Carnival Changes Water Pick Up Policy to Nix Confusion
Just days after an irate guest scathingly chastised Carnival Cruise Line and the official brand ambassador, John Heald, over a simple bottle of water, the cruise line has adjusted how guests can claim that thirst-quencher.
Guests in the cruise line’s current Very Important Fun Person (VIFP) loyalty program can now choose to use one of their in-stateroom bottles of water as their complimentary bottle.
“If you are entitled to a complimentary bottle of water, you may take that from the cabin,” Heald confirmed. “You do not have to go to a bar to get that.”
The free water has been a benefit of the program for years for all returning loyalty levels – Red, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond.
Years ago, the bottle of water was waiting in guests’ staterooms on embarkation day with a welcome note, a nice personal touch that many travelers appreciated.
After the pandemic, however, the policy changed and guests were required to claim their free bottle of water from one of the bars or restaurants onboard.
At first, this helped reduce the number of crew members going in and out of staterooms when it was necessary to minimize contact and reduce any potential interactions in case of disease transmission.
Having guests pick up the bottles themselves has also helped to minimize waste and reduce the workload on cabin attendants, and most guests don’t mind the process.
Recently, however, one decidedly frustrated Platinum-level guest raised a ruckus over a charge for the in-cabin bottle, even threatening to remove all crew members’ gratuities over the misunderstanding.
Heald did try to explain that the housekeeping and bar inventories are separate, though both departments use the bottles of water. Because the free bottle is part of the bar inventory, removing it from the stateroom would create a discrepancy in which department would bear the cost.
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What has frustrated many guests, however, is the apparent lack of consistency in which bottle is which – free or charged.
Many guests shared their own experiences that they had, in fact, drunk the in-stateroom bottles without being charged. Some travelers suggested it was a simple matter just to let their steward know they were using the bottle as their freebie.
Others note that in suites, the complimentary bottles of water (a perk of booking that type of exclusive stateroom) are often provided in the room, which can even more confusion if guests try different cabin types.
Of course, guests can also purchase bottled water before setting sail, and it will be delivered to their stateroom.
The exact same 1.5-liter bottle (50.72 fluid ounces) is $5.31, including taxes and delivery charges, or guests can buy multi-packs of smaller bottles, larger bottle multi-packs, or gallons of distilled water for CPAP machines.
It should be noted that the complimentary bottle of water will remain one of the benefits of the new Carnival Rewards program launching from June 1, 2026, with all guests receiving the perk.