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When you arrive to
your room you should find your first copy of the Carnival Caper welcoming
you aboard. You will get a new Caper every night for the following day.
Bring a yellow highlighter to mark activities in the “Day at a Glance”
section on the back that you want to attend. Tear off the Day at a Glance
section so you can carry it with you wherever you go.
You can get additional copies of the Capers from the Purser's desk for
others in your party or for souvenirs. You don’t need to stand in line.
They are usually placed at the end of the counter.
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Depending on the
preference of the people in the cabin before you the twin beds may or may
not be pushed together. If the cabin is not configured to how you want it
then just let the steward know. You may not see it changed until you
arrive back in the cabin that night. The steward may be very busy
switching other cabins around.
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If you have
connecting cabins with family and/or friends this is the time to request
it is unlocked. Connecting cabins are indicated on the deck plans as a
diamond shape between cabins.
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If you are sailing
with 3 or 4 in your cabin and IF there is a convertible sofa in your cabin
expect this to always be made up as a bed. The steward will put the back
cushion on during the day and remove it at night but usually they do not
remove the sheets and blankets. If you desire for the bedding to be
removed each day this is something you can discuss with your steward but
personally if I made this request I would tip with the request as this
does consume more of the stewards time. They may tell you that they
prefer to leave the sofa make up as a bed.
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Some stewards will
replace the bunk into the wall/ceiling each day. Some leave them out. If
you prefer it one way over the other you need to discuss this with your
steward.
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You can order
excursions through the television. You may find it cheaper to book some
excursions on your own before the cruise.
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Ask the room steward
to show you where the pantry is. This is where you can freshen up your
ice bucket anytime. Yes, that’s what you pay the steward his tips for but
they can’t always be found (they have a lot of cabins to clean).
Depending on the steward they may tell you guests are no allowed in the
pantry.
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We tip the steward a
little up front (on top of the tip they get on the S&S) since we always
seem to have something special that needs to be done. Some disagree with
this practice. Do as you please.
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Carnival has a
reverse gratuity system, meaning that the gratuities will be placed on
your S&S account. If the service is great leave it the way it is. If
the service is poor then I can go to the purser’s desk and ask them to
adjust the tip for the steward. You can adjust the tip for anyone – up or
down – by going to the purser’s desk. Do this before the day of
debarkation, as they will be very busy.
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If you are having
issues with service please take the opportunity first to speak to someone
regarding the issue. If the issue is not resolved then yes, adjust the
tip. If the issue is addressed to your satisfaction then I suggest you
leave them be. This is only my opinion so do as you please.
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If you pre-pay your
tips through your travel agent or Carnival then you can not adjust your
tips down. If you want to give additional you can do so in cash directly
to the cabin steward.
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Warning – the
bathrooms are small and the toilet makes a loud sound when you flush it.
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Unless you have a
suite the showers are small. All come with a detachable hand held
showerhead.
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The showers have
dispensers filled with shower gel and shampoo/conditioner combo. You may
want to bring your own conditioner. Saltwater can do a number on your
hair.
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There is an AC
control is your cabin. Usually it is located overhead on the vent.
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You can ask the
steward for extra pillows and blankets.
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Take a night light
if you have an inside cabin – it can be very dark. A travel alarm clock
isn’t a bad idea either. An inside cabin can be very confusing to your
internal clock. The phones can be set to give you a wake up call. Other
leave there TV turned to the bridge cam.
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If you are traveling
with others you can leave and retrieve messages through the cabin voice
mail system on the phone. Some ships still do not have this option.
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If your cabin has a
refrigerator most likely it will be stocked. You must request that it be
opened. Anything you use – you buy. You can ask the steward to remove
the items so you can put in your own but be cautious doing this as the
steward may not remember and you may get charged for items you did not
use. Also some stewards will tell you they are not allowed to remove
items.
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If possible take a
soft-sided cooler. Just ask the steward to keep ice in it (another good
reason to tip up front). Your drinks will be colder and you don’t run the
risk of being charged for items you didn’t use. Size is limited to 12” x
12” unless you take a collapsible one and that way you can pack it in your
luggage.
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If you have more
than a couple of things to plug in you may want to take a power strip.
There is only one outlet in the cabin area.
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The cabins have a
hair dryer (usually located in the vanity drawer) but you have to hold the
button for it to work. If you have long hair, you may want to bring your
own.
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The cabin steward
will turn down the bed every night (some do not provide turn-down on the
first night) and return after you leave in the morning to make the bed,
replace towels, and generally clean the cabin. You can contact the
steward by phone. Check the directory in the cabin.
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If you are done with
a towel, throw it on the floor. If a towel is hanging it will not be
replaced. As you can imagine there is a lot of laundry on a ship so
anytime a towel can be reused they request you do so.
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There is a
retractable clothesline in the shower. You can bring some clothespins or
just hang things over.
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Purchase a shoe
organizer – the type with the hanger and pockets. Some use it for the
bathroom – but I find there is lots of storage in the bathroom. I prefer
to use it to store small items such as highlighters, post-its, pens,
disposable cameras, sunscreen, corkscrew, and tips for room service. Hang
it in the closet area. We use the bottom outside pocket for our S&S cards
when we retire for the night so we know where to find them in the morning.
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There will be a
cabin book that talks about the ship (and filled with advertising). This
is yours to take. If you would like a new one just ask the steward.
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If you have a
balcony room, bring bungee cords to hold open the balcony door at night.
You will be able to hear the ocean and get a nice breeze. Do turn down the
AC – as it would be wasteful to run it at full blast.
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The balcony doors
can be opened between the staterooms. The Room Steward will unlock the
door, upon request. You may need to go down to the Pursers desk with one
of the other parties in the adjoining cabin. Some ships limit the number
of door that can be opened so be sure to do this as soon as you board.
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All staterooms have
an amenity basket in the bathroom. The amenities are subject to change and
are only sample sizes. The basket may include such things as: his/her
razors; shampoo and conditioner; body wash; Tylenol; deodorant; hard
candies. Supplies will be replenished by the room steward, upon request.
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A safe is provided
in every stateroom and is located in the cabinet under the TV. On some
ships the safe requires any type of card with a magnetic strip on the back
to lock/open while some of the older ships have a keypad that you can
assign your own code. Suggest a grocery reward card or something that
won’t cause a burden if it is lost. If you do lose the card, the purser
desk can send someone to open it for you.
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Please be
considerate of those around you. The cabin walls are not thin but loud
music carries.
