Carnival Cruisers Cannot Have One Alaska Wildlife Interaction
A cruise to Alaska can be a once-in-a-lifetime, bucket list getaway. Part of the phenomenal attraction of the Last Frontier is the amazing wildlife in the region – whales, seals, bears, and plenty of birds.
Carnival cruise guests cannot enjoy one type of wildlife interaction while sailing to Alaska, however – feeding the birds. This activity is not permitted from any Carnival cruise ship, whether in Alaska, the Caribbean, or anywhere else.
One recent guest aboard Carnival Spirit reached out to John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador, about her disappointment about that restriction.
“[The guest] bombarded me with complaints about the crew on Carnival Spirit who told her children they could not feed the seagulls during their Alaska cruise,” Heald explained. “She is very angry about this.”
To be clear, the guest was attempting to have her children feed the birds from the ship, not on any shore excursion or organized tour.
“The feeding of any bird from any of the ships is not allowed,” Heald confirmed. “I explained that it is not safe for the guests because once you start feeding the seagulls they can become very vicious and take the food out of your hand with force.”
I love birds and always travel with a pair of binoculars and my favorite field guide. I’ve seen amazing birds from cruise ships, including bald eagles and sandhill cranes in Alaska.
Nevertheless, cruise lines have their restrictions for very good reasons. Gulls in particular can become very food-aggressive, and their pecks and bites can hurt if they’re grabbing fries, pizza crust, or ice cream cones from guests’ hands – especially the small hands of young cruisers.
But Other Cruise Lines Let Us!
Many cruisers seem to want to feed the gulls, but Carnival Cruise Line will not reverse their policy.
“What gobsmacked me was the number of you who agreed that telling her children not to throw food to the birds from the open decks was wrong,” Heald noted. “One person wrote that it was ‘cruel’ and another of you proudly said that ‘another cruise line in Alaska encouraged feeding the birds.’”
It is highly unlikely that any cruise line encourages this type of behavior, which is also dangerous to the birds. Any foods gulls might nick from a cruise ship is not nutritious and can lead to health problems for the birds.
“I do not for one minute believe this allegation but if they do allow this on the ‘Letthebuggerscrapalloverthedeck of the Seas’ then that’s their decision,” Heald said. “We do not.”
Despite the fact that I do eagerly look for birds on every cruise, Carnival Cruise Line’s policy is absolutely correct and in the best interest of the ship, guests, crew members, and the birds.
Remember This? Carnival Cruise Passengers Surprised as Birds Cause Havoc
As gulls learn that cruise ships can be a source of food, they will begin to swarm ships searching for scraps. This can lead to unwelcome messes on tables, decks, and railings, as well as the birds harassing diners on the outer decks.
Other guests agree, and the overwhelming response to Heald’s response is that feeding the birds is inappropriate.
Many commenters shared their own experiences, particularly at the beach, where offering food to one gull brings on an entire flock.
“Saw 1 seagull. Fed it. Immediately it became a sequel of ‘The Birds,’” one guest described. “Never made that mistake again.”
Carnival guests should also be aware that the cruise line’s Cruise Ticket Contract – which all travelers agree to when they book their vacation – prohibits throwing anything from the cruise ship.
“Any dumping or pollution of any kind including discharge of any item into the ocean and/or waterways is strictly prohibited,” Section 9(i) of the contract reads.
It makes no difference that the “item” – a French fry, perhaps – could be caught by a bird before actually hitting the water. In extreme cases, feeding the birds could be interpreted as a violation of this environmental policy.
Furthermore, the cruise line’s Code of Conduct specifically notes that “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.”
Feeding gulls and instigating their aggressive flocking behavior could certainly be considered affecting the comfort, enjoyment, and safety of other travelers, especially if guests are asked to stop but refuse.
While Carnival Cruise Line has not yet enforced fines, debarkation, or lifetime bans for feeding the birds, if the behavior is out of control, these steps might become necessary.
Carnival Cruisers Cannot Have One Alaska Wildlife Interaction