NCL Dawn poor performance by room steward so far

[kitkat343]

On 6/6/2023 at 2:00 AM, SpainAlien said:

FWIW apart from the cleanliness of the room (now resolved) the NCL Dawn is great. She is sailing at full capacity but doesn't feel crowded. The food is generally good, certainly on a par to my previous NCL cruises.

 

My room is an oceanview on deck 4 which is a perfect size and has all the amenities that I need.  Located where I am I am one of the first off the ship when we dock and have easy access to the staircases and lifts mid ship.

 

The entertainment is to a good standard, the first couple of days were soul music which isn't really my thing but we are now moving on to rock all of which has been well sung/played.

 

The weather at the ports so far has been incredible: glorious blue skies and sunshine. This morning we are in Dublin.

 

I am not a serial complainer, in fact, being British I hate to complain.  This is my first cruise as a Platinum guest and the first time I have had to complain.

I'm glad you are enjoying your vacation.

 

If they missed daily service during the cruise and you came here to complain, I'd not be particularly sympathetic to you.  But that wasn't the case here - you just wanted your cabin to be cleaned from the prior guest, which seems pretty reasonable to me.  I have absolutely no problem with the overworked stewards needing a break during the cruise and missing my room for a day or two during the cruise, but I would expect the room to be cleaned on embarkation day.

Edited June 8, 2023 by kitkat343

[graphicguy]

3 hours ago, DMP609 said:

What would be the best way to let them know our schedule? We have a port intensive cruise so our times away from our room will change each day. Would it be best to call them every morning? If you don't get them are you able to leave a message? 

That's probably a moot point.  Unless they knock on your cabin door, and you answer the door, they are going to go up and down the aisle cleaning the cabins in synch.  So, they won't make a schedule of when you're gone.  They'll just see if your cabin is empty and clean it when they come to it in their routine.  If you're in the cabin, they'll tack yours on to the end of their cleaning routine later in the day.

[Mississippian]

6 hours ago, graphicguy said:

I don’t know where some of this “double the workload” comes from.  Stewards used to have two shifts….one in the a.m. with a break between the one in the p.m.  This is how they have been doing it for a while.  Now, they just do one cabin refresh/day instead of 2.  Yes, they have more cabins, but they only have to refresh them ½ as much.  So, workload is about the same, more or less.

It is much easier to clean 12 rooms twice a day than 24 rooms once. Many people don't take a nap during the day or create much of a mess at all, so the 2nd cleaning/turndown can sometimes be done in two or three minutes, maybe less. The first cleaning takes much longer.

Edited June 8, 2023 by Mississippian

[graphicguy]

28 minutes ago, Mississippian said:

It is much easier to clean 12 rooms twice a day than 24 rooms once. Many people don't take a nap during the day or create much of a mess at all, so the 2nd cleaning/turndown can sometimes be done in two or three minutes, maybe less. The first cleaning takes much longer.

Don't see your logic...many people shower 2-3X/day.  I'm thinking it all evens out.

 

Again, the stewards I spoke to In April on the Bliss seemed to like the new schedule.  They'd rather work one longer shift than two shorter shifts per day.  Once their workday is done, they have more time to do what they want vs just hanging out until their afternoon shift starts.

 

[Captain-John]

I think it's important that cruisers share their experience, good or bad. It makes it easy to spot a trend but it's only with retrospect a trend can be identified.  I don't think anyone should be vilified for accurately relaying their experience on a given ship.

 

If more instances of this occur compared to the previous twice daily service policy, then that is a degradation in standard and service. Yes one experience does not make a trend, but it's still important for all of us and NCL to note and keep an eye on.

 

There is nothing in the OP's post that is hysterical, hyperbolic or unreasonable - so their concerns should not be dismissed or diminished in the way that they have. Of course we see over the top tales and unreasonable reactions to bumps in the road - but this not one

 

Ultimately, many people save long and hard to be able to cruise and should be able to asses the totality of what they will be experiencing - for better or worse. I think a fully cleaned room, with all trace of the previous guest erased is a minimum expectation to be honest.

