The Stewards Need Some Help

[kazu]

On one of our more recent HAL cruises, Maasdam or Veendam, we were told that the wine stewards were going away. So, it sounds partially correct. So, the dining room steward takes the cocktail type of drink order, and the wine steward takes wine orders. Correct??

 

Okay, so if you have a bottle of wine left over from a previous night, who is responsible for getting it to the table and doing glass refills. Just curious as we do open seating dining and are cruising next week on the Maasdam.

 

 

The wine steward takes care of the bottles of wine (including the left overs) and the glass refills. Just got off the Maasdam last month and that was the way it went;)

[GeriatricNurse]

We always keep our cabin neat -- just like our home.

Everything is put away.

 

We have also walked by cabins that were very messy and wonder what their homes look like.

 

Me too! :) I do just about everything, except making the bed & vacuuming! I even wipe the water off of the counter/mirror in the bathroom & fill my own ice bucket, twice a day to help out the steward(s)! ;)

[cruz chic]

fill my own ice bucket, twice a day to help out the steward(s)! ;)

How do you do that:confused:.

[Boytjie]

... & fill my own ice bucket, twice a day to help out the steward(s)! ;)

 

Why are you going into a service area where you are not supposed to be on?!

[sail7seas]

On one of our more recent HAL cruises, Maasdam or Veendam, we were told that the wine stewards were going away. So, it sounds partially correct. So, the dining room steward takes the cocktail type of drink order, and the wine steward takes wine orders. Correct??

 

Okay, so if you have a bottle of wine left over from a previous night, who is responsible for getting it to the table and doing glass refills. Just curious as we do open seating dining and are cruising next week on the Maasdam.

 

 

The wine steward takes care of the bottles of wine (including the left overs) and the glass refills. Just got off the Maasdam last month and that was the way it went;)

 

That's right. :)

 

We just left Maasdam and this is how beverage service in the dining room now works, or doesn't work, depending. :)

 

Wine steward(ess) takes orders for bottles of wine and serves it including returning to refilll glasses throughout dinner. Wine steward also will reserve any wine left and bring it to your table the next night and, again, will serve it.

 

All other beverages are now ordered by the dining steward and served by them. Soft drinks, iced tea, and wine by the glass is served by dining staff. I am not sure about cocktails ordered in the dining room. I think those are handled by wine steward but am not absolutely sure as this is a brand new program.

 

[bepsf]

Why are you going into a service area where you are not supposed to be on?!

 

I do it - it's just as easy to get extra ice and a couple of glasses myself...

 

...tho one time I about gave the guys a heart-attack when I came in from the port side as they were coming in from the starboard side - When they regained their calm, they giggled and shooed me out ("Oh Mister Brian, you must not be here!") and brought my extra ice and glasses.

:)

[Hawaiidan]

Please dont take this the wrong way. On Regent I stay in suites because I know, without fail that I will get a flawless room and service.

I pay 500 to 800 a day because I know I will get value for my money. It is as the say cost effective for what you get

 

On Holland, the question of value for my money is realy only realized in the excellent inside cabins ( I never mentioned this but on the New Amsterdam they , the J's are almost as large as a suite.. 286 sq ft and way better layed out)

I tried other cabins and found overall that they were very poor values for what I would pay.

 

My point is only to say, in my opinion, on Holland I see no value in spending more for a smaller veranda or suite or penthouse because everyone gets the same level of service which is stretched pretty thin. Why pay more if you dont get more. That is my point?

 

No matter how much you pay on Holland, you are never going to get the luxury package, room yes, service and ambiance no. Thus if you want a suite.. dont change cabins, change lines.

 

That said we realize the stewards are over worked and keep our cabin as neat as possible both out of respect and empathy for them. Thats not going to change... at ther present fares.

Too we never request special things that we really dont need because they dont have the time for everyone.

[cruz chic]

I do it - it's just as easy to get extra ice and a couple of glasses myself...

 

...tho one time I about gave the guys a heart-attack when I came in from the port side as they were coming in from the starboard side - When they regained their calm, they giggled and shooed me out ("Oh Mister Brian, you must not be here!") and brought my extra ice and glasses.

:)

That's just nasty. I wish you and GN would not do that. Just think if everyone did that, some people clean, some not so much. That's a good way to pass noro around.

[kazu]

Please dont take this the wrong way. On Regent I stay in suites because I know, without fail that I will get a flawless room and service.

