Is the stateroom service still running smoothly ??

[laslomas]

Is the stateroom service still running smoothly with onlythe one Steward per cabin?

 

On my previous Celebrity cruises there was always an assistant working alongside. Making up the room was dealt with very timely in probably 90% of the time. We always left the room for breakfast and loitered awhile around the ship and when we returned the cabin was made up and towels, ice etc. dealt with. On the few occasions we returned before the miracle was complete we would pick up our books or pool stuff and go on deck for an hour or go for a coffee in Al Bacio before returning to find everything dealt with.

 

Last year we went on an NCL cruise and there was only the one steward to deal with the cabin, and the opposite was true. I think the steward had worked their magic about 10% of the time during the time we first left the room. So we got our pool stuff and sat outside for maybe 2 hours and returned to find the room still as we had left it. It was often 1pm before it was ‘our turn’. We had a balcony cabin and would have enjoyed spending mornings on the balcony but were never sure whether the room would ever get serviced if we did not go out. Maybe we should have discussed it with the Steward, but she never seemed to be in the area, so we just decided that with only the one steward maybe it was normal. We would sometimes go to lunch wondering if it would ever get done. I know someone has to be the last on the list but previously the stewards (on Celebrity) seemed to just know the passengers movements and fit in.

 

We have just booked another Celebrity cruise on the Eclipse and see from this forum that Celebrity have now also done away with using an assistant steward. Please tell me that things will not be as bad as we found it to be on NCL.

[ChucktownSteve]

I believe it will depend upon which cabin attendant you luck into. We were on the Eclipse last month and had a fantastic attendant. He checked on us regularly, did everything we requested and made up the cabin as he was supposed to. He even brought my DW a beautiful rose although we weren't in one of his suites!

 

We also witnessed several other attendants down the passageway on the way to the elevators who were there early and late working hard.

 

Our cabin attendant liked the change to one person per cabin because sometimes he was matched up with a person who didn't do as good a job but he got the blame too. He liked the change however our previous Summit cabin attendant didn't because he said he had more cabins to do than before. 24 cabins with an assistant and 14 by himself.

[GeorgeCharlie]

We were on the Constellation recently in a Concierge Class cabin. Our attendant also seemed to prefer the change, as he did not have to keep checking cabins to see if his assistant was doing their job correctly. Wasn't able to get an answer from him as to whether his share of gratuities per cabin increased - seeing he was now doing everything himself and only had half as many cabins.

[Shadow9612]

On the Equinox Holiday sailing, we had one stateroom attendant, the first week after the 'policy change'. I feel it was better overall - never came back to an unmade room, so in our case, he certainly learned our habits. We were very happy. I think it depends also on your individual attendant. Also, I would suggest feeling free to speak with your attendant with respect to timing etc. From my experience with Celebrity, they always do their absolute best to accommodate your requests.

Edited February 19, 2017 by Shadow9612
additional thought

[wallie5446]

On our last sailing it was as wonderful as always.

[NLH Arizona]

Service for me on my Reflection January cruise was outstanding.

[CRZR58]

Celebrity service certainly has gone down over the last year, but the only time I noticed the single attendant problem that others complain about was on embarkation day, when our room was made up late.

 

We didn't have glasses for most of the week, the fridge still had the last occupants stuff in it until mid week, we didn't have an umbrella until the rain stopped 3 days in even tho we asked for one several times and he did turn down service on the last night when we asked him not to and left the do not disturb sign on the room. Maybe we're just low maintenance and most of those things didn't bug us. ;)

Edited February 19, 2017 by CRZR58
sperring ellor

[Jim_Iain]

On our last cruise in November our room was always made up around our schedule and didn't notice any change from cruises when we had an assistant.

 

One thing I did notice is that the Stateroom Attendants do have backup. There is a crewmember that works behind the scene and brings linen and towels to the hallway and picks up the dirty laundry from the hall. On the last day I also noticed that there was a lot of preparation for turn day. There were plastic bags under the bed with new linen, the ice bucket and bottle of bubbly for the next passenger in one of the cabinets etc.

[WonderMan3]

In the suites the butler may also help out the room attendant. On our recent Eclipse cruise we came back to the room one day in the middle of the room being cleaned to find the butler carrying out some towels.

[laslomas]

Thanks for the responses, so basically it is still the same unobtrusive service I always enjoyed on Celebrity. After reading about the change I was concerned after the experience on NCL, so now I am Really looking forward to my cruise. :D

[CruiserByHeart]

Sounds really reassuring about the changes... but, where have all the assistants gone? The X website still boasts a passenger to crew ratio of almost two to one... Just wondering?

[NLH Arizona]

Sounds really reassuring about the changes... but, where have all the assistants gone? The X website still boasts a passenger to crew ratio of almost two to one... Just wondering?

Were the Cabin Steward and their Assistant had anywhere between 22 and 24 cabins, they now both have 11 or 12, so the ratio hasn't really changed.

[Von & John]

Sounds really reassuring about the changes... but, where have all the assistants gone? The X website still boasts a passenger to crew ratio of almost two to one... Just wondering?

 

CruiserByHeart

 

Good Morning -- The assistants are now Cabin Attendants. Instead of 2 people covering 24 cabins, you now have 1 person covering 14 cabins. Plus they added the additional support team for behind the scenes (reference Jim's note above - there are people to provide the supplies & linens to the floor & remove the dirty).

[DZalumni]

Seems like this is a positive change.

[CruiserByHeart]

CruiserByHeart

 

Good Morning -- The assistants are now Cabin Attendants. Instead of 2 people covering 24 cabins, you now have 1 person covering 14 cabins. Plus they added the additional support team for behind the scenes (reference Jim's note above - there are people to provide the supplies & linens to the floor & remove the dirty).

Thanks, that's what I had figured out myself 😉 Actually it does seem to make better sense 👍

[varoo]

Is the stateroom service still running smoothly with onlythe one Steward per cabin?

It was fine for us and we were very pleased with the service, but I think a lot depends on the stateroom attendant you happen to get.

 

We had a balcony cabin and would have enjoyed spending mornings on the balcony but were never sure whether the room would ever get serviced if we did not go out.

On Celebrity cruises, whenever we asked we were assured that it was fine for us to sit out on the balcony while the cabin was being serviced.

We have done that a number of times, with no problem at all. Just need to remember to take in the "Do Not Disturb" sign when we want the cabin serviced.

[WonderMan3]

Seems like this is a positive change.

 

 

The staff on our recent cruise said they liked the change. They said it gave the attendants more time to interact with guests and handle special requests.

[SHIP TRAVELER]

On our Reflection cruise in February, we had what I think was the cleanest cabin we have had in a very long time. We did not have to ask for a thing. There were extra glasses for wine and the robes were in place when we arrived. The drawers were clean and there was zero mold in the shower and behind the sink. We have been on over 30 cruises and this has not always been the case. Some stewards talk a friendly game but the mirrors are spotted and the TV is dusty, I think these will be eliminated. We were in the lowest class of balcony cabin over looking the life boats. Maybe we were lucky, but I have tried to give this steward, Nestor, all the praise I can in reviews and surveys. I was very impressed.