Following the quiet price increase for the Cheers! beverage package, Carnival Cruise Line has also quietly increased the price for all three of its WiFi plans. Regardless of whether guests pre-pay for the package before setting sail or purchase internet access onboard, the costs are now higher.

Carnival offers three different WiFi plans – Social, Value, and Premium. Each one has now increased in price, with no notice to booked guests and no opportunity for travelers to lock in savings.

The cost increases can quickly add up, as each package has increased a minimum of 12% over previous pricing.

The Social WiFi Plan, which includes access to social media websites and apps to stay in touch with family members and friends back on land, has increased the most. Previously, the plan was $15.30 per day when purchased before sailing, and $18 per day when purchased onboard.

Now, the costs are $18.70 pre-cruise and $22 when purchased onboard, an increase of a whopping 22%. For a 7-night sailing, travelers will now pay $23.80 to $28 higher for this package, depending on when they make their purchase.

The Value Wi-Fi Plan includes all social sites as well as limited internet browsing with a faster connection speed than the Social option. The previous pricing was $19.55 pre-cruise and $23 when purchased onboard, but has now increased 13% to $22.10 and $26, respectively.

The Premium WiFi Plan has increased the least, but still has a notably higher price. Previously, the cost per day was $21.25 before sailing and $25 onboard, but guests will now pay 12% more – $23.80 when purchased pre-cruise and $28 when purchased onboard.

Carnival’s official website does note that prices “are subject to change without prior notice” but with previous price increases, the cruise line has typically notified booked guests several days early. This has permitted travelers to lock in savings by buying their Wi-Fi plans before an increase goes into effect.

For example, in late 2023, when Carnival increased WiFi prices for cruises in Australia, guests were notified through the Carnival Hub app about the change.

“You should know that we are adjusting Wi-Fi pricing,” the notification read at that time. “Make sure to add your Wi-Fi package early to lock in the current package price for your upcoming cruise.”

No such notice was sent to guests about these latest price increases.

Guests React to Surprise Price Increases

Carnival guests are not happy about the price increases, but the lack of communication from the cruise line appears to be the most frustrating issue.

Many travelers have reached out to John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador, with their concerns. While it is true that no business needs to notify customers of pending price increases, loyal travelers and repeat cruisers feel it would have been courteous for the cruise line to do so.

This is especially true when guests book cruises months, even years, before sailing, and may have budgeted very carefully for their add-on packages at that time.

Read Also: Do Cruise Ships Have WiFi – 5 Things to Know

Heald, while promising to ensure that guests’ frustrations are passed along to the cruise line’s executives and customer service team, does note that Carnival has not acted deceptively or done anything that other businesses would not do.

“I think that most restaurants and hotels and Cruise lines do not normally give email or press release warnings if they are going to increase a price of well anything really,” he said. “But I absolutely understand your frustration and I promise to make sure the right people will see it.”

Every traveler has to choose whether or not they want to purchase a beverage package or internet access according to their own preferences, needs, and budget. Forewarning of a price increase could encourage guests who may have been undecided to go ahead and make the purchase at a lower rate.

Without such warning, however, many guests appear to now be foregoing the packages or else reconsidering travel with Carnival Cruise Line altogether. What would your reaction be? Share your thoughts on the Cruise Hive boards!

Just as one of the busiest sailing times of the year gets underway, Carnival Cruise Line has quietly hiked the price of its wildly popular Cheers! Beverage Program.

The increase removes the lower daily rate that has previously been charged for longer sailings, and instead, all passengers will now be paying the higher per-day price no matter what length of the cruise they enjoy.

The price change has been noted on Carnival’s official website, where both prices were previously listed. Guests on sailings of 6 nights or longer could prepay $70.74 (USD) per night compared to $82.54 per night for itineraries of 5 nights or less.

When purchased on board, longer sailings would pay $76.64 per night, while shorter sailings would pay $88.45 per night. All prices already include the mandatory 18% service charge.

Now, only the higher prices are listed and any reference to the discount for longer sailings has been removed.

No other changes are noted with the program, such as what types of drinks are included or excluded. The $20 or lower menu price per beverage still applies, as does the firm 15-per-day drink limit.

This change represents a roughly 16% per day increase for travelers on longer sailings. Because of the duration of the cruises that are impacted by the change, this can be a significant extra expense for travelers.

For example, on a 7-night cruise – the most common longer sailing length offered by Carnival Cruise Line – guests will now pay $82.60 more per person for the drink package.

The cost will be even higher if more than one cruiser is over the age of 21 in a stateroom, as all adults must purchase the package if one person does.

Carnival does not make any exemptions for this rule, even with medical documentation that guests cannot drink, a point the cruise line’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, has been very firm about. The restriction is in place to prevent sharing the package and to monitor guests’ individual consumption as needed.

It should be noted that the price of the Bottomless Bubbles soda package has not changed, nor has the price of bottled water available for purchase through Carnival’s website. None of these options, however, had any price discount based on sailing length.

