Cruises are often planned far in advance to secure the best cabins and prices. But sometimes life gets in the way and you need to cancel your cruise reservation. This leaves you wondering: can you transfer a cruise ticket to another person if you can’t go on your Carnival cruise?
The short answer is yes, Carnival cruise tickets can be transferred to another person if done in advance through their ticket transfer process. There are guidelines and restrictions around transfers, but with some fees and coordination it is possible in many cases.
This complete guide will cover all the nitty gritty details you need to know about transferring cruise tickets from Carnival Cruise Line to alternate passengers.
Understanding Carnival Cruise Line’s Policy on Ticket Transfers
As one of the largest cruise companies in the world, Carnival has a clearly defined policy around being able to transfer a cruise ticket to another passenger. This helps them maintain order and prevent issues that could arise from unauthorized transfers or last-minute changes.
Some key things to know about Carnival’s policy:
- At least one guest from the original cruise booking must sail even after a transfer. If everyone cancels, it is treated as a full cancellation with fees incurred.
- Restricted, non-refundable and promotional fares often cannot be transferred. The specific terms and conditions for those fares guide the policies.
- Fees from $50-$200+ per person apply to process name changes and transfers, depending on the type of booking and timing of the request.
- Transfers must be initiated through Carnival’s guest services department for booking coordination and payment of any fees. Unauthorized transfers are not allowed.
Reviewing the cruise confirmation and Carnival’s website for the most up-to-date transfer policy is wise before initiating ticket changes.
When Can Tickets Be Transferred Without Fees or Penalties?
Transferring a ticket without fees generally only applies to bookings where you purchased standard full-fare cruise tickets directly through Carnival without associated airline reservations or special promotional rates.
If you booked a flexible, regular fare cruise, and there are at least 75+ days before sailing date, you likely can transfer the cruise ticket to another guest for no fee. Restricted rates, non-refundable deposits, suites, and interconnecting staterooms may still incur fees however.
The key things that enable a fee-free ticket transfer:
- Booked 76+ days prior to the cruise departure date
- Have a fully refundable fare and deposit amount
- Have not enrolled in special programs like Faster to the Fun
- Do not have Carnival Air or hotel packages included
As long as those conditions are met, and you contact Carnival to process the transfer appropriately in advance, new passengers can be placed on the booking without extra charges.
Rules Around Promotional, Restricted and Non-Refundable Fares
Carnival Cruise Line frequently offers special promotional fares, reducedrates, and deals like “Early Saver” pricing to help sell cruises. These come with restrictions around cancellations and transfers though.
Some example restricted fares with limitations are:
- Early Saver
- Super Saver
- Pack & Go Rate
Before initiating any ticket changes, be sure to check the terms and conditions of your specific booked fare. Each will outline the precise rules, which vary from simply paying a fee up to not allowing transfers at all.
If you booked a restricted promotional deal, you will at minimum pay fees such as covering the $200 cruise deposit per new guest. And if transfers are not allowed, the booking falls back to regular cancellation policies where you may forfeit non-refundable deposits or payments.
The takeaway: read all policies for your exact fare before assuming tickets can be moved to other guests.
Special Considerations for Carnival Air and Vacation Packages
Those bookings which bundled Carnival Cruise Line airfare or pre-/post-hotel stays through Carnival Vacations have additional restrictions around ticket transfers.
If you booked air travel through Carnival’s Fly2Fun Air program, even restrictive Basic and Saver fares cannot be transferred at all. The original guest would have to fully cancel and rebook flights for anyone new.
Flex Air tickets could be transferred outside the penalty timeline, but would still require new airfare purchase for the replacement guest.
Vacation packages that bundled hotels, transportation and more factor in total minimum costs for those services, so new guests have to re-purchase packages at current market rates.
Tread carefully if you have more than just cruise tickets to ensure you understand any change fee or cancellation impacts across the broader booking before initiating transfers.
What Does Carnival Charge to Process a Ticket Transfer?
Assuming ticket transfers are allowed for your particular fare as outlined above, there is a fee to process the ownership change. This covers administrative costs for Carnival to cancel one guest and book another across their reservations system and documentation needs.
The current Carnival transfer fee is $50 per person to change the name on the cruise booking. So a family of four would pay $200 total to move two parents and two kids to another family’s names. Additional taxes and port charges may apply as well.
That said, for last-minute changes within 60 days of sailing, the fees can be much higher, ranging from 25-75% of the total cruise fare depending on exactly how close to embarkation the transfers occur.
