Arriving for their Carnival comedy cruise last week in Brisbane, Tracey and her friend realised one of their bags hadn’t arrived at their room. Instead of the suitcase being left at the cabin door, there was a note advising them to head down to see security on one of the lower decks.
“At that point we had no idea,” Tracey Williams told Yahoo News Australia. The letter stated that the bag was being stored at security and was believed to be holding a prohibited item.
When the duo arrived at deck four, it soon became clear why they had been summoned. Inside a giant clear plastic bag were dozens of Bluetooth speakers.
“They got her to open the suitcase, they went looking and then said, ‘yep, that’s what needs to be removed’,” Tracey said, adding her friend’s Bluetooth speaker was then added to the growing pile.
“It’s just a shame. What’s happened is there’s been a few people that have taken their Bluetooth speakers on a cruise and just been inconsiderate of others, you know, on the balcony and have it turned up pretty high, annoying everyone.
“Whereas people like us, like to just have some music as we get dressed to go out for dinner or whatever,” she said.
After handing over the offending speaker, security staff gave them a document and said they could collect it at the end of the cruise.
In a video posted to her TikTok page, Tracey captured a second plastic bag containing confiscated powerboards.
The ban on speakers has been in place since last November, but Tracey said the list of prohibited items is written as part of the terms and conditions and evidently “not everyone looks at that”.
“It is actually a really easy process,” she said of the security protocols.
Why are portable speakers banned on Carnival Cruises?
A Carnival spokesperson said noise pollution was the primary driver behind the move.
“Carnival Cruise Line has long maintained a list of prohibited items to ensure the safety, comfort, and enjoyment of all guests on board,” the spokesperson previously told Yahoo News.
“Portable speakers and boom boxes fall under this list due to the potential for noise disturbances in the ship’s shared environment.”
Things that are banned on Carnival cruises:
Plastic or glass bottled beverages
Scooters, segways, bicycles
Fish of any kind, including any caught at a destination
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