Social media can be a great way to find insider tips from frequent cruisers, but passengers need to be very cautious about what advice they believe and what seems unlikely. Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald recently had to debunk a “tip” for the cruise line’s Excel-class ships that could be dangerous for some passengers.
The so-called tip involves an upholstered “box” in staterooms aboard Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Jubilee. The boxes are positioned under the small vanity area in each stateroom, and have a removable lid. The interior is white and looks similar to some models of simple coolers.
“It appears somebody on another Facebook group page has been informing people that the box on the Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Jubilee cabins is in fact a cooler/refrigerator,” Heald said. “This has resulted in people complaining that theirs is not cooling their drinks and possibly in one case their medication.”
Many guests enjoy having extra drinks in their stateroom, perhaps cans of their favorite soda that may not be available onboard, and a refrigerator or cooler could be handy for a chilled beverage. This is not what these upholstered boxes are, however.
“They are not coolers. They are stools and they are storage units,” Heald explained. “Turnaround the top lid and you have a side table.”
If guests had been attempting to store temperature-sensitive medication in the boxes – actually storage ottomans – that could have dangerous results if the medication were to spoil from being kept too warm. Similarly, cruisers with very young children might have attempted to store infant formula or baby foods improperly, which could lead to spoilage and illness.
Read Also: Will Carnival Cruise Line Ban Cruising Ducks?
A quick examination of the ottoman would have debunked this unlikely tip, as it is obvious there is no cord, plug, battery pack, or other power source that would keep the interior cool. Furthermore, there is no drainage valve or other outlet for meltwater if it were to have been filled with ice like a standard cooler.
Select staterooms on all Carnival ships do have mini-bars with coolers, though they are not always sufficient to store medicine with precise temperature needs. Travelers can contact Carnival Cruise Line’s Special Needs team to request assistance with storing medicine if necessary.
“Portable medi-coolers are available in limited quantities, and on a first-come, first-served basis with a refundable rental deposit required,” the cruise line’s special needs webpage states. “If a cooler is not available, our Medical Center can assist guests with refrigeration needs (accessible during operating hours of the Medical Center only) or you may bring your own personal-size cooler for this purpose.”
Guests can also request an ice bucket from their cabin attendant to chill drinks if desired, or get a glass of ice from the buffet drink stations onboard.
Debunking Tips and Rumors
While it can be helpful to get advice from other cruisers, it is important to recognize that not all such advice may be accurate, as everyone’s travel experiences are different.
Carnival Cruise Line has frequently debunked different rumors, such as whether or not the cruise line is banning all mobility scooters (it isn’t), how travelers can get free cabin upgrades on embarkation day (they can’t), and the ever-popular towel animals are being discontinued (they aren’t).
When in doubt, travelers should not consult social media, but rather should seek out information directly from Carnival Cruise Line’s website, or even contact John Heald with questions. As Brand Ambassador, he answers hundreds of questions every day on all sorts of topics and can direct travelers to accurate information.
