Space on cruise ships is limited, so areas that once were popular are replaced when new ships are designed or current ships enter dry dock.
Areas that used to be standard, like libraries and gamerooms, have not been added to new ships and are being removed from some current ships. It's easy to see why libraries are less relevant. About half of all book reading now takes place via e-books. You still see plenty of physical books on ships, but many people are reading on their phones, tablets and other devices. In the old days people would borrow a book from the shelves and leave behind one they have read.
That became a less pleasant idea during the Covid pandemic and many cruise ships took the books out of their libraries. That logic applies in gamerooms as well. Passengers used to play board games and card games left on the ship for communal use. Sharing items without sanitizing them is now known not to be a great idea, so some gamerooms have gone away, too.
Another one-time cruise-ship staple has also gone away and some passengers are unhappy. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next or your first cruise.
Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald recently answered a question about something that used to be standard on cruise ships. If not, why not? The brand ambassador answered the question honestly. We do not have a chapel or prayer room on any ship," he wrote. Prayer accompanied by the sound of the ocean complement each other.
