HAL stewards cleaning rooms for boarding pax before current pax's have left the room

[cruisesR4me]

After reading the threads the past couple of days, I have to say I am more then a little freaked out. I really thought that the cabins are cleaned and beds changed after the room has been vacated. That seems to be the right thing to do and the most sanitary. I admit I am a germaphobe, but the thought that my "cleaned room" has been occupied for a few hours by the last occupants just gives me the creeps. It almost makes me not want to cruise, I am just so grossed out about this. I know the stewards have alot to do on embarkation day but maybe they should be given extra help that day so the rooms are freshly made up after the former occupants are gone for good!!

[Krazy Kruizers]

For years the bed was always made up while we were having breakfast -- this is nothing new.

We always have everything packed and in our carry-ons sitting by the sofa while we go to eat.

When we return to the cabin we are still able to use the bathroom as it has not been cleaned. And we can sit on the sofa/chairs until it is time for us to disembark.

Around October/November 2008 HAL switched to 2 stewards per cabin -- but the catch was -- they had many more cabins to prep before the new passengers embark -- as many as 30 - 36 cabins.

They need to at least get the beds ready as soon as possible to cut back on what they have to get done.

On our recent back-to-back cruises on the Zuiderdam the crew had to go through a coast guard drill on our intransit day. They were tied up for a couple of hours -- had to really work hard and fast to get the cabins ready for everyone by 1:45.

[jtl513]

I remember once that we were sitting on our balcony waiting for our color to be called and our steward asked if he could change the bed. We said "sure". I don't recall if he cleaned the bathroom or anything else, though. If he had done the bath, and we used it again before you as the next passengers arrived ... well, is that any different from using any public bathroom anywhere?

Around October/November 2008 HAL switched to 2 stewards per cabin -- but the catch was -- they had many more cabins to prep before the new passengers embark -- as many as 30 - 36 cabins.

They need to at least get the beds ready as soon as possible to cut back on what they have to get done.But the time required per cabin, with two working, should be about half as long. Same total time required as before. 15 times 20 minutes = 30 times 10 minutes.

[Kluge]

On our cruise earlier this month, we had the last departure slot, so we were hanging out until 9:30. When we got to the gangway I realized that I had forgotten our customs form, and ran back to get it. Still there. I assume they did our room last - I could see that they were leapfrogging - working on vacated rooms while skipping the rooms with the late-leavers. I didn't see any rooms being made up with the occupants still hanging around - in fact, we went around looking at different staterooms to get an idea of their layouts that last morning during disembarcation. I doubt that its much of a problem.

[Randyk47]

After reading the threads the past couple of days, I have to say I am more then a little freaked out. I really thought that the cabins are cleaned and beds changed after the room has been vacated. That seems to be the right thing to do and the most sanitary. I admit I am a germaphobe, but the thought that my "cleaned room" has been occupied for a few hours by the last occupants just gives me the creeps. It almost makes me not want to cruise, I am just so grossed out about this. I know the stewards have alot to do on embarkation day but maybe they should be given extra help that day so the rooms are freshly made up after the former occupants are gone for good!!

Actually I don't think I've ever gotten off a cruise without the steward starting the process of changing the room over. However, having said that it has only been the bed that they've changed. I've never seen them try to clean the bathroom or even dust before we left. Personally I'd have no concerns about the cabin being completed cleaned.

[SwissMyst]

After reading the threads the past couple of days, I have to say I am more then a little freaked out. I really thought that the cabins are cleaned and beds changed after the room has been vacated. That seems to be the right thing to do and the most sanitary. I admit I am a germaphobe, but the thought that my "cleaned room" has been occupied for a few hours by the last occupants just gives me the creeps. It almost makes me not want to cruise, I am just so grossed out about this. I know the stewards have alot to do on embarkation day but maybe they should be given extra help that day so the rooms are freshly made up after the former occupants are gone for good!!

If you are such a germaphobe, I can't see how you can reconcile traveling is such close quarters as a ship, any ship, with so many shared facilities. Brava to you for trying. Don't forget what you don't know apparently won't hurt you because you have no idea what other lines also do. "Shared" germs probably keep us far healthier than cleanliness.

Doubt if any pathogens are lurking just from people sitting in a room prior to your use any more than someone also sat in your chair in the dining room or swam in the same pool or touched the same door handle. Germs are not all bad.

Plus cruise lines are the ones freaked by the bad germs and do everything in their power to stop transmissions that are unhealthy for their passengers, their crew and their bottomline. Our obsession with "cleanliness" as well as misuse of antibiotics has created this new nightmare. We need to love a little more grit in our lives and everyone will be healthier and happier. Just a thought.

[room010]

If you took a so-called "blue light" into any cabin, hotel room, hospital (!), public building or even your own home you'd be shocked and amazed at the germs and DNA spread over every surface - even the ceiling! Apparently the very worst item is the TV remote control unit :eek:.

[scubadawg]

When I started cruising in 1988 stewards had 7 or 8 cabins, this went up over the years, to 10, then 13, then 16 and last year he had 18! Now, apparently its 36 with an asst. Im amazed they are able to get it done at all, and have no problem with them making up the beds etc.

[WhansaMi]

I recall reading a story in Ann Landers, or Dear Abby. It went something like this:

A newly wed couple was looking to buy furniture for their house. They purchased a lot second hand, including a bed. A worldly, well-travelled aunt was horrified -- "How can you sleep on a secondhand bed??? What germs must it have!" -- until someone asked her if she thought they brought in new beds in the hotels she stayed at, each time she visited.

People get caught up in such silly things.

You are much more likely to encounter germs by going about the ship, than because your cabin's previous occupants stood in the room while your bed was being made.

