Carnival Bans Popular On Board Activity – All Texas, Louisiana Sailings

(KMDL-FM) As a veteran of nearly three dozen cruises over the past decade or so, I have a little bit of free advice for you regarding a cruise vacation. Go now. Seriously, the late summer and early fall are great for most itineraries. Oddly enough, for Texas and Louisiana cruisers, the vacation plan that might come with most loose ends is the one that leaves out of Galveston or New Orleans.

Now, don't get us wrong, the Port of New Orleans is a great embarkation point for Louisiana cruise guests. The Port of Galveston just keeps getting better and better as the principals behind that operation have really leaned into making Galveston the greatest, if not one of the greatest, embarkation points across the cruising landscape.

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One of the reasons we mention "loose ends" in regards to a Galveston or New Orleans cruise this time of year is the hurricane season. It's not so much an issue at sea, but it can create changes in your itinerary and, in some cases, can delay you getting back into the port you left from. As far as ships and hurricanes go, the ships go around them and stay far far away.

What Is There To Do On a Cruise Ship When You're Not in Port?

So, now that we've got you sailing and on board your Carnival cruise, I am sure you're ready to unwind and get to "chillin" with your friends and family. There are a lot of things to do on a cruise, but folks in Louisiana and Texas sometimes like to pack their own fun. And depending on your idea of fun, you could be asked to stop or even escorted off the ship.

Carnival Ships, like most cruise vessels, have a casino on board. The casino usually operates in international waters and is closed when the ship is in port. That's when you can usually find your shipmates passing the time waiting for the ship to sail by playing cards and other games. Most of those games are fine to play on board the ship. However, there is one aspect of any game that Carnival will not allow.

Here in Louisiana, we like to play Bourré; in Texas, they might like to play Hold 'em. Both games are allowed on Carnival ships as long as you are not playing for money. In fact, you can play almost any game you want to play in the public spaces of a Carnival ship as long as money does not change hands.

Carnival Bans Popular On-Board Activity During Cruises

The reason for the "No Gambling" unless you're in the casino is not as hard-hearted as it may seem. Many people look at this rule as the cruise line just wanting to take in all the money. The fact is, the cruise lines, even in international waters, are still subject to gaming regulations. A violation of those regulations could mean the closure of their onboard casino. That's why they get so "serious about it" when they see you gambling on board.

Here's how Carnival's Brand Ambassador, John Heald, addressed the issue. By the way, John is a great follow on social media, especially if you enjoy cruising and cruise vacations.

So, that next cruise adventure you're planning with friends or family, just be aware that you can play games together in the public spaces, but you just can't play for money. At least blatantly play for money. And remember, if you're asked to stop, you need to do so. Because they will put you off the boat. I have seen it happen, and it's not pretty.