Gifts for Room Steward

[buddha'smoo]

Give the gift of friendship. Exchange e-mail addresses and keep in touch for life. Nothing better than that.

 

Except cash. Who would want to be friends with a random person who you cleaned up after for a week???:confused: the crew are there to do a job, end of. As almost everyone else posted, extra cash is what's appreciated most. Not chocolate/sweets, hometown junk, the people are there to earn money to support themselves and their family, just like the rest of you, would you appreciate it if people paid you in "gifts" and email addresses?

[missy428]

I do not understand this urge to bring gifts to employees on ships?? Some people talk about giving out candy as if these people were little children at Halloween!

These are adults who make their living doing honest work and want to get paid and tipped for it!

IF you wouldn't bring a "little gift" to a hotel employee in your home town then don't bring it on the ship either.

It is quite different if you have a relationship with the same people over time but to just bring some random doodad is to me just patronizing!

 

 

I too don't understand this, it's very patronizing and problematic to treat people of color in the service industry like little children by giving them treats for a job well done. especially when the gesture is really a way for you to appease your guilt at having someone clean up after you all week. If you want to do something for exemplary service tip them extra or make note if it in your post cruise survey.

 

 

 

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[WindsorFred]

Cash for exemplary service, beyond what is required/expected. Also if there is any Bon Voyage alcohol left I ask the steward if he or his team would like it.

Edited April 5, 2014 by WindsorFred

[StillPooh]

I too don't understand this, it's very patronizing and problematic to treat people of color in the service industry like little children by giving them treats for a job well done. especially when the gesture is really a way for you to appease your guilt at having someone clean up after you all week.

Wow, way to leap to conclusions! Somebody wants to make a nice gesture, and you call them racist? :eek:

[cruiseguy83]

I too don't understand this, it's very patronizing and problematic to treat people of color in the service industry like little children by giving them treats for a job well done. especially when the gesture is really a way for you to appease your guilt at having someone clean up after you all week. If you want to do something for exemplary service tip them extra or make note if it in your post cruise survey.

I agree!!

 

Cash and nice comment card to Carnival is the only way to go. I work in hospitality and mostly all gifts (besides cash) are thrown away. I don't want food from strangers or junk to fill up my office.

[retiredgram]

Aside from giving an extra tip to your room steward, there is something else that you can do that would be far more appreciated than anything else you could give him/her. Get the full name of your room steward and write a letter to Carnival's Guest Services and let them know what an outstanding job your room steward did. Promotions are based on job performance, and letters of praise can mean a lot when it's time for job evaluations.;)

 

Besides extra cash, I have done this also. Not only on Carnival, but other lines as well. The last letter I sent, I got a personal reply back. It mentioned the 2 crew members by name and said they would let their superiors know.

[missy428]

Wow, way to leap to conclusions! Somebody wants to make a nice gesture, and you call them racist? :eek:

 

 

Please point out where in my post I used the word racist?

 

Oh you can't?

 

Thought so.

 

 

 

 

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[StillPooh]

I too don't understand this, it's very patronizing and problematic to treat people of color in the service industry like little children by giving them treats for a job well done. especially when the gesture is really a way for you to appease your guilt at having someone clean up after you all week.

 

Please point out where in my post I used the word racist?

You were the one who brought color into the discussion. You may not have straight out called the OP racist, but you definitely implied it.

[missy428]

You were the one who brought color into the discussion. You may not have straight out called the OP racist, but you definitely implied it.

 

If you got racist out of my opinion you might want to reflect on your thoughts and feelings on the subject instead of projecting them on me

 

 

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[Harrier1961]

If you got racist out of my opinion you might want to reflect on your thoughts and feelings on the subject instead of projecting them on me

 

 

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You are the one who used the phrase "person of color" for whatever reason.

I've seen plenty of both "person of color" & "person of non-color" crew.

 

Strange phrasing, that is all.

But, you are right; no need to call you a racist (I did not get that and that was a little, er, LOT uncalled for).

 

Now, back to our regularly scheduled post...

Andy

:cool:

Edited April 5, 2014 by Harrier1961

[Jana60]

Give the gift of friendship. Exchange e-mail addresses and keep in touch for life. Nothing better than that.

 

Seriously??? I can't imagine anyone who works in a client or customer based industry would want all of their customers or clients to try to be their best friend! I'm sure those young men and women have plenty of friends. I'm sure they want the same things out of their job that the rest of us want out of our job...... money, respect, and to have a life separate from the job. So if you want to fulfill their dreams do the following:

1) give them extra tips,

2) when you leave your room put out the "cruisin" sign so they'll know they can enter to clean the room without having to put up with talking to you

3) and lastly tell their boss what a great job they do.

 

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[Chileancruiser]

Seriously??? I can't imagine anyone who works in a client or customer based industry would want all of their customers or clients to try to be their best friend! I'm sure those young men and women have plenty of friends. I'm sure they want the same things out of their job that the rest of us want out of our job...... money, respect, and to have a life separate from the job. So if you want to fulfill their dreams do the following:

1) give them extra tips,

2) when you leave your room put out the "cruisin" sign so they'll know they can enter to clean the room without having to put up with talking to you

3) and lastly tell their boss what a great job they do.

 

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**LIKE**

 

100% agree with your statement!

[babyher]

I don't know about anyone else , but I work for cash. The day I start getting paid in candy, phone cards, t shirts and toiletries , I start looking for other employment.

