Carnival cruisers admit to a gross and risky cabin habit
Just how risky it is to do this on a cruise is debatable, but doctors generally don’t recommend it.
Although cruising is a popular way to vacation that comes with a lot of attractive benefits, it’s not without risks.
Today more than ever, most people understand the risk of illness that comes with gathering large groups of people together in the semi-confined space of a cruise ship.
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This often leads cruise passengers to complain about observing other passengers fail to wash their hands at cruise ship handwashing stations located at the entrance to most buffet restaurants.
Cruise lines are diligent about cleaning and sanitizing public spaces, as well as cabins, but they can’t stop people from engaging in unsanitary habits.
Besides failing to wash hands, some passengers tend to do other questionable things on board.
One of these troubling habits was recently raised for discussion on the popular Facebook page run by Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald.
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Carnival cruise passenger question leads to barefoot revelation
“The carpets of the rooms are full of germs. Nobody wants to walk around cruise ship rooms barefooted,” an unidentified passenger insisted to the brand ambassador. “Are slippers provided for us?”
Heald shared the passenger’s question on his Facebook page to explain to his followers that Carnival does not provide slippers for all passengers — only for those in a spa cabin or suite. He also wanted to ease any worries about carpet germs by pointing out that cabin carpets are vacuumed daily.
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After sharing this information for germ-conscious cruisers, Heald also asked his more than 600,000 followers to weigh in on whether they go barefoot in their staterooms, which led to a somewhat surprising revelation.
Heald’s post received more than 1,000 Carnival cruiser comments and the majority of passengers who answered the barefoot question shared the same sentiment.
“We always go barefoot in the cabin. Never had a problem on our cruises, whether in an inside, porthole, balcony or suite. I only wish we had someone at home who cleaned as well and as often as our room attendant,” Mike Rich noted.
Is it safe to go barefoot in your cruise ship cabin?
Although cruise ship cabin stewards vacuum cabin carpets daily and cruisers trust and appreciate their efforts, it’s not likely that cabin carpets get thoroughly sanitized often. Cabin stewards only have a few hours to turn over cabins between each cruise, and sanitizing carpeting in that short window of time just doesn’t seem feasible.
Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald insists that passengers shouldn’t be concerned about cruise carpet cleanliness, however.
“The rooms are full cleaned, vacuumed daily so please do not even give that a second thought,” he wrote in response to the concerned passenger.
Doctors, on the other hand, warn that carpets can be breeding grounds for germs, especially when they aren’t deep cleaned often and get shoe traffic. Shoes and wheeled suitcases that cruisers bring with them can easily introduce germs into carpets during every cruise.
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A 2023 study of New York City building floors conducted for academic journal Indoor and Built Environment found that high levels of microscopic fecal bacteria were being transferred from sidewalks to indoor floors, particularly carpeted areas, simply through shoe soles.
If you're a cruiser who prefers to go barefoot, you should keep in mind that if the passengers staying in your cabin before you wore shoes inside, they may have left behind microscopic bacteria for your bare feet to pick up.
Although the majority of Carnival cruisers seem to be comfortable with going barefoot in cabins, some do understand the risks.
“I never go barefoot in the cabin. I wear my flip flops because the thought of stepping on the carpet doesn’t sit well with me,” Debby Sea Daze explained. “The same is true on land — I never go barefoot in a hotel. I’ve traveled enough to understand what could have occurred on the carpet. This is not a reflection on the effort put forth by the crew to clean. It is just what makes sense for me.”
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