Carnival Starts Issuing Bans To Alcohol Smugglers

Carnival, one of the biggest cruise lines in the world, has started cracking down on guests who smuggle alcohol onboard ships by issuing lifetime bans.

Copies of letters sent to guests have started to circulate social media, which explain to guests that they are being banned after sneaking alcohol onboard and then sharing their stories on social media.

The move comes after the cruise line’s brand ambassador, John Heald, shared an update in April 2025 stating that the cruise line did monitor social media and would ban guests who flouted the rules.

One noted name is TikToker Courtney Murley, who shared videos of her cruise in March where she had snuck alcohol onto the ship.

However she’s now shared a follow-up TikTok with her ban letter.

Language warning:

@courtneynicolemurley Thank goodness we love MSC & Royal better 🛳️ 🌴 I’m still laughing about this since it was all for the views and not real at all 😂 oh well def was great for my engagement so hey whatever, still love ya carnival 💁🏼‍♀️ @carnival @Royal Caribbean @MSC Cruises US #greenscreen #carnival #carnivalcruise #carnivalconquest #msccruises #royalcaribbean #royalcarribeancruise #bahamas #smuggler #pirate ♬ Hit Me – Megan Hilty & Christopher Sieber & Jennifer Simard

It’s clear that Carnival doesn’t want guests to promote the option to smuggle drinks onboard, since it could reduce the number of people willing to sign up to a drinks package.

In the comments of her original video, and a follow up letter, Courtney now claims that she never actually took alcohol onto her cruise, and that her original video was satirical.

She even suggests she may seek advice from a lawyer, despite claiming she doesn’t care that she is banned.

@courtneynicolemurley Replying to @Ashley yall please tag an attorney that can help me. Internet do your thing! Thank you 💕🫶🏻✨🛳️ #cruisegate #fyp #cruise #attorney #falseallegations #carnival #cruisetok ♬ NO SOUND – Sok Baraby

I doubt that anyone who sneaks alcohol onto a cruise but is caught at embarkation would be banned for life. Usually cruise lines will confiscate it, give the cruisers a mild ticking off at worst, and send them on their way.

It seems like Carnival really has a problem with guests who flout the rules and post on social media about their smuggling successes.

“This letter is to inform you that you will not be able to sail onboard any Carnival Cruise Line vessel in the future due to the smuggling of alcohol onboard the Carnival Conquest on March 31st, 2025, and subsequently posting about it on social media platforms.”

Letter sent by Carnival to Courtney Murley in May 2025

Of course, it’s not just boasting that they’ve beat the rules, but also potentially showing other guests how they could do the same – and that’s likely what Carnival is unhappy over.

Still, who knows? Maybe this is part of a serious crackdown and anyone using rum runners or other methods to sneak booze onto the ship might find themselves facing a ban.

Carnival already permits guests to bring one bottle of wine onboard their cruise, along with 12 x 330ml cans or cartons of soft drinks.

That’s not too dissimilar to other cruise lines:

Cruise Line	Alcohol allowance per passenger	Non-alcoholic drinks allowance per passenger
Carnival	One bottle of wine	12 x 330ml cans or cartons
Celebrity	Two bottles of wine	No limit
Costa	Not allowed	Water only permitted for medical needs
Cunard	One bottle of wine	No limit
Disney	Two bottles of wine or six beers	No limit
MSC Cruises	Not allowed	Water only permitted for medical needs
NCL	Unlimited wine – $15 fee per bottle	Water only permitted for medical needs
P&O Cruises	One litre of wine or Champagne	No limit
Princess Cruises	One bottle of wine for free. $15 per additional bottle	No limit
Royal Caribbean	One bottle of wine	12 x 500ml bottles, cans or cartons (per stateroom)

With the cruise line now starting to issue bans to guests who break the rules, you’ll definitely want to think twice about any plans to sneak your own alcohol onboard above the limit.

And if you do, definitely don’t post about it on social media – they are watching!

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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.