups) – but when I cruise on Mardi Gras this summer, I’ll be sure to give it a try.
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