Top 5 Cruise News Stories for Nov 2, 2026

Carnival Tests New Gratuity Stickers on Sail & Sign Cards, and Cruisers Have Opinions

Carnival Cruise Line has found another way to get cruisers talking, and this time it involves something as simple as a sticker.

Passengers on select Carnival ships have started receiving a small sticker on their Sail & Sign cards that reads, "Crew Love – I pre-paid my gratuities." The sticker identifies guests who paid their daily gratuities before boarding, and Carnival has confirmed that the new idea is part of a trial program.

Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald confirmed that the stickers are real after photos began circulating online. He acknowledged that the program had just started and said he would share more information when he could.

The stickers are also accompanied by thank-you cards left in the staterooms of guests who prepaid their gratuities. Carnival says the idea is to recognize those guests while helping crew members identify passengers whose gratuities have already been paid.

But not everyone is impressed.

The stickers have sparked quite a debate among Carnival passengers, with many questioning why their payment arrangements need to be displayed on their cruise cards. Some believe it could create an unnecessary distinction between passengers who prepay and those who have their gratuities added to their onboard accounts.

Others wonder whether passengers without a sticker could be viewed differently by crew members, even though they may fully intend to pay their gratuities.

There are also passengers who actually like the idea, saying they appreciate Carnival recognizing those who pay ahead of time.

It's important to remember that not having a sticker doesn't mean someone isn't paying gratuities. Some passengers simply prefer to have the charges added to their Sail & Sign account during the cruise rather than paying them in advance.

Carnival has emphasized that all guests should receive the same level of service regardless of when they pay.

For now, this is not a fleet-wide change, and Carnival has not announced whether the trial will become permanent.

It seems like a pretty small change, but judging by the reaction online, Carnival has certainly managed to get its passengers talking. What do you think? Is this a nice way to recognize guests who prepay, or is Carnival making something personal into something that doesn't need to be advertised?

Royal Caribbean Cancels All Labadee Visits Through April 2028

Royal Caribbean cruisers hoping for a beach day at Labadee, Haiti, will have to wait quite a bit longer. The cruise line has extended its suspension of visits to the private beach destination through at least April 2028 because of continued violence and instability in Haiti.

The latest announcement affects 44 itineraries across nine ships, including Adventure, Allure, Explorer, Freedom, Harmony, Independence, Serenade, Star, and Symphony of the Seas.

Depending on the sailing, Labadee is being replaced with other Caribbean ports, including Grand Turk, Nassau, Cozumel, Amber Cove, and San Juan. Some itineraries will receive an additional sea day instead. A few cruises will also see changes to other scheduled ports to accommodate the new arrangements.

This is another extension of a suspension that has been pushed back several times. Royal Caribbean last visited Labadee in April 2025, and just three months ago the cruise line had extended its cancellations through mid-2027.

Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley recently addressed the situation during the company's President's Cruise, explaining that the cruise line has dealt with periods of instability in Haiti before, but this situation has lasted longer and become much more dangerous.

He said the company would not return until it was confident the destination was safe for guests and crew.

For passengers who already booked excursions through Royal Caribbean for Labadee, those prepaid excursions will automatically be refunded.

We have personally visited Labadee, and it really is a beautiful destination. In fact, the photo at the top of our website is our own ship docked there. It's disappointing to see a place like this remain off cruise itineraries for so long, but given the ongoing situation in Haiti, we completely understand why Royal Caribbean is putting safety first.

For now, cruisers with Labadee on their original itinerary should watch for updated schedules and emails from the cruise line. And if you're considering booking a cruise specifically because it includes Labadee, you may want to reconsider those plans until Royal Caribbean is confident enough to resume visits.

Carnival Teams Up With Guy Fieri to Give Away 1 Million Rewards Points

Carnival Cruise Line is giving its loyalty program members another reason to get excited, teaming up with celebrity chef Guy Fieri for a giveaway totaling one million Carnival Rewards points.

The promotion, called Guy's Ultimate Points Giveaway, will award prizes to 16 lucky winners. The grand prize winner will receive 250,000 points, while five additional winners will each receive 100,000 points. Another ten winners will take home 25,000 points apiece.

The giveaway runs through November 18, 2026, and entering is free. You must be at least 21 years old, be a Carnival Rewards member, and live in the United States, Washington D.C., or Canada (excluding Quebec).

There's also an opportunity to enter every day, with one entry permitted per person per day. No purchase is necessary, and you don't have to book a cruise to participate.

Winners will be selected around November 19. One important detail: Carnival Rewards points have no cash value and are subject to the program's redemption rules.

