Roatan, Honduras, which is one of the most popular cruise ports in the Caribbean, is famous for its wildlife – especially the sloths and monkeys.

But while cruise guests used to be able to cuddle up with the wildlife and pose for once-in-a-lifetime pictures, this is no longer the case.

Roatan’s recent ban on interacting with the animals, which went into effect on March 1, 2025, has now also impacted shore excursions offered by Carnival Cruise Line.

This won’t stop the cruise line from calling on Mahogany Bay – which was a $62 million investment that the Carnival Corporation built and controls in Honduras – or from running the five impacted tours. Things will just look a little different.

“We have an important update regarding a recent change to local regulations for tours that include wildlife,” reads an email to guests booked on impacted excursions.

“While you will be able to closely observe the wildlife that will be present during your tour, please note that you will not be permitted to touch or feed them. This mandate will be strictly enforced by local authorities,” continued the update from Carnival. 

While future visitors might be disappointed by the change, the new rule was implemented for the well being of the animals.

Honduras’ National Institute of Forest Conservation shared that the reason behind the stricter regulations was due to “the drastic increase in the frequency of illegal trafficking, mismanagement and OVERMANIPULATION OF WILDLIFE observed in recent years on Roatan Island.”

The ban also follows the rescue of five different sloth bears that were confiscated while being illegally sent to Roatan in January 2025 – which may have been the final straw for the local government.

Additionally, handling the animals can also be stressful for the creatures that cruise guests go to see, even though reputable sanctuaries and conservation centers do try to mitigate this as much as possible.

Which Shore Excursions are Impacted?

Five different tours that are offered by Carnival Cruise Line have been adjusted to account for the new restriction.

First on the list is the “Pirates, Birds & Monkeys of the Caribbean” tour, which lasts for four hours and costs $59.99 per person.

The tour, which is centered in Gumbalimba Park, will still visit a refuge where guests can get up close and personal with white face monkeys, parrots, and macaws (but now without touching the animals). Tourists will also still visit Coxens Cave to learn about the history of pirates. 

Next up is the slightly longer “Canopy & Gumbalimba Park” tour, which lasts for 4.5 hours and follows up an exhilarating zip lining experience with now modified-animal encounters.

The third experience to be tweaked is called “Tabyana Beach Day & Gumbalimba,” which lasts for 4.5 hours and costs $79.99 per person.

In addition to exploring Gumbalimba Park – which is home to the Monkey Refuge and Coxen’s Cove – those that book this excursion can also enjoy activities like snorkeling and listening to Caribbean music on the Tabyana Beach.

Read Also: What to Expect When You Go on a Carnival Cruise

The final two tours – “Monkeys, Sloths & Macaws” and “Discover Roatan – Monkeys, Sloths & Macaws” – are perhaps the most animal-centric on the list. Both start at $99.99 per person, last for 3.5 hours, and are advertised as “wildlife encounters” on Carnival’s website.

While guests will still be able to visit, see, and learn about the animals, they will no longer be able to hold or feed them – which were previously the highlights of these experiences.

If the changes to these tours are deal breakers for you, Carnival does allow guests to cancel shore excursions booked through the cruise line for a full refund until two days before embarkation – which is the pre-sail cut off time.

With the cruise line offering more than 50 shore excursions in Mahogany Bay, there likely will be another activity that strikes your fancy.

Following notification to guests on selected sailings of three Carnival cruise ships about a return to the traditional, in-person muster drill, Carnival Cruise Line has clarified the safety procedure and what guests can expect.

The concern comes after some confusion as to whether or not the impacted ships – Carnival Liberty, Carnival Conquest, and Carnival Valor – were returning to in-person safety briefings permanently, and whether or not that change would roll out across the entire Carnival fleet.

Multiple guests have reached out to John Heald, the cruise line’s official Brand Ambassador, asking for clarification.

“I just heard on … that some of the Carnival ships are going back to the original muster drill where everyone has to meet as a group,” one guest asked. “Is this true?”

“I’ve heard that Carnival ships will be randomly mustering the old way,” another guest explained. “I’ve heard that it won’t be on every voyage of every ship, and that Carnival is doing this so the crew can practice a real ‘muster / evacuation’ scenario. Is that correct?”

Heald responds to hundreds of guest concerns every week, including questions about safety, security, and other onboard procedures. For these questions, his response is absolutely clear that Carnival Cruise Line is not returning permanently to in-person safety drills.

“That is completely false,” he replied to the first commenter. “Every six months or thereabouts we have to have a full test on board ship, including sending the guests to their [muster stations].”

He further clarified the procedure when responding to the second guest, explaining the regulations that require this type of safety briefing.

“It’s once every six months approximately,” Heald confirmed. “Certainly no more than that, but it is something we need to do in order to comply [with] HESS regulations.”

