Carnival Cruise Line takes a bold stand on tattoos

A Carnival Cruise Line bartender hands a passenger a drink. Bar Lead JS

People like to write to Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald and act like they speak for everyone. Usually, when someone does that, it's very clear they're only speaking for themselves.

In general, it's also a sign of someone who's close-minded enough to not even acknowledge that there's another side. Heald recently fielded a question coming from someone who acted as if they spoke for an entire demographic.

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"I'm curious about tattoos in Carnival’s employee rule book. I was surprised that there seemed to be none. Many of the crew, including our head waiter and even the ------, were covered in arm tattoos. Is Carnival allowing their crew people to have tattoos that are still visible? People in America are having tattoos removed before applying for jobs because most employers do not want their employees having them. They are intimidating to older people which many of Carnival Cruise Lines customers are," the unnamed passenger wrote.

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Carnival has a clear tattoo policy

Over 1,500 people responded to the post, and the vast majority of them made it clear that the poster did not speak for them.

"The person that wrote that is out of line. They don’t represent people in America. They represent a small older faction that wants to run other people's lives. They can pound salt — a phrase they should know. I’m a tattooed professional. How I express myself is my business. How I conduct my business is not affected by my artwork. If people could just mind their own business and enjoy their cruise and stop trying to govern others, they might have more fun," DeeDee Dye wrote.

Others were more understanding but still eager to set the person straight.

"I’m guessing that this person probably is a little older and works a corporate job. They’ll be surprised to learn that actually most companies are switching to a policy that allows visible tattoos as long as they aren’t offensive. I worked for a very conservative organization several years ago, and they adopted that policy in 2015, I believe," shared Holly Edmiston.

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Mike Rau shared a similar point.

"I work a government job and have a sleeve full of things important to me (my wife, kids, and hobbies). The tattoos don’t mean I’m a scary intimidating monster. If my employer (the government) thinks they are acceptable in the workplace as long as they aren’t offensive, why should Carnival be any different," he posted.

Heald shared Carnival's very clear policy.

"We do allow the crew to have tattoos, and as long as they are not offensive in any way, they do not have to cover them up. My view is the tattoo does change the service or Fun the crew will bring you, it is that simple," he wrote.

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