Carnival Cruise Drink Package Glitch Causes Passengers to Get Unlimited Beverages for Pennies

Carnival Cruise Drink Package Glitch Causes Confusion

Carnival cruise lines experienced a technical glitch last night that allowed passengers to purchase drink packages for the price of one day instead of the full duration of their voyage. As of 9am CST on January 5th 2024, Carnival's IT team has still not resolved the issue and passengers continue to take advantage of the incorrectly priced drink packages.

This glitch has sparked a debate amongst cruise enthusiasts and travel agents over whether Carnival should honor the incorrect drink package pricing. Some argue that since Carnival has not shut down the glitch, they should uphold the cheap packages. Others believe Carnival made an honest mistake and should not be expected to lose significant revenue over a technical error.

How the Glitch Happened

According to reports, the glitch occurred last night when passengers purchasing pre-cruise drink packages were only charged the daily rate rather than the total package cost. For example, a 5-day drink package that should cost $299 was available for just $59.95 - the daily rate.

It appears the error was caused by a bug in Carnival's booking system. When passengers selected the "Cruise Long" duration on the drink package page, the system calculated the price based on one day instead of the full cruise length. This allowed travelers to get unlimited drinks for a fraction of the normal cost.

Carnival's Response

Carnival cruise lines has acknowledged the technical malfunction but has not yet commented on how it will handle the incorrectly priced packages. The glitch has been active for over 12 hours at the time of writing.

Some speculate Carnival is hesitant to cancel the cheap packages since many passengers already completed their purchases and received confirmation emails. Going back on the deals now would cause major backlash and disappointment.

Should Carnival Honor the Deals?

The big question surrounding this drink package mishap is whether or not Carnival should uphold the mistakenly low prices. There are reasonable arguments on both sides of the issue.

On the one hand, Carnival made a technical error they should not be punished for. The incorrectly priced drink packages could cost them hundreds of thousands in lost revenue if honored. Some believe the passengers trying to take advantage of the glitch are acting unethically.

However, others argue that since Carnival neglected to fix the issue for so long, they should stick to the deals. Cruisers who already purchased the packages did so in good faith and it would be unfair to cancel them now. And by leaving the glitch active for half a day, Carnival implicitly approved the low pricing.

Travel Agent Perspectives

Travel agents have shared mixed opinions on how Carnival should proceed. While they understand Carnival's dilemma, most agents seem to side with cruisers.

"It's an unfortunate technical glitch but the longer Carnival waits to fix it, the more they should honor the pricing," said Becky Jones of Cruise Ship Voyages. "Many of my clients already booked packages and are thrilled at the low cost. It would be pretty disappointing to have that pulled out from under them now."

Other agents highlight that Carnival is a massive, profitable cruise company that can likely absorb the financial hit. "It's not like this will bankrupt them," said Gary McMillan of Cruise Ready. "They shouldn't punish customers who did nothing wrong. Honoring the pricing is the right thing to do."

Bottom Line

While Carnival cruise lines has not yet announced how they will handle this drink package glitch, most signs point to them honoring the mistakenly low pricing. Considering the length of time the error was active and lack of communication around canceling orders, Carnival will likely choose to uphold the deals to avoid a public relations crisis.

In the future, however, they will likely be more proactive about fixing technical issues immediately before taking advantage of them becomes widespread.

FAQs

How did the Carnival drink package glitch happen?

The glitch occurred when passengers booking drink packages were only charged the daily rate instead of the total package cost. A technical error in Carnival's booking system calculated prices based on 1 day instead of the full cruise length.

How much did cruisers save with the glitch?

Travelers could purchase a 5-day drink package for $59.95 instead of the normal $299 price - saving them about $240.

How long did the glitch last?

The incorrectly priced drink packages were available for over 12 hours. As of 9am CST on January 5th, Carnival had still not fixed the issue.

Should Carnival honor the mistaken deals?

There are good arguments on both sides. Some say Carnival should uphold the deals since the glitch was active so long. Others argue it was an honest mistake that will cost them a lot of money.

Has Carnival commented on the glitch?

Carnival acknowledged the technical malfunction but has not yet stated if they will cancel the incorrectly priced drink packages or honor the mistaken deals.