Key Aspects:
- Carnival Cruise Line has confirmed that personal, portable neck fans are permitted to be brought onboard.
- Other types of fans, including clack fans and any fans larger than 12 inches in diameter, are not allowed.
- Neck fans can be helpful for guests to keep cool on hot days, particularly in humid ports of call.
Fans can be a hot topic for cruise travelers, and not just who’s a fan of which ship or cruise line, but what types of cooling fans can or cannot be brought onboard a ship.
Carnival Cruise Line has now confirmed that one convenient design of a personal fan is permitted, much to the sweaty relief of guests.
The fan in question is a neck fan, a small electronic personal fan that can look at first glance like a pair of headphones. Both ends of the fan have enclosed blowers for a gentle breeze right where it may be needed most, and the lightweight fans typically recharge via USB or may be battery-operated, depending on the model and manufacturer.
Following an uninformed statement by a cruise “influencer,” multiple guests have reached out to Carnival Cruise Line’s brand ambassador, John Heald, about whether these fans are permitted.
“Five different people have asked me if these can be brought on the ship because apparently a lovely cruise influencer is saying they cannot,” Heald noted. “I have checked with my colleagues at the mothership and you can bring these on board.”
Cruise Hive previously reported that Carnival had banned a specific type of personal fan, the “clack” or “clap” style fan popular for some line dances. Those fans were prohibited due to the risk of injuring others on crowded dance floors.
Other types of personal fans are not banned, however, including handheld, battery-operated designs and any small fans no larger than 12 inches in diameter.
“Neck fans are allowed,” Heald said unequivocally.
Many guests also bring small fans for use in their staterooms, improving airflow and providing better cooling for comfortable sleep. Guests should note, however, that magnetic ceiling fans are also prohibited and will be confiscated if guests try to bring them onto a Carnival ship.
“The reason ceiling fans are not allowed is that unlike your house the ship is moving. And if that movement happens it may dislodge the fan from the ceiling and cause it [to] fall on you causing injury,” Heald has explained about that ban.
Should Neck Fans Be a Must-Have Cruise Accessory?
Neck fans might not seem like they could be powerful enough to make a difference against hot Caribbean temperatures, but many guests have great experiences with them if they bring them along.
“It works great when walking around on the hot port days,” one guest said.
“We do have these, they work great, but half the time we forget them in the cabin,” another laughed.
The exact level of cooling and effectiveness vary on different models, and some guests prefer designs that have adjustable cooling ends. Others note that some neck fans can be heavy and might cause neck pain, or the sound they generate could be too loud for comfortable use.
Some guests even have more creative uses for simpler designs that may not be powerful enough for effective cooling.
“It helps a little but more than anything, it keeps the gnats away from your face,” one guest shared.
Experienced cruisers know that while it may be cool on an air-conditioned cruise ship, especially on upper decks where breezes are more common, it can be a shock to debark in a port of call to much hotter and more humid conditions.
Staying cool and well-hydrated is essential for guests to safely and comfortably enjoy their days in port and neck fans can help.
All cruise lines, including Carnival, regularly update their prohibited items list, especially as new technologies are developed or common items may become a concern. Just recently, clarifications were added to Carnival’s list regarding small wagons, vapes, cannibis products, and portable speakers.
