Room Steward Service?

[joysea]

Have been reading several reviews lately and there have been comments on new policy of only having your cabin serviced only once a day either in the morning or evening (you choose and let your room steward know which you time you prefer). We are cruising on the Carnival Pride B2B, 17 Jan - 7 Feb; we actually have no problem with once a day service but would we really like to have ice all of the time so would like it delivered in the evening as well as the morning. Anybody know what the "real" scoop is on this issue? Thanks for any info.....

[MtnDweller]

Have been reading several reviews lately and there have been comments on new policy of only having your cabin serviced only once a day either in the morning or evening (you choose and let your room steward know which you time you prefer). We are cruising on the Carnival Pride B2B, 17 Jan - 7 Feb; we actually have no problem with once a day service but would we really like to have ice all of the time so would like it delivered in the evening as well as the morning. Anybody know what the "real" scoop is on this issue? Thanks for any info.....

 

You are not limited to either/or. Simply check off BOTH morning and evening and you will get both. :D

[Elaine5715]

You are not limited to either/or. Simply check off BOTH morning and evening and you will get both. :D

 

This is correct. You may check off as many of the services as you want. Believe it or not, there's guests who want limited stateroom service..probably so they can justify not tipping.

[StolidCruiser]

Repeat as correct. Simply choose both and you'll get it.

 

Although there are some who would reduce the service charge for pretty much any triviality, I am one of those who really prefers to only have their cabin services once per day. And if service is great, I gladly tip more. I would never reduce the service charge because of my choice unless service was poor.

 

More than three dozen cruises and I have never had cause to reduce the service charge.

[Micahs Grandad]

We will be cruising next month for the firs time under this new policy.

 

The skeptic in me thinks the room steward will discourage us from asking for service morning and night but that is what we have always gotten and come to expect and that is what we will ask for.

[firemanbobswife]

I too would normally ask for twice a day. But I wonder if you can specify which days you might only want it once. Example: Some days I like to sleep in (usually sea days) and feel bad for not getting out of my room early. So could I request only evening service the day before or fill out the card ahead of time letting them know which days during the week I don't want morning service? Or is it an all or nothing type of thing?

[Elaine5715]

We will be cruising next month for the firs time under this new policy.

 

The skeptic in me thinks the room steward will discourage us from asking for service morning and night but that is what we have always gotten and come to expect and that is what we will ask for.

 

This trial program is only on one or two ships. The stateroom stewards will just leave the slip and pick it up. They aren't negotiating with you.

[funinthesun1964]

OP, we were on the Pride on the Oct. 31 cruise and the room steward talked to us on the first day. He started out by immediately telling us that we would have twice a day service (which is what we wanted). He then asked if we would like anything special and I requested ice. He refilled ice twice a day, every day.

He didn't leave a paper for us to fill out, he talked to us in person. Your cruise may be different but this is what happened with us.

[retiredgram]

OP, we were on the Pride on the Oct. 31 cruise and the room steward talked to us on the first day. He started out by immediately telling us that we would have twice a day service (which is what we wanted). He then asked if we would like anything special and I requested ice. He refilled ice twice a day, every day.

He didn't leave a paper for us to fill out, he talked to us in person. Your cruise may be different but this is what happened with us.

 

We were on the Pride in Sept. and this is the same thing that happened with our room steward, except she did tell us we had the option of once a day if we wanted it. Cabin was serviced twice a day and had ice twice a day. We did tell her that she could skip the towel animals and she said that she likes doing them, so we got the animals.

[LaCal]

I too would normally ask for twice a day. But I wonder if you can specify which days you might only want it once. Example: Some days I like to sleep in (usually sea days) and feel bad for not getting out of my room early. So could I request only evening service the day before or fill out the card ahead of time letting them know which days during the week I don't want morning service? Or is it an all or nothing type of thing?

 

We just let our steward know IF he sees the snoozn sign on sea days that cleaning the cabin that night or late day would be fine and No morning service needed

 

Worked perfectly......

[firemanbobswife]

We just let our steward know IF he sees the snoozn sign on sea days that cleaning the cabin that night or late day would be fine and No morning service needed

 

 

 

Worked perfectly......

 

 

Yeah I have told them that a few times too.

 

I was just wondering with this new way of it was something that could be requested ahead of time. Or if you picked either once a day or twice a day if it was for the duration of the cruise.

[funinthesun1964]

We were on the Pride in Sept. and this is the same thing that happened with our room steward, except she did tell us we had the option of once a day if we wanted it. Cabin was serviced twice a day and had ice twice a day. We did tell her that she could skip the towel animals and she said that she likes doing them, so we got the animals.

 

Aww, she wanted to do the animals! I wonder, though, if their supervisors to a "spot check" and if there wasn't a towel animal, she could have been reprimanded. So she figured it would have been easier to just do them than have to explain that the guest told them to keep the animals.

