What the cabin stweard told me...

[crusinpsychRN]

On Paradise January 11, 2014, I decided to ask the steward a few 'interview' questions. This is what he told me:

 

How many cabins do you have and how many others help you?

 

27 cabins, one assistant. Used to be 22 then 23 and now 27. I used to have used to have 2 assistants, now one.

Should I put room service trays or other food discards in the hall or leave it in the cabin?

 

It doesn't matter. (He said room service might pick it up if in the hall or he might. In the cabin, he'd get it next time in there. When pressed--isn't it a hazard in the hall or at least unsightly? Doesn't matter was all he'd say.)

 

Do you like getting $2 bills or are they hard to spend?

 

Hard to spend, people don't know what they are, think they're not real.

 

Did Carnival stop your retirement plan?

 

Yes.

 

How long is your contract?

 

8 months then I get 2 months off.

 

 

What did you find out about?

[cosaraquis1]

Think you did a very thorough job, seems like he gave you honest answers.

Thanks for the info.

[smrn]

The last waiter that I talked to said that Carnival was getting harder and harder to work for. He said they have decreased their help and increased the number of tables. He was quite honest and open. His contract was almost up and he was going home for 2 months. He said that many people are moving to other lines to work. :(

[rob6465]

The last waiter that I talked to said that Carnival was getting harder and harder to work for. He said they have decreased their help and increased the number of tables. He was quite honest and open. His contract was almost up and he was going home for 2 months. He said that many people are moving to other lines to work. :(

 

On the last cruise in december the waiting time in dining hall was soooooo much longer than previous cruises.

[crusinpsychRN]

Didn't mean to write stweart in title!!

 

It amazes they call you by name every time they see you. They are so efficient with the many requests people have too.

[forwardcabin]

The staff on these ships do an amazing job in spite of the hardships (no pun intended--guess it could have been written: hard ships). They go out of their way to please us and do it with a really good attitude. They deserve our generous tips and they deserve so much more from Carnival.

[FlyingCruiserNJ]

The last waiter that I talked to said that Carnival was getting harder and harder to work for. He said they have decreased their help and increased the number of tables. He was quite honest and open. His contract was almost up and he was going home for 2 months. He said that many people are moving to other lines to work. :(

 

It seems to be the trend in the travel business these days. Squeeze more out of less people in less time for less money. Carnival is going the ULCC route. I guess they have decided people want no frills cruising, so they are trying to provide that. But they just should stop taking away from their workers. If their good staff leaves and is replaced by lousy and incompetent help, it will turn their customers away. It is a vicious cycle. I absolutely know I could never do what those service people on the ships do. What the company expects is just ridiculous and unrealistic.

 

I know from experience that increasing workload for a trio instead of less tables for a pair is a recipe for failure. More tables for dining room staff means less interaction with customers, longer wait times, and an overall decline in the overall experience. Apparently they don't care about that either, as it seems that they are hellbent on destroying all illusions that the mdr experience should be a special experience anyway. Also, how do you expect the quality of steward service to be any good when you expect one or two people to essentially clean 54 cabins in a day, every day? Come on now. People are only human. They do a great job, all things considered but until people start voting with their feet and wallets, Carnival is going to continue the race to the absolute basement it seems.

 

Thanks for giving us some insight into what they have to go through each day. Whenever we complain about how tough our jobs get, just think of them and how much harder they have it.

[Engineerstar]

Thank you for posting this! We had the best staff in the world on our Fantasy cruise! We still talk about them whenever we mention cruising. We never needed walkie talkies because the crew members would see one of us and say, "I just saw (--) and he was going to so and so." They not only knew our names, but what groups we were associated with. Unbelievable memories. They made the cruise so much more personal.

[nickiefriend]

I don't think it is just the cruise industry or travel, I work in healthcare and since I started, we have less people, which in turn means that those of us that are left are doing more work.

 

Companies in general cannot continue to keep the doors open if they don't make changes to what they "pay out" to employees and benefits.

