Housekeeping moving to once a day?

[kirtihk]

45 minutes ago, little britain said:

Food is a necessity.

Clean towels twice a day is not.

Wait a second… just food, yes, but not a special one.  I can easily and seriously “survive” on 6 pieces of bread 3 time a day (I came to US 32 years ago from a country where it was common “practice”); it doesn’t mean, however, I would like to be served that way on the cruise when paying $$ thousands (for $200 total for 7-day cruise, perhaps, I would be fine with just bread - just a thought).

[Cruise5life]

1 hour ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

But respectfully, you are cruising for you.  Your cruise preferences don't necessarily set the standard for others.  And if others have a different standard, it doesn't make them either needy or piggish IMO, of course.

I never said my preferences set the standard.   
im commenting on my preferences only and what I prefer.  

[Cruise5life]

54 minutes ago, MeHeartCruising said:

I was on an NCL cruise last week and the steward only did room cleaning once, any time after we were up and about for the day.  We found ours always done by 10 am or so.  But we saw him in the hallway working well into the afternoon on cabins for the late sleepers, etc.  If we needed something we had a phone number to call if we could not find him in the hallway.  He gave us clean towels every day.  I personally saw him vacuuming cabins, so I assume he vacuumed ours either daily or as needed. 

 

We had zero issue with this. My cruise experience was not negatively impacted. I always found the evening service to be a nice, but unnecessary thing.  We are not messy cruisers.

I was also on a NCl cruise last month.  
and my steward did both morning and evening services.  
if I needed anything I just asked him.    
I brought him bananas every morning.  
and a ziploc of cookies every night.  
and he didn’t clean my room once in 15 days.    
And he really appreciated that.   
he said the don’t get bananas or cookie.  So every day was a nice little treat 

[ONECRUISER]

2 hours ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

I understand what you’re saying, but when most are on a “holiday” they like things to be a bit different, more pampered, more special than when they’re at home,  otherwise why travel at all.

Though I've spent 6 out of last 10yrs living in long term Hotels and Condo's. Room service is once a week, want daily it was $25-$40 a day extra. Could see some Cruise Lines going that way. Back when I started on Royal in 80's they's come in Cabin 8 times day, anytime I walked out. But they were more thorough cleaning and had a lot more to do back then...

[resetjet]

1 hour ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

A "lot" more?  It's gone up $1.50/day/person.  About a 10% increase. 

As of September 7^th, 2022, the automatic service gratuity of $16.00 USD per person, per day for guests in non-suites staterooms, or $18.50 USD per person, per day for guests in Suites, will be applied to each guest’s SeaPass account on a daily basis.

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/onboard-service-gratuity-expense

 

So if they (room stewards) were getting $3.55, and they got a 10% bump, now they'd be getting $3.90/pppd.

 

Two people in a room = $7.80/room/day

30 rooms/day = $234/day.

30 days/month =  $7,020

10 months/contract = $70,200

 

Add in whatever their salary is plus room and board.  Heck, they may WANT 30 rooms a day (and only service them once).  

 

ETA:  Yes, my numbers are guestimates.  If they were only doing 15 rooms/day, over the contract, it becomes $35,100. 

 

Your numbers are correct.  The only thing is the steward gets 25% of the tips so your 70,200 becomes $17550 or about $1755 per month.  Plus his 1360 salary as reported on shiplife.org.  But with extra tips and more then 2 in a room its more like $3500 a month.

[Tree_skier]

Our first and only cruise on NCL back in November had once a day service.  I didn't like it. I literally didn't see my cabin steward once through out the cruise.  I don't know where he was or what he was doing when I came back to my cabin in the mornings or afternoons but he was a ghost.  The cabin was tidied once a day and the towel were replaced at that time.  Sometimes this happened in the morning, sometimes it happened in the afternoon.  It was disappointing to return to the cabin at 11:30am and still see a disheveled room.

