Key Aspects:
- One environmentally-concerned guest believes Carnival Cruise Line should discontinue printing the FunTimes newsletter because “NOBODY” reads it.
- On the contrary, thousands of guests responded and prefer the paper copy, whether it is easier to read, more convenient, less glitchy than the app, or just a fun souvenir.
- Carnival Cruise Line previously discontinued printed newsletters after the pandemic, but brought back the FunTimes in early 2023.
In years past, the daily ship newsletter was the only way guests knew what was going on aboard their ship, from games and contests to special events, showtimes, dining themes, retail sales, art auctions, and much more.
Now, as more cruise lines rely heavily on their own apps, are newsletters a waste of paper? One Carnival guest thinks so, and reached out to John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s brand ambassador, with their concerns.
“Just back from my Legend cruise. Don’t you agree by now Carnival should have come up with some kind of alternative to wasting ALL that paper in the Funtimes. NOBODY reads it,” the guest claimed. “We must protect nature, we must protect the rainforests. You have the Carnival app so why can’t you present this info to people only electronically. There just has to be a better way?”
The guest notes that they are a “proud member” of an environmental organization that seeks to protect ecosystems and combat global warming. There’s no doubt that wasted paper can be a conservation concern, but the key is whether or not Carnival’s FunTimes paper newsletters are useful.
While Heald did not express his personal thoughts on paper newsletters or environmental issues, he did open the discussion to his more than 640,000 followers, asking them:
- A – Yes, I still like the paper copy of the FunTimes.
- B – No, I only read FunTimes on the app.
- C – I do not read the FunTimes at all.
I voted A myself, as I enjoy the paper copy and find it easier on the eyes than a glowing screen. I also think it is more convenient to quickly skim the paper for all the day’s highlights, rather than needing to scroll-scroll-scroll to find out what’s going on.
In just a few hours, more than 2,300 comments from other Carnival fans shared an overwhelming agreement that the printed FunTimes should stick around.
“My wife and I just had this conversation last night. We prefer the paper copy,” one guest noted with an interesting reason. “Carnival’s App is still glitchy at best so until that App works 100 percent perfect 100 percent of the time paper it is.”
It’s true that the Carnival Hub app can be challenging at times, especially if the ship’s internet service is less than reliable.
Carnival Cruise Line FunTimes (Credit: John Heald)
Many people also prefer to unplug as completely as possible while on vacation and may not always have their phones available (or charged!) to check activities. The paper FunTimes is easy to tuck into a pocket for reference.
In addition to just reading the newsletter onboard each day, guests even shared other uses they have for them. Some guests keep the FunTimes as a souvenir to remember their cruise, or even add it to a scrapbook. Others show them to friends and family members as a way to encourage them to try cruising.
Are FunTimes Recycled?
While it’s true that plenty of paper is needed for printing the FunTimes newsletter, Carnival Cruise Line does recycle.
“Carnival does an awesome job at recycling. I did the Behind the Fun tour and saw if first hand,” one guest noted. “Kudos and a big high five to Carnival and the awesome crew members who sort through all our trash and recycle it all appropriately!”
Read Also: Do Cruise Ships Have Wi-Fi? 5 Things to Know
Of course, the recycling is more than just the FunTimes. Cans and bottles, other paper advertisements, packaging, and more are all carefully sorted for recycling.
Several guests did suggest that Carnival offer an “opt out” feature so guests could alert their stateroom stewards that they don’t need a paper copy. This might help reduce some paper use and provide a good compromise for those who prefer just to use the app.
This isn’t the first time the FunTimes (remember when it was called the Caper Paper?) has been criticized. In fact, Carnival Cruise Line stopped printing the newsletters following the pandemic as part of measures to limit how many people were in and out of staterooms.
The printed copies were so missed, however, that printing was resumed in early 2023 and the FunTimes has been printed ever since. The Carnival Hub app is also updated, so guests can use both options as they wish.
Appeared first on: Cruisehive.com
