Carnival Cruise Line is under fire from passengers following significant changes to its beverage policies, including a substantial price hike for its Cheers! beverage package and a controversial requirement for all adults in a cabin to purchase the package if one does.
Price Increase for Cheers! Beverage Package
Effective December 5, 2024, Carnival increased the price of its Cheers! beverage package by over 16, raising the cost from 70.74 to 82.54 per person per day when purchased before the cruise, and to 88.44 when bought onboard. Previously, guests booking cruises of six nights or longer could secure a lower rate by purchasing the package in advance. The new pricing structure eliminates this incentive, applying a flat rate regardless of cruise length citeturn0search8.
The Cheers! package includes up to 15 alcoholic drinks per day, along with unlimited sodas, specialty coffees, energy drinks, and juices citeturn0search9. Despite the price increase, the packages contents and daily drink limits remain unchanged.
Mandatory Purchase Policy Sparks Outrage
Adding to passenger dissatisfaction, Carnival now requires that if one adult in a cabin purchases the Cheers! package, all other adults over 21 in the same cabin must also buy it. This policy aims to prevent sharing of alcoholic beverages among guests but has drawn criticism for penalizing those who may not consume alcohol citeturn0search2.
The policy change coincides with a 17 price increase for the package, further exacerbating passenger frustration. Many guests have taken to social media to express their discontent, arguing that the mandatory purchase is unfair to nondrinking passengers and increases the overall cost of their cruise experience.
Additional Charges and Gratuities
Carnival has also raised the automatic gratuity on beverages from 15 to 18, affecting both alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks. This increase applies to individual drink purchases and is included in the overall price of the Cheers! package citeturn0search1.
Company Response and Industry Context
Carnivals brand ambassador has defended the changes, stating that the policies are designed to prevent abuse of the beverage program. However, the lack of advance notice and the sudden implementation of these changes have left many passengers feeling blindsided.
These developments occur amid a broader trend of rising costs across the cruise industry, with other lines like Disney and Royal Caribbean also increasing gratuities and revising policies. Passengers are increasingly voicing concerns over the affordability and value of cruise vacations in light of these changes.
Conclusion
Carnival Cruise Lines recent beverage policy changes have sparked significant backlash from passengers, who view the price increases and mandatory purchase requirements as unfair and burdensome. As the cruise industry navigates postpandemic recovery and rising operational costs, companies like Carnival must balance profitability with customer satisfaction to maintain their reputation and customer loyalty.