Carnival Cruise Line ends famous bellyflop and hairy chest contests
It seems the pandemic shutdown has prompted Carnival Cruise Line to retire more than just a bunch of Fantasy-class ships. Two iconic poolside pastimes have also gone the way of the dodo in the line's bid to make its lido deck entertainment more family friendly. With that, Carnival has officially retired both its hairy chest and bellyflop competitions on all vessels.
The death of this kitschy entertainment was both quiet and unceremonious. A spokesperson from the line told The Points Guy that the bellyflop displays were curtailed prior to the onset of COVID-19 due to safety concerns.
The poolside hairy chest competitions, which were often accompanied by sexual innuendo, have remained absent from daily onboard schedules since the industry's restart in 2021.
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Both were consistently among the tackiest forms of entertainment at sea, drawing crowds of onlookers who would either cheer or shake their heads as grown men battled it out to see who was the worst at manscaping and the best at making a splash.
"We did want to provide a more family-friendly pool atmosphere," the line's spokesperson said. "Our cruise directors and Fun Squads have new and existing lido activities to offer."
New options include:
Red's Challenge
Red's Challenge is a RedFrog Bar-themed poolside event, in which four teams compete in three different challenges: Freeze Frog (teams act out silly scenarios, such as shopping for a pair of socks on Black Friday), Outwit the Frog (trivia involving pool noodles and punching bags) and Singing Frog (players sing a random song one at a time with no repeats or wrong lyrics).
Guess That Groove
Guess that Groove is a team competition game that combines music from all genres and decades into an interactive party. Guests are split into teams and play a series of four games: Guess That Song (guess the title based on a short clip), Reverse Mic Drop (guess the title of songs played backward), Audience Mash Up (acting out dance moves of famous artists) and Sing That Groove (finishing lyrics after a song is paused).
Groove for St. Jude
Groove for St. Jude is an afternoon deck party that raises money for Carnival's long-term charitable partner St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. T-shirts are sold during the event, and the cruise director encourages all passengers to dance on the pool deck. Line dances and competitions are commonly held.
S-pool-ing Bee
Guests line up and must spell difficult words together by only saying one letter at a time. If the guest hesitates or gives the wrong letter a cup of water is poured on their head, and they are disqualified.
Dolphin Race
One at a time, two teams will relay race by getting in the pool and pushing a golf ball or dodgeball with their noses to the pool edge and then back to their team. The first team to have all players complete the task wins.
Alphabet Soup
Teams must spell words using foam alphabet letters floating in the pool. The host will give a category and how many letters the word must be (for example, a five-letter fruit or three-letter vehicle).
Synchronized Swimming
Guests are split into two teams and have 10 minutes to create a synchronized swimming routine. The audience will vote to choose the winning team.
Perfect Partners
Similar to the "Love & Marriage" game show, partners (parent/child, best friends, siblings, couples, etc.) are given dry-erase boards and asked questions (such as "What is player 1's favorite color?"). When the boards are revealed, if player 1's partner has answered correctly, they stay in the game. If the answer is incorrect, the team is issued a strike. Three strikes, and they're eliminated.
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Sometimes it's worth a large investment to reap the benefits of a great credit card. That's exactly the case with the Amex Platinum card. In exchange for the annual fee, you'll unlock access to the Amex Membership Rewards program that let you access airline and hotel transfer partners, along with new lifestyle and travel credits. This card is also incredibly rewarding for travel purchases, helping you rack up a ton of Membership Rewards points for your next award trip.Pros
- The current welcome offer on this card is quite lucrative. TPG values it at $1,600.
- This card comes with a long list of benefits, including access to Centurion Lounges, complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott, at least $500 in assorted annual statement credits and so much more. (Enrollment required for select benefits.)
- The Amex Platinum comes with access to a premium concierge service that can help you with everything from booking hard-to-get reservations to finding destination guides to help you plan out your next getaway.
Cons
- The high annual fee is only worth it if you’re taking full advantage of the card’s benefits. Seldom travelers may not get enough value to warrant the cost.
- Outside of the current welcome bonus, you’re only earning higher rewards on specific airfare and hotel purchases, so it’s not a great card for other spending categories.
- The annual airline fee statement credit can be complicated to take advantage of compared to the broader travel credits offered by competing premium cards.
- Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card®, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
- Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings, which requires a minimum two-night stay, through American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Audible, Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The New York Times. Enrollment required.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Ups are excluded.
- American Express has expanded The Centurion® Network to include 40+ Centurion Lounge and Studio locations worldwide. There are even more places your Platinum Card® can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one select qualifying airline.
- $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only.
- Get up to $300 back per calendar year on the Equinox+ digital fitness app, or eligible Equinox club memberships when you pay with your Platinum Card. Enrollment required. Learn more.
- Breeze through security with CLEAR® lanes available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your membership when you use your Card. Learn more.
- $695 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees