Recently, a video has been shared on Facebook that shows a woman elaborately locking her door and putting a number of makeshift fail-safes into place.
It’s easy to see why people would want added security after the recent arrest of a Royal Caribbean crew member who had been secretly taping passengers in their cabin bathrooms. That hidden camera case was a very rare example of crew member crossing a line, but women have long been wary when traveling alone.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line does not allow this (even for a good cause)
Cruise cabins, like hotel rooms, can be accessed by cleaners, maintenance staff, and other crew members. In general, those people only access your room after knocking, but there are people who could access your cabin against your will.
The viral video below is probably a little excessive. It does, however, bring up the broader topic of cruise ship cabins and safety.
That’s something that Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald addressed in a response to a recent question.
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Carnival passenger has a peephole question
Every Carnival Cabin has a peephole so the person in the room can see who might be outside. “H” had a question about whether those peephole’s are a safety concern.
“Why do all Carnival ship cabins not have a peephole cover. Is Carnival really that cheap that they refuse to add covers for the peepholes We always have to take a Kleenex, twist the end and shove it into the peephole from the room side. We leave it there all week and have never had a cabin steward remove it,” they shared.
Heald had a serious answer and a couple of jokes.
“Thank you ‘H’ and yes, we had Tom from Accounts work out how much money we could save by not putting covers across the peep holes, we saved millions. OK, that’s nonsense, of course we didn’t…Not to mention that if Tom from accounts had calculated this he would forever be known as Peeping Tom,” he wrote.
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The Brand Ambassador made it clear that blocking the peephole is not needed.
“Honestly, I don’t understand why you would want to stuff a Kleenex in there but if you wish, you can. Nobody can see into your cabin but do what makes you feel comfortable,” he wrote.
Heald then followed up with a joke.
“All of this reminds me of when I was a Cruise Director on the Carnival Fantasy. I had a small changing room next to where the dancers changed during the shows. I am here to admit there was a small hole in the wall that made it possible to see everything, It was fine, though…I let them look,” he added.
Carnival passengers share peephole stories
Many Carnival passengers cover the peephole, but not for safety reasons.
“Get well john and rest up. Yes, I cover the peephole because it is a beam of light that shines into the room in the dark. Its like a small flashlight and when you go to the bathroom it will get you in the eyes. Thats the only reason we do it,” wrote Vicki Hurley Kraemer.
Shawn Caccia shared a similar line of logic.
“The peephole thing? I never really thought about people looking in. Does that work? Anyway, I have actually covered the peephole before but that was to block that tiny beam of light that shines through from the hallway. Never really imagined people would try to look in,” he posted.
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Steve Price does not see a need to cover the peephole.
“As for the peephole tissue installer, I stay in a lot of hotels. They all have peepholes. Very few have a cover. I wonder if the tissue passenger ever tried to look into their cabin through the peep hole to see what they could see. Personally I have never tried looking into a strangers cabin. Nothing in there I want to see,” he shared.
Elizabeth Ann backed up Heald in saying that blocking the peephole is not necessary.
“I have tried to look in my cabin through the peep hole, I was unable to do so and not for lack of height, so I don’t quite understand people thinking they can see through it from the other side because you can’t,” she wrote.
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