Twice daily cabin service?

[jimbo5544]

One of the wonderful things about cruising is the twice-daily service that every other cruise line offers. Carnival has changed this by removing one of the services unless specifically requested by the passenger. I love the turn-down service in the evening which includes turning down the bed, fresh towels, towel animal and the activities sheet for the next day.

 

 

 

The morning service is one where the room is vacuumed, bed made, bathroom cleaned and so forth.

 

 

 

This change in policy with Carnival has left a very bad taste in my mouth and has been the final straw for me with regard to this line. It's why I'm moving to other lines. We'll be taking a break from cruising and I know we'll be back. I'll be interested to see what changes have been made across the lines 5 or so years from now.

 

 

 

Happy Cruising!!

 

 

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[jimbo5544]

The all new Carnival Deceitful and Carnival Duplicitous will be named in honor of all the stewards trying to game the twice a day system.

 

 

 

The new ship names..... I got it! That opens the door for the other lines also.....the NCL gyp'em (do they legally allow ' in a name? The Royal How many ways to cheat'em of the seas...the options are limitless.

 

 

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[jimbo5544]

On our last Carnival cruise, the card was not offered to me. It was held by the steward who asked which I preferred, morning or evening, his pen poised to mark my option. He didn't seem to expect my desire for both. Your assumptions aren't fleet wide and your cheerleader attitude grows tiresome.

 

 

 

Easy one, then don't read them. BTW my replies deal with facts....yours not so much. Actually my statements are for fleet wide and IS the policy. Start a thread we can debate it, but I doubt that would happen.... right?

 

 

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[summersigh]

Hi

 

Just for those that aren't aware, you can get a bucket of ice from any bar as well as the machines in the buffet.

 

You can ask for more towels. You also have two large beach towels and they will give you more if you need them. The cabin has a phone with a direct line to "cabin steward", you can use that as well. Personally for many years now, I have been using the gym as well as their sauna and showers, just because the facilities are much nicer to use than in the cabin.. They have an unlimited supply of towels for people to use. This might not be available on ships that have the "cloud 9 spa", but just like anything else, you need to be aware before booking.

 

You can still ask for twice a day room service because it is still offered, but it is inevitable that it will change. The stewards are being dumped on with many more cabins to service than they can handle, so they will stop doing twice a day service, that's when you should start whining. It's not like we are being hard done by, we are on a cruise. If a company isn't giving what you want, then find one that is. This same thread, with different words has been going on for over a year, for something that hasn't happened yet. I am sure that a lot of people can hear the violins playing and aren't impressed.

Thank you very much but I don't really need your help in determining how I can run around the ship in a scavenger hunt or wait for requested delivery of ice and towels that may or may not arrive in a timely matter.

I'm not whining. I'm stating what I expect in the way of service. I don't believe it's too much to ask for towels, ice and the fun times in the evening. I basically replied to explain that most who want 2X daily service are not the "entitled ones" who expect twice cleaning but rather would merely like to have replenishment in the evening.

 

I have stated in previous posts that inability to have that service is a Carnival deal breaker for me.

 

If these threads don't interest you .... skip them.

[Nic6318]

Thank you very much but I don't really need your help in determining how I can run around the ship in a scavenger hunt or wait for requested delivery of ice and towels that may or may not arrive in a timely matter.

I'm not whining. I'm stating what I expect in the way of service. I don't believe it's too much to ask for towels, ice and the fun times in the evening. I basically replied to explain that most who want 2X daily service are not the "entitled ones" who expect twice cleaning but rather would merely like to have replenishment in the evening.

 

I have stated in previous posts that inability to have that service is a Carnival deal breaker for me.

 

If these threads don't interest you .... skip them.

 

 

Hi

 

I think you are misunderstanding me. I am just trying to inform people who might read what you write and think there is no access to these products (you specifically mentioned towels and ice). Well there are options. You are making it sound difficult. If you want towels, get a weeks supply on the first day. Not rocket science.

 

I understand your frustration that something could happen in the future but that is not today and people have been saying the same thing about what might happen for over a year now. Of course as you state, this will be a deal breaker if/when it happens, and you will be able to choose another cruise line, but why are you worrying about it now? I know you are not complaining, because it hasn't happened yet.

[georgiacruizer]

We have never been given the sheet to check off what we want. We have always been given twice a day room service without asking,

 

This has been our experience as well. When we see the steward on the first day, we do the introductions and I request ice daily, that's it. On our last cruise, the majority of the service was done in the morning, including the towel animal. Evening was just the turn-down, and Fun Times. If we left wet towels on the floor, they were taken, but if used towels were still on the towel bar, they were not refreshed in the evening. Which, I believe has been Carnival's published policy for quite some time, but the stewards would always replace the used towels on the towel bar anyway.

