The cruise line has added something unique that Royal Caribbean and Norwegian don't (and can't) offer.
Cruise fans often have favored food and beverage items you can only get at sea. That might be a main dining room staple like the escargot on Royal Caribbean International's (RCL) - Get Royal Caribbean Group Report ships, the smoked prime rib on Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH) - Get Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. Report, or Carnival Cruise Line's (CCL) - Get Carnival Corporation Report famed Warm Chocolate Melting Cake.
Then, of course, there are also unique indulgences only available on specific ships in each company's fleet, like a Guy Fieri burger on certain Carnival ships, a hot dog from Boardwalk Dog House on Royal Caribbean's Oasis-class ships, or a decadent "Mad Milkshake" from Coco's on Norwegian ships.
And, when it comes to drinks, every cruise line has its signature cocktails. Royal Caribbean has CocoCay's signature Coco Loco on its private island, while Carnival has its Fun Ship Cocktail, and Norwegian has the BBC, a mix of banana liqueur, Bailey's Irish Cream, and piña colada mix.
Everyone has different favorites, but there are some items that are unique to each cruise line even if it's just a variant of a classic. You, for example, may immediately want pizza from the 24/7 pizzerias on any of the big three cruise line's ships the second you get on board (or very late at night) even if the pizza is not actually all that good.
Now, however, Carnival, Norwegian, and Royal Caribbean have been stepping up their beverage game with signature beers (some even brewed onboard) and unique beverage offerings. That's an area where Carnival has planted its flag with two new drinks that lean hard into a major current trend.
When you are on a cruise ship, you'll generally see people on the pool deck drinking a mix of frozen beverages, summery drinks with fruit garnishes, light beers, and hard seltzers.
Carnival has decided to lean into the hard seltzer craze with two new canned beverages under its ThirstyFrog brand. The two new drinks will be "vodka-based drinks that are just 99 calories per 12-ounce can and Carnival's beverage team has created two flavors now served fleetwide," the company shared in a press release.
The two flavors are:
"For the last few years, hard seltzers have grown in popularity worldwide, and certainly we've seen that surge in popularity on board our ships as well...I know our guests will enjoy them on board and on our private islands," Carnival's Beverage Operations Vice President Edward Allen said.
Carnival also has its own line of beers, some of which are produced for the cruise line on land and others that are brewed onboard its Guy Fieri Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse/Brewhouse. Brewing beer on a ship is not completely unique, but Carnival has a deep roster of beers, including:
Royal Caribbean also has its own beer -- Chilla Thrilla -- brewed in collaboration with Funky Buddha Brewery. The cruise line also serves craft beers in the British pubs offered on most of its ships.
"Crafted exclusively for Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day at Cococay, this ultra-refreshing blonde ale is brewed with a splash of mango and guava," the brewery shared on its website.
Norwegian has a partnership with Miami-based Wynwood Brewing Company for District Brew House, a beer-based bar concept which appears on Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Escape.