The more cruisers set sail, the more they might be packing – casual wear, beach attire, formal clothes, outfits for theme nights, a small fan, perhaps a CPAP machine, medications, cruising ducks, gifts for crew members, and more.
If larger luggage is needed, where should it be stored during the cruise?
One loyal Carnival guest believes there should be dedicated storage space for their luggage, rather than having the pieces in their stateroom. Of course, their loyalty is the biggest factor they consider for who ought to get such a benefit.
They reached out to Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, in response to a recent discussion about luggage, insisting that a lack of storage space creates a stressful and less-than-enjoyable cruise.
“Not every and all suitcases fit under the bed. Your response [to luggage storage] is misleading at best. Why is there no suitcase storage for diamond pax?” the guest asked.
“DH and I mostly take Journey cruises now. We always take three 26″ hard-sided suitcases and they do not fit under the bed. We have some larger and medium cases, the carry on fits into the medium which fits into the larger… like Russian stacking dolls. None of this would be stressful if you offered storage for your most frequent cruisers.”
Well… I’ve traveled with much larger than 26″ suitcases on Carnival cruises, and have never personally had difficulty fitting every piece of luggage under the bed. Larger cases, smaller cases, backpacks, duffle bags, that one time I bothered to bring an office bag – it all fit.
It may be true, however, that some ships have lower bed frames and a hard-sided suitcase might not fit as easily, particularly under the “long” sides of the bed. In that case, the foot of the bed usually has a much higher frame, and suitcases can slide under that way.
Heald responded to the guest’s concerns, acknowledging their loyalty but also explaining the storage situation.
“I do apologize, I thought all normal-sized suitcases fit under our cabin beds and if I am wrong I am really sorry,” he said. “We do not have storage areas for suitcases, regardless of how many times you may have cruised (thank you for being Diamond guests) and so we do ask guests to store their own luggage.”
The idea that such a perk ought to be available for Diamond guests – the highest level of Carnival Cruise Line’s Very Important Fun Person (VIFP) loyalty program – smacks of entitlement. Because of that, the idea does not sit well with other commenters.
Different guests do point out that if the original poster is in fact a Diamond-level traveler who takes mostly Carnival Journeys cruises, they would be very familiar with the fact that those longer sailings have the highest number of loyal guests of any cruise.
Because of the difficulty of offering every planned perk when individual cruises have many upper-level loyalty guests, Carnival often has to remove select perks from those sailings.
If luggage storage was indeed a perk being offered – which it is not and will not be – it would undoubtedly be impossible to maintain that perk for Carnival Journeys sailings.
It has also been suggested that such Diamond guests take advantage of another perk that is always offered to them in order to pack less.
Diamond-level VIFP travelers get unlimited wash and fold laundry service for free. Using that service could mean much less packing, and therefore no need to bring such large pieces of luggage.
This is not the first time Heald has addressed the idea of luggage storage. In October 2024, another guest aired similar concerns, with the same response.
“We do not have the storage space for this, we simply cannot take your suitcases,” he said.
Where Should Larger Luggage Be Stored?
Where, then, should Carnival guests store their suitcases once they’re onboard and unpacked? If indeed the cases will not fit under the bed, there are other options.
Many travelers simply put the empty suitcase in the closet, where it is easily accessible but not taking up valuable floorspace or other space in the stateroom. An out-of-the-way corner toward the back of the stateroom is another spot a suitcase could be left without being bothersome.
Read Also: 25 Tips for Packing Less on a Cruise Vacation
Particularly on shorter cruises, some guests simply choose to live out of their suitcases. Putting the case on the sofa, chair, or vanity desk in the stateroom means it is convenient for use and doesn’t need to be unpacked at all.
In some staterooms, it is possible to ask the steward to leave a pull-down bunk in the lowered position, and extra luggage or large pieces could be stored there for the duration of the cruise.
