A recent Carnival Cruise Line passenger is not getting the support they were expecting online after sharing their mistake of skipping the elevator line.

This cruiser took to Reddit to share their experience, seeking some advice to see if they were in the wrong or not.

“On a recent cruise, someone got very pissed off at me and my family because we walked into the elevator area, and an elevator opened right next to us,” the poster shared.

Additionally, they wanted to know if it was common or not for there to be a line for the embarkation deck elevators.

The passenger and their family did not see an obvious line and had not previously seen any others while on the ship — there were simply a few people waiting in the lobby.

They also added, “As we got on, a couple with some kids in strollers got very aggressive with us, telling us there was a line.”

Unfortunately, the upset passengers who thought the family was cutting the line decided to yell and be aggressive.

The situation quickly escalated when the couple started threatening to become physically violent. The poster said that they would have been happy to wait in line, but there was no clear line to get in.

Commenters were quick to defend the upset couple who felt like the poster was skipping the line, but did not condone their aggressive actions.

“I get why you got on, but if you see a bunch of people standing by the elevator bank and waiting, they were clearly there first. How they handled it was not ok though,” replied one person.

“If they were there first, you should’ve let them have it. However they should not have cursed and gotten aggressive with y’all,” added another.

The poster replied to comments, explaining that they held the door open after realizing their mistake and let the couple on first. While attempting to apologize, the couple cussed out the poster’s family.

Understandably, any passenger could have made this mistake if there was no clear line. However, another guest being aggressive and making threats should have been reported to the crew.

Carnival Cruise Line’s code of conduct states, “disruptive behavior is not tolerated and any guest whose conduct affects the comfort, enjoyment, safety or well-being of other guests or crew.”

If the incident had been reported to the crew, the couple and their children could have been fined and even removed from the ship.

Read Also: 15 Mistakes to Avoid on a Carnival Cruise

The passenger who posted about the incident did also say in the future, they will take the stairs to avoid being yelled at again.

Truly, this is not the best resolution for this situation, as a simple mistake should not dissuade passengers from using the elevators on the ship. After all, who wants to walk even more after an excursion?

What is Good Elevator Etiquette on Cruises?

Good elevator etiquette has unfortunately become an all too common topic among cruisers. Bigger modern ships have been facing issues with congestion, and sometimes guests get impatient.

This was the case recently when a passenger on Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas was slamming the door-close button to try to get to a dinner reservation on time.

Elevators can be some of the busiest parts of cruise ships, but guests may become antsy when waiting for too long or are in a rush.

Still, this does not warrant disrespectful behavior toward other guests, which as also mentioned can be a violation of the code of conduct.

Instead of rushing, give yourself extra time to get to where you need to, and let fellow passengers on and off as needed. Of course, the poster above did not know about the line and did apologize.

While the situation was not handled well, we do hope this passenger feels comfortable using cruise ship elevators again soon! Besides, what’s a vacation without a little less walking?

Fries (or chips if you’re British) are a ubiquitous side dish for fast casual food, whether they’re alongside burgers, hot dogs, deli sandwiches, or chicken tenders. But what condiment provides the best topping for your fries?

Inquiring Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassadors want to know.

John Heald’s inquiry follows a recent guest aboard Carnival Dream (homeported year-round from Galveston, Texas) and how upset they were that their preferred fry topping was not as available as they would have preferred.

“Mayonnaise is the #1 thing us Texans [like] to put on French Fries but y’all hide it away like gold dust,” the guest colorfully described. “There should be a pot of Duke’s mayo on every table at the Dream’s buffet. There’s not. Why!”

Duke’s Mayonnaise is the third-largest brand of mayonnaise in the US. In comparison to other brands, it has no added sugar and uses more egg yolks as well as apple cider vinegar, giving it a tangier taste than many people expect. Invented in 1917, it has quite a fan following, especially in southern states.

Mayonnaise may not be the first thing all cruise travelers reach for when they are about to enjoy a plate of fries, but for those who do want the tangy topping, Heald clarified where mayo is available onboard.

“There is mayo available on the buffet line, at the serving areas for the Deli and Guy’s Burgers, and you can always ask the crew if you need help,” he noted.

Worth Reading: Carnival Cruise Line Has Disappointing Answer for Hopeful Guests

Heald goes on to ask about top toppings, sharing his own assumptions about the king of condiments (and a very bad pun).

