Service tips

1. Your cabin steward will come to introduce themself to you. Tip them on day 1 with something and then occassionally through the week, they often will give you extra special services or not charge you for certain things.
   
   
2. Get to know your steward or dining waiters/waitresses, they are assigned to you for the entire week. If you learn about them, their country, families, etc, they often take extra good care of you
   
   
3. Tell your cabin steward on day 1 if you want something special. Example: if you bring a collapsed cooler in your luggage and you want it kept with ice throughout the week, let them know when you tip them early on.
   
   
4. Don't be afraid to ask for extra pillows or a blanket or whatever you need.
   
   
5. When you board, your beds may not be made into a king yet, just remind your steward and it's usually done right away while you're off exploring the ship.
   
   
6. Carnival uses two types of toilet paper. Tell your steward you would like the "preference paper"
   
   
7. If you have a bad experience with one of your main people (steward, waiter/waitress in dining room) the ones your tips are already applied to, go to the pursers desk at the end of the cruise and have that certain persons tip removed. (careful about this one...they work hard and really deserve the tips...someone would have to be really awful before I'd even consider this)
   
   
8. Ask for a foam pad for your bed if you have an upper bunk, BUT most people find them comfortable. (we've never needed this, my kids think the upper & the sofa beds are very comfortable and they are 18 & 20)
   
   
9. Consider little gifts for steward to help with case issues such as phone cards that can be used in ports. (Remember many of them work on board to send money home to families and need to call home to talk to their families) Other things such as personal gifts from US, extra pop or alcohol that you have at the end of the trip, personal care items, etc)
   
   
10. Remember, there's practically nothing the staff won't do for you. It's just a matter of what all and how much you're willing to pay for it and knowing the rules of the game like what's free and where it's ok to cut corners. Also, it's amazing how a few please and thank you's go with cruise staff.
    
    
11. If you have a suite and want on an excursion that's sold out, they will usually accomodate you
    
    
12. Consider taking a few thank you cards with you for giving extra tips at the end of the week to people you feel have given you great service. This way you can personalize the cards to the person with little messages.
    
    
13. Leave your cabin steward little messages throughout your week. They clean your room while you are gone off enjoying yourself. I left ours a little note every day....sometimes just saying, "you're doing a great job" or " I loved your last towel animal". By the end of the week, he was leaving us little notes too....lol.