These wild activities have disappeared from Carnival Cruise Line
Changing times have brought about the demise of several beloved Carnival cruise activities.
Although Carnival cruise ships of the 1980s didn’t have onboard roller coasters or thrilling water slides, they did feature some wildly popular activities and events that cruisers still talk about today.
Though some seem a little outrageous for today’s standards, passengers often look back on them fondly as hallmarks of the carefree, glory days of cruising.
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On his Facebook page, Carnival Cruise Line brand ambassador John Heald recently shared a nostalgic photo of one of these surprising activities offered in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Although some passengers say this activity was once a “real hoot,” it’s now a banned cruise activity due to safety and environmental concerns.
Over the years, the cruise line has done away with plenty of other popular activities, some for similar reasons and others for operational and social ones.
No matter how much fun these classic cruise activities added to Carnival’s “Fun Ships,” the cruise line has no plans to bring any of them back.
But it’s still fun for passengers to reminisce about them from time to time.
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Carnival Cruise Line once offered trap shooting, golf off the back of its ships
During cruise sea days of long ago, Carnival Cruise Line passengers were able to practice trap shooting from the back deck of the cruise ship. For $1 per shot, passengers could fire shotguns at clay targets launched off the stern of the ship.
It’s not hard to understand why this activity was banned. Not only did it involve shooting shotguns and sending foreign objects into the sea, it also put loaded firearms into the hands of passengers who likely enjoyed a few alcoholic beverages before participating.
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“1991-2 I was on the Carnival Fantasy. You could shoot skeet off the back of the ship. Here I am drinking by the pool all day, and they hand me a loaded shotgun,” user 1cruising wrote in the Cruise community on Reddit.
Similarly, passengers in the ’80s could hit golf balls into the ocean aboard Carnival cruise ships in an onboard driving range setting. This activity was retired once the International Maritime Organization banned the disposal of plastics into the sea.
Midnight gala buffets, hilarious cruise contests are long gone too
Another cherished event from Carnival cruises of yesteryear was the midnight gala buffet that featured ice sculptures, carved fruit, and other impressive displays of cruise food art.
Although the midnight gala buffet was a beloved cruise tradition, it was a ton of work for the crew and resulted in a lot of food waste. Many Carnival passengers would attend the event just to take photos of the extravagant food displays and then head off to bed without digging into the delights.
Consequently, the cruise line did away with the traditional midnight buffet event but still offers some late-night food options for passengers. The cruise line recently expanded its late-night snacks options, offering selections like pizza, chicken tenders, soups, sandwiches, and desserts at the Lido buffet beginning around midnight.
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Other events that were once highlights of Carnival cruises have faded into distant memory too. From pillow fight contests and passenger talent shows to men’s nightgown, hairy chest and belly flop contests, some hilarious passenger-participation activities that were once wildly popular have been removed from onboard schedules over the years.
Some, like the belly flop contest, were discontinued for safety reasons while others were replaced with more family-friendly alternatives. These days, the cruise line wants to keep the “Fun Ship” vibe alive in a more wholesome way.
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