Diplomacy

If you haven’t taken a cruise with Carnival for a while, you might need to get up to speed with some of the recent bans that have been announced.  This year has already seen several new rules put into effect. 

Let’s look at 7 bans the cruise line has either announced or clarified in just the last few months.

Whenever it’s announced that a cruise line has banned a certain item or practice, it makes headlines right away.  Often, it’s just a clarification or more specific roll out of an existing rule.

But in the last several months, a more than usual number of “bans” have been announced by Carnival Cruise Line.

1. Bluetooth Speakers

I think any avid cruiser saw this one coming.  With Bluetooth speakers only getting bigger and louder in recent years, it didn’t take long for these portable devices to become a problem.

Not only was the music competing with the ship’s own music.  Carnival also stated that it was a safety issue as passengers need to hear any emergency information over the ship’s PA system.

On top of this, it was a general annoyance to passengers in public areas or even balconies where the music would naturally spill over into other cabins.

The goal here was the keep the adult-only Serenity area, actually serene.

The Bluetooth speaker ban was announced in November of 2024.

2. Friendly Gambling Outside the Casino

To be clear, Carnival has never allowed gambling outside of the casino.  So, this one was more of a clarification.

One of the games pointed out by the cruise line was Left-Center-Right or LCR.   The dice game was growing in popularity on cruise ships and winners of the game won a cash pot.

In January of 2025, John Heald, Carnival’s Brand Ambassador, was asked about the game and he took to Facebook to make the cruise line’s position clear.

“You can play for no money, but I’m afraid that because of very important rules and regulations, we do not allow guests to gamble outside of the casino,” Heald stated.

The game, and others like it, can still be played.  But no exchange of money can be made.

3. Upside-Down Pineapple Door Decorations

Carnival Cruise Line announced the ban on upside-down pineapple door decorations in late November 2024. This decision was highlighted by Carnival’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, in response to a question on Facebook regarding meetups for singles.

He confirmed that upside-down pineapples, often used as a symbol by the swinging community, would no longer be allowed on stateroom doors and would be removed if noticed by the crew.

Heald stated that the decorations are “definitely no longer allowed on the ships”.

The move was made likely in response to a growing awareness of the symbol and the cruise line’s focus on a family-friendly atmosphere.

4. Satellite Dishes, Routers

In September 2024, a YouTuber found himself in hot water with Carnival when his Starlink Mini satellite dish was confiscated, and he was asked to speak with the ship’s hotel director.

Despite the device being technically allowed on board, the cruise line argued that it was a “satellite disk” rather than a “satellite dish,” a claim the YouTuber disputed when referring to the wording of the policy.

Carnival’s Prohibited Item list includes the following:

• Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRB), communication scanners, wideband receivers, satellite phones, transformers, lasers and laser pointers. 
• Satellite dish, routers and other internet related equipment  

But with Starlink now being integrated and available on T-Mobile cell phones, this will be a more difficult situation for cruise line’s to navigate.

5. Asking for Drinking Money

Just this month, Carnival began to crack down on a “buy me a drink” practice that started as a joke. 

The growing trend of putting signs on cabin doors with a request for drinking money has also fallen under the cruise line’s ban hammer.

A person asked the Brand Ambassador about the practice:

“John Heald, what are your thoughts about cruisers who post a sign on their cabin door or hand out flyers with a Venmo asking for people to send money for drinks? Does Carnival have a rule about that?”

But Heald was straight to the point in saying that this practice was simple not permitted on Carnival cruise ships.

“Absolutely, we do. It is strictly forbidden,” he wrote. “If you have details of anybody doing this, would you please let me know those details now, and I will take care of it immediately. The solicitation of guests by guests is strictly forbidden. Thank you so much and I will be here to help so please send me the details,” Heald responded.

6. CBD Products

This one isn’t new exactly.  But it has fallen under the spotlight in the last few months. 

Just last year a couple was banned from the cruise line after a container of CBD mints were found in a backpack.

Before they could even board Carnival Conquest, the husband’s boarding pass was taken away and the couple was banned from all future cruises with the company.

State laws might allow CBD, but cruise ships follow stricter federal and international rules, plus they must comply with laws at their destinations like the Bahamas or Caribbean.