[dbrown84]

25 minutes ago, Captain-John said:

I think it's important that cruisers share their experience, good or bad. It makes it easy to spot a trend but it's only with retrospect a trend can be identified.  I don't think anyone should be vilified for accurately relaying their experience on a given ship.

 

If more instances of this occur compared to the previous twice daily service policy, then that is a degradation in standard and service. Yes one experience does not make a trend, but it's still important for all of us and NCL to note and keep an eye on.

 

There is nothing in the OP's post that is hysterical, hyperbolic or unreasonable - so their concerns should not be dismissed or diminished in the way that they have. Of course we see over the top tales and unreasonable reactions to bumps in the road - but this not one

 

Ultimately, many people save long and hard to be able to cruise and should be able to asses the totality of what they will be experiencing - for better or worse. I think a fully cleaned room, with all trace of the previous guest erased is a minimum expectation to be honest.

[ChiefMateJRK]

29 minutes ago, Captain-John said:

I think a fully cleaned room, with all trace of the previous guest erased is a minimum expectation to be honest.

Of course it is.  I'm sure it is also an expectation shared by NCL and their fine crews.  You speak of trends.  I see no evidence of one.  This is the first report I can remember of a room not being spotless at the beginning of the cruise.  Stuff happens.

[Captain-John]

1 minute ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

You speak of trends.  I see no evidence of one.

Yes that's my point. It may, or may not be the start of one. We shouldn't drown it out.... It should be noted, for reference, if needed. It might never be needed. It might be isolated. But there's nothing wrong with the OP flagging it. It's an accurate reflection of their experience. 

[LobsterStalker]

On 6/5/2023 at 8:17 AM, njkate said:

There is absolutely no reason for your snarkiness. I’m not the o/p just stating I was on board the Dawn late March and imo they were under staffed and many of the crew looked wrung out. 
 

Last night on board at Bimini bar the person ahead of me was greeted with a what do you want, very grumpy. When I got my drink the person who was ahead of me was going to go complain regarding the rudeness of the bartender, I said look they have been slammed and overworked all week, he is probably tired and weary.

She agreed and decided not to go complain about him.

Funny ... you say , All week .... But their week never ends !!

 

Cheers

[insidecabin]

8 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Of course it is.  I'm sure it is also an expectation shared by NCL and their fine crews.  You speak of trends.  I see no evidence of one.  This is the first report I can remember of a room not being spotless at the beginning of the cruise.  Stuff happens.

Ours on the Star needed remedial work on embarkation, as i have said it was done immediately.

in our case the cabin was ready at 3pm and the steward was around checking if people needed anything. 

[insidecabin]

9 hours ago, graphicguy said:

Don't see your logic...many people shower 2-3X/day.  I'm thinking it all evens out.

 

Again, the stewards I spoke to In April on the Bliss seemed to like the new schedule.  They'd rather work one longer shift than two shorter shifts per day.  Once their workday is done, they have more time to do what they want vs just hanging out until their afternoon shift starts.

 

Wait till NCL catch on to what P&O have worked out, 

They have the cabin people working the bars/restaurants in the evening.

[Norwayfan1]

26 minutes ago, insidecabin said:

Wait till NCL catch on to what P&O have worked out, 

They have the cabin people working the bars/restaurants in the evening.

Best to be very nice to them.

Who knows what nasty cleaning fluids they could slip into the drinks! ☠️

[ace2542]

On 6/4/2023 at 2:31 PM, shof515 said:

all cruise lines is cutting back on room stewards and assigning them double the work. i notice it on all my previous on all major cruise lines

In defence of the cruise lines there have been tens of millions of covid deaths worldwide including hundreds of thousands or even millions of working age people from cruise ship crew sourcing countries. And in defence of the people of the cruise ship crew countires people crew members died on the ship and even threw themselves overboard because of how they where treated by the cruise lines.

 

So with that to consider is it any wonder they are experiencing staffing problems?

