Is it reasonable to have to vacate cabins at 7am on disembarkation?

[asnaleah]

Our do not disturb sign was removed at turndown the night before disembarkation. Annoying. However, we were pleased we did not have to vacate before 8. Just off Infinity.

[davekathy]

Our do not disturb sign was removed at turndown the night before disembarkation. Annoying. However, we were pleased we did not have to vacate before 8. Just off Infinity.

 

Note to self. Hide the Do Not Disturb sign.

[chamima]

Note to self. Hide the Do Not Disturb sign.

 

;) *** :D *** :eek:

 

Yup!

[bUU]

Really!?!??!?!??

In a capitalist society you don't compare competitors???

So you would not look at the difference between cars before purchasing?

I agree. Comparison between cruise lines is half the battle of choosing a cruise, imho.

 

Separately, if you don't discuss the aspects of a product or service you like or dislike and simply leave how would the provider know why you no longer used their services???

Normalized market research. Anecdotal, unsolicited customer feedback is non-normalized and therefore is as likely to lead you in the wrong direction as it is to lead you in the correct direction.

 

Lastly, who out there is going to choose X because of this policy??? Who sees it as a positive point????

That's a bit like saying who is going to choose a connection rather than a nonstop flight? The hub-and-spoke system that adds an hour to many passengers' overall trip time is much more cost efficient than having nonstop, point-to-point flights between all destinations. No one chooses an airline because they have a hub. No one considers hubs to be a positive point. However, passengers overwhelmingly choose the more price friendly hub-and-spoke system over the alternative.

[ISABELLA]

Our last 3 cruises it was bags out by 10pm and out of room by 7am. We don't love it but know the room attendants have to work so hard to flip the ship and it gives them an extra hour.

 

 

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How did everything work years ago? We used to leave our cabin between 8-9, depends on out flights time and there were no problem on the part of the cruise line to get cabins ready for the next group...:confused:

[CruisingChick]

How did everything work years ago? We used to leave our cabin between 8-9, depends on out flights time and there were no problem on the part of the cruise line to get cabins ready for the next group...:confused:

 

Years ago, cruise lines had a higher percentage of crew/staff on ships and the ships were smaller. Now they are trying to do more with less.

 

How many cabins did they add to the M Class ships in the solsticizaiton? I don't remember hearing that they added more crew cabins/space on the ship to take care of all the extra staterooms.

[Smallfamily]

The stateroom attendants used to always have an assistant also. If you ask them about it they say they don't have an assistant anymore plus they have more rooms. We feel bad when they are working before we get up and long after we go to bed. It's honorable how hard they work for the opportunity for them and their families. I wish the cruise line still had assistants for them.

 

 

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[NLH Arizona]

The stateroom attendants used to always have an assistant also. If you ask them about it they say they don't have an assistant anymore plus they have more rooms. We feel bad when they are working before we get up and long after we go to bed. It's honorable how hard they work for the opportunity for them and their families. I wish the cruise line still had assistants for them.

 

 

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I asked my Cabin Steward if he still had an assistant, he said no and that his cabins went from 22 with one, to 11 without one. Maybe it has to do with the ship/deck/class of cabin how many cabins one got.

[boscobeans]

Years ago, cruise lines had a higher percentage of crew/staff on ships and the ships were smaller. Now they are trying to do more with less.

.

 

"Now they are trying to do more with less." X 100

 

Now is it because:

 

1. The cruise lines cannot afford to keep an adequate number of employees?

This cost would be easily paid with a slight increase in cruise fares, especially since a major portion of the crew's salary comes for TIPS from what normally would be SATISFIED CRUISERS.

 

2. The lines don't care if service and passenger satisfaction suffers?

Could be, since the ships are not sailing empty and those sailing now seem to be happy and accept this new lessened level of service as normal, due to the possibility they haven't sailed in the past or they are part of the new suite class with amenities that mimic the "every passenger the same" type of cruise in the past.

