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When planning a trip with Carnival Cruise Line, travelers are often looking for the best deal they can find, which is why the “Let Us Pick” category is so appealing. Cruisers can hand the room assignment duties over to the company to score themselves a better, discounted rate.
Naturally, there is some risk with this option. The room assignment can be anywhere, meaning you might find yourself sleeping under the galley, above a nightclub, or directly across from an elevator.
For some, the risk of a less-than-ideal cabin placement is worth the savings. However, during a recent sailing on the Carnival Firenze, a couple encountered an unexpected side effect of letting Carnival pick their cabin.
The situation ultimately resulted in the couple being denied boarding, despite having a confirmation number, leaving plenty of other travelers wondering if saving a few dollars is truly worth it.
Carnival Cruise Line Offers Zero Compensation For Paying Guests Who Were Denied Boarding
In a Reddit post, the mother of one of the cruise ship guests explains what happened.
“My daughter and son-in-law booked a cabin on the Firenze under the 'let Carnival pick the cabin' deal. They received a confirmation number. They arrived at the port and were told that they were on a waiting list. Needless to say, they didn't get on,” she said.
She went on to explain that the cruise line did refund the couple’s trip but was otherwise unhelpful. “Carnival wasn't very helpful…No future on board credit, nothing,” the mother said.
On the company’s website, under the ticket contract section, Carnival notes that room assignments are not always guaranteed. When trying to book a cruise at the discounted rate, passengers will see a note regarding room assignment.
“You have selected SUPER SAVER. Your stateroom will be assigned within the selected room type (interior, ocean view, balcony or suite). Deposit is non-refundable and non-transferable…Carnival reserves the right to withdraw and/or change offer at any time without prior notice.”
Guests can then confirm and proceed with the reservation or select “No, I want to choose my room location” to choose a different, more expensive fare. Online, cruise fans agree that the savings for this selection are simply not worth the risk.
Carnival Fans Avoid Assigned Stateroom Discounts
After sharing her daughter's and son-in-law’s experience on Reddit, other cruise fans were quick to comment. “They don’t say it, but ‘let us pick’ is really ‘if someone cancels, we will sell you their room a second time,’” one commenter said.
Another added, “This is why I would never book one of their 'let us choose your cabin' rooms, not going to take the chance that I would either not get a cabin or one that I do not like. I am sure for everyone that loves the deal they got going this way, there are plenty of others that had a cabin that sucked. Not worth the risk to me”
Others pointed out that the stateroom rates were not that much cheaper in the first place, which seems to be right.
Assigned Room Or Choose Your Own: Price Difference
Here’s a quick look at some rates on the Carnival Firenze for an upcoming four-day sailing to Baja, Mexico, from Long Beach from November 30 to December 4.
| Cabin Type | Let Carnival Assign Room | Choose Your Own Room |
|---|---|---|
| Interior | $426 | $466 |
| Ocean View | $516 | $556 |
| Balcony | $666 | $786 |
For the interior and ocean view room types, guests are only saving $40. For the balcony, the savings add up to $120, but knowing the risks, it seems many cruisers would prefer to spend a little extra for the reassurance it offers.
This latest experience is not the first time someone has booked the cheaper package, allowing Carnival to choose their room location, only to be denied boarding upon arrival.
Families “Forcibly Disembarked” From Carnival Glory After Letting Company Pick Their Cabin
On a Facebook post asking fellow cruisers about the pros and cons of letting Carnival pick your room, one commenter shared a horrible experience from their time on the Carnival Glory.
“We did this [allow Carnival to choose the room location] for the Glory 6/9/25 sailing and were forcibly disembarked due to their overbooking,” the commenter wrote. “We were allowed to embark on a TBA/Guaranteed cabin and told we’d be called for our room assignment. Instead and after a few hours, us and four families were forcibly disembarked due to them having no rooms.”
The commenter goes on to say that “Carnival was very aggressive and rude during the whole situation. They didn’t even have live personnel for our grievances, merely a dismissive email.”
Of course, there are always risks when traveling. In June, for example, Carnival Cruise Line changed 46 U.S. sailings, warning 170,000 guests there would be no refunds for those who couldn’t make it to the dock for the newly scheduled departure time.
While that scenario was largely out of guests' control, opting to pay a little more to pick a room location is an option that even the most frugal travelers will likely consider now.
TheTravel reached out to Carnival Cruise Line for comment but did not receive a response in time for publishing.
