As times change, cruise lines have to evolve. Every ship, for example, used to have a business center where passengers could pay to borrow a computer.
This was usually very expensive and charged on a per-minute basis. Passengers, however, liked being able to jump online and read or send emails while others needed to print boarding passes and luggage tags.
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Over time, passengers started using their laptops or phones for internet connectivity. Boarding passes have moved into the digital world, and while luggage tags are still a thing, they can still be printed at the airport.
Some ships still have business centers, although they generally no longer offer printers. Taking them away was likely a decision that angered some passengers at the time.
In hindsight, however, wasting space on business centers or computer labs seems silly. It's never easy to decide when to get rid of something that people have become accustomed to, but ultimately, decisions need to be made.
Many cruise lines, for example, have repurposed what used to be called the "library." People used to leave books for others to read and that has become less necessary now that about half of all reading has moved to digital devices.
Now, in response to another societal change, Carnival is asking its passengers about making another major onboard change.
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Image source: Carnival Corp.
Carnival is considering removing ATMs
Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald understands that if he hints at something, he's sending a clear message that the cruise line has at least considered it. In fact, when he's throwing out something that's just his thought or idea, he will very clearly state that.
In this case, Heald asked a simple question that makes it clear that Carnival is considering getting rid of what has become a standard feature on all its ships.
"Do you ever use the ATM's on board? Are they something you think we should keep?" he asked his followers.
All Carnival Cruise Line ships have ATMs in multiple locations. There's usually one in the main shopping area, while a second, or sometimes more, is in the casino.
Casino passengers, it should be noted, don't need to use an ATM to get cash. They can charge all expenses to their rooms.
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"There is no charge at the slot machines to access funds, but any transactions done at a table game or the Casino Cashier’s Desk will incur a nominal service fee of 3% each transaction. The 3% service fee for table play is also charged on all casino promotional or added OBC. You can charge up to $5,000 USD per day on your Sail & Sign card to play in the casino, or $7,500 USD per day for Invite-only cruises (Premier / Ultra / Tournaments), or $10,000 USD per day for Elite cruises," the cruise line shared on its website.
Carnival passengers want ATMs.
In the first few hours of Heald's post, over 500 people commented. Most of them shared a similar theme: people seem to want the ATMs even if they don't intend to use them.
"I have used one before, but the fees are outrageous, so I definitely avoid if at all possible. That said, in an emergency situation, I was thankful there was one and I’m sure anyone in an emergency situation would appreciate having one," LeAnn Duncan posted.
Malcolm Landry echoed that thought.
"I do not think we've ever had need, but I can imagine there is a passenger DOES have the need and that it's quite helpful to have that access," he wrote.
While many respondents liked the idea of having an ATM in case they truly needed cash, more seemed to actually use the "bill breaker" machine in the casino.
"I use the machine to change bills to smaller denominations. I have never had a need to withdraw cash. I always try to take more than I think I'll need and return home with "seed money" for the next cruise spending allotment," wrote Virginia Davis.
In some cases, the bill breaker machines also offer ATM functions while, in other cases, the ATM is a separate machine.
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Some passengers preferred the ship ATMs over using ones in port.
"Yes! I tried to bring cash for the ports, but if I spend more than expected, I like the option to be able to get more cash on the ship. Or to pull out cash to pay off on board account at the end of the cruise. I once used the ATM at a port and came back to a whole bunch of fraud charges, so I’ll never do that again," shared Christian Riedenauer.
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Many passengers cited needing cash for tipping as a reason they appreciate the ATMs.
"I didn't have enough cash at the end of my 2-week cruise cause I over-spent in ports. I would have missed out on some tipping if the ATM had not been there," wrote Tammy Kelley.
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