Key Aspects:
- One Carnival guest is upset that hot chocolate is not available for free throughout the day on the Lido Deck.
- Though they didn’t realize it during their cruise on Carnival Liberty, John Heald did clarify that free hot chocolate is available after 6 p.m.
- Hot chocolate can also be purchased anytime from the onboard coffee shop or ordered for free from the continental breakfast room service menu from 6-10 a.m.
Enjoying a hot mug of one’s favorite morning beverage can be a real treat on a cruise, whether you have that first sip while watching the sunrise, enjoying the breakfast buffet, or attending a morning trivia.
But while coffee is by far the most popular hot morning beverage, it isn’t the only option. One Carnival guest, however, has noticed that their drink of choice has gone missing – or has it?
The guest contacted John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s brand ambassador, to express their disappointment. Every week, Heald responds to hundreds of inquiries, comments, requests, and complaints, from issues as somber as spreading a loved one’s ashes at sea to the silliness of the butter or margarine debate.
While a morning beverage might seem to be on the sillier side, many people are very loyal to that first wake-up drink: just take away their coffee and see what happens. But what if their preferred drink isn’t coffee?
“Top of the morning to you! Just got off the Liberty yesterday. Noticed that Carnival took [away] the hot chocolate machines on Lido and put in a coffee shop that costs $5 for hot chocolate,” the guest explained. “For those of us that don’t drink coffee, we are all very sad.”
Carnival Liberty is homeported year-round from New Orleans, offering Bahamas and Western Caribbean sailings. The cruise the guest just departed would have been the ship’s October 5 departure, a 7-night Western Caribbean itinerary to visit Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel and returned on Sunday, October 12.
Now, I happen to drink both coffee and hot chocolate, and I enjoy both. While I don’t necessarily get “very sad” if one is not available (grumpy is more like it), it can certainly be disappointing for cruisers when something they like may no longer be available.
Fortunately, Heald was able to clarify that hot chocolate is available, just not necessarily as the morning beverage the guest expected.
“We still have the free hot chocolate. It’s still there,” he said. “Someone else said the same thing recently and I confirmed with the ship and they still have the complimentary hot chocolate available after 6 pm on the Lido deck.”
That explains it – hot chocolate may not be available for free all day long on the Lido Deck (Deck 9 on the Conquest-class ship), but it is complimentary in the evenings.
Morning Hot Chocolate
If guests want a fix of hot chocolate in the morning, they can instead head to the onboard coffee shop. On Carnival Liberty, this is the Jardin Cafe starboard on Deck 5, Promenade Deck, near Club O2.
On other ships, the coffee shops may have different names, and the JavaBlue Cafe is a popular one on most Carnival vessels. In addition to coffee and hot chocolate, these cafes also serve a selection of decadent desserts for small extra fees.
Cruise Drink (Photo Credit: dr.Barmely)
While the coffee shop hot chocolate is not free, it is also not as simple as the powdered-mix-and-hot-water offered on Lido Deck each evening. Topped with whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup, it’s a more decadent drink worthy of a cruise vacation.
Read Also: Carnival Adds Coffee-to-Go App Ordering to Cut Lines
Milkshakes and specialty coffees, including spiked coffees, blended frappes, espresso, and cold brews are also available.
Guests can also order hot chocolate from the room service menu for that good morning sip right in the comfort of their stateroom. Delivery charges apply for much of the menu, but the good news for morning hot chocolate drinkers is that the continental breakfast is free from 6-10 a.m., including hot chocolate!
Appeared first on: Cruisehive.com