This has led to some confusion for passengers who think, “If CBD gummies are legal in my state, why not on a cruise?” But don’t do it, or you’ll be in for a change in vacation plans.

7. Deck Chair Hogging

Reserving deck chairs and loungers for hours on end has always been against Carnival’s policy.  But it still happened.

Now Carnival is trying to solve this problem that has annoyed passengers for years.

If crew members notice that a lounger has been unoccupied for 40 minutes, a “40-Minute Rule” is put into place that allows them to remove that passenger’s items.

Crew will place notecards on chairs with the current time so they can keep track of how long a chair has been “hogged” and take the appropriate action.

Heald acknowledged the problem of deck chair hogging and stated the following about the new solution.

“If they are not back by that time, we will remove it.  It’s only fair to make it that way.  Ever since I’ve worked on cruise ships, there’ve been people desperate to get the chairs.  We are doing our very best.  It’s not a perfect system, it would be silly of me to suggest otherwise. But it is something we need to do,” Heald stated.

So far, passengers have overwhelmingly praised the cruise line’s efforts as it’s definitely a step in the right direction.

Royal Caribbean has also implemented a similar system that involves placing a slip cover over “reserved” loungers.

Bottom Line

So, if you’re hopping on a Carnival cruise, make sure you’re up to speed with these new bans.  And keep in mind, these are put into place to make everyone on the ship can have a great vacation.

The last thing you want is anarchy and a rule-less society while hundreds of miles from land, right?  After all, you’re sharing your vacation with thousands of other people, and a little kindness and politeness can go a long way.  

After a town council’s 5-0 vote, cruise ships with more than 50 passengers are no longer allowed to visit a port in Maine.  With this tight restriction, it’s not just a ban on large cruise ships but essentially all cruise ships.

The Belfast City Council stated that cruise ships blocking the channel was a major concern.  Additionally, the tour buses needed to transfer passengers into town was a source of contention.

With a population of about 7,000, Belfast, Maine, is a charming coastal town known for its picturesque downtown and proximity to great hiking trails and natural beauty.

In 2024, eight cruise ship visits were made at the Belfast, Maine port.  Five of these visits were from the 109-passenger American Eagle with American Cruise Line.

American Cruise Line has been the only major cruise line to make regular stops at the port.  Since none of the cruise line’s ocean-faring ships carry fewer than 50 passengers, the ban will keep the cruise line from visiting the port entirely.

In fact, it will keep most cruise lines from visiting Belfast, since not many ocean-going cruise vessels would fit under the limit.

Congestion in the Port

Councilor Brenda Bonneville said that the ban was necessary to deal with safety concerns.

“When these experts, really, come to us and say, ‘this is how we feel, these are our recommendations,‘ we listen very carefully and rely on their expertise,” Bonneville stated.

Limited space around the port also made it difficult for other vessels to maneuver and dock when cruise ships were in town.

“Some of these problems had a definite negative impact on other visiting boaters using the docks, launch ramp use and pedestrian and traffic safety around the Belfast City Landing,” Harbor Master Katherine Given said in a memo.

Given also said that the influx of passengers caused problems with other forms of transportation with the “unexpected arrival of charter buses to take the ship’s passengers to other locations”.

A $24,000 Loss in Revenue

Belfast was expected to bring in about $24,000 from 14 cruise ship visits in 2025, just from American Cruise Line alone.

But in a memo, Given stated that she expects “to generate much of the revenue if cruise ships do not return” through other means.

Local business owners and council members stated that cruise passengers don’t have much room for souvenirs on the ship and would often rather see the area’s sites than buy from local vendors.

Bar Harbor’s Cruise Cap

This isn’t the first time a Maine cruise port has restricted cruise traffic.   In November 2024, Bar Harbor’s town council narrowly upheld a 1,000-passenger daily cap that originated in 2022.

This decision was upheld by a federal judge in February 2024, confirming that Bar Harbor could legally enforce this cap.

For the 2024 season, ships that had made reservations before the vote in 2022 were allowed to visit without these restrictions, but from 2025 onward, nearly all cruise ships are expected to be subject to this 1,000 passenger per day limit.

Not all cruise cabins are created equal.  There are at least five types of staterooms I will be avoiding from now on.

I’ve stayed in a lot of different types of cabins on dozens of cruise ships with at least 8 different cruise lines.   

