Handheld fans banned on indoor dance floors in new Carnival Cruise policy

By Elijah Qualls
AFRO Intern

Word has been getting around that the famous Carnival Cruise line is starting to crack down on its rules. Starting in June, there have been reports from passengers that a letter is being sent to them or left in their cabin detailing the new on-board restrictions and rules. While most of them are common practice and widely accepted, the ban of “clack” fans on indoor dance floors has received a lot of comments. 

While the document, which is being widely referred to as the “Have Fun. Be Safe” letter, has not been publicly released nor has the policy been addressed by the Carnival Cruise line, the letter has been circulated through social media platforms. Furthermore, the existence of the letter was confirmed by a representative of the Carnival Cruise line on a phone call, and the policy was confirmed by a travel agent with the Cruise Line International Association.

The section regarding the handheld fan ban is as follows: “For safety reasons, handheld fans are not permitted in the nightclub or on any indoor dance floor. In addition, beverages are not allowed on any dance floor.”

A screenshot of the letter was posted by Terrell Powell on June 1 on a Facebook group called Carnival Glory – Port Canaveral. However, different versions of the letter are being shared and discussed on other social media platforms such as Twitter (X), Instagram and TikTok. Many different schools of thought are presenting themselves in the comment sections of these posts. 

Most of the rules such as the supervision of children, curfew and saving of pool chairs have been in place prior to this letter; however, the clack fan ban is new. Rumors are also floating around that Carnival has banned hip-hop music, but there is no statement nor documented proof of such allegations. 

There has been a wide array of reactions from the Black community and otherwise.

“If the ban keeps certain people from going, I’ll actually take my family on one of these cruises,” said an Instagram account called Osmjunk. “But as a Black man, I know how we act and what to expect, which is why I was never bringing my family anywhere near a Carnival Cruise.”

The fans are typically used during 803Fresh’s now-famous song and accompanying line dance, “Boots on the Ground,” but recent Carnival passengers such as Sheri Watson Vaughan commented on Facebook that many of the rules are not enforced. 

“I just got off Carnival Celebration yesterday. They say the rumor mill says we were banning this song, but truthfully, we were just waiting for the right time to play it. Yes, they played ‘Boots on the Ground’ and we were all jamming.”