How many cabins does 1 attendent look after?

They seem to be really busy. Busier than I remember 10 years ago.

Our last cruise [Dec 2014] our Steward and his assistant had 20, or so they said.

Yes and I was told 24. So a LOT.

Yes and I was told 24. So a LOT.

Not really that many when you consider how many a maid looks after in a hotel, the big difference is that t6he Steward does your room twice a day.

Depends on the category

But twenty not uncommon

I have become a fan of Hotel Impossible lately and on that show he states a room maid should be allotted half an hour to clean a room properly and in a hotel they are not assigned anywhere close to 20 rooms. They deep clean empty rooms when they have finished their daily allotment of rooms.

The square footage of a cabin is about the same of most Hotel rooms.

I assume the second cleaning takes less time then the morning cleaning but these staff members would need to hustle to clean 24 rooms plus fill ice buckets at specified times and other chores.

It would appear the cruise lines have raised the number of rooms stewards are responsible for as they certainly have dropped the number of staff and have added more cabins during dry docks.

We always give a $20.00 tip on the 1st day upon introduction and if service has been exemplary an additional tip when leaving.

How much does the room steward receive from the daily tip charge we pay?

We have never had a cabin steward who has disappointed and we felt not deserving of their tips and on a few sketchy cruises that we have done it has been the cabin staff that have saved our cruise.

Don't forget that the cruise lines clean in teams of two. Most hotel maids work alone.

When I first starting sailing Celebrity in 1995, they had half that much. About ten per steward and assistant as I remember it. Times change. So does the quest for profit.

I'm a former manager for Marriott. I've cleaned hundreds if not thousands of hotel rooms myself, and inspected thousands of them.

Housekeepers were assigned between 16 and 21 rooms to clean per day, in a land based hotel. Typically about 30 minutes is assigned per room to clean. The difference in number of rooms comes up when a housekeeper may have all stayovers, then they can handle a few extra rooms, of if they have a large suite or 2 on the list, they need to lose a couple rooms. Standard was 18 rooms on an 8 hour shift.

Housekeepers did not get assistants, though they did have a porter to pickup dirty laundry and garbage, and redeliver clean linens thru their shift. A big difference on a ship versus land hotel, is the cabin is smaller (Marriott Hotel city center hotel, has standard guest room of 234 sq ft, standard Ocean View cabin is 175 sq. ft) than normal hotel, and check out only happens once every 7 days, which is the cleaning that requires the most effort.

We tried allowing staff to "tag team" and work as a team, however productivity went down enough to determine that it didn't make sense to continue the practice.

A "stayover" cabin with does not get sheets changed, can be properly serviced in less than 10 minutes. If it's sheet change day, add another 3 or 4 minutes.

So while Ship stewards do 2 a day cabin cleanings they are doing about half the effort of a land-based hotel in each cabin serviced, but for turn-around day.

When I first starting sailing Celebrity in 1995, they had half that much. About ten per steward and assistant as I remember it. Times change. So does the quest for profit.

and thethe rise in wages, and other expenses, at a time when most consumers prefer a bargain priced fare than one whose fares have increased dollar-for-dollar to cover such rising costs.

How much does the room steward receive from the daily tip charge we pay?

The breakdown of the Automatic Daily Gratuity is as follows:

• Waiter - $3.65 pp/per day
  
• Ass't. Waiter - $2.10 pp/per day
  
• DR Mgm't. - $1.00 pp/per day
  
• Stateroom Service - Amount varies based on cabin category occupied:
  
  • Suite Butler $3.50 pp/per day (cabin steward ALSO gets $3.50)
    
  • Aqua Cabin Steward - $4.00 pp/per day
    
  • Concierge Class Cabin Steward - $4.00 pp/per day
    
  • Regular Stateroom Cabin Steward - $3.50 pp/per day.
    

  [*]Other service personnel: $1.25 pp/per day

Cabin steward gets $3.50 per person per day from the allocated tips.

One post says they clean 24 cabins in a day.

24 x $3.50 x 7 day cruise x 2 people in cabin = $1176 per week in gratuities, annualizes to $61,152 should they employee choose to work a full year and renew contracts with no breaks.

The breakdown of the Automatic Daily Gratuity is as follows:

• Waiter - $3.65 pp/per day
  
• Ass't. Waiter - $2.10 pp/per day
  
• DR Mgm't. - $1.00 pp/per day
  
• Stateroom Service - Amount varies based on cabin category occupied:
  
  • Suite Butler $3.50 pp/per day (cabin steward ALSO gets $3.50)
    
  • Aqua Cabin Steward - $4.00 pp/per day
    
  • Concierge Class Cabin Steward - $4.00 pp/per day
    
  • Regular Stateroom Cabin Steward - $3.50 pp/per day.
    

  [*]Other service personnel: $1.25 pp/per day

 

 

Cabin steward gets $3.50 per person per day from the allocated tips.

 

One post says they clean 24 cabins in a day.

 

24 x $3.50 x 7 day cruise x 2 people in cabin = $1176 per week in gratuities, annualizes to $61,152 should they employee choose to work a full year and renew contracts with no breaks.

Cle-guy, the one omission in your calculation is that there are two cabin attendants sharing the $3.50 per day.... Assuming a 12 hour work day every day, that is $7.00 per hour they each earn......

Cle-guy, the one omission in your calculation is that there are two cabin attendants sharing the $3.50 per day.... Assuming a 12 hour work day every day, that is $7.00 per hour they each earn......

It's been my understanding the "$1.25 Other service personal" covers the assistant cabin stewards.

