Carnival Brings Coke Back Fleetwide by September—Here’s Why It Matters

Carnival Cruise Line will pour Coca-Cola again across its North American ships by the end of September 2025, reversing its PepsiCo switch after five years. According to Cruise Radio, the move follows sustained guest preference and began rolling out in summer 2025.

What’s actually changing onboard

Carnival says Coca-Cola brands are returning to bars, lounges, dining rooms, and quick-service spots across its North American fleet by late September 2025. Based on prior onboard lineups, guests can expect staples like Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coke Zero Sugar, Sprite, and common mixers and juices—though specific assortments vary by ship and itinerary.

Cruise Radio reports this is a full pivot from the PepsiCo portfolio that Carnival adopted in 2020, bringing the cruise giant back to the world’s best-known soda brand family. For travelers, it mainly affects what’s included with drink packages and what you can order at the bar, in the dining room, and via room service.

Why Carnival is flipping back to Coke

According to Cruise Radio, the company framed the switch as a response to guest preference—a simple but powerful lever in a business where beverages are both high-margin and high-frequency purchases. Soda is a small-ticket item with outsized impact on satisfaction, especially for families and loyalists who build routines around specific brands.

There’s also an operational angle. Standardizing with a single supplier across a large fleet simplifies logistics and training, and Coca-Cola’s global distribution muscle can help smooth port-by-port provisioning. While Carnival hasn’t framed this as a competitive move, the broader industry is a Coke-heavy landscape, and aligning with what many cruisers already expect reduces friction at the point of sale.

Timeline and ships affected

Per Cruise Radio, the rollout began in summer 2025 and is scheduled to be complete across Carnival’s North American fleet by the end of September 2025. If you’re sailing before the target date, you may still see Pepsi products on some ships as inventories wind down and new stock is loaded during turnarounds.

This change applies to North America. Ships deployed seasonally or homeported outside the region may follow different timelines or assortments based on local supply chains and contracts.

Quick timeline

• 2020: Carnival shifts to PepsiCo beverages fleetwide in North America.
• Summer 2025: Coca-Cola rollout begins on select ships.
• Late September 2025: Target for North American fleetwide completion.

What it means for your drink package and budget

If you buy Carnival’s CHEERS! package, your included soft drinks will transition to Coca-Cola options as each ship converts. The Bottomless Bubbles soda package should similarly reflect Coke-branded sodas once a ship switches over. Pricing wasn’t tied to the announcement, and Carnival hasn’t indicated changes to package costs as part of the beverage swap.

If your must-have mixer or soda is brand-specific, plan ahead for sailings in early September when inventories may still be mixed. For travelers who bring allowable beverages aboard at embarkation, Carnival’s policy remains your north star.

• Carnival’s policy permits a small quantity of non-alcoholic drinks in sealed cans or cartons at embarkation; check the current limits before you pack. See Carnival’s beverage policy for details and updates.

The bigger picture: guest demand and onboard economics

Soda is a loyalty signal in cruise the way coffee is for airlines. When a brand aligns with what guests already crave, it reduces complaints and upsells more smoothly into packages. According to Cruise Radio, Carnival positioned this as listening to its customers—something that tracks with how beverage choices ripple across kids’ clubs, pool decks, and main dining rooms daily.

From a financial perspective, beverage partnerships also include marketing support, equipment, and supply commitments that can streamline operations. Coca-Cola’s breadth of SKUs—sodas, sports drinks, waters, and mixers—gives Carnival flexibility to tailor assortments by venue without juggling multiple vendors.

What to do if you sail soon

• Check your ship: Watch for notices from Carnival or your travel agent about onboard offerings as your sail date approaches.
• Manage expectations: Early September sailings may have a mixed inventory as the transition completes.
• Bring your own (within policy): If brand matters, consider bringing permitted canned beverages at embarkation. Verify limits on Carnival’s site before you go.
• Ask onboard: Bar teams will know what’s available; they can suggest equivalent mixers if your go-to isn’t stocked yet.

Fast stats

• Change: Coca-Cola returns to Carnival’s North American fleet
• Rollout window: Summer 2025 through end of September 2025
• Prior portfolio: PepsiCo (since 2020)
• Affected areas: Most onboard bars and dining venues in North America

The bottom line

The beverage you order with lunch isn’t make-or-break—until it is. Carnival’s pivot back to Coke meets guests where their taste buds already are, with minimal disruption and a clear end date. If you sail in September, plan for some variance ship to ship. After that, expect a more familiar red-label experience across North American bars and buffets.

—

Summary

• Coca-Cola returns to Carnival’s North American ships by late September 2025, per Cruise Radio.
• Rollout began in summer 2025; some ships may still stock Pepsi until inventories transition.
• Packages like CHEERS! and Bottomless Bubbles will reflect Coke options as ships convert.
• Carnival cites guest preference; the shift should simplify operations and reduce complaints.
• Check Carnival’s beverage policy for what you can bring aboard at embarkation.

Sources: Cruise Radio reporting on the switch; Carnival’s posted beverage policy for carry-on rules.