Carnival Cruise Lines has long been regarded as a family-friendly fun ship with something to enjoy for everyone. More recently, however, a recent number of trending social media posts are giving the company a reputation it wants nothing to do with.
Over the summer, a particularly messy entanglement caused a massive brawl and Carnival has had enough. Last month, Travel Noire reported the cruise line’s new curfew for kids and teenagers. Now, Carnival is taking measures a step further with updates to its cruise ticket contract.
Fines for Fighting
Guests who display disruptive behavior now face the possibility of a $500 fine in addition to being responsible for expenses related to damages, detainment, or early disembarking.
The update to Carnival’s cruise ticket terms reads as follows:
“Consistent with our commitment to safety, disruptive behavior will not be tolerated and 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] banned from sailing on Carnival in the future.”
In other words, Carnival wants folks to stop showing out on their cruises so everyone can have a good time.
Increasing Tensions for Some Travelers
The uptick in rowdy travel passengers is visibly noticeable across various forms of travel. Airlines are also experiencing a sharp increase in the number of unruly passengers disrupting the flight and, in some cases, leading to violent incidents. Data from the Federal Aviation Administration shows 2,011 reports of unruly passengers, leading to the initiation of 721 investigations. For comparison, in the years between 2010 and 2020, the highest number of annual investigations peaked at 183 in 2012 and 2020.
“Cruise ships, like virtually all parts of travel and tourism — including airlines, amusement parks, sporting events, and camping facilities — are experiencing an increase in more agitated behavior by a small number of guests,” according to a spokesperson for Carnival. “Our commitment to the health, safety, and security of all of our guests and team members is being demonstrated through the implementation of various measures to assure that our ships remain a welcoming, family-friendly place.”
