Evening Cabin Turndown Service

[gfsf]

I just got off the Grand on Sunday and was wondering if there is a new evening turndown policy. On all of my previous cruises the room steward would know my dining time and come in to turn down my bed, leave chocolates, pick up towels etc. aotomatically but on this cruise the only times I had the evening service was when I would leave the placard out to clean my cabin. No big deal, just wondering. I was going to ask the room steward but never ran into him.

[cruzsnooze]

Sounds like you had a sub par steward. I have sailed 3 times on Princess in the past 4 months and every night I had turn down service with a chocolate on my pillow and tomorrows compass on my bed.

[Pam in CA]

I've had stewards ask me to put the card in the slot if I want turndown service. I can understand that since there were times when I thought it was possible for the steward to come in while I was getting ready for dinner. I bet without the card in the slot, they've walked in on more than a few people.

 

It's not policy to require the card but it only takes a second as I leave my cabin and the steward can take care of my cabin without waiting to see if I'm there or not. It helps them manage their time.

 

... and tomorrows compass on my bed.

Err... That's the "Princess Patter." :) Edited April 15, 2014 by Pam in CA

[OCruisers]

We always put the our card in the slot to let our cabin steward know we are gone for the evening so he can do the turn down service at his convenience.

How else is he going to know? Lots of people have Anytime or eat in Specialty Restaurants. We don't leave our cabin at exactly the same time each evening.

LuLu

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[JJ2sail]

We were on the Grand last month and had different dining times and missed turn down one night becaue we didn't use the card.

[Colo Cruiser]

I say bad Stewart, bad Stewart! :(

[caribill]

When we meet our steward on embarkat5ion day, we let him/her know when we go to dinner.

 

Wel also usually put out the "make up room" sign to let him/her know we have already left, especially if we are going to an event and then directly to dinner.

[ggprincess2004]

That little card with Privacy Please or Please Make up our Room is almost in the slot...so we are not disturbed when we don't wish to be and Stewart knows when we are gone in the evening (not to mention the morning).

[gfsf]

Thanks! I guess I'll leave the card in the slot when I leave for dinner just to be sure.

[Teris50]

We were on the Island Princess and disembarked on April 1. I believe we put the correct message in the slot each evening, BUT we saw our HARD WORKING Steward all the time. I don't think he had 4 hrs off each day! He was there all the time and I was amazed. We had great service from him.

[Colo Cruiser]

Thanks! I guess I'll leave the card in the slot when I leave for dinner just to be sure.

 

Still not an excuse for no turndown. :(

[pompeii]

We were on the Island Princess and disembarked on April 1. I believe we put the correct message in the slot each evening, BUT we saw our HARD WORKING Steward all the time. I don't think he had 4 hrs off each day! He was there all the time and I was amazed. We had great service from him.

 

We were on the same cruise (wasn't it wonderful???) and our steward was terrific as well! Who knows, maybe we had the same one! We saw him ALL the time, and I agree, it didn't seem like he had any time off.

[AKman2495]

On our last cruise my DW told the steward that she really didn't want him to do the turn down service. This really pained him as he really wanted to do it. However, after about 4 days, she relented and for the rest of the cruise (it was a 2 week B2B) I got the chocolates :D

[billco]

doesn't matter to us whether the steward turns it down or not. Just not a priority.

[DrivesLikeMario]

The card in your door slot is really helpful to the cabin steward. We use ours religiously. That way, he knows when we're out of the cabin and he's free to come in and clean it. Conversely, he knows when we don't want to be bothered. New cruisers don't catch on to this very quickly. If you're new and reading this, it really does help communicate your needs/wants to your steward.

 

I adore having twice-a-day service! I'd have it at home if I could. I love walking into the bathroom and having fresh towels, the shower stall wiped clean, the sink area spotless and the bed turned down for me. That's what makes a cruise special to me. :)

[BoxerMomNC]

so good to know to use the cards....as a new cruiser I would have thought putting the 'please make up room' on all the time would make them think I was a needy person who wanted extra cleanings... but I guess it makes sense. always want to make other peoples work easier, even if just by a little bit.