Booking early and giving as much notice as possible helps minimize the fees to complete transfers.
How to Initiate Ticket Transfers Through Carnival Cruise Line?
All ticket transfer requests must be initiated directly through Carnival’s guest services team. Travel agents cannot handle transfers on a guest’s behalf.
To begin the transfer process:
- Call Carnival Cruise Line at 1 (800) 764-7419
- Explain the situation to the representative and that you need to transfer your reservation to another guest
- Provide the new guest’s full legal name, date of birth and contact details
- Supply your existing cruise reservation ID and details
- Provide payment information for covering the $50 per person transfer fee
- Complete any additional identity verification or paperwork required
After paying the fees, the new guest will receive cruise documents and booking updates moving forward while you are removed.
Make the call as soon as possible once you know you cannot sail to have the best chance of transferring without issue.
Benefits of Transferring a Cruise Booking
Beyond avoiding cancellation fees, there can be additional benefits associated with transferring an existing cruise booking.
Some potential perks for new guests include:
- Keeping original lower fare prices if rates have gone up
- Retaining highly desired stateroom locations that sold out
- Being added to established dining group rotations
- Accessing onboard credit offers not publicly available
- Saving time starting paperwork and check-in processes
Travel agents may also offer perks for those transferring reservations under their bookings such as:
- Discounted fares beyond the original prices
- Additional onboard credit for purchasers
- Pre-paid gratuities included
- Complimentary drinks packages
- Special gifts delivered onboard
Ultimately if you cannot cruise, transferring tickets allows recouping some value. And friends/family inheriting a booking gain access to sailing at an advantageous cost and configuration.
Everyone wins by responsibly transferring reservations when original guests cannot cruise.
Can Paid-in-Full Bookings Still Be Transferred?
Carnival Cruise Line only allows active reservations with an remaining balance and named final guest to be transferred. Fully paid bookings with anonymous passengers cannot be reassigned anymore.
Additionally, reservations paid through travel agencies often have tighter limits, with transfers only possible in the month or two after initial booking.
So while rules vary between sources and individual bookings, the standard guidance is:
- If booked directly with Carnival, transfers are allowed up until 60 days prior to sailing
- Third-party and agency bookings cut off transfers 60-90 days post booking
Waiting too long reduces options, so address needed changes as soon as practical once known.
When is the Last Day to Transfer a Ticket Before Sailing?
To provide adequate time for guest services to verify new passengers and issue boarding documents, the last minute a Carnival Cruise Line ticket can be transferred comes 30 days before departure.
Exceptions are rarely made for transfers any closer to sailing, as it increases chances of documentation issues during embarkation.
Ideally begin the transfer process 60-90+ days prior if at all possible, to avoid urgent stress. But 1 month out is the absolute cut-off for when ticket transfers will still be processed by Carnival.
If you have sudden illness, injury or other catastrophic changes preventing sailing within that 30 day window, travel insurance should cover costs rather than attempting to rush a transfer.
How Should I Handle Transfers If I Booked Via a Travel Agent?
If you originally booked your cruise through a traditional travel agency or third-party site like Expedia, handling any ticket changes must go through them rather than directly contacting Carnival Cruise Line.
This allows your original booking source to:
- Access your reservations in their systems specifically
- Make modifications aligned to their fare rules and deadlines
- Charge any applicable transfer or change fees
- Keep providing service for the altered booking over time
So while Carnival sets baseline transfer policies, travel agents may have exceptions, limitations or bonuses tied to specific packages not reflected on basic reservations.
Check your confirmation paperwork for next steps or simply call your original booking representative to discuss transfer options.
Can I Only Transfer One Cruise Ticket from a Cabin?
For cruise cabins with multiple passengers, typically only one guest can be taken off a booking while others remain. This avoids cancelling the full cabin.
However in some cases with family groups or triple/quad occupancy staterooms, it may be possible to transfer a single cruise ticket to someone new while keeping original remaining passengers.
Call Carnival’s guest services with your situation, as they can check room occupancy and look for solutions case-by-case. Having flexibility and options across a range of ages if needed gives best odds of splitting transfers.
But generally at minimum one guest from the original booking must stay on the reservation when moving one ticket.
What Happens If I Cannot Find Anyone to Take Transferred Tickets?
If you ultimately cannot find a replacement passenger to take your tickets, or already passed cut-offs to transfer, the booking falls back to regular cancellation terms per the fare rules.
