Free room service, once ubiquitous at sea, is becoming harder to find as more cruise lines impose delivery charges or restrict gratis service to certain times of the day, certain menu items or certain classes of passengers.
The latest change will come in mid-January when Carnival Cruise Line eliminates free room service fleetwide, except for continental breakfast.
Afterward, none of the three largest contemporary cruise lines — Carnival, Royal Caribbean International or Norwegian Cruise Line — will have free room service. Royal and Norwegian both levy a $7.95 delivery fee on room service orders. Carnival opted for an a la carte price on its room service items, ranging from $2 to $6.
As recently as a year ago, room service on Carnival was gratis. That began to change in January 2018 when Carnival introduced the a la carte pricing system for any orders between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
In a Facebook post outlining the new policy, Carnival brand ambassador John Heald cited the cruise line's drive to find effective ways to reduce food waste aboard its 25 ships.
Heald also noted that the way Carnival has offered food on its ships has evolved in recent decades.
"We have heavily invested in bringing more variety to our complimentary food choices across our fleet," he said.
Carnival began offering free hamburgers poolside at Guy's Burger Joint in 2011. That same year, it introduced the BlueIguana Cantina, providing Mexican food at no cost.
Free pizza is available around the clock at Pizzeria del Capitano. And this year, Carnival began offering pizza delivery almost anywhere on the ship through its Hub app, although there is a $5 charge for delivery.
Room service fans say that with the exception of pizza, the other venues are closed in the late evening when room service is most desirable. The BlueIguana Cantina, however, is open for breakfast from 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., another peak time for room service.
On the a la carte room service menu, salads run between $2 and $3, while items such as wings, a Philly cheesesteak and pan pizzas run from $4 to $6.
While some competitors, including Royal and Norwegian, also charge for room service, others such as Disney Cruise Line do not. Viking Ocean Cruises, which prides itself on not "nickel-and-diming" guests, is another line where free room service continues.
MSC Cruises has a more complicated fare structure, along with a matching approach to room service fees. Guests in its most basic category, Bella, pay for the food that is delivered as well as a delivery fee, while guests in the next category, Fantastica, pay no delivery fee and can order breakfast food for free.
Heald defended the decision to cut back on a free service that is treasured by some repeat cruisers.
"Sometimes we need to make a tough decision that may be unpopular but [makes] sense in the long run" he said. "Even with these changes, a Carnival cruise offers the greatest array of free-of-charge options and remains the best value in travel."
One way to dodge room service fees on mass market ships is to book a luxury enclave accommodation. Norwegian doesn't charge for room service in the Haven, and MSC's Yacht Club guests can order from any restaurant on the ship, although they pay the cover charge for fee-added restaurants.
Luxury lines, such as Silversea Cruises and Crystal Cruises, make the depth of their free room service menus a selling point, and they generally refer to it as "in-suite dining," giving it an overlay of elegance.
At all-inclusive resorts, free room service is also available, but it sometimes depends on the price level of the package purchased. At Sandals and Beaches Resorts, free room service is provided in Club-level categories from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., while Butler Elite-level guests benefit from 24-hour room service free of charge, spokeswoman Alexa Mechanic said.