To many frequent cruisers, a cruise has a certain ritual, and changes to that don't sit easily.
Any time Carnival or Royal Caribbean, the two largest cruise lines sailing from the U.S., changes anything, it usually leads to customer outrage.
Passengers for both brands seem especially sensitive when it comes to changes to their experience in the main dining room.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line quietly raises another key price
Dinner there, for many cruisers, is a major part of the cruise experience. And over the past two years, both Royal Caribbean (RCL) -) and Carnival have made major changes to their main dining room menus.
Royal Caribbean actually made some major cuts to its main-dining-room dinner menus, getting rid of classic items like strip steak, pasta bolognese, and French onion soup, which had been offered every night.
Carnival's changes were more additive. The company worked with the famed chef Emeril Lagasse to add items to its menu, but some were taken away as well. Carnival Cruise Line (CCL) -) also added a $5 charge for customers who want a third entree.
In both cases the cruise lines talked about cutting down food waste as part of their motivation. Carnival and Royal Caribbean also made another controversial change during the period where covid-related protocols were still in place.
Carnival has largely maintained one of those changes, and some passengers are not happy.
Image source: Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival passengers push back on menus
In the early days of the post-covid return to sailing, both Carnival and Royal Caribbean largely eliminated paper menus and replaced them with QR codes that brought passengers into their apps.
It was a way to avoid having multiple people touch a surface and it made sense when preventing spread of the virus was a major focus.
Printed menus were always available by request, but passengers were encouraged to use their phones to bring up the menu. Royal Caribbean still offers the menus in its app, but has generally returned to printed menus. Carnival has continued to push its passengers to use QR codes to see the menus for the main dining room.
That's something Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald addressed via a message sent to him on his Facebook page.
"I guess anyone over 60 doesn’t matter to Carnival anymore John. Why are you pushing back on providing us with actual menus at dinner in the MDR. Many seniors do not have phones with apps. You will see that we will all unite and push back on this or we will move to other cruise lines," the unidentified customer shared.
The passenger went on to demand that paper menus be provided by their upcoming cruise on Carnival Glory.
"I have an ordinary phone. I do not do apps or scanning. There are millions of seniors like me who are the same. You should know that turning our phone [off] and not touching it again for a week is a big part about what we love about cruising," the person added.
Carnival has a clear answer on menus
The issue of QR codes for menus is not just about people not having the needed technology. People of all ages view cruises as a time to put their phones down and leave them locked in the room.
Heald made clear that the cruise line hears the passenger's concerns.
"The Hubb App is important, it makes things so much easier for so many people and the Beards have only just begun," the executive wrote.
"But let me say that I care, Carnival cares, and that is why we do have paper menus, we really do so please do this. Ask the waiter on the first night at dinner that you will need one each time you are in the dinning room and they will make sure you have one. It really is that simple," he wrote.
Heald, who has a humorous style and who often writes about his own life struggles, ended on an empathetic note.
"All of us reading this will one day be shaking our heads in bewilderment at technology," he added.
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