Carnival Bans Former Guest After Posting Smuggling Alcohol Video
If you’re going to break the rules, be prepared to face the consequences. And if you’re hoping to avoid the consequences, then definitely don’t post about what you did on social media.
Likely thanks to a popular social media post, Carnival has caught and cracked down on a recent guest, named Courtney Murley, who allegedly smuggled alcohol onboard Carnival Conquest during a sailing at the end of March 2025.
In the TikTok, which has now been viewed more than 308,000 times, Murley and her travel companion can be seen checking their luggage in their cruise cabin to see if they had successfully snuck alcohol onboard in what looks like toiletry containers.
“Def waited until after I got home to post this! Hahahaha but it worked. Forget a drink package lol….okay we ended up drinking probably what we would of paid for a drink package anyways but still was fun to try and see if the rum runners would work,” the cruiser captioned the clip.
But while she may not have been caught during her voyage, the consequences followed her home. Murley has now been banned for life by Carnival Cruise Line.
“This letter is to inform you that you will not be able to sail onboard any Carnival Cruise Line vessel in the future due to the smuggling of alcohol onboard the Carnival Conquest on March 31st, 2025, and subsequently posting about it on social media platforms,” Carnival wrote to its former passenger.
“Your attempt to book a future cruise will result in cancellation and a possible loss of deposit monies,” continues the disciplinary letter.
Guest Banned by Carnival (Credit: Courtney Murley)
At the end of the day, it really isn’t necessary to smuggle alcohol onboard one of the Fun ships – as there is no shortage of bars and lounges to get a drink onboard.
The Cheers! Drink package may sound a bit pricey at $82.54 per person, per day, but it includes up to 15 drinks in a 24-hour period.
The cruise line also already allows guests to have one 750ml bottle of wine or champagne in their carry-on luggage for every legal adult in the travel party on embarkation day.
Did She Really Smuggle Alcohol Onboard?
Now that Murley is feeling the consequences of her alleged actions – and the hate from social media – she has come out with a new video in which she insists that she never actually smuggled alcohol onboard.
Instead, she claims that she faked the smuggling because she knew the video would get engagement, and per her account, it did.
“What I’m mad about is that they are banning me for something that didn’t happen. They said for smuggling alcohol. I did not smuggle alcohol. Not one ounce of alcohol was smuggled onto the ship. Not one. Not a single drop,” Murley said.
“What you see on that video is not alcohol. Is everything on the Internet real?” she continued. “You guys saw an edited video. You saw juice in a tampon flask.”
She goes on to request an apology from the cruise line and clarification of what rules she actually broke since she says the video was faked.
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If the video was truly faked, Murley could try to appeal Carnival’s decision to ban her – although it may not make a difference.
Now that the sailing has passed, Carnival cannot see inside the containers to prove that the liquid wasn’t alcohol – and her video promotes breaking a very important rule.
The reason why the Miami-based cruise line is so strict on prohibiting passengers from bringing most alcohol onboard is for the safety of all guests and crew members.
When alcohol is served onboard, bar tenders, servers, and security team members are able to work together to monitor how much is being consumed and if cruisers are starting to display signs of being too intoxicated. Overly intoxicated patrons could pose a danger to themselves or others.
Carnival Bans Former Guest After Posting Smuggling Alcohol Video