Carnival Cruise Guest Upset at How Soup Is Served
Dining can be a truly exceptional experience aboard a cruise ship, with phenomenal presentation and plating of even the simplest dishes. From exquisite garnishes to carefully placed decorative dots of sauces, chefs go above and beyond to make every dish memorable.
But it is also inevitable that not every guest is going to be happy with every presentation. One Carnival Cruise Line guest recently shared their disgust about a popular and seemingly simple dish – soup.
“Why are your soups served in those stupid bowls. This forces us to use a soup spoons. Soup spoons feel totally awful in your mouth,” the guest described. “They only work if you slurp out of one side like some stupid person. Then you look like a newborn while you eat.”
Unless a bowl has some weird shape, I’m not sure how “stupid” it would be. Another guest commented with an epic response – “Would soup served on a plate be better?”
A soup spoon actually isn’t that difficult of a piece of cutlery to manage, to be honest. Yes, they are rounder and can seem larger than typical spoons, but they are not at all unmanageable – no slurping required.
An easy solution would be for the guest to have simply requested a “regular” spoon (typically a teaspoon), but they did not indicate whether or not they did so. Instead, they had a more – innovative? – solution in mind.
“Soup should be served in a insulated cup and with a straw,” the guest suggested.
Um, what? Personally, while I have no trouble with a soup spoon, I’d be insulted if I ordered soup as an appetizer and it was served in the equivalent of a sippy cup.
Never mind the fact that many soups on Carnival’s menus – chicken noodle, minestrone, French onion, fish chowder – would be unable to be eaten (sucked?) through a straw due to their ingredients and composition.
I am NOT going to ask whether or not such soups could be pureed if guests prefer, though to be honest, I’m sure Carnival’s excellent dining room teams would make every attempt to accommodate that request.
Smooth soups, such as many of the chilled fruit soups, could easily be put in different serving dishes. In fact, the strawberry bisque – my personal favorite I have on every Carnival cruise – has sometimes been presented in the most adorable miniature ceramic pitcher before one’s server pours it into a soup bowl.
Carnival’s brand ambassador and quirky guest liaison, John Heald, did note that guests can always request a cup if they wish.
“If you want your soup served in a glass or cup – just ask,” he said.
Heald has frequently advocated that guests reach out to crew members while they’re onboard to address any concerns, problems, or difficulties. If crew members don’t know about an issue, they can’t take steps to correct it and ensure the guest has an amazing cruise vacation.
How Should Soup Be Served?
The original poster did not find a lot of agreement among Heald’s more than 614,000 followers. In fact, most guests commented that they’ve never been served soup in a cup and have no trouble managing a soup spoon with appropriate non-slurping table manners.
To be completely fair, some guests with medical conditions might have difficulty with a spoon, such as if they have unsteady hands. In those very rare cases, a cup or mug to drink soup from could minimize any risk of spills while still allowing the guest to enjoy delicious soups.
Other travelers suggested that the original poster might feel more comfortable bringing their own tumbler or cup for the soup to be put in.
Read Also: Would Carnival Cruise Guests Pay to Bring Back Tablecloths?
It should also be noted that Carnival Cruise Line no longer offers straws with beverages – soups, cocktails, or sodas – except for candy or chocolate straws, which wouldn’t exactly be appetizing with most soup flavors.
Furthermore any paper straws would likely decay very quickly in a hot liquid, making them impossible to use for most soups.
One further thought on straws really epitomized the feelings of many commenters who responded to the original post.
“If you drink it with a straw from a cup that is not soup, that’s a drink. You are not eating anything, you are having the world’s worst milkshake.”
To be clear, soup is not included in Carnival Cruise Line’s CHEERS! beverage package. In fact, “food items” are specifically excluded from the program. Perhaps we just better keep the soup in bowls.