[Colo Cruiser]

so good to know to use the cards....as a new cruiser I would have thought putting the 'please make up room' on all the time would make them think I was a needy person who wanted extra cleanings... but I guess it makes sense. always want to make other peoples work easier, even if just by a little bit.

 

 

It really does help them be more efficient. ;)

[Potstech]

On just about all my cruises the steward has asked that we use the card to indicate when we will be out of the room so he can do his daily duties. One said that he had to report when he was completed with his rooms and had to explain each time when rooms were not done. He said the supervisor often gave them a hard time if it was not done. All it takes is a brief second or two to place the notice in the door when going out for awhile and the steward then can get done and have his time off as well. These folks work hard to make our cruises enjoyable and I will do all I can so they can get their work done and have some time off also.

[tartanexile81]

Agree. I shouldn't have to do something in order to prompt Stewart to do his job. I've never had a steward ask me to use the little card, and I'd probably refuse -- not my responsibility to bother with stuff like that. Never had a steward barge in on me, either, and not too worried about it. There would definitely be repercussions if I didn't get my Patter and pillow chocolates, though!

 

We've been asked by steward on different lines to put our card in the door and we always do it These guys work so hard and it's only showing them consideration by using it. It only takes a second as we're going to dinner.

 

Why do you think you'd refuse to do it?

[rpcv77]

I was also on the same cruise as the op and had turndown service every night. We did anytime dining and usually put the card in the slot. I think your steward might have been a bit neglectful.

[Toddy709]

Agree. I shouldn't have to do something in order to prompt Stewart to do his job. I've never had a steward ask me to use the little card, and I'd probably refuse -- not my responsibility to bother with stuff like that. Never had a steward barge in on me, either, and not too worried about it. There would definitely be repercussions if I didn't get my Patter and pillow chocolates, though!

 

Please share with the class how your observation moved the discussion forward.

 

We ALWAYS use the card. Takes the guess work out of it for the steward, and they have enough work as it is, don't you think????? Geez, would hate to be your steward with that kind of attitude, but possibly you're just having a bad day...

[OCruisers]

We also ALWAYS use the card. Makes is so much easier for our Cabin Steward to know when we are not in our cabin. :)

LuLu

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[louanne93]

Thanks! I guess I'll leave the card in the slot when I leave for dinner just to be sure.

 

 

Absolutely leave the card in the slot. We got walked in on twice last week while on the Grand. We were finally reprimanded and told to use the card for communication purposes. Our cabin steward seemed to have gotten off to a bad start when he told us that they let us embark WAY to early. How this was our fault was beyond me... By the 3 day we got on the same page :)

[cruzsnooze]

I've had stewards ask me to put the card in the slot if I want turndown service. I can understand that since there were times when I thought it was possible for the steward to come in while I was getting ready for dinner. I bet without the card in the slot, they've walked in on more than a few people.

 

It's not policy to require the card but it only takes a second as I leave my cabin and the steward can take care of my cabin without waiting to see if I'm there or not. It helps them manage their time.

 

Err... That's the "Princess Patter." :)

Isn't it nice to be able to cruise so much I forget what each cruise line calls their informative "compass, patter, daily etc....".

I booked NCL's Star for Dec to go whale watching again, care to join us or do you only sail Princess?

[FritzG]

We also ALWAYS use the card. Makes is so much easier for our Cabin Steward to know when we are not in our cabin. :)

LuLu

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We always use the card, too. However, on the Ruby during spring break time the cards and some breakfast order tags "disappeared" during the night a couple of times.

 

We've never had a steward skip the evening turndown, and I'd be unhappy if that happened. We usually have traditional dining so it's easier for the steward to know when we'll be out of the cabin.

Edited April 17, 2014 by FritzG