[uppitycats]

I don't worry about cleanliness of my cabin. I read all these threads about people bringing sanitizers and washing the toilet before they use it, and dusting and all.... heck, most of the time..ALL of the time..the cabin is at least as clean as my own house...and not full of cat fur! :o

If the steward wants to come in and make the bed before I'm fully out of the cabin on the last morning, so be it. We have to leave anyway. Generally if we're in the cabin when he arrives, we quickly gather up the last of our stuff and vacate it, letting him get it ready for the next tenant.

[m steve]

we sat on our balcony while they got the room ready for next cruise. It was better than being ina cramped public area waiting for your color to be called. In fact i think they had silent disembark so you left your cabin when it was the posted time to get off the ship. We were one of the last off as we had our own transportation and there were very few bags left so it was easy. A plus is that the customs people rushed us thru w/o asking any questions as they were ready to leave.

[hammybee]

The luxury cruise lines do not have these sort of issues.

Embarking passengers are not able to board prior to 3:00 ish, with the exception that X number may pay more to embark earlier and have lunch.

[NMLady]

The luxury cruise lines do not have these sort of issues.

Embarking passengers are not able to board prior to 3:00 ish, with the exception that X number may pay more to embark earlier and have lunch.

I would think that Regent would be considered a luxury line and we were aboard by 11:30am on Radisson's (now the Regent line) Diamond. We did not pay more to embark earlier. Anyone who was arriving at the dock in Civitavecchia at that time simply left their luggage by the gangplank for the stewards to load and went aboard for check-in. That was in 2005. Maybe it is different now??

Our cabins were ready by 1:30pm after our leisurely lunch. But the Diamond (no longer in use by Radisson/Regent) was a small ship, a
twin-hulled catamaran with about 237 passengers if I remember correctly.
Maybe that made the difference.

[Mollynme]

I don't worry about cleanliness of my cabin. I read all these threads about people bringing sanitizers and washing the toilet before they use it, and dusting and all.... heck, most of the time..ALL of the time..the cabin is at least as clean as my own house...and not full of cat fur! :o
I didn't worry either, until a cruise on the Westerdam when I saw evidence that someone had been shaving in the bathroom after it was supposedly cleaned. (There were lots of little black hairs on the toilet seat and in the sink.) It made me wonder what else had been used after the cleaning. Now I just take a little packet of Clorox towelettes with me, so that I know that at least the toilet seat is clean!

[twinkletoes4445]

Who always dresses for dinner and does not notice what you are wearing, unless there is a pineapple on your head.

LOL That's a good one! :)

[Hutch&Pat]

Yesterday in Rio, the Brazilian Health Department claimed that they needed to board and review each passenger's health forms before allowing their immigration people to board and scan our passports. Veendam arrived at 4 AM so that our tours and flights home would not be delayed but our group number 3 wasn't called to go pick up our passports until around noon. We voluntarily left our cabin by 9 AM because so many folks were not and we knew it was a difficult day for the stewards. Sitting around chatting many folks had already missed their flights. One girl I spoke to was in group number 17 to get off. We never got the full day tour but were taken to a hospitality room at a hotel not near the ship or airport and then transferred to the airport two hours later. Rough day for everyone ..... there were lines to get on the ship when we left with still about 800 passengers waiting for clearance to leave. The poor tour bus drivers and guides had been waiting for us since 7 AM.
I understand the the Rio to Santiago run will end in Buenos Aires next year ...... for good reason! They were quick to let us out to spend money in their cities and towns!
Pat

[momofmeg]

I am not so sure that on other lines this does not happen. In "cruise rituals" in the thread asking if anyone had found things left behind in their staterooms, a person posted he found a dirty used condom between the bed and headboard/wall on his Princess cruise. He insisted that the steward change all sheets and bedding. He seemed to believe that the previous occupants had had one last tete'a'tete before vacating the room. Obviously the steward had changed sheets while they had been to breakfast, and they returned to the room-or else the steward had not changed the sheets at all.

[cruisesR4me]

Oh my, YUK !!!!!!

[hammybee]

I would think that Regent would be considered a luxury line and we were aboard by 11:30am on Radisson's (now the Regent line) Diamond. We did not pay more to embark earlier.

I was referring to Silver Sea, Seabourn and Crystal. The docs for Crystal read 3:00 but they do allow an earlier boarding, for a light lunch.

[momofmeg]

Oh my, YUK !!!!!!

I agree-and I really don't think it was the steward's fault-even though this person said they would never cruise Princess again. I do believe,even if he only made the bed back up and had not changed the sheets, he would have found that. My guess is they had their pleasure on top of the made bed and this was flung when they finished, and-simply-the poor steward did not notice it because of WHERE it was flung.

[booboo29]

Just got off the Zaandam yesterday and in the dimembarkation paperwork, it asked for passengers to vacate their rooms by 8am. Also, during the announcement that they were ready to begin the disembarkation process, passengers were again reminded to vacate their cabins and head for a public spot. If folks comply, the cabin stewards will have a better shot at thoroughly cleaning the cabins before the 1:30pm (or so) for new passengers arrival.

[momofmeg]

Just got off the Zaandam yesterday and in the dimembarkation paperwork, it asked for passengers to vacate their rooms by 8am. Also, during the announcement that they were ready to begin the disembarkation process, passengers were again reminded to vacate their cabins and head for a public spot. If folks comply, the cabin stewards will have a better shot at thoroughly cleaning the cabins before the 1:30pm (or so) for new passengers arrival.

You know, I am glad they have gone back to this. Those poor stewards deserve this.

[m steve]

while the steward remade the room than sit in a lounge or casino awaiting my time to depart the ship.