The Carnival Cruise Drink Package Pricing Snafu
Cruise travelers were in for a pleasant surprise over the weekend when booking their upcoming Carnival Cruise Line vacations. A technical glitch led to incredibly low pricing for Carnival's popular Cheers! beverage packages, allowing guests to purchase unlimited drinks at sea for a fraction of the normal cost.
The Cheers! Beverage Package
Carnival's Cheers! package includes a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks for one fixed daily rate. Options range from sodas and juices to beer, wine, cocktails and more. The package is a popular add-on for cruisers looking to take advantage of all the dining and bars available on a Carnival fun ship.
Normally priced from $51.95 per person, per day, the Cheers! package can significantly drive up the cost of a cruise. For a family of four on a week-long sailing, it would typically cost nearly $1,500 to purchase the drink pass for everyone. However, this weekend's unexpected price drop meant huge savings for eagle-eyed guests.
The Pricing Error
Over the weekend of January 28-29, 2023, Carnival Cruise Line's website began showing drastically low pricing for the Cheers! beverage package. Costs were slashed to as little as $1.64 per person, per day for the drink pass.
Savvy cruisers quickly realized they could purchase unlimited drinks for their whole travel party at a tiny fraction of the normal cost. As word spread on social media groups, more and more guests jumped on the opportunity to take advantage of the glitch.
A Rare Opportunity
Scoring such low pricing on bundled beverage packages is essentially unheard of in the cruise industry. Retracting the offer after the fact would have created a major customer service nightmare for Carnival.
Instead, the cruise line opted to honor the ridiculously cheap drink package pricing for all guests who managed to take advantage of the short-lived sale. Travelers who acted fast found themselves locking in 5-day Cheers! passes for family and friends at just $8-10 per person.
Reactions From Cruisers
As news of the pricing error spread across social media, cruisers reacted with a combination of excitement, shock and disbelief. For many loyal guests, scoring cheap drinks felt like winning the lottery.
"I’m so blown away that I just got a 5-day cheers package for my November cruise for $8!!!! This has made my entire life!" wrote one thrilled traveler on Twitter.
Others lamented missing out on the sale, but still congratulated the lucky guests who managed to take advantage of the surprise deal. "Congrats if you scored this glitch!" one commenter exclaimed. "We will be toasting y’all with our full-price beers."
Honoring Pricing Mistakes
While rare, pricing errors do occasionally pop up within the travel and hospitality industries. Hotels, airlines and cruise lines typically honor any bookings made during website glitches or sales mistakes.
In most cases, the extremely low fares apply to only a small number of savvy travelers who happen to be browsing at just the right moment. The financial impact to the company is minimal compared to the goodwill generated by upholding the erroneous pricing.
Perks of Booking Early
Scoring the Cheers! package at an absurdly low price was mainly due to luck and perfect timing. However, the cruisers who benefited had one thing in common − early booking.
Booking a cruise well in advance opens up the opportunity to take advantage of pricing errors and other last-minute deals. As cruise ships seek to fill remaining unsold cabins closer to departure, spectacular promotions sometimes emerge.
While not every traveler has the flexibility required to book a vacation 6 months or more ahead of time, those able to plan in advance are often rewarded with the best pricing, cabin selection and perks.
Will It Happen Again?
Carnival Cruise Line has yet to disclose what exactly caused this short-term Cheers! package pricing error. Presumably, the rock-bottom costs were the result of a temporary technical glitch rather than any intentional sale.
While lightning fast deal-seekers managed to take advantage this time, the odds ofscoring $1 all-you-can-drink packages again seem slim. Still, eagle-eyed cruisers should keep an eye out for even the shortest-lived sales and promotions when booking their next voyage.
In the meantime, those holding ultra-cheap Cheers! vouchers can toast their unbelievable luck as they prepare to set sail with unlimited drinks in hand. Here's hoping the next round is on Carnival after this weekend's open bar tab giveaway!
FAQs
What was the Carnival drink package glitch?
Over the weekend of January 28-29, 2023, a technical error on Carnival Cruise Line's website led to drastically reduced pricing for the line's Cheers! beverage package. Costs dropped as low as $1.64 per person, per day.
How long did the Carnival drink package sale last?
The ultra-low pricing on the Cheers! packages appears to have been available for less than 48 hours. Savvy deal seekers took advantage of the short-lived sale by booking discounted drink packages.
Will Carnival honor the cheap drink package pricing?
Yes, Carnival Cruise Line has stated they will uphold the extremely low pricing for all guests who managed to take advantage of the drink package glitch before it was corrected.
What was the normal price for the drink package?
Carnival typically charges $51.95 per person, per day for the Cheers! beverage package. Over the course of a cruise that can add up to several hundred dollars per traveler for unlimited drinks.