Cabin Cleaning - Is it still only once a day?

[Smuncha Luncha]

Are they still only offering to have your cabin cleaned once a day?  This will be our first time cruising since Covid and had always had our cabin serviced twice a day in the past.

[JT1962]

I believe they had started cutting service back to once a day even before Covid. I remember having to choose either morning or evening service.
 

This is from the Carnival website currently: 

 

“All staterooms will be serviced once daily. However, you may opt out of the daily stateroom service by informing your stateroom attendant.”

[tm_aw_love]

39 minutes ago, JT1962 said:

I believe they had started cutting service back to once a day even before Covid. I remember having to choose either morning or evening service.

Right, contrary to what many doom and gloomers try to push, the reduction to once a day service actually happened before COVID. 

[hurricane0226]

Yes, you are asked by your steward if you want morning or evening service.

[LHARTWICK]

On our December cruise, our steward never asked which service we preferred as they have in the past.  However, he serviced our room in the PM, which is our preference, so it worked out.  This was one of the few cruises where we rarely saw our steward, which was disappointing.  We enjoy visiting with them and getting to know them.

[groundloop]

41 minutes ago, hurricane0226 said:

Yes, you are asked by your steward if you want morning or evening service.

 

That was the case with our September, November, and December cruises, but on Valor two weeks ago our steward simply told us approximately what time he'd be doing the cabin each day.  

 

I never did see the point of twice daily cabin service, once per day makes a lot more sense.  And while not having a choice of when the cabin is cleaned isn't a huge deal I'd prefer to be able to chose.  We like to hang out on our balcony for a while after breakfast and on our last cruise had to vacate the cabin a couple of times while our steward cleaned.
 

[firedisney97]

On the Horizon a couple of weeks ago I tried to request evening cleaning as we had a 15yo with us and he likes to sleep in the mornings and our steward said he only works there till 1:30 and so he would put us last on the rotation.  So I had to make sure our son was up and out of the cabin by around 1130 so that we could get it picked up (and I wanted my towel animals)

[famof4togo]

While I don't consider myself particularly "boujee", I do miss the twice a day service...as a mother who never has anyone pick up after her most of the year, I liked coming back from breakfast to a made room, and then in the evenings I liked the turn down service and yes, I do also miss the mints on the pillow. 

 

Also, twice a day can serve its practical purposes too....we have friends traveling with us who are in a room for 4 with a drop down bed from the top for one kid and another kid who will sleep on the couch...I can't see how they will manage without twice a day service as they either will not be able to use the couch during the day (if they select evening service kids bedding will still be on couch) or the drop down bed will need to be made by themselves (if they select morning service) etc...

[Pyxie]

Yes and this will be the case moving forward. You used to be able to request twice a day even if they only offered once a day. You can't even do that anymore.

[Smuncha Luncha]

13 minutes ago, Pyxie said:

Yes and this will be the case moving forward. You used to be able to request twice a day even if they only offered once a day. You can't even do that anymore.

That was the last that I remembered pre-Covid...we had the option of morning, evening, or both.  Sounds like from the comments, it's now only once a day with some being able to choose which time of day they want it while others have not been able to choose.

[csm5986142]

3 hours ago, JT1962 said:

I believe they had started cutting service back to once a day even before Covid. I remember having to choose either morning or evening service.

 

I agree, and I think the change is here to stay.  But it doesn't bother me, those guys work so hard, if they come in and give me fresh towels as needed, I'm happy.

[famof4togo]

Yes I too think it is here to stay... I believe RCL changed to once a day even before Carnival (though on RCL you could still ask for twice a day, not sure if that is still the case)

[farjar]

On our January Panorama cruise the room steward never asked but he quickly realized our routine.  We would hang the "Do Not Disturb" sign out when we returned to the cabin at night and leave it there until we returned from breakfast the next day.  We would then remove it and go about our planned daily activities.  If we needed to return to the cabin to change clothes, nap or relax we would put the sign out again.  Our cabin was always cleaned once per day between breakfast and lunch. 

[LasVegasSolo]

No problem with the once per day but it will be my choice as it is my vacation.  I am someone who naturally picks up after myself to the point of making my bed (habit what can I say) BUT I do tend to wonder around more at night which results in sleeping in so it would need to be an evening make-up.  I completely and totally respect the cabin steward but they have to have some flexibility as well.  The comment of one of the stewards saying they get off at 1:30 so their son could not sleep in honestly is a concern for me.

[katiel53]

1 hour ago, famof4togo said:

Yes I too think it is here to stay... I believe RCL changed to once a day even before Carnival (though on RCL you could still ask for twice a day, not sure if that is still the case)

We normally cruise on Royal Caribbean and have done so pre-covid and in Oct and Nov of 2021.  At no time were the cabins serviced only once a day.  We had full cleaning in the AM and in the PM had turn down service, pickup and drop off of towels.    