For cruisers interested in entering, Carnival has set up an official registration page at carnivalrewards.com/guy.

With one million points being handed out, this is a promotion Carnival fans may want to check out before the November 18 deadline.

Carnival Warns Scooter Users They Could Be Denied Boarding If Their Mobility Device Doesn't Fit

Carnival Cruise Line is reminding passengers traveling with mobility scooters that bringing one on a cruise doesn't automatically guarantee it will be allowed onboard. The cruise line has begun sending pre-cruise emails reminding guests that their scooters must fit inside their booked staterooms, or they could be denied boarding.

Passengers booked on the November 8, 2026 sailing of Carnival Radiance, a 14-night Hawaii cruise departing Long Beach, recently received the warning approximately two weeks before departure. However, this is not a new policy, and the requirements apply to Carnival passengers across the fleet.

According to the email, guests traveling with scooters will have their mobility devices measured at check-in to ensure they fit inside their reserved staterooms. If the scooter is too large, it will not be permitted onboard. Carnival warns that passengers who cannot arrange to rent a smaller scooter or travel without one could be denied boarding, with no compensation provided.

Carnival is encouraging passengers to complete its Mobility Devices Form before sailing. The form asks about the type of mobility device being used, its power source, the passenger's mobility needs, and their booked stateroom.

The reason for the policy is fairly straightforward. Mobility scooters must be stored inside passenger staterooms when not in use. They cannot be left in hallways or other public areas, where they can create obstacles for other passengers and interfere with emergency access.

The email also addresses what happens if a passenger leaves the ship before the cruise ends without taking their mobility device with them. Carnival says guests are responsible for arranging and paying for the return shipment of their scooter or other mobility equipment.

This could become important in situations where a passenger has to leave the ship early, such as a medical evacuation.

For anyone planning to cruise with a mobility scooter, the best advice is to check the dimensions of your device against your stateroom before sailing and contact Carnival if you have questions. Don't wait until you arrive at the terminal to discover your scooter won't fit.

A little planning ahead could prevent a very disappointing start to a vacation.

Cruise Passenger Sues Royal Caribbean Over a $405 Car Wash and Gets Banned for Life

Sometimes cruise complaints get a little out of hand, and this one might take the cake. A longtime Royal Caribbean passenger and his wife have reportedly been permanently banned from Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea after a dispute over a $405 car wash.

The story began when the Florida couple sailed aboard Celebrity Apex from Port Canaveral. When they arrived at the cruise terminal, the indoor parking garage was full, so they were directed to an outdoor overflow parking lot.

After returning from their seven-night cruise, the passenger discovered his Ford Expedition covered in what he described as hardened sea salt. He first paid $35 for a regular car wash, but when that didn't satisfy him, he hired a mobile detailing company for another $370.

Believing the salt had damaged his vehicle's paint, he contacted Celebrity Cruises and demanded reimbursement for the $405. Celebrity declined, explaining that parking was not part of the cruise and directing him to review his cruise contract.

That wasn't the end of it. The passenger then filed an arbitration complaint against Royal Caribbean, paying a $225 filing fee. When the American Arbitration Association declined to move forward with the case, he interpreted its response as permission to take the matter to small claims court.

That's when things got considerably worse.

According to Consumer Rescue, Royal Caribbean contacted the passenger and informed him that both he and his wife were permanently banned from sailing with Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, or Silversea.

The passenger, who had spent more than 20 years cruising with the company and had reached Diamond status in its loyalty program, was understandably upset.

But there was another problem with his complaint. The parking facilities at Port Canaveral are operated by the Canaveral Port Authority, not Royal Caribbean or Celebrity Cruises. The parking receipt also included a disclaimer explaining that vehicles were parked at the owner's own risk, including potential damage from weather conditions.

The consumer advocate who investigated the complaint also questioned whether the vehicle had actually suffered paint damage, noting that the detailing invoice described a deluxe cleaning service rather than repairs to damaged paint.

The passenger has reportedly continued pursuing his small claims lawsuit, hoping to recover his expenses and eventually have the lifetime ban reversed.

It's a pretty extraordinary situation, and a reminder that parking at a cruise terminal is generally a separate service from your cruise. It's also worth understanding who actually operates the parking facility before deciding who should be responsible when something goes wrong.

After more than 20 years of cruising with Royal Caribbean, this passenger may have learned an expensive lesson. Sometimes it's worth knowing when to walk away from a $405 disagreement.

We are Tim & Lori and are known as "The Cruising Together Couple"  

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