Key Aspects:
- A Carnival guest has raised the issue of whether it is butter or margarine served onboard, claiming cutbacks and a lack of service.
- Brand ambassador John Heald has personally addressed the issue, confirming butter is served but margarine is available.
- This is not the first time butter and other condiments have been at the forefront of Carnival Cruise Line dining discussions.
Sometimes the hard-hitting news stories grab headlines, but at other times, it’s important to remember that little details can make or break a cruise vacation.
It doesn’t get a lot littler than a controversy (really?) that has arisen on Carnival Cruise Line: butter or margarine. (Oh yes, really.)
An upset guest reached out to John Heald, the cruise line’s brand ambassador, with their ire. Heald often handles individual requests and addresses issues that might seem, well, a bit less than critical to other guests.
“John, you need to address the subject of butter on the tables in the Main Dining Hall,” the guest began. “It has been reported on [social media] that on the Carnival ships the pats of butter are not butter, but margarine.”
Okay, this could possibly, maybe, sort of be a real concern. The butter-or-margarine debate has raged for years, and just as guests are loyal to Coke or Pepsi, they can be equally loyal to their preference for butter or margarine.
“They are wrapped in a silver or gold wrapping and it doesn’t say butter anywhere on them. This is obviously margarine,” the guest continues.
I have not personally examined different brands and pats of butter or margarine to determine the labeling. It is entirely possible, however, that not all suppliers label their products the same way, particularly when individual pats would not be available for retail sales.
“This is a crazy cutback that Carnival has sneaked in,” the guest alleges. “Do we not deserve real butter? Everyone hates the hard pats and misses the real whipped butter. Now we find out it’s not butter at all but margarine.”
Let’s do some comparison, shall we? While different retailers and brands will have different prices, it’s true that margarine is typically sold for 7-30 cents per ounce, while butter retails for 24-65 cents per ounce. Incidentally, I was surprised to find my favorite brand is actually margarine, and I can’t believe it’s not butter.
Very bad joke there, but I’m not the only one that finds the story silly. Heald immediately pokes fun at the issue in his response.
“Yes, ladies and gentlemen, today, Monday the fourth of August, is officially the beginning of buttergate,” he said.
Nevertheless, Heald goes on to confirm that yes, Carnival Cruise Line does serve butter across the fleet.
“It is absolutely, absolutely butter,” he said. “It is not margarine. … If you want margarine, you can ask for margarine, we have margarine, but it is butter you are provided with.”
He goes on to ask guests to help convey the truth so these accusatory rumors can stop.
“If you read this anywhere on social media, we serve butter, not margarine, so please spread this around,” Heald concludes.
His joke is worse than mine. I do, I admit, enjoy the baguette and Carnival’s various evening breads at dinner service. The butter or margarine? I honestly couldn’t care less, it is still delicious.
More About Butter and Other Condiment Quandaries
Ironically, this is not the first time butter (or margarine) has been a topic of discussion for Carnival Cruise Line.
In November 2024, Heald also addressed a guest who was upset at the temperature of the butter in the Main Dining Room, claiming it was too firm to spread smoothly across one’s bread.
Heald noted that guests can easily request that their servers put out the butter before the dinner service begins to ensure a more pleasant temperature.
Read Also: Carnival Free Dining Options You’ll Want to Try – With Menus!
Other seemingly silly food concerns have also been raised by Carnival guests who are very firm in their opinions.
Also in November 2024 (was that just the month for condiment questions?) guests asked whether the cruise line was serving ketchup or catsup, claiming it would make a difference in their dining experience.
In April 2025, mayonnaise was the subject of controversy as a topping for fries, which generated thousands of comments on what should be the ultimate pairing of potato and sauce.
Hard-hitting news indeed.
