Carnival Cruise Line is quietly testing something new on Carnival Celebration, and it did not take long for word to get out. Earlier this morning, Cruise Director Louie Clare shared photos on his Facebook page showing brand-new upcharge menus that have popped up on Deck 16 aft in the Lido Marketplace. The test includes paid ice cream, milkshakes, smoothies, and fruit-focused breakfast items, which is a noticeable shift from the usual complimentary soft serve and basic breakfast options Carnival is known for.
From the photos Louie shared, there are two distinct concepts being tested. One is a Frosted & Fruity Breakfast Bar offering smoothies priced around $7 along with seasonal fruit and yogurt parfaits for about $6. These are positioned as more premium breakfast options with ingredients like protein powders, oats, avocado, and specialty blends. The other concept is an Ice Cream & Milkshake Bar featuring scoop ice cream, loaded sundaes, and specialty milkshakes priced around $7 to $8, plus extras like toppings, mix-ins, and ice cream cookie sandwiches.
As expected, the initial reaction online was mixed.
Some people were excited and others were less thrilled saying “Upcharge, and more upcharges…”
This is very clearly a test, and Carnival will be watching it closely. They will be looking at how many guests actually open their wallets, how much noise the complaints make compared to the sales, and whether the concept feels worth expanding to other ships. Carnival Celebration has often been used as a testbed for new ideas, so it makes sense this would debut here first before any wider rollout.
Whether this spreads to more ships or quietly disappears will come down to guest behavior. The free options are still there, so this really comes down to whether enough people see value in paying extra for premium smoothies and indulgent milkshakes. Carnival will follow the numbers and the feedback, and whatever happens next will be driven almost entirely by how guests respond onboard.