News

Say it ain't so: Royal Caribbean is latest cruise line to cut service to cabins on ships

Gene SloanCruise team lead
As TPG's cruise team lead, Gene Sloan oversees the site's cruise content and also writes many of TPG's main cruise guides. He has spent nearly 30 years writing about cruise ships and cruising, and he is one of the world's best-known authorities on the topic.

March 3, 2023 • 7 min read

The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.

Quick summary

Major cruise lines have reduced daily cabin cleaning from twice to once per day on most ships, ending a long-standing tradition.
Suites will continue to receive twice-daily service, but most standard cabins are affected by the change.
These service cuts coincide with recent increases in daily service fees for passengers.
The shift is driven by cost-saving measures as cruise companies manage financial pressures following the pandemic.

What to consider

Other cruise lines, including some mass-market and premium brands, still offer twice-daily cleaning but may follow suit.
Passengers in suites or higher-tier accommodations are generally exempt from the reduced service.
Service fee increases mean travelers may pay more despite receiving less frequent cleaning.

What you'll miss from the article

A detailed comparison of service changes across cruise lines and insights into how these shifts could impact your cruise experience.

Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.

It looks like the days of over-the-top service on cruise ships are coming to an end — at least on mass-market vessels.

The world's largest cruise line, Royal Caribbean, in recent days has begun cutting back on the level of service that room attendants on its ships provide, following similar moves by Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Line.

Like the two other brands, Royal Caribbean has instructed room attendants to only clean most cabins once a day instead of the twice-a-day cleaning that has been a hallmark of the cruise experience going back decades.

In a statement sent to TPG, the line suggested the change was permanent but said suites on its ships would continue to receive twice-a-day service.

“Royal Caribbean International is implementing a once-a-day cleaning service for staterooms across the fleet," the line said Thursday in the statement. "Vacationers will still regularly see the familiar faces of their stateroom attendants, who will continue to do thorough cleaning, provide new towels, refresh amenities, and be available to guests for questions and stateroom requests throughout the cruise.”

Twice-a-day service for cabins on even the most budget-focused ships has long been a tradition in the cruise world that has contributed to cruising's reputation for higher levels of service than resorts on land.

Room attendants on cruise ships have traditionally cleaned rooms once in the morning and then returned to them in the early evening to tidy them again and turn down beds.

Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and Carnival are three of the biggest brands in the mass-market cruise space, together accounting for more than a third of all cruises taken worldwide.

Currently, most other cruise lines, including such other mass-market brands as MSC Cruises, Princess Cruises, Holland America, Disney Cruise Line and Celebrity Cruises, continue to offer twice-a-day service. That said, Royal Caribbean's change this week could have an effect on policies at these other lines.

As the world's largest line, Royal Caribbean is considered a bellwether for the industry, and its decisions often are copied by other brands.

Already, one of Royal Caribbean's sister brands, Celebrity, has begun offering passengers an extra perk — additional Captain's Club loyalty points — if they agree to decline twice-a-day service during cruises.

Silversea Cruises butler unpacks the guests' suitcase. — High-end luxury lines such as Silversea Cruises continue to offer a high level of service on ships, including, in some cases, butler service. LUCA LOCATELLI/SILVERSEA CRUISES

Providing twice-a-day service on cruise ships is labor-intensive and thus costly. The service cuts lines are making come as lines look for ways to reduce spending to shore up their balance sheets.

Cruise company balance sheets have been severely strained by the industrywide shutdown that occurred after the COVID-19 pandemic began. Many cruise companies, including Royal Caribbean's parent company, Royal Caribbean Group, are saddled with record amounts of debt.

The service cuts at Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and Carnival come even as the lines hike their service fees sharply. Royal Caribbean raised the service fees on its ships in August by more than 10% to $16 per person per day for those staying in most cabins.

In the wake of the increase, a family of four in a typical cabin now pays nearly $450 in service fees on a seven-night Royal Caribbean cruise.

Norwegian Cruise Line in January hiked its daily service charge even more sharply, boosting rates for passengers staying in most cabins to $20 per person per day. That's 25% higher than the line's service charge in 2022.

At almost the same time it boosted its service charge, Norwegian began cutting back on service for rooms — a seemingly incongruous move that has drawn criticism from customers.

In cutting back on service for rooms, both Royal Caribbean and Norwegian this year are following Carnival, which cut back to once-a-day cleaning on its ships in 2021.

The combination of sharp hikes to service charges and cuts to service levels of late means cruisers are now paying more for less — something that could eventually turn off customers from cruising as an alternative to land-based resorts.

That said, resorts and hotels on land have also cut back service levels since the COVID-19 pandemic began, with some no longer offering daily cleaning services for rooms or any room cleaning at all.

As a result, even cruise lines that cut back to once-a-day service for rooms still may have an edge compared to some land-based vacation options when it comes to service levels.

Cruise line service cutbacks, explained

In a conference call with Wall Street analysts Tuesday, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings president and CEO Frank Del Rio suggested the company was trying to balance financial pressures to cut costs with the need to keep passengers happy.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is the parent company of Norwegian Cruise Line as well as two higher-end brands — Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises — that have not cut back on twice-a-day service.

"It is a balance. Obviously, you don't want to kill the goose that lays the golden egg, which is the customer," Del Rio said in response to a question from an analyst about the wisdom of such cost-cutting moves. "We're trying to balance what customers pay, what they actually pay for, and what they receive. So, for example, we did not cut the turndown service across all brands or across all cabin categories ... look, it's management's responsibility to optimize revenue and minimize costs. That's economics 101, and that's what we're doing."

Moments later, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings executive vice president and chief financial officer Mark Kempa added that the company was "simply aligning itself to what others in the hospitality sector have done" of late. In other words, Norwegian Cruise Line was following hotels and resorts on land in cutting back on service levels.

"This is nothing new. I think customers in today's society are used to getting a different level of service," Kempa said. "We're squarely focused on making sure that the guest experience is wholly intact, but we're going to align ourselves to what is the new normal for the hospitality sector. I think it's the right thing to do."

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

TPG featured card

American Express® Gold Card

TPG editor's rating

Pros + cons

Pros

Valuable dining and food-related credits
Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
Multiple travel and purchase protections
No foreign transaction fees
Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)

Cons

Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits

More details

You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™, or purchased directly from airlines.
Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
$120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
$100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
$84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
$120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
Enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
Book two nights or more with The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and receive a $100* credit towards eligible charges at over 1,400 upscale hotels worldwide. *Eligible charges vary by property.
Book your travel through the Amex Travel App™ with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
No Foreign Transaction Fees.
Annual Fee is $325.
Terms Apply.

Pros

Valuable dining and food-related credits
Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
Multiple travel and purchase protections
No foreign transaction fees
Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)

Cons

Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits

You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™, or purchased directly from airlines.
Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
$120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
$100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
$84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
$120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
Enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
Book two nights or more with The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and receive a $100* credit towards eligible charges at over 1,400 upscale hotels worldwide. *Eligible charges vary by property.
Book your travel through the Amex Travel App™ with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
No Foreign Transaction Fees.
Annual Fee is $325.
Terms Apply.