Cruise guests are always looking for the best deals and ways to get special perks for their upcoming sailings in order to make the most of their oceangoing vacation.

One supposed “hack” to get special privileges, however, is only a scam – and one that Carnival Cruise Line is wise to.

The scam centers around Carnival’s exclusive Havana Retreat, the ship-in-a-ship concept that includes Cuban-inspired staterooms and exclusive spaces for the use of Havana guests.

Guests booked in Havana staterooms are issued silicone wristbands that permit them access into the exclusive spaces. The colorful “Havana Experience” wristbands are an easy way for crew members to check that only permitted guests are allowed into that coveted part of the ship.

John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s brand ambassador, has noted that some less-than-scrupulous guests may sell the wristbands on online auction sites. Upcoming guests who purchase them, however, do not get Havana privileges and instead are just scammed out of their payment without any perks.

But how does Carnival know whether the wristbands are legitimate or not? Heald has explained.

“Some very naughty people have been selling their Havana wristbands on Eeeeeeee Bay and other auction sites. These bands are checked by the staff working in the Havana area,” Heald explained.

“Someone silly decided to buy two of these and tried to wear them to get into the Havana area on one of the ships. They were denied and I am sure were embarrassed because the wristband was the wrong color.”

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

Havana wristbands come in various colors, including brown, green, yellow, blue, red, and white. What inexperienced guests may not realize, however, is the colors aren’t just decorative.

“We used to have just two colors for these cabins,” Heald said. “[Now], we have different colors. They are changed at random each cruise.”

Guests who purchased the used wristbands were denied entrance to the Havana area. While Heald noted that they were likely embarrassed by the incident, he doesn’t elaborate if there were any other consequences for trying to circumvent the cruise line’s rules.

A quick perusal of online auction sites does show some Havana wristbands for sale, with prices ranging from just a few dollars to $30 and higher.

Depending on the seller, some are described as used or collectible only, but there is no mention that the wristbands do not guarantee Havana benefits on upcoming Carnival cruises.

Worth Reading: Carnival Guest Warns Others After Being Targeted by Scam

Auction sites are not responsible for the truthfulness of individual listings, as that information is up to the seller to disclose. Furthermore, there is nothing wrong with previous Havana guests selling the wristbands as unique souvenirs, so long as they are not being dishonest and claiming that buyers will receive the benefits.

In addition to the wristbands, Carnival crew members may ask to see guests’ Sail & Sign cards to verify their Havana status, just to ensure the exclusive area remains exclusive.

Is The Havana Worthwhile?

The exclusive Havana area is only available on select Carnival cruise ships. At this time, the premium area is found on Carnival Vista, Carnival Horizon, and Carnival Panorama, as well as all three of the cruise line’s Excel-class ships – Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Jubilee.

The Havana features old-time Cuban-inspired decor with a relaxed tropical vibe. Each stateroom – and there are different types available to book, from interiors to balconies to suites – has a branded robes and towels for guests to use.

Guests booked in The Havana also have exclusive access to their own pool or hot tub area (depending on the ship), and plenty of sun-drenched lounging space – without the massive crowds in public areas.

The Havana Bar is also available exclusively for booked guests to use. Previously, that venue was open to all guests during the evening hours, but that policy was changed in recent years and now is only available for Havana guests.

All guests booked in Havana staterooms must be age 12 or older, which makes the area even more desirable to guests who prefer quieter, more adult-oriented spaces.

Have you stayed in The Havana? Share your experiences and tips on the Cruise Hive boards!

Cruise lines are all about service, and it is the amazing service guests can receive that will truly make a cruise vacation spectacular. But there are some services that just aren’t possible, even though they may seem simple enough.

One such impossible service is customization in the Main Dining Room – specifically, the ability to special order changes to established appetizers.

One recent Carnival cruise guest messaged John Heald, the cruise line’s brand ambassador, about their frustration with what could have been a simple appetizer change.

“On the Breeze [back-to-back]! Can I order a shrimp cocktail and a Caesar salad together at the same time? Yes is the answer,” the guest described. “So why can’t I order a Caesar salad with shrimp?”

It might seem like adding shrimp to a Caesar salad would be an easy enough step, but the dining room does not take such customization requests.

