Question about morning vs. evening room servicing

Its been 10 years since I last cruised on Carnival, long before the switch to either morning or evening room servicing. We will be crusing with our two kids, so we'll have the fold out beds. If we choosing morning servicing, will they put the beds up in the morning and then come back to put it back down in the afternoon, or will it stay open for the whole cruise? I was also wondering when you receive your fun times if you choose morning service? Will we still get towel animals if we choose morning? If we choose evening do they still do the chocolates on your pillow or has that been phased out completely? I know that chocolates and towel animals are silly, but my boys LOVED the animals on our last Disney cruise and they thought that getting "special" chocolates at night was just the greatest thing ever, for kids its always the small things :)

I am well aware that there will be a big difference between our Disney cruise and our Carnival cruise, and with the Carnival cruise being 1/3 the price I'm totally OK with that. I just am curious what to expect so I can plan accordingly.

I believe the option is still there to select both! I would definitely tell your steward that you would like both morning and evening, and tell him/her your expectations regarding the bed situation. Yes, the chocolates are gone, but towel animals are still a standard.

You can still have two a day service. Just tell your steward you want both. If he gives you a hard time, go to guest services and complain. :)

I believe the option is still there to select both! I would definitely tell your steward that you would like both morning and evening, and tell him/her your expectations regarding the bed situation. Yes, the chocolates are gone, but towel animals are still a standard.

You are correct. If you look at the card the steward has to record your desires and needs one of the choices is both morning and evening service. Don't fall for the sob story on how overworked he/she is. That isn't your problem but if you want to offer a solution tell the steward to find a new job on another line.

Its been 10 years since I last cruised on Carnival, long before the switch to either morning or evening room servicing. We will be crusing with our two kids, so we'll have the fold out beds. If we choosing morning servicing, will they put the beds up in the morning and then come back to put it back down in the afternoon, or will it stay open for the whole cruise? I was also wondering when you receive your fun times if you choose morning service? Will we still get towel animals if we choose morning? If we choose evening do they still do the chocolates on your pillow or has that been phased out completely? I know that chocolates and towel animals are silly, but my boys LOVED the animals on our last Disney cruise and they thought that getting "special" chocolates at night was just the greatest thing ever, for kids its always the small things :)

 

I am well aware that there will be a big difference between our Disney cruise and our Carnival cruise, and with the Carnival cruise being 1/3 the price I'm totally OK with that. I just am curious what to expect so I can plan accordingly.

In reading others review on these boards, it seems that the beds stay out the entire cruise. I would imagine if you tell your room steward that you'd like them put up during the day and back down at night, they would certainly do that.

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They've always kept our fold out couch/bed out the entire time. Never put it up during the day. Really there was no need to though. My son just sat on the bed while it was out during the day if we went back to the room.

We requested twice a day service on our room, so the Fun Times came at night for the next day. However on Carnival you won't really use the paper edition of The Fun Times because you can access it on The Hub app on your phone for free which is MUCH better. The papers more-less just take up space now. You can get the entire cruise on the app from day 1.

No chocolates on pillows anymore, they did away with them long ago. You will definitely get your towel animal though. If your kids really like the towel animals, be sure to take them to the towel animal theater, which you can find details in the daily itinerary of when it is.

Either or choice is only on some ships. Tell steward if he asks you want both and if he gives you a hard time stick to your guns

Thank you everyone for your responses! I will definitely request twice daily service, or at least ask that the beds can be put away in the morning and taken back out in the evening. Having the beds out just makes the room feel so much smaller, plus then I have to keep telling the kids to not play on the ladder, and "NO you can't jump from the top bunk to the king bed", and all the other fun parts of having a 4 and 7 year old boys ;) Putting the beds away and removing the temptation will make for an easier vacation!

I also have no problem extra tipping the room steward for the extra work. We plan on pre-paying our gratuities, but will there be envelopes on the last day so we can give them extra for the extra work?

Kind of hijacking the thread but what is the difference between morning and evening service. We've always just done evenings. What is there to do in the evening if you get morning and evening?

Kind of hijacking the thread but what is the difference between morning and evening service. We've always just done evenings. What is there to do in the evening if you get morning and evening?

It was always morning and evening. In the mornings, you would get clean towels, ice, beds made, floor vaccuumed, bathroom cleaned, etc.

