Following multiple days of fleetwide tech glitches that delayed debarkation and embarkation for multiple ships, disrupted onboard retail and casino operations, caused internet loss, and impacted the Carnival Hub app, Carnival Cruise Line has reached out to guests and apologized for the difficulties.

A letter signed by Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy has been delivered to guests onboard Carnival ships. The letter explains the situation and notes that some compensation will be provided for the inconvenience for guests who had purchased internet packages.

“I want to express our appreciation for your patience and understanding as we worked through the technology disruption that took many systems offline for the last couple days,” the letter said.

“Our shoreside and shipboard IT teams have spent the last couple days dedicated to getting things back online and I’m pleased to say they are.”

Duffy said that at no time were any navigation or safety systems affected. While ships may have slowed or stopped temporarily during the outages, this was likely a precautionary measure until the extent of the glitches was confirmed.

Guests on different Carnival ships have reported a wide range of issues due to the outages. For example, in the casino, guests had to play with cash and were unable to add charges to their Sail and Sign accounts until the computer connections were restored.

Retail and bar operations were slowed with the need to handwrite receipts, guests could not review their onboard accounts, and security had to collect Sail and Sign cards as a manual count for debarkation.

Nevertheless, onboard activities and fun continued just as well as the crew could manage, and many guests noted how well the crew was working to ensure a fun vacation, despite the glitches.

In fact, many guests turned the unexpected situation into a positive experience to truly disconnect and even save a bit.

“It’s like cruising back in the good ol days….. actually OFF THE GRID while at sea. Im only able to post this, on Mexican cellular network.” one guest noted on Cruise Hive’s Facebook post.

“Casino being down just saved us more money to book another cruise!!” another joked.

Guests who don’t purchase internet packages or spend time in the casino were much less impacted by the outages, though some guests who work remotely while onboard did get frustrated at the loss of internet service.

WiFi to Be Refunded

Duffy did note that any guests who had purchased an internet package would be getting some compensation for the outages.

“We will be refunding the daily charge for the days you have been on board without connectivity,” the letter confirmed.

Those refunds should appear in guest accounts by Wednesday morning, February 11, though guests should still continue to be patient with any delays.

The amount of the refund will depend on exactly how long the internet was unavailable on individual ships, as well as what package guests had purchased.

Carnival Cruise Line offers four different internet plans that vary in speed, how much guests can access, and the number of devices connected.

The Social plan starts at $20.40 per person per day for access to just social media and major airline sites. The highest price is the Premium Multi-Device package at $90 per day for up to four devices, which can connect to video and music streaming, email, and more with internet speeds up to three times faster than other packages.

Pricing also varies whether guests pre-pay for internet access before their cruise or choose to purchase an internet package onboard. Occasionally, the packages are offered on limited-time sales or booking bonuses as well.

Carnival President Apologizes for Tech Glitches, Offers WiFi Refunds