Carnival Cruise Line has begun implementing one often-requested upgrade in onboard staterooms, but has the cruise line taken the suggestion too far?
Frequent travelers have long requested adding a motion-sensor nightlight to cabin bathrooms, but the new lights onboard Carnival Legend as well as other vessels may be a bit too much.
Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald has shared a video of the nightlight on his popular Facebook page, taken by the housekeeping manager onboard Carnival Legend. He did this in response to a guest’s complaint over the brightness of the nightlight.
“Our past Carnival Legend cruise was ruined because of this infernal motion sensor light that came on at night and [is] very stupidly bright,” the guest complained. “It was like a prison searchlight. My husband tried stuffing towels along the crack so if one of us needed to use the bathroom it would not disturb the other. We told the cabin steward to unplug them but she refused to do this.”
Heald first addressed the cabin attendant’s “refusal” to unplug or turn off the light, noting that this is not possible because the sensors are built in and it would require a lot of work, potentially including rewiring, to add that capability. He does note that the upgrade is being added to multiple ships, with more planned.
“We have these on many ships now and will be adding more,” he confirmed. “They only come on if you walk to the bathroom or get up out of bed and they are designed to stop you tripping or falling in the dark.”
The video Heald shared shows the hotel manager walking by the closed bathroom and closet doors and the nightlight illuminating from what appears to be the bottom of the closet. This lights up the short hallway and the entrance to the bathroom, ensuring guests can easily see their way and do not trip or become disoriented on their way to the bathroom.
The astonishingly bright glow is a glare on the carpet and throughout the stateroom, casting relatively harsh light on the stateroom’s couch and even onto the pillows of the king-sized bed. The light shuts off automatically after approximately 30 seconds.
Reactions to the new nightlight have been mixed, with more than 2,400 comments posted in just a few hours. While some guests are glad for the illumination, many commenters note that the light is far too bright and would be a disturbance to others sleeping at the time.
“I think they’re a great idea, but they are too bright in the middle of the night.”
“It’s a great idea, but the lights are too bright. For families, this would wake everyone up in the cabin for each person that wakes up during the night.”
“I don’t think I have ever agreed with one of the complainers on here but I do this time. I don’t sleep well and this will definitely wake me up.”
“I experienced the light in May. I think its’ a great idea but it is way too bright.”
Furthermore, some travelers who have already used staterooms with this newly installed type of nightlight have confirmed that if a third person is in the room sleeping on the couch, the light will activate whenever that person might roll over.
This can create a lot of bright and unwelcome disturbances at night, disrupting guests’ sleep and making the entire vacation far less restful and enjoyable than expected.
Keeping a Stateroom Dark
Some suggestions for adjustments include the option to turn the light off or to adjust the brightness level with a dimmer switch that would allow travelers to customize the light level that works for them. Changing the light color to a relaxing blue might also be another option that would make less of a harsh glare.
Read Also: How to Sleep Well During Your Cruise
Heald has not indicated whether any such adjustments to the new nightlights might be possible.
Some innovative guests have made their own adjustments by using towels to dim the light or putting something to block the sensor so it doesn’t trigger at all. For some travelers, sleeping with an eye mask to block all light might also be an option, but not all individuals can be comfortable with that solution.
Do you prefer a nightlight built-in to a cruise ship stateroom or do you bring your own? Would you rather have a completely dark cabin? Share your thoughts on the Cruise Hive boards!
