Passengers sailing with Carnival Cruise Line will soon see higher onboard costs, as the company prepares to increase gratuities and adjust select beverage package prices beginning April 2, 2026. The changes were communicated to guests in a recent email notification, confirming that both service charges and the popular Bottomless Bubbles package for adults will be updated later this year.

In message to passengers, Carnival explained:

The company will be changing the price for Bottomless Bubbles (for adults only, with no change for children) and adjusting onboard gratuity guidelines, effective April 2, 2026. Existing prices will be honored if purchased before the adjustment.

This means guests who prepay their gratuities or beverage packages before the deadline can lock in the current rates.

Currently, Carnival’s daily gratuities are set at:

$16 per person, per day for standard staterooms

$18 per person, per day for suites

Starting April 2, each rate will increase by $1 per person, per day.

That will bring the new charges to:

$17 per person, per day for standard staterooms

$19 per person, per day for suites

The change represents an increase of about 6.25% for standard cabins and 5.55% for suites.

While the increase may seem modest, it can add up over longer sailings, especially for families and groups traveling together.

Bottomless Bubbles Package Also Going Up

In addition to gratuities, Carnival is raising the price of its Bottomless Bubbles soft drink package for adults.

The package will increase from $9.50 per adult, per day to $11.99 per adult, per day

There will be no price change for children’s Bottomless Bubbles packages.

With this increase, guests may want to reassess whether the drinks package still offers good value for their individual travel habits.

Gratuities, in particular, play an important role in supporting hotel and service staff onboard, including cabin stewards, dining teams, and behind-the-scenes workers.