[EllenSunny1]

It’s a given on Princess and Holland America to have morning and evening service. I’d be surprised if a cruise line was aware of their stewards asking “which time” passengers preferred.

Evening is not only turn down but clean up of bathroom and replacement of towels, etc.

 

 

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[UBP....YES!!!!]

I have not cruised with Carnival in about 7 years, but have 5 booked for 2018, and 2 for 2019. I booked with NCL for last 10 years. I have recently learned of the prospect of only having my cabin serviced once a day. I will opt for evening turndown, as some mornings I like to sleep in. I prepay my gratitities and leave $5.00 for the cabin steward daily. I'm thinking with once daily cabin cleaning and leaving my tips as before, I would tipping the cabin steward 3 times per day. I will keep my pp gratituties in place, and keep the $5.00 a day tip in my wallet. This will save me a few bucks!!

[summersigh]

Hi

1- Well there are options. You are making it sound difficult. ...........

2- ........... I understand your frustration that something could happen in the future but that is not today and people have been saying the same thing about what might happen for over a year now. I know you are not complaining, because it hasn't happened yet.

1- If you read the thread you've seen the many posts from folks stating that the steward either did not present the card with the choices or indicated that once a day service was the only option and were unhappy if challenged.

2- If a company is testing a new procedure that is not what one would personally want then expressing a differing opinion is the proper way to address the issue.... and that is what I am doing. It is my educated "guess" that Carnival staff does monitor opinions expressed on Cruise Critic.

[Nic6318]

1- If you read the thread you've seen the many posts from folks stating that the steward either did not present the card with the choices or indicated that once a day service was the only option and were unhappy if challenged.

2- If a company is testing a new procedure that is not what one would personally want then expressing a differing opinion is the proper way to address the issue.... and that is what I am doing. It is my educated "guess" that Carnival staff does monitor opinions expressed on Cruise Critic.

 

 

Hi

 

I don't know what you are trying to say. I have read just as many posts where people have said "I have never received a card and got twice a day service without asking."

 

That would suggest to me that there is no fleet wide rule on how this is being applied. I don't think that a handful of people on "cruise critic" are going to affect a business decision made by Carnival. My educated "guess" is that the cabin stewards on some ships are given a freer rein. They know who the new cruisers are and very likely they are not being told of all the options. As has been mentioned in this series of posts, it is unlikely that these cabin stewards are doing so without their supervisors being aware and likely supporting "As long as complaints are kept to a minimum".

 

If you read my post, you would see that I believe the change is inevitably and this is how they intend to do it, but not yet. This dialogue has been going on for a year now, while the service hasn't changed.

[jimbo5544]

Hi

 

My educated "guess" is that the cabin stewards on some ships are given a freer rein. They know who the new cruisers are and very likely they are not being told of all the options. As has been mentioned in this series of posts, it is unlikely that these cabin stewards are doing so without their supervisors being aware and likely supporting "As long as complaints are kept to a minimum".

 

If you read my post, you would see that I believe the change is inevitably and this is how they intend to do it, but not yet. This dialogue has been going on for a year now, while the service hasn't changed.

 

 

I don't know that I would say it the way you do. Certainly, on ships where this is being done (it is not fleet wide yet, but I don't know the rationale of how that is working. I have talked with many cabin stewards on this topic and more than a few supervisors and even a couple of hotel managers on this subject. When this is deployed (the option for cabin service), there is an assumption (based upon that the cabin steward will get some cabins who want twice a day an some who don't (I know this a reality tearing concept for some here). Based upon that they will alter the cabin schedules per steward (which makes sense), they also allow the cabin steward to employ additional help (how that happens is not relevant).

The rest is fluff, I can't say with certainty, nor can anyone else what will happen in the future. I also strongly feel the statement on allowing it to be done as long as there are not a few complaints is inaccurate (to say the least). This subject will simply not go away, the vast majority of cruisers could care less.

[jimbo5544]

You may have seen me on your last cruise.:cool:

 

On Elation last June we were only given a choice of morning or evening service, not both. Since we were familiar with this change from CC we did not request twice daily. We made it through the cruise fine, it seemed there were at least four clean bath towels each day so we could make it through to the next day without having to reuse towels.

 

On Fantasy two weeks ago the "both" option was offered and we accepted with no push-back from or cabin steward. The towel animal showed up in the morning. The evening service consisted of replacing used bath towels, turning-down the bed, emptying the trash and the fun times. If we had chosen once per day we would have been managing/re-using bath towels or needed more than three clean towels at the start of the day.

 

 

 

I think you are supposed to end with"thank ya, thank ya very much?

 

 

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[khewston]

Last year we took 2 cruises. The first one was on the Conquest in a grand suite and the room steward told us we would be getting twice a day service because of the suite. Our service was exceptional!

