Single or double beds: How does steward know what to do?

[CoolChile]

Embarking on Zaandam this w/e and, as I'm not going with DH but with a grrrll-friend (we're good friends but not THAT good ;) ), I'm wondering how the steward would know whether to make up the cabin with 2 singles or one double bed? Does he or she just 'guess'? It would be a lot of extra work if even one or two in his line of cabins needed beds switched after the room's been made up for arriving guests.

How do I make sure we get 2 singles and not cause the steward extra work changing from a double to singles?

[airlink diva]

Embarking on Zaandam this w/e and, as I'm not going with DH but with a grrrll-friend (we're good friends but not THAT good ;) ), I'm wondering how the steward would know whether to make up the cabin with 2 singles or one double bed? Does he or she just 'guess'? It would be a lot of extra work if even one or two in his line of cabins needed beds switched after the room's been made up for arriving guests.

How do I make sure we get 2 singles and not cause the steward extra work changing from a double to singles?
When I shared a cabin with a friend on mine, they had the beds as two singles. I want to say that the stewards have a listing of the people in the cabin and if it's two females or two males, they would have the beds apart.
I know some ta will ask you if about how you want the beds and I guess they forward this to the ship.
Someone might know more than me on this, but I think that's the way they do it.

[JLC@SD]

Embarking on Zaandam this w/e and, as I'm not going with DH but with a grrrll-friend (we're good friends but not THAT good ;) ), I'm wondering how the steward would know whether to make up the cabin with 2 singles or one double bed? Does he or she just 'guess'? It would be a lot of extra work if even one or two in his line of cabins needed beds switched after the room's been made up for arriving guests.

How do I make sure we get 2 singles and not cause the steward extra work changing from a double to singles?

.....when you check in.....if it not made up in twin beds as you want......tell you steward and they will have it changed when they prepare the room that evening......

We want the double......and many times the room is made up in twins.......so we tell them about changing the beds along with when we want ice, two daily progams etc....

[brucory]

On 2 of our 3 cruises, the beds were wrong. We told the stewards what we wanted and they were changed within 15 minutes.

:D :D :D

[GeriatricNurse]

Embarking on Zaandam this w/e and, as I'm not going with DH but with a grrrll-friend (we're good friends but not THAT good ;) ), I'm wondering how the steward would know whether to make up the cabin with 2 singles or one double bed? Does he or she just 'guess'? It would be a lot of extra work if even one or two in his line of cabins needed beds switched after the room's been made up for arriving guests.

How do I make sure we get 2 singles and not cause the steward extra work changing from a double to singles?


From our cruising experience with HAL; always booked through a brick & mortar travel "consultant", one of the questions that we have always been asked by him/her during the booking process is how we, (DW & I), would like to have the bed(s) configured in our stateroom. The bed(s) in our stateroom have always been set up as to our original request.

[lka1012]

Even though I always put it in which way I want the beds, I've always had to have them changed, but it is no problem. I tell the steward to do it when he makes then up for the evening on the first night and it is done. So having them changed is very easy.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Whether we book through the cruise consultant on the ship or through our own TA, we have always been asked if we want twins or king.

[ladychar]

We were asked when we booked the cruise, but when we entered the stateroom-twin beds. It was a bit of a let down, but a call got it remedied quickly. Our poor dear steward was so apologetic-he said it was how it was listed. Told him no problem.
It was really the only minor glich in an otherwise perfect cruise (well, more sun would have been nice, but you have to take the weather as you find it!):)

[Krazy Kruizers]

We were asked when we booked the cruise, but when we entered the stateroom-twin beds. It was a bit of a let down, but a call got it remedied quickly. Our poor dear steward was so apologetic-he said it was how it was listed. Told him no problem.
It was really the only minor glich in an otherwise perfect cruise (well, more sun would have been nice, but you have to take the weather as you find it!):)

We have had that glich a couple of times as well.

We just tell our cabin steward that when he comes to prepare the beds that first night, he can change them to a king then.

[RustaRoo]

When booking, my travelling companion and I always request twin configuration on every cruise but they have never been set up that way when we arrive. Perhaps on Saturday when we got onboard the ms Statendam??:D

As others have mentioned, it's not an issue , as the steward always corrects the problem at his first opportunity.

[richwmn]

Just a guess, but I think the beds are most likely left the way the previous occupants had them. In a lot of cases, even if they are wrong the new occupant won't complain.

