Carnival delays plan to charge for room service

Following a torrent of criticism from avid cruisers, Carnival Cruise Line this week said it would indefinitely delay a plan to begin charging customers for most items ordered via room service.

Last week, Carnival said its plan to charge $2 to $5 for any room service item except continental breakfast would begin in mid-

January.

A Carnival spokesman provided this statement on Tuesday:

“We had previously communicated changes to our room service offerings that would go into effect in January. We are in the process of making some adjustments to that plan to balance the interests of our guests with our efforts to reduce food waste costs. For the time being, there will be no changes until we finalize a plan that will be communicated to guests and travel agency partners alike.”

The new pricing structure required passengers to pay extra for items they may currently order for no additional charge. Items on the new room service menu included sandwiches, pizza, chicken tenders, wings, omelettes, quesadillas and coffee by the pot.

Carnival said the pricing structure was “on par with similar charges” by competitors, and part of an effort to reduce food waste.

Carnival fans reacted to the news with hundreds of angry comments on the Facebook page of brand ambassador and senior cruise director John Heald.

Hundreds more comments followed Heald’s announcement of the delay. Some cruisers said they appreciated that the company reacted to the criticism, while others predicted the cruise line would raise fares to compensate for revenue it planned to collect from room service sales.

Valerie Baker said the delay was welcome news because she has a cruise booked in a couple of weeks.

“One of my favorite things is to get early morning room service for coffee and breakfast and sit on my balcony and stare at the sights,” Baker wrote. “Sometimes I do the same in late afternoon pre-dinner. I love that room service is included because it makes the experience guiltfree for me.”

CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE/COURTESY Carnival Cruise Line announced it will delay the start of its plan to charge for most food items ordered via room service.