Cabin steward mystery

[jackson bernard]

Those here that know me will understand this, I talk to almost everyone I meet, I am very out going.

 

 

 

I have met everyone one of our room stewards and have enjoyed all of them. I always say hello to them by their name and they respond likewise.

 

 

 

Here Stevhan from our last cruise.

 

 

 

 

 

Do you have his permission to share his picture and place of employment all over the Internet? Would you like someone to do that to you?

[canalwen]

We do like to meet our room steward. We recently got off the Sky and were seriously disappointed with the room steward. The first night, after dinner, around 8 pm, my husband was tired and wanted to go to bed. We went back to our cabin and the steward had not yet been there. My husband went to bed, I put the Do Not Disturb on the door and met the steward further down the hall. He asked if we needed service, I said no, he said enjoy your evening, that was about it for the cruise.

We knew he was there, somewhere because every morning we would leave for breakfast and put the Make Up Our Room on the door. It was a short 4 day cruise to the Bahamas, so we were rarely off the ship past 1:00 pm. Each day, we came back, went to the cabin and no service yet. By 3, the bed had been made, poorly, but made.

The mattress pad over on one side seemed to slip all of the place. One day, I took the sheets off only to discover that the mattress pad zips onto the mattress, but the one that slipped off had never been zipped on. We fixed that. Next day, upon returning from Nassau, we were hysterical. The bed was made, but there was a huge lump at the foot of the bed. He had pulled up the sheet, blanket and comforter over a pillow and left it there. We both commented on having a ghost for a room steward.

Having sailed with Carnival, RCL and Princess, I hope this is not the norm.

I don't think it is, as we witnessed other stewards out in the halls, yet we never saw ours after the first day.

[johnql]

Do you feel it's important to meet your cabin steward? If so, why?

It's not important to me at all. If I never meet the steward, I'm ok with that as long as he professionally handles all of his duties properly and in a timely manner (which is pretty much all the cruises that I've been on). If I need something, I leave a Post-It note on the bathroom mirror indicating my request. It has always been fulfilled.

[sjbdtz]

Maybe it depends on what people percieve to be the origins of the word "tip".

I was led to believe it is an acronym for... To Insure Promptness. As such it would be customary to tip upfront, otherwise how would you insure the prompt service?

That said I have seen many other explanations as to the origins of the word "tip", though none seem definitive.

 

 

What are you insuring the promptness against? Fire? Theft? Delay?(:P)

 

The word you want is 'ensure'..... To ensure promptness would make sense, if only the acronym were TEP. Unfortunately it isn't, and insure wouldn't be proper English.

 

 

I think it's etymology is far likelier to be from a tip-of-the-hat in appreciation. It's a way of saying thank-you, or acknowledging a service. In this context, it would always be done after the service.

 

 

 

Stephen

 

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[johnql]

For a discussion on the etymology of the word "tip", see link:

 

http://www.snopes.com/language/acronyms/tip.asp

[pattymo]

the first day or shortly thereafter..We've been lucky as our RS have been very personable and happy, always greeting us in the hall( and likewise) etc. We are very low key and probably the only request we will make is for more tissues..Usually at least once we will tell the RS to skip our room and do a towel exchange.. ( we do this in hotels alot and still tip them)..We always leave the auto tip on and we always give an extra $20 to $40 or so at the end of the cruise to the RS

[Turtles06]

We always make a point of finding our steward on the first day and introducing ourselves and (pre) tipping (usually $20) Our last cruise, the steward said "let me serve you first" but we insisted. It just starts the week on a good note. We've always had stewards who make a point of wishing us a good day/dinner/whatever when we leave the room. It makes our vacation that much nicer.

 

When a professional turns down a tip and says "let me serve you first" you should translate that to say "there is no need to bribe me to get good service, that's insulting". Don't insist they take your money.

 

Just my opinion.

