Cruise Guest Suggests Solution to Ease Carnival Service Bottlenecks

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The Guest Services desk onboard a cruise ship is undoubtedly the go-to spot for resolving many problems, concerns, and questions.

One Carnival cruise guest, however, feels perhaps that desk may be responsible for too much, and offers a suggestion to help relieve long lines, particularly when account problems may need quick action. Could a new department be the answer?

This frequent Carnival guest noted that maybe the team at Guest Services is responsible for too broad a range of issues. They took the matter to John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador, with their idea.

“On each ship I have been on people, including myself, have endured the long lines at Guest Services. I found out last night on the Jubilee, they are handling many, many things on the ship,” the guest explained.

It is true that Guest Services is the best place for passengers to resolve problems with lost luggage, missing or damaged Sail & Sign cards, problems with onboard accounts, staff compliments or complaints, special needs, missing people, gratuities questions, and much more.

This can create long lines at times, but this guest wonders whether or not a new department might be a possible solution that could alleviate lines and reduce how much individual team members are required to do.

“Please consider asking the beards to delegate another ‘department’ to handle things like lost luggage or other issues. It seems their workload at Guest Services is very broad in nature and they are handling a lot more than just accounts problems,” the guest suggested.

“I always hear complaints about long lines, now I have a better understanding of why. They seem to be handling too many things at the one desk. Thanks!”

Carnival Cruise Line is aware that the lines at Guest Services can be lengthy at times. In fact, one of the most used of the loyalty benefits in their “Very Important Fun Person” (VIFP) program is the priority line at the Guest Services desk reserved for Platinum and Diamond travelers.

Nevertheless, Heald did respond with an explanation of what Guest Services has always done.

“Itโ€™s like this on every ship and I think for the most part on every cruise line. Itโ€™s certainly been like this in the almost 40 years that I have been with the company,” he replied. “They do work so very very hard and yes, they handle a multitude of things. If thereโ€™s anything you ever need, they will be there.”

He does note, however, that there is no plan to introduce a new department to handle specific types of issues.

“We wonโ€™t be introducing any new departments certainly in the near future, and again if you ever need them a wonderful guest services team will be there for you,” he said.

Why Not Add a New Department?

It is important to understand that while the Guest Services team does handle a broad range of issues, they are trained to help travelers with that diverse range of concerns.

Personally, I have worked with fantastic Guest Services crew members on some very unique issues over the years. I had a scratched Sail & Sign card that needed replacing, asked for a pair of earplugs when I forgot mine at home (they happily provided them!), asked questions about an itinerary change, offered compliments about crew members, resolved a mistake on account charges, and more.

It is true that the lines can sometimes be long, it is simply because Guest Services works with a broad range of issues that a new department would not be an efficient solution.

Carnival Cruise Line Guest Relations Desk
Carnival Cruise Line Guest Relations Desk (Photo Credit: Ihor Koptilin / Shutterstock)

For example, if a new “Guest Accounts” department were created just to deal with Sail & Sign accounts, that team would undoubtedly be very busy on embarkation day as guests set up their accounts with cards or cash.

Similarly, the accounts team would be busy near the end of every cruise as guests review their accounts and have questions about charges or need to settle their bills.

Read Also: How to Deal With Long Lines on a Cruise Ship

In between, however, that team might actually be underworked with few questions, which is not an efficient use of crew members’ time or resources.

Fortunately, the excellent training the Guest Services staff receives ensures they are well able to handle any and all concerns brought to their attention. While it may not always be possible to resolve an issue in exactly the way a guest might want, the team will always try their best to be sure everyone has a fantastic cruise.

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Melissa Mayntz
Melissa Mayntz
Melissa has been offering her expertise on cruises since 2017 and reporting on cruise news since 2021. her work has been featured in newspapers, blogs, and websites on a wide range of subjects, but cruises remain her favorite topic to cover. She has been on more than 40 voyages to the Caribbean, Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, and more, and always has at least one more sailing booked on the horizon.

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