Carnival Cruise Line Cancels Bookings After Website Glitch Shows Low Fares

Carnival Cruise Line canceled customer reservations that were placed during a short-lived website glitch offering reduced fares. The Florida-based company stated the displayed prices were far below any reasonable promotional fare and issued full refunds to affected passengers.

The error occurred during scheduled IT maintenance. One passenger reported booking a solo balcony cabin on a six-day cruise for $300, compared with typical prices ranging from $600 to $1,500 per person for five-to-seven-day sailings.

Carnival sent an email to impacted customers explaining the pricing error and offered a $100 credit if they rebooked before August 31. The company's ticket policy states that it reserves the right to correct an erroneous fare by requesting payment of the correct amount or by canceling the booking with a full refund.

Some passengers expressed disappointment on online forums, noting they had already booked flights to reach departure ports. Others stated that companies are not obligated to honor prices resulting from a clear technical error.