[jtl513]

In a lot of cases, even if they are wrong the new occupant won't complain.I wonder how many first-timers don't realize that they can be quickly changed? :D

[Sirwinston]

Funny story:
When we boarded one cruise with two of my better half's women friends ( cabin mates only, one is married) In their cabin the beds were together. in ours the beds were apart. Had we stayed in that cabin I would have had them put together (we upgraded). We are a gay male couple. The four of us had a good laugh about that one.

Tom in Long Beach

[CoolChile]

Great replies, all of you. My point was more that I want to help the cabin steward avoid having to do the extra work of changing the configuration of the beds. We all know they have plenty to do and even though it "just takes a minute," it IS extra time for them. Maybe it doesn't matter to those above the steward, who don't actually have to do the changing.

Anyway, this helps. My friend and I will STAY friends as long as we have the twins. ;)

[cf_chuck]

Great replies, all of you. My point was more that I want to help the cabin steward avoid having to do the extra work of changing the configuration of the beds. We all know they have plenty to do and even though it "just takes a minute," it IS extra time for them. Maybe it doesn't matter to those above the steward, who don't actually have to do the changing.

Anyway, this helps. My friend and I will STAY friends as long as we have the twins. ;)

It's just a matter of when the time is spent and whether any misconfiguration causes you heartburn. The stewards have more than enough to do turning around for the next cruise, so changing configurations during that period or after you've boarded really doesn't save them much of anything. If you're willing to wait until after the bags are loaded and delivered and they have a chance to catch their breath, they might be appreciative.

[cf_chuck]

In a lot of cases, even if they are wrong the new occupant won't complain.

Complain, no. Request a change, absolutely.

[kayden]

On my first cruise with my mom in July we had the 1 bed setup. I had read ahead of time on CC about how the beds could be moved etc, but when we showed up it was the one bed and I was disappointed. I figured that we would have had 2 beds - we are both grown women!

Anyways for the first few days I didn't understand (although knowning full well from here) how the beds could be moved! Then I peeked across the hall and noticed 2 beds in there so I asked the room steward to have them changed. It was done promptly.

Now, as for my cruise on Saturday, if I find the opposite (as I am traveling solo) where I see 2 beds, one of the very first things I will ask is to have them put together - I want one large bed all to myself, thank you very much! :p

[CoolChile]

It's just a matter of when the time is spent and whether any misconfiguration causes you heartburn. The stewards have more than enough to do turning around for the next cruise, so changing configurations during that period or after you've boarded really doesn't save them much of anything. If you're willing to wait until after the bags are loaded and delivered and they have a chance to catch their breath, they might be appreciative.

Absolutley no heartburn on my part, cf_chuck. I would never ask that they do the switch when they're busy with the herds embarking. Hope my point of not causing them extra work isn't being missed here, because whether they do it then or later, in my book, it's still work. :cool:

[cf_chuck]

Hope my point of not causing them extra work isn't being missed here, because whether they do it then or later, in my book, it's still work. :cool:

Nope, the point isn't missed, but it's not "extra" work. If the cabin isn't configured properly, then "work" has to be done to get it configured properly. There's no way that I can think of, short of having fixed configurations, that the "work" can be avoided, so it's just a question of when, unless you are willing to live with whatever configuration you happen to find. If you want a king, and the previous occupants went twin, someone has to make the change at some point, and the one responsible for the change is the cabin steward - there's not a crew that goes through and makes the cabin changes as required.

[richwmn]

Absolutley no heartburn on my part, cf_chuck. I would never ask that they do the switch when they're busy with the herds embarking. Hope my point of not causing them extra work isn't being missed here, because whether they do it then or later, in my book, it's still work. :cool:

Actually, it's less work to do it during turnaround. In order to change they have to strip the bed(s), move them apart or together, then remake them. During turnaround they do the first and last step anyway. So if they are left alone during turnaround they have to strip and make the bed(s) again.

Rich

[Juanita462]

We have hardly ever had the beds the way we requested. Finally I asked a steward why not and he said that if it was a married couple on the list they made up the large bed, two different names - two twins.
We still ask for what we want but fully expect to have to request a change.

[Boytjie]

We have hardly ever had the beds the way we requested. Finally I asked a steward why not and he said that if it was a married couple on the list they made up the large bed, two different names - two twins.
We still ask for what we want but fully expect to have to request a change.

How confused must they be when they are working a gay charter! :D Our beds have always been made up as a king... or is it queen? ;)

[Taxguy7]

How confused must they be when they are working a gay charter! :D Our beds have always been made up as a king... or is it queen? ;)
It's a queen, no pun intended. If it's not as we like it, I wait until the second day and request a change before the room is made up. Cuts down the worktime on turnaround day, and not a huge deal for us.