Heald did, however, note that ordering both appetizers to create one’s customized salad is certainly an option.

“You will need to order both separately, the Caesar salad and the shrimp cocktail,” he confirmed. “You can then pour the shrimp onto the salad.”

This type of adjustment takes only a second, and surely isn’t worth a complaint. But it wasn’t actually the only complaint this guest had about their dining service.

They shared a photo of their salad with Heald, admonishing its proportions.

“Only four croutons. Pikers!” the guest said.

I do love some crunchy, seasoned croutons, but there’s another easy fix to this that Heald points out.

“You can [ask] the waiter for extra croutons,” he said.

This is similar to other dining “hacks” Carnival guests have shared, such as requesting a side of peanut butter to accompany the famous warm chocolate melting cake.

Why Can’t Appetizers Be Customized?

Heald does not elaborate about why appetizers can’t be customized, but it is important to note that cruise ship chefs are preparing hundreds – even thousands – of meals simultaneously. Interrupting their finely tuned process with special requests can create delays and other problems for many other diners.

The Dream-class Carnival Breeze, for example, can welcome 3,690 guests for each sailing, based on double occupancy. The ship has two main dining rooms, Sapphire and Blush, and therefore, four seated dining times – two early and two late. This means roughly 900 guests may be scheduled for each dining time.

Even if one-quarter of the guests choose to eat either at the Lido Marketplace buffet or any of the onboard specialty restaurants, the chefs are making meals for 675 guests in each dining room for each sitting.

And given that individual guests can order multiple appetizers if they wish – I’ve enjoyed soup and salad together many times – the galley may be preparing well over 1,200 appetizers for each dining time.

Adding in the pressure of special orders, such as putting shrimp into the Caesar salad by request, further complicates an already highly complicated operation.

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

Furthermore, many cold appetizer selections, such as salads and shrimp cocktail, may be prepared in advance earlier in the day and therefore are ready-to-serve without modification.

Additional guests also pointed out that the shrimp used for shrimp cocktail have their tails left on for proper presentation. The tails would need to be removed to be added to the salad, which takes more time and further interrupts the service.

Similarly, main menu items cannot be extensively customized. While some items – such as a fresh-cooked side – may sometimes be swapped out for allergy concerns, it is more common that servers would urge guests to select a different item to ensure there is no cross-contamination.

With so much delicious food onboard, every Carnival guest can surely find delicious dishes to enjoy no matter what their dining preferences, without any customization necessary.

There seem to be innumerable debates about Carnival Cruise Line dining, on all sorts of unexpected topics – mayonnaise and ketchup brands, the meltiness of melting cake, customizing appetizers, and more.

One of the most long-standing questions, however, isn’t about the food, but about the tables that food is served on – namely, the tablecloths or lack thereof.

Years ago, Carnival featured tablecloths nightly during each dinnertime service (I remember the crumb scrapers well!), or at the very least, for every “elegant evening” to create a more luxurious ambience.

Those freshly laundered and smoothly ironed cloths have long since been discontinued, however.

When questioned about their absence, the cruise line’s brand ambassador, John Heald, is always consistent with his reply – it’s an environmental issue.

Heald has explained that the environmental cost of laundering hundreds of tablecloths during a cruise is substantial. Removing tablecloths reduces water and detergent usage, as well as the power needed for washing, drying, and ironing.

But would cruisers be willing to pay to bring back tablecloths? One guest has reached out to Heald with the suggestion.

“Poll if [passengers] would be happy to pay a premium for a table in the main dining hall with a tablecloth. It makes all the difference,” the guest suggested.

“Just charge an extra $10 per table per night if you want a tablecloth at dinner. People will pay it.”

Never mind the logistical nightmare – would tablecloths only be available during seated dining times, or could it be arranged for Your Time Dining? What if a guest wants a tablecloth one night but not another? What if all guests sitting at the same table don’t agree on tablecloth use?

Still, Heald did offer up the suggestion as one of the questions in his daily Facebook poll to his more than 614,000 followers.

The results are a bit one-sided, and not on the “people will pay it” side. Of the more than 50,500 votes cast, 38% (more than 19,200 votes) firmly state “I am not going to be paying for a tablecloth at dinner.”

