Key Aspects:
- A Carnival guest made his room steward’s day by gifting the crew member a pair of Air Jordan sneakers.
- As these crew members spend most of their time on their feet and working hard, this is an extremely generous and thoughtful gift.
- If you would also like to give a gift to a crew member on your next cruise, make sure it is an item that they are allowed to accept and that it is given to them in the right way.
Cruise passengers most commonly make the news because they’ve done something bad, but it’s also important to highlight the good within the cruising community.
One recent guest of Carnival Cruise Line is certainly a good egg. He is making waves on social media for giving his room steward the gift of a lifetime.
Indeed, an unidentified passenger gifted the room steward his very own pair of Air Jordan sneakers. A sweet video captured their exchange.
The kind gesture initially left the Carnival employee speechless, but his wide eyes and huge smile made his joy abundantly clear.
He even points to the shoes excitedly to show someone off camera and holds them as if they are his baby.
As he regains his composure, the room steward hugs the generous gentleman and the woman recording, who is presumably the gifter’s wife or girlfriend, while thanking them over and over again.
The cruise community has celebrated this guest’s good deed, and the crew member’s joy is contagious.
“His happiness makes me so happy!!! Whoever gave those to him rules,” one person responded.
A second exclaimed: “You made his whole life, they don’t make much. This was a true blessing to him!!!”
These popular shoes, which are endorsed by famous Basketball Player Michael Jordan, are no small gift either. Nike sells them for $130 to upwards of $255, depending on the model.
While very generous, the gift is also thoughtful and appropriate. On average, room stewards spend 10 to 16 hours a day on their feet cleaning cruise cabins, taking out the trash, making beds, scrubbing toilets, and more.
They are not entitled to full days off for the duration of their cruise contract, which typically lasts for six to nine months.
A supportive and stylish pair of sneakers is likely the perfect pick-me-up to motivate the hard-working room steward and to make his job a little bit more fun and comfortable.
Giving Gifts to Crew Members
Others also enjoy giving gifts beyond standard tips, either to give crew members some extra joy and/or to make sure they are stocked on essentials.
“I go to Walmart the day before my cruise and buy large bottles of soaps, lotions, tooth paste etc. and I leave it all in my room along with a tip and let my attendant know what I left is for you,” one cruiser said.
“They send everything they have back home to their families and they treat customers so well. I love this,” she continued.
“I be given out my hats when I go out of the country and when I go on cruises. I’ll do shoes next go around,” another person chimed in.
Of course, cruise guests are not required to give crew members extra gifts or big tips if they do not want to or are not able to, as everyone’s financial situation is different.
Although adding the pre-paid gratuities to your Carnival booking is recommended, even those are not required. They currently run at $16 per person, per day for standard staterooms and $18 per person, per day for suites.
If guests are planning to bring an extra gift for the crew members, they should first confirm that it is something that they are allowed to accept.
For example, crew members cannot accept food items unless they are factory sealed in the original packet or box for safety reasons.
Additionally, it’s important to note that crew members must be handed gifts directly, as they may not be able to accept items that are left behind by guests in their staterooms.
And when in doubt, cash is always king and a bigger tip is always gladly accepted.
