Who wants their pj’s made into a flower?

Over the past few years, we have seen some cruise lines making cutbacks to save costs and keep fares low.

Who remembers when cruise tickets came in a plush leatherette wallet with REAL luggage labels? Who remembers being sent a full brochure of shore excursions being posted prior to departure? Who remembers silver service as standard when you sailed?

Cruise holidays are not as elitist as they used to be and now many are spending their holidays on board. Cruises are now excellent value and there really is a ship out there to suit everyone with more launching every year.

One part of the cruise experience that doesn’t seem to have altered over the years is the cabin service. The smiling friendly steward/stewardess is there at your door as soon as you enter your temporary new floating home introducing themselves and showing you where the bathroom is and how the wardrobe door opens.

One personal bugbear however is the turndown service. Am I just being a grump getting annoyed with having to tidy up after getting ready for the evening so someone can come into my room and turn down my bedding?

Where did this service originate? I can understand if pullman berths need to be pulled down or sofabeds made up, but I am more than capable of pulling back a bed cover. When I’m on holiday, I don’t want to cook, clean or make beds but this is really a step too far. When I come back to my cabin after a day on shore, I want to throw my bags down, kick off my shoes and get ready for a relaxing dinner and entertainment. I do NOT want to have to tidy up my things so my bed is clear and ready to be folded neatly. I also do not want to tidy up the bathroom so that the toilet roll can be fashioned into an origami point and my cosmetics neatly arranged in rows.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not particularly untidy and not even that grumpy but I really don’t want t have to hide my pj’s every night just to avoid seeing them carefully shaped into an exotic flower. Am I alone in this gripe? It’s a cutback I’d welcome. I’d love to hear what you think……..