Carnival Cruise Line has cancelled a wave of bookings for its upcoming new ship Carnival Festivale after an apparent IT glitch over the weekend led to cruises being sold at dramatically reduced prices.
The error, which appeared during planned IT maintenance, saw some sailings on the highly anticipated Excel-class ship listed at prices as low as $375 per person for balcony cabins. Guests quickly snapped up the deals before the cruise line removed the fares and began contacting affected passengers.
In emails sent to impacted guests, Carnival confirmed the bookings would not be honoured, describing the fares as the result of a technical issue.
The cruise line said reservations had been cancelled and any payments made would be refunded in full. As a goodwill gesture, Carnival also offered affected guests $100 onboard credit to use on a future booking made before 31st August.
The decision has triggered a mixed reaction across social media, with many guests expressing frustration over the cancellations and the level of compensation offered.
One guest wrote:
“I am furious. $100 credit if I book again before August 31st??? I seriously doubt I will be booking again with Carnival. At the very least the could give me the measly credit on the cruise I will be going on in June that we have spent about $5000 on. Way to lose business Carnival.”
Another posted:
“So I’m mad, but not SHOCKED! DO BETTER CARNIVAL”
A third guest vented their frustration more directly, writing:
“Pretty sh***y Carnival Cruise Line !!!!! 🤬🤬🤬🤬 How stupid and inept can your IT dept be!? On to MSC Cruises !!”
Others, however, defended the cruise line’s decision, arguing the prices were clearly too low to be genuine for a brand-new ship entering service in 2027.
One social media user commented:
“When it sounds too good to be true it usually is. This letter should have been expected. The fact that they are offering the obc is a good gesture on their part for the mishap, when they easily could have just cancelled and said sorry about that.”
Another added:
“It was on the contract that they can cancel. It was absurd to think you could get an 8 day cruise on a brand new ship at balcony level and better for $375. Come on now. Not to mention that most were so greedy that others could not even book anything”
Cruise lines, airlines and hotels have all faced similar situations in recent years when technical faults or human errors accidentally released so-called “mistake fares” online.
While some companies choose to honour bookings for goodwill reasons, many rely on terms and conditions allowing reservations to be cancelled when pricing errors occur.
Carnival Festivale Set To Become Carnival’s Next Mega Ship
The controversy comes as excitement continues to build around Carnival Festivale, which is scheduled to enter service in spring 2027 as the fourth ship in Carnival Cruise Line’s Excel class.
The vessel will follow Carnival Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration and Carnival Jubilee, with sister ship Carnival Tropicale expected to debut in 2028.
Carnival Festivale continues the cruise line’s tradition of reviving names from its earlier fleet. The original Festivale entered service in 1978 and was one of the largest passenger ships sailing from Florida at the time.
The ship is being built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany and will introduce several new features aimed heavily at families.
Among the biggest changes is the addition of 1,000 interconnecting cabins, around 70% more than current Excel-class ships, reflecting Carnival’s focus on multi-generational cruising.
Carnival Festivale will also debut Sunsation Point, a new outdoor zone spanning the top three decks. The area will include Carnival Waterworks Ultra, a redesigned waterpark replacing the BOLT rollercoaster found on earlier Excel-class ships.
The waterpark will feature six slides, including new family raft slides, splash zones for younger children and a baby splash area. Carnival has also confirmed the attraction will remain open on select evenings with DJs, lighting effects and entertainment.
Additional attractions include a ropes course, sports court, jogging track, mini golf course and arcade areas.
Inside the ship, Carnival Festivale will introduce new music-themed entertainment venues across decks 6, 7 and 8, alongside updated dining concepts. Existing favourites such as Guy’s Burger Joint, Pig & Anchor Smokehouse Brewhouse and Big Chicken will still be included onboard.
Like its sister ships, Carnival Festivale will operate using liquified natural gas (LNG), which Carnival describes as part of its wider sustainability strategy.
The maiden voyage for Carnival Festivale is expected to take place in May 2027 – a transatlantic cruise from Southampton to the ship’s homeport of Port Canaveral.
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