Meanwhile, so few votes were cast for “I would pay $10 extra each night to have a tablecloth” that it registers as 0%.

If the Facebook algorithm rounds to the nearest percentage, this means no more than 247 votes agree that the extra charge would be worthwhile.

What Would Guests Pay Extra For?

In recent years, cruise lines have been adjusting select services not only to update operations to guest expectations but also for cost savings, environmental friendliness, and operational efficiency.

So, what items that have been “lost” on Carnival Cruise Line would guests be willing to pay additional fees to get back?

The first thing that comes to mind – one I might actually pay for – would be the return of twice-daily stateroom service. Gone are the days of a morning cleanup and an evening turndown (except in select suites), but that luxury was truly exceptional.

The long-gone pillow chocolates that were once part of the evening turndown service are missed by some, but frankly, I never found the quality to be exceptional enough to warrant any sort of cost that I’d be willing to pay.

How about robes in all ocean view and balcony staterooms? While bathrobes are provided for suite guests to use, other guests can request robes from their cabin attendants, no extra charge needed.

What about the Midnight Gala Buffet? A culinary spectacle of carved fruits, ice sculptures, and artfully arranged meats, cheeses, breads, and desserts, the once-a-cruise event was discontinued long ago to ease food waste. Could a per-passenger fee, perhaps an “admission” charge, bring it back?

Read Also: Get Some Luxury Perks With Carnival’s Faster to the Fun!

What if Carnival Cruise Line began charging for towel animals? While this might send some guests into a frenzy – the towel creations are amazingly popular for all ages – it could be a good option to justify the environmental cost of washing all those now-used towels at the end of every voyage, just as with tablecloths.

With Carnival and other cruise lines being not-so-quietly accused of nickel and diming guests, it is unlikely that any of these once common services will return, even for an additional charge.

Carnival Cruise Line often goes out of its way to ensure its fleet can accommodate disabled passengers. But what the cruise line can’t control is accessibility at the ports of call.

This is why the family-friendly cruise line has reached out to guests booked on an upcoming 14-night Carnival Journeys sailing to Greenland and Canada – which will be operated by Carnival Pride and is due to embark from Baltimore, Maryland, on May 25, 2025. 

Three of the five ports of call on the itinerary are tender ports only – meaning the Spirit-class ship will have to anchor further away and ferry guests to and from the pier.

The cruise line is giving booked guests a heads up, as these destinations may be challenging for passengers with limited mobility.

In fact, it’s the first three stops on the itinerary – Nanortalik and Qaqortoq in Greenland and St. Anthony (Newfoundland and Labrador), Canada – that are the tender ports in question.

“As the world’s largest island, Greenland showcases vast lands that are generally untouched by human activity, preserving much of its mostly rustic and scenic views. Like some of our destinations, facilities are not equipped for people with mobility limitations,” the cruise line wrote.

“We will be anchoring offshore in both Nanortalik and Qaqortoq (Greenland), and also in St. Anthony (Canada) and using water shuttles to take you from the ship to shore, and back,” the message continued.

In addition to navigating undeveloped terrain, guests were advised that they will have to be capable of using stairs in order to disembark the 2,124-guest ship and to board the water shuttles (or rather lifeboats that are used as shuttles).

At the Greenland destinations, guests will also have to navigate an inclined ramp to actually reach land once the tender boats arrive at the port.

Next passengers were told that bathrooms at the Greenland ports may be limited or completely unavailable – which is good to know no matter your health or mobility status.

For all three of these visits, any mobility devices that guests need to bring ashore with them must also be collapsible to allow for limited space on the tenders – so passengers who need these devices should plan accordingly.

Is it Better to Stay Onboard?

Although it can be disappointing to skip a port of call you may have been looking forward to, safety always has to be the top priority.

If you have a disability that may make visiting these destinations unsafe for you, it may be better to hang back and enjoy the 88,500-gross ton ship.

For example, I am currently recovering from ankle surgery. If I was booked on this voyage, I would be looking forward to taking advantage of the amenities onboard with less crowds while others are off exploring.

