Key Aspects:
- A current Carnival guest complained about the size of the stateroom safes onboard Carnival Panorama.
- The guest was upset that the safe was not big enough to store their personal documents and several electronic devices.
- When the conversation was broadened, most felt the stateroom safes are a perfectly fine size for their intended purpose.
In order to board a cruise ship, guests need to bring some pretty important documentation to the cruise port, such as their passports or birth certificates.
This is in addition to items guests may elect to bring, such as extra cash for tips or expensive electronic devices, such as laptops, iPads, or Kindles.
One kindle-toting guest, who is currently onboard Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Panorama for its 8-night sailing to the Mexican Riviera, is raising concerns about not being able to protect their devices when not in use.
Specifically, this guest was upset that the stateroom safes were not big enough to store their Kindle along with their other important objects.
“I am on the Panorama. The safe is not big enough for a Kindle. We put our car keys, phones, cash, emergency credit card(s), passports, and excursion documents in the safe,” the unidentified guest wrote to Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald on Facebook.
“Once that is done there is no room for my Kindle or [Dear Husband’s] iPad and my son’s Switch. Carnival please make bigger safes to cater for today’s modern cruise family,” the guest implored.
While the sizes of the stateroom safes can vary across the different cabins in the fleet, the approximate size is 10″ W x 9″H x 8″ D on average.
Heald Kicks Off the Conversation
Heald initially replied with one of his classic jokes, putting the good humor he is famous for on display.
“Thank you and I am not sure we allow cruise directors to be put into the safe, I don’t think Kyndall would like that very much………….oh, sorry, you mean Kindle not Kyndall,” Heald quipped.
This was a reference to Kyndall “Fire” Magyar, one of the most popular Carnival cruise directors and the current fun leader onboard Carnival Jubilee.
Heald then turned serious and opened the conversation to his followers to see what they think about the standard safe sizes.
He inquired: “OK, seriously thank you for letting me know and I would like to see everyone else’s thoughts on this please. Are our safes big enough for you?”
While replacing the safes across the fleet would be a massive undertaking, this is an improvement that the cruise line can keep in mind in the future.
This is definitely the type of upgrade that could be implemented slowly during routine visits to the dry dock for planned maintenance and enhancements if the demand was high enough.
What Do Cruisers Think?
Heald’s post received over 4,000 comments, which Cruise Hive read through in depth. Ultimately, the majority didn’t see a need to change the safe sizes.
Most only used their safes to store smaller valuables like cash, jewelry, and important documents, and many said they didn’t even bother locking up.
There was also no shortage of trust for the crew members who enter passenger cabins daily and some even had positive experiences where their room stewards picked up fallen valuables and placed them where guests would find them later.
“I leave my iPad out on the room and after 26 cruises it has never came up missing. Carnival room stewards are honest,” one avid cruiser said.
“My kindle fell under the bed and they put it on the end table while cleaning the room. I’ve never had issues with any electronics going missing. Safe is used for documents and car keys,” another chimed in.
Some suggested that if the cruiser was this worried about their electronics, they should also invest in a suitcase that locks.
Even more questioned why the family felt the need to bring so many electronic devices and a Nintendo Switch (gaming console) on a cruise ship that is already packed full of entertainment that they can’t experience at home.
Plus, items that aren’t brought onboard can’t go missing on the ship. Of course, in the rare case something does go missing, it’s important to tell guest services immediately.
The onboard security team would then launch an investigation, including checking onboard security cameras – which do exist in the corridors outside of cruise cabins – and consult the log of crew members who would have entered the room.
