One Cabin Steward & No Turndown-Changes Coming!

[ReneeFLL]

The evening turndown is a waste of time and money. We do a lot of traveling and have yet to find a hotel who offers it, and have survived nicely. I'm sure that the tips for the assistant room steward will be removed from the bill, when pigs fly!

 

It's nice to have the turn down service but I also always thought it was a waste of time and money. I am perfectly capable of cleaning up after myself. The chocolates aren't a big deal for us and a lot of people throw them away which is a waste of money. Now the fresh towels is another thing. If they don't supply fresh towels in the evening I will ask for extras. As for the used towels from during the day I don't want them in the cabin. Since they are doing away with the turndown service, I hope they will at least change out the towels in the evening.

[albi]

Disappointing to hear this. Didn't mind loosing the chocolates, then the water in Aqua Class but now this! I guess this means no ice in the evening either! Cost cutting may soon cost them customers! Loyalty goes both ways!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[DYKWIA]

On the UK website, "Evening Turndown" is still stated as included. Until they remove it from their website for new bookings, for UK bookers (who have different legal rights), if you ask for it they might still have to provide it.

[ISABELLA]

A big part of the evening service for me has been getting fresh towels, as we use most of the towels during our pre-dinner shower/primping time. Will they no longer be offering that as well?

 

That will be my biggest complain if they don't. Will have to ask for bunch of towels or better I will be calling Chief of Housekeeping and asking for clean towels...What else is " cooking" in Celebrity kitchen?..One disappointment after another..

Edited August 23, 2016 by ISABELLA

[ISABELLA]

Just off the Silhouette this past weekend (August 20) and we were told by our cabin steward and his assistant (and verified by our waiter later in the cruise) that there were going to be changes on the Silhouette the next cruise, fleetwide by the end of the year.

 

1-There will only be one Steward assigned per cabin, not a Steward and assistant. They will now be assigned to 14 cabins each as opposed to the current 24 so it doesn't look like anyone will lose their job.

 

2-There will no longer be turndown service. Their new duty in the evening is to only provide two chocolates on the pillows...that is it.

 

3-They are removing those coverlets that go across the foot of the beds and are going back to providing the plastic covering on the bed at embarkation for luggage.

 

I don't care so much about number 3 but the others are part of sailing tradition in my mind and just another unfortunate, misguided cutback, if true.

 

Our guys were not happy at all because they feel they are, and rightly so, on the front line and will be the first to hear the negative impact of these continual cutbacks.

 

Our Steward also said it has already started on one other ship but we haven't heard any rumblings. Maybe someone else can verify what we've heard or has already experienced these changes.

 

So sad :(

 

Would they make the bed in the morning?

[Moonraker7]

What will the stewards do in the evenings? Don't they work a certain number of hours, hence the evening turndown is part of their working day. Does that mean they'll be utilises as cleaners when not doing cabins.

[grandgeezer]

No because the cabin steward without an assistant is now doing the work for both - just for fewer cabins. If they removed the tips that were going to the assistant that would be a pay cut for the cabin steward who is doing the work formerly done by 2.

 

But, he's only doing the work once so time wise he'll probably working the same number of hours as before. They are eliminating half the work.

[Flamencacha]

Not good at all, if they don't want to be a touch above the rest, don't charge so much.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[karena1]

I want towels and ice every evening. The rest I don't care about. We never lay on the bed during the day and don't like the chocolates. But do want towels and want my coolers full of ice!

[ISABELLA]

I guess we will have to wait and see. Sailing in AQ in December on Equinox.

But if they don't exchange towels in the evening - guess what - they might be end up out in the hall by the steward station. Maybe we should ask Lisa Lutoff-Perlo if she will like this reverse " modern luxury" :mad:

[hcat]

Hope the Celebrity Official chimes in here,,esp about towel service

 

Fresh towels after the afternoon shower will be a must...with the soggy ones removed...

Otherwise we'll stockpile and call for the wet ones to be removed,,,

 

AQ cabins lost the upgraded plush towels to suites quite awhile go...we routinely reject any that are ripped and stained..at home we call those rags...

[LMKohler]

We don't change our towels every day at home. I always thought once a day was sufficient. For the poster who thinks the chocolates are "nasty", can I have them[emoji1]. I take them home. I change my sheets at home once a week[emoji33]. I assume once a week on board is enough. Having said that, I to, hate to see changes. We will see what happens. I am on Infinity in October. I have friends in Alaska now and will ask them. Until Celebrity or Host Andy confirms this, I am not going to worry about it[emoji106]

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[EatonDoolittle]

It is highly unlikely that they will leave piles of dirty towels on the bathroom floor overnight.

 

First: a customer service nightmare - look at the outrage here at the mere possibility of it!

 

Second: The hotel laundry is no doubt a 24 hour a day operation. However, why would they make a make a decision that lessens the overnight work load significantly, increases the load during the day?

I'm certainly no engineer, but I have to believe that a consistent use of energy for the laundry, perhaps in the cooler hours, with less guest driven demand, would make better sense overall.

[20pluscruises]

That's very disappointing!

 

FYI...a few years ago we had to go back to the room during the drill and the cabin steward actually had three assistants for the 24 rooms. 8 rooms per assistant. Seems like this is more work for the cabin stewards. I can't understand the reasoning behind this as I'm certain tips will not decrease.

