If you book with Carnival Cruise—or any hotel, cruise ship, or resort for that matter—on your birthday, it’s normal to expect to get a little something extra.
People love birthdays. Birthdays are so beloved, in fact, that if you tell a restaurant that it’s your birthday, they might even bring you a free drink and a slice of cake—and they don’t even check your ID to make sure you’re being honest!
Naturally, it isn’t always smooth sailing on your birthday. Some businesses have the gall to charge you a birthday celebration fee or even bill you just for slicing your own cake.
Still, these incidents are rare. Most of the time, companies are just psyched that you decided to spend your birthday with them—and use it as an opportunity to earn some goodwill in the hopes that you return.
One woman recently went aboard a Carnival Cruise for her birthday, expecting a wall-to-wall celebration. What she got was anything but.
Carnival Cruise’s Birthday Gift
In a video with over 17,000 views, TikTok user Kendra (@dacoolestchyck) explains that she recently rode the Carnival Panorama. Her birthday happened aboard the ship—but, to hear her tell it, she was a bit disappointed.
“I’m like, ‘Y’all didn’t give me no birthday gift, OK? Platinum level, and I ain’t got no birthday gift?’” Kendra recalls.
According to Kendra, she mentioned this lack of birthday gift or celebration to a worker aboard the ship.
“I went down there and mentioned, ‘Hey, I ain’t get nothing for my doggone birthday. … I’ve spent money up in here, and I expect to be acknowledged on my doggone birthday,’” Kendra says.
Later that day, Kendra returned to her room. Waiting for her was a gift. Alongside a card, the crew had left her a small bottle of prosecco and a dessert, which sat under a metal cloche.
While Kendra says she is indifferent to the prosecco as she does not “even drink wine or anything,” the dessert left her particularly disappointed. According to her, it was an array of small treats that she “could get…in the … buffet.”
“Now, I hate to be ungrateful, but I’m gonna be, OK? Because this should be against the [expletive] law,” she says.
What Do Carnival Cruise Ships Usually Do For Birthdays?
It’s not unreasonable for Kendra to expect a little more on her birthday.
In a discussion on Reddit, users shared the various ways that Carnival made their birthday special. One user claimed that they went to their room and saw “three layer birthday cake (made from towels) complete with a washcloth candle and two towel swans holding a birthday card.”
That said, many of the offerings are not very elaborate. Another user in the thread claimed that they received a free photo folio and a gift card to a store aboard the ship, while others mentioned free desserts (like cake) or a birthday song sung by a crew member.
These gifts, it seems, were mostly brought to the passengers unprompted, though some said they had to inform guest services of their birthday. However, if one wants to guarantee a birthday celebration onboard, many cruise lines (like Carnival) offer distinct birthday packages. These packages tend to include a full cake and decorations.
Other Birthday Cruise Gifts
In the comments section, users recalled the various ways that Carnival or another cruise line went above and beyond on their birthday.
“They gave me a $50 spa gift card on the hub app on my birthday cruise,” wrote a user.
“I sailed the Panorama August 9th-15th for my Birthday. I received a gift certificate for a spa service and the cabin steward placed all of the towel animals and bday cake on the bed,” recalled another.
That said, others claimed that they had similarly lackluster experiences.
“They ignored my wife’s birthday this year. It was on the door. Not a word and it ended up being one of our worst cruise experiences,” offered a commenter. “Never said a happy birthday even at dinner.”
“Girl, I ordered a birthday cake for my 30th…Cake was disgusting,” shared a second.
@dacoolestchyck I recently cruised Carnival Panorama for my birthday and this is the gift I received. Let me know what did you receive for your birthday gift. #fyp #carnival #cruise #birthday
BroBible reached out to Carnival via email and Kendra via TikTok and Instagram direct message.