In an unexpected move, Norwegian Cruise Line has announced a change that could impact how future Haven guests book when traveling with families.

While many cruisers say it’s about time the change was made, others worry about the impact on their experience in The Haven.

Some Non-Haven Guests Will Now Have Limited Access

The major change — which has already taken effect — was announced via a note to travel partners and affected guests.

It said that as of now, “guests staying in a non-Haven stateroom (such as a balcony) that physically connects to a Haven stateroom and they are traveling with the guests in the Haven stateroom may dine at The Haven restaurant at no charge, including no service fee, for the duration of the sailing. Guests in the connecting non-Haven stateroom may take advantage of this offer as long as the guests in the connecting Haven stateroom are present at the time of dining. Haven guest(s) can make arrangements for this offer through the pre-cruise Concierge Desk.”

It is important to note that guests staying in the connecting room will not have access to any other Haven perks, amenities, or areas.

And guests traveling with those staying in the Haven but not in the directly connecting suite will not be able to dine at the Haven restaurant.

‘That Will Be Abused’

Needless to say, reaction amongst cruisers in general and those who enjoy Norwegian’s ship-within-a-ship concept was swift and varied.

Many across social media recognized that this will have a relatively low impact given the small number of qualifying non-Haven staterooms. Others, however, focused more on human nature, with several assuming “That will be abused.” 

“Not to be ‘that person,’” wrote one Haven fan in a Reddit forum, “but we pay for exclusivity and for an elevated product. Why should I pay more so that people who are paying less can enjoy the same elevated dining experience?” 

Others wondered if this was the first step toward other changes… including the ability to buy certain Haven-related perks without committing to the pricing of an actual stateroom in the Haven.

Holland America Line, for example, has the Club Orange program, which allows guests who are not staying in a suite to purchase perks normally only available to those in the more highly-priced staterooms.

Given that cruise lines often engage in a follow-the-leader type mentality, it’s reasonable to question whether this policy will be adapted by others. Will Celebrity Cruises, for example, begin selling limited access to Luminae, the high-end restaurant available only to guests staying in The Retreat?

Another question is how this might affect Norwegian’s thought process regarding future additions to its fleet.

Should the change prove popular, might new builds incorporate more non-Haven staterooms with connecting doors?

Only time will tell.

Read Next: Is the Haven really worth the price?

A notorious organization known for hacking into systems in order to steal vast amounts of information may have gained access to Carnival Corporation’s massive data base.

Who Is Behind the Potential Breach

While ShinyHunters may sound like a musical group you’d hire to entertain at your child’s birthday party, they are, in fact, far more sinister.

The organization has been behind some of the largest data breaches to take place over the past 25 years. Among their past victims have been companies as diverse as Microsoft, Pizza Hut even several universities.

Now, according to numerous reports, ShinyHunters is claiming to have accessed troves of Carnival Corporation information and issued a ransom threat.

What Carnival Is Doing

In a statement, a Carnival Corporation rep told Cruise Radio that “after detecting unauthorized online activity involving a singer user account, we acted quickly to shut it down and block any further unauthorized access and have notified law enforcement.”

The real questions revolve around what “single user account” was accessed and whether it may have opened something of a cyber wormhole which might serve as a gateway to far more information.

“Data privacy and protection are extremely important to Carnival Corporation,” the spokesperson continued, “and we’re working closely with trusted global security experts to be thoughtful and deliberate in our review of the data involved, recognizing that anonymous reports circulating online are not always accurate.”

The “anonymous reports” mentioned are likely those which claim that information from several million accounts has already been released.

For example, the site HaveIBeenPwned wrote that ShinyHunters “published the [stolen] data publicly, which contained 8.7 million records with 7.5 million unique email addresses.”

The site went on to make the very specific claim that data released included information pertaining to Holland America Line — a division of Carnival Corporation — and their Mariner Society loyalty program.

It went on to say that the information included “names, dates of birth, genders and data relating to status within the loyalty program.” 

What Happens Next

Meanwhile, the Carnival spokesperson concluded by saying, “If we determine personal information was affected, we will follow all disclosure requirements and communicate directly with any impacted individuals.” 

Meanwhile, HaveIBeenPwned.com recommends that if you believe your information may have been compromised, you should change your password immediately. They also suggest enabling two-factor authentification, which is standard advice when it comes to adding an added layer of protection to any and all accounts.

In 2020, Princess Cruises had a hacker gain access to company emails.

Another Carnival Cruise Line ship is heading to the Lone Star State.

In announcing that a brand new ship would be joining Carnival Jubilee in sailing out of Galveston, the line found a rather unique way to make their point: By “replacing” the new build’s instantly recognizable whale tail funnel with a pair of Texas longhorns!

Why Carnival Picked Galveston

Once the brand new Carnival Tropicale is delivered in the spring of 2028, the line’s flagship vessel will call Galveston home. In explaining why they opted to place the ship in that particular port, Carnival’s president Christine Duffy said that doing so was “a celebration of both our history and our future in Texas.” 

She added that for over 25 years, “Texas has been at the heart of Carnival’s growth, and this new Excel-class ship ensures we continue to deliver unforgettable experiences for our guests in and around the state.”

Is Carnival’s Whale Tail Really Gone?

Named after the first ship, which was designed specifically for Carnival, the Tropicale will be a sister ship to Jubilee, but not a twin.

