Carnival Cruise Line has expanded its dress code policy to include a ban on “offensive” clothing.
The new rules state “items worn during the cruise should not contain any message that may be considered offensive or contain nudity, profanity, sexual innuendo/suggestions,” according to the company’s website.
“Clothing/accessories should not promote negative ethnic or racial, commentary, or hatred or violence in any form,” the rules state.
If you’re spotted wearing clothing that violates the policy you will be asked to change your attire, Carnival spokesperson Vance Gulliksen told Business Insider.
Carnival brand ambassador John Heald discussed the policy on Facebook in relation to a passenger who was “threatening to wear disgusting and lurid shirts on her cruise.”
Heald included a Facebook poll in which 97% of the 23,500 people who voted agreed with the Carnival policy.
There are more than 1,000 comments on the story, many expressing doubt that “offensive” could be adequately defined or enforced.
“I dont agree with this at all. The first sentence says anything that people find offensive. Well some people find everything offensive,” wrote Facebook user Jake Fenley.
“But we really don’t anticipate this being a significant issue and our crew is not onboard to be the clothing or expression police. We will evaluate situations on a case by case basis and respectfully ask guests to change a clothing item that clearly threatens, or conveys hateful ideas or lewd images,” Gulliksen told Business Insider.
