Carnival Cruise Line has officially banned all types of speakers and radios onboard its ships, citing safety concerns.

The policy, which applies to Bluetooth, portable, and wireless speakers, aims to ensure that public announcements can be clearly heard by both guests and crew, particularly in emergencies.
While safety has been named as the primary reason, there’s also a good chance that guest complaints contributed to the cruise – as some would use their speaker onboard to play their own music, regardless of others’ tastes.
The updated rule is now listed under the “Prohibited Items Policies” on Carnival’s website, which reads “All speakers (including Bluetooth, portable, and wireless types) and radios are prohibited and will be held and returned at the end of the cruise. For safety reasons, public announcements must be heard by all guests and crew,”.
The cruise line hasn’t made an announcement regarding the ban, but it’s definitely a recent addition to the policy – the wording around speakers and radios didn’t exist in the website’s policy in October 2024.
Reports from passengers indicate that the confiscation of speakers has already begun. One traveller claimed that over 100 devices were collected from luggage during a recent voyage, though it’s not clear how they found this out.
Already, the move to ban speakers has split opinion with guests.
Some are unhappy because they feel they were able to use their speakers responsibly, either in their cabin while getting ready or when visiting the beach.
Others have applauded the change, saying that too many guests are inconsiderate of others and play music that’s too loud, or that’s inappropriate.
“We want people to please use headphones and also, it is important that if people were using Bluetooth speakers to play their own music, that music may not be appropriate.”
John Heald, Carnival Brand Ambassador
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
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