When most young people get on a cruise ship, they’re going for one reason and one reason alone: to party.
Of course, there are other reasons why one might take a cruise vacation. It could go to some destinations they’ve always wanted to see, or they could be looking for an easy way to see several locations at once.
However, the ubiquity of “drinks packages” in the industry shows that many are there not only to travel but to have a good time fueled by a bit of booze.
That said, there are limits to just how much alcohol one can be served—and what happens if the cruise staff believes you’ve had too much.
Why Did Carnival Cruise Take This Woman’s Door Handle Away?
In a video with over 1 million views, TikTok user Kelly (@kellyjo510) shows Carnival Cruise staff working on her balcony door.
“APPARENTLY if you EVEN think about a stumble on a CARNIVAL cruise ship after drinking….. they WILL take your balcony door knob,” Kelly writes in the text overlaying her video.
While she seems to be in good spirits about the event, her caption pokes fun at the idea of taking her doorknob for alcohol consumption.
“I mean come on,” she writes. “I bought the drink package for a reason.” She also adds the hashtag “#stupid,” noting in a comment that her drink privileges were taken away for the next 24 hours.
Does Carnival Cruise Really Take Your Doorknob If You’ve Been Drinking?
Carnival Cruise does not appear to have a stated policy on this issue. That said, there are enough similar stories to show that Kelly’s experience was not a one-off event.
For example, on Reddit, a user claimed that they drank too much and returned to their room. They were staying alone. When they awoke, they discovered that security had removed their balcony door handle.
“Security had helped me back to my room,” the user wrote. “They explained it was for safety since I was traveling alone.”
A post on Facebook shows a balcony door handle that has been removed. Another Facebook post claims that passengers report having their balcony door handles removed after excessive drinking.
Why Does Carnival Do This?
As Carnival does not have a stated policy on this issue, there’s no official explanation behind this practice.
However, people to whom this has happened, and others observing the practice, speculate that it has to do with safety.
While incidents are rare, there have been multiple accounts of intoxicated people falling off their balcony on a cruise ship. For example, there was a 2012 incident in which a woman alleged she was overserved and fell overboard. There was another incident more than a decade later in which a woman passed away after falling off a cruise ship while intoxicated.
Having one’s balcony door handle removed may be unpleasant. That said, it’s likely a safety measure to ensure that guests don’t accidentally hurt themselves or fall off the boat.
@kellyjo510 I mean come on😂😂. I bought the drink package for a reason. #fyp #carnivalcruise #stupid
Commenters Are Divided
In the comments section, some users said they were happy about this move. Specifically, they noted that the cruise appeared to be taking proactive steps to protect guests.
“They said they aren’t gonna be part of a … Hulu doc in 10 yrs,” joked a user.
“You know I’m not mad about that. I can appreciate this,” added another. “I’m not a drinker really but I’ve seen enough drunk people stumble and fall that it is really nice that they do this. No liability and they are saving lives.”
“They care about their customers….. or they just don’t want to deal with the paper work,” offered a third. “At least you ain’t stumbling off that balcony.”
That said, some felt it was unfair to punish guests in this manner. These commenters pointed out guests typically pay for balcony access and drinks. Taking those things away for a single night of bad decisions, they argued, was wrong.
“And now it will be 24 hours before you get your drink package privileges back that you paid $1000 for,” declared a user.
“Every day I’m greatful for never wanting to go on a cruise because the amount of dumb rules is ridiculous,” stated a second.
BroBible reached out to Carnival via email and Kelly via TikTok direct message and comment.