In calculating wages, factor in living expenses being paid, and the nominal fixed stipend paid as well.

And of course, stewards go off the clock for several hours mid afternoon, so don't work a continuous 12 hour shift.

Even if the $61,152 is split between 2 people, that is still a far better wage to earn as a housekeeper than working at a land-based hotel in the USA, which would generally fall out around $20 - 25k per year.

Way too many. When we started cruising, the comedians used to joke about the cabin stewards knowing when you left and would immediately clean the cabin. Now, you can leave, put one of those signs on your door to have the cabin service, come back hours later and your room will not be cleaned. I think that the cruise ships expanded the number of cabins each steward has so that they would receive more tips and therefore would be easier to retain with little extra money coming from the cruise line. I would rather have a little higher fare and cut down on the number of cabins that they are responsible for. That will never happen, because if the market allows them to increase the fare, the stewards won't get any extra.

When I worked in hotels we gave 30 minutes for a check out & 15 minutes for a overnight guest. So 24 rooms for two people is not out of line at all. 24 rooms at 20 minutes a room is an eight hour day for 1 person & two of them are sharing this job.

It's been my understanding the "$1.25 Other service personal" covers the assistant cabin stewards.

 

And it's my understanding that the cabin stewards need to tip out their assistants from what they receive. I always tip my cabin steward and assistant separately (in addition to the standard tips charged to my sea pass account). I believe "other service personnel" means back of the house people.

Way too many. When we started cruising, the comedians used to joke about the cabin stewards knowing when you left and would immediately clean the cabin. Now, you can leave, put one of those signs on your door to have the cabin service, come back hours later and your room will not be cleaned. I think that the cruise ships expanded the number of cabins each steward has so that they would receive more tips and therefore would be easier to retain with little extra money coming from the cruise line. I would rather have a little higher fare and cut down on the number of cabins that they are responsible for. That will never happen, because if the market allows them to increase the fare, the stewards won't get any extra.

I have never seen a "PLEASE SERVICE MY ROOM" sign on a Celebrity ship, only "DO NOT DISTURB". Perhaps this is why your room is not made up!

And it's my understanding that the cabin stewards need to tip out their assistants from what they receive. I always tip my cabin steward and assistant separately (in addition to the standard tips charged to my sea pass account). I believe "other service personnel" means back of the house people.

 

My understanding as well. However, often when we try to give additional tips to our assistant stateroom attendant at the end of a cruise, they [the assistant] insist that we do it via the stateroom attendant.

I'm not sure why everyone is so nosy about what other's make....if they don't like their salary or working conditions, they need not work there. They are not "slave labor", you know!

Cabin attendants get about 1/3 of the suggested tips....

My understanding as well. However, often when we try to give additional tips to our assistant stateroom attendant at the end of a cruise, they [the assistant] insist that we do it via the stateroom attendant.

It's been my understanding the "$1.25 Other service personal" covers the assistant cabin stewards.

 

In calculating wages, factor in living expenses being paid, and the nominal fixed stipend paid as well.

 

And of course, stewards go off the clock for several hours mid afternoon, so don't work a continuous 12 hour shift.

 

Even if the $61,152 is split between 2 people, that is still a far better wage to earn as a housekeeper than working at a land-based hotel in the USA, which would generally fall out around $20 - 25k per year.

Cle-Guy, while this may seem like higher pay on the surface, most land based housekeepers work 40 hours and have 2 days off each week. Cabin Attendants work 7 days a week for months at a time, all while working multiple shifts in a day, which easily add up to 10+ hours. Probably even more on Embarkation day.

In many large hotels in the country, these hours/shifts would warrant over-time and double-time. Not to mention paid vacation and sick time.

I honestly don't have a clue what the yearly income of a cabin steward is, so I'm not going to make a statement as to whether they are paid enough or not. Just wanted to throw that other perspective in there.

Cle-Guy, while this may seem like higher pay on the surface, most land based housekeepers work 40 hours and have 2 days off each week. Cabin Attendants work 7 days a week for months at a time, all while working multiple shifts in a day, which easily add up to 10+ hours. Probably even more on Embarkation day.

 

In many large hotels in the country, these hours/shifts would warrant over-time and double-time. Not to mention paid vacation and sick time.

 

I honestly don't have a clue what the yearly income of a cabin steward is, so I'm not going to make a statement as to whether they are paid enough or not. Just wanted to throw that other perspective in there.

Just to put another perspective in here, most land based housekeepers working 40 hours plus a week in the US or Canada do not make a living wage.

Those on ships make many times more than even a nurse, teacher or skilled professional in the countries they come from, and dozens more than most back where they call home.

Just the facts.

On a recent AK Princess cruise our room steward had to service 20 cabins and never had an assistent except on embarkation day.

On X Millennium, a week later, our steward was in charge for 19 cabins together with assistent for entire cruise

I saw some information that on UK and US Cruise Ships, staff from the UK and the US are paid at least minimum wage, but staff from the Philippines and other poor countries are paid much less. They can of course do this because the ships are not registered in countries with minimum wage legislation.

Cle Guy,

Thanks for the earlier breakdown. We are in Aqua on the Silouhette next week and I was planning on tipping extra if the service is "good". I THINK the pre-paid tips in the 123-Go were valued at $161, which I assume only covers the Waiter, Asst. waiter, and Cabin attendant. (The math based on your numbers roughly ties out).

Question: Does this mean the ppd. gratuities does not include the assistant cabin attendant? I'm assuming the service will be good so I'd like to be appropriately generous without going overboard (so to speak).

Thanks,

Shane (also in CLE)