[TravellersTwo]

We've learned that the bed configuation is a crap shoot and even the best intentions of the staff sometimes go wrong.

After reading Sirwinston's "funny story" we couldn't resist one of our own.

We are also a gay couple and have learned after 33+ years of travelling together to be surprised by nothing.

A case in point. A few years ago we boarded the ship, arrived at our suite and found the beds were together. This was perfect, just what we requested. We left our carry ons in the suite and went to get a bite of lunch before sailing. On the way out the dor we passed the Steward and exchanged greetings. Nothing was said about the bed configuation. Of course there didn't need to be.

When we returned, we found the bed had been changed to a twin configuration. No problem. Could have work but we also knew all we had to do was ask and it could be changed back to our request. It was not a issue.

We left the suite again for sailaway. When we returned the bed had transformed back into a single bed.

Throughout the cruise nothing was discussed between us and the Steward about the "magically changing bed". We kind of thought the Steward read the card on the roses that were delivered to the Suite that said "Happy 30th Anniversary".

[brucory]

We've learned that the bed configuation is a crap shoot and even the best intentions of the staff sometimes go wrong.

After reading Sirwinston's "funny story" we couldn't resist one of our own.

We are also a gay couple and have learned after 33+ years of travelling together to be surprised by nothing.

A case in point. A few years ago we boarded the ship, arrived at our suite and found the beds were together. This was perfect, just what we requested. We left our carry ons in the suite and went to get a bite of lunch before sailing. On the way out the dor we passed the Steward and exchanged greetings. Nothing was said about the bed configuation. Of course there didn't need to be.

When we returned, we found the bed had been changed to a twin configuration. No problem. Could have work but we also knew all we had to do was ask and it could be changed back to our request. It was not a issue.

We left the suite again for sailaway. When we returned the bed had transformed back into a single bed.

Throughout the cruise nothing was discussed between us and the Steward about the "magically changing bed". We kind of thought the Steward read the card on the roses that were delivered to the Suite that said "Happy 30th Anniversary".

I wonder if the steward was giggling too... They must have seen everything... Imagine the books they could write.... :D :D :D

[WeLoveCruising]

We have hardly ever had the beds the way we requested. Finally I asked a steward why not and he said that if it was a married couple on the list they made up the large bed, two different names - two twins.
We still ask for what we want but fully expect to have to request a change.


They must look at names, but not have dates of birth. Every time I travel with my son without my husband, my son and I get the king bed :) . He laughs and tells me he'll need years of therapy.

But its really no problem, the stewards change them over very quickly.

[babyher]

Before DW and I were married we went on a cruise with two other couples.( Both married) We had three cabins in a row with the same steward .

When we all got to our cabins the other two couples had their beds together , ours was not.

Not a big deal , we just asked the steward and he put them together that night when he did the night turn down.

We all assumed that because the other 2 cabins were under "Mr. & Mrs." and ours was "Mr. So and So" and "Miss So and So" he did it that way. Again not a big deal.

Either that or DW's mother was our cabin steward. *LOL* :)

[WeLoveCruising]

We went on a cruise with my husbands parents a few years ago, and their cabin was across from ours. Our beds were together, but for some reason theirs werent. It was their first cruise, and I wanted everything to be perfect, so I asked the cabin steward to put theirs together when he had the chance. My wildly inappropriate MIL said "Ah, dont bother, it's been years!", :eek: :eek: then proceeded to tell the poor guy about my FIL's health issues.

Thank god my husband doesnt read these boards

[Cruising-along]

We went on a cruise with my husbands parents a few years ago, and their cabin was across from ours. Our beds were together, but for some reason theirs werent. It was their first cruise, and I wanted everything to be perfect, so I asked the cabin steward to put theirs together when he had the chance. My wildly inappropriate MIL said "Ah, dont bother, it's been years!", :eek: :eek: then proceeded to tell the poor guy about my FIL's health issues.

Thank god my husband doesnt read these boards


LOL!!! TMI? Yes, I'm sure the cabin stewards have heard and seen everything!

[RevNeal]

I'm curious to see how they configure the beds for my mother and I next May. :D The TA has noted that we want twin beds, not a queen, but if they don't pay attention to that notation they'll probably put them together. And, I'll have two opportunities on two different ships to see how they handle it: aboard the Ryndam and then Amsterdam. ;) This should be fun.