[DCGuy64]

On 6/5/2023 at 10:06 AM, graphicguy said:

Then, there are the chronic complainers here in Cruise Critic.  Those of us who have been here a while know who they are, and they rarely change their stripes.  Sometimes I’ll dip my toes in their complaints, but always chastise myself later for doing so.

Agreed. And one of the more annoying aspects of Cruise Critic is that neither "side" (to the extent that one exists) wants to hear anything contradictory. The cheerleaders can't abide any criticism of their line of choice, so they attack anyone who takes issue with anything, and the 'haters' will bash anyone who either defends the cruise line or even, heaven forbid, points out anything unreasonable or illogical about what they say. It's like "I have a right to say what I want and no one is allowed to contradict me." That's not how the world works, let alone social media. I applaud @david_sobe for correcting pointing out (several times) that you can't assume the bed sheets weren't changed solely on the basis of a half-used water bottle in the fridge. Why do so many assume that one item overlooked automatically means the entire cabin is a festering pool of filth? Good grief. And @pete_coach, you are mistaken in assuming that the Critic in Cruise Critic is all about complaining; it's not. Have you ever heard of a music critic, an art critic, a food critic? I'm sure you have. Their job isn't to carp, complain and criticize. It is to be discerning and analytical. THAT is what Cruise Critic means. It doesn't mean having a meltdown and then slamming anyone who points out logical inconsistencies and fallacies in your reasoning. And I agree with @ChiefMateJRK that if whining over every perceived inefficiency and slight is how you spend your precious vacation time, I pity you. You would THINK that after the pandemic stopped most cruising altogether, we might be a bit more grateful that cruising is back in full swing and also a bit more patient with the hardworking crew members. On our last cruise we had a few criticisms, but instead of whining here on CC, we spoke politely with our steward and also filled out a survey midway through the cruise and all was taken care of. I think I did mention the issues in my post-cruise review here, but there's a difference between letting people know something as part of "full disclosure" in a review after the fact, and having a whine fest literally while the cruise is still going on and you haven't even given the crew the opportunity to resolve things.

[sanger727]

Deleted

Edited June 9, 2023 by sanger727

[SpainAlien]

14 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

  there's a difference between letting people know something as part of "full disclosure" in a review after the fact, and having a whine fest literally while the cruise is still going on and you haven't even given the crew the opportunity to resolve things.

How long would you suggest that you should give the crew to rectify the issue? I left it until after I got back from the following day's excursion and tried to get hold of the steward before going to guest services.  I simply wanted my room to be clean at the start of my cruise, I don't think that was unreasonable. 

 

I would also say that at no point did I say or imply that the sheets had not been changed. The sheets and towels were fresh.  Similarly though it was more than half a bottle of water in the fridge, the bathroom had not been cleaned. If it were only the water in the fridge and the daily planners from the last cruise I wouldn't have cared.  

 

Incidentally, my room steward is lovely but obviously over worked, he has only managed to get back to my room twice in the last 4 days and then just straightened the top sheets. I have the same sheets and towels 7 days after boarding but I don't care. I'm sure if I asked him he would change them.  I am not complaining I just think other guests should be aware that if this is important to you mustn't be frightened to talk to your room steward.  

 

 

[kirtihk]

20 hours ago, kitkat343 said:

I'm glad you are enjoying your vacation.

 

If they missed daily service during the cruise and you came here to complain, I'd not be particularly sympathetic to you.  But that wasn't the case here - you just wanted your cabin to be cleaned from the prior guest, which seems pretty reasonable to me.  I have absolutely no problem with the overworked stewards needing a break during the cruise and missing my room for a day or two during the cruise, but I would expect the room to be cleaned on embarkation day.

It's so funny (these days) reading apologies (like this one) from the opposite direction of service.  It's like to say "I have absolutely no problem with the overworked mechanics missing to replace oil in my car during the oil change service on one or two occasions".