 

I am ok with cleaning only in the morning, but I do want clean towels at night. I do not want evening service as my daily service.  Hopefully, there won't be a problem when we sail on Mardi Gras.

[firedisney97]

1 hour ago, LasVegasSolo said:

No problem with the once per day but it will be my choice as it is my vacation.  I am someone who naturally picks up after myself to the point of making my bed (habit what can I say) BUT I do tend to wonder around more at night which results in sleeping in so it would need to be an evening make-up.  I completely and totally respect the cabin steward but they have to have some flexibility as well.  The comment of one of the stewards saying they get off at 1:30 so their son could not sleep in honestly is a concern for me.

I didn't say they get off at 1:30, they told me they were done working in this area at 1:30, I took that to mean they had an other position they had to be at after that.  A lot of employees work in more that one location every day.  I know our bartenders from the Havana Bar were on Lido periodically and worked at one of the other bars during the evening also

[LasVegasSolo]

Sorry misunderstood.  Though I still feel it should be my choice as it is my vacation with all respect it goes both ways.

Edited February 24, 2022 by LasVegasSolo

[ray98]

33 minutes ago, LasVegasSolo said:

Sorry misunderstood.  Though I still feel it should be my choice as it is my vacation with all respect it goes both ways.

There is a very wide range of times they can get to the cabin.  It really isn't an issue.

[AtSeaWithChris]

4 hours ago, famof4togo said:

Yes I too think it is here to stay... I believe RCL changed to once a day even before Carnival (though on RCL you could still ask for twice a day, not sure if that is still the case)

We sailed on the Harmony of the Seas in January and it wasn’t even a question. Our room was serviced twice a day. We also never had a bacon shortage. 

[LHARTWICK]

5 hours ago, groundloop said:

I never did see the point of twice daily cabin service, once per day makes a lot more sense.  And while not having a choice of when the cabin is cleaned isn't a huge deal I'd prefer to be able to chose.  We like to hang out on our balcony for a while after breakfast and on our last cruise had to vacate the cabin a couple of times while our steward cleaned.

Agree with you for sure - we like to sleep in and if they clean in the AM, we feel like we have to vacate so we are not in their way.  

[famof4togo]

I am certain when I sailed RCL in 2017 that they had gone to once a day as I remember the mutiny about it on the boards before we sailed, but maybe many complained, and they switched back to twice a day....

[Denverdonkeys]

5 hours ago, famof4togo said:

While I don't consider myself particularly "boujee", I do miss the twice a day service...as a mother who never has anyone pick up after her most of the year, I liked coming back from breakfast to a made room, and then in the evenings I liked the turn down service and yes, I do also miss the mints on the pillow. 

 

Also, twice a day can serve its practical purposes too....we have friends traveling with us who are in a room for 4 with a drop down bed from the top for one kid and another kid who will sleep on the couch...I can't see how they will manage without twice a day service as they either will not be able to use the couch during the day (if they select evening service kids bedding will still be on couch) or the drop down bed will need to be made by themselves (if they select morning service) etc...

I miss the twice a day for the same reason.

 

However, as a parent I would "manage" by sitting (or laying) on my bed, or on top of the sheets my kid would sleep on, or I would "make the bed" by handing them the sheets to do themselves at night (and they are 5 or 7 years old). sitting on top of sheets is not a big deal and using the term "manage" makes it seem like a dramatic "ruining" of a cruise.

[britbritrawr09]

4 hours ago, LasVegasSolo said:

No problem with the once per day but it will be my choice as it is my vacation.  I am someone who naturally picks up after myself to the point of making my bed (habit what can I say) BUT I do tend to wonder around more at night which results in sleeping in so it would need to be an evening make-up.  I completely and totally respect the cabin steward but they have to have some flexibility as well.  The comment of one of the stewards saying they get off at 1:30 so their son could not sleep in honestly is a concern for me.

I just cruised last week and my cabin steward told us the same thing. I wanted evening service because I had hopes of sleeping in. I got up at five anyway. 

[icft]

We got back from our latest cruise on the Glory Sunday and I had though it strange our room steward had tried to push us into morning service. We told her no, we wanted evening service and that is what we got. But I have been of the opinion for a while Carnival is doing away with the concept of cabin stewards and moving to a Holiday Inn system with maids whose only job is to clean your room. They are pretty well there already. If they only stoop to Holiday Inn standards where I can put out a do not disturb sign and they will clean after I get up we'll be OK. But at that point I see no need for tipping.

[vwrestler171]

I miss the twice a day service as well.  Mainly because I could take a nap mid day and still have the fresh crisp bed when I come back from dinner.  

 

Carnival was cutting this before COVID and are now using COVID as the reason.  They cut the room staff before in an attempt to save money.  Cut the service, and then increased the charged gratuities for the service that is left.