With Carnival Cruise Line changing its room service selection for breakfast and including an increased selection for which guests will pay, one thing is certain: Many guests will question the move from the cruise line to based in Miami.
Reason enough for Carnival to provide more details on what it has planned next October 1st. Carnival brand ambassador John Heald quickly took to his Facebook page to further explain the room service changes. Carnival has also revealed the ‘nominal’ price increase for onboard Wifi.
Changes in room service have been questioned
Yesterday, September 9, Carnival Cruise Line sent a message to guests booked aboard one of the ships in its fleet that would some changes to the room service menus. Those changes include removing some complimentary items and charging for more items that the cruise line calls the a la carte selection.
Carnival has based the decision to make these changes on market research since the relaunch in July 2021. The cruise line noticed a large amount of food waste during this period.
The solution Carnival came up with to minimize food waste was to introduce some changes to the free room service breakfast items.
The move was widely questioned by those who received the letter, with many under the impression that the full room service breakfast would no longer be free. The reason John Heald, the well-known brand ambassador for Carnival Cruise Line, posted some clarifications on his Facebook page:
John Heald, brand ambassador for Carnival Cruise Line: “So yesterday we made some changes to our Room Service menu and I received so many comments asking me to clarify some things, so please allow me to do so. Room service Continental breakfast remains complimentary from 6am to 10am.”
“For those of you asking for clarification, there will be a nominal fee for all other items. The definitely upgraded sandwiches and desserts will be really great and you will be very pleased to see the menu and the affordable prices. I will post the menu as soon as I can.”
Food waste the driving factor behind the changes
Heald further acknowledges that the changes are really due to food waste issues, with some guests taking advantage of free food and over-ordering. However, he also admits that a cost factor is also at play.
“So while it’s not the only reason, and it would be silly of me to say it was, trying to reduce food waste is one of the reasons these nominal charges now apply after breakfast.” Heald said.
What must also be considered is that more complimentary items on the menu means more preparation for the chefs. Reducing complimentary items will mean less food prepared and, thus, less food wasted.
For those who don’t fancy paying extra for a sandwich or other meal to be delivered to their room, there are no changes to food availability on the Lido Deck. It is open from 11:00 to 23:00, free of charge.
New Wi-Fi rates revealed
In addition to the room service changes, we found out yesterday that Carnival Cruise Line will also be implementing a price increase for onboard Wifi for the second time this yearon October 1.
For the basic package, or the Social package as Carnival calls it, guests now pay $8.50 per day if they purchase the package before sailing. That price will increase to $10.20 per day, an increase of $1.70 per day.
The value pack, which can be used to browse favorite sites, receive e-mail, read the news and more, is increasing to $14.45 a day, an increase of $3.40 a day from the old rate of $11.05 if purchased in advance. .
The top-tier package, or Premium package, sees an increase of $2.55 to $17.00 per day, up from $14.45. These prices will increase by an additional 15% if guests wait to purchase the package until after boarding.
These are, again, some important changes that Carnival Cruise Line has made many smaller changes in recent months. With costs rising significantly around the world, these price increases and operational changes are obviously understandable from a business perspective.
However, they certainly do not make sailing any cheaper at a time when many people are already feeling the brunt of the worldwide economic crisis.
