Room Steward Horror Stories

[Beachdude]

Some room stewards are better than others, but we've never had a bad one. On our first greeting with the RS, I usually request two wine glasses everyday and two lounge chairs on the balcony if they haven't been provided. I then hand them a $20 bill and walk away. It's rare, but if we've had some exceptional service, I might give them another tip. That might be the reason we never have trouble.

 

Bar tenders on the other hand can be pretty rude. I had to cut one short on our last cruise because he was harshley lecturing my mother on the differences between two drinks. He had obviously had a bad day and was using my mom as an excuse to vent. But he wasn't the first bar tender I wrote about on the end of cruise comment cards.

 

Burt

[LKYGSR]

Anyone actually have a RS Job Description?

 

If not, I'd say this whole conversation is, well, virtually pointless..

[Megan_Strick]

We don't just sleep either but if I changed the sheets every time - well I'd be doing laundry almost every day.

 

 

 

:eek::eek::eek::eek:

[fergusonvt]

Anyone actually have a RS Job Description?

 

If not, I'd say this whole conversation is, well, virtually pointless..

 

Not really. I think most people will agree that their job includes cleaning the cabin, changing sheets once per 7 night cruise, providing clean towels (enough for everyone in the room) and perhaps getting ice once daily at a minimum.

 

Here is the one from NCL Pride of America (mostly American crew).

 

 

Stateroom Steward

 

Department:

Hotel

 

Description:

Responsible for the daily servicing and cleaning of guest staterooms on a prompt and professional basis, and in accordance with the company’s highest standards as outlined.

 

In order to consistently exceed guest expectations and provide the highest levels of product and services, additional duties and responsibilities may be assigned as needed.

 

Requirements:

• Fluent in English; Speak, Read, Write

• Customer Service Oriented, Self Sufficient, Responsible and Well Organized

• Eager to Work and Gain Experience

• Passionate about hospitality and customer service driven

• Must have a professional appearance and good hygiene

• Respect for all co-workers and guests

• Pride in your work by creating positive energy, excitement and fun

• Able to work 7 days a week

• Demonstrate positive behaviors; smiling, being polite and courteous

• Able to develop a camaraderie with team members

• Ability to live in close quarters, share limited space with other cabin-mates

 

Education:

• Minimum High School diploma or equivalent.

 

Experience:

At least two years experience in a Hotel or related establishment.

 

Responsibilities:

Staterooms (Daily)

• Change bed linens on either “changing day” or as needed

• Remake beds or replace furniture to original locale

• Inspect (for damaged or soiled), remove and/or replace printed items as needed

• Lightly dust entire room or as needed, including dusting and polishing electrical units and loose furniture

• Lightly vacuum entire room or as needed

• Clean mirrors, chrome, glass, windows, window ledges and shinny surfaces

• Test all electrical items in room

• Collect stray dishware and remove if not needed

• Restock, re-set and remove amenities as needed

• Collect trash and remove from room; Sanitize trash bin

• Fold or stow guest luggage, shoes, clothing and possessions

• Spot check walls for marks

• Spot check carpet

• Ensure room smells clean and fresh. Use air freshener daily or atomizer to eliminate “smoke” odor.

• Ice buckets: Sanitize after each use. Refill at correct times throughout day.

• Proper evening turndown service; includes a mint on each pillow and next day’s Freestyle Daily.

• When not in use, extra equipment to be properly stored; pillows, bedspreads, luggage pads, life jackets

• Sanitize phones

• Maintenance inspection:

o Report concerns to supervisor

o If not fixed in 2 hours, report to Executive Housekeeper

o Maintenance issues concerning staterooms are treated as urgent especially when reported by a guest.

Suites (Daily)

• Water, flowers and amenities, replenished as needed each day.

• Hot tubs and special features cleaned daily

 

Hallways (Daily)

• Keep hallway tidy, passable and presentable by removing trash and dirty linen to back areas as needed throughout workday and at end of each shift

• Vacuum hallway at start and end of each shift

• Spot carpet and walls as needed (special attention to these areas on high traffic days, especially dis/embarkation.

• Polish stainless steel panels, keeping them free from handprints & smudges.

