Carnival Expands Surplus Meal Program to Dominican Republic
The world's largest cruise operator is redirecting unserved food from its ships to local communities in Puerto Plata, marking the company’s second expansion into Latin America. The initiative, launched this week at Amber Cove, transforms prepared surplus meals into a sustainable resource for families and the elderly in the region.
Starting with 200 portions from the Carnival Cruise Line vessel Mardi Gras, the program relies on a logistics chain involving the Archdiocese of Puerto Plata and government authorities. This effort is part of the broader Less Left Over strategy, which aims to minimize food waste while addressing local food insecurity. Since its 2017 inception, the project has distributed over 320,000 meals across 19 global ports.
The project leverages the established infrastructure of Amber Cove, an $85 million cruise destination that revitalized tourism in the area upon its 2015 opening. Beyond food distribution, the company is collaborating with local entities like Maimón Basura Cero to improve waste management and recycling efforts in the province. Carnival Corporation, which controls 50% of the Dominican cruise market, expects to bring over 1.3 million guests to six national ports throughout 2026.
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