Can Banned Cruisers Ever Sail Again with Other Cruise Lines?
It’s been a rather tumultuous month for the cruise industry – and the cruise lines are proving that they won’t tolerate breaches to their code of conduct, and especially not acts of violence.
Multiple cruise guests were arrested in April 2025 alone between Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line for acts of violence. For example, one guest of Liberty of the Seas was taken into custody after striking another passenger in the face in one of the elevators.
Just a couple days ago on April 26, 2025, a large brawl broke out in the Galveston Cruise Port between Carnival passengers – which ultimately led 24 people to be placed on Carnival’s Do Not Sail list.
These recent events have sparked curiosity among members of the cruise community who want to know if that ban could extend to other cruise lines for the safety of guests who might run into past offenders while sailing with other brands.
“Do banned guests from RCCL get banned from other cruise lines as well? Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Disney, and MSC should share info on guests that get banned for particularly egregious misbehavior so they can’t cruise again. I’m not talking about puking in the hot tub–but violent assaults, sexual harassment, etc…,” one cruise fan wrote on Reddit.
“I’m actually starting to wonder if I should even let my responsible kids walk around the ship without an adult after reading recent news stories,” they continued.
As of now, the cruise lines do not share data about banned passengers amongst themselves – at least not publicly. Carnival Cruise Line even said as much in a statement to Cruise Hive following the recent Galveston brawl.
“We will not tolerate such behavior, and 24 people have been placed on our Do Not Sail list. They can go on another cruise line if they want but are never welcome back with us,” the statement read, in part.
The only exception to this is that guests who are banned by a bigger parent company are usually also banned from sister brands – although this may be determined on a case by case basis.
For example, guests who are banned from Royal Caribbean could also be automatically prohibited from sailing with Celebrity Cruises, which is owned and operated by Royal Caribbean Group.
The same applies to Carnival Cruise Line – which is the name brand for the parent company that also owns Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, and P&O Cruises.
There are also rare occasions where cruisers who have been convicted of certain crimes may be denied boarding, which is a situation where a ban could transcend different companies, but this likely wouldn’t be connected to another specific incident that landed a person on a Do Not Sail list with one cruise line.
Cruise Lines Do Not Tolerate Bad Behavior
Once someone makes it onto a Do Not Sail list, their cruising career with that particular brand is over. The ban is almost always for life.
On rare instances, cruisers can appeal their ban if the decision was made due to a misunderstanding or the circumstances have been resolved in an acceptable way – but most of the time the decision is final.
All of the mainstream cruise lines – including Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line – enforce strict codes of conduct that ensure the safety of all guests and crew members.
In Royal Caribbean’s case, the policy clearly states that any guest who poses a threat will be met with a variety of consequences – including being detained in their stateroom or a holding cell, early removal from the voyage, and receiving a “denial of boarding on any future Royal Caribbean Group cruise vacation.”
Loyalty benefits may also be suspended temporarily or permanently, and guests could also receive a demotion from their current tier status in the Crown and Anchor Society depending on the circumstances.
As another example, Carnival has no problem levying these same consequences – but also takes things a step further by issuing a $500 fine to cruisers who violate their code of conduct.
“Consistent with our commitment to safety, disruptive behavior is not tolerated and any guest whose conduct affects the comfort, enjoyment, safety or well-being of other guests or crew will be disembarked at their own expense and banned from sailing on Carnival in the future,” Carnival’s policy states.
“All guests must acknowledge and commit to our code of conduct during the check-in process, and any violation may result in a fine of $500, possible stateroom confinement and removal from the ship,” it continues.
Read Also: Are Cruises Safe? What You Really Need to Know
With this no tolerance stance in place across brands, rest assured that you will not be in danger if you encounter a past offender while sailing with another cruise line.
Most likely, that person will have learned their lesson and will be keeping their head down to avoid another lifetime ban – so you likely wouldn’t even know it if you crossed paths.
Additionally, cruise ships are under constant surveillance and have their own security teams onboard to address any possible issues that might arise.
Can Banned Cruisers Ever Sail Again with Other Cruise Lines?