Carnival cruise fans eager to visit Celebration Key when the new Bahamas destination opens in August 2025 will be glad to know the cruise line is listening to feedback and adding an important feature travelers want.

In response to guest inquiries and comments, new plans are being adjusted to add lockers to Celebration Key to allow visitors to securely store their belongings while they enjoy a day of fun.

The news comes from John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador, following a less-than-polite comment from one of the followers on his popular Facebook page.

“Build lockers at Celebration Cay for for phones, cameras, and wallets,” the guest demanded. “This is crazy bad planning by Carnival. Put it right for Celebration [Key].”

Many additional comments did agree with the original poster with how helpful lockers could be, especially on the beach when travelers want to enjoy the beautiful blue waters of the Bahamas.

“Lockers would be nice. I worry about my money, phone, and other possessions laying unattended if I’m in the water.”

“I would definitely appreciate a locker so that my husband and I could swim together. We’re not comfortable leaving things like our eyeglasses, etc., on our chairs.”

“Lockers would be great. I spend the majority of my time in the water with my kid at these islands. Would love to be able to keep my valuables locked up!”

While lockers aren’t essential, it is obvious they would be a welcome addition for travelers. Other options include locking backpacks or other travel accessories to secure one’s belongings, or else ensuring that one member of a group stays with any valuables at all times.

Fortunately, Heald passed along the request to the Carnival Cruise Line “beards” for consideration, and the decision was a quick one.

“Yesterday it was requested that we install lockers at the lagoons on Celebration Key,” Heald explained. “The beards … read your comments so I was told last night that they would indeed install lockers there for those who need them.”

There are no further details about how many lockers would be made available or where they would be positioned, but they are sure to be a welcome option for guests who want to lock up valuable items as they enjoy all the great features the destination will offer.

Since the island destination is still under construction, it should be fairly easy to add several locker banks in different locations where they will be most useful, while still maintaining the gorgeous Bahamian look the cruise line wants.

About Celebration Key

Carnival Cruise Line first broke ground for the new destination on Grand Bahama Island in May 2022, and construction of the $200 million development has been underway ever since.

As the first destination being designed exclusively with Carnival guests in mind, Celebration Key is focused on offering a wide variety of amazingly fun experiences with something for everyone. Distinct portals will offer unique vibes, including an adults-only area, new specialty dining options, lagoons and beaches, a local retail marketplace, and more.

Read Also: Carnival Unveils Dining Options for New Private Destination Celebration Key

The entire destination is being designed to celebrate the Bahamas, with local artists engaged in design choices and other facets of the development.

Celebration Key is slated to welcome its first guests in August 2025, and a dozen ships from multiple homeports are now offering sailings ready for booking. More than 400 sailings are now available featuring Celebration Key, giving travelers plenty of options to explore this new and exciting destination.

Are you booked on a cruise to Celebration Key? What are you most looking forward to? Join in the conversation on the Cruise Hive boards!

Carnival is the fun ship – and the party frequently continues late into the night.

But as guests return to their cabins after a night of celebration, they might not remember that other passengers may be trying to sleep in the staterooms around them. 

One recent Carnival passenger took to Reddit to vent about the noisy people returning to their cabins late at night and in the early morning hours. 

“I swear on this cruise it’s like everyone wants to have a conversation outside [their] cabins in front of other people’s doors and it’s like early in the morning or late at night,” complained the poster.

In the comments, fellow cruisers echoed the sentiment, saying that the noise was a symptom of entitlement, and oftentimes, a bit too much alcohol. 

“Main character syndrome accompanied by big mouths. People are genuinely oblivious to other people and that bunch usually talk super loud,” replied one person.

“Celebration was horrible about this last week. Entire groups of people just spread out across the width of main walkways talking,” added another. 

I personally just returned from my first ever Carnival cruise onboard Carnival Radiance a couple days ago on Monday, September 30, 2024, and I can attest that the party continued in the hallways at all hours of the night. 

I can normally sleep through just about anything, but had yelling, hollering, and whooping guests waking me up several times throughout the night.

By the end of my cruise, I had invested in ear plugs – which I’ve never had to do on any of my previous sailings with other cruise lines. 

It also seemed like the walls and doors were thinner and less sound proofed than other ships I had previously sailed on – which other Redditors confirmed in their responses. 

“The walls and doors are paper thin when it comes to sound. It sucks at 3:00 am,” another Redditor wrote.

If it’s true that the walls are thinner, it becomes extra important to be considerate of other passengers, who may be trying to sleep.

Proper Etiquette Around Staterooms

In general, the respectful thing to do when leaving or returning to your stateroom – on any cruise ship, not just Carnival’s fleet – is to keep your voice low or whisper, especially in the late night or early morning.