 

OMO

 

bosco

[Cruisercl]

In this vein of thought, wasn't Celebrity one of the cruise lines that used to market/advertise that the passenger/crew ratio was low? Or am I thinking of anther one?

 

Has anyone seen a current ratio?

 

Safe sailing all!!

[uktog]

In discussions with our attendant and the Assistant Chief Housekeeper last week, it was clear that many preferred this change. Our attendant said whilst he now looked after 14 rooms, he did not have to manage the assistants workload and could far more easily prioritise his work around his cabins. He felt he got to know his guests better as the sole point of contact. He said it was much easier as he knew each room was of the required standard he could be sure of that as he worked along and he did not get held responsible when let down by his assistant, the buck stopped with him and he liked it that way.

 

His boss indicated that the change had highlighted non performers who had hidden behind good assistants but had been quite lazy themselves. It had also highlighted good assistants who had been held back by poor attendants. Often these attendants came over to guests as great but were actually not good at all. Some were choosing not to renew their contracts but this was not of concern to the ship as they felt that they now had staff with the right attitude.

[chamima]

In discussions with our attendant and the Assistant Chief Housekeeper last week, it was clear that many preferred this change. Our attendant said whilst he now looked after 14 rooms, he did not have to manage the assistants workload and could far more easily prioritise his work around his cabins. He felt he got to know his guests better as the sole point of contact. He said it was much easier as he knew each room was of the required standard he could be sure of that as he worked along and he did not get held responsible when let down by his assistant, the buck stopped with him and he liked it that way.

 

His boss indicated that the change had highlighted non performers who had hidden behind good assistants but had been quite lazy themselves. It had also highlighted good assistants who had been held back by poor attendants. Often these attendants came over to guests as great but were actually not good at all. Some were choosing not to renew their contracts but this was not of concern to the ship as they felt that they now had staff with the right attitude.

 

That makes total sense.

How many times have we had an assistant waiter who obviously was holding the whole thing together with a bad waiter and also had GREAT waiters with assistants who did virtually nothing.

In the case of the dining room it's pretty obvious but in the case of room stewards it's much easier for the non performer to hide.

[richstowe]

In this vein of thought, wasn't Celebrity one of the cruise lines that used to market/advertise that the passenger/crew ratio was low? Or am I thinking of anther one?

 

Has anyone seen a current ratio?

 

Safe sailing all!!

The problem is not the passenger/crew ratio . There is limited space for crew and they aren't going to make more .The cruise lines in general and Celebrity specifically would rather fill that crew space with revenue generating employees and they keep finding new ways to generate income. Therefore you get less waitstaff and stewards but more spa employees , gold by the inch staff and more of whoever is generating $$$'s for them . Therefore customer/staff ratios can be misleading . The amount of staff can be adequate and yet satisfaction can suffer .

[grandgeezer]

I asked my Cabin Steward if he still had an assistant, he said no and that his cabins went from 22 with one, to 11 without one. Maybe it has to do with the ship/deck/class of cabin how many cabins one got.

 

In December, on the Silhouette, our cabin steward said he went from 24 to 14. He was still smiling and did an admiral job. This was Aqua Class.

[boscobeans]

I asked my Cabin Steward if he still had an assistant, he said no and that his cabins went from 22 with one, to 11 without one. Maybe it has to do with the ship/deck/class of cabin how many cabins one got.

 

A two person crew doing 22 rooms should be able to do it a lot faster than one person doing 11 rooms. The same amount of actual work minutes being done but with less time wasted switching from on task to another.

 

 

 

bosco

[uktog]

A two person crew doing 22 rooms should be able to do it a lot faster than one person doing 11 rooms. The same amount of actual work minutes being done but with less time wasted switching from on task to another.

 

 

 

bosco

 

Exactly this is the point that the supervisor was making but some attendants were just not prepared to change their work practices.

[richstowe]

A two person crew doing 22 rooms should be able to do it a lot faster than one person doing 11 rooms. The same amount of actual work minutes being done but with less time wasted switching from on task to another.

bosco

Depends . If they work well together , sure . However not all teams work well together and aren't a "team" at all . I've read some horror stories of aggressive senior stewards who bullied their junior partner . I have experience a situation where one of the members more or less disappeared . I don't know why ( sickness ? mental health ? ) but the remaining steward looked harried .

