Carnival Cruise Line is banning the use of drones onboard its ships. Previously, the cruise line was one of the few where bringing a drone onboard was still allowed, but not any longer, as brand ambassador John Heald announced on May 18, 2022, during his video coffee chat on his Facebook page.
The news will disappoint drone enthusiasts who have hoped to get some epic shots from the ports Carnival cruise ships visit.
Carnival Cruise Line Bans Drones
Drones have quickly gained popularity in recent years, especially since the highly portable, high-definition drones started making their way into daily life. However, drones are quickly being banned in more and more places, including cruise ships.
Although Carnival Cruise Line banned the use of drones onboard ships several years ago, guests were still able to bring their drones along for use in port. That rule is now being changed, according to brand ambassador John Heald, who announced the change in his coffee chat on his Facebook page.
“We will be adding something to the prohibited list, and that is the drone. Now I know there are some very experienced drone pilots out there, but there are many many more inexperienced ones,” said Heald.
“You were never allowed to fly a drone onboard the ship, but you were allowed to bring it ashore into a few of the ports.”
While flying a drone is typically not really an issue, the problem does arise when someone crashes a drone, which is why Carnival is banning the use of the equipment.
Heald continued: “There have been some instances where these drones have caused problems, and also one recently where a drone pilot crashed his drone very close to the ship while in one of the ports.”
A drone crashing in one of the ports can cause severe issues for the ship. This includes safety and security concerns as well as environmental concerns. Ultimately, these incidents could lead to fines, investigations, or even worse for Carnival.
John Heald: “This causes all sorts of problems, including paperwork and environmental stuff which is one of our top priorities. So very sad for us, and I believe other cruise lines as well, we will not be allowing drones to be brought onboard our ships.”
Can You Bring a Drone Anywhere on a Cruise?
Until recently, Carnival and Royal Caribbean were the only cruise lines worldwide that still allowed drones to be brought onboard.
With Carnival removing the permissions, this leaves Royal Caribbean as the only option for those wanting to fly their drones on vacation. But even with Royal Caribbean, the options are severely limited. Royal Caribbean states the following on its website:
“Guests are welcome to bring drones on their cruise for use on land only and outside of the port area. However, drones are not to be operated onboard the ship at any time, nor on Royal Caribbean’s private destinations: Perfect Day at CocoCay, Bahamas or Labadee, Haiti.”
Guests are also expected to bring any necessary prior permission to fly their drones if needed in port. They will also be subject to being removed from the vessel if they attempt to use their drones while onboard.