Cost Is Not Upsetting Guests – Timing Is

It isn’t necessarily the cost increase of the drink package that is most surprising and upsetting to guests. After all, the Cheers! package has never been inexpensive, and guests budget for the cost based on their own ability to indulge.

Read Also: What Is the Carnival CHEERS! Package?

What is frustrating most travelers, however, is that no warning was given for this price increase, and therefore booked guests cannot “lock in” savings before the higher price takes effect.

When the Cheers! package last had a price increase in late 2023, travelers were notified of the change several days before the price was changed and urged to purchase their packages without delay to take advantage of the savings.

This latest move by Carnival Cruise Line is similar to other recent price increases, such as higher charges for several specialty dining restaurants, that have been quietly put into effect without notifying guests.

Most cruisers are relatively understanding about increased costs – after all, we all see such prices change in our daily spending, regular bills, and land-based recreation. What is irksome to cruisers, however, is that no notice is given and the higher prices simply appear in their check-out carts.

These types of surprises can be avoided, of course, by simply purchasing drink packages, wi-fi access, and pre-paid gratuities as soon as possible if the price is acceptable, rather than waiting and watching for a possible sale or price decrease.

Online rumors can quickly spread misinformation that can confuse and frustrate cruise passengers, and Carnival Cruise Line is attempting – once more – to clarify its mobility scooter policy and reassure guests.

New rumors have again surfaced about how Carnival Cruise Line is regulating mobility scooters, but with false information that is creating anger among guests who need these assistive devices.

The issue has been brought to John Heald’s attention through his popular Facebook page, where the Brand Ambassador helps with hundreds of guest comments, questions, and concerns nearly every day.

“Yesterday I was reading the [Facebook page]. He had received an email from Carnival saying he couldn’t bring his mobility scooter as Carnival had changed their policy. Only people who had booked a full accessible room could bring a mobility scooter,” the guest explained.

Carnival Cruise Line only offers a few fully accessible staterooms on each ship, but other cabins may have partial accessibility. Of course many staterooms have no explicit accessibility features but may still be perfectly suitable for travelers with limited mobility depending on their exact needs.

“[He] said Carnival was doing this because there were too many mobility scooters. I use one because I am overweight and have arthritis. I need my scooter not just to get around the boat but for trips ashore as I cannot walking especially on uneven or cobbled streets,” the guest continued.

“Is this fact, John? It is causing many of us so much worry. The worry is turning to anger. Is this the truth?”

If Carnival Cruise Line was in fact limiting the number of scooters permitted onboard each vessel, this could cause great stress for travelers, especially for sought-after itineraries that could meet such a limit quickly. Fortunately, this rumor is just that – a rumor.

“NO, it’s not the truth,” Heald said firmly. “You are not the only person who has asked and so before this gets out of hand I felt it best to clarify this is not true. This is yet another example of the stuff and nonsense that is allowed to be posted.”

It should be noted that many social media sites are unregulated and can have a wide range of fan pages, unofficial groups, and other posts that are not verified from any cruise line.

People posting on these pages may claim to have spoken to a crew member, called a cruise line, or otherwise “confirmed” their information, yet they seldom post proof of that verification.

Heald goes on to address the idea of how many mobility scooters are onboard and what is required of guests who use them.

“Yes we do have a lot of mobility scooters and that number is growing for sure,” he said. “We do not ask for any proof as to why you need one, or to inform us that you will be using one, or that you need a full ADA cabin to be allowed to bring one on board.”

When guests do book an accessible cabin, they are required to fill out the Mobility Questionnaire, but this is only to ensure that everyone is aware of scooter policies. The questionnaire also helps to ensure the onboard team is prepared to offer any necessary assistance to every traveler.

“The only thing we ask of mobility scooter users is to remember you cannot store your mobility scooter outside of your cabin door and to please drive responsibly and carefully,” Heald concluded.

Lots of Scooter Confusion

There has been a great deal of confusion about mobility scooters and electric wheelchairs this year as Carnival has been cracking down on oversized devices and inappropriate behavior.

To be clear, the cruise line’s policies have not changed, but enforcement is becoming more strict. Earlier this year, Carnival began sending emails to guests booked in accessible staterooms to ensure they were aware of the size restrictions on scooters and other mobility device policies.

All scooters and electric wheelchairs must be able to fit through cabin doors and be stored out of the way inside the stateroom. Guests are not permitted to “park” their scooters outside in the hallway or in other public spaces.

Read Also: 15 Mistakes to Avoid on a Carnival Cruise

If a passenger’s scooter is too large, it will not be allowed onboard the ship at embarkation. At that time, guests may need to choose to travel without their scooter or rent a smaller scooter, or they may be denied boarding altogether.

At no time, however, has Carnival Cruise Line outright banned mobility scooters or limited the overall number that may be on an individual cruise. The only limitation is that oversized scooters cannot be accommodated.

Guests are also urged to practice caution when using onboard elevators or driving through public promenades and to ensure they are driving safely for everyone.

Travelers should always check a cruise line’s official website or contact a cruise line if they are unsure of a policy, and not rely on social media for information that may impact their sailing.