Carnival Cruise Line has cancelled reservations made during a pricing glitch that offered cruises at significantly reduced rates. The error, which occurred after a planned IT maintenance project, displayed fares far below any reasonable promotional price, including a solo balcony room on a six-day cruise for just $300.
Customers who had booked the discounted trips were informed via email that their reservations would not be honoured. The email stated: 'Following a planned IT maintenance project this past weekend, some guests saw a random display of prices that were far below any reasonable promotional fare. The reservation you made was one of them. We regret to inform you that we will not be able to honour your reservation request.'
Affected passengers expressed frustration, particularly those who had already booked flights. One Reddit user wrote: 'I booked myself a little trip as a birthday present to myself. Found a great deal! Paid in full for a balcony & booked flights, only to get this email today. Now the same cruise is selling interior rooms for twice what I paid.' Another commented: 'Sometimes when a company makes a mistake, they should just take the loss. This makes me not want to book anything in the future.'
Carnival is offering a $100 per stateroom onboard credit for future bookings made by August 31, 2026, as a gesture of goodwill. In a statement to The New York Post, the company said: 'We’ve apologised to the small number of guests who tried to book the fare, but as the online discussions have pointed out, our decision is consistent with our ticket contract.'
This incident follows the cancellation of 11 Carnival Firenze voyages scheduled between October 12 and November 16, 2026, due to itinerary changes. Passengers on those sailings were offered rebooking options or full refunds.
