Yes, Carnival Cruise Line is ending free room service, except for breakfast.
Just when you thought you’ve heard it all, well, this statement is copied from Senior Cruise Director/Brand Ambassador John Heald’s Facebook page:
“So before I float around Pasadena tomorrow and spend 5 hours waving and trying not to think about water or any liquid of any kind, I need to have a chat with you because I have always tried to let you know what is happening on our ships.
Starting January 1, 2019, Carnival Cruise Line will be increasing the cost for the Bottomless Bubbles package program by $1 per day to $5.95 per day for kids and $8.50 per day for adults, plus gratuity. The change will be fleetwide, including Australia. Now for those thinking of asking Uncle Google when we last put the price up let me tell you that it was in May 2017. Oh and we will of course honour the current price for those guests who pre-purchased the Bottomless Bubbles
And now let’s talk about room service.
I know in hotels and at sea, it is an important part of the guest experience. Maybe there is something special about hearing the room service trolley rattling down the corridor of a hotel or the footsteps approaching down the corridor as our crew brings the BLT. Maybe I am over hotels because I have stayed in so many and have grown to dislike immensely how the waiter lifts the silver-domed top to reveal two strips of bacon and an egg that I/Carnival have just paid $37 for. And that leads me into a new room service menu that now includes some very basic charges
Starting mid-January 2019, we will be starting an a la carte stateroom service menu fleetwide. A wide variety of menu items will be available with a nominal cost ranging from $2 to $5 per item. Charges apply to lunch, dinner and late-night menu items. Over the last several years, we have heavily invested in bringing more variety to our complimentary food choices across our fleet, while at the same time trying to find effective means to continue to reduce food waste. This new pricing structure positions Carnival on par with similar charges by other cruise operators in the contemporary market.
Yesterday I posted a poll asking how many of you enjoy room service breakfast. So far 12,000 of you voted with 40% saying that you did. I spoke to the beards about this and they read how many still enjoy sitting on their balcony nibbling on a croissant and enjoy a cup of coffee while listening to the sound of the sea. That is why our continental breakfast will continue to be offered free of charge.
We’re always tweaking things on board to make sure that we still provide a fun, affordable vacation for our guests. Sometimes we need to make a tough decision that may be unpopular but make sense in the long run. Even with these changes, a Carnival cruise offers the greatest array of free-of-charge options and remains the best value in travel, yep, I truly believe that.
So I know there will be lots of discussion about this and please do leave your comments below and I will make sure when I read them all and that as always your comments are seen and heard. There’s an old saying that the only constant is change and we hope you can understand why we’re making these changes.
I hope I won’t be reading any comments saying that the small charge of $4 for a sandwich means that” I won’t be tipping the crew who brings the food .”
If you do order room service on our ships, please remember to tip the server. A dollar or two is fine because seeing a server carry a tray of food to cabin 2377 and have him place it on the dresser while politely ignoring the sight of someone like me in a Carnival bathrobe that doesn’t quite fit properly is bad enough. To have the door slammed in their face with no tip is far, far worse. Thanks, then, for looking after our room service waiters, it is much appreciated.
So there you go, two changes that I wanted you all to be aware of.”
Comments?
Scott Lara
