Via iStockphoto / @kkiiirsss TikTok
A woman says that one phone call resulted in her losing her Carnival drinks package. It could happen to you. Here's how.
If you book a cruise with Carnival Cruise, chances are high that you’re going to be drinking.
Even though just 54% of American adults drink alcohol, one study reported that over 80% of polled cruise passengers bought booze on their trip.
Alcohol is so popular on cruise ships that many offer unlimited drinks packages. But if you buy one of these packages, losing it may be easier than you think, as one passenger learned the hard way.
An Upgrade In Exchange For A Drink Package On Carnival Cruise
In a video with over 30,000 views, TikTok user Kirsten (@kkiiirsss) says something happened on her recent Carnival Cruise that’s making her reconsider riding with them ever again.
In Kirsten’s video, she shows herself looking mournfully out of the window of her cabin.
“Are you OK?” her roommate asks, laughing.
The video’s text overlay reads, “Me when I found out Carnival canceled our drink package.”
In the comments section, Kirsten reveals that Carnival canceled their drink package for an unexpected reason.
In response to a comment asking why the drink package was removed, she wrote, “Cause I upgraded my room.”
“When they called me and asked me if I wanted to upgrade for my friends birthday they didn’t say at all I would lose my perks,” she writes in another comment. “So mad.”
In a later comment, Kirsten says she was not refunded for the drinks package.
“I’ll never take another cruise with them again,” she writes in the video’s caption.
Is This Normal?
Surprisingly, yes.
Multiple internet users have complained that Carnival removed their drink packages following an upgrade.
For example, one Reddit user complained that they received an unexpected email from Carnival informing them that their drink package was canceled. When they looked into the issue, they learned that the cancellation was tied to a room upgrade.
Specifically, their original booking included an onboard credit, which they put toward a drink package. Once they upgraded, their new room did not have the same credit—and so, Carnival canceled the purchase.
Another user in the thread claimed to have the same experience. According to this user, they had a $50 onboard credit, which they put toward a drink package. After they upgraded their room over the phone, that package vanished. They, too, say they were not told such a thing would happen—and when they tried to reinstate the package, they were allegedly told “the promotion is over.”
Can Carnival Cruise Take Away Your Drink Package?
Of course they can.
According to the terms laid out on the Carnival website, customers who change their reservations to a different promotion may lose benefits associated with their original booking. These can include purchased packages, onboard credits, and more.
By upgrading, a passenger may accidentally push themselves out of a promotional category. This would consequently cause them to lose the associated benefits.
Why Kirsten says she was not refunded for this is unclear. Carnival’s CHEERS! Program states that, “If the program is purchased prior to the cruise, it is refundable up to 10:00pm ET, the evening prior to the cruise departure. Otherwise, CHEERS! is non-refundable.”
If Kirsten’s upgrade happened before 10:00pm ET the evening prior to the cruise, these terms would seem to imply that Kirsten should have received a refund. We have reached out to Carnival via email for clarification.
Carnival Cruise Customers Say They’ve Seen It Before
In the comments section, many users claimed that they experienced something similar.
“I was just about to upgrade my room last night when I got to the part where they would cancel any reservations I might have made and nothing about a refund,” said a user. “I booked the Dr. Seuss brunch and it was the last day so I didn’t want to chance it. Next time I’ll stop being cheap and book the room I really wanted.”
“They tried to do the same thing to me. They gave me a free drink package for my cruise coming up in January and when I try to move from the 2nd floor to the 6th floor they told me I would lose it if I did,” recalled another.
“When the upgrade fairy calls you have to make sure you carry over your perks,” advised a third.
BroBible reached out to Carnival via email and Kirsten via TikTok direct message and comment.