Would room stewards appreciate privacy cards?

Cleaning my cabin twice a day is nice but absolutely not necessary for me. In fact I appreciate the slight feeling of "coming home" to a bed that looks exactly like how I left it in the morning. And I've seen the towel animals before.

So my last cruise, 14 days, I put out the privacy card and left it there except for 2 days to get new towels and fresh sheets.

Other guests hardly ever used the card, so I was wondering if the steward would appreciate not having to clean my room every day or if they'd think I was setting up a meth lab and needed to report this strange behaviour.

I was thinking that if you're in a large group, you could organize a "privacy day", where everyone says they don't need cleaning and the room stewards get a day off.

BTW, I did tip like I normally would.

I am not sure why you are concerned with someone doing their job. Doubt they would give this much thought. If they aren't cleaning your room, they're doing other work. Maybe they'd rather be cleaning your cabin.

I mean....I guess they would appreciate it. At my job if if people don't want my services I....guess that's "better"? Obviously I don't mind it if they do want something I'm expected to provide, but the less work I have to do the better?

I doubt if they care whether you don't want your cabin freshened up or not every day.

And whether a group of you do the same thing, there is no way they would get a day off. They have many cabins to do and if by some chance they don't have a lot of cabins to do, their supervisor will assign them to do something else to do.

I am not sure why you are concerned with someone doing their job. Doubt they would give this much thought. If they aren't cleaning your room, they're doing other work. Maybe they'd rather be cleaning your cabin.

10 month contracts, 7 days a week, 14 hours a day. I think that's a tough job.

I don't think they'd be put on other tasks.

Why stop at your group. Get the whole ship to have rotating privacy days. Get all the ships to have rotating privacy days. The cruise lines would love it :hearteyes:. They could fire a whole bunch of stewards.

10 month contracts, 7 days a week, 14 hours a day. I think that's a tough job.

 

I don't think they'd be put on other tasks.

Do you worry about people in your every day life with "tough jobs?" Leave a good review and tip well if you like the job they did. Not cleaning your cabin makes very little difference. They don't get to sit around if you have your privacy sign up.

Cleaning my cabin twice a day is nice but absolutely not necessary for me. In fact I appreciate the slight feeling of "coming home" to a bed that looks exactly like how I left it in the morning. And I've seen the towel animals before.

 

So my last cruise, 14 days, I put out the privacy card and left it there except for 2 days to get new towels and fresh sheets.

 

Other guests hardly ever used the card, so I was wondering if the steward would appreciate not having to clean my room every day or if they'd think I was setting up a meth lab and needed to report this strange behaviour.

 

I was thinking that if you're in a large group, you could organize a "privacy day", where everyone says they don't need cleaning and the room stewards get a day off.

 

BTW, I did tip like I normally would.

Probably not "strange" behavior. But a bit unusual.

It's my understanding that part of the room steward being able to access the room is sort of a "well check" for the room. Making sure there's nothing bad going on (like trashing the room, or any illegal activities).

I know some people who will let the steward/stewardess know on certain port days that the don't have to clean their room so they might have more time to get off the ship in port. Like most things that is a personal decision.

Keith

We had a discussion with our steward that gave expectations.... ours are minimal. We did not need or want our room cleaned when we were on the ship... trash picked up, replace towels if they were on the floor, bed made, one towel animal, ice was it. We gave him a choice of when to refresh the room.

If you communicate your needs, makes it easier for him. He does not want to miss a room. If you tell him in advance that you will be putting the privacy tag on the door and IF you want him to do something you will put the "make up" tag, he will be able to be more effective in getting his work done. Our last cruise he was waiting til (I forget the time) to insure that our neighbor did not take his "Privacy" tag off the door indicating wanting service, before he could leave for his few hours at the port.

Of course a room steward would appreciate it. Less rooms to do = more time off. They definitely would not be assigned other tasks. If it is a port day it would afford more time outside (or more time to sleep) And yes, I do think about people with difficult jobs, whether on a ship or daily life. I guess I am just a sucker for common courtesy and compassion. Alas, I am a snowflake.

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"Compassion?" Compassion and common courtesy aren't the same thing.

These types of threads are not about compassion. It seems as if it's more like feeling sorry for someone because you consider their employment a "demeaning job."

"Compassion?"

These types of threads are not about compassion. It seems as if it's more like feeling sorry for someone because you feel they have what you consider a "demeaning job."

How is it feeling sorry for someone to not need or want them to come into your room 2x a day to make the bed, throw out the trash, make towel animals and wipe down surfaces? I don't feel sorry for the stewards, I just think obviously the less work they have the more appreciative they'll be, in most cases. Of course there are probably instances where someone prefers to be "busy" rather than have down time, and then they wouldn't appreciate the skipping.

Well, I can only offer comments about the two lines that I've cruised with -- RC & X. But, on both of those lines, the Head of the Housekeeping department makes routine inspections of the cabin. Having their boss walk into a messy, uncleaned cabin would put the room steward in an awkward spot -- trying to explain that there was no opportunity to clean the room. :(

Well, I can only offer comments about the two lines that I've cruised with -- RC & X. But, on both of those lines, the Head of the Housekeeping department makes routine inspections of the cabin. Having their boss walk into a messy, uncleaned cabin would put the room steward in an awkward spot -- trying to explain that there was no opportunity to clean the room. :(

If you're in the room when the inspection happens can't you say you re-messed up the room or asked for it not to be cleaned and appreciate the steward respecting your wishes? If you are not in the room how would the inspector decide that the steward simply didn't do their job and not that that either of the previously offered reasons for a not clean room are why it's not clean?

