Two British cruise influencers have been banned from all Carnival Corporation sailings – which accounts for 93 cruise ships – and it’s not for the reason you would expect.

While Carnival understandably has a zero tolerance policy for fighting or other behavior that can put its guests and crew members in danger, Dan Wailing and Jay Cannon have been banned for at least five years after speaking out publicly about their negative experiences onboard.

“Following a review of your recent interactions with us, we believe that you have both clearly demonstrated that we cannot offer the holiday that you are looking for. It is thus no longer appropriate for you to travel with us, or any of the Carnival group brands,” Carnival UK wrote to the cruisers.

The ban extends to all Carnival Cruise ships, as well as sister-brands like Cunard Line, P&O Cruises, and Princess Cruises.

“I am sorry to have to convey this decision to you. Please note that this letter represents our final decision on this matter, and you will therefore not be permitted to travel with us for a period of 5 years, after which we may review,” continued the letter.

You may know Wailing and Cannon from running a popular platform called Sail Away Magazine – which includes both a print publication and a podcast component – where the duo gives honest, unbiased reviews about their cruising experiences.

Just about two weeks ago, the cruise experts released a scathing review of Carnival Miracle – which they described as “the worst cruise we’ve ever done.”

Most notably, the pair was shocked by their dirty cruise cabin – where they found “pubic hairs on the bedside table, what looks like semen stains on the luggage mat, mould and bacteria in the soap dish” – but the leadership team onboard addressed the situation and apologized. 

Looking further back, they have also publicly criticized P&O Cruises after their sailing on Aurora was cancelled at the last minute and have spoken out about a negative phone experience with Carnival’s UK PR and marketing staff in which they described the team as “delusional.”

They also ran a public poll, in which the results showed 72% of cruisers felt that the cruising experience had declined under the leadership of Carnival UK President, Paul Ludlow.

Is This Censorship?

While Wailing and Cannon cannot confirm the exact reason they were banned, they can’t help but wonder if it was retaliation for their negative – but honest – feedback. 

“We were paying customers. And what did we do? We simply spoke up about disappointing experiences — including poor communication during cruise cancellations, and a lack of accountability in situations like the recent Maleth Aero flight scandal,” Wailing wrote in an email to Cruise Hive. 

“To us, it’s simple: this feels like censorship. A warning to other passengers who might think about posting a critical review or sharing an honest opinion on social media,” Wailing’s email continued. 

Read Also: 15 Mistakes to Avoid on a Carnival Cruise

Understanding that there are always two sides to every story, Cruise Hive also reached out to Carnival Corporation for a statement but were told by a spokesperson that the company had nothing further to add. 

It’s always possible that more has happened behind closed doors – such as unseen hostility coming from the frustrated cruisers – but there is no evidence of this at this time. 

Alternatively, the criticism might have led Carnival leadership to worry about how the men might impact the experiences of others onboard – as was the case for two passengers who were banned from Villa Vie Odyssey last year after speaking out about the delays that plagued the residential ship. 

“We have received over a dozen formal complaints from residents regarding your continuous complaints and negativity. This behavior has significantly impacted the morale and well-being of other passengers,” Chief operating officer Kathy Villalba said at the time. 

However, the decision was overturned for at least one of the guests just a few months later.

If you can pre-select your seat on an airplane, why can’t you pre-select your seat for dinner on a cruise ship?

This is something that one future Carnival guest has asked Brand Ambassador John Head on his public Facebook page – as she is worried that her and her husband’s weight will prevent them from fitting comfortably in a booth.

In order to save herself the embarrassment of requesting a new table once onboard, she was hoping to guarantee in advance that her family of four would not be assigned to a booth in the main dining room.

“We are booked for Legend for August…DH (Darling Husband), myself, and two grand kids. Darling husband and myself are fluffy people. I would rather say fluffy than large and we really do not feel comfortable in a booth,” the anonymous guest wrote to Heald.

It’s true that Carnival Legend’s main dining room, called Truffles, does have a mix of tables and booths. But there are a variety of seating options at the two-level venue to cater to different types of cruisers. 

“As this is our first Carnival cruise, is there a way we can request a table instead of a booth…I don’t see why we cannot go on the app and choose a table before the cruise. This is what we can do with an airline seat when we fly,” she continued. 

The guest then proceeded to comment on Heald’s own weight, calling him “fluffy” as well, as a way to drive home her point about needing a proper table.

But despite the insult, Heald did go out of his way to make sure the woman’s table preference would be honored – and noted that he is able to assist with some requests as long as he receives the request and booking details at least five days before embarkation day.

