For an incredible vacation or an unforgettable wedding, many people book spots with the Carnival Cruise Line. The company annually operates over 1500 voyages and has an impressive fleet of 22 ships!
But between the time you booked your cruise and actually boarding the trip, a lot can happen – you may need to change or cancel the carnival cruise for whatever reason.
And while it seems like a daunting task, the Carnival Cruise Line is more than accommodating when it comes to last-minute changes and cancellations. To help you out, we also gathered what you need to know about either process.
How to Change a Carnival Cruise
Changes to a carnival cruise can involve changes to the guest list or your stateroom, for instance.
Name Changes
A name change on the Carnival Cruise website is defined as follows: The cancellation of one guest and adding a new guest to a booking.
The original guest must remain on the booking; otherwise, it’s considered a full stateroom cancellation, and cancellation penalties apply.
Based on certain circumstances, the company may impose some restrictions on name changes:
- For bookings not under restricted/non-refundable fares, there’s no charge for a name change.
- Alternatively, bookings with Carnival airfare may incur name changes fees (check specific promotion terms for further details)
Changes to Your Stateroom
On the day of the cruise, you can’t upgrade or change your stateroom as the ship sails only at capacity. You can always upgrade your room prior to the cruise, but that will depend on what rooms they still have available for booking.
So, we recommend that you book your stateroom(s) as early as possible. This way you can pick from a plethora of options and not have to worry about making any changes later.
READ: Why Stateroom Location Matters?
Can I Reschedule My Carnival Cruise without Penalty?
As with changes regarding your stateroom, rescheduling is only allowed prior to the cruise sailing—or before the final payment is due. Additionally, changes to the ship sailing date are subject to a fee per change, per person.
To know how big the fee is and if it applies to you or not, contact the Carnival Cruise support team.
Can You Cancel a Carnival Cruise?
If you cancel your booking before the final payment, there’s no penalty unless you’ve booked a promotion with a non-refundable deposit/fare. Note also that the final payment date differs from one cruise to another – so be sure to check on them beforehand.
Keep in mind the following too:
- Penalties for cancellations increase closer to the departure date, starting from standard deposit amount up to 100% of the total fare.
- Certain promotions like Early Saver, Super Saver, and Pack & Go have non-refundable deposits/fare.
And here’s a little tip: If you need to know further details about cancelling your carnival cruise, go to the ‘My Cruise Details’ section of your Carnival Cruise profile and find the question regarding cancellation penalties.
Options For Dealing With Cruises Cancelled By Carnival
For sailings cancelled by Carnival Cruise Line (for technical or mechanical reasons), the ship operator will always offer you a full refund for your troubles. They’ll also ask if you’d like an alternative instead onboard another cruise.
Carnival Cruise might present you the option to accept future cruise credit—based on the duration of the cruise you booked. There could be added onboard credit as well.
Finally, if the cancellation results in an overnight stay, the cruise operator should help you (and your guests, if applicable) to a free-of-charge accommodation onboard or onshore.
READ: Israel Cruise Cancellations Continue Amid Conflict
