One Guest Asked to Fish From Their Balcony and Carnival’s Answer Was Firm

There are some reminders that are so ridiculous they shouldn’t have to be given, but for Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald, it’s simply a run-of-the-mill day of fielding questions from future cruise guests.

But the most unusual request as of late was a request to go fishing from their Cove Balcony stateroom.

For context, these special staterooms are found onboard the brand’s Dream-class, Vista-class, and Excel-class ships. They are typically located on deck 2 (or deck 5 for the Excel-class) to be closer to the water.

“Sorry Meredith, I know your husband would love to be able to fish from his Cove balcony but this is strictly forbidden,” Heald said in a Facebook post.

“If you bring fishing equipment on the cruise it will be collected and returned to you on port days,” he continued.

Notably, live fish are on Carnival’s prohibited items list. The policy is so strict that even fish caught during shore excursions must be shipped home.

Only fish sourced by the cruise line can be cooked and served onboard. Other fish are considered high-risk for transmitting disease or causing food poisoning.

There is an exemption for fishing rods, but these can only be used during port calls. Otherwise, fishing equipment must be safely stored in guest staterooms.

Fishing Could Result in a Lifetime Ban

As the nature of this request is particularly absurd, many of Heald’s followers could only respond with humor.

“I thought they held a fishing tournament on the aft part of ship on the second sea day,” one cruise fan quipped.

“Can we use a retractable net? So long as we do not drop it the water or let it get caught in the propellers? Safety First!,” another asked in jest.

All jokes aside, the penalties for guests who attempt to fish onboard are severe. Consequences range from having fishing gear confiscated and having to pay up to $500 for violating Carnival’s code of conduct to a lifetime ban.

It wouldn’t be the first time Carnival has issued a lifetime ban for this offense either. On April 18, 2023, Cruise Hive reported on two guests who went viral on TikTok for fishing from their private balcony using a lengthy piece of line.

By April 20, 2023, both guests had received a lifetime ban. Carnival had to crack down hard because fishing onboard poses significant safety, ecological, and sanitation concerns.

Why is Fishing So Bad?

There are many practical, regulatory, and safety reasons for why fishing is prohibited on cruise ships across all the major brands, not just Carnival.

First, fishing off the side of a large ship comes with a multitude of risks from sharp hooks, tangled lines, and accidentally dropping equipment.

This could cause injury to both the fisherman and other unsuspecting passengers who are at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Cruise ships also have to adhere to the environmental regulations set by the regions they are sailing in, and fishing could cause significant damage to marine life and delicate ecosystems.

Depending on the itinerary, the ship could be sailing in areas that are home to high-risk species of fish, sea turtles, or plant life. Not only do the cruise lines care about protecting the environment, but violating regulations could result in hefty fines for the brand.

Relatedly, Carnival enforces an Items Overboard Policy, in which guests who put anything overboard without explicit permission can be slapped with a $500 charge per violation. Fishing lines would not be authorized.

“Any willful or negligent act of discharging or releasing any unauthorized item overboard, without the express permission of the ship’s staff may result in a $500 charge, per violation,” Carnival’s policy states.

Because of the damage that fishing can do to marine ecosystems, cruise guests might accidentally jeopardize the health of local fishing industries at the various cruise ports. These people rely on fishing for their food and income, and a disruption would be disastrous.

If guests simply can’t resist the urge to fish, they should make arrangements to go fishing in an approved location while visiting the ports of call on their itinerary.