 

Staterooms (Weekly)

• Heavy cleaning of each stateroom, including:

-Dusting

-Underneath beds

-Sofa cushions

-Wash light shades

-Cleaning bulbs

-Washing walls

-Moving furniture

-Vacuum carpets

-Washing air vents

-Picture frames

• Dis/Embarkation day: Clean and sanitize all drawers, closets and shelves

 

Suites (Weekly)

• Properly sanitize hot tubs and special features at end of each cruise

• Shine and polish metal ice buckets and stands

 

Hallways (Weekly)

• Clean ceilings, alleyways, ventilation and exhaust

 

Supply Trolley

• Neat and tidy at all times

• Stocked and ready for use

• Chemical bucket stocked, items properly labeled and bucket never left unattended

• Ensure only NCL issued chemicals and cleaning materials used and proper dilution of chemicals is followed

• Trolley never parked on handrail side of hallway

• Wheel locks must be used

• Thoroughly clean supply trolley once per week

 

Linen & Cleaning Lockers

• Keep in neat and orderly fashion during work shifts

• At end of shift, keep clean & clear of unwanted items

• Stocked and ready for use

• Trolley properly stowed at end of each shift

• Responsible for requesting linen and towels from main laundry

• Ensure all cleaning equipment is cleaned at end of every shift

 

Bathrooms (Daily)

• Clean ceiling, floor, walls, air vents, toilet, shower curtain & drainage

• Shine mirrors & chrome

• Change towels (if requested)

• Re-stock paper products (as needed)

• Re-stock amenities (as needed) including shower/soap dispensers

• Empty and sanitize trash bin

• Clean & Sanitize shower heads in section (Entire section to be done once/month and logged)

• Exchange used glasses for new sanitized glasses with stand caps

 

Bathrooms (Weekly)

• Sanitize entire bathroom; includes all surfaces; inside and out

• Mirrors

• Holders/dispensers

• Vanity shelves

• Shelving in medicine cabinet

• Walls

• Floors

• Shower curtains

• Air vents

• Drains

• Toilets

• Assist with removal of all trash from stateroom and observe garbage separation procedures

• Removal of dishes/amenity deliveries and return to pantry box

 

Pantry Box (Daily)

• During shift keep in a neat & orderly fashion

• At end of shift keep clean & clear of unwanted items

• At end of day keep clean and sanitized at USPH level

• “Blue” ice chests sanitized and air-dried after each shift

 

Balconies (Daily)

• General cleaning of balconies

• Wipe down railings

• Cleaning of furniture

• Placement and upkeep of furniture

• Ensure flooring is presentable (teak floors clear of water puddles and drains cleared; Brown flooring cleaned and dried by hand)

 

Special Duties

• Check for closed safes disembarkation morning and report to Supervisor

• Check for lost & found items disembarkation morning and report to supervisor

• Deliver guest requests (Service must be provided within 15 minutes or guest must be informed of any delay in service)

• Report guest complaints and comments and of action taken to rectify problem

• Ensure proper control of maintenance of company property

• Control costs by reducing waste

• Handles guests complaints and strives for early guest recovery

• Assist with luggage delivery and collection when required

• Perform other duties as assigned by supervisor

• Ensure linens are sorted and bagged by: terry, sheets, pillowcases and “other.” Items taken to laundry on a timely basis.

• Ensure guest laundry is picked up and taken to “dry cleaning” promptly. Freshly pressed items returned in a timely manner and correctly stored.

• Ensure proper number and sizes of life jackets are readily available in stateroom

• Ensure trash is sorted and disposed of properly

• Daily service includes immediate reporting of needed maintenance to a supervisor

• Responsible for keeping informed of all activities and locations throughout ship in order to answer guest inquiries promptly and accurately

• Maintains highest standards of cleanliness in all guest staterooms and surrounding areas

 

Other Possible Duties

• Meet & Greet guest upon embarkation

• Escort guest to stateroom

• Assist with guest personal belongings or luggage

• Deliver various amenities to stateroom

• Assist with private parties and functions

• Assist with guest requests within job role and possibly to meet guest needs

• Swiping guest key cards at gangway

• Unpack boxes/stocking area

• Other Jobs as assigned

 

Maintains the trolley, hallway, locker and pantry areas at all times in accordance with USPH and SEMS rules and regulations.

 

Must be familiar with the Safety and Environmental Protection Policy and the SEMS, and carry out the policies and procedures appropriate for his/her position.

[Surfwench]

Anyone actually have a RS Job Description?

 

If not, I'd say this whole conversation is, well, virtually pointless..

 

JOB DESCRIPTION

Stateroom Steward/ess (Team Service)

 

The Stateroom Steward/ess is responsible for ensuring quality Housekeeping service and high standards of cleanliness as per company guidelines. The Stateroom Steward/ess will be assigned two permanent Assistant Stateroom Stewards, however the Stateroom Steward/ess will be ultimately responsible for the entire section, reports directly to the Assistant Housekeeping Manager. His/her responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

 

• Adhere to the company standards regarding dress and appearance (Carnival Look Book).

• Extend appropriate greeting to all guests at every opportunity.

• Apply hospitality standards at all times in guest and crew areas.

• Introduce guests to features of the stateroom at introduction.

• Introduce assigned service team (Assistant Stateroom Stewards) to all guests.

• Follow all safety regulations (boat drills, lifejacket issues etc.) during the course of duty.

• Follow all environmental, USPH and SMS procedures during the course of duty.

• Adhere to all safety and operational instructions regarding handling chemicals.

• Advise any guest challenges immediately to the Housekeeping Management.

• Respond to all guest requests in a timely manner.

• Report and follow up on all maintenance issues with the Assistant Housekeeping Manager.

• Ensure all staterooms are serviced twice a day to the cleaning and set-up standard required.

• Ensure balconies and furniture is kept clean.

• Ensure hallway/corridor and lockers are kept clean and tidy at all times.

• Ensure carpets in staterooms and hallways/corridors are kept clean through daily spotting and reporting.

• Ensure that all equipment is properly cared for, cleaned and correctly stored.

• Ensure daily inspections of guest mattresses and adhere to mattress turning guidelines.

• Ensure that food service items are removed from the stateroom promptly and returned to the appropriate area. They should not be left on the carpet under any circumstances.

• Administer beach towel and bathrobe programs. Be pro-active to promote sales.

• Follow all stateroom beverage procedures.

• Ensure timely delivery of collected liquor, tour tickets and other stateroom deliveries.

• Control and issue safety deposit box keys as applicable.

• Adhere to CCL environmental towel hanger policy.

• Adhere to CCL amenity basket program.

• Administer departmental paperwork and report procedures.

• Luggage delivery and related duties as instructed.

• Train and evaluate Assistant Stateroom Steward in all standards and regulations.

• Provide feedback to the Housekeeping Management regarding training and performance.

• Assign daily duties to the Assistant Steward/ess as per their job description.

[retiredgram]

That's some job description!!

[fergusonvt]

That's some job description!!

 

I know! Of course most of us working women do this and hold down a full time job LOL.

[LKYGSR]

OK, there ya go, job descriptions. Now, which bullet points did the RS fail to meet, if any, from the OP's post?

 

If they are called out in the description, OP has a legitimate beef...

If they are not called out in the description, I guess OP has no beef.

 

It took 15 pages to just get to the facts....As usual CC is a virtual bee hive of sarcasm, finger pointing, and "I told ya so's"

 

How productive ! :rolleyes:

[songbird1329]

Ok I compared tge complaints to the job description and the OP is right. The service fell below standards.

 

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[cowgrlkirby]

Everybody expects a RS to do his job, some people expect more. And in my opinion some expect to much. But comparing a RS to a school bus driver is ridiculous. Why don't we just compare a RS to a dentist, or to law enforcement, or to a heart surgeon. You expect more out of some people than you do others. A RS who forgets to fill you 're personal ice bucket has less consequences than a reckless bus driver. And sorry if I offend you, but some school bus drivers are not qualified to pick up people's pets. There's good and bad in all professions.

 

 

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WOW...well I am sure glad I am not one of those reckless bus drivers!!! What I was saying was that no matter what your job is, you should do your best. I am so sorry that apparently you have had a bad experience with a school bus driver, but I can assure you that I do what I do because I choose to and because I love all of my babies and it shows! I am not uneducated like most people assume, I did continue my education and I choose to do what I do because I wanted to be with my children! And yes I do expect more out of someone with a job like mine, I have other people's children in my care. I am sorry if you have had an experience with someone that does not do the job that I have the way I do it, and am proud of.:D

[nitro2448]

WOW...well I am sure glad I am not one of those reckless bus drivers!!! What I was saying was that no matter what your job is, you should do your best. I am so sorry that apparently you have had a bad experience with a school bus driver, but I can assure you that I do what I do because I choose to and because I love all of my babies and it shows! I am not uneducated like most people assume, I did continue my education and I choose to do what I do because I wanted to be with my children! And yes I do expect more out of someone with a job like mine, I have other people's children in my care. I am sorry if you have had an experience with someone that does not do the job that I have the way I do it, and am proud of.:D

 

I'm not saying you are a bad driver, but you know as well as I do there are some out there. Some people have more pride in there job than others. I'm in the military, it's the same thing. I take more pride wearing the uniform than Some others do. A few months ago in blue hill Nebraska there was an accident involving a school bus, a few kids and a truck driver were killed. There was no fault put on anybody, but if I'm driving a school bus, I'm taking extra precaution. Last year or two a bus carrying college kids ran off a ramp and killed several students, plus the driver. Not everyone takes the pride you do.

 

 

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