On August 23, 2023, Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador, John Heald, announced that the line would be introducing a new dining fee for one of their popular new venues, Chibang. This announcement is particularly disappointing to us as we’ve raved about this restaurant and have encouraged all of our followers to check it out when sailing on Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration and soon-to-be Carnival Jubilee. Check out our excitement from when we dined there following our cruise on the Mardi Gras.
John Heald previously shared that there were no future plans to charge for this venue and that it woudl remain included in the cruise fare. However, this about-face comes at a time when cruise lines are looking for new ways to maximize onboard spend and passenger revenue. Reflecting on our cruise on the Carnival Celebration earlier this year, we realize that we would have spent $64 during the sailing with how many times we visited!
Industry Changes
This announcement comes just weeks after Princess Cruise Line announced that pizza would be an upcharge and Royal Caribbean got into hot water with rumors that they may be considering charging for it as well. The response was swift and harsh for RCL, however, and the CEO had to make a public statement that the line had no plans to charge for pizza.
With this as the backdrop, it’s no surprise that Carnival Cruise Line is introducing this new fee. Like many of you, we wonder what will be next. Check out the video we put together on YouTube that discusses these changes in greater detail.