Carnival Cruise Line has a long list of items that cannot be brought on its ships. Some of these fall firmly under the category of “common sense.”
For example, you cannot bring firearms or other weapons, illegal narcotics, or fireworks with you on your cruise. But there is a long list of other banned items that are not as obvious. As one example, many cruisers who know how to SCUBA dive will book a diving excursion at a port. But you cannot bring your own dive tank (or anything with compressed gas) on the ship – instead, you’ll have to use the equipment provided by the excursion company.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line passengers reject Royal Caribbean staple
Another example of a banned item that often surprises people is scissors. You can bring small personal grooming scissors but crafting or full-size scissors are forbidden. You also can’t bring your own internet equipment, such as a satellite receiver. And if your kids have shoes with built-in wheels (like mine do), they’ll have to park them at home.
This isn’t an exhaustive list, as Carnival maintains a long and detailed page of banned items on its website. And in addition to those mentioned already, there’s one type of banned item that can affect your ability to enjoy your preferred cup of coffee in the morning.
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You can’t make your own coffee on a Carnival cruise
A Diamond-level cruiser (someone who has sailed with Carnival quite a lot) recently sent Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald a message, expressing their disappointment about not being allowed to bring their own coffee maker on their cruise. The question read:
“We had our Mr. Coffee confiscated on our Radiance journey cruise John. This ruined the experience we had been looking forward to for many months. We know room service will deliver a coffee pot in the room at 6am. It was either luke warm, too strong or watered down…I would like an explanation to this John.”
Heald simply replied that coffee makers – whether electronic in nature or French press-style –cannot be brought on board. He went on to say that if the room service coffee isn’t to the guest’s liking, the crew will be happy to make a fresh pot to the customer’s specifications.
Many comments on Heald’s post agreed that the room service coffee and that on the Lido deck isn’t always the best, but that the premium offerings in JavaBlue café (more on that in a bit) are excellent. Almost all comments agreed with Heald, and many thought such a frequent cruiser should know better. Heald follower Pat Bradbury commented that “A “diamond” cruiser should know they can’t bring their own coffee pot. Sounds to me like their entitlement issues overrode their common sense.”
Interestingly, after scrolling through hundreds of comments, I couldn’t find one who thought coffee makers should be allowed on the ships.
To be sure, Carnival offers several coffee options on its ships. There is brewed coffee available in the Lido buffet, the main dining room, and in some cases, other locations throughout the ship. And it’s completely free.
There are also the JavaBlue cafes, Carnival’s premium coffee shop, which features hand-crafted beverages that are mostly espresso-based. For example, if you want a large vanilla latte, that’s where you’d get it. Plus, JavaBlue also has its own brewed coffee (for a fee) if you aren’t a fan of the free variety. If you have a beverage package, JavaBlue drinks are included.
On some ships there are even more options. Some Carnival ships have the Havana Bar, and these have espresso machines and serve several Cuban-style coffee drinks.
Why aren’t coffee makers allowed?
When it comes to drip coffeemakers, the answer is rather obvious. Carnival’s banned items list specifically prohibits anything with a heating element. It is the same rule that prevents you from bringing an iron, clothes steamer, or a humidifier on board. In simple terms, the single most important hazard to avoid on a ship is fire, so cruise lines proactively ban most things that could start a fire accidentally.
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With a French press, it’s a little less obvious, and this is an item that isn’t mentioned on the banned list, nor is it clearly a part of any category of banned items.
The most likely explanation is that it creates an unnecessary broken glass hazard. One notable line on the banned list prohibits any type of non-alcoholic beverages that aren’t in cans or cartons (read: no glass).
Admittedly, as a former restaurant manager, I can imagine the nightmare it would create for the crew if someone shattered a French press while attempting to fill it with hot water at a Lido deck beverage station.
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