 

I agree. "Pre-tipping" is a bribe, not a tip, and here someone was saying I don't need to be bribed, please don't insult me that way, yet the passenger insisted he take the money. :eek:

[cb at sea]

No...as a matter of fact, the BEST attendant we had, we NEVER saw!

 

I don't make it a habit to engage with the housekeeping staff at a hotel...and I don't feel it's important to do that on a ship, either! I don't mind a pleasant "Hello" now and again, but I feel no need to have lengthy conversations!

[Turtles06]

\We met our cabin steward on the first day and tipped him $60... didn't get anything special or anything at all!

 

total waste of money.

 

That wasn't a tip, it was a bribe. What "special" thing did you expect? And when say you didn't get "anything at all," was your bed never made? Were your towels never changed? Was your bathroom never cleaned? Was your trash never thrown out? :rolleyes:

[Kingofwylietx]

It does look like a good mix of people that want to meet their steward and those that don't.

 

Again, I feel neither preference is wrong. It's just interesting to learn why people want to talk to them.

 

I'm pretty chatty myself, but I mostly limit my chat to the wait staff. Even at that, I normally only engage them if it is slow and I'm not hindering their efforts to serve other tables.

 

More than anything, I like to talk to technical people. While the Captain is the most prestigious officer, I'd rather talk to an electrical engineer, mechanic, or designer. I'm more interested in learning the nautical range of a vessel traveling at cruising speed with a full load of fuel and pax....or how many megawatts their generator outputs, what SCADA system they use, and whether or not the electrical equipment is arc-flash safe. :cool:

Edited March 9, 2015 by Kingofwylietx

[Hikini]

I guess I don't feel the NEED to meet them, but we've always enjoyed meeting them and make friendly conversation. At the end when we tip the extra, we always hand it to them personally, so I'm glad to have met them beforehand.

 

BUT, if I didn't meet them at all, and they did a great job, they'd still get a cash tip and all would be happy.

[Squidward Q Tentacles]

Do you have his permission to share his picture and place of employment all over the Internet? Would you like someone to do that to you?

 

Yes I do, he thought it would be great! Many times the crew want to know how to tell their families and friends back home how to see my videos. I give them my card with the information needed.

 

Here is an email I received awhile back:

 

Dear GoofyGard I am writing to you from Southampton England and I am pleased to say the voice on your video in my son Martin. A friend of his found your video and posted it to him. It gives us great pleasure hearing him at work. Your comment that biggest isn't always big really made us laugh. Thanks for posting him world wide. I see he has already posted a comment to you confirming it is him! Hope you continue to enjoy cruising.

[luvtheships]

on the first day and tipped him $60... didn't get anything special or anything at all!

 

total waste of money.

 

Are you surprised? $60 is more than most give the steward at the end of a 7 day cruise

 

He had absolutely no reason to anything at all extra. He was happy with $60 and figured that would be it so why bother

 

Just wondering... Were you on day 1 when you gave him the $60 planning to tip again?

 

I bet he didn't think you would

 

A taste....like a $20.... And saying you would take care if him again at the end of the cruise would have worked and gotten you better service

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[NJ Fred]

And this. Largepizza is a mind reader!

 

I don't like to be around when anyone is in our space.

I don't think the steward needs to try to make our family his new BFFs, either.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Far from being a mind reader, IMO. Just that person's perspective which I differ with.

 

The most important part of your steward's - or any other cruise employee - is customer service and building repeat business for the cruise line by delivering the best possible on-board experience.

 

I am always as eager to meet our stateroom steward as I am to meet our waiter, et al. And I think any stateroom steward would be eager to meet their customer. That's how a rapport is born and a positive relationship always seems to loosen a customer's purse strings beyond the prepaid gratuities, now doesn't it?

[eric135i]

Are you surprised? $60 is more than most give the steward at the end of a 7 day cruise

 

He had absolutely no reason to anything at all extra. He was happy with $60 and figured that would be it so why bother

 

Just wondering... Were you on day 1 when you gave him the $60 planning to tip again?

