Some choices are polarizing and drive people apart.
Boston Red Sox fans will always have animosity for New York Yankees fans. People who love dipping their Buffalo wings in blue cheese will always be a mystery to those who find the idea horrifying.
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We’re a nation divided by our choices. Some people consider raw oysters a delicacy, while others think that they’re like eating cold phlegm.
There are pineapple-and-ham pizza people and those who think that’s a bigger insult to pizza than Red Baron, McPizza and pizzas with cauliflower crusts all put together.
These divides may not ruin Thanksgiving the way political disputes can and do, but try bringing canned cranberry sauce to a family that makes it fresh from cranberries, and you may experience some uncomfortable moments.
Carnival Cruise Line has taken sides in one of the most polarizing debates of the past 50 years.
It’s a decision that many passengers have quietly questioned. Cruiser Rebekah Lessenger had the courage to address the matter with Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald.
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Carnival switched from Coca-Cola to Pepsi in 2019.
Image source: Carnival
Carnival took the Pepsi Challenge
People who drink soda tend to have a favorite that they stick to. For some, ordering a Coke (KO) at a restaurant and hearing “Is Pepsi okay?” isn’t a question, it’s an insult.
The two colas are similar but surely not the same, in a way that’s incredibly polarizing. Lessenger raised the issue with Heald.
“So I have two questions. I speak for all cruisers when I ask why do we have to suffer with Pepsi products? As a Diamond member, I deserve better. Just kidding. I know I don’t speak for all cruisers, nor am I Diamond … yet,my husband and I miss Coke products and, at the very least Dr. Pepper,” she wrote.
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Heald’s colleague, Jacinta, who helps him answer questions, side-stepped the question.
“Hello Rebekah, we do have Pepsi products for quite a few years now, and I would like to remind you that you are still allowed to bring on board 12 cans of 12 oz or smaller of the soda of your choice per person,” she wrote.
Carnival stands out as a Pepsi provider
Royal Caribbean, MSC, Norwegian Cruise Line and Virgin Voyages all carry Coke products. Carnival made its deal with Pepsi (PEP) in 2019 and brought its products on the cruise line’s ships in 2020.
For many cruisers that means it happened during the pandemic. If you expected Coca-Cola products, finding only Pepsi drinks on board would be a bit of a shock.
Randy Dux asked for a change in the rules to allow Coca-Cola drinkers to bring more of their favorite beverages on board.
“John Heald, can we see about getting the 12-pack of Coke limit raised? I drink 6 or 7 a day, and for long cruises, the 12-pack per person limit doesn’t cut it,” he wrote.
Pam De Marco shared a workaround for that.
“Randy Dux, you can buy a 12 pack when in the ports to bring back on the ship to replenish your stock onboard. Pepsi drinkers did this for years,” she advised.
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That may be helpful, as Dux is a diehard Coke drinker.
“I agree Pepsi sucks, but it’s saving me money on drinks for now. I am a Crown and Coke guy, and Pepsi doesn’t cut it, so now I drink only the lemonade, and I can’t wait for Coke to come back,” he added.
Carnival does not plan to bring back Coca-Cola products.
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