Quality Control Audit of Cabin Steward

[Algebralovr]

Heck with waiting for my first beverage after dropping off my bags, I want one with lunch in the Bistro on 5 before they allow us into our cabins!

 

As for the cleanliness of my cabin, I've yet to have a cause to complain about that. I just want to take the steward home to do the same magic on my house!

[dkjretired]

If this were my behavior, my main concern would be how many times my toilet was cleaned with my toothbrush. Demeaning people and passive aggressive threats aren't the way to bring out the best in any human being.

 

Reminds me of a scene in the "Big Bang Theory" where Penny tells Sheldon "haven't you learned not to screw with the people who bring you your food. "

[koolforkatz]

When we get to the cabin, we give each other a high 5 and mix a cocktail :)

 

 

 

Love :)

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[wwcruisers]

I have a standard practice when arriving in my stateroom too. I unpack

the carry on bag I have been wheeling around and put the bag against

the wall or on the couch. Then I put my crossbody bag in the closet,

make sure I have my seapass card with me, head out to the closest

bar and order my first adult libation:):D

 

Who said "to each his/her own"?..........well, you got it;):eek:

 

Lois -- you nailed it! :cool:

I can't imagine wasting my precious vacation time doing a "white glove" inspection -- backed up by time-stamped photos. :rolleyes:

[chessbriar]

This one time, we walked into our Suite and found another guest in there unpacking having used the freshly cleaned bathroom, leaving it not so tidy. It took some convincing to get her out of our cabin.

 

I steward was more than happy to come by and fix what she had messed.

[chessbriar]

I have a standard practice when arriving in my stateroom too. I unpack

the carry on bag I have been wheeling around and put the bag against

the wall or on the couch. Then I put my crossbody bag in the closet,

make sure I have my seapass card with me, head out to the closest

bar and order my first adult libation:):D

 

Who said "to each his/her own"?..........well, you got it;):eek:

Lois,

One trick I learned from Tommy, don't wait that long to find that first libation. Look for the bar closest to guest relations and enjoy your first drink. It cleans of the wear and tear of travel and checking in. And most important, it ensures your card is working before you get to far away from GR

[A Sixth?]

Maybe an assistance dog, trained for blind sniff tests, would be useful for passengers who need a "Quality Control Audit of Cabin Steward" :p

 

Edited July 21, 2014 by A Sixth?

[Algebralovr]

lois,

one trick i learned from tommy, don't wait that long to find that first libation. Look for the bar closest to guest relations and enjoy your first drink. It cleans of the wear and tear of travel and checking in. And most important, it ensures your card is working before you get to far away from gr

 

this^^^^^^^^!!!!!!!

[ariawoman]

Remind me never to have you over, OP. :-) I've got way too many dust bunnies :-)

 

I get it. I understand the point. However, I spend enough time in my normal life being stressed out, I don't need to do the same on vacation if at all possible.

 

Cheers to those of you who decide to help this cause, though. I'm sure the OP isn't the only one. (note sarcasm lol)

Edited July 21, 2014 by ariawoman

[cle-guy]

I'll say I kind of agree with the OP. Maybe not so much the white glove review of the room army drill sergeant style upon entering the cabin, but if I do find issues and ask for them to be resolved, I expect they will be resolved once called to attention and maintained for my stay.

 

I also agree about not calling into play how hard the staff work on embarkation and disembarkation to allow for an excuse, and I'm saying this as a former Marriott Hotel Manager who has cleaned and inspected thousands of rooms myself over time. Truth us they likely have a schedule of periodic cleaning routined that lily say to move furniture form the walls once a month and vacuum the dust, clean behind the TV one a month. And these tasks can be completed when at sea and not on embarkation or every day. Truth is, housekeepers on ships have a much easier gig than those on land on a hotel, they only have check in and out one day a week or per cruise, and cleaning an occupied room is half the job of preparing a fresh cabin is, especially if only chaining sheets every 2 or 3 days. I realize they get more cabins than a land-based housekeeper, but they also have plenty of extra help stocking their carts with linen and supplies, taking their dirty laundry and trash away etc...

 

I'll admit on my TA sailing in the penthouse, I delivered a list of burnt out lightbulbs in the cabin to guest relations. All 8 bulbs in the entry foyer were burnt out, the maintenance guy even tried to tell me they were not light fixtures....which I knew they were having and the same cabin on Reflection a few months earlier. I took the cover off the ceiling fixture to expose the 8 burnt out bulbs for him. There were a total of 17 burnt out bulbs in the suite....

[donaldsc]

I wonder if the OP is married and how his wife deals w him. I do not check anything when I get into my room except to have a look around. There could be a dead body under my bed as all I do is shove my suitcase under the bed. Obviously, if there is junk lying around or the room smells from the dead body under the bed, I would mention it to the steward. I just can't imagine having the attitude that there must be something wrong with the room and you have to give it the white glove test to find it.

 

DON

[antsnanny]

This sentence begs the question: If you have rarely had an issue, why do you continue to be so obsessed with this? Seems like you are spending a hell of a lot of energy on a problem that barely exists. Aren't you supposed to be having fun on your vacation?:confused:?:confused:?

 

Holy cow, what a waste of time and energy!!!!

 

 

Very good point ! I love things to be clean but would I ever seek out something hiding under a bed?? Not on my vacation!

[dln929]

Faith means believing in something

when common sense tells you not to."

