Carnival Cruise Line Addresses Ghostly Encounters at Sea
Have you ever felt a chill down your spine while cruising the open seas or thought you glimpsed a shadow flitting through your stateroom? You’re not alone.
Recently, a Carnival Cruise Line guest reached out to its Brand Ambassador, John Heald, asking if he or the cruise line have any stories to share about onboard hauntings.
In a message to Heald, the passenger said she and her husband sailed on a P&O Cruises Australia’s Pacific Adventure in February 2025, just before it was absorbed into Carnival Cruise Line’s operations.
The couple, revealing a cabin number that was hidden by Heald so it didn’t scare others away from booking it, said they “absolutely believe this room to be haunted” and wanted to know if others had any experiences.
In typical Heald style, his response was filled with ghastly puns.
“I remember when I was on the Carnival Breeze that myself and a few of the department heads were conducting a séance. We made contact with the founder of a bottled water company. That was probably because we were using a Fiji Board,” he joked.
“Then, later that night, we contacted the long-lost spirit of the first plumber on Carnival Cruise Line’s ship, Mardi Gras,” he added. “That was probably because we were using a Luigi Board.”
But Heald got serious and asked other former passengers to share their stories if they had them.
And they did.
Ghost Stories
“Every Carnival cruise I’ve been on, my room has been haunted,” shared a passenger. “You would leave the room, and the towels would magically contort themselves into animals. It was crazy.”
While generating a lot of laughs, many respondents actually experienced real moments that caused the hairs on their arms to stand.
One guest said her adjoining cabins on Deck 7 of Carnival Magic were definitely haunted. She said lights flashed, room phones rang, and there was a lot of banging. Even maintenance couldn’t pinpoint what was happening.
Then the real terror happened.
“I was getting dressed and was sitting on the bed. My hubs was on the couch. From behind me, I heard a groan. I looked at my hubs and said, ‘Was that you?’ He said, ‘Nope, that noise came from right behind you,’” she said.
After hightailing it out of there and telling guest services they thought the cabin was haunted, the couple was moved to Deck 9 and didn’t have any further experiences.
Another passenger on the same ship also said his wife had a frightening occurrence. She saw a recently departed person she knew sitting on the bed.
“She first thought it was me. I was asleep next to her,” he wrote.
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Plenty more passengers said they’ve had some haunting encounters aboard Cunard Line’s Queen Mary.
The ship, built in 1930 by Carnival Corporation’s Cunard Line and the inspiration for the Queen Mary 2, has long been retired and serves as a hotel in Long Beach, California.
It is also where many Carnival Cruise Line guests book a stay before or after a voyage on Carnival Firenze, which is homeported there.
“That ship definitely has a creepy vibe,” said one about Queen Mary, as another added her two sisters both had ghostly run-ins.
“The one heard screaming that no one else did, and the other saw a person that seemed otherworldly,” she said. “Very eerie!”
It seems most passengers would, surprisingly, welcome a visit from a ghost while sailing with Carnival Cruise Line.
In fact, many people suggested the cruise line host haunted cruises, particularly around Halloween. Sadly, the cruise line doesn’t offer themed voyages, just themed nights.
Have you experienced your own brush with a ghost on a cruise? Share it on the Cruise Hive Boards.