Woman traumatized after getting on Carnival Cruise. She finds bizarre ‘crowd management’ gear, baby cups, and copies of the Declaration of Independence

A TikTok user from Florida, who posts as Meesh, said she was traumatized after taking her first and only Carnival cruise. She shared a 12-photo carousel with on-screen text that listed the things she said stood out to her on the ship.

The first photo showed her sitting on a bed in a cabin. Overlay text on that image reads, “Things that traumatized me on my first and only carnival cruise.” Meesh’s profile listed her as Meesh, with the username blancdemer, and described her account as lifestyle, wellness, and travel in Florida.

Later slides showed what she labeled as bizarre ‘crowd management’ gear, baby cups at a drink station, and copies of the Declaration of Independence. She also posted photos of a hot tub, a medical lecture board, metal detectors, napkins, a mascot doll, and a yellow gelatin dessert.

Commenters identify the ship as Carnival Freedom and address the photos

Meesh’s photos included a yellow-rimmed hot tub on an open deck. Overlay text on that image stated, “Hot tub was yellow from the amount of people peeing in it.” Another photo showed a worn box with a sign that read “CROWD MANAGEMENT EQUIPMENT.” She added the line, “casual boxes of crowd management equipment.”

One photo showed people on a deck and three figures dressed as Dr. Seuss characters on a balcony. Overlay text described the scene as, “Twerking contest judged by Dr. Suess characters.” A whiteboard in another photo listed health topics with spellings such as “CONSTIRPATION.” Overlay text said, “Giving medical advice but can’t spell constipation.”

Meesh also posted a metal detector on the ship’s tiled floor. Overlay text read, “Metal detectors everywhere.. Royal, celebrity and virgin only have these on the level you get off and on the ship.” A drink station photo showed an ice-and-water dispenser and a stack of bright green plastic cups. She wrote, “No drinking water other than the buffet and they use children cups.”

A close-up of a red plush mascot in a blue, white, and red uniform carried the overlay, “w–k is the mascot.” Another image showed a terminal area and a sign that said, “BAGS DOWN FOR THE DOGS Please place all bags on the floor.” Overlay text added, “Drug dogs before getting on (never had this on the 20 other cruises I’ve been on).”

She held up a thin red piece of fabric and wrote, “The ratty napkins (more so rags) in the buffet look like they have been through hell.” A framed document appeared in another slide with overlay text that said, “Casual copy of the Declaration of Independence.” The last photo showed yellow gelatin on a buffet line. Overlay text labeled it, “Nursing home dessert.” Carnival Cruise’s troubles go beyond cabin amenities, as one passenger reported a flood ruined thousands of dollars of belongings.

According to U.S. News Travel, Carnival Freedom was last refurbished in 2023 and is set to be refreshed again in late 2026. The outlet said the ship has a total passenger capacity of 3,754 and a double-occupancy capacity of 2,980, with 1,150 crew members aboard. U.S. News Travel also listed Fun Ship 2.0 venues such as Guy’s Burger Joint and BlueIguana Cantina, a WaterWorks water park with a 203-foot-long slide, a mini-golf course, and a Seuss at Sea program aimed at younger patrons.

The outlet said parents can use the Serenity adults-only retreat while children ages 2 to 17 use age-appropriate youth clubs. The outlet noted two main dining rooms, a steakhouse, and Lido Deck options that include pizza and Mongolian Wok. Cabins were listed as Interior, Ocean View, Balcony, or Suite, with flat-screen TVs and 24-hour room service. The ship was described as sailing from Orlando, Florida, Norfolk, Virginia, and Barcelona.

One commenter said the photos showed Carnival Freedom and that they had sailed on it twice and liked it both times.

They wrote, “Carnival is literally known as a cheaper and more affordable way of cruising, yet people with bougie taste still book it and complain. Those “metal detectors” are by the photos and shops to deter people from stealing. Like girl be so fr why is that a big deal. Also if you don’t like the buffet napkins, eat in the dining rooms where they’re nicer. And you’re also allowed to take your own cups on board so you don’t have to use the “kid” ones. Im gonna need people to stop booking budget friendly and affordable cruises and then act like they’re on a Disney cruise. You’re not.” Meesh, the creator, replied, “It was freedom.”

Another commenter wrote, “D–n I’m constirpated just looking at these pics.” A third commenter wrote, “The “metal detectors” are on deck 4 where they sell the photos. The pool was painted yellow because of the deck it’s on. The jello is only certain times due to having a variety for all ages.” Carnival cruises have also been the setting for other bizarre passenger incidents, such as when a woman allegedly caught another woman scraping flakes off her foot with a fork.