You Can Have a Beer (and Pizza) Delivered to Wherever You Are on a Carnival Ship
As cruising regulars know, there's no shortage of places to grab a beer on a Carnival Cruise Line ship. The self-described "Fun Ship" line has so many bars on its vessels that at times, they're nearly touching each other.
But for those of you who just can't stand to lose a minute in the sun, there's now a new app-based service on the line's ships that will let you order a brew right to, well, wherever it is you happen to be standing (or lounging).
Available to users of the line's 4-year-old HUB App, the new service does come with a caveat: To get the beer, you’ve got to order a pizza, too. The service is an expansion of the app-based “Pizza Anywhere” program that the company has been rolling out across its fleet since last year.
After choosing one of the five types of pizzas that are available for delivery anywhere on a Carnival ship (at a cost of $5 per pie), Carnival cruisers are now being asked if they would like a beer, too, or one of five nonalcoholic beverages. You can order just one of the drinks, or several of each.
It’s all about making things easy for customers, Carnival spokesperson Vance Gulliksen told The Points Guy.
“The drinks delivery feature … provides for convenient delivery of beverages so guests can have more time enjoying their cruise,” Gulliksen said.
What if you just want a single beer for you — or half a dozen for your whole group? For now, drink-only orders aren’t part of the service. But we’re guessing Carnival fans will pick up on the obvious hack: Just order a pizza with every round of drinks even if you don’t want it, and give it away to the nearest hungry-looking person. At $5 a pie, such a strategy isn’t going to break the bank, and that famished family in the lounge chairs next to you is going to love you for it.
Compared to the wide range of beers that can be found in many Carnival ship bars (including private-label craft beers that recently rolled out fleetwide), the options for the sudsy stuff through the HUB App are a bit skimpy. For now, there are just three choices: Peroni, Miller Lite and Blue Moon. The nonalcoholic drinks available are Coke, Coke Zero, Diet Coke, Diet Sprite and bottled water.
The good news is prices for all the drinks are the same as what you would find if you walked over to a Carnival bar, and there is no delivery charge (other than the cost of that pizza that you may be planning to offload). Beers on Carnival ships range from $5.95 to $6.50, not including the automatic gratuity of 18% that is added to all bar bills on Carnival ships. Sodas are $2.50. Bottled water is $1.25.
The cost of any pizzas and drinks you order using the HUB App will be automatically applied to your final bill for the cruise (so, yeah, be careful not to make a “fat finger” mistake).
Now for the big question: How does the delivery guy or gal with the beer find you? The answer is a bit high-tech, a bit not. During the order process, you tap on a ship map on the app to mark your location, but you also snap a selfie that will help the server track you down. In the end, it comes down to someone wandering around with your picture looking for you.
For now, the add-on drink feature only is available on four of Carnival's 26 ships: Carnival Conquest, Carnival Glory, Carnival Liberty and Carnival Sensation. But it's quickly rolling out across the fleet and should be on all Carnival ships in the next few months, according to the line.
Gene Sloan has written about cruising for more than 25 years and for many years oversaw USA TODAY’s award-winning cruise site, USA TODAY Cruises. He’s sailed on nearly 150 ships.
Feature photo by Gene Sloan / The Points Guy.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.