In a move that might seem akin to hoisting a pirate flag, Pepsico has taken over the beverage list on Carnival Cruise Line ships, and making Coca Cola walk the plank after being the soda of choice on the line since forever.
The move includes an exclusivity agreement, so don’t look for a Coke on board any of the line’s 26, soon to be 28, ships unless you bring it on board as part of the twelve cans per person of personal beverages you can carry on board.
Carnival says the move was prompted by the wider array of beverages that Pepsi owns or distributes, catering to tastes that now extend well past traditional sodas. The line-up, which will be onboard starting in January, includes not only Pepsi but also juices, teas, flavored water and even an energy drink, Rockstar. Pepsi is also the exclusive food-service distributor of Starbucks coffees.
Among the noticeable brands: Tropicana, Sierra Mist, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Bubly sparkling waters, Aquafina and, of course, Starbucks. The account is not small; Carnival has over 5.2 million passengers annually, and each of its ships goes through about 27,000 cans of soda a week.
Coke isn’t entirely out of the cruise business; Royal Caribbean is still a Coke float. The third of the Big Three, NCL, went Pepsi ten years ago. Dishey and a number of other smaller cruise lines still carry Coke.
