Carnival Cruise Line updated its protocols on February 12 by changing its policy for the Casino aboard its cruise ships. The cruise line is to relax its smoking rules in the Casino, which was first announced as part of tightened protocols due to the Omicron variant.
Carnival Updates its Protocols
The cruise line released an update to its Have Fun. Be Safe protocols on Saturday, which is focused on the Casino, onboard all Carnival cruise ships. Guests will be allowed to smoke again in the Casino only when seated and playing.
The updated policy will be effective on cruises departing on or after Monday, February 14, 2022.
Smoking in the Casino was first banned as part of an update in December 2021 to combat concerns of the Omicron variant.
It won’t be welcomed news for non-smokers but Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador reiterated that making sure guests are seated and playing in the casino is enforced. He also noted that three ships do have non-smoking casinos: “Hello, yes indeed we are and it’s important to remember that we have three ships that have no smoking casinos and also Mardi Gras has a complete non-smoking section. We’re also going to be very strict I mean really strict about only allowing people to smoke when they are actually playing.”
In addition to stricter rules in the Casino, Carnival Cruise Line also tightened its mask policy, with all guests two and above being required to wear a face mask at all times except when indoors eating and drinking as well as in the stateroom. It’s also advised that guests wear the higher grade KN95 mask onboard.
Read Also: Carnival Cruise Line Exempts Recently Recovered Guests From Testing
Despite other major cruise lines easing stricter mask policies, Carnival did not follow the trend in the latest protocols update.
Guests are still required to wear a face mask at all times, with some minor exceptions as mentioned above. However, Carnival continues to monitor the current health situation and is adjusting protocols as needed, and we’ve already seen multiple updates since the new year.
Royal Caribbean is also bringing back smoking in its casinos across the fleet. It was confirmed recently that the cruise line will allow guests to smoke in the casino on sailings from February 15, 2022.