Most of them have been great.

But there were a few cabins and locations that I simply don’t even want to try again. 

While the cruise ship itself is my biggest factor in booking a cruise, I believe just as much planning should be done for the location and type of cabin

Unfortunately, I didn’t always spend as much time as I should have on cabin location.

Most of these staterooms that I would rather not try again were the result of booking a guaranteed category stateroom or letting the cruise line itself choose the cabin for me.

Sure, this saved me a few dollars, but a cruise cabin is a home away from home.  Personally, I’d rather cut corners in other areas.

Here are 5 cruise cabins I will never book again — unless it’s an accident.

1. Cabins Inside of a Maze

I booked a cabin on Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas a while back.  To save money, I booked an interior cabin.

But I did splurge a little.  The stateroom had one of those virtual balconies, which was just a vertically tilted TV screen with a live view of the port side of the ship.

This aspect of the cabin was fine, other than the constant stream of light from the screen that even the blackout curtains couldn’t seem to –well, black out.

The main issue was that this cluster of interior cabins on the ship were almost hidden in a winding maze.  Every time I headed back to the cabin I felt like a mouse in a high-school science project.

And every time I left the cabin I once again had to turn through corridor after corridor just to find my way back to daylight.

This wasn’t ideal when I needed to return to my room for something I forgot to grab.

2. Not-So Private Balconies Over Public Areas

I have written about this entire experience on Carnival Celebration before, if you’d like to read about it.

This particular cabin was also a result of a “guaranteed fare”.  As soon as I walked out onto the balcony, I knew I had made a mistake. 

The balcony was directly over a public pool.  And I mean, directly.

Now, I know cruise ship balconies are not exactly the Fort Knox of privacy.  Neighboring passengers can glance along the railing and noise overflow is common.

But when you feel like you’re out on the lido deck every time you walk out onto your balcony, any semblance of privacy seems to melt away.

Being just one deck above the pool meant that every conversation held in that pool flowed right into my ears.  And just standing at the railing attracted eyeballs from passengers who probably felt like I was a lifeguard of some kind.

Other types of balcony cabins are often directly above public areas as well.  This means people just walking by will often look right into your living quarters. 

Some people may not mind this.  As for me?  Not a fan.

3. Cabins Right Over Late-Night Lounges

If you don’t go to bed until 1:00AM on your cruise then this probably won’t matter much to you.  But I’ve stayed in my share of cabins that shook with the vibrations of a night club or lounge that rocked out into the wee hours of the morning.

And when your cabin is directly over or under one of these lounges, it’s just about impossible to drown out the sound, even with the loudest of white-noise machines.

This is why I recommend studying the deck plans of the ship and seeing where your cabin is located in relation to other parts of the ship. 

Staying right under the lido deck can be an issue for some ships as well, as the morning ritual of dragging the loungers into place can be quite the alarm clock.

4. Low Deck Cabins

Some people like to sleep in the lower parts of the ship.  It can somewhat mitigate movement for those who get seasick easily – not much though.

But there’s one problem I had when I stayed in these lower staterooms: 

There’s nothing down there.

So, anytime I want to go anywhere on the ship, I have to go up several decks.  This means either cramming into an elevator way too often, or hitting those stairs and getting way more than my customary 10,000 steps per day.

Personally, being only one or two decks away from the lido deck works best for me.  I feel less cramped when I know I can be out in the fresh open air of a cruise ship in just a few seconds.

5. Cabins with Connecting Doors

Certain cabins on a cruise ship have doors that connect them.  This is great for families with multiple children.

It’s not so great for people who have loud neighbors.

I’ve booked old ships and new ships with connecting doors to the neighboring cabin, but there’s only been minimal progress in sound proofing over the years.

Sometimes I forget to check the deck plans to see if my cabin has a connecting door, but rarely do I not hear the passengers next door more clearly when this door is in place.

Of course, some neighbors are louder than others, and if you have one of those cruise neighbors that likes to get up super early to start the day, it could disturb your sleep.

But then again, maybe you are that neighbor that gets up at 5AM to start your day at sea.

I love the design of ships like Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas that connects the two rooms on the outside near the hallway.  In cases like this I don’t mind the connecting room cabins.

