Carnival Cruise Line rule confusion clarified as item ban is confirmed after 'farcical' request

Confusion surrounding travel rules for Carnival Cruise Line has been described as 'farcical' by frustrated customers. But clarity has been swiftly provided that should, hopefully, put the issue to bed.

Established back in 1972, Carnival continues to be one of the leading forces in the cruise line industry alongside its competitive rivalry with Royal Caribbean.

With 300,000 guests at sea around the world at any one time and 160,000 members of staff, it's a big operation running out of Miami, Florida, with more than 90 ships in the fleet of its parent company, Carnival Corporation & plc.

And such a big operation needs stringent rules to ensure safety at all times; that's for both guests and crew.

One of the ships in Carnival's fleet (Horacio Villalobos#Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)

Over on Facebook, Carnival's Brand Ambassador, John Heald, has today (7 March) been forced to clarify one such rule after a disgruntled guest said they couldn't get a straight answer on a request concerning health and safety.

The Carnival customer approached Heald via his Facebook page, where he regularly answers queries relating to Carnival cruises and clarifying rules and regulations that the cruise line has put in place. No one wants to fall foul, after all.

But in messaging Heald, the customer described it as a 'farcical' process.

Carnival's Brand Ambassador, John Heald, explained the ban (Desiree Navarro/Getty Images)

"It is farcical that I should have to become a member of this Facebook group just to get clarification and the right answer," they messaged Heald.

"Why is this not something specifically written on Carnival.com site? People like me want to avoid germs. On my upcoming cruise I want to bring Lysol [a disinfectant] and spray down my cabin. Is it allowed to bring aerosols or not?

"I have been told yes and I have been told no. There is no clarity at Carnival. Perhaps you sir are not concerned with germ prevention onboard?"

Heald firstly urged calm to the customer, stressing there is 'no public health situation that should cause guests to be concerned about cruising on Carnival'.

Take wipes if you're confused - or just trust the staff (Getty Stock Image)

"The CDC estimates that approximately 20 million norovirus cases occur in the US each year and less than one percent of these occur on cruise ships," he explained.

"Our team members across the Carnival fleet maintain rigorous cleanliness and public health standards. Guests are reminded to frequently wash their hands with warm water and soap and to follow other guidance provided on board."

On the topic of cleaning products, he said wipes were all good but aerosols were a no-go area. In fact, Carnival says the only aerosols allowed to be brought on by guests are for personal grooming, such as deodorant.

Heald was praised for his response to the rather aggressive messaging, with one follower writing: "I admire how you respond to some of these people every day."

Another addressed the critic directly, posting: "What’s farcical is that you could have called Carnival directly to ask, or just look at the website. Why is that so hard?"

Others backed up Heald's words, saying they have 'never been sick from cruising'. Sure, sickness bugs are out there. But the data says the issue isn't as big as some are making out.