Carnival Cruise Line sets record straight as sister line adds food fine
Although every cruise line is different, cruise vacationers often expect cruise lines owned by the same company to have similar rules. That's why when Carnival Corporation's Costa Cruises recently added a controversial new food policy, Carnival cruisers quickly became concerned.
Costa Cruises' surprising new food rule prohibits passengers from taking food out of designated dining areas. Those who don't follow the strict rule could face a 60-euro cleaning fee, creating a dilemma from Costa cruisers who like to take food from the buffet back to their cabins or to the pool.
As news spread about Costa's crackdown, many cruisers became worried that sister cruise line Carnival would add a similar ban on taking food to cabins, especially as cruise influencers paired shocking headlines with photos of Carnival ships.
Should Carnival cruisers be concerned about Costa Cruises' new food policy? Here's what Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald told his more than 670,000 Facebook followers in a May 25 Facebook video after receiving an influx of questions about the new cruise rule.
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Cruise line policies vary, even under the same parent company
Before sharing what Carnival cruisers should know about taking food outside of the buffet on Carnival cruise ships, Heald urged passengers not to expect every cruise line to do things the same way.
"First of all, every cruise line is different and it does astonish me when people say things like, well on the Wonder of the Norwegian Virgin of the Seas X they had naked rock wall climbing or the robot bartender would make them a cocktail and tickle them with a peacock feather. And if you said you were a Cruise Critic member you'd get free nibbles," Heald said.
Related: Try these casual cruise ship specialty dining gems
Heald pointed out that the success of the cruise industry is largely driven by the fact that every cruise line is not the same, each offering distinct experiences for different types of vacationers. And that applies within companies like Carnival Corp. that own multiple cruise lines.
"Every cruise line is different and we all do things differently and that's why the industry is so successful. There is something to suit every taste, there really is," Heald emphasized.
Yes, you can still take food to your cabin on a Carnival cruise ship
Despite what cruise influencers may suggest, Carnival passengers shouldn't expect that a ban on taking food out of the buffet is coming soon to Carnival Cruise Line.
"Before you start shouting at me, which a lot of you did last week, just be very careful…that you're not dangling on the hook of the cruise influencer," Heald said.
Related: What the internet gets wrong about Carnival cruises
Some posts intentionally mislead in order to get more clicks and views, and using a photo of a Carnival cruise ship with a sensationalized headline tends to draw attention.
But the bottom line is: if you want to take food from the Lido buffet or a restaurant back to your cabin or another public area of the ship, you're still welcome to do so on a Carnival cruise ship.
"You can still take food back to your cabin so please ignore that," Heald urged.
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This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 4:24 AM.