During typical “quiet hours,” try to keep the party in specified areas of the ship where it’s okay to be loud – such as in cruise line hosted parties, on the Lido deck, or the Punchliner comedy club, where adult-shows are hosted as late as 11 or 11:30 p.m. 

On my sailing, the cruise director and Fun team hosted special late night parties, such as the White Hot Party, that lasted until after midnight in the ship’s main atrium – allowing guests to sing, dance, and party as long as they wanted without bothering others.

Read Also: 15 Mistakes to Avoid on a Carnival Cruise

But while guests may know the proper etiquette when in the cruise cabin areas, they might forget or get carried away in the fun – and it’s simply impossible to try to control the behavior of the potentially thousands of other guests onboard.

But what you can do about it is respectfully and politely ask people to keep their voices down – or contact guest services who will send security to address particularly rowdy passengers.

It’s also important to consider where you want to be located when you pick your cruise cabin if you’re particularly sensitive to noise.

While it’s common knowledge to try to avoid being directly above or below noisier parts of the ship, such as clubs and prime party spots, it may also be a good idea to pick a cabin at the end of a corridor where there may be less foot traffic. 

Worse case scenario, be like me and invest in air plugs to block out the sound and accept that other guests are just having a good time.

Just one day following a series of 11 itinerary changes impacting five different ships, Carnival Cruise Line has released yet another batch of changes for six more ships and 13 itineraries.

While all the changes are relatively minor, so many changes in such a short period of time can be concerning to guests who book their cruise vacations based on specific destinations.

The ships impacted for this latest round of changes are Carnival Radiance, Carnival Sunshine, Carnival Spirit, Carnival Valor, Carnival Liberty, and the cruise line’s newest Excel-class ship, Carnival Jubilee.

Carnival Radiance Itinerary Changes

Two upcoming itineraries for the 102,232-gross-ton Carnival Radiance are now changed, both holiday cruises later this year. For the December 23 and December 30, 2024 sailings, the ship’s day of visit to Ensenada has been changed, though Carnival Radiance will still be visiting the port.

Both cruises are 4-night Baja Mexico sailings from Long Beach that will also be visiting Catalina Island. Changing the day of visiting Ensenada makes good sense, as on the December 23 departure, the ship was to have docked in Mexico on December 25, Christmas Day. Likewise, on the December 30 departure, the call to Ensenada was originally planned for January 1, 2025.

On those major holidays, it is likely that local businesses would be closed and there would not be as many tour options available for guests. By changing the date of the visit, travelers will have a more enjoyable time in Ensenada.

Carnival Sunshine Itinerary Changes

A total of seven sailings are now modified for the 103,881-gross-ton Carnival Sunshine while the ship is homeported from Norfolk, Virginia. Each impacted cruise is a 6-night voyage to Bermuda, and the changes are minor.

The only change to six sailings is a modified arrival time in Bermuda. This applies to the following departure dates in the summer and autumn of 2025: July 6, July 20, August 3, August 17, September 14, and October 12.

On the August 31, 2025 Bermuda sailing, Carnival Sunshine will have a modified departure time from Bermuda, though her arrival time will remain as originally published.

Carnival Spirit Itinerary Change

Just one cruise is changed for the 85,920-gross-ton Carnival Spirit. For the ship’s January 17, 2026 departure, Carnival Spirit will now be visiting Half Moon Cay rather than Amber Cove, and on a different day than originally scheduled.

Considering this is a 14-night Southern Caribbean itinerary with a total of seven ports of call, including the new Celebration Key, this is not a significant change for what is sure to be a memorable voyage.

Carnival Valor Itinerary Change

One 5-night Western Caribbean itinerary is now significantly changed for the 110,438-gross-ton Carnival Valor. The ship’s March 21, 2026 departure from New Orleans will now be visiting Progreso rather than Costa Maya, and the time in port has been adjusted.

The order of port visits has also been changed and Carnival Valor will visit Cozumel first during this cruise. The times to and from New Orleans are not impacted, however.

Carnival Liberty Itinerary Change

Also sailing from New Orleans, one itinerary for Carnival Valor’s sister ship, the 110,428-gross-ton Carnival Liberty, is also included in this round of changes, but not as dramatically.

The ship’s March 22, 2026 cruise is a 7-night Western Caribbean itinerary that will now reverse the order of visits to Mahogany Bay, Belize, and Cozumel, though all the ports of call are preserved. The time in Mahogany Bay is modified, but the ship will still be visiting the destination on Roatan Island.

Carnival Jubilee Itinerary Change

Carnival Cruise Line’s current flagship, the 183,521-gross-ton Carnival Jubilee based in Galveston, has just one itinerary adjustment in this group of changes.

For the ship’s November 1, 2025 departure, the day of visiting Cozumel has been changed along with a slight time shift. Similarly, the port time for Mahogany Bay has also been slightly tweaked.

During the 7-night Western Caribbean itinerary, the visit to Costa Maya remains unchanged. Likewise, there are no adjustments to and from Galveston.

