Carnival cruise passengers debate controversial cruise tradition
A tradition that many consider harmless fun is “inhuman” to others.
Losing track of time in a port of call while on a cruise can come with serious consequences.
Of course, the obvious consequence is that you could get left behind. Cruise ships sail on strict schedules and they won’t wait for you if you’re not back by the all-aboard time when the ship is due to depart.
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If you cut it close on your return to the ship, you also risk some unwanted attention and public shaming that you might not expect.
It’s become a tradition among cruise passengers to cheer on, or mock, “pier runners” — late-arriving cruisers who frantically dash down the pier to make it back to the ship before it sets off. Some cruisers even jump at the chance to film pier runners and mock them in social media videos.
The practice can be controversial, and sometimes results in Carnival cruisers complaining about it to the cruise line’s brand ambassador, John Heald, who fields hundreds of passenger questions and comments every day on his popular Facebook page.
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Carnival brand ambassador questions cruise tradition
“Is it wrong to applaud and share the so-called ‘pier runners’?” Heald recently asked his more than 600,000 Facebook followers.
“The reason I am asking is because somebody just wrote that it is ‘inhuman’ to do so,” Heald explained.
As he often does with issues raised on his page, Heald asked his followers to share their opinions about cheering on pier runners.
“It’s a tradition going back many years but is it a good tradition? Thoughts please.”
In the more than 1,000 comments on the post, most Carnival cruisers indicated that cheering on pier runners is done all in good fun. Most people see it as an encouraging gesture.
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“It’s all in good fun! Honestly, I think it’s a memorable moment for all, including the runners,” Angel Fikes wrote. “They look back and think, yeah, I did that or in worst case, didn’t! If they did make it, they get to remember people cheering for them, and in the worst case, they’ll remember people encouraging them.”
Some passengers say cheering on pier runners is a cruise passenger duty.
“If you wait until the last minute, it is our duty to give you encouragement,” Vincent Rode commented.
Other passengers pointed out that the attention is simply a consequence of showing up late.
“It’s not wrong! What’s wrong is showing up that late to the ship,” Krystal N Burnett commented.
Pier runners provide riveting cruise entertainment for some
Cruiser Phillip Niles shared a perspective on the plight of pier runners that resonated with many Carnival passengers.
“Is it wrong to cheer on the pier runners? Only if you hate joy, suspense, and the thrill of watching grown adults sprint like it’s the Olympics—while holding tote bags and half-melted ice cream.”
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“I say it’s not inhuman—it’s entertainment! It’s the cruise version of NASCAR. We don’t want anyone to lose, but we will gasp, cheer, and clutch our piña coladas like we’re courtside at Wimbledon,” Niles wrote.
“Tradition? Yes. Necessary? Arguably. Hilarious? Absolutely. Let the runners run, and let the rest of us film it for TikTok.”
Although viewing another passenger’s distress as a form of entertainment and shaming them in social media videos may be questionable, there’s no doubt that cheering on pier runners is a cruise tradition that’s here to stay.
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