The holiday season is a crazy time, and many people are eager to take advantage of any assistance they can find with preparations – including gift wrapping services that can save time and hassle.
One cruise guest is upset, however, that such a service is not offered onboard Carnival ships during the holiday season, as they plan to bring gifts to exchange during their Christmas cruise.
The irate traveler reached out to Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, about the lack of such a convenience and what they think this indicates about Carnival’s level of service to its guests.
“Why does Carnival not offer a gift wrapping service? We are joining on the Vista for Christmas. I am told on good authority that Carnival does not have gift wrapping,” the guest wrote.
“Really John! I am not able to pack a few gifts already wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper so what is Carnival expecting me to do!!? … This is very disappointing and this is very poor service.”
Heald has been answering a variety of holiday-related questions in the past few weeks, from the ship’s seasonal decorating schedules to Christmas activities onboard to special dining menus and more.
This particular guest will be further disappointed to learn that a gift wrapping service is not available onboard. They can, however, still bring wrapped gifts to exchange on their cruise.
“I thought I would share this because while we do not have a gift wrapping service on the ship you can bring pre-wrapped gifts on board, that is not a concern,” Heald confirmed. “Please make sure you don’t wrap any toy weapon or anything that can could be mistaken for something like that but you can bring them wrapped.”
Carnival Vista is departing Port Canaveral on her Christmas cruise on Sunday, December 22, 2024. The 6-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary will be visiting Half Moon Cay on Christmas Eve, Grant Turk on Christmas Day, and Amber Cove on Boxing Day before return to Florida on December 28.
Cruising With Christmas Gifts
It should be noted that if passengers are flying to their cruise embarkation port, they will need to ensure any gifts they pack in their luggage comply with TSA and security guidelines.
As for wrapping, if gifts may be a security concern at either the airport or the cruise port, they will need to be unwrapped to be checked.
“We know that passengers will be traveling with gifts, and that’s okay,” the TSA has stated. “However, we strongly recommend that instead of wrapping gifts with paper and tape that the gifts be placed in gift bags or gift boxes with tissue paper. That way, if the item triggers an alarm, our officers can easily resolve the alarm without needing to unwrap the gift.”
Cruise guests who are driving to their ship can more easily bring along wrapped gifts, but gift bags are a more convenient and security-friendly wrapping option recommended by many experienced travelers.
“Bring gift bags and put them in. No scissors or tape needed.”
“Bring gift bags and some tissue paper in your suitcases. It will not add too much weight and put your gifts in those things.”
“Bring gift bags and tissue (leave them flat) and fix them when you get on board.”
Read Also: Carnival Cruise Line Clarifies Strict Policy for Crew Member Gifts
Other travelers have different solutions for Christmas cruise gift exchanges. Many cruisers leave gifts at home and deal with presents either before or after their sailing. If they do want to exchange gifts onboard, they choose just 1-2 small gifts for the holiday tradition.
Now, if Carnival Cruise Line were to offer cruise-themed gift wrap, bags, and bows onboard for sale during the holiday season, that would make all the difference for a festive Christmas cruise!