“Given these limitations, if you decide to remain on board, the Carnival Pride team will have a variety of activities and entertainment for you to enjoy…We are looking forward to welcoming you aboard for this unique journey that promises fun and lasting memories,” Carnival’s letter concluded.

In addition to amenities like a full spa, pools, and hot tubs, the Fun Squad also hosts entertainment like interactive trivia – even while in port.

Read Also: Cruise Ship Tendering – Top 6 Pro Tips

This news also doesn’t mean that guests with limited mobility have to be confined to the ship for the duration of the sailing. Each individual knows their own limits best, so perhaps this means they only disembark for one or two of the three tender ports.

The final two stops on the itinerary – which are on Corner Brook (Newfoundland and Labrador), Canada; and Sydney (Nova Scotia), Canada – also have the infrastructure for cruise ships to dock at the pier, which will make getting off and re-boarding much easier.

All lives are sacred at sea, even four-legged ones, and the diligent crew of Carnival Splendor wasn’t about to leave any lives – two- and four-legged alike – in peril this week.

The Sydney-based ship was sailing an 8-night Vanuatu and New Caledonia cruise that departed Australia on Monday, May 19, 2025. On Thursday morning, the distress call from a disabled catamaran came in while the cruise ship was south of New Caledonia.

The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Noumea, New Caledonia, relayed the distress call to the cruise ship, and Carnival Splendor immediately diverted in order to render assistance.

On arriving at the drifting catamaran after about 5 hours, the crew discovered four sailors and three dogs aboard.

Two of the human passengers are Australian bloggers sailing around the world heading to Fiji, while the other two are a couple that joined their journey on May 14. According to 9 News, the catamaran’s engine failed and mast broke in bad weather.

While pets typically aren’t permitted on Carnival cruise ships, the three dogs – two French bulldogs and a miniature husky – were also brought aboard Carnival Splendor, without hesitation.

“All four people and the three dogs were safely welcomed onto Carnival Splendor and are receiving food, water and medical assistance,” a statement from Carnival Cruise Line Australia said.

Despite the diversion for the rescue operation, Carnival Splendor should not have any delay to her itinerary. Her calls to Mystery Island on Friday, May 23 as well as Noumea on Saturday, May 24, will go ahead as scheduled.

The extra guests will depart the cruise ship in Noumea, while Carnival Splendor will spend two additional days at sea for her return to Sydney on Tuesday, May 27.

Read Also: 10 Reasons Why I Would Never Take a Dog-Friendly Cruise

The 113,600-gross ton cruise ship is based year-round from Sydney, the capital city of New South Wales, Australia. She offers a diverse selection of short cruise-to-nowhere getaways and sailings from 3-12 days to destinations in Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and more.

Not the First Canine Rescue-at-Sea!

This is not the first time a cruise ship has unexpectedly welcomed a canine cruiser onboard following a rescue situation.

In January 2024, Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas rescued six fishermen and their dog during a Western Caribbean sailing off the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico after their small vessel experienced engine failure.

In November 2024, Voyager of the Seas – also in the Royal Caribbean fleet – rescued a stranded family and their dog from a stranded sailboat off the coast of Marrakesh, Morocco, while the ship was enjoying a transatlantic cruise.

Dog-friendly rescues have also happened closer to homeports. In January 2025, the wake of a cruise ship – either Radiance of the Seas or Enchantment of the Seas – accidentally sank a small boat in Tampa Bay. The two sailors and their dog clung to a buoy until they were quickly rescued by two harbor pilots.

While rescue situations are extreme circumstances and cruise ships will always strive to protect all lives at sea, only fully-trained service dogs are permitted aboard Carnival cruise ships for regular sailings. Emotional support dogs or therapy dogs are not permitted.

When a service dog is aboard, a special potty area is prepared for the animal, and the dogs are permitted in all public areas of the ship, as well as the guest’s stateroom, of course. Guests traveling with a service dog must provide the dog’s vaccination records and other documentation to the cruise line prior to sailing.

No major cruise line permits pet dogs aboard, though Margaritaville at Sea has teamed up with Cruise Tails to offer the first-of-its-kind dog-friendly cruise coming in November 2025.

The special sailing is being heavily regulated and monitored to ensure everyone aboard – canine cruisers and their owners – is safe and has a fantastic time.