Key Aspects:
- While wagons are allowed on Carnival Cruise Line ships, there are stipulations.
- They must be folded and carried onboard and only used when off the ship.
- The company also updated its Prohibited Item list with more clarity around electronics and illegal drugs.
Wagons are a frequent topic among cruise passengers who want to use them to transport luggage, beach gear, or supplies for families traveling with children.
But Carnival Cruise Line’s longtime brand ambassador John Heald says passengers should reconsider packing them for their next cruise.
In his regular three-minute update to guests on April 21, 2026, Heald addressed several questions from passengers, including whether wagons can be brought onboard ships.
Heald explained that while wagons may still be brought on a cruise, they cannot be used onboard and must remain folded during embarkation and debarkation.
“A lot of people were asking me about wagons,” Heald said during the video. “If you are going to bring them onboard, they must be folded. You have to carry them. The only time you can use a wagon is when you are off the ship in ports of call.”
He also noted that even when guests take wagons ashore, they cannot be used when leaving the vessel.
“If you want to use a wagon to carry things onto the ship, you can’t. If you want to take it off the ship, you can’t use it – you have to carry it,” Heald said. “It’s not really worth the hassle of bringing them.”
Carnival Cruise Line’s policy states, “Wagons must be collapsed during embarkation and debarkation and may not be used on board (where allowed, wagons may be used in ports other than Carnival’s private destinations).”
Heald says the restriction is tied to safety and maintenance concerns onboard the ships, explaining that they damage the deck and are a safety hazard to other guests.
The wagon clarification comes as part of Carnival Cruise Line’s updated items policy, which outlines items that are banned or restricted onboard its fleet.
Carnival Prohibited Item Changes
The updated prohibited items policy includes several clarifications covering substances, electronics, and certain personal items.
One of the most notable additions is clearer language banning cannabis products and derivatives. The policy now specifically states that marijuana, cannabis, and cannabidiol (CBD) products are prohibited.
This includes CBD gummies, oils, creams, and vapes.
Another update addresses portable speakers. The revised policy now specifically lists boom boxes, radios, and portable speakers, including Bluetooth speakers, as prohibited items.
Restrictions on communications and network equipment has also been expanded. Items such as satellite phones, routers, communication scanners, wideband receivers, and satellite dishes are now clearly identified as prohibited.
Read Also: What Can You Not Bring on a Cruise?
The company also restricts appliances that contain heating elements, such as clothes irons, steamers, coffee makers, and hot plates. The new rules include electric heating pads.
Carnival Cruise Line’s revised policy also adds more detailed guidance about items that guests may bring on board but can only use while the ship is in port.
These items must remain stored in a passenger’s stateroom while the ship is sailing and includes equipment such as drones, fishing rods, golf clubs, skateboards, metal detectors, snorkel gear, and portable folding bicycles.
Drones are subject to additional restrictions. Guests must declare the device during embarkation, after which it will be held by the ships’ chief security officer. Passengers may check the drone in and out for use only when the ship is docked in approved ports.
The updated policy also introduces a new section outlining items that cannot be used at the cruise line’s private destinations, including Celebration Key in the Bahamas. These include beach chairs, kites, golf clubs, pool floats, metal detectors, and wagons.
Any prohibited item brought on board may be confiscated during security screening.