Duffy explained that on the newest Excel-class ship, they’d be replacing the Bold roller coaster with Sunsation, a three-deck waterpark and entertainment zone that will also host special after-dark events.

And like Jubilee, the ship’s bow will proudly feature the Star of Texas.

But about that whale tail?

While the idea of replacing it with a pair of longhorns is fun and makes for a great gimmick, it’s actually only being done for advertising purposes. (You can view the full video — complete with line dancing and an original tune — below.)

A full year before Tropicale joins the fleet, Carnival Festivale will be rolled out. Like Tropicale, the Excel-class vessel will replace Bolt with the Sunsation concept.

The Festivale will not, however, join her sisters in Galveston. Rather, when that ship is introduced in April of 2027, she will make Port Canaveral her homeport.

Details regarding itineraries and booking availability for the Tropicale are set to be released later this year.

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A couple whose video about their experiences aboard the Margaritaville at Sea Paradise went viral found out that they’ve been permanent banned by the line. The unusual twist? Their original video was posted back in 2023!

‘We Showed Exactly What We Saw’

While Laura and Johnathan Fain’s video chronicling their time on the Margaritaville at Sea ship got a decent amount of attention when posted back in 2023, he is quick to make clear it “wasn’t something where we were thinking, ‘Oh, maybe if we complain we’ll get a refund.’”

Rather, says Johnathan, who goes by Fain, “It was literally just posting our experience. We showed exactly what we saw.”

Adds Laura during a call with Cruise Radio, “It’s not like we made a mess and then filmed it! The response to the initial vlog wasn’t really controversial. But then I put out the TikTok,” which was by nature shorter and focused more heavily on the negative aspects of their trip.

“That’s what really blew up and is probably what offended them,” she says. “And I get it, to be honest with you. But I never thought it would lead to this!”

‘Maybe We Were Banned!’

Flashforward to the spring of 2026, when the pair decided it was time to give Margaritaville at Sea another shot. “We’d heard good things and were looking to do a cruise that would fit in our budget,” explains Fain. Yet when they attempted to book online, the system instructed them to contact customer service.

“I joked that maybe we were banned,” laughs Laura. What she didn’t realize was just how right she was: When Fain called, a customer service rep confirmed they were banned from the line and even revealed that a “bad review” was the reason.

“It says you are not allowed to board a cruise,” acknowledged the Margaritaville rep.

“I was shocked that they just said it, flat-out,” Fain admits.

Radio Silence

Despite making a video about the ban which accumulated nearly 125,000 views in its first week, the couple has not heard from the cruise line. (You can see their video in its entirety below.) “I’m not expecting to hear from them,” shrugs Fain.

Many in the comment section have assumed that the company might reach out in order to make amends. Laura, however, is quick to say, “We didn’t do this to get a free cruise or bash them again. We had no agenda.” 

Despite what has gone down, the pair would like to give the line — which has undergone massive changes since their original posting — another shot… with, however, one stipulation. “I wouldn’t want it for free,” she says emphatically. “Nobody’s going to take away my credibility in that way. I can already imagine the comments people would make if we accepted a free cruise and had a positive experience.”

Adds Fain “And if we weren’t paying for it, we would disclose that. It’s important that we remain true to ourselves.”

Cruise Radio reached out to Margaritaville for comment, but received no response.

Read Next: Carnival Ordered to Pay Over-Served Guest $300,000

“Looking back, I remember I really didn’t want to take a shower because the bathroom was kind of gross.” she said

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The woman who was served 15 shots of tequila aboard the Carnival Radiance — and suffered injuries as a result — is speaking out about the lawsuit which netted her a $300,000 victory. Meanwhile, reaction to her win has largely involved people debating personal responsibility.

‘They Treated Me Like a Criminal’

In a video shot by her attorney, Diana Sanders says that the crew “treated me like a criminal” as she attempted to obtain information about what had taken place. After waking up at the bottom of a staircase in a crew area, Sanders says she received “conflicting information” about what had transpired.

“I was very concerned that they wouldn’t tell me exactly what had happened,” she continued. She turned to a lawyer in an attempt to get the CCTV footage, but claims that Carnival had “all the tapes right before, but nothing afterward and they will not show us what happened that day.” 

As for the process of taking Carnival Corporation to court, “I felt bullied,” she shares. “Everything they did was to either mentally torment me or financially torment me.”

The jury, however, “saw what they were trying to do, how they were trying to defame my character” and, she says, “make me look like a bad human being.” 

Sanders attorney, Spencer Aronfeld, briefly touched upon personal responsibility… a topic which many across social media thinks should have played a much bigger role in this particular case.

‘Shouldn’t A Nurse Know Better?’

In handing down their verdict, the jury determined that Carnival was 60 percent responsible for the incident, with Sanders 40 percent responsible. But for many responding to coverage of the story — including our own initial article — that seemed unreasonable.

“Wait,” responded a Facebook commenter, “she’s a nurse? Shouldn’t a nurse know better than to drink that heavily?” 

“Accountability must begin with the drinker,” posted another. “No one forced [her] to drink.”

Others speculated as to what effect this might have on future policies related to drinks served on board. “Now they’ll change the rules, dial back the number of drinks you can consume and how often.” 

Carnival has indicated that it intends to appeal the decision.

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