[lisajm]

Aww, she wanted to do the animals! I wonder, though, if their supervisors to a "spot check" and if there wasn't a towel animal, she could have been reprimanded. So she figured it would have been easier to just do them than have to explain that the guest told them to keep the animals.

 

Its funny because when they announced the option of 1 or 2 times a day service I was thinking that while its very nice to have the room tidied and would surely miss those towel animals.

 

Such a treat when you return to your cabin after dinner to fine your fuzzy visitor.

[Micahs Grandad]

This trial program is only on one or two ships. The stateroom stewards will just leave the slip and pick it up. They aren't negotiating with you.

 

When this was first introduced a number of people reported on here that room stewards tried to steer people toward once a day.

 

In any case time will tell but I am thinking that this is a way to have room stewards service more cabins and reduce head count.

[nednrom]

I am a little concerned about this - not that it matters if my cabin is serviced once but why Carnival is trying this out .. obviously if most of the cabins ask for once a day service and this eventually becomes the norm, does that mean that there will be fewer cabin stewards taking care more cabins?

I don't see Carnival giving back the cabin stewards any time off -- if 3 of the 5 cabins they have only want service at night -- that gives them time idle - just thinking about this from a business standpoint :cool:

[Elaine5715]

When this was first introduced a number of people reported on here that room stewards tried to steer people toward once a day.

 

In any case time will tell but I am thinking that this is a way to have room stewards service more cabins and reduce head count.

 

I don't believe the stewards were, I believe after listening to other cruisers talk to crew, is that it was a communication Issue. It is very difficult for the stewards to interpret written english to guests, guests that are already overwhelmed, tired and aren't adept at listening to the accents. Stewards say "you mark which you want " and folks interpret that as "one" whereas they mean "all you want".

[retiredgram]

Aww, she wanted to do the animals! I wonder, though, if their supervisors to a "spot check" and if there wasn't a towel animal, she could have been reprimanded. So she figured it would have been easier to just do them than have to explain that the guest told them to keep the animals.

This is exactly what I told my husband. I figured she might be worried about a spot check. We just thought we were saving her some time.

[dzsgma]

I, actually, stress a little bit about the stewards coming into my room. I like to stay up late, so I sleep late and take random naps and I seem to always be in the middle of napping, showering or changing clothes when they come a'knocking. I'd be happy to know that I only had to worry about it once a day.

[CRJ700]

I too would normally ask for twice a day. But I wonder if you can specify which days you might only want it once. Example: Some days I like to sleep in (usually sea days) and feel bad for not getting out of my room early. So could I request only evening service the day before or fill out the card ahead of time letting them know which days during the week I don't want morning service? Or is it an all or nothing type of thing?

 

If you don't want service at one point or another, simply leave out the "Snoozin" sign. However, keep in mind they are required to enter the room every 24 hours. If you leave the sign out too long, Security will come to check on you.

[JMAE]

We have our room serviced twice a day. Your room will not have an ice bucket unless you ask. If you ask the first day the ice bucket will be filled twice a day for your cruise. You will also be given a choice to have your sheets changed and use of a Carnival Robe. We also tip our steward on the first day and last night of the cruise.

 

We have been on the Pride four times, fifth coming up in February.

[GabbyCooks]

Last week in the Dream, our steward said we had to pick one or other. We could not pick both. He filled the paper out himself , didn't give it to me. However, we choose morning and they still provided turn down service and towel animals. They just didn't clean up in the evening.

[firemanbobswife]

If you don't want service at one point or another, simply leave out the "Snoozin" sign. However, keep in mind they are required to enter the room every 24 hours. If you leave the sign out too long, Security will come to check on you.

 

Yeah. I don't have a problem with making sure they don't come in if I'm sleeping. And I always seem to run into my room steward in the hall so I don't think security would need to come as he could see that I was alive and well.

 

I was inquiring to see if anyone knew if when you tell them you want once or twice a day service if it is effect for the duration of the cruise. Or can you preselect days that you only want evening? If not I'll just continue to tell them the evening before if I don't want morning service.

[singbluesilver1]

I could care less if they came at all really. If I need something I ask

[Micahs Grandad]

Last week in the Dream, our steward said we had to pick one or other. We could not pick both. He filled the paper out himself , didn't give it to me. However, we choose morning and they still provided turn down service and towel animals. They just didn't clean up in the evening.

 

Sounds like a reduction in service to me. I would have complained to customer service.

[mumtopugs]

Twice a day seems unnecessary to me. When I travel alone in hotels, I only ask for service every other day. I don't see why they would need to make the bed or replenish towels more than once a day. No, I wouldn't reduce my tips for this. However if service twice a day make a difference for you, by all means...