Valentine Davies, Miracle on 34th Street

 

An ironic quote for the OP to have as his tagline seeing that his faith in the job performance of his cabin steward is non-existent, even when he's seen very little evidence in his 68 cruises that it should be otherwise.

[Elusive_Cruiser]

While the OP might be a little over the top, I think that expecting cleanliness is not unreasonable. How much actually exists.... well you just have to watch some the of the programs such as W5 (Canada) to know how bad it can really be. Their investigative programs leave much to be desired :(

 

Having said that.... entering our cabin 45 minutes after the announcement that the cabins were ready and finding, in our concierge cabin:

 

dirty dishes on the counter

no fresh flowers

no fresh fruit

no 'bubbly' wine

 

...left me concerned about what else in the cabin was 'unfinished'......

[Sow There]

Sorry guys, but I'm totally getting it.

 

Having had an encounter with a rodent (either a mouse or a rat) going through an open back of pretzels at about 2:00am several years ago*, and having been confined to our stateroom during a noro outbreak, I now do a full inspection when I first arrive at our room on every cruise (and, for that matter, every hotel room)

 

We don't get upset by a dust bunny or two (or a wad of gum under a counter for that matter), but a less than scrubbed bathroom or stained sheets or bedspreads will generate an immediate call to the steward. Never kept track but it has occurred at least 4 or 5 times on Celebrity ships (more frequently with hotel rooms).

 

On cruises we've made no nasty comments to management, just a first reaction similar to what NJ Fred says his is.

 

Always has been resolved by the steward so no discussion with higher ups has ever occurred.

 

In hotels we usually get moved to another room that is checked first by the housekeeping supervisor.

 

No, we're not Type A's. We're just not anxious to get sick whilst on a cruise or on a vacation or business trip.

 

Never considered the photo evidence idea that NJ Fred suggested, but I would likely use it if we don't get satisfaction.

*called the front desk and they sent a steward and an exterminator immediately. I wasn't aware of it but every cruise ship has a qualified exterminator on board for just such occasions.

Edited July 21, 2014 by Sow There

[drfun48]

So I am assuming were I to check behind the TV and under the bed of the home of the OP ,there would be no dust.

[A Sixth?]

Sorry guys, but I'm totally getting it.

 

Having had an encounter with a rodent (either a mouse or a rat) going through an open back of pretzels at about 2:00am several years ago*, and having been confined to our stateroom during a noro outbreak, I now do a full inspection when I first arrive at our room on every cruise (and, for that matter, every hotel room)

.[/i]

 

Sorry. I'm calling this one.

 

Me thinks maybe you saw a induced thingy from the (fill in the blank)

 

edit

 

Date, ship,itinerary and details of how you made the complaint.

Edited July 21, 2014 by A Sixth?

[TourDeCruise]

I love the responses, especially Cruzbud's Dust Bunny Control! Thanks for the laughs.

 

And if the steward, whom (as I clearly wrote) does not remediate matters after having them called to their attention, only then do I advance up the chain of command.

 

I have to admit that I examine the cabin quickly while I typically make a pass wiping many surfaces and handles with sanitizer. Proper quality and performance management contain valuable practices in most every industry, but your process seems to be more about control and less about management. Going straight to the Hotel Director when your needs are not met is not "advancing up the chain of command" but instead advancing to the top of the chain! There are a number of people (Asst. Chief Housekeeper, Chief Housekeeper, Guest Relations Manager, etc.) in the chain of command before the Hotel Director. Plus there is the "comment card" that can be used for complaints as well as commendations. While I applaud you for placing importance on cabin cleanliness, your means could stand some revamping to be more effective and less stressful for all in the chain. Sorry if I sound harsh, but I am passionate about proper quality and performance management.

 

Kathy

[A Sixth?]

I love the responses, especially Cruzbud's Dust Bunny Control! Thanks for the laughs.

 

 

[TeaBag]

We never check under or behind things either. We are just so glad to be in our cabin at the start of another wonderful cruise.

 

However, we did find a dead mouse lying in state under the coffee table in a Marriott hotel. They moved us to another room to silence the shrieking.:eek:

Edited July 21, 2014 by YVR cruiser

[fleckle]

I have a standard practice when arriving in my stateroom too. I unpack

the carry on bag I have been wheeling around and put the bag against

the wall or on the couch. Then I put my crossbody bag in the closet,

make sure I have my seapass card with me, head out to the closest

bar and order my first adult libation:):D

 

Who said "to each his/her own"?..........well, you got it;):eek:

An excellent way to begin a cruise.

But additionally, I would never want to begin a cruise by ticking off someone who will have access to my toothbrush and other personal belongings, just as I would not want to antagonize someone who will have access to my food. ;)

Anyone who has ever worked in the hotel or food and beverage industry (or even has friends or family members who have) knows all too well how employees take their revenge on customers who are unpleasant or create trouble for them.

 

[Project_gal]

I would just hate to be the person who cleans the OP's house. If it is the OP, there is a job at mine ...

[marvholly]

I put a spot of makeup UNDER the bathroom waste can and a spent match behind a piece of free standing furniture.

 

In >10 cruises on 5 different lines I have yet to find either cleaned up by the room steward. Did NOT ear an extra tip, just left the DSC in place.

 

Have never checked under the bed. I probably should NOT.

[uktog]

I have found some peoples lives lurking under the dust in our virtual lounge - any claimers...................

[barreloflafs]

To wit...

 

What is the proper attire in which to perform said audit:

evening formal or smart casual?

 

Maybe a poll is in order...