Have you ever heard someone playing loud music from a Bluetooth speaker on a cruise ship? Carnival has recently implemented a few rules that were repeated today.
Bluetooth speakers have become a problem on some cruise ships. After all, the portable devices have become more powerful and much louder in recent years.
And on a confined ship where many just want to get away from noise pollution, an extra set of speakers blaring someone’s own musical preference can ruffle some feathers.
On top of that, a cruiser’s Bluetooth speaker often competes with the cruise ship’s own music or announcements, making a not-so-relaxing experience.
Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald recently posted a video in which he talked about a whole host of cruise topics, one of which was Bluetooth speakers.
Read more: 18 banned items you can’t bring on a cruise ship (without getting in trouble)
The video has since been deleted. Heald said the deletion was “because of my Polish pirate joke”, but that could just be his own inimitable sense of humor coming out.
However, in a Facebook post today, he once again mentioned the issue of Bluetooth speakers.
“BLUE TEETH SPEAKERS. In my video, I read a post out from somebody who feels they should be allowed to use them on balconies and on the open decks. You can’t, please don’t, it’s well selfish, that’s my opinion anyway and that’s what I expressed in my video,” Heald posted.
Earlier this year Heald posted a poll on his social media channel to see what Carnival cruisers felt about the devices.
After over 15,000 votes 90% said they were in favor of banning Bluetooth speakers entirely.
Currently, the speakers are permitted on board. But they are not allowed to be used in public areas or even in cabin balconies if others can be disturbed by it.
Personally, I’ve been on cruises with various cruise lines where some passengers were literally walking around the ship with a Bluetooth boombox on their shoulders. At the time, nothing was done about it, but there have been recent efforts to curb this kind of behavior.
In previous statements, the Brand Ambassador said he was in favor of a ban himself.
“My personal opinion and it is a personal opinion is that we should not allow Bluetooth speakers on board at any time. I do not see a circumstance where people need this when they can use the speaker on their phone or headphones,” Heald said.
This, of course, is Heald’s opinion and not an official statement from Carnival, even though Heald will often make announcements or mention changes for the company.
When it comes to cruising, a little consideration goes a long way. If you really must have a certain kind of music or podcast playing while you’re on the ship, headphone are a great option.
In fact, I like to bring noise-cancelling headphones just in case I want to get some extra peace and quiet and just kind of zone-out.