“I thought ketchup was the number one condiment but Hell Man – what do I know,” he said. “Complete the blank – I put … on my fries.”

More than 3,100 commenters have chimed in with surprising results.

While ketchup is definitely a front-runner in the unofficial survey, Carnival cruise guests have some interesting choices for what they will use for dips or toppings on fries.

Spicy ketchup, chipotle mayo, honey mustard, sour cream, hot sauce, ranch dressing, steak sauce, and even truffle or garlic aioli all have their proponents, along with classics such as chili, cheese, barbecue sauce, and malt vinegar.

More Texans have also joined in with their thoughts on the best fry condiments in the Lone Star State.

“Everyone knows most Texans want salsa on their French fries,” one commenter noted (but without a lot of agreement from others).

Many others note that they’re from Texas and have never seen anyone use mayonnaise on their fries, nor would they try the taste combination themselves.

Read Also: Free Carnival Cruise Dining Options You’ll Want to Know – With Menus!

My own preference for the most flavorful fries? Salt. Too much salt, but I’m on vacation. I will not, however, agree with the person who insists that ice cream is a perfect French fry topping or anyone who thinks fries should be dipped in milkshakes.

The Great Ketchup Debate

Surprisingly, this is not the first time that condiments have been of great concern for Carnival cruisers.

In November 2024, when Carnival Cruise Line announced an expanded late-night snack menu, one concerned guest questioned Heald about the availability of ketchup.

“Will these bottles be on every table or do we have to scavenge for them like we do our Platinum freebies?” the guest asked, referencing the fact that VIFP loyalty gifts must be picked up and are no longer delivered to guests’ staterooms.

Furthermore, the guest went on to note that catsup was not acceptable and that ketchup is the only reasonable option.

To be clear, Carnival Cruise Line serves Heinz ketchup. While the brand may matter to some discerning guests, the spelling should not – both ketchup and catsup are simply different spellings for the same condiment.

Many cruisers may believe size matters for their travel plans – larger ships typically have more specialty restaurants, more activities onboard, and more venues to enjoy. Larger staterooms can be more luxurious, and even larger (longer) itineraries can offer more ports to experience.

But does the size of the television in one’s cabin make that much of a difference?

To one Carnival guest, the answer is a resounding yes – so much so that they reached out to John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador, to express their disappointment.

“DH and I had an awesome time on the Freedom but WTH is up with these tiny TVs?” the guest asked. “The computer monitor I am viewing while I type this is larger than the TV was. I would guess around 40-42 inches would be a minimum for most normal cruisers.”

Okay, I’m a “normal” cruiser and have never been bothered in the slightest by the size of the stateroom television, even as deteriorating eyesight might make it more challenging to watch without my glasses. I’m not on a cruise to watch television, but of course some travelers prefer quiet time watching shows or movies.

“Most other lines we have cruised with … have 50 inch TVs in every stateroom,” the guest continued. “This didn’t spoil our cruise experience as we chose not to let it but it will be a dealbreaker next time we choose a ship.”

Would the size of the stateroom television be a “dealbreaker” for travelers? Carnival’s booking engine does not list television sizes with stateroom details, so how would one even know prior to booking what size the screen might be?

Heald does respond to the guest’s concern by asking other travelers whether or not their TV screens were large enough, of course with his characteristic wit.

“Thank goodness this guest didn’t go all Mick Jagger and rip the TV off the cabin wall and throw it in the swimming pool on Lido,” he quipped. “Anyway, was your TV screen big enough on your last cruise?”

Many commenters – Heald has more than 600,000 followers on his Facebook page – noted that they don’t watch much, if any, television while on a cruise.

Other cruisers agree that the TVs do occasionally seem small, especially just after ships have returned from dry dock upgrades but still have relatively puny televisions.

Depending on the ship and sailing, larger televisions can also be very welcome.

“They could use some bigger TVs, Especially for those [rough], wet, cold sea days when not much is going on and you can’t be outside,” one guest noted.

Guests also commented on their favorite “channels” – often the ship’s bow view or the location channel with the ship’s speed, wind directions, and other information.

“Watching the ocean is a much better scene,” one guest noted about the real-life views.

Other Television Options Onboard

Guests on Carnival cruises aren’t limited to just watching television in their staterooms, no matter what the size of the screen.

Read Also: Carnival Cruise Line Cabins and Suites – What Are the Options?

