Carnival’s Cheers package: restrictions and transparency
Carnival Cruise Line’s all-inclusive beverage option, Cheers, carries an important stipulation. While the package specifies a cap of 15 alcoholic drinks per day, this vital information is not prominently featured.
“Experience the convenience of paying a single price for your alcoholic beverages throughout your entire cruise. Now that’s worth celebrating! Get up to 10% off by purchasing before your trip,” the cruise line mentioned on its website. Nevertheless, one must scroll further down to find out about the limit.
“Program permits up to 15 alcoholic drinks, per 24-hour cycle (6 a.m. – 6 a.m.). After you have had your 15 drinks, you cannot buy any more alcoholic beverages,” it stated.
While the terms are not completely concealed, they are not emphasized either. Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald often responds to inquiries regarding removing the limit.
“Honestly, I don’t understand it, but maybe that’s because I don’t consume alcohol. We are not altering anything despite the flood of requests I receive each week. We will maintain the 15 drinks in a 24-hour period (unlimited non-alcoholic drinks) and despite such requests I want to save you from the effort of messaging me to reiterate that we won’t be making any changes,” he expressed on Facebook.
In comparison, Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises, and Norwegian Cruise Line apply no restrictions on their unlimited drink offerings.
Guest reactions to beverage restrictions
While 15 alcoholic beverages may appear sufficient, there’s a significant difference between a person who enjoys a beer every hour and one who consumes 15 shots of whiskey in a brief timeframe. Most of Carnival’s rivals will stop serving overly intoxicated patrons but technically do not enforce any specific limits.
Heald’s Facebook update attracted over 2,200 comments, with Barry Walker summarizing the irritation of some guests. “I can hit the 15 occasionally, but I only consume hard liquor. I have numerous friends who drink beer who could easily have 15 beers and hardly feel it. I comprehend their perspective. I’m sipping on 90-proof liquor while they are having beer with 6% alcohol,” he remarked.
Others expressed similar thoughts. “12-15 drinks on warm summer cruises with light beers is feasible — a glass or two of wine with dinner (15 comes easily)…remember, we’re up at 7 a.m. working out and dancing until 2 a.m.,” added Jan Brewster.
Many contended that if the package isn’t genuinely limitless, they should have the option to buy extra drinks. “It’s really not difficult to reach 15 (if you start early) the only thing I think should change is the ability to order a 16th drink. This could also depend on the bartender, just like it is on land,” posted Stephen Phillip Hawker.
Some commenters noted that the cap might lead to unintended effects. “I sense that because there’s a limit, people aim to hit that limit each day. I don’t drink heavily, so 15 is exceedingly excessive for me in a day. I’m genuinely curious about how many drinks on average people have when it’s unlimited,” shared Bernadette Dymond Dyer.
