- Carnival Cruise Line said disruptive guests face a $500 fine, detention and disembarkation.
- The warning applies to passengers whose behavior affects the enjoyment and safety of those on board.
- There are a higher number of passengers with “more agitated behaviour”, Carnival told The Independent.
Carnival Cruise Line has announced new rules that could lead to disruptive guests being fined $500 as it struggles to deal with increasingly rowdy passengers.
The American cruise line recently added a warning under the compliance section in its ticket contract.
Carnival wrote in the contract that any passenger whose behavior affects the “comfort, enjoyment, safety or welfare of other guests or crew” is expected to be banned from boarding and removed from the ship. The passenger may also be barred from sailing on Carnival Cruises in the future, according to the contract.
Violation of the disruptive behavior clause could lead to a $500 fine and “reimbursement of expenses incurred by Carnival as a result of the detention or disembarkation,” the company wrote in the contract.
“Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated,” he added.
Carnival did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment made after US business hours.
A spokesman for the company told The Independent that the warning had been added to its ticket contract due to an increase in guests with “more disturbed behaviour”.
The spokesman said the trend is affecting other areas of the tourism industry, including theme parks, sporting events and airlines.
Flight attendants told Insider’s Hannah Towey that this summer’s massive cancellations and delays have increased the risk of unruly passenger incidents. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in July proposed that airlines install a second cabin barrier on commercial flights to protect crews and prevent passenger violence.
Since the start of the pandemic in 2020, the cruise industry has navigated rocky waters. Like many operators, Carnival has experienced labor shortages and demand outpacing available ships. It also experienced disruption when Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida recently.
Some companies have recently reduced ticket prices. For example, a four-night Carnival cruise from Orlando to the Bahamas costs $26 per day.
