Carnival Responds: Video Shows Guest Scratching Feet With Fork

(KMDL-FM) Carnival Cruise Line has responded to a viral video that appears to show a guest aboard one of their ships using a fork from the buffet to scratch her foot. The incident has once again reignited the debate over cruise ship cleanliness and personal hygiene policy.

The incident, which has been reportedly seen by millions in views across social media platforms, shows a cruise guest scratching what appears to be dry skin. At first, the exfoliation is done using the guest's hands. Later in the video, the guest uses a fork from the dining area to "police" the offending irritation on her feet.

Video Shows Cruise Guest Scratching Her Foot With a Dining Room Fork

Instagram user @lucky_charmed posted the videos (warning: some people found this to be nauseating) and became so concerned with what she saw that she reported the incident to guest services. It is believed the incident in question happened on a recent sailing of the Carnival Sunrise.

A cruise ship docked at a pier with another ship in the background — Photo by Edward Lawrence on Unsplash

As you might imagine, the comments on social media were "over the top," but the one comment everyone was waiting for took more than a little while to surface. That comment was the response from Carnival Cruise Line.

Why Are So Many Incidents Reported on Carnival Cruise Line?

Carnival is the world's largest cruise company. They operate more ships across the globe than any other cruise provider. They have also gotten a reputation in recent years for being the "Dollar General of the Seas". That's probably unfair to both Carnival and Dollar General, but both businesses have reputational issues involving clientele.

Carnival Cruise Line did respond to the viral post on social media with a social media post of its own. The Carnival response was basically black-and-white text, and it spoke of the issue in very factual terms.

What Was Carnival's Response to the Foot/Fork Video?

The message from Carnival read:

We can confirm that forks are intended for food, not foot care. Once we became aware of the situation, our team quickly addressed it with the guest and removed the utensil from service.

While the video may be generating laughs and gasps online, cleanliness and hygiene are no joke to us. Our crew works hard every day to maintain high standards across our ~~feet~~ fleet. And to ensure that all guests enjoy a safe, clean, and comfortable vacation.

And yes, the "feet" "fleet" wording was intentional by the cruise line in its post.

I guess it simply boils down to the fact that it "takes all kinds of kinds" to make up the world, and when you put all of those different people, from different backgrounds, with different standards for quality of life, and put them in a small, enclosed, somewhat controlled environment, and then add alcohol, lots of alcohol, you're going to have some issues.

people lying on blue and white lounge chairs — Photo by Arun Sharma on Unsplash

At least this time multiple arrests weren't made, and they didn't have a free ice cream party. Y'all heard what free ice cream on a cruise ship means, right?

Regardless, wash your feet, book your next cruise, and be ready for these things to happen, even if no one will tell you about them.