Everyone loves a good cruise hack. And social media is brimming with all kinds of clever tips and tricks for making a cruise vacation even better. But Carnival is warning against a not-so-clever hack that will get you banned from the cruise line forever.
If you’re going to do something that is completely against the terms and policies of a cruise line, it’s probably not a good idea to brag about it online, just for some engagement farming and a couple likes.
Carnival Cruise Line is now reminding passengers not to attempt to smuggle alcohol onboard, while also reminding them how foolish it is to boast about it on social media accounts.
Brand Ambassador John Heald addressed the issue directly in a Facebook Live video this morning, emphasizing that such behavior could lead to a lifetime ban from Carnival.
Heald revealed that he had been alerted to numerous social media posts where individuals proudly displayed their concealed alcohol.
“Somebody – actually, I think it was at least a dozen people – wrote to me sending me a link to a social media video… where this – this is crazy, right?” Heald exclaimed, referencing the common, although prohibited, practice of hiding alcohol in items like hairbrushes and umbrellas.
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While acknowledging that these methods are not new – “We have known for years that you can go on Mrs. Amazon, and you can get used to smuggle booze in, right?” – Heald expressed particular frustration with the public boasting that often follows.
“But what absolutely drives me crazy – it makes me laugh, to be very honest – is when people get on the ship, and they go, ‘Ohh, look what we smuggled on board, a tube full of vodka. Ha Ha Ha! We’re so clever.’ And they put it out….”
Heald made it clear that Carnival is actively monitoring social media. This is a practice of any public company to get a pulse of their brand and how people are interacting or engaging with it.
And in this case, it can be used to find guests who are violating the rules.
“Of course, of course, we have people monitoring social media pages, of course, we do. And then you monitor it, people watching it, and you send it to me, and you say, ‘Look, look!’”
The consequences for these “clever” smugglers are severe. “And then we go to their cabin, and then we find it, and then we tell them they can’t cruise with us anymore,” Heald stated plainly.
He acknowledged the motivations behind the smuggling – “I know, I know why people do it. I get that” – but firmly condemned the act of publicizing it.
“But don’t do it. Don’t do it,” Heald urged.
“And to put it on social media is absolutely ridiculous, bonkers. It makes me sad when we have to do this all for the sake of a tiny tube full of rum or whatever it is.”
John Heald’s warning to Carnival cruisers is simple: don’t try to sneak booze onboard and then show off on social media. If you do, you’ll probably be banned for life. Carnival is using social media to keep an eye out and make sure everyone plays by the rules.
Some people think that if they see it on a large social media account then the person got away with it, but we don’t always see the end result of these “hacks”. After all, while it’s easy to brag about “beating the system” with a clever hack, no one likes to brag about not being able to cruise any more.
Carnival Cruise Line has rules about bringing your own alcohol. You cannot bring hard liquor or beer onto the ship. However, if you’re 21 or older, you can bring one sealed bottle of wine or champagne (the standard 750ml size) per person when you first get on the ship.
If you want to drink that bottle in the main dining room or a bar, there’s a $15 fee.
You can always buy a variety of drinks at the ship’s bars, and they often have drink packages you can purchase. You can also bring a small amount of sealed non-alcoholic drinks like soda or juice when you board.