[kirtihk]

8 minutes ago, SpainAlien said:

How long would you suggest that you should give the crew to rectify the issue? I left it until after I got back from the following day's excursion and tried to get hold of the steward before going to guest services.  I simply wanted my room to be clean at the start of my cruise, I don't think that was unreasonable. 

 

I would also say that at no point did I say or imply that the sheets had not been changed. The sheets and towels were fresh.  Similarly though it was more than half a bottle of water in the fridge, the bathroom had not been cleaned. If it were only the water in the fridge and the daily planners from the last cruise I wouldn't have cared.  

 

Incidentally, my room steward is lovely but obviously over worked, he has only managed to get back to my room twice in the last 4 days and then just straightened the top sheets. I have the same sheets and towels 7 days after boarding but I don't care. I'm sure if I asked him he would change them.  I am not complaining I just think other guests should be aware that if this is important to you mustn't be frightened to talk to your room steward.  

 

 

Again, just a few years ago it wouldn't even cross anyone's mind to defend oneself about such situation.  It's so dramatic how quickly the world has been changing back toward dark ages.

 

Nevertheless, Voyage, Voyage!!!

Edited June 9, 2023 by kirtihk

[cruiseny4life]

2 minutes ago, kirtihk said:

It's so funny (these days) reading apologies (like this one) from the opposite direction of service.  It's like to say "I have absolutely no problem with the overworked mechanics missing to replace oil in my car during the oil change service on one or two occasions".

This is so relevant to my life right now! The mechanic DID forget to change the oil in my car on Wednesday. It's the primary reason I took the car in. They did the "free" multi-point inspection. They didn't change the oil. Luckily I got there an hour before closing to pick up the car. I asked if they did the oil change, because there was no bill for it. Nope! They forgot it. Completely. 

 

And, after waiting for half an hour, the vehicle was fixed. Am I going to write a complaint? Nope. Because they resolved the issue. And, that's the difference. OP reported/attempted to report the problem immediately and did not receive a resolution. Hence, letting us all know so that (hopefully) advice could be given on how to have it resolved.

 

I'm happy to hear @SpainAlien is having a nice cruise now, with a clean'ish room, though no new towels would annoy me. And yes, I want my towels changed daily, because I take two to three showers a day on a cruise, therefore all the towels in the room are sopping wet. 

[kirtihk]

1 minute ago, cruiseny4life said:

This is so relevant to my life right now! The mechanic DID forget to change the oil in my car on Wednesday. It's the primary reason I took the car in. They did the "free" multi-point inspection. They didn't change the oil. Luckily I got there an hour before closing to pick up the car. I asked if they did the oil change, because there was no bill for it. Nope! They forgot it. Completely. 

 

And, after waiting for half an hour, the vehicle was fixed. Am I going to write a complaint? Nope. Because they resolved the issue. And, that's the difference. OP reported/attempted to report the problem immediately and did not receive a resolution. Hence, letting us all know so that (hopefully) advice could be given on how to have it resolved.

 

I'm happy to hear @SpainAlien is having a nice cruise now, with a clean'ish room, though no new towels would annoy me. And yes, I want my towels changed daily, because I take two to three showers a day on a cruise, therefore all the towels in the room are sopping wet. 

It's due to a fact I'm a mind reader!

 

Our mantra is not to complain no matter what (regardless of whether an issue is minor or bigger).  The state of mind is what matters!  Addressing the matter is not the same as to complaining.

[pete_coach]

48 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

.... And @pete_coach, you are mistaken in assuming that the Critic in Cruise Critic is all about complaining; it's not. Have you ever heard of a music critic, an art critic, a food critic? I'm sure you have. Their job isn't to carp, complain and criticize. It is to be discerning and analytical. THAT is what Cruise Critic means. It doesn't mean having a meltdown and then slamming anyone who points out logical inconsistencies and fallacies in your reasoning. ....

A critic is a critic, good, bad and indifferent is expected. If a critic always has good reports, they are not a critic, they are an advertiser.

