As the spring break and summer cruise seasons approach, Carnival Cruise Line wants future passengers and prospective passengers alike to know it will not tolerate unruly or illegal activity aboard its ships.
First, the cruise line began sending a “Guest Advisory” email to people who have already booked upcoming cruises, according to Cruise Hive. That email explained that unruly, disruptive, or illegal activity will be met with consequences that range from fines of $500 to the disembarkation of passengers and banning them from future Carnival cruises.
Then, in a YouTube video, Christine Duffy, Carnival’s president, further addressed the issue of disturbing and illegal activity among passengers. She also noted that such behavior will not be tolerated.
“We’ve all seen the news coverage and social media posts of people behaving badly,” Duffy said. “It’s happening in stores and restaurants, at sporting events, in schools, on airplanes, at theme parks, and yes, on cruise ships too. I want to share with you the steps that we have taken to ensure that our guests have a safe, fun, and great vacation on board.”
Carnival’s emails and Duffy’s video don’t come as a surprise since there were multiple disturbances aboard its ships last year.
For instance, in an incident on June 27, 2022, somewhere between 40 and 60 people were involved in an altercation that allegedly began over accusations of infidelity that occurred while aboard the Carnival Magic as the ship was returning to New York City after an Eastern Caribbean sailing.
Then, a few days later, there was another brawl aboard the Carnival Elation on July 6, 2022, as the ship was returning to its homeport in Jacksonville, Florida, at the end of a five-night sailing to the Bahamas.
Details explaining Carnival’s safety and security policies are included in its ticket contract, “which you should review prior to booking,” Duffy explained in her video. She then added, “So please, help us make sure your Carnival vacation is safe, fun, and memorable by respecting each other, our crew, and the ocean.”
Here are the steps Carnival is taking to make sure its cruises are safe and fun for all passengers.
More Security On Ships
It’s only logical that Carnival’s first step to increasing safety, and quickly and severely addressing unruly, disruptive, or illegal activity is to add more security personnel.
Drug-Sniffing Dogs At Ports
Carnival is also now using narcotics-sniffing dogs at home ports to screen luggage. Those screenings take place both routinely and randomly.
“Our guests shouldn’t be surprised to see dogs come on board at both our home ports and destination ports to make random searches,” Duffy explained.
“In case there’s any confusion, let me remind guests that while marijuana and cannabis products may be legal in some states, we are required to follow federal law, irrespective of the law in the state where you may be boarding your ship,” Duffy continued. “For guests using medical marijuana, you should consult with your physician about an alternative therapy during your cruise.”
Curfew For Passengers Under 18 Years Old
Carnival has also implemented a youth curfew aboard its ships.
Passengers who are 17 years old or younger must be in their stateroom by 1 a.m. The exception is if they are accompanied by an adult in their traveling party who is at least 21 years old.
The Consequences For Bad Behavior
The consequences for violating Carnival’s code of conduct are spelled out in Carnival’s emails, Duffy’s video, and the cruise contract. What’s more, passengers must acknowledge and agree to the code of conduct during embarkation, Duffy said.
For example, “Guest agrees not to engage in any lewd, lascivious, indecent, obscene, offensive, or outrageous behavior while on board and specifically agrees that violation of this policy may result in confinement or debarkation from the vessel with no refund to the guest and at guest’s own expense for repatriation and travel,” the Cruise Ticket Contract states.
The contract also notes that “any illegal activity or disruptive behavior will not be tolerated.” It goes on to explain that “any guest whose conduct affects the comfort, enjoyment, safety, or well-being of other guests or crew will be detained onboard and/or disembarked at their own expense and will be prohibited from sailing with Carnival in the future.”
Furthermore, violations of Carnival’s policy will result in fines of $500.
Finally, as Duffy explained, Carnival follows U.S. federal law, which prohibits possession and use of recreational/medicinal marijuana and other illegal controlled substances.
The consequences of violating Carnival’s marijuana policy include a $500 fine per violation. It also may result in the disembarkation of all guests in that stateroom.
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