This typically means forfeiting non-refundable deposits, and paying increasing amounts of cancellation fees the closer it gets to final payment dates and especially sailing itself.
On restricted fares, all monies beyond deposits may become non-transferable credits against future bookings rather than actual refunds when cancelling a cruise.
Review all terms up front to understand possibilities before paying, to avoid surprise later if a trip cannot happen.
What Personal Information Does the New Cruise Passenger Need to Provide?
To meet security rules and issue boarding credentials, the new person receiving your cruise ticket transfer must provide complete identification details including:
- Full legal name (matching their government-issued travel ID)
- Date of birth
- Gender
- Home address & phone number
- Email address & contact preferences
- Emergency contact info
- Proof of citizenship / visa / entry paperwork if required
This ensures the new guest is properly documented for boarding, and that any limitations related to age, legal status, accessibility needs or health issues that arise can be addressed early.
Are Minors Able to Receive Transferred Tickets?
Children under 18 can have cruise tickets placed in their name via transfer from an original adult booking. However, minor passengers must still travel with responsible adults over age 25 in the same stateroom.
So while technically possible to transfer a cruise to a child, standard supervision policies remain in effect for sailing once onboard. At minimum one parent, guardian or grandparent would need to accompany them by also receiving a transferred ticket into the cabin.
Adjusting the age of the booking recipient may alter pricing and occupancy though, so connect with Carnival Cruise Line to understand any impacts to the stateroom.
What Other Major Cruise Lines Allow Ticket Name Changes?
Beyond Carnival, most mainstream cruise operators have policies allowing cruise ticket transfers and name changes for a fee, unless booked via restricted promotional fares.
Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Disney Cruise Line, and Holland America have comparable processes for changing guest names when original passengers cannot sail.
Third-party sites like CruisesOnly can actually take over bookings from all major lines to assist with transfer coordination for a flat fee.
Reputable companies aim to make transfers seamless, but always know exact policies in your confirmation paperwork when booking.
Should I Buy Trip Insurance When Transferring a Cruise?
Since situations forcing cruise ticket transfers often arise close to sail dates, having travel insurance in place becomes extremely valuable to enable recovering costs.
Policies can refund passenger payments even within penalty time frames when there are covered medical conditions, employment changes or other incidents preventing travel. This provides flexibility to send friends/family on the cruise rather than entirely losing the trip.
While adding insurance early on increases up front cost, it gives peace of mind if unforeseen events happen. Ultimately protecting vacation investments takes priority over small premium fees.
What Happens if New Guests Do Not Take a Transferred Sailing?
If you transfer cruise tickets to friends or family and they end up not using the new booking themselves, the same cancellation policies apply as if you cancelled personally.
Any no-shows for transferred bookings will forfeit all monies paid according to the fare rules. And the intended replacement passengers take responsibility for taxes, port fees and other expenses tied to the sailing.
Avoid eating these major costs by only transferring tickets to reliable travelers ready to commit.
Can Individual Guests Transfer Bookings to Larger Groups?
In many cases a guest with an individual or couple’s booking can transfer to a larger family or group as long as total stateroom occupancy limits are not exceeded.
Most standard staterooms allow up to four passengers, while some suites accommodate even higher guest counts. As long as bedding and space exists based on original room type, parties can often be expanded via transfers.
But if maximums are already met on the booking, no additional travelers would be allowed in order to comply with safety regulations.
How Do Cruise Credits Work After Transferring Reservations?
Sometimes cruise fare payments include onboard credits useable during the voyage in shops, spas and restaurants. These credits stay associated with the original booking after a transfer occurs.
So new guests receiving transferred reservations also inherit any monetary credits or non-monetary amenities tied to the previous guest or booking.
This ensures the value paid carries forward, allowing new passengers to benefit from incentives the prior booker qualified for.
What About Alcohol Brought Onboard After a Ticket Transfer?
Carnival Cruise Line’s rules around passengers bringing one standard 750mL bottle of wine or champagne only apply during initial embarkation day boarding. So new guests receiving transfers would not be granted alcohol allowances if boarding later.
However, if transfers occur far enough in advance that new travelers would arrive at the first port on Day 1, they could bring an allowable bottle then. But this privilege does not convey directly as part of the ticket transfer itself.
When Might Visa or Passport Issues Prevent Ticket Transfers?