 

And just like me, if you don't like it, you can always look for something else.

[golfadj]

I believe for the second helper steward is supposed to pay him out of his own pocket.

[largolab]

I believe for the second helper steward is supposed to pay him out of his own pocket.

 

 

Wow really! That's sad :(

 

 

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[Kova15]

Its been almost 2 years since our curise and I still remember our table waiters very clearly. My DH and I talked with them everynight. They were the nicest guys. They get paid very little. the Assistant waiter Dejon said that his first 2 months of work goes to pay for his plane tickets. They work 7 days a week 12+ hours a day for 8 months straight. He said he rarely got off the ship at ports because they are always doing something on the ship. We tipped them very well on top of the auto grat they recieve.

[kcwingwalker]

Thanks so much for sharing this interesting and unfortunately sad info. Perhaps it will encourage those who don't feel tipping is necessary.

[jakeT]

The crew is great.. But how much work can Carnival pile on them. Last summer the MDR was very slow. And it want just us. We were not the last one to leave. Other tables were slower.

[sanmarcosman]

Our stewards have told us they are required to respond to basic trouble calls like the TV remote doesn't work/is difficult to operate. These calls used to be handled by engineering staff hired to perform these tasks.

 

Next they'll be plunging toilets while delivering ice to the cabins :eek:

[golfadj]

Wow really! That's sad :(

 

 

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Maybe and maybe not. Room steward presumably will collect tips in excess of whast he pays his assistant.

[poison7fl]

While some think it is sad, it is the new way of life in every industry.

 

I work for the State, and I now have to contribute to my retirement, my health insurance went up, I now have to do the work of 4 people, etc. etc.

 

It is not just Carnival, it is everywhere.

Edited January 29, 2014 by poison7fl

[RuthlessBoss]

I believe for the second helper steward is supposed to pay him out of his own pocket.

 

On tip day, both steward and helper happened to be together when I asked him about that. He said he splits, but do we really know? I gave the helper his own tip and he looked pretty happy.

[Aplmac]

The staff on these ships do an amazing job in spite of the hardships

(no pun intended--guess it could have been written: hard ships).

They go out of their way to please us and do it with a really good attitude.

They deserve our generous tips and they deserve so much more from Carnival.

They do indeed.

 

And yet there are cheapos who stiff them! :eek:

Luckily not too many of them

 

 

Most Carnival cruisers seem to be generous.

 

 

.

[Andoria]

Didn't mean to write stweart in title!!

 

It amazes they call you by name every time they see you. They are so efficient with the many requests people have too.

 

I don't know if it's a cultural thing but the stewards seem to only address the men I'm traveling with. They're polite, smile and acknowledge me but never say my name.

[Tutankhamen]

This past week on the Breeze we bumped into our assistant waiter from last year on the Dream. He remember our names, the tea my wife would get with dinner and that I got the cheese plate every night. Amazing.

[golfadj]

They do indeed.

 

And yet there are cheapos who stiff them! :eek:

Luckily not too many of them

 

 

Most Carnival cruisers seem to be generous.

 

 

.

 

Surprised people would admit to stiffing the crew

[FlyingCruiserNJ]

I don't know if it's a cultural thing but the stewards seem to only address the men I'm traveling with. They're polite, smile and acknowledge me but never say my name.

 

I have never had that experience. They always address everyone by name when I travel. Maybe he just forgot your name or something. Then again maybe it does vary from worker to worker and nationality and culture. Many different nationalities and cultures working on those ships.

[Waynetor]

Does anyone have passenger to staff ratio from 5 or 10 years ago compared to current ratios? Interested to see if overall staff has been reduced or if they have reduced some department while adding to others.

[golfadj]

Does anyone have passenger to staff ratio from 5 or 10 years ago compared to current ratios? Interested to see if overall staff has been reduced or if they have reduced some department while adding to others.

 

Well I am sure they have a lot more photographers now