In a surprising twist to its junior guest policy that applies to passengers under 21, Carnival Cruise Line has instituted a youth-on-board curfew for all of its ships.
The curfew will only apply to passengers aged 17 and over and is effective immediately across the fleet.
Opening hours for new guests
Described on the cruise line’s Minor Guest Policy page, the new curfew is as follows:
Guests 17 years of age and under who are not accompanied by an adult in their travel party, 21 years of age or older, must vacate all public areas by 1:00 a.m. each evening, unless included in a teenager of Club 02 or Circle C. activity.”
Cruise passengers have long been divided on the topic of new cruises, with some travelers reporting that new guests take the elevators, play in the hallways or stairs, bang on stateroom doors, or otherwise cause excessive noise and disturbance, especially late at night.
The last day of a cruise, when youth programs have typically ended, is often a wilder night for young travelers and their newly made friends on board before they part ways the next morning.
Carnival Cruise Line brand ambassador John Heald explained the consequences of violating this new policy on his popular Facebook page.
“Any guest who violates the curfew or whose behavior violates our rules may be disembarked at the next port at their own expense and may not be allowed to cruise with us again.” Heald said.
However, this did not mean that young passengers would leave the ship without their parents or guardians.
Any reported incident is sure to be investigated before consequences are applied, and it is likely that a warning may be issued before such drastic action is taken, depending on the individual circumstances and severity of the incident.
Additionally, the curfew will not apply when young travelers are participating in a supervised Club O2 or Circle C activity, or when they are accompanied by their parents or another member of their immediate travel group over the age of 21 years old.
More emphasis on Respect
This change comes just a few days later Carnival Cruise Line updated their Know Before You Go information. to emphasize the respect, courtesy and other values expected from its guests.
“No one will ever mistake a Carnival cruise line ship for a school library, but our experience has taught us that everyone has a better time when children are supervised, noise in the hallways is kept to a minimum, guests follow queues and that a spirit of community and neighborliness is shown by all.” it says in the new policy.
Similarly, the consequences for excessively disruptive behavior are the same as for breaking the new curfew: disembarkation at the next available port at the guest’s expense and barred from sailing with Carnival in the future.
It was not clarified whether a guest could also be banned from all of Carnival Corporation & plc’s cruise lines, which would also include other popular lines, including Princess Cruises, Holland America Line and Costa Cruises.
The changes come after there has been an increase in incidents on board in recent weeks, with physical altercations between groups of guests escalating into violence.
In June and July, separate incidents occurred on board The magic of carnivals from New York and Carnival joy from Jacksonville, Florida. Such incidents, however, are not limited to the Carnival cruise line. Royal Caribbean International’s Navigator of the seas there was a similar incident in early July.
Additionally, smaller incidents that involve fewer parties and break up quickly are rarely reported, but do occur in cases where guests may be involved in misunderstandings or other unfortunate circumstances.
In many cases, excessive alcohol consumption and the unbridled atmosphere of a cruise vacation can contribute to such incidents, although all cruise lines take steps to ensure a safe and enjoyable departure for everyone on board.