Cruises visiting multiple countries introduce visa and entry requirements beyond standard passport validity. So if the new passenger inheriting transfers does not meet travel documentation or health prerequisites for all itinerary destinations, transfers may not be possible.
For example, some areas require visas for certain nationalities, or deny entry if prior travel occurred to restricted regions. Vaccines like yellow fever may also be mandatory.
If border processes cannot be confirmed as satisfyable for specific passengers, unfortunately cruise tickets cannot be put in their names.
How Do Accessible Room Accommodations Transfer During Ticket Changes?
When occupied staterooms are specifically fitted and designated for limited mobility, vision, hearing or other accessibility needs, special requirements transfer along with tickets.
The new guest(s) assuming an accessible stateroom through transfers must validate needing and being eligible for those amenities prior to boarding.
If inaccurately categorized or transferred to ineligible passengers, booking risks cancellation and fees until corrected.
Double check details when moving tickets for any services provided based on medical proof and documentation.
What Payment Details Are Needed to Cover Transfer Fees?
As outlined earlier, Carnival Cruise Line charges $50 or more per passenger to reassign cruise tickets to new travelers.
To complete transfers, full payment information must be provided such as:
- Credit/debit card number and expiration
- Cardholder name
- Billing address tied to payment method
Processing cannot be finished until service fees are collected, so have funding sources ready when initiating changes.
What Legal Terms Apply to Transferred Tickets and New Guests?
When cruise tickets are transferred, standard Carnival terms and conditions around sailing policies still apply as if new guests booked directly themselves.
All passengers agree to abide by rules, code of conduct, restrictions and other contractual obligations outlined across multiple documents such as:
- Ticket contracts
- Guest notices and advisories
- COVID-19 health attestations
- Release of liability waivers
- Addendums for those under age, pregnant or requiring special assistance
Carefully reviewing all policies in advance helps avoid issues applying equally to direct and transferred bookings.
Will Carnival’s Customer Service Help Facilitate Transfers?
The entire goal of Carnival Cruise Line’s guest services team is ensuring a smooth and enjoyable sailing. So whether addressing questions pre-cruise, onboard, or for future bookings, they aim to provide friendly and thorough support.
That includes fully explaining options and procedures for passengers needing to transfer cruise tickets when original plans change. Representatives walk through each step required to:
- Check if name changes apply for the specific fare rules
- Calculate fees to process transfers
- Collect necessary new guest personal details
- Modify existing documents and reservations
- Issue fresh boarding information for the new passengers
They know managing travel disruptions adds stress, so facilitating transfers smoothly brings relief plus confidence in traveling with Carnival again someday.
Do not hesitate reaching out to explain scenarios requiring ticket changes. The team actively listens to ensure the best possible outcome during diffcult situations.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Transferring Tickets
While Carnival Cruise Line transfers tickets gladly when possible, several mistakes commonly create bigger issues. Being aware of these pitfalls helps ensure smoother sailing:
- Waiting too long past final payment dates or close to sailing
- Not reviewing fare rules before assuming transfers are allowed
- Attempting unauthorized transfers circumventing Carnival policies
- Failing to address differences in new guest ages or special needs
- Neglecting to purchase travel protection plans when changing plans
Avoiding these mishaps takes a bit more diligence initially, but saves immense headaches later on. Lean on Carnival’s amazing customer service for guidance as needed.
Key Takeaways When Needing to Transfer a Carnival Cruise Ticket
- At least one original guest must remain across full cancellations
- Allow several weeks leeway for documentation and booking changes
- Check exact fare rules dictating transfer options and fees
- Contact Carnival ASAP once a transfer is needed
- Provide all new guest details early to enable processing
- Consider travel insurance for coverage when health or plans shift
- Ask Carnival teams to walk through each step as required
While transferring cruise tickets takes some effort, Carnival Cruise Line provides resources helping original and new guests resume smooth sailing. Leverage their amazing customer service teams when needs arise or questions surface.
Conclusion: Act Quickly But Thoroughly When Needing to Transfer Tickets
Life throws curveballs derailing even the best laid cruise vacation plans sometimes. But with early action and assistance from customer service, cruise tickets can often be transferred rather than fully cancelled.
Make sure you understand the specific transfer terms, deadlines and fees associated with your exact fare and booking. Then call in experts from Carnival or original travel agents to facilitate name changes seamlessly.
They want you happily sailing safely more than anyone. So trust in their guidance to find the best path when original passengers cannot go, but friends or family may still take the cruise.
Bon voyage on fresh adventures ahead!
