Cruise lines are always adding items to their “ban list” as new trends and technologies emerge. And sometimes the policy page isn’t as up to date with modern devices.
A YouTuber, Richard with the channel ‘No Pants Profits’, recently found himself in a bit of hot water while cruising aboard Carnival Miracle.
After using a Starlink Mini satellite dish to improve his internet connection on the ship, he was approached by security and the device was confiscated.
“I know what this was about,” the YouTuber explained in a video. “They wanted to talk to me in the hotel director’s office.”
Richard revealed that Carnival’s chief information officer had been sent a video showing the use of the Starlink Mini and had instructed the ship to confiscate it.
Despite the device being technically allowed on board, the cruise line argued that it was a “satellite disk” rather than a “satellite dish,” a claim the YouTuber disputed when referring to the wording of the policy.
Carnival’s Prohibited Item list includes the following:
- Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRB), communication scanners, wideband receivers, satellite phones, transformers, lasers and laser pointers.
- Satellite dish, routers and other internet related equipment
“I’m not going to fight them. I gave it up. I just had three simple requests,” Richard said. He wanted some paperwork to show that the device was being confiscated, and he wanted an Airtag attached to it so he could track it.
Thirdly, Richard wanted the device to be treated as a drone so he could get the Starlink Mini back when he was in port so he could have internet when off the ship.
Richard added that he was disappointed with Carnival’s decision to confiscate the Starlink Mini, especially considering the poor Wi-Fi speeds he experienced while on the ship.
He noted that he would likely be unable to use the device again on future Carnival cruises but expressed hope that other cruise lines would be more accepting of such technology.
“I think that’s important to understand,” he said. “Companies hate competition. This is competition.”
In the video, Richard showed a download speed of about 3.5 Mbps when connected to the ship’s WiFi. In comparison, he was able to reach download speeds of 140Mbps with Starlink.
With a few crass comments about the cruise line and a promise that he will come back stronger, Richard ended the video, noting that he was not banned from Carnival.
Cruise ships are increasingly adopting Starlink to provide passengers with reliable high-speed internet access, enhancing the overall onboard experience.
In fact, earlier this year, Carnival announced that Starlink was available on every ship in the fleet.
Of course, if there are a lot of people using the WiFi it could present a problem with slower speeds.