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Carnival Cruise Line is facing backlash over a controversial policy change.
The world’s largest cruise company is now requiring all 21-and-over adults in a cabin to purchase its Cheers! unlimited alcohol package if just one person in the cabin opts for it.
This rule has shaken and stirred significant discontent, especially after the company hiked the price by 17%.
Guests on cruises for six nights or more who used to pay $70.74 per day for The Cheers! package, which covers alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, are now being charged $82.54 per person daily, including an 18% gratuity.
Those on shorter trips were already paying the higher rate, but guests cruising for a week or longer are upset to be paying more for drinks they might not even be drinking themselves.
The strict rule is intended to prevent people from sharing drinks to avoid purchasing multiple packages. However, guests have complained that while the company offers a cheaper Bottomless Bubbles soft drinks package ($8.20 daily for children, $11.21 for adults over 21, both including service charge), the company still states that non-imbibing adults staying with others who purchase Cheers! must also buy that program.
Carnival’s brand ambassador, John Heald, defended the policy on Facebook, where countless “upset” and “disappointed” cruisers slammed the sudden change, calling it “outrageous,” “very frustrating” and “unfair.”
Heald argued that it was a response to “abuse” of the program.
“We did try allowing opt-outs when we first started the program, but it was abused — pure and simple,” he stated.
“I apologize, but we have no plans to change this.”
He explained that the only fair solution the company could decide on was to require everyone in a cabin to purchase the package. Heald noted that, even with the price increase, the per-drink cost is still less than what guests would pay for individual cocktails or wines onboard, which can cost around $14 each.
However, that argument has done little to quench the anger among passengers, who feel penalized for the actions of a few.
The backlash comes at a time when cruise lines, including Carnival, are raising costs in other areas as well.
For instance, Disney Cruise Line recently increased its daily gratuity rates, following a similar move by Royal Caribbean. Guests staying in the best “concierge” rooms now face a 51% hike in gratuities, from $15.50 to $23.50 per person per night.
The spike can add hundreds of dollars to a family’s total bill for a week-long cruise.
But those who do have money to splurge on their cruises should look no further than the ritzy Yacht Club of the MSC Seaside — where a week’s trip could cost around $12,000.
