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Carnival Cruise Line is facing some consumer dismay, even disbelief, after the company canceled a wave of cruise reservations tied to a website glitch that briefly displayed dramatically reduced fares on several sailings.
The issue reportedly occurred following a planned IT maintenance project that disrupted parts of the cruise line’s booking system.
“After the site maintenance on Saturday, I was able to book a solo balcony on a 6-day cruise for $300 yesterday. … Hoping Carnival will honor the price because it was quite literally a steal,” a booked passenger shared on r/CarnivalCruiseFans on Reddit.
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Typically, a five-to-seven-day trip on Carnival costs between $600 to $1,500 per person, depending on the destination, according to reports.
Fox News Digital reached out to Carnival Cruise Line for comment.
The bookings were later canceled by Carnival, which reportedly alerted affected customers in an email that the prices shown were “far below any reasonable promotional fare.”
The company provided refunds to the customers and offered a $100 onboard credit for guests who rebook another cruise before Aug. 31, 2026, according to Cruise Critic.
The cancellations sparked debate online. Some travelers argued Carnival should honor the bookings despite the apparent pricing mistake.
“Sometimes when a company makes a mistake, they should just take the loss,” a user on Reddit wrote.
Another traveler mentioned already booked flights after securing what the person believed was a legitimate deal.
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Others, however, argued the prices were too low to be real.
“You took advantage of a ‘glitch.’ They don’t have to honor that.”
“If it looks too good to be true, it probably is,” one user wrote.
“You took advantage of a ‘glitch.’ They don’t have to honor that,” one commenter added.
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Some users also pointed out that pricing errors occasionally happen across the travel industry and are often canceled once discovered.
Carnival’s ticket contract states that if a cruise fare is listed or advertised incorrectly because of an electronic, typographical, human or other error, the company may either ask the guest to pay the correct fare or cancel the cruise in exchange for a full refund.
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Even so, several travelers said Carnival should have handled the situation differently, especially for customers who had already made additional travel plans tied to booking.
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