What Does Carnival Do When a Guest Drinks Too Much? Viral Video Shows it All

(KMDL-FM) One of the first questions any guest is asked when they board a cruise ship is, "Did you buy the drink package?" But very few people ask, "What do the cruise lines do when you've used- and I mean really used the drink package?" That is a nice way of saying What do cruise lines do with drunken guests during an open itinerary?

A viral video has surfaced on TikTok of what actually happened to a cruise guest aboard a Carnival Cruise Ship. The ship wasn't technically identified, but we believe it to be the Firenze. Personally, the way Carnival and their team members handled the situation was on point, if you ask me.

Obi via Unsplash.com

It is a unique conundrum that cruise lines and cruise guests face on almost every voyage. That's because we, as humans, or at least Americans, have this overarching desire to "get our money's worth". That's why we embarrass ourselves at buffets, and if Panchos were still around, we'd still be raising our flag.

Are Drink Packages on Cruise Ships Worth It?

To me, the drink package mentality on cruise ships encourages people to get "poop-faced". There are some people who believe the drink packages on cruise ships are a good deal. I would call those people functioning alcoholics because to "get your money's worth" on most drink packages, you will need to exceed the legal limit by a lot.

READ MORE: The Drink Package Secret Cruise Lines Don't Want You to Know

Most of us calculate the drink package incorrectly anyway. Just for fun, we asked the Artificial Intelligence robots how much a typical drink package would cost on a four-day cruise. The answer: about $300 per person. The average cost of a cocktail on a cruise ship, again calculated by AI, is $15.

a large cruise ship in the water with a small boat in front of it

If you do the math, that works out to five drinks per day on a four-day cruise. On at least one of those days, if not two, you are going to be roaming around on shore. So, that cuts your drinking time down considerably. And that would mean your consumption rate would have to skyrocket on "sea days".

Viral Video Shows What Happens to an Overserved Guest on a Carnival Cruise

And it's on those sea days that you get guests who are overserved. Which brings us to the viral video of what happens when you overconsume on a Carnival Cruise vacation.  The video was shared on the social platform by @juicyloveboo, and I appreciate "juicy" for sharing the video of her ordeal.

The video shows her being escorted to her stateroom: no drama, no force, no yelling, just professionals acting professionally. What the video showed next demonstrated to me the care that Carnival has for its customers and its insurance liability.

Kevork Djansezian, Getty Images

The guest in question had a balcony stateroom; the Carnival staff removed the handle to the balcony door so the intoxicated guest could not go out onto the balcony and risk falling or making a poor decision.

READ MORE: Cruising Out of Galveston? "Unlimited" Drink Package Not Available

The staff also took away the guest's ability to order drinks by confiscating their keycard. I believe they also suspended the drink package and did not offer a refund. So, I think we've all learned something.