Key Aspects:

• A recent Harry Potter trivia perfect score has once again raised accusations about players cheating.
• John Heald has offered a poll about whether guests should swap papers to grade trivia answers.
• Harry’s wand is, in fact, 11 inches long, which is mentioned in two different books.

Trivia is a go-to onboard activity for many cruise lines, and Carnival Cruise Line often offers specialty and themed trivias for movies, television shows, music types, and more.

One such popular trivia that often fills a lounge to overflowing is Harry Potter Trivia. With so many guests enjoying the activity and the beloved franchise, it is important to remember that only one team will win.

And if that isn’t your team, does it mean another team must have cheated? One recent guest thinks so, and reached out to Carnival Cruise Line’s brand ambassador, John Heald, to address trivia cheaters.

The incident happened on Carnival Vista while Heald was onboard for the inaugural visit to Celebration Key. While the details of the first guests at Carnival’s new private destination took top headlines, this guest was upset enough about the trivia to air their grievances.

“This morning I went to the Harry Potter trivia. I love Harry Potter, so does my wife. There were a ton of teens and families who clearly did too,” the guest explained.

“We missed only one question which was impossible to know. Unsurprisingly, a man and his teenage kids claim to have gotten every question right. They cheated! The question was how long was Harry Potter’s wand.”

The guest described how groans were heard around the lounge when the difficult question was asked. This is often the reaction to very challenging questions. But did the winning family really cheat?

“This family had a phone on their table. They were cheating. Carnival should have the papers graded by staff or by other players to stop this from happening,” the guest suggested.

The guest does not confirm if the winning family was using their phone during the trivia game, only that they happened to have one on their table.

In today’s high-tech world and with the Carnival Hub app being so important onboard, most guests do in fact carry phones with them almost all the time.

But the assertion that they must have cheated simply because they knew the length of Harry Potter’s magic wand is absurd.

Passionate fans easily know this answer, which is found on page 84 of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, when the young soon-to-be wizard is visiting Ollivander’s wand shop to buy the critical item.

“Holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple,” Ollivander describes as he pulls what will become Harry’s wand from the shelf.

Did you miss that reference? In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, all the Triwizard Tournament champions have their wands tested before the competition begins. On page 310, Harry reminisces about first purchasing his wand.

“This one, which was made of holly, eleven inches long, and contained a single feather from the tail of a phoenix,” he remembered.

It’s true that the wand measurement is not mentioned in the Harry Potter movies. Fans who have read the books over and over, however, wouldn’t likely have too much difficulty with the question.

As a point of pride, my family has gotten perfect Harry Potter trivia scores, without even owning a phone at the time. Our most challenging questions have included “Who is Molly Weasley’s favorite singer?” (Celestina Warbeck) and “How many staircases are in Hogwarts?” (142).

How Can Cheating Be Discouraged?

The original poster believes that having crew members grade answer sheets or exchanging papers with other guests at the end of the contest can eliminate cheating.

Heald does assure the guest that he will speak to Carnival Vista‘s entertainment staff as well as the “Mother Ship” about the issue in case more can be done.

“It is fun, but I do understand that if somebody was allegedly cheating, it can be a little bit upsetting,” he responded.

He notes, however, that the crew members running the trivia do not have time to grade papers individually. When Harry Potter trivia can easily draw 50+ players, individual grading would be impossible.

Read Also: Carnival Trivia Prizes – Lame or Luxe?

Heald also includes the idea of how to grade trivia papers as part of his daily poll, asking whether or not guests agreed that papers should be swapped so no one is grading their own answer sheet.

In less than two hours, just 2% of votes (approximately 800 votes) agreed that papers should be swapped, while 13% (more than 5,300 votes) feel such a step is not necessary, as it’s just not serious enough.

This is not the first time Heald has addressed trivia cheating, as it can be a common concern for fans of the popular activity. In July 2023, he discussed similar concerns but still emphasized that the point of the activity is just to have a little fun.

Can Carnival Guests Get Perfect Trivia Scores Without Cheating?