 

I bet he didn't think you would

 

A taste....like a $20.... And saying you would take care if him again at the end of the cruise would have worked and gotten you better service

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

yes, i tipped him on day 1 when we first met. i did say i will take care of him later. i figured it will be a good gesture to get things started right.

 

throughout the 7 days, i did not see any "above and beyond" type of servicing from staff members all over the ship. at the end, i saw no reason to tip beyond the DSC. even though i tipped extra in the first few days.

example - ice bar, i tipped $5 for nothing but a "thank you"

[buckirj1]

Certainly I don't mind meeting the cabin steward, but I also don't mind if s/he has better things to do than make a point of coming to see me in my cabin. Chances are good they know who I am, anyway.

[JMHAM1]

Our family had the two center forward penthouses on a recent trip. The room steward split must have been between our cabins because one had a fantastic one and the other had a not so great one.

 

I'm the kind of person that sends out a beam into the universe that lets everyone know that it is ok to come to me and tell me all their business. Happens everywhere....airplane, line at the grocery store, ball games, and yes....cruises too!

 

I ended up with the story on both the guys. The one that was hitting it out of the park that week was getting ready to be off for two months. Instead of being mentally checked out, he was happy, happy, happy and was doing his very best. The other guy had really hurt his back moving some mattresses the week before. He said it really hurt when he made the beds and put in the couches, so he really left the couch out and did the minimum. I totally understand that. When I threw my back out recently, it hurt me to even move. I can't imagine being sick on the ship and doing the work that they do.

 

The RS is a human being and I treat everyone with respect and courtesy.

 

The one that did the awesome job said some of his best stories were of "nightmare" guests.

[Chuck2810]

I have always met our stewards by the first dinner - they usually come by after lunch the first day. From thereafter, we see them regularly... And we always greet them and visa-versa.... We meet them because they are on our vacation too. And we want to spread our enjoyment to them.

[Bosox312]

Eh, we usually see the cabin steward as we unpack. Pleasantries are exchanged and several Jacksons are palmed to the steward. Without exception, We receive a smile in exchange and every reasonable request (we are not that needy) is promptly fulfilled. Toward the end of the cruise I give the steward a bump (a bigger bump if the casino is kind). Like it or hate it, that's how I handle my business. Feel free to do your own thing.

[sjbdtz]

Eh, we usually see the cabin steward as we unpack. Pleasantries are exchanged and several Jacksons are palmed to the steward. Without exception, We receive a smile in exchange and every reasonable request (we are not that needy) is promptly fulfilled. Toward the end of the cruise I give the steward a bump (a bigger bump if the casino is kind). Like it or hate it, that's how I handle my business. Feel free to do your own thing.

 

 

For counter-balance, I've never tipped a room steward beyond the DSC...and I've also never had a bad or even unhappy room steward.

 

I usually meet them on embarkation day when I drop-off my luggage, and within 2 minutes I know their names and am on my way.

 

I don't typically have any special requests - the only stuff I'm particular about (food) is handled by the butler - but I always get towel animals, including some which are pretty creative.

 

I get a smile and called by name whenever we pass in the hall, and I greet them by name in turn, and then stay out of their way while they work.

 

Treating people like humans is worth its weight in gold.

 

 

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[abbyar]

I have to hear some stories!! (Eta: nightmare customer stories)

Edited March 11, 2015 by abbyar

[Kingofwylietx]

I'm sure your next cabin steward will be happy to oblige. I bet they have some good ones!

[Solararc]

I have to hear some stories!! (Eta: nightmare customer stories)

 

 

Here's one for you, I heard this from a former Butler who has since left on their own accord to start a family. After a long combined itinerary of 3 in suite meals per day, constant special requests 20hrs a day, all of which was met with a yes sir and a smile, the big tippers left them $47 dollars and said " don't want you getting spoiled, we will see you soon"

 

 

*Living large one week at a time*