Yes, Carnival’s Post-Cruise Surveys Really Do Matter!

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Many cruise travelers eagerly await the arrival of the post-cruise survey after their latest oceangoing getaway. These surveys are a way to offer feedback – positive or negative – as well as make suggestions for future sailings. But how do surveys actually help onboard team members?

Recognizing crew members is encouraged on these surveys, whether it is a cabin attendant who went the extra mile for special requests, a dining room team who made each meal special, or a bartender who was always spot on with the best service.

These surveys are generally emailed to guests within just a few days at the end of a sailing. While post-cruise surveys used to be pencil-and-paper forms distributed onboard (I do remember filling out a few!), today’s surveys are easily completed online in just a few minutes.

But do surveys really help crew members more than just a pat on the back? One curious Carnival cruise guest reached out to John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador, for confirmation.

“Who reads the feedback survey and does it actually help?” the guest asked.

Not every guest will receive a post-cruise survey, but they are emailed out to thousands of Carnival guests every week to rate sailings across the entire Carnival fleet.

Carnival Cruise Line has approximately 45,000 staterooms in the fleet. Assuming that guests traveling together in one stateroom only fill out one survey – even if only 10% of travelers receive surveys, that is more than 4,500 surveys every single week.

With so many surveys being sent, it can seem suspicious as to whether or not individual comments are actually read. Heald assures the guest, however, that they are and that the comments are helpful to the individual crew members as well as full onboard teams.

“Absolutely it helps. It helps the teams on board do better,” Heald confirmed. “It helps the teams on board see where the shortfalls are, and it helps the teams on board praise and recognize the crew who did such a wonderful job and have been highlighted in these surveys.”

Heald has previously noted that positive feedback in surveys will help crew members with contract renewals, raises, and promotions. This can have a dramatic impact on a crew member’s career with Carnival Cruise Line, ensuring that top people can achieve great results.

Filling Out Post-Cruise Surveys

While guests are reminded about post-cruise surveys and encouraged to fill them out after their sailing ends, crew members are not supposed to encourage specific comments or ratings. Many crew members will explain how ratings work, however, just to be sure there is no misinterpretation.

Many spaces on the survey also have room for individual comments, which are great ways to recognize individual crew members.

Read Also: Carnival Named Among America’s Best Employers for 2024

To ensure the appropriate crew members receive the recognition they deserve, guests should try to have the individual’s proper name (and correct spelling) to note. Other details can also help the comment be directed to the right person.

Carnival Cruise Line Crew Members
Carnival Cruise Line Crew Members (Photo Credit: Melissa Mayntz)

For example, when recognizing a member of the dining team, it is helpful to include what table was used, in which dining room, and at what dining time. Carnival will then be able to pinpoint the correct crew member for praise and recognition, or (hopefully not) for addressing possible problems as needed.

There are other ways to recognize team members. During a cruise, a quick stop at Guest Services can be a fine way to deliver immediate praise and compliments.

Either during or after sailing, Heald also invites comments, recognition, and praise through his Facebook page. He then passes that information on to the appropriate department heads on various ships so individual crew members can be recognized.

Of course, if travelers have problems onboard, it is best to attempt to resolve those situations immediately so they don’t leave a blemish on what should be a fun cruise vacation. As Heald has noted many times, it’s impossible for Carnival team members to correct a problem if they don’t know it exists.

Finally, guests can always leave an appreciative thank you note or extra gratuity for an exceptional crew member. While that praise may not be reported to supervisors, heartfelt thanks always mean the world to crew members and can make any difficult day more enjoyable.

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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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