Do you worry about people in your every day life with "tough jobs?"

I don't exactly "worry", but I certainly have a great deal of respect for people like nurses, firefighters, etc. While I know working on a ship is a perfect alternative, and people in the Philippines line up to get the job, I still think it must be hard to work those hours, on a ship far away from their families, surrounded by passengers who happily pay more for a cruise than crewmembers make in a year.

Well, I can only offer comments about the two lines that I've cruised with -- RC & X. But, on both of those lines, the Head of the Housekeeping department makes routine inspections of the cabin. Having their boss walk into a messy, uncleaned cabin would put the room steward in an awkward spot -- trying to explain that there was no opportunity to clean the room. :(

Exactly what I was going to post and you beat me to it. :D Cabin stewards report to their superiors and if s/he hasn't been into a cabin for whatever reason, it is looked into. This brings the passenger into the discussion and it's all a big "situation".

I mean....I guess they would appreciate it. At my job if if people don't want my services I....guess that's "better"? Obviously I don't mind it if they do want something I'm expected to provide, but the less work I have to do the better?

Passenger cabins are inspect ed regularly by head housekeeper and hotel directors to b e suure the stewards are doigf a good job . For the general cleanliness of the whole ship, they will let a cabin only go just a reasonable length of time without a good c leaning. If you require the privac y and do not want them enteeing to clean, I wold suggest you have a conversation about that.. The stewards must follow his/her job instructions.

"Compassion?" Compassion and common courtesy aren't the same thing.

These types of threads are not about compassion. It seems as if it's more like feeling sorry for someone because you consider their employment a "demeaning job."

Hence "and." Basic 3rd grade grammar. And you know exactly squat about my thoughts/motivations. None of which are within miles of your assumptions.

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Cleaning my cabin twice a day is nice but absolutely not necessary for me. In fact I appreciate the slight feeling of "coming home" to a bed that looks exactly like how I left it in the morning. And I've seen the towel animals before.

 

So my last cruise, 14 days, I put out the privacy card and left it there except for 2 days to get new towels and fresh sheets ......

 

BTW, I did tip like I normally would.

You need to talk to your steward since if the privacy card is not removed for several days he'll have to tell someone in authority who can find out if there's a problem.

Also the steward would be checking several times a day to see if your room needs servicing or if the privacy card is still there. So, communicate your wishes to your steward.

If you're in the room when the inspection happens can't you say you re-messed up the room or asked for it not to be cleaned and appreciate the steward respecting your wishes? If you are not in the room how would the inspector decide that the steward simply didn't do their job and not that that either of the previously offered reasons for a not clean room are why it's not clean?

There is a big difference from 'messed u p' to dirty. I f you left a towel on the vanity, is messy. If your shower has not been cleaned, that is dirty but most of us know the differance as I would guess you also do. Don't you want your toillet cleaned daily? N o Ship will perrmit a cab in to get dirty. They will ask you to vacate, go to the pool, get lunch etc , so they can clean. IMO, they will not 'respect your wishes' as you put it to not have your cabin cleaned. You could be creating a major headache for your steward. In youur efforts feeling sorry for him/her, you c ould have made your cabin a problem for steward. I would guess that as soon as you prfmit him or her to clean, his superiors will keep checking to be sure your cabin is clean. Just let them do their work it is an honest days work and they have chosen to accept that work. Best we don't judge it, IMO Go with the flow.

Cleaning my cabin twice a day is nice but absolutely not necessary for me. In fact I appreciate the slight feeling of "coming home" to a bed that looks exactly like how I left it in the morning...BTW, I did tip like I normally would.

From what you've told us this isn't really an issue of privacy but of keeping your cabin in your state of preference. No doubt that cabin stewards have a lot to do but by servicing the cabin twice each day they keep small problems from becoming large ones. And some do have a sense of pride in a job well done when it looks tidied up and as good as ready for a new passenger.

I'll take the contrary point and say just live with it for the week or so that you are on the ship. Let your steward do his or her job. You have the other 51 weeks of the year to come home to a bed just as you left it.

No, they don't. The longer they must go between tidying up and spot cleaning, the longer it takes to clean the cabin on turnaround day or other days.

Saving them 10 minutes on Monday and Tuesday just means they are working an extra hour on Wednesday to catch up.

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You are just screwing up the system. The steward will keep coming back to see if you removed the door tag. He/she will be worried that something is wrong. Also, if the fridge has products in it, they will want to visit each day.

Lighten their load by not being high maintenance. We left the room for maybe an hour and it was serviced. Other times we've been out on the balcony and seems the morning service was 10 minutes or so. Not a big deal if the steward can keep up with his daily process.

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I have left a do not disturb card in the slot longer than my steward was happy with... 2 days. He left us a note to ask us if he could come in and clean! Oops!