Yes,, I have read bad and critical reviews and comments of music, art, food and restaurants by critics. That is the job of the critic. A critic is "a person who expresses an unfavorable opinion of something." and also "a person who judges the merits of literary, artistic, or musical works, especially one who does so professionally." So, Cruise Critic can be both and, in the years I have been here, it is. I take both with the same grain of salt.

I am unsure who was "slamming anyone who points out logical inconsistencies and fallacies".

Edited June 9, 2023 by pete_coach

[insidecabin]

25 minutes ago, SpainAlien said:

How long would you suggest that you should give the crew to rectify the issue? I left it until after I got back from the following day's excursion and tried to get hold of the steward before going to guest services.  I simply wanted my room to be clean at the start of my cruise, I don't think that was unreasonable. 

 

I would also say that at no point did I say or imply that the sheets had not been changed. The sheets and towels were fresh.  Similarly though it was more than half a bottle of water in the fridge, the bathroom had not been cleaned. If it were only the water in the fridge and the daily planners from the last cruise I wouldn't have cared.  

 

Incidentally, my room steward is lovely but obviously over worked, he has only managed to get back to my room twice in the last 4 days and then just straightened the top sheets. I have the same sheets and towels 7 days after boarding but I don't care. I'm sure if I asked him he would change them.  I am not complaining I just think other guests should be aware that if this is important to you mustn't be frightened to talk to your room steward.  

 

 

You were 2hrs late(5pm) getting your cabin and it was not ready steward did answer should have called housekeeping/reception that evening before going to dinner.

 

Waiting till next day afternoon was way too long that was 24hrs after the cabin should have been ready.

 

You are putting the damp towels on the floor to get changed?

 

We always make one of our standard initial  requests double towels so we always have spares in case there are service delays or we have a lazy day.

 

 

 

[graphicguy]

I don't think anyone will hold it against another for critiquing any of the cruise lines here at CC.  

 

It's the constant whining about topics that affect few or even one person.  It's the whining about policies that affect a small minority of cruisers.  It's the whining about minor inconveniences.  Etc

 

This incessant whining, many times about minutia, becomes exhausting.

 

It seems some folks aren't satisfied unless they make themselves unhappy.

 

I dunno?  Maybe I spend too much time on these boards and have become hyper sensitive.  

 

I have never had a bad cruise.  Some, I like better than others.  And some, although I had a good time, I learned I would probably not repeat.  But, none of them would qualify as a bad cruise.

 

Even the one where we were hit by a huge gust of wind.  I was on this ship. 

It actually ended up being a really fun cruise that most passengers regaled each other with what they were doing at the time.  Some wanted to make it an "issue".  A few had some bruises.  I actually saw one couple on board throwing belongings around their cabin and out the cabin door into the hallway and filming the results, I'm guessing to get YouTube views or to get some sort of compensation from NCL.  

 

If you go into a cruise looking for bad, you'll find bad.  If you go into a cruise looking for good, you'll find good....everywhere.

 

Some people just want to complain, I suppose.

Edited June 9, 2023 by graphicguy

[insidecabin]

As I was told during one of our early NCL cruises by a senior in the hotel department

 

Pointing out failures are not complaints they are service improvement suggestions tell us what we can do better.

 

The people are just winging message does no one any favours mostly the cruise line they need to know what they can do better.

[LobsterStalker]

20 hours ago, graphicguy said:

That's probably a moot point.  Unless they knock on your cabin door, and you answer the door, they are going to go up and down the aisle cleaning the cabins in synch.  So, they won't make a schedule of when you're gone.  They'll just see if your cabin is empty and clean it when they come to it in their routine.  If you're in the cabin, they'll tack yours on to the end of their cleaning routine later in the day.

If you are implying that this is the way it has always been ... I disagree completely !

They are extremely good at learning and knowing peoples routines early in the cruise . I.E. (early/late riser , knowing guests dinner selection etc. ) There routines are far from random . 

This may be something that becomes a lot harder now with twice as many cabins , but over the years their job has not been performed as well as they do it without efficiency in their routines .

 

Cheers