 

I am sure the ships staff feels the same

[Debster992]

Lively thread. I agree with the posts about cash and a thank you note. However, last cruise, I thought about how hard the crew works and on their feet. Our room steward and favorite waiter were both women in their 50's much like myself and I wished that I could give them some Dr Scholls Gel Inserts for their shoes. Couldn't find them in any of our ports.

 

Just a thought of something useful to go with a cash tip.

 

 

 

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[LSU_Tigger]

I'm sure what happens to most people on the boats is they form a friendship with the steward, bartenders and wait staff. Now that doesn't mean they have formed the same bond towards the customer but that is how I felt on my first cruise. Now I just left more money for my thanks. I have found out like most of y'all have put on here, that the comment cards or letters to company go a very long way too! I guess people feel that they are now their "Friends" and try to treat them as such.

[gamma5]

I don't know about anyone else , but I work for cash. The day I start getting paid in candy, phone cards, t shirts and toiletries , I start looking for other employment.

 

I am sure the ships staff feels the same

 

Totally agree! It amazes me what these men and women do and put up with on a daily basis, and almost always with a smile. Unlike a hotel where you rarely if ever see the staff who clean your room, you actually become quite familiar with your cabin attendants during a cruise. Without fail ours have always known our names from the beginning, seemed to instinctively known the timing of our comings and goings, cleaned our rooms unobtrusively and efficiently and attended to any request we have ever made. We have always left varying amounts of extra cash depending on length of cruise and/or and extra requests or attention we may have requested, along with a nice note. We have also told our stewards they are welcome to any water/sodas that we have brought on board and have left over. The have always seemed appreciative of those. Who knows for sure, but to us it seems that's something pretty universal and might save them a dollar or two, we don't really care at that point; we are just too lazy to cart them home! We also always report back to Carnival by whatever means, any staff member that we think deserves a special nod, after hearing that that really makes a difference in their performance reviews.

[Andoria]

I always find these threads a bit baffling. I give my room steward a smile, don't ask for anything and clean up after myself. I can't see why I'd want to become friends with him/her or give them anything extra. Sure they work hard for their money but so do I.

[SMSACE6]

I agree that a smile and good friendliness goes a long way. I pay my autotips, and now prepay them, and I don't see a need to bring a tangible gift. If I have a room steward who does an exceptional job, then I will leave him or her a cash "gift", left for them the last night of the cruise.

 

There are a lot of crew on board who make my cruise memorable, and if I thought that I needed to bring each a gift, and others did this too, then they would be overwhelmed by these items, so I say cash is golden.:)

[lovesublime]

I don't know about anyone else , but I work for cash. The day I start getting paid in candy, phone cards, t shirts and toiletries , I start looking for other employment.

 

I am sure the ships staff feels the same

 

 

 

The problem with your statement is that the staff are already getting paid. Candy, phone cards etc. are just extras. I don't see that anyone suggested giving 'candy' in lieu of gratuities.

[Pine Bluff]

Wow, way to leap to conclusions! Somebody wants to make a nice gesture, and you call them racist? :eek:

 

You obviously don't know what racist means.

[Elaine5715]

I too don't understand this, it's very patronizing and problematic to treat people of color in the service industry like little children by giving them treats for a job well done. especially when the gesture is really a way for you to appease your guilt at having someone clean up after you all week. If you want to do something for exemplary service tip them extra or make note if it in your post cruise survey.

 

 

 

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Truth. Some just cloak this under a comparison of their country of origin and what they earn there vs on ship.

[libertyschool]

The OP stated that they auto pay gratuity PLUS pay a cash tip each evening and again at the end of the trip. They would like to leave a small gift AS WELL as a token of gratitude above and beyond. Why ANYONE would want to read any more into this or conclude that this is "patronizing" or to imply that by doing so they are "treating people of color in this service industry like little children" is ludicrous. How on earth can ANYONE possible know what each and every crew member on a ship would like or not like? I know personally if I were working on a ship away from my family for months on end and someone gave me a small gift ON TOP OF A BIG TIP AND A GOOD COMMENT I might actually be touched. It might even make me smile. Not because I am a poor hard done by "child" but because I am HUMAN.

Edited April 6, 2014 by libertyschool

[Seago2]

The problem with your statement is that the staff are already getting paid. Candy, phone cards etc. are just extras. I don't see that anyone suggested giving 'candy' in lieu of gratuities.

 

I mentioned candy first as something NOT to give. It wasn't mentioned yet in this thread but I see it all the time. I've even seen "baked goods from our home town." I can't remember the exact thread but people were joking around about it and someone put "I like to sneak into the galley and make my room steward fresh baked cookies" and I seriously LOL'd. People mention Hershey's kisses a lot. Please. :rolleyes:

[Elaine5715]

Did you ever have that relative that gave you that cheapo candy with the ill fitting PJ s when you were a kid and your mom made you write the thank you and include your appreciation for the candy too? All you did was toss the candy in the trash and stuff the PJ s on the back of the closet....but your mother would tell you it was the thought that counts and you should be grateful? You would have rather they not bother because it ended up costing you?

Now, do you want to be that relative?

Oh, that smelly stuff someone mentioned? That's called a prank waiting to happen when you hide it in someone's cabin.

[Throwdownmyace]

I'm sewing a bunny costume for my gift! Really how/where do you leave daily tips. I couldn't figure that out, envelopes or hand it to them?