However, it’s important to note that these requests cannot always be accommodated. If cruisers were always allowed to pick their own seating, the dining rooms would descend into chaos – with some chairs and tables not used when they should be or resulting in longer wait times for other passengers.

Assigning Tables is Challenging 

Deciding who should sit where in the main dining room is always a challenge – sort of akin to the ultimate game of Tetris.

Lots of factors come into play when the assignments are being made, such as keeping travel parties together and if guests have expressed a preference for private dining or sitting with other passengers – which can be indicated in the HUB App.

They are also balancing seating assignments for two different fixed meal times, as well as “wildcards” who choose “Your Time Dining” and may arrive for dinner anytime between 5:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. rather than at a specific time.

The reservation managers, or Maitre D’s as they are sometimes called, go through a complex process of sorting out seating for the following cruise during the current cruise – using a complicated computer software to help sort out all the details.

“It’s all quite a big process to say the least and my understanding of it is only that it is truly complicated,” Heald summarized.

Cruise Hive Discussion Boards: Carnival Cruise Line Dinner Seating

Although there are no guarantees, guests who require a specific seating assignment may be able to email the Maitre D in advance or contact customer service – especially if the request is being made due to a disability.

Once onboard, guests who are unhappy with their seating assignments may approach the Maitre D desk for assistance.

Alternatively, cruisers may have more luck with specific seating requests at the specialty restaurants onboard.

Carnival Cruise Line had a bright idea for improving the cabins onboard Carnival Valor while she was in dry dock – and cruise fans will be glad to know that the change will soon be implemented fleet-wide.

In addition to many other exciting enhancements, Carnival Valor re-entered service after about a month in dry dock on June 11, 2025 – with new lamps in her 1,492 passenger staterooms.

However, these aren’t just any lighting features. These lamps come equipped with an extra plug, a USB outlet, and a USB-C port – which is used by all Apple iPhones after the iPhone 15 model.

Anyone who has ever cruised before knows that plugs are limited in cruise cabins – and charging devices can become complicated, especially when traveling with a bigger family or group. Therefore, extra places to charge is always a welcomed change.

“We added these new lamps on the Carnival Valor during dry dock and will be doing this to other ships in future dry docks. They have USB and ummmm the smaller one and a power plug for things like CPAP perhaps,” Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald shared on Facebook.

The exact timeline for when the other ships in the fleet will get these new lamps has not been announced, but it sounds like it will be soon – and in some cases – has already happened.

While the lights could be switched out on turnaround day when guests are disembarking and embarking, it’s also possible that the cruise line will wait for upcoming dry dock visits.

Carnival Horizon, Carnival Magic, and Carnival Conquest are all scheduled to go to dry dock in the first half of 2026, for example.

But if this still isn’t enough plugs for you – or the lamps haven’t been replaced before your next sailing – rest assured that you can also bring a power strip with extra plugs or a multi-plug USB outlet.

Even though competitors like Royal Caribbean have added these mutli-plug devices to their “prohibited items” list, Carnival has made it clear that they have no plans to follow suit with a ban of their own.

A Welcomed Change

Heald’s Facebook post was met with much enthusiasm, with more than 10,000 cruise fans sounding off in the comments section to express their happiness.

“It saves me running an extension cord across the floor so I can plug in my phone which I use as a clock at night,” one cruiser said.

Not only do many people use their phone as a clock, but it may also double as an alarm clock in the morning – and most groggy cruisers do not want to immediately leap out of bed to turn off the sound.

“So useful on the Glory back in February!! Gave our group of 6 split between 2 rooms AMPLE charging places,” another recent Carnival guest added.

Read Also: 10 Things You’ll Wish You’d Packed for Your Cruise

But in addition to adding an extra convenience for cruisers, it also makes life a lot easier for guests who require a CPAP machine to sleep safely at night – which are used by an estimated 8 million people (at least) within the US.

Thanks to the additional bedside plug, it will now be easy to plug in CPAP machines on the nightstand instead of running cumbersome extension cords across the room.

One cruiser exclaimed: “Yes!!! Nothing ruines the flow of a room like a taped down extension cord for our CPAPS!”

Another chimed in: “Yes!! Then my husband won’t need an extension cord to plug in his CPAP and me trying not to trip over it in the middle of the night!!!!”

This also isn’t the first time Carnival has tried to make life easier for its CPAP-using clientele.

Toward the end of last year, the brand introduced the ability to pre-purchase distilled water – which CPAP machines require to produce the correct humidity for airway lubrication.