How to address problem with cabin steward

NCL does read this forum. If you were more specific about the ship, the cruise, and the cabin (even if you just used another cabin# near yours which you know that he also cleaned), someone at NCL might take note and monitor this steward. Everyone here seems to think that NCL would be defensive. I think that they want to please their passengers, and would keep an eye on this particular steward to be sure that he's meeting their standards. You wouldn't have to identify yourself specifically.

This may be the best way to addresses your problem, while meeting your need of anonymity. However, you'll never have the satisfaction of knowing the outcome. That's the best you could hope for at this point.

ps: We've sailed NCL 7 times in the last 7 years, 5 times in suites. We stopped getting the NCL after-cruise email survey several years ago. It used to come within a few days after our cruise. We're not sure why they don't send it anymore, as they certainly know our email address. If you haven't recvd one yet, you probably won't.

We had a problem with a cabin steward on our Royal Caribbean cruise last year. We first met him when we opened our cabin door for the first time and he was laying on one of our beds talking on his cell phone, shoes on and all. He looked at us and held up his index finger indicating "1 minute", then 30 seconds later he got up, still talking on his cell phone and left our cabin. 1/2 hour later he came back, still on his phone holding the sheets for the pull out sofa for the 3rd passenger and told us to put them on the desk.

We immediately called guest services and complained he was replaced by his supervisor.

It is best to complain on board so it can be handled immediately.

I'm with you on this one. Anyone who has worked in hospitality knows better than to complain or send something back...just saying. Sure, it doesn't always happen, but, I'm not prepared to take the risk!

I would probably leave a note at the front desk before debarkation.

I agree with this (formerly being in the food industry) - you do not complain to any manager/supervisor. I personally would not want to use any toothbrush or any other item left out after complaining about a room steward.

The OP, if I am reading it correctly, did speak to the room steward and even proffered a tip. If this did not take care of it, then unless it is severely interfering with their cruise, there is not much more they can do.

Yes, you want to take care of issues immediately as they occur, but sometimes it is not worth it. If the steward is replaced, and the replacement know the person you ratted on, don't be surprised if they extract revenge on behalf of their friend (beware when their smile is even larger than usual).

You should have addressed the issue on board. Talk to the steward about your issues and if that doesn't fix things, talk to the housekeeping officers. It would have gotten fixed.

 

Basic common sense.

I would have gone directly to Hotel Director.

Mean? Talking down to poster? Rough? Maybe - or just a dose of harsh reality. One way conversations are often very difficult to "read" between the lines.

If (for ex.) someone asks a question and the first reply is "No." (3 characters is minimum response), the reply isn't rude. In a face-to-face conversation, the one word answer may seem rude but on a forum, it's just an answer to a question and not rude at all.

Just wanted to pop in here and encourage newer folks that might be following this thread to come to the Cruise Critic Meet & Greets while on board. One of the most valuable things is getting the "please contact us for anything while on board, where we can do something about it" spiel and contact info for all the department heads. We've used it a few times with a kind, prompt and efficient response.

You should have addressed the issue on board. Talk to the steward about your issues and if that doesn't fix things, talk to the housekeeping officers. It would have gotten fixed.

 

Basic common sense.

This.

We just completed our first cruise, on the Gem. We did not go aboard looking for things to be critical of...we were prepared to be very happy, and with most features of the cruise, we were. But our cabin steward was another thing.

 

We didn't expect perfection, and it wasn't horrible, but things like the bathroom sink being cleaned only once (we were shocked at how shiny it was on Friday, so it clearly was a first real cleaning.) and having to clean the toilet closet myself the first day to get rid of the smell of urine...then later finding some crud I don't want to describe on the toilet that was left by a dirty cleaning tool of some kind, probably...used glasses with the old water still in them with the paper caps put back on instead of replacing them with clean ones...a very dirty bath mat left in place of the cleaner used one...that sort of thing the whole week made it clear this steward was in the wrong job.

 

We wrote several "vacation hero" cards for others, but we find no way to address the poor work done by our cabin steward. We did not complain on board because, as a former restaurant worker and a current restaurant critic, I know service workers find ways to retaliate that you dont't even what to think about. We knew we were stuck with this guy, so we made the best of it.

 

But that doesn't mean he shouldn't be reassigned so someone else doesn't have to make the best of it after us. So how do we go about that? I find no survey online. There was none offered on board. This man needs to be reassigned to a job he can do well.

 

Any suggestions?

I didn't read all the responses by everyone in this thread. I read yours though. I have a couple of thoughts

1. complaining while on board only gets you screwed. we know how people can make food presentable but VERY gross. same thing applies here and I agree w/ your perspective. you know they can screw with you very badly despite the room looking spotless

2. use tips as a motivator. this is honestly the best and perhaps the only way to remedy it w/o them farting into your pillows and etc. ask them to do xyz and tell them you will give them an extra tip. they get money. you get what you want. the only crap part is that you have to pay extra for what should be included.