Are More Changes Coming?

Over the past few weeks, Carnival Cruise Line has made similar minor adjustments to dozens of itineraries across the Fun Ship fleet. These include some port swaps (particularly around the cruise line’s private islands of Princess Cays and Half Moon Cay), along with time shifts and occasional cancellations.

This can be frustrating to travelers who may be planning a cruise vacation specifically for a certain destination (I always buy vanilla in Cozumel and would be upset to miss that port if my supply was running low!).

Experienced cruisers, however, know that all cruise lines have the right to adjust itineraries at any time and for any reason, even for last-minute changes while a sailing may already be underway.

No compensation is required and should not be expected, though pre-paid tours booked through the cruise line are refunded back to the original payment.

Read Also: 15 Mistakes to Avoid on a Carnival Cruise

While Carnival Cruise Line has not indicated any specific reason for so many changes, these simple shifts are not too dramatic and most travelers will not necessarily mind the adjustments.

If such changes do cause enough tension that guests no longer want to set sail, the impacted voyages are far enough in the future that cancellations are still possible and travelers could pick a different cruise itinerary.

Two Carnival Cruise Line guests are now banned for life after purportedly smuggling a handgun past the cruise line’s security and onboard their sailing.

Evidence of the guests’ actions came to light because they filmed a video and posted it online, most likely seeking viral fame. The video was posted on Facebook on October 1, 2024 under an account by the name of Kendra Gordon, which has other videos that identify her business as a shuttle transportation service in Manatee County, Florida.

The exact ship and sailing date of the trip when Gordon supposedly snuck the weapon onboard is not identified, but she does say it was “day two” as she shows off the item in the stateroom’s safe.

She specifically says it is Carnival, and the video clearly shows a Carnival Cruise Line stateroom with the distinctive décor, the Choose Fun luggage mat on the bed, and a Fun Times newsletter in the stateroom’s mailbox as she briefly opens door and looks into the hallway.

Other videos the couple has posted indicate a birthday cruise aboard Carnival Liberty from Port Canaveral, but do not share a sailing date. You can watch the video in question below:

Gordon notes that the cruise line’s security did confiscate food items such as pickles, hot sausages, and an open bag of popcorn, and she seems to indicate that was all from a checked bag. In the video, Gordon picks up the handgun but does not actually remove it from the safe.

“We all good,” she says while showing off the item in the safe.

It is not clear whether the weapon is authentic or a replica or toy of some variety, but all types are expressly forbidden by Carnival Cruise Line. In fact, weaponry is the second item on the cruise line’s prohibited items list, after illegal narcotics and drugs.

“All weapons and any item made, adapted or intended for use as an offensive weapon: firearms (including replicas, imitations and their components),” the list reads.

The cruise line does explain the policy, noting that all bags are subject to searches and screening.

“Carnival conducts security scanning of all luggage and reserves the right to confiscate any item, which in Carnival’s sole discretion, is deemed dangerous or can pose a risk to the vessel or its guests. Items will be removed and disposed of and no compensation will be provided,” the policy reads.

Read Also: Things You Can’t Take on a Cruise

The cruise line has confirmed that Gordon and her traveling companion, Travis Rainey, have been identified and banned for life from sailing with Carnival Cruise Line again.

“The guests who recorded the video have not sailed with us since April and have been prohibited from sailing Carnival in the future,” the cruise line stated.

Carnival Liberty – which is not confirmed as the vessel where this incident occurred – was indeed homeported from Port Canaveral through April 2024, but has since repositioned and is now sailing from New Orleans.

It is unclear how Gordon’s item, whether real or an imitation, passed through security screening, though security procedures are sure to be thoroughly reviewed and enhanced to be sure such an incident cannot happen again.

Worth Reading: Cruise Critics Banned by Carnival UK for Five Years

It is possible the couple may face additional charges if the case is turned over to local authorities and further investigated. Carnival Cruise Line has not commented on any such possibilities.

Other Recent Bans

In quests to seek viral video fame, other cruise guests have filmed similarly questionable actions and posted them online, and the outcome has been the same – banned for life.

For example, a woman who shared a “hack” to not pay for bottled water by tampering with bottles and refilling them was similarly identified and subsequently banned from the cruise line in early 2024.

In April 2023, a couple was banned after filming themselves fishing from their stateroom balcony while their ship was docked in Nassau, which is a violation of local laws as well as cruise line policy.

While these types of bans do raise eyebrows, no frequent cruise traveler is surprised when guests may be banned for more obvious cruise line regulations. For instance, a woman was banned after attempting to bring CBD gummies onboard Carnival Horizon in August 2023. While legal in some states, all forms of marijuana are prohibited onboard Carnival cruise ships.

Causing fights, destruction of property, and abusing crew members are other actions that will obviously get travelers banned from Carnival or any cruise line.