Cruise lines rarely inform passengers when they make small changes.
Maybe they changed the chocolate chip cookie recipe or stopped serving oatmeal raisin cookies at a particular location. However, cruise passengers are very observant and tend to notice these things.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line Makes Major Changes to Itineraries and Ports
Sometimes a change is only temporary. Maybe it's a supply chain issue or another reason that prevents a popular favorite from being offered on a certain cruise. This certainly happens with beer, wine and spirits, as sometimes supply does not meet demand.
When supply of a particular item is indeed limited, cruise lines generally focus on locations that require that ingredient. If, for example, a certain tequila is used in a drink that is on a specific bar's menu, that bar will take priority and have a supply of that liquor.
In other cases, cruise lines simply make changes, even removing things. The problem is that when you are as big as Carnival Cruise Line or Royal Caribbean, (RCL) you have so many passengers that you can't just make a change and not alert them.
The cruise line could be getting rid of the least popular element of the ship or making another change that it thinks no one should care about. In reality, with hundreds of thousands of people browsing, every food and drink probably has at least a handful of people who consider it one of their favorites.
Carnival (CCL) Brand ambassador John Heald recently had to address the cruise line's decision to quietly remove a popular drink.
Image source: Carnaval Corp.
Carnival riders notice popular free drink removed
When people have complaints about Carnival, they often share them on Heald's facebook page. Because Heald has more than 500,000 followers there, people sometimes discover that what seems like a problem in their boating or a specific boat is actually a fleet-wide change.
“I wonder why Carnival Australia no longer serves the delicious fruit juice for breakfast,” wrote Elizabeth Free. “I loved it so much. I filled my bottle to drink throughout the day. Now the options are only orange or apple. Very sad.”
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In this case, Heald explained that this was not a single ship decision.
“Thank you. I'll pass this on to the chef because I know we've stopped this on all ships and replaced it with the other juices you mentioned,” he wrote. “But let me see what we can do in the future, as I know others have said. Same for me. So now I'll send a quick note to the executive chef.”
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Some commentators provided more clarity on what was missing.
“Yes, pineapple-orange-guava juice is the best,” Abby Binder said.
“I do the same! I LOVE that juice! “I am saddened that this is no longer offered,” added Carol Millitch Leonard.
Update: Heald shared on October 31 that there was no reference to pineapple, orange or guava juice. He answered a question about juice.
“And you would be completely wrong. Good morning, that is completely false and breakfast is served on all ships. Unless, for whatever reason, we have not received a delivery. But it has not been discontinued and will be there on your next cruise, thank you “, wrote.
Heald did not explain which juice was removed in his original comments.
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