Frankly I'm not sure which is better . I just hope that this change is not just a way of reducing total stewards .

[boscobeans]

Depends . If they work well together , sure . However not all teams work well together and aren't a "team" at all .

.

 

 

Absolutely true. On a Royal Caribbean cruise we had a waiter and assistant waiter team (both experienced) that made the Three Stooges look like a well oiled machine.

 

There is also nothing to stop the SINGLE steward from being lax in his performance, other than eventually have his or her contract cancelled.

 

The same can be said of any service provider, let's just hope whether it is one doing 11 rooms or 2 doing 22 rooms the stewards do their best and ARE REWARDED FOR DOING IT.

 

bosco

[Beanb41]

There is a simple solution if the cabin attendant is up to the standard you expect.

1. Address the problem directly with the attendant

2. If no improvement speak with Housekeeping Manager

3. If still no improvement speak with Hotel Director

4. Then go to Cruise Critic, Trip Advisor and Uncle Tom cobbly and all

[mrparkland]

7 am is too early to vacate the room. We vacated our room at almost 9 am on Sunday Jan 22 on the Silhouette.

[bUU]

"Now they are trying to do more with less." X 100

 

Now is it because:

 

1. The cruise lines cannot afford to keep an adequate number of employees?

Cost is a red herring. If you're running a business to pay its costs then there are far better investments for your money.

 

2. The lines don't care if service and passenger satisfaction suffers?

Could be, since the ships are not sailing empty and those sailing now seem to be happy and accept this new lessened level of service as normal, due to the possibility they haven't sailed in the past or they are part of the new suite class with amenities that mimic the "every passenger the same" type of cruise in the past.

Which hints at what the reality is: This is all being driven by consumer behaviors.

[Orator]

7 am is too early to vacate the room. We vacated our room at almost 9 am on Sunday Jan 22 on the Silhouette.

 

 

There's a down side to leaving at 9. B2B passengers were required to meet at 9:30 at the Passport Bar and then leave the ship for C&I. If you left at 9 and a B2B passenger was going to your cabin they might not be able to make the move. Some people like to supervise their move and don't want to leave their things, especially valuables for others to move. I always aaskthe Cabin Attendant if someone doing a B2B is coming to my cabin.

Edited January 24, 2017 by Orator

[Luvcrusn]

Cost is a red herring. If you're running a business to pay its costs then there are far better investments for your money.

 

Which hints at what the reality is: This is all being driven by consumer behaviors.

 

All this? We just sailed on Eclipse last month in a concierge stateroom. We've been sailing for many years... not inexperienced cruisers or new to the cruising game by any means. All cruise lines have changed over the years. Do I like vacating by 7? No. BUT....comparing today's cruising choices with yesteryear's is pointless. We had a wonderful cruise with outstanding service. Our cabin was kept spotless by our single attendant. Our glasses and plates were kept as full as we wanted them to be. We were entertained and pampered. I'll take that for 2 weeks! I will not let my entire cruise be ruined by vacating at 7 instead of 8.I hate leaving at whatever time they ask!

Edited January 24, 2017 by Luvcrusn

[bUU]

All this?

Absolutely. Consumers are where the money comes from, and that's what the cruise lines want.

 

I will not let my entire cruise be ruined by vacating at 7 instead of 8.I hate leaving at whatever time they ask!

Amen.

[AnOnymously]

! I will not let my entire cruise be ruined by vacating at 7 instead of 8.I hate leaving at whatever time they ask!

 

And I will go and use a cruise line, next time, that does not demand I spoil the cruise by having to get up in the night at their whim, to leave my cabin for 7am and not be able to finish the cruise relaxed.

 

Oh, and I would not go this time, if I, like my American friends, could cancel and get my deposit back. No such luxury if booked from the UK and I am before FP.