Second cruise was on the magic in a balcony cabin. Our room steward ask us 'morning or evening service'. We told him morning was fine but we would like extra towels, pillows and ice twice a day. We always keep our room neat and tidy so he doesn't have an extra work. After the third day, my husband, had to ask him why we weren't getting ice twice a day (one day we didn't get any at all) or extra towels. After my husband complained, we did start getting ice and towels, however we never did get the pillows.

We'll be on the Sunshine is a couple of months in an ocean suite...I wonder how the service will be.

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

If you are using the sofa bed or (and especially) the pull down beds, you really need the twice per day service to fold up and down the beds. For the pull downs, the beds explicitly state that guests are not to do it themselves, and to ask the cabin steward for assistance.

 

The only time I ever got push back from a steward was when they took the dirty pool towels that were used at a beach in an excursion without replacing them. We needed new ones for an early morning excursion the next day. When I called the steward, he told me he was "done for the night" and I should get towels from the pool deck for that evening, and he'd get me new ones the next day. When I explained I needed them that night for the early excursion, he grudgingly agreed to get them to me before my kids bed time (forget what time I told him), and did so. I wasn't in the room when he brought them, but when I saw him the next day, he apologized for forgetting the towels, and for not being immediately accommodating with my request (I had not complained, so no one else knew about this to push him to apologize). In other words, he was simply tired and a bit cranky when I called, but I don't think he really meant to give me push back.

 

I wonder how much of the reported "push back" on 2x a day service is an unprofessional and discourteous human reaction to more work, as opposed to actively tricking people into giving up the 2nd service. The former can be resolved with better training (supervisors pointing out this behavior would end it in most cases). The latter is a real attitude problem.

[zanydoc]

Just so I understand correctly, on my family’s upcoming first time Carnival cruise (decided to try for a change from Royal) The cabin steward will not automatically clean the room/replace towels 2x/day? I will need to specify both with the possibility of him/her making me feel badly about it? Is there a way to avoid this transaction and just have it be done?

[jimbo5544]

Just so I understand correctly, on my family’s upcoming first time Carnival cruise (decided to try for a change from Royal) The cabin steward will not automatically clean the room/replace towels 2x/day? I will need to specify both with the possibility of him/her making me feel badly about it? Is there a way to avoid this transaction and just have it be done?

 

 

 

It is not a big deal. We have had multiple experiences: 2x without a conversation, a very easy conversation where we were asked (morning,evening or both) and shown the card (with 3 options). Never once was there an uncomfortable discussion.

 

 

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[zanydoc]

Thank you for clarifying :)

[hawaiibound24]

If the number of sewards has been reduced then it would seem to me that each is getting more tips than before. The tip pool should be the same but divided by fewer sewards. If true is this a bad thing for them?

[chrismch]

We received our twice-daily cabin service the first 2 days and then it became one at around 4 pm daily. And we told him that we didn't need any towel animals to save him time from doing that.

[Drazil65]

Sounds like Princess is the cruise line for many of you here, I am sure you are much happier with them and CCL still gets a cut of the action! Happy you have found your light at the end of the tunnel but I am sorry that you will no longer have a reason to post here (or complain I guess), you will be missed! :loudcry:

 

If not doing CCL then we do prefer RCCL over Princess, but if its good for for you then go with it!

[Retired_to_Cruise]

Easy one, then don't read them. BTW my replies deal with facts....yours not so much. Actually my statements are for fleet wide and IS the policy. Start a thread we can debate it, but I doubt that would happen.... right?

 

 

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jimbo. We just got off the Conquest yesterday. Gusti met us with the card as we placed out luggage in the cabin right after boarding. He listen to what we wanted, put it down on the card, and delivered it all week. That makes 30 Carnival cruises where I have had twice a day service, full ice bucket twice a day, bathrobes, extra towels when needed, and cheerful, efficient employees.Those who have not, or could not get that kind of service do nothing but complain about things they just can't accomplish. Makes me laugh!

[gannk]

I will never not want twice daily service. I’m on vacation, I don’t want to have to worry about making beds in the morning, and I love evening turndown. If it means I have to throw him a little extra at the end of the week for the extra services I’m ok with that. TBH, we usually are always mentally prepared to do that anyway because of the great service we have from our steward.

 

 

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[LMaxwell]

If it means I have to throw him a little extra at the end of the week for the extra services I’m ok with that.

 

This is what many companies count on; what was standard now being extra.

[salty dingo]

Some folks look forward to turn down service, and others could not care less about it. Looks like everyone can have what they want.

[BookDragon]

Our first cruise is in July. I had no idea twice daily service was an option or standard on a cruise until reading this thread. Thank you to all those who explained what the turn down service entails! Not for sure which services we will choose but I'm leaning towards twice a day because:

1. It's included and we'd like that to continue.

2. It irks me that some have experienced pressure to choose once a day.

I don't mind taking one for the team :)