In the evenings, if your bed was unmade again (from a nap or whatever), then they would remake it, do a touch up in the room, replace ice, towels, leave a towel animal, fun times, and chocolates on top of the fun times.

Its been 10 years since I last cruised on Carnival, long before the switch to either morning or evening room servicing. We will be crusing with our two kids, so we'll have the fold out beds. If we choosing morning servicing, will they put the beds up in the morning and then come back to put it back down in the afternoon, or will it stay open for the whole cruise? I was also wondering when you receive your fun times if you choose morning service? Will we still get towel animals if we choose morning? If we choose evening do they still do the chocolates on your pillow or has that been phased out completely? I know that chocolates and towel animals are silly, but my boys LOVED the animals on our last Disney cruise and they thought that getting "special" chocolates at night was just the greatest thing ever, for kids its always the small things :)

 

I am well aware that there will be a big difference between our Disney cruise and our Carnival cruise, and with the Carnival cruise being 1/3 the price I'm totally OK with that. I just am curious what to expect so I can plan accordingly.

You can select both.

In all our Carnival travels we have never been asked to chose a clean up time. If asked I would chose the evening, then I wouldn't have to worry about being out of the cabin in the morning.

On our last cruise, we chose the later option, but we told our steward to give us extra big towels. And everything went fine. Of course, I spend little time in my room so as long as there are clean towels, I'm fine.

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I also have no problem extra tipping the room steward for the extra work. We plan on pre-paying our gratuities, but will there be envelopes on the last day so we can give them extra for the extra work?

Yes, you can pick up envelopes at Guest Services. They will be available towards the end of your cruise.

I always request both service times as well. We also have2 boys both teens now. Often we leave the beds down or lower if they have been put up because at least one usually watches tv or sleeps during the day. I also always take my own Andes mints for our pillows. I've seen where others gave tipped extra and asked the steward to put them out. I just toss ours on the pillows when we return from dinner and then they are here for all of us later that night. Silly but we enjoy it.

I'm sorry but if I'm spending $344 plus a cash tip in gratuities for eight days, I want both morning and evening. I'm on vacation !!!!!

November will be our first cruise with this new system and we plan on requesting both morning and evening.

I'm sorry but if I'm spending $344 plus a cash tip in gratuities for eight days, I want both morning and evening. I'm on vacation !!!!!

No need to be sorry. There is no reason to pay the same amount of tips for half the service.

Speaking of tips:

If you opt for Both, do you tip a little in the morning and a little in the evening or just in the evening? I'm never sure, so I basically split the tip in half (or thereabouts) and leave some out in the morning and the rest in the evening if we don't see the steward.

Speaking of tips:

If you opt for Both, do you tip a little in the morning and a little in the evening or just in the evening? I'm never sure, so I basically split the tip in half (or thereabouts) and leave some out in the morning and the rest in the evening if we don't see the steward.

We always prepay our gratuities. Never "paid as we went"

Speaking of tips:

If you opt for Both, do you tip a little in the morning and a little in the evening or just in the evening? I'm never sure, so I basically split the tip in half (or thereabouts) and leave some out in the morning and the rest in the evening if we don't see the steward.

In the past I have left my pre-paid tips in place, and left cash for the steward and the MDR staff the last night, if service was above expected level.

That will be my practice in the future, unless cabin service is reduced to once a day. In that event I will reduce tips designated to housekeeping, currently about $4 per person per day, by one-half and will reconsider how much, if any, extra cash to leave the last evening.

I have never had a problem with tipping but will never consider tipping the full suggested rate for half the service.

Speaking of tips:

If you opt for Both, do you tip a little in the morning and a little in the evening or just in the evening? I'm never sure, so I basically split the tip in half (or thereabouts) and leave some out in the morning and the rest in the evening if we don't see the steward.

Leave autotips on and if you feel they deserve it add to it

Speaking of tips:

If you opt for Both, do you tip a little in the morning and a little in the evening or just in the evening? I'm never sure, so I basically split the tip in half (or thereabouts) and leave some out in the morning and the rest in the evening if we don't see the steward.

Cabin service is covered with the auto-gratuities so we do not leave a cash tip during the cruise. If the steward has gone out of their way to make us feel welcome or done something extra we give an extra cash tip on the last night.