“Not Practical” Carnival Won’t Bring Back Boxed Cereal
While food is plentiful on cruise ships, sometimes guests crave a little bit of a crunchy snack between mealtimes – especially young children. Pizza and ice cream aren’t exactly right, but a few bites of cereal can be perfect.
One Carnival Cruise Line guest, however, is very upset that an easy grab-and-go cereal snack isn’t available. They’re certainly not shy about letting the cruise line’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, know about the missing option.
“Why are the small individual boxes of cereals not available in the buffet at breakfast? My kids like to snack in these during the day, so thought it might be handy to grab a couple each morning before going ashore,” the guest explained.
“But the Carnival Paradise had none! The cereal is in a [hotel]-style dispenser. You are forcing us to buy zip lock bags to put some cereal in and smuggle it off the ship.”
Heald noted that Carnival Cruise Line used to offer the small cereal boxes – I remember these myself from voyages many years ago. My husband would enjoy a box or two of raisin bran with his breakfast, and I occasionally snacked on Lucky Charms or Fruit Loops.
“We do have cereal from dispensers. And yes, when we used to have them in those small boxes, people would take many of them,” Heald said. “Not to eat at breakfast, but to take back to their cabins or to take home and it was just not practical.”
I will admit, a couple of times I did take the cereal boxes anticipating a snack, but they went uneaten. Still, the guest was adamant about their desire for cereal in small take-away boxes.
“Give your passengers what they want. Everyone eats cereal so bring us those boxes and more choices of cereal. My Kroger has a variety pack for under $10!”
Okay, not “everyone” eats cereal – despite my past experiences, I much prefer French toast, scrambled eggs, maybe an omelette, and of course, pastries for breakfast instead of cereal I can easily get at home.
It is also irrelevant how much such boxes might cost on land at the guest’s favorite grocery store. While Carnival Paradise is the smallest ship in the Carnival fleet based on passenger occupancy – she can welcome just 2,124 guests – that could still be hundreds of such cereal boxes every week.
Never mind that many could go uneaten, and each individual box has extra trash that would need to be recycled or otherwise processed. Dispensers that hold much more cereal are a far more economical and practical option, and every guest can enjoy as much or as little cereal as they would like.
Can Snacks Be Taken Off the Ship?
One of the most troubling statements in the guest’s cereal conundrum is “You are forcing us to buy zip lock bags to put some cereal in and smuggle it off the ship.”
To be clear, no one is “forced” to do anything. If guests choose to use cereal as a snack, that is their option.
The idea to “smuggle if off the ship” is disturbing, however. Such action is not permitted, as per the local laws of the ports Carnival Cruise Line visits.
“I would also remind anybody thinking ‘oh that’s a good idea, I’ll take a Ziploc bag and take cereal off the ship’ remember most of the places we go to do not allow this,” Heald said. “If you are caught by the local authorities is bringing food off the ship they may treat you in a frosty manner. And that will not be, greeeeeeeat!”
Corny (or corn flakey?) cereal jokes aside, all guests must abide by local restrictions when visiting ports of call, many of which are in foreign countries. No unsealed food may be taken off the ship, whether it is a small bag of cereal, a piece of fruit, or a handful of cookies.
Read Also: Can You Bring Snacks on a Carnival Cruise?
Finally, Heald unequivocally notes that the small, individual boxes will not be returning.
“Anyway, I certainly don’t want to be a cereal killer but we are not planning to go back to the boxes,” he said.
Well, cheerio to that request! Guests will have to get their kix somewhere else, or else bring their own small individual boxes of cereal onboard when they begin their cruise.