Key Aspects:
- Confusing bags in the hallway have led one Carnival guest to question how laundry valet services work.
- John Heald has clarified that guests should keep their laundry request bags in their stateroom.
- This is not the first time Carnival has had questions and concerns about valet and self-service laundry.
It’s never quite fun to go home from a cruise vacation with luggage full of dirty laundry. Many guests avoid this problem with laundry services onboard, but there can be some confusion about how the services work.
While self-service laundry facilities (where available) are quite self-explanatory, what about sending one’s laundry out for valet cleaning?
This does cost a fee depending on the overall amount of laundry and the types of clothing, but it can be a great time-saver. After all, who wants spend precious vacation time in a laundry room?
An interesting question about laundry services have arisen on Carnival Magic, however. While laundry doesn’t magically disappear, how are guests supposed to send it out for cleaning services?
One guest reached out to John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s brand ambassador, for instructions.
“I’ve sailed plenty and utilize the laundry every cruise. This cruise however on the Magic I noticed multiple people leave their filled laundry bags outside their cabin door,” they began.
“I have never done this. I have always found my room steward in the hall or called their number to let them know I have laundry ready. What is the room steward’s (or Carnival’s) preferred method for notifying laundry is ready for sending out?”
This is certainly an interesting question. After all, Carnival Cruise Line does prefer guests place used room service dishes in the hallway for collection, instead of leaving them in the room.
Laundry, however, is one’s personal property. On the other hand, guests do put their personal luggage out in the hallway for collection at the end of the cruise, so what is the proper procedure for laundry requests?
Read Also: How Does Laundry Room Etiquette Work on a Cruise Ship?
Heald quickly answered, clarifying the best option.
“We always ask the guest to please keep it inside of the cabin,” he confirmed. “Thank you for bringing this to my attention and I will speak directly with the ship.”
Carnival Magic is currently sailing an 8-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary, having left PortMiami on Saturday, November 1. This is one of the ship’s SEA adults-only cruises, and she will return to Florida on Sunday, November 9.
Why the Confusion?
There are several reasons why the guest may have been confused about laundry bags in the hallway.
While it’s unlikely they were mistaking room service dishes for bags of laundry, it is possible the stewards were in the process of collecting laundry.
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They could have left the bags in the hallway for a brief period while collecting more or attending to other tasks, such as an emergency call from another stateroom.
Another possibility could be they didn’t see laundry bags at all, but perhaps bags of linens that had been positioned in the hallway in anticipation of changing sheets or exchanging towels.
I’ve seen that several times on different cruise ships, and it can indeed look like a bag of laundry. The linen bags, however, are much larger and look very different than the little paper bags guests fill for laundry service.
The guest did not share a photo of the bags, so it’s difficult to determine whether they actually saw guest laundry bags or linen collection bags the stewards use.
Nevertheless, understanding exactly how laundry requests are best processed is useful for any prospective guest interested in the service.
This is not the first time Carnival’s laundry procedures have been questioned. For example, some guests have wondered if multiple guests’ laundry items are mixed together for washing. While they are indeed washed in the same machine, Heald has explained that all items are bagged separately.
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The self-service laundry rooms available on some Carnival ships have also been the subject of controversy. This usually arises when guests might leave their items in machines for hours, not giving others the opportunity to use the equipment.
Despite repeated requests, however, Carnival will not be adding a self-service laundry attendant as a crew position, as it would not be a practical job position.
