Carnival Cruise Line has introduced a new price rise that will affect most guests onboard, increasing the automatic service charge applied to many onboard purchases.
The fee, long set at 18%, has been lifted to 20% without any major announcement from the line.
The new rate now appears throughout Carnival’s booking system and fine print for onboard spending, meaning many holidaymakers will pay slightly more for popular extras.
What The Increase Applies To
The 20% fee applies to a wide range of purchases, including:
• All drink packages, such as Cheers!, Bottomless Bubbles and Cheers! Zero Proof
• Individual bar drinks
• Speciality dining venues such as the steakhouse
• In-cabin party decorations
• Gifts and treats delivered to staterooms
While the change is only a two-percentage-point increase, the cumulative cost can soon add up for families who enjoy premium dining and refreshments.
How Quickly The Increase Adds Up
The increase in gratuity isn’t huge, but it will be noticeable for families.
A typical family of four, with adults on a Cheers! package and both children enjoying Bottomless Bubbles will now pay around $240 in gratuity fees across a week – an increase of around $20.
When you start adding in other onboard spends, such as any speciality dining or treats ordered to a stateroom, a family could be looking at around an extra $30 in charges. It’s not game-changing but it is something that cruisers will need to carefully budget for.
Why Now?
Carnival has not commented publicly on the change.
However, prices for drinks and dining across the wider cruise industry have been edging higher amid rising operating costs.
It is also more than a year since Carnival last increased its automatic gratuity rate, which typically rises every few years.
Speciality dining, bottled water, WiFi and Fast to the Fun priority access are all areas that could potentially see new price rises in the future.
The timing is noteworthy, coming as Carnival prepares to replace its long-standing loyalty scheme with the new Carnival Rewards programme in 2026.
Many regular guests have already criticised the change for favouring onboard spending over loyalty earned through sailing history.
Service charge increases at sea are nothing new, and Carnival is not alone in raising prices.
The key question now is whether guests will scale back bar spending or speciality dining as costs continue to creep up.
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