 

..the only thing that makes any sense is adding more paying customers. Must be a person / actual body limit on each ship. Decrease the crew and fill in with paying customers.

[Andy]

Hi Everyone,

 

This rumor about 1 cabin attendant has been around for a while, so I'm not surprised at that part. However, the evening turndown service is an unwelcome surprise. I've always felt as the Celebrity experience being well above their peers. It's moves like this, that make me feel they want to be more like everyone else, and that's disappointing, especially as pricing has been on the rise for quite some time. Besides, if they are splitting up the cabin attendants, and if in fact nobody is losing their job.... how much money could they possibly be saving ? Frankly, I don't understand the logic behind the decision - assuming all the changes are true.

 

I'm very easygoing... so while I'm not thrilled with this, I can certainly live with it - but I know my Mom isn't going to be a happy cruiser LOL. What I'm wondering is, if turndown services might be available upon request.

 

I'm trying to see what I can find out. Stay Tuned !

Edited August 23, 2016 by Host Andy

[Loracpin2]

I'm sure this new policy has trickled down from RCI. We were on the Serenade of the Seas (only because of the Arctic Circle itinerary) and only had a room steward. When I asked where her assistant was, she said that position was eliminated the beginning of the year. She worked long hours and did a fantastic job so she still got an additional cash tip....never entered my mind where the automatic assistant's tip was going towards.

 

As for turn down, never noticed if we received it or not since I tend to always straighten out the bed. We did receive fresh towels every evening.

 

Now, I could go on for paragraphs about the things that were extremely disappointing about the Serenade, but that was all included in my Cruise Critic review and on the RCI boards.

[LMKohler]

Thanks Andy[emoji106][emoji106][emoji106][emoji106]

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[cachouonacruise]

Thank you Host Andy for looking into this disappointing decision.

 

Like everyone else, at home I can make my bed, I can cook and wash my towels.

 

However, travelling, for me, means being able to forget about these normal daily chores. For me, parts of the cruising experience, versus let's say a land trip, include all these special little attentions that makes us feel a bit special for a small period of time.

 

Progressively and continuously removing these small attentions will translate in rendering the cruise experience to become more and more "just an ordinary way" to go from point A to point B. It reminds me a bit what happened in the airline industry, where 30-40 years ago, when flying was an experience to look forward to, while now, it is only a flying bus where you can't wait to disembark.

 

Sad news, indeed. I really hope though, that the cruise industry, will keep,some of that special edge that will keep us coming back!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Bo1953]

I believe that a friendly call to housekeeping, if that did not work, then to hotel director, if that did not work, then to Captain.. then again, for myself, I usually have a third person travel with me who can handle such requests as I make them... so not a real effect on me.

 

Also, one can try the approach of giving the attendant cash upfront (a/k/a TIP) and request clean towels nightly and bed turn down...

 

Just a thought..

 

bon voyage

[greydog]

It's nice to have the turn down service but I also always thought it was a waste of time and money. I am perfectly capable of cleaning up after myself.

 

AGREE - won't miss.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Hope the Celebrity Official chimes in here,,esp about towel service

 

Fresh towels after the afternoon shower will be a must...with the soggy ones removed...

Otherwise we'll stockpile and call for the wet ones to be removed,,,

 

AQ cabins lost the upgraded plush towels to suites quite awhile go...we routinely reject any that are ripped and stained..at home we call those rags...

 

Not true, suites do not have plush towels and I too call them rags, one of my biggest pet peeves. The wash clothes are so thin and scratchy it is like using sand paper.

[excitedofharpenden]

The number of cabins looked after by each housekeeping staff member has been on the increase for a while. I will really miss the turn down service if it's confirmed they will discontinue. Something really nice to come back to the cabin after an evening out to a have it fresh and the bed turned down. I'm not sure how long they can keep pushing this modern luxury. Let's wait and see. If it's confirmed then chip, chip, chip. Slowly, but surely.

[WestLakeGirl]

There's a current Celebrity ad on their Facebook that claims

 

"wildest expectations, exceeded daily"

 

But apparently our perfectly ordinary expectation of turndown service and clean towels in the evening isn't in that category, so the new slogan should be

 

"everyday expectations, disappointed daily:mad::mad::mad:

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We don't change our towels every day at home. I always thought once a day was sufficient. For the poster who thinks the chocolates are "nasty", can I have them[emoji1]. I take them home. I change my sheets at home once a week[emoji33]. I assume once a week on board is enough. Having said that, I to, hate to see changes. We will see what happens. I am on Infinity in October. I have friends in Alaska now and will ask them. Until Celebrity or Host Andy confirms this, I am not going to worry about it[emoji106]

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

We don't change them every day at home either but we don't shower twice a day and the towels are not hanging is a hot humid stagnate bathroom. Also change sheets every 4 days or so. And, I don't spend >$8K or so a week at home either. If I did I'd expect the staff to change them every day. :D

[minidonuts85]

Sad to hear this.

 

Carnival launched a new program last year or so where you are given a choice of "morning or afternoon" cabin service and actually given a form. I've stopped sailing Carnival but have seen on their FB/CC pages that you can supposedly ask for "both" but it doesn't make the stewards happy because they've pretty much doubled their number of cabins to service under the new program.