I pay 500 to 800 a day because I know I will get value for my money. It is as the say cost effective for what you get

 

On Holland, the question of value for my money is realy only realized in the excellent inside cabins ( I never mentioned this but on the New Amsterdam they , the J's are almost as large as a suite.. 286 sq ft and way better layed out)

I tried other cabins and found overall that they were very poor values for what I would pay.

 

My point is only to say, in my opinion, on Holland I see no value in spending more for a smaller veranda or suite or penthouse because everyone gets the same level of service which is stretched pretty thin. Why pay more if you dont get more. That is my point?

 

No matter how much you pay on Holland, you are never going to get the luxury package, room yes, service and ambiance no. Thus if you want a suite.. dont change cabins, change lines.

 

That said we realize the stewards are over worked and keep our cabin as neat as possible both out of respect and empathy for them. Thats not going to change... at ther present fares.

Too we never request special things that we really dont need because they dont have the time for everyone.

 

I'm glad you put the nurse and there - otherwise I would have become nurse Kazu:eek: Not sure about the message - Walt (Geriatric Nurse) always books insides so he will totally agree with you.

 

We can all agree to disagree - so far Regent has not come even for me in the money - sorry:eek: But we don't like a lot of the itineraries and we can't always do the 'deals' because of vacation times. Probably when I run out of FF miles they may. or another line that offers the same. I am very happy where I am just as you are.

 

We each get to choose where we wish to stay. We each get to choose how to vacation. That's the joy of all being different.

 

You can have your opinion and I'll have mine:D More importantly, dh has his and I know where he wants to be on the next cruise:D

 

so each to their own as I say, but let's not generalize about mass market lines, or choices people make. people make choices for a reason. You don't know ours and we don't know yours. Each to their own:) Oh and sorry, we are not fans of the NA so those insides do us NO good. Prinsendam for us - and say what you like - there is a difference on this ship IMO:)

[gigianne]

Totally agree with you Kazu - we had the good fortune to be able to have cruised on the beautiful Maasdam - in a deluxe suite - and our experience was sweet. We had fabulous - but overworked stewards, who did their best every day to keep our cabin spotless. We certainly appreciated their efforts. I never look at cruise line for their "mass market value" - I look at them for the itineraries and the ship.

[sail7seas]

We just left Maasdam, stayed in our usual "S" suite, and had two of the best cabin stewards anyone could wish for. I never once had to ask for a single thing. Everything was tended to beautifully and they could not have been more gracious and charmingly friendly.

 

We've had as good in the past but I doubt we've ever had better. :)

 

[beacha]

I can't believe that I've just sailed with the famous "Sail" and did not know. And on the same deck too! I wonder if our paths crossed. Everyone was so courteous on the ship. We did not try to make friends, but enjoyed everyone that we spoke to.

[Boytjie]

That's just nasty. I wish you and GN would not do that. Just think if everyone did that, some people clean, some not so much. That's a good way to pass noro around.

 

Yep. Who knows if someone decides its OK to scoop ice out by hand. From what I have seen people do in the Lido I would not be surprised.

[FrankNJ]

It is rare on our cruises to find our verandah cleaned each day -- especially on the larger ships. The plexiglass was always dirty.

I finally got a couple of pool towels and cleaned it myself.

 

2 years in a row the veranda glass was spotless on Noordam . Then this year on Zuiderdam

it looked as if it had never ever been cleaned . Even the lido windows were so filthy the first couple of days you could hardly see out of them . Really made an awful first impression. Hal really needs to get that Noordam management to instruct the rest of the fleet from what I've seen .

[GeriatricNurse]

How do you do that:confused:.

 

Simple, just take your ice bucket to the conveniently accessible 'ice room', which is unlocked & open 24/7, & fill your ice bucket from one of the two ice machines using the large scoop from the holder, (one for each machine)! Several people were doing the same thing! ;)

[kazu]

Simple, just take your ice bucket to the conveniently accessible 'ice room', which is unlocked & open 24/7, & fill your ice bucket from one of the two ice machines using the large scoop from the holder, (one for each machine)! Several people were doing the same thing! ;)

 

I just call and ask for ice if we need it:D it's pretty quick and a lot more sanitary;) JMO:D

[GeriatricNurse]

Why are you going into a service area where you are not supposed to be on?!

