In response to visitor feedback, Carnival Cruise Line Model Ambassador John Heald has as soon as extra reminded friends concerning the baggage drop-off coverage for the cruise line’s most loyal VIFP cruisers. This comes after feedback about “impolite” cabin attendants in the course of the time when staterooms stay closed to friends.
Carnival Cruise Line’s official coverage for the bags drop-off is that friends who’ve reached the Platinum or Diamond degree of the road’s “Very Necessary Enjoyable Individual” (VIFP) program are permitted to go to their staterooms as quickly as they board their ship on embarkation day. That is solely to drop off baggage, nevertheless, to not stay within the cabin to unpack, nap, bathe, or in any other case use the house.
Heald has handled quite a few visitor feedback up to now about how cabin attendants – also referred to as stateroom stewards – react when vacationers arrive at their staterooms.
“I’ve to say that when a housekeeping crewmember says to you ‘D’ to please go away the cabin, he’s not being impolite. He’s saying ‘I nonetheless want time to scrub your cabin,’” Heald clarified not too long ago. “Sure you may put your carry-on baggage within the closet, however please go away right away.”
Carnival friends are requested to vacate their staterooms no later than 8-8:30 a.m. on debarkation morning (precise timing can range on completely different ship and at completely different homeports). Those self same rooms should be turned over and prepared for embarking friends by 1:30-2:30 p.m. that afternoon (once more, timing varies by ship and homeport).
Throughout these few hours, cabin attendants should completely clear every room. This consists of eradicating trash, altering all bedding, replenishing and exchanging towels, scrubbing the lavatory, vacuuming the ground, restocking any soaps, and guaranteeing all private objects have been faraway from drawers, closets, and the stateroom protected.
Learn Additionally: What a Cruise Ship Cabin Steward Actually Does
There may additionally be different points that should be attended to, similar to treating any extreme stains, changing broken objects like a damaged mirror or desk, or fixing a door lock.
Added collectively, this makes for a really busy day for all cabin attendants. If friends stay within the staterooms, these very hard-working crew members wouldn’t have the ability to accomplish all the pieces essential to make sure absolutely ready rooms for everybody till a lot later within the day.
It must be famous that Carnival’s VIFP Membership Advantages listing solely specifies “Precedence check-in and boarding on embarkation day” and doesn’t explicitly state that vacationers can go instantly to their staterooms. Whereas this has been an unwritten profit for years, the cruise line clarified in the course of the post-pandemic restart that staterooms may not be prepared for full use instantly.
“As a result of enhanced cleansing and sanitation, staterooms is probably not prepared on the time of boarding for the early Arrival Appointments. When you’ve got not checked your baggage, be at liberty to rapidly drop off your baggage whereas our crew places the ending touches in your stateroom,” electronic mail notifications despatched to friends in 2021 and 2022 learn.
Ever since, it has been normal process that friends with this profit can drop off baggage however not stay of their staterooms till in spite of everything cabins are opened for all friends.
Who Will get the Baggage Drop-Off Profit?
A number of kinds of Carnival Cruise Line friends obtain this extremely coveted profit that lets vacationers get their trip began earlier, with extra time for enjoyable.
The profit is routinely granted to Platinum and Diamond VIFP friends. These are returning Carnival cruisers who’ve earned 75 and 200 factors within the cruise line’s loyalty program, respectively.
Early stateroom entry for baggage drop-off can also be a perk of the Quicker to the Enjoyable (FTTF) add-on package deal, which lists “Stateroom Entry” as a profit.
“As soon as on board, it is possible for you to to drop off your baggage in your stateroom till your room is prepared,” the FTTF description reads.
Clearly, this doesn’t point out that friends who buy Quicker to the Enjoyable are capable of stay of their staterooms instantly, however solely that baggage will be left within the cabin. The limited-availability package deal is obtainable on choose sailings, relying on what number of upper-tier VIFP friends are booked on particular person voyages. Pricing varies based mostly on homeport, cruise ship, and crusing size.
Lastly, friends who ebook suites additionally obtain precedence check-in and embarkation as a part of their unique advantages for that better tier (and better worth) of luxurious.
No matter what kind of visitor a traveler could also be, it’s essential to make sure cabin attendants have loads of time and house to do their work.
“Thanks to everybody who has the precedence boarding and is in a position to do that to please keep in mind to kindly go away the cabin so [attendants] can clear. They only wish to do one of the best for you,” Heald mentioned.
Visitors who’re leaving baggage of their cabin earlier than heading for lunch, to finish their e-muster drill, or simply to get the occasion began, attempt to go away baggage within the closet, beneath the mattress, or in any other case tucked nicely out of the attendant’s method. This can assist make sure that everybody onboard can entry their cabins as quickly as doable.
It also needs to go with out saying (however everybody sometimes wants reminders) that solely friends who’ve this profit must be of their staterooms earlier than the opening announcement is formally made. Different friends might want to maintain their carry-on baggage with them till they’re permitted of their rooms.