Bottom Line

While these cabins are not ideal for me, it doesn’t mean they won’t work for you.  Everyone has their own style of cruising.

Also, even in the very “worst” cabin on the ship, you’re on a cruise!  Not everything will go according to plan on a vacation at sea.  But don’t let that stop you from having an amazing cruise and making incredible memories.

From my 50 or so cruises, I’ve just learned what I prefer.  And I hope this article can help someone who is still trying to figure out what cabin works best for them.

A third cruise line over the past four months has announced plans to cruise to Alaska for the first time.

Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection will begin sailing to Alaska in 2026 when their new yacht, Luminara, offers 13 cruises to the 49th State. This will be the first time that this newer cruise line sails in the region.

Cruises will range from seven- to 11-nights in length. Three of the main itineraries offered will be:

• Seven-night roundtrip cruises from Vancouver
• 10-night cruises from Vancouver to Whittier
• 11-night cruises from Whittier to Vancouver

Extended stays will take place in several ports including Sitka, Valdez and Vancouver.

The ship will also visit Juneau, Ketchikan, Klawock, Tracy Arm Fjord, Endicott Arm Fjord, Hubbard Glacier, Haines and Icy Strait Point.

Jim Murren, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, gave the following statement:

“Our new Alaska itineraries offer a new and unparalleled way to explore the remarkable region by sea, combining access to secluded destinations and remote wonders with the comfort of ultra-luxury accommodations and personalized service. The intimate size of Luminara allows us to visit smaller, less traveled ports, providing our guests with a more immersive way to experience Alaska’s natural beauty and wildlife.”

Tina Edmundson, President of Luxury at Marriott International, added:

“With the launch of our third superyacht, Luminara, we’re thrilled to bring The Ritz-Carlton experience to the breathtaking landscapes of Alaska. The love and loyalty our guests have for The Ritz-Carlton brand have been the driving force behind the success of our yachts.

It’s this deep connection that inspires us to create journeys that are not only luxurious but truly unforgettable, offering the same warmth and attention to detail that our guests have come to cherish.”

Luminara will enter service in July and will be the third vessel in Ritz-Carton Yacht Collection’s fleet.

The ship will have 226 spacious suites that carry up to 452 guests.

Cruise ships are steering clear of Iceland and cancelling visits to ports in the country after a 2025 fee has been put in place.

According to a letter from the MSC Cruises Port Operations Director, the new fee is five times higher than the Accommodation Tax which was implemented just before the 2024 sailing season. 

The fee, set at ISK 2,500 per passenger per day for ships on international cruises, equates to about $18 for every passenger on the ship.

The Icelandic government estimated that the new fee which went into effect on January 1, 2025, would generate about $10 million (1.5 billion ISK).

But as cruise ships begin to cancel stops at the island of fire and ice, these numbers may have to be revised.

According to RÚV, the national broadcaster of Iceland, “Dozens of cruise ships have cancelled planned visits to Icelandic ports”.

In fact, ports in Iceland are expecting 80 fewer cruise ships as cancellations begin to pile up.

In Akureyri, the number of ship visits is set to decrease by 44 compared to the previous year. Grundarfjörður has already experienced seven cancellations for the current year, with an additional 14 expected for 2026.

Meanwhile, Vestmannaeyjar anticipates at least ten fewer ship visits this year than last.

Sigurður Jökull Ólafsson, chairman of Cruise Iceland, emphasized the weight of the economic impact of these changes.

“Take, for instance, a ship that makes 8 to 9 stops each at Reykjavik, Ísafjörður, and Akureyri during the summer; it will now face an additional operational cost of 440 million ISK in 2025,” Sigurður stated.

Last year, Cruise Iceland warned that the new fee would particularly impact ships that were circumnavigating the country. 

“We would have, first of all, wanted to see this implemented in stages so it wouldn’t hit operations as hard as it does now,” the site stated.

Another cruise balcony ban has taken the spotlight after someone posted pictures of a common practice that is against the rules.

Carnival Cruise Line, as with other cruise lines, is always modifying rules and policies to make sure passengers stay safe and don’t cause problems for other guests.

While a passenger’s balcony is their own private space, there are also a few things that are not permitted in this area.

The cruise line’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, recently took to Facebook to remind cruisers about an important activity that is not allowed on cabin balconies, even though it happens all too often.