 

Peter, the room where the two ice machines were located at one end of our corridor was unlocked & open 24/7 during the entire 16-day cruise! There were NO signs posted anywhere or ANY other printed notices/documents in either my stateroom or onboard that specifically indicated that access to the (unlocked) room containing the ice machines was a service area where I, (along with many others), was/were not supposed to be! ;)

[GeriatricNurse]

That's just nasty. I wish you and GN would not do that. Just think if everyone did that, some people clean, some not so much. That's a good way to pass noro around.

 

And how would that occur? :confused: All were doing was taking the ice scoop by the handle, dipping it into the ice & pouring it into our ice buckets! :confused:

[GeriatricNurse]

Yep. Who knows if someone decides its OK to scoop ice out by hand. From what I have seen people do in the Lido I would not be surprised.

 

Oh, Peter, have you actually observed people in the Lido scooping food from the buffet with their hands? :confused: I didn't think that you ate with the masses in the Lido? :rolleyes:

[GeriatricNurse]

2 years in a row the veranda glass was spotless on Noordam . Then this year on Zuiderdam

it looked as if it had never ever been cleaned . Even the lido windows were so filthy the first couple of days you could hardly see out of them . Really made an awful first impression. Hal really needs to get that Noordam management to instruct the rest of the fleet from what I've seen .

 

No doubt, you will be pleased to know that the (exterior) lido windows were cleaned, while docked, during my recent 16-day Caribbean cruise onboard the Noordam! ;)

[cruz chic]

And how would that occur? :confused: All were doing was taking the ice scoop by the handle, dipping it into the ice & pouring it into our ice buckets! :confused:

I'm surprised you wouldn't understand that. Some people are very dirty. Did you witness everyone that went in there? Do you know for sure that everyone that touched that handle had washed their hands? Why did the stewards tell Brain he shouldn't be in there if it's ok. Do as Kazu suggested, call for it.

[bepsf]

That's just nasty. I wish you and GN would not do that. Just think if everyone did that, some people clean, some not so much. That's a good way to pass noro around.

 

How is it nasty to fill an ice bucket and get extra glasses?

IMO, It's no different than scooping one's own ice in a hotel or picking up glasses in the Lido...

...and stewards do get Noro as well - after all, they're touching everything.

 

The guys are overworked as it is - But it doesn't take me 2 minutes to walk down the hall and do it myself.

[GeriatricNurse]

I'm surprised you wouldn't understand that. Some people are very dirty. Did you witness everyone that went in there? Do you know for sure that everyone that touched that handle had washed their hands? Why did the stewards tell Brain he shouldn't be in there if it's ok. Do as Kazu suggested, call for it.

 

Once again, I will state that the door to the 'ice room' was left UNLOCKED & OPEN 24/7! There were NO signs posted that one was not allowed to get ice from the machines in this unlocked & open room! The hand that touched the scoop handle was NOT touching the ice! And I will not call (and wait) for ice to be delivered to my stateroom as long as there is an unlocked & open 'ice room' from which I WILL obtain ice for my stateroom! ;) Now let's move on to something else, shall we? :)

[cruz chic]

How is it nasty to fill an ice bucket and get extra glasses?

 

IMO, It's no different than scooping one's own ice in a hotel or picking up glasses in the Lido...

...and stewards do get Noro as well - after all, they're touching everything.

 

The guys are overworked as it is - But it doesn't take me 2 minutes to walk down the hall and do it myself.

You'd hope that the stewards are more clean than some others because they may have to clean up after others that are sick. Don't you think if 50 people have their hand on a scoop or 2 people do that makes a difference? Of course it would be the same in a hotel and I'd rather not use the ice there. When the stewards said you shouldn't be in there did you hear "c'mon in and help yourself":confused:.

[cruz chic]

Once again, I will state that the door to the 'ice room' was left UNLOCKED & OPEN 24/7! There were NO signs posted that one was not allowed to get ice from the machines in this unlocked & open room! The hand that touched the scoop handle was NOT touching the ice! And I will not call (and wait) for ice to be delivered to my stateroom as long as there is an unlocked & open 'ice room' from which I WILL obtain ice for my stateroom! ;) Now let's move on to something else, shall we? :)

If someones cabin is open do you feel that it's ok to go in there because there are no signs to keep you out:rolleyes:? While you may not touch the ice others might be. It's sure funny for you to be asking about moving on.