In addition to answering questions and addressing concerns from Carnival cruisers around the world, Brand Ambassador John Heald also uses his public Facebook page as a place to leave important reminders for future guests.
His latest tip, which seems simple but is easy to forget, is to always pack essential medication in your carry-on luggage – especially for guests who are checking bigger bags at the cruise port.
โSome people were questioning whether they should put their medication in there, which I said yes, and others seem to disagree,โ Heald wrote.
In the more than 1,000 comments on the post, some expressed concerns that packing their medication in a carry-on bag could be a problem if the bag becomes lost or stolen.
Some guests like to board the ship in their swimsuits or pack swimwear in their carry-ons so they can hit the pool as soon as they board on embarkation day, meaning they may not be paying close attention to their belongings.
That said, itโs generally a good idea to keep essentials, such as prescription medication, on you until you can personally secure your items in your cruise cabin just to be safe.
Typically, bigger luggage that has been checked with the porters at the cruise port does not get delivered to the staterooms for several hours – and might not even arrive until after the ship sets sail.
Depending on when medication might need to be taken, this delivery schedule could throw things off.
In rare situations, sometimes bags become lost or misplaced in the hustle and bustle of embarkation day – which could lead to an extended delay for reuniting passengers with their essentials.
While many items can be replaced in the stores onboard, or even in the shipโs medical center, itโs ultimately better if guests donโt have to worry about their absolutely necessary items – such as prescriptions that might not be available onboard.
When Can You Really Access Your Stateroom?
Once again, Heald is clearing up the rules when it comes to accessing cruise cabins on embarkation day.
For the majority of guests onboard, the cabins will not be available until the afternoon – usually around 1 or 1:30 p.m.
That said, the most elite members of Carnivalโs VIFP loyalty program (Diamond and Platinum) and those who buy the Faster-To-The-Fun package (FTTF) have a special exception to drop off their bags immediately after boarding before they start exploring the ship.
But this is just meant to be a quick pit-stop to add convenience for select guests only and is not the time to start unpacking or lounging in the staterooms.
โIโm afraid Diamond and Platinum guests and those that have FTTF who are going directly to their cabin to drop off their carry-on bags. They are then refusing to leave even though the cabin is not ready,โ Heald wrote.
Read Also: Six Ways to Protect Your Cruise Ship Luggage
The Carnival ambassador went on to share a story of one guest who tried to take a shower in their stateroom about two hours before the room was supposed to be ready – and then complained about it.
โOn the Dream this week we had a Diamond guest, who said they wanted to take a shower. He then complained to me here on Facebook that the cabin attendant had not left any towels in the cabin,โ Heald said.
But when Heald investigated, the cruiser was trying to use his room at 11:20 a.m. when the cabins werenโt due to be finished until 1:30 p.m.
The housekeeping team has hundreds to thousands of rooms to clean and prepare on embarkation day after the previous sailing disembarks, so itโs important to give them the time and space to do their jobs – even if you have the early bag drop off perk.