A Carnival cruise passenger has complained that she felt discriminated against during a comedy performance, after being unable to see the comedian from her seat.

John Heald, Carnival’s Brand Ambassador, posted the passenger’s complaint (anonymised) which detailed how, at 5 ft 6, she was unable to enjoy the comedy show in full.
She claimed that anyone over 6 feet tall should be forced to sit in the back row of all Carnival shows, and that “these guys get enough privileges in life” as it is.
She also says that she asked for reserved seating while onboard so that she could sit in the front row, but was told this wasn’t possible, which is her grounds for claiming discrimination.
Heald responded to the complaint publicly, saying that while he understood the inconvenience, it wouldn’t be fair to allow all adults of 5 ft 6 to reserve seating.
Heald also rightly asked whether that was considered short – according to the most recent data, the average height for men in the UK and US is 5 ft 9 while the average height for women is 5 ft 3.5 inches.
He also added a dollop of his trademark humour:
Is this discrimination? I really don’t want her to be upset and protest in the atrium screaming:
What do we want?
Rights for small people
When do we want them?
ShortlyJohn Heald’s Facebook page
As he also stated, the solution for anyone concerned about being able to see the show was to get there early, to make sure you have the best seat.
While I don’t agree with the guest here, I do think that adults on a Disney cruise wearing Mickey ears during a show are being selfish and are causing unnecessary problems.
If you’re wearing something on your head which could restrict the view of those behind you, take it off for the show.
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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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WOW!! 5’6″ isn’t exactly short, just organise yourself and get there earlier.
What does she suggest in cases where there is a height disparity? My wife is 5’2″ and her late 1st husband was 6’3″ – should they sit in different parts of the auditorium?
Talk about a chip on the shoulder!