3. remove the required tipping/service charge. you can file to get a refund to get your tips/DSC back. after poor service like that, don't let others here shame you on what you should or shouldn't have done.

4. I agree that you should file a complaint. i doubt that person will get punished tbh.

5. you can always put the do not disturb sign. i did that when i was nervous that they were going to compromise my room. I just walked to the cart and got what i needed and dumped towels in their carts.

6. upgrading to the haven and getting nicer rooms usually fixes this issue. they judge you based on the room you stay in. stupid but that's how the world works. this is coming from an inside dweller.

7. this is the least successful strategy. you can befriend your steward and then suggest them to do xyz for you. i find this strategy to be so annoying b/c i don't want to spend my vacation kissing the butt of my steward just to get the service that i should be getting...esp when i am paying DSC/tips. i've seen people do it and it works. but it's very annoying.

lol I always lock my toothbrush in the safe

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We had a problem with a cabin steward on our Royal Caribbean cruise last year. We first met him when we opened our cabin door for the first time and he was laying on one of our beds talking on his cell phone, shoes on and all. He looked at us and held up his index finger indicating "1 minute", then 30 seconds later he got up, still talking on his cell phone and left our cabin. 1/2 hour later he came back, still on his phone holding the sheets for the pull out sofa for the 3rd passenger and told us to put them on the desk.

We immediately called guest services and complained he was replaced by his supervisor.

It is best to complain on board so it can be handled immediately.

Hopefully you also pulled out the cell phone and began a video recording and then informed Guest Services! What an arrogant *&@#!

Agreed.

 

 

 

There are a few naive posters here who don't understand what happens in the real world. A room steward who's at the end of a contract or just plain resentful and has access to your drinking glasses, toothbrushes etc. can do things to them you'll never know about. As anyone in law enforcement knows, when in uniform and visiting a restaurant it's always good to know the list of "do not eat at" restaurants. Reason: often a short order cook or wait staff has been previously arrested and might want to add some spit (or worse) to your drink or food. There are many instances where cooks have been caught on videotape inserting disgusting things onto people's food in retaliation for a perceived slight.

 

 

 

 

 

While it's unlikely the room steward would retaliate, it's certainly a valid concern and I understand why someone would hesitate reporting the room steward until the cruise is almost over and they're headed off the ship.

I do not agree. A simple polite conversation/request with the room steward would probably yield the best results. Politeness goes a long way. There have been many times we have made requests of the steward without even hesitation of "retaliation". But I also would have no problem reporting an issue to guest services. You can't go on with life thinking the worst of people.

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There is a difference between complaining and making a legitimate request in a non-confrontation manner.

 

There is no REQUIRED tipping other than on the dining and drink packages. Not relevant to your issue.

 

Who cares if someone is 'punished' ac long as the situation is resolved? Is your objective to get someone punished or to have things done correctly? Flies/honey/vinegar!

some people are just not rational people and cannot tell the difference between making a legitimate request in a non-confrontation manner and a crazy request. many of these stewards are slightly depressed and emotionally unstable.

you are not required to tip, but it is a fast way to get you the service that you want.

some people want others to be reprimanded/punished. idk who's on the other side of the laptop. merely just sharing in case it's what they are looking for.

some people are just not rational people and cannot tell the difference between making a legitimate request in a non-confrontation manner and a crazy request. many of these stewards are slightly depressed and emotionally unstable.

 

 

you are not required to tip, but it is a fast way to get you the service that you want.

 

 

some people want others to be reprimanded/punished. idk who's on the other side of the laptop. merely just sharing in case it's what they are looking for.

:eek: OK, I was wrong. You actually CAN be more insulting... :rolleyes:

:eek: OK, I was wrong. You actually CAN be more insulting... :rolleyes:

Nice try to troll me. But this cruise ship doctor references the minor depression (no full blown major depressive disorder/episode) in this youtube video.

Lability and depressed mood are real things to consider in your cruise ship workers. they are people too who have ups and downs.

Don't take it as an insult. Rather, just look at it from an epidemiological perspective.

[YOUTUBE]1AM4li_3cBc[/YOUTUBE]

some people are just not rational people and cannot tell the difference between making a legitimate request in a non-confrontation manner and a crazy request. many of these stewards are slightly depressed and emotionally unstable.

 

 

you are not required to tip, but it is a fast way to get you the service that you want.

 

 

some people want others to be reprimanded/punished. idk who's on the other side of the laptop. merely just sharing in case it's what they are looking for.

"many of these stewards are slightly depressed and emotionally unstable"

Wow, wow, wow ! Isn't that being extremely judgmental?

Totally unnecessary!

"many of these stewards are slightly depressed and emotionally unstable"

 

Wow, wow, wow ! Isn't that being extremely judgmental?

 

Totally unnecessary!

again, refer to my youtube video of a cruise ship doctor that treats this.

people's mood takes a dip when you are working long hours. not surprising.