Hanging wet clothes on balcony is not allowed

After some pictures of cruise ship balconies with laundry hanging on make-shift clothes lines started to surface, the Brand Ambassador responded to a person asking about this practice.

“No, this is absolutely not allowed for very, very important safety reasons and I know that once the cabin attendants come to the cabin that morning they will be removed,” Heald replied.

Carnival’s own website states that “clothing and towels should not be hung to dry on your balcony”.

Other methods to dry your clothes

While the fresh ocean air seems like a great place to dry those swimsuits and beach towels, they can easily be blown off the balcony and into the ocean, which is a big no-no on a cruise ship.

Most cruise ship shower areas have a clothes line that can be used to hang wet clothes.  They don’t dry as quickly in this less-arid environment, but it’s the recommended way to dry wet clothes in a cabin.

Some Carnival passengers recommend magnetic hooks that can be used inside a cabin on the metal walls for hanging things like clothes, hats, and light jackets.

Carnival is also one of the few cruise lines that also has self-service laundry spaces available on board.  For a few dollars you can dry your clothes in a dryer if you’d like.

Cruisers can also opt to have the crew do their laundry for them.  It’s not free, but it’s better than getting into trouble for hanging clothes on the balcony.

Disney Cruise Line has changed the recommended gratuity for passengers on ships across the fleet with a 10% to 15% increase, depending on the stateroom category.

Guests who already pre-paid gratuities prior to this change will have those prices locked in and will not be impacted by these recent changes.

The recommended gratuity change by Disney is as follows:

• For non-Concierge guests the recommended price is now $16 per day instead of $14.50.
• For Concierge guests the recommended price is now $27.25 per day instead of the previous price of $23.50.

The FAQ section on Disney’s website states the following about gratuity pricing:

Q: Is there an expected amount for gratuities, and what’s the best way to pay them?

A: It is customary to give gratuities in recognition of exceptional service, which you’ll receive in abundance aboard the ship. We recommend a gratuity amount of $16.00 USD per night, per stateroom Guest, including infants and children.

Pre-Paid Gratuities are distributed to the crew members who take care of you in the following roles:

• • Dining room server
  • Dining room assistant server
  • Dining room head server
  • Stateroom host

Guests staying in Concierge Staterooms and Suites are recommended a gratuity amount of $27.25 USD per night, per stateroom Guest. This includes gratuity for the assistant stateroom host, who services the Concierge accommodations, and the Concierge Lounge team, in addition to the positions listed above.

Easily pre-pay optional gratuities online to create a carefree, all-inclusive experience by visiting My Reservations in your Disney account and following the prompts for Pre-Paid Gratuities. If you booked your Disney cruise with a travel agent, please contact them to apply this payment for you.

For Guest convenience, if you did not get a chance to pre-pay before boarding the ship, we will automatically charge your onboard account the suggested optional gratuity amount per Guest per night. Once on board the ship, if you wish to remove or adjust the amount of your optional gratuities, please visit Guest Services for assistance.

 Requests to refund pre-paid optional gratuities may only be processed in full back to the original form of payment, which may include forms of payment made by a travel agent.

When will sailings be impacted by new rates?

• The new rates will go into effect starting with these sailings:
  January 23, 2025 – Disney Dream
  January 24, 2025 – Disney Magic, Disney Fantasy, Disney Wish
  January 25, 2025 – Disney Treasure
  January 26, 2025 – Disney Wonder

Breakdown of gratuity price changes and where it goes:

    Non-Concierge Gratuities:

•         Assistant Server: Increased from $3.75 to $4.25
•         Server: Increased from $4.75 to $5.25
•         Head Server: Remains at $1.25
•         Stateroom Host: Increased from $4.75 to $5.25
•         Total: Now $16.00, up from $14.50

    Concierge Gratuities:

•         Assistant Server: Increased from $3.75 to $4.25
•         Server: Increased from $4.75 to $5.25
•         Head Server: Remains at $1.25
•         Stateroom Host: Increased from $4.75 to $5.25
•         Assistant Stateroom Host: Increased from $1.00 to $1.25
•         Concierge Lounge Team: Increased from $8.00 to $10.00
•         Total: Now $27.25, up from $23.50