Carnival Cruise Line Begins Donating Unserved Meals to Another Caribbean Port

Carnival Corporation has expanded their unserved meal donation program to another cruise port in the Caribbean. Carnival Cruise Line’s Mardi Gras was the first ship to donate unserved meals at Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic.

Carnival, the world’s largest cruise company, started a Less Left Over Food program in 2017 and has been expanding it ever since. They are now donating unserved meals in the Dominican Republic, their second Latin American country.

While Mardi Gras was the first Carnival ship to donate meals, the program is expected to quickly roll to every Carnival cruise ship that visits Amber Cove.

Approximately 200 portions of prepared, unserved meals from the ship were provided to the Archdiocese of Puerto Plata, Carnival’s local program partner, for distribution to area organizations assisting families and the elderly.

With the addition of the Dominican Republic, the program from Carnival Corporation has expanded to 19 ports since launching in 2017.

As of year-end 2025, the program has provided more than 320,000 meal portions to global communities since its inception, with plans to continue expanding the model into more cruise ports.

Vicky Rey, vice president of government relations for Latin America, Carnival Corporation, gave the following statement:

“Bringing our surplus meal donation program to the Dominican Republic is an important part of expanding this work across Latin America,” said. This work depends on clear processes, strong coordination with government and local partners, and a shared commitment to supporting the local community.

“Amber Cove’s long-standing presence in Puerto Plata gives us a strong foundation to build on. We are grateful to the Archdiocese of Puerto Plata for serving as our local program partner, to our business partner Fabio Valenzuela, advisor to Rannik Group, and to government authorities for helping make this possible.”

Claritza Rochtte Peralta de Senior, governor of Puerto Plata, added:

“We value Carnival Corporation’s continued investment in Puerto Plata and its work with the Archdiocese of Puerto Plata to help ensure these meals reach organizations serving people in need. This donation reflects the value of bringing the right partners together to support communities across the province.”