My steward was terrible too on the Escape. I took pictures. He'd just leave the toilet paper roll instead of putting it on. Sheets were never, not one night, tucked in so I was making my own bed all week. He never even got to my room until mid afternoon. First world problems, I know. Anyway, upon some reflection, I realized he was just basically being abused by NCL. They need more staff. Every time I came across this poor guy in the halls, he was sweating up a storm and working furiously. It was pretty clear he had wayyyy too many cabins to clean.

Agree

Disagree - Some perhaps but then again so are SOME passengers

Agree

Agree

As you can see from the video, the doctor says he has multiple patients go see him on weekly basis. He says it's not true DSM5 MDD/MDE. Just depressed mood. And it wouldn't surprise me if these cruise lines keep the true reported numbers private/unpublished so that they get known as the depressed ship.

All these comments can be directly addressed if you just watched the video. You are arguing w/ a cruise ship doctor who actively patients these symptoms.

"many of these stewards are slightly depressed and emotionally unstable"

 

Wow, wow, wow ! Isn't that being extremely judgmental?

 

Totally unnecessary!

just look at it this way: some people like to play make believe psychologist. I look at it this way, if a cabin steward doesn't do his or her job someone should be told. End of story and their mental condition has little to do with it. Maybe we need to ask our steward when we meet them if they have any problems we need to know about.:eek: Only kidding of course. and for those who keep saying, Watch the video, anyone can do anything with a video they want. I rarely trust of beleive any of them. Usually they have an agenda to push.

My steward was terrible too on the Escape. I took pictures. He'd just leave the toilet paper roll instead of putting it on. Sheets were never, not one night, tucked in so I was making my own bed all week. He never even got to my room until mid afternoon. First world problems, I know. Anyway, upon some reflection, I realized he was just basically being abused by NCL. They need more staff. Every time I came across this poor guy in the halls, he was sweating up a storm and working furiously. It was pretty clear he had wayyyy too many cabins to clean.

I have been on close to 40 cruises, 20 onNCL. Yes, the stewards work very hard, most are pleasant and helpful, and yes, maybe they should have more help, but I have yet to see one, in the hallway sweating or had our cabin cleaned later than, maybe noon. the only exception might be the days we are in port and don't even get off the ship until late morning. Maybe we have just been lucky.

for those who keep saying, Watch the video, anyone can do anything with a video they want. I rarely trust of beleive any of them. Usually they have an agenda to push.

To quote Abraham Lincoln, "It must be true if it's on the internet."

All the main lines are increasing cabin loads on stewards or have done so in the past couple of years in the name of keeping our cruise fares low and still making money. Also, given on some of the larger ships there may be 200-300 stewards or more? Simple law of averages says that there will be a bad one from time to time, either through workload, physical stress or just bad attitude.

The important thing is that to minimize this, the shipboard staff needs to know in a timely manner. That's the point a lot of people are trying to make here, reporting it after the fact, with the time delay and additional layers of people and offices, the impact is blunted if not eliminated.

If you prefer to be non-confrontational (and I completely understand why people would!) there are ways (like what I mentioned above) to let the appropriate people know in time to do something on a practical basis without exposing yourself to the risk of retaliation (this risk of this varies as to the reason, but if a steward is coming off a contract, hates their job and never plans on coming back? It's a real risk and you won't know which cause applies - one reason I always ask my steward how long they have been doing this when we meet them - first contract can be a red flag).

It's worth noting that this approach holds true for most customer service interactions AND holds true for the reverse too (exceptional service). It's always best to note the issue, positive or negative, as close to when the service is performed whenever possible.

In the issues the OP cited, by the way, the issue was more than just the steward. For all of that to be ongoing, either the steward did not have a supervisor or that supervisor was not doing their job properly. (Not every cabin is reinspected every day, so things can definitely slip by, but subsequent errors should be caught).

Side note to the above. If you do report an issue, the housekeeping director should be asking the supervisor to check the room first and the supervisor SHOULD tell the steward they found the issues, not that there was a complaint. Now of course, you cannot guarantee this either, there are also bad supervisors.

just look at it this way: some people like to play make believe psychologist. I look at it this way, if a cabin steward doesn't do his or her job someone should be told. End of story and their mental condition has little to do with it. Maybe we need to ask our steward when we meet them if they have any problems we need to know about.:eek: Only kidding of course. and for those who keep saying, Watch the video, anyone can do anything with a video they want. I rarely trust of beleive any of them. Usually they have an agenda to push.

"play make believe psychologist" lol, you are too.

as with the video, he is literally a doctor. Still more of a reliable source than anyone on this thread. Feel free to post another more credible resource.

to quote abraham lincoln, "it must be true if it's on the internet."

😂😂😂

To quote Abraham Lincoln, "It must be true if it's on the internet."

Some people have a hard time distinguishing between opinions and facts.

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