There are often larger screens and multi-screen setups in different bars and lounges onboard. During a June 2024 cruise aboard Carnival Celebration, my husband and I spent many exciting hours watching the NHL playoffs in the Heroes Tribute Bar and Lounge with huge screens and the fun company of other hockey fans.

Many Carnival ships also offer the Seaside Theater jumbo screen on Lido Deck with popular movies playing almost nightly. This can be a great way to enjoy time on the deck, but bring blankets – it can get pretty chilly and breezy after sunset.

Of course, Carnival Cruise Line also offers Starlink-supported internet packages. Interested guests can opt for the Premium plan with faster speeds that permit movie streaming as well as apps such as Netflix, Hulu, and Spotify for favorite shows to watch on their own devices.

One of Carnival Cruise Line’s most popular cruise directors, Alex Siegler, is diving once again into fundraising for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital with a challenge to guests onboard Carnival Spirit.

The ship is now sailing a 15-night, one-way repositioning cruise from Miami to Seattle in preparation for the Alaska sailing season. Carnival Spirit left Florida on Sunday, March 30 and has visits scheduled to Colombia, Costa Rica, and Cabo San Lucas before she will arrive in Washington on Monday, April 14.

Of course, the bucket-list sailing includes a full transit through the Panama Canal, a very coveted experience for many cruisers.

Passing through the Panama Canal may not be the most memorable moment aboard this Carnival Journeys cruise, however, thanks to the challenge the ship’s cruise director has issued.

Frequent Carnival cruisers know that the very best CDs go above and beyond to be engaging, enthusiastic, and energetic – and Siegler is all three.

Most importantly, he is passionate about fundraising for St. Jude, and once again has accepted an unexpected challenge for a top tier fundraising goal.

“Just after the sailaway party on Sunday I was approached by a gentleman with a challenge. He asked what it would take for me to wax my chest like the great Joey Boyes had done on the Firenze,” Siegler explained. “After careful consideration, I’ve decided on a number.”

I’m not entirely sure there’s a number that would convince me to wax any body part in front of a crowd of cruise passengers, no matter how high the fundraising might reach, but Siegler set a lofty – albeit not impossible – goal.

“If we can raise $10,000 by the end of Groove for St Jude on this Journeys cruise, I’m going to have it done live on stage in the Pharaoh’s Palace Theater during my Q&A on the last day of the cruise,” he confirmed. “So the gauntlet has been laid down! $10,000 for St Jude this cruise, and I’m getting waxed!”

The Pharaoh’s Palace Theater is Carnival Spirit‘s 3-story main show lounge, located forward on Decks 2, 3, and 4. This ensures that quite a crowd can gather to celebrate the fundraising goal!

Read Also: Carnival Cruise Director Schedule for 2025

While the Groove for St. Jude lido dance party will be the biggest opportunity for guests to donate to the cause, Siegler notes that there is no need for anyone to wait until the last day to help reach the $10,000 goal. Donations can be accepted at the Cherry on Top sweet shop, midship on Deck 3 (Atlantic Deck), at any time.

Strange Fundraisers Are the Most Popular!

This is not the first time Siegler has challenged guests to extraordinary fundraising goals to support Carnival Cruise Line’s long-time charitable partner.

On a January 2024 12-night Carnival Journeys southern Caribbean itinerary, he challenged everyone aboard to raise $5,000. It that goal was met, he pledged to go completely clean-shaven for the first time in more than a decade.

The fundraiser fell slightly short at $4,700, but Siegler did still trim his beard quite close – if not clean-shaven.

“We may have been just a hair short (pun fully intended) of our goal, but this is still no small feat and we did so much good for the kids today!” he said of the fundraiser. “I may not be 100% clean shaven, but I could not tell you the last time I saw this much of my face.”

Carnival Cruise Line has set the lofty goal to raise $50 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital by 2030, and Siegler’s hairy sacrifices are sure to help them toward that generous total.

Siegler will remain as cruise director aboard Carnival Spirit at least through early September as the ship sails the Last Frontier with 7-night Inside Passage itineraries.

After her time in Alaska, the ship will offer a 15-night Hawaii cruise roundtrip from Seattle before repositioning to Mobile, Alabama to offer 6- and 8-night Bahamas cruises through the winter. Carnival Spirit will return to Alaska for the 2026 season as well.