The HESS regulations Heald refers to are the Health, Environmental, Safety & Security Committee’s regulations from Carnival Corporation.

These policies cover a wide range of programs and initiatives across all the cruise lines in the Carnival family and work to ensure compliance with the regulations of different regions where Carnival-owned ships sail.

Which Muster Drill Will My Cruise Have?

Guests with sailings booked on upcoming Carnival cruises are sure to wonder whether they will have the faster, easier e-muster safety briefing or the full drill with all guests assembled in-person at their muster stations.

Every ship in the Carnival fleet will be doing full, in-person safety briefings approximately once every six months, but which individual sailings will be doing this is not determined so far in advance. The drill times are chosen randomly, seemingly just a few days prior to embarkation, and guests are notified as needed.

Every cruise ship – for Carnival Cruise Line and every other cruise line as well – must hold a safety briefing prior to setting sail on every voyage.

These briefings cover the emergency alert signals, location of the muster stations, how to put on a life jacket, the dangers of fire, and other critical safety information and procedures.

While the e-muster only takes a few minutes and can be done at the convenience of the guests anytime in the first few hours after embarkation, the in-person drill can take 20-30 minutes and is usually held shortly before sailaway.

Read Also: What Happens If You Jump Off a Cruise Ship?

Both drills not only inform passengers of safety procedures, they also ensure the crew is familiar with different safety provisions and how to react in various emergency situations. This preparation is critical in the case of an emergency, either while the ship is at sea or in port.

Carnival Cruise Line crew members not only participate in these drills, but also have a variety of other safety drills they practice regularly. This includes drills for medical emergencies, fire alarms, man overboard alerts, and more.

All cruise guests should cooperate fully with any drills and familiarize themselves with all safety information provided through their stateroom television, on the back of their stateroom door, or through the Carnival Hub app to be sure they are prepared in the unlikely event that an emergency occurs during their vacation.

One slip and fall can certainly ruin a perfectly good cruise. This is why Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, addressed a slippery question from a passenger.

The passenger, soon to embark on a Carnival Vista cruise with her mother, was concerned her mom would have trouble with the shower in their cabin.

She reached out to Heald, writing, “I am traveling next week on Vista with my mom and read reviews that the shower is slippy. [Does] Carnival not supply non-slip shower mats, or is this proof again that they are not on par with [deleted] Line?”

She wondered if passengers are expected to pack their own shower mats.

Heald, with his ever-present humor, took the time to respond and reminisced that when he first started with Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnivale ship many moons ago, his cabin was only outfitted with a sink.

“Ahhhh, the luxury of taking a shower,” he said.

Still, Heald was unsure whether the cruise line provides shower mats and asked former passengers to weigh in. Thousands, of course, did. 

The general consensus, though, was that the showers onboard Carnival ships are not slippery, nor is falling a concern. Several passengers who considered themselves high-fall-risk guests said they have never had any trouble on multiple sailings.

“Honestly, most of the showers are so small that if I did slip, there isn’t enough room to fall,” wrote one guest, while another added, “You can’t fall far as the wall is right there on all sides to stop you!”

However, others did provide some actual advice, recommending that the passenger purchase a cheap non-slip mat that folds up easily and can be trashed at the end of the voyage. Others pointed out that many of the cabin showers feature a grab bar.

From Slippery Showers to Tiny Labels

However, bath mats weren’t the only concern for passengers reaching out to Heald, who was always eager to answer questions about sailing with Carnival Cruise Line.

Another wrote, “Thank you, Carnival, for making sure we have to have our glasses in the shower by putting the shower gel and shampoo in identical bottles and with writing in a size 4 font.”

While Heald joked “all cabins will have Batman shampoo and a conditioner Gordon,” he did point out that he thought the items are packaged in different colors to help.

Again, nearly 1,000 former passengers commented, agreeing the font size makes it tough but offering solutions from “look at the bottles with your glasses on and remember which is which” to “bring your own shampoo, conditioner, and body wash so that way you know.”

With all the hoopla, Heald realized the issue warrants another look (pun intended).

“Despite the shampoo and shower gel on most of the ships being a different [color], I am going to see if we can get the font size increased on the labeling,” he said. “Hopefully, this will help others as well.”

Read Also: What to Expect When You Go on a Carnival Cruise

With so much bathroom talk, Heald decided to poll passengers on what they bring from home.

Options included multiple-choice shampoo, shower gel, conditioner, or a shower sponge or loofa. Guests could choose all of the items or none, “because I know the ship provides them.”

Nearly 9,000 cruisers participated in the poll, adding their own two cents.

One joked that he doesn’t pack anything because “I need room in the suitcase for all my eye glasses so I can read the labels on the body wash and shampoo!”

Despite the levity, Heald expressed genuine concern for passengers, reflecting the cruise line’s commitment to their safety and comfort.