Carnival Cruise Line is increasing onboard costs starting April 2, 2026. Daily gratuities are going up, and the Bottomless Bubbles soda package for adults is getting a noticeable price increase as well.
The changes apply to U.S. and European sailings and will affect anyone cruising after that date—unless you lock in current pricing ahead of time.
Here’s What’s Changing And When
Starting April 2, 2026, Carnival will increase daily gratuities by $1 per person, per day on sailings from U.S. and European homeports. That brings the daily rate to $17 per person for standard staterooms and $19 per person for suites, with the charge applying to every guest regardless of age.
This marks Carnival’s first gratuity increase since April 2023, which is why the change is catching many cruisers off guard. For any sailing after April 2, the updated rates will be automatically added to each guest’s Sail & Sign account unless gratuities are prepaid in advance.
How To Lock In The Old Price
You can still pay the current gratuity rate if you act before the increase takes effect. Guests who prepay gratuities before April 1, 2026 will keep today’s lower pricing, even if their cruise sails later. Prepaying can be done directly through your booking in Carnival’s Cruise Manager or by contacting your travel agent.
In practical terms, the savings depend on how many people are in your cabin and how long you’re sailing. On a seven-night cruise, a couple would save about $14, while a family of four would save roughly $28. On a longer two-week sailing, two guests would also save around $28. It’s not a massive amount on its own, but with multiple onboard costs rising at the same time, it’s worth locking in ahead of time.
It’s also worth noting that Carnival’s daily gratuities are not mandatory. Guests can choose to adjust or remove gratuities onboard if they prefer to tip differently or make that decision after experiencing the service.
Bottomless Bubbles Gets A Bigger Bump
While the gratuity increase is relatively modest, the price change for Carnival’s Bottomless Bubbles soda package is more noticeable.
For adults, the daily cost is increasing from $9.50 to $11.99 per person, and that price still carries a 20% service charge on top. The children’s price, for guests 17 and under, remains unchanged at $6.95 per day, also plus the 20% service charge.
That added service charge is what makes the increase feel larger in practice. Under the current pricing, the adult package works out to about $11.40 per day once the 20% charge is included. After the increase, the same package comes to roughly $14.39 per day, meaning adults will be paying about $2.99 more per day once everything is factored in.
Over the course of a cruise, that difference adds up quickly. For example, two adults on a seven-night sailing would be paying for 14 adult-days of the package, which works out to roughly $42 more for the trip. As with gratuities, guests who pre-purchase Bottomless Bubbles before April 2, 2026 will keep the current lower price, even if their cruise takes place later.
Read more: Massive Carnival Cruise Changes Coming in 2026 (That Will Catch Many by Surprise)
Where Carnival Says The Money Goes
Carnival’s messaging is consistent: gratuities are meant to benefit the shipboard team “in addition to base pay,” and the company frames the increase as supporting the service level guests expect.
Carnival’s VP of Guest Services, Colleen Oliverio, sent the change as an official notice emphasizing appreciation for guest support of the crew.
And on the question people always ask—“Does the crew actually get it?”—Carnival’s brand ambassador John Heald has repeatedly said that 100% of gratuities go to the crew, whether you prepay, leave them on your Sail & Sign account, or tip another way.
Also worth knowing: Carnival still allows guests to adjust gratuities onboard if they choose, which is different from some lines with stricter policies.
Cruisers Reactions: Outrage, Acceptance, and Eye-Rolls
Cruisers online wasted no time reacting. Comments like “Just a buck” and “$1. 😎” summed up the more relaxed side of the conversation, with others adding humor to downplay the impact. One cruiser joked, “A buck buck here a buck buck there a buck everywhere…” while another said, “Everyone calm down just a dollar a day 🤷♂️😂.”
On the other end of the spectrum were cruisers firmly backing the increase because of the crew. “They work hard and they deserve it!” was a common sentiment, echoed by comments like “Good they deserve it” and “The workers deserve way more than $17 a day for all the work they do.”
Several shared how they handle tipping personally, including, “We prepay gratuities and leave an additional gratuity for our cabin steward,” and “We still tip our room stewards and servers… They deserve to get paid more.” For these cruisers, the extra dollar felt fair—or even overdue.
Still, frustration bubbled up from others who questioned the system itself. “Why keep raising them,” one commenter asked, while another argued, “You just can’t ‘raise the price of a tip’—pay them better.” Some warned the change could backfire, saying “That may make more folks remove gratuities,” and “Just more and more people will remove gratuities.”
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