Eating healthy can occasionally be a challenge on a cruise, but fresh fruit is a great option for a refreshing breakfast, light snack, or even a sweet dessert. But what has happened to one favorite fruit onboard Carnival ships?
Grapes are one of the most popular fruits in the world, consistently on top 10 lists for tonnage produced or sold. For example, according to The Science Agriculture, more than 74.9 million tons of grapes were produced in 2022 (the most recent data available), and China is the world’s top grape producer.
One place you won’t find grapes, however, is on the Lido Marketplace buffet aboard Carnival cruise ships, no matter where in the world they may be sailing. But why not?
One guest recently noticed the absence of the tangy fruit clusters and reached out to John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador, for an explanation.
“We’ve noticed that the ships do not serve grapes on the buffet or in restaurants. They have them onboard, as we have seen them used on fruit baskets,” the guest explained.
“Just curious if there is an operational reason. … From the kitchen tour days of years ago we know that bananas are only available for the first few days, but just general curiosity on grapes?”
To be clear, the guest is asking about fresh grapes, not the raisins that may be available as part of the salad bar. But grapes are conspicuously absent from fruit displays, fruit salads, or general snacks at the moment.
“The problem with grapes is the communal picking of them off the vine. It’s not very hygienic,” Heald explained. “We have shared them in bowls before but at the moment we don’t have them on the buffet line.”
He went on to note that it’s possible grapes will return in the months to come, but at the moment, they are simply not being offered.
Why Do Foods Disappear From Cruise Ships?
Different foods that seem very commonplace could be absent from cruise ships for a variety of reasons.
In some cases, as with the aforementioned bananas, the shelf life of the food may be so short that it is quickly consumed onboard or else it will become unpalatable (no black bananas, please, though banana muffins are a good alternative). During a longer cruise, then, bananas would be absent later in the voyage.
Read Also: What to Expect When You Go on a Carnival Cruise
At other times, supply chain interruptions can make a popular food scarce, such as how bacon is occasionally tricky to come by on cruises.
Occasionally, a cruise line will make a decision to eliminate certain foods or food options to offer more efficient service. For example, Carnival Cruise Line reduced made-for-you omelette choices in December 2023, removing mushrooms, spinach, and other less-popular ingredients from the choices to help ease lengthy breakfast lines.
On rare occasions, anticipated supplies of a particular food might run low, or a ship might be inadvertently unable to resupply as planned. This was a concern when Carnival Luminosa was forced to remain at sea for several extra days recently due to Tropical Cyclone Alfred, though only the most popular “beverage items” were running low.
Of course, guests looking for grapes aboard Carnival ships can also “bring their own” in the form of a bottle of wine on embarkation day, a long-standing maritime tradition for celebrating a vessel’s sail away.
To be clear, however, guests may not bring their own fresh grapes onboard, as any snacks need to be in the original manufacturer’s sealed packaging. Raisins could be brought onboard if desired, so long as the packages are sealed.
In the meantime, Carnival guests can enjoy plenty of other fruits onboard, including melons, apples, pears, oranges, pineapples, and more. Or my favorite – the chilled strawberry soup!
