New “Drones” paragraph in cruise contract

[Diamond Dandy]

Setting aside for the moment all the concerns about pre-sale testing for everybody.

 

We just received our cruise documents for our 8/29 Allure cruise.  I actually read through the cruise contract. I was surprised that the lawyers found it necessary to include a new section dealing with drones!  Basically you can bring them on board but cannot use them on board.  You cannot use them in the port area. Use on shore is governed by local regulations.  Still, I wonder what was behind this addition.

 

Have drones been a problem on the ships? I have heard nothing on the subject. Interested in hearing any related stories.

[time4u2go]

Is this really new?  I feel like there was discussion about this a few years ago.  I could be wrong.

[Dat Cruisin Couple]

1 minute ago, Diamond Dandy said:

Setting aside for the moment all the concerns about pre-sale testing for everybody.

 

We just received our cruise documents for our 8/29 Allure cruise.  I actually read through the cruise contract. I was surprised that the lawyers found it necessary to include a new section dealing with drones!  Basically you can bring them on board but cannot use them on board.  You cannot use them in the port area. Use on shore is governed by local regulations.  Still, I wonder what was behind this addition.

 

Have drones been a problem on the ships? I have heard nothing on the subject. Interested in hearing any related stories.

 

Not sure if the wording changed, but there was a drone paragraph in our Dec 2019 contract.

[cruiseguy1016]

This has actually been in the contract for a couple years now. Yes, they were a problem, people were using them to look into other cabins.

Edited July 30, 2021 by cruiseguy1016

[Diamond Dandy]

Amazing. Thanks.

[Biker19]

34 minutes ago, Diamond Dandy said:

Still, I wonder what was behind this addition.

Likely someone did something stupid with one. Before the current version of the rules, drones were outright prohibited on board (they were taken along with all the other prohibited items at embarkation).

[neverbeenhere]

Cruise lines love worker bees 🐝. 

[mayleeman]

Same prov in our contract in Apr 2019.

[mo&fran]

And yet, we have seen a lot of videos shot from drones by the crew.

[Merion_Mom]

5 minutes ago, mo&fran said:

And yet, we have seen a lot of videos shot from drones by the crew.

 

Do you mean during the shutdown?  That's a whole different kettle of fish.

[garywatson]

Probably got tired of people launching drones from the deck on sea days not realizing that (a) the ship is moving but the GPS landing coordinates aren't; and (b) that most drones can't keep up with a ship in motion especially with a little headwind.  Not allowed to litter in the ocean!  Oh and I guess there's the safety hazards of people ignoring Part 107-style restrictions about not flying over people, plus exploding lithium batteries.

[Dat Cruisin Couple]

I know the youtubers Griff and Alyssa pretty much flaunt the drone rules on their videos. When Cococay opened they had lots of drone shots, even joked about how they fooled the security people on the island.

 

So the rules have been in place for a while.

[Ocean Boy]

15 hours ago, mo&fran said:

And yet, we have seen a lot of videos shot from drones by the crew.

Plenty of places let employees engage in activities that guests are not allowed to do, especially so when guests are not present.

[livingonthebeach]

Of all the drone policies of all major cruise lines, Carnival has the most liberal.  Here are the pre-pandemic policies:

https://cruisefever.net/cruise-ships-and-drones-what-each-cruise-line-allows/

[coldflame]

17 hours ago, cruiseguy1016 said:

This has actually been in the contract for a couple years now. Yes, they were a problem, people were using them to look into other cabins.

 

I'm going to need source for this. This sounds folk-tale-ish to me. I've been traveling with drones in cruises since 2016-ish I've spoken with several cruise security folks. Those contractual clauses were in put in place as an abundance of caution -- and totally understandable. It was never an actual problem.

 

As per policy (last time I traveled with a drone), you surrender it when you board and security will give you a "ticket" with which you can claim it near the gangway on ports and you have to surrender it again in the way back in. So if you're not comfortable with security holding the drone for you while on board, just leave it at home.

[Biker19]

On 7/31/2021 at 9:29 AM, livingonthebeach said:

Of all the drone policies of all major cruise lines, Carnival has the most liberal. 

Not any more:

 

Carnival Cruise Line is banning the use of drones onboard its ships. Previously, the cruise line was one of the few where bringing a drone onboard was still allowed, but not any longer, as brand ambassador John Heald announced on May 18, 2022, during his video coffee chat on his Facebook page. 

 

The news will disappoint drone enthusiasts who have hoped to get some epic shots from the ports Carnival cruise ships visit.

 

Drones have quickly gained popularity in recent years, especially since the highly portable, high-definition drones started making their way into daily life. However, drones are quickly being banned in more and more places, including cruise ships. 

 

Although Carnival Cruise Line banned the use of drones onboard ships several years ago, guests were still able to bring their drones along for use in port. That rule is now being changed, according to brand ambassador John Heald, who announced the change in his coffee chat on his Facebook page. 

 

 

“We will be adding something to the prohibited list, and that is the drone. Now I know there are some very experienced drone pilots out there, but there are many more inexperienced ones,” said Heald.

 

“You were never allowed to fly a drone onboard the ship, but you were allowed to bring it ashore into a few of the ports.”

 

While flying a drone is typically not really an issue, the problem does arise when someone crashes a drone, which is why Carnival is banning the use of the equipment. 

 

Heald continued: “There have been some instances where these drones have caused problems, and also one recently where a drone pilot crashed his drone very close to the ship while in one of the ports.”

 

A drone crashing in one of the ports can cause severe issues for the ship. This includes safety and security concerns as well as environmental concerns. Ultimately, these incidents could lead to fines, investigations, or even worse for Carnival. 

John Heald: “This causes all sorts of problems, including paperwork and environmental stuff which is one of our top priorities. So very sad for us, and I believe other cruise lines as well, we will not be allowing drones to be brought onboard our ships.”

 

 

Until recently, Carnival and Royal Caribbean were the only cruise lines worldwide that still allowed drones to be brought onboard.

 

With Carnival removing the permissions, this leaves Royal Caribbean as the only option for those wanting to fly their drones on vacation. But even with Royal Caribbean, the options are severely limited. Royal Caribbean states the following on its website: 

 

“Guests are welcome to bring drones on their cruise for use on land only and outside of the port area. However, drones are not to be operated onboard the ship at any time, nor on Royal Caribbean’s private destinations: Perfect Day at CocoCay, Bahamas or Labadee, Haiti.”

 

Guests are also expected to bring any necessary prior permission to fly their drones if needed in port. They will also be subject to being removed from the vessel if they attempt to use their drones while onboard. 

 

Carnival Cruise Line Decides to Completely Ban Drones (cruisehive.com)