 

I don't expect much in the evenings but I do want ice.  I need it for my knee.  I put it in a large ziplock bag and on my knee at the end of each day as I'm retiring and reading before lights out.  We are extremely tidy people and rarely eat or drink in our cabin so no cleaning needs to take place in the evening but a refreshed room is just really really nice to come to in the evening after dinner. Also, and I don't care what anyone has to say, but I also like towel animals.  They are a fun "cruise thing" that brightens the evening when you come in after dinner.  With the ever increasing auto gratuities a decrease in service from those tipped employees seems a little hard to take. I always tip extra after the auto gratuities to our Cabin steward. Continuing to offer an extra tip after a decrease in service, if it reflects our NCL experience, will be difficult to justify in my mind.  We shall see how this unfolds. 

[Tree_skier]

2 hours ago, cruiselvr04 said:

Yes. But to me this is the problem.  We've all accepted it at hotels as the way it is.  Hotels have increased cost and decreased service and now it's coming to the ships.

I have stopped staying in hotels that don't offer daily service.   You aren't going to charge me more and give me less and not have me respond in some way.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

19 minutes ago, resetjet said:

Your numbers are correct.  The only thing is the steward gets 25% of the tips so your 70,200 becomes $17550 or about $1755 per month.  Plus his 1360 salary as reported on shiplife.org.  But with extra tips and more then 2 in a room its more like $3500 a month.

Who gets the other 75%?

[Donsyb]

29 minutes ago, resetjet said:

Your numbers are correct.  The only thing is the steward gets 25% of the tips so your 70,200 becomes $17550 or about $1755 per month. 

You keep saying this. Why would the stateroom attendant only get 25% of the tip that’s for the stateroom attendant?

[S.A.M.J.R.]

2 minutes ago, Donsyb said:

You keep saying this. Why would the stateroom attendant only get 25% of the tip that’s for the stateroom attendant?

The note says "house keeping services".  Does some need to go to those who do the laundry?  I would think the attendant would get at least 50% if not more.  It would be nice to know where @resetjet got the 25% from. 

[Georgia_Peaches]

1 minute ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

The note says "house keeping services".  Does some need to go to those who do the laundry?  I would think the attendant would get at least 50% if not more.  It would be nice to know where @resetjet got the 25% from. 

I find the whole gratuity program to be quite mysterious.  It seems to be something the cruise industry holds very tight to the chest.

[Donsyb]

3 minutes ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

The note says "house keeping services".  Does some need to go to those who do the laundry?  I would think the attendant would get at least 50% if not more.  It would be nice to know where @resetjet got the 25% from. 

I would have assumed laundry etc came out of “other hotel services”? But don’t know 🤷🏼‍♀️

[Joebucks]

On 2/18/2023 at 4:16 PM, smokeybandit said:

I think sometimes people are more upset at the concept of change than what the change actually entails.

 

This post nailed it. I have yet to every have housekeeping deny any request. If I say give me extra towels and ice, they will do it. There is no need for them to do it two times per day. I don't know who is destroying their room that many times. Now it's going to be taken out on the housekeeping team (no matter how many times you say you aren't, by reducing your tips, you are) because of a FOMO.

[Morecruisesplz]

10 hours ago, gumshoe958 said:

 

But Royal knows full well it’ll soon be forgotten and the whiners will quickly move on and find something else to moan about

 

Yes, something worse will be announced to devert attention. Maybe no more lobster ever.

[Tree_skier]

34 minutes ago, fredmdcruisers said:

Yes, something worse will be announced to devert attention. Maybe no more lobster ever.

Perhaps there will be balloons spotted floating over Miami?.

[Cigar King]

5 hours ago, RoperDK said:

Since they aren't a full suite, do we pay the greater gratuity amount and get the twice a day service?

Can't comment about the service but the grats are the increased suite prices.  

[pilot]

2 hours ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

And if you don't get it?

 

Did you notice that I said "requesting", not demanding? In all of the years that I have been cruising, I can't remember a single reasonable reason being denied. In fact, for the few times I have asked for something, the crew member seems to make it work. 

[resetjet]

1 hour ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

Who gets the other 75%?

About 6 to 8 others positions. Pretty much anything to do with housekeeping.

 

 

[Morecruisesplz]

16 minutes ago, pilot said:

Did you notice that I said "requesting", not demanding? In all of the years that I have been cruising, I can't remember a single reasonable reason being denied. In fact, for the few times I have asked for something, the crew member seems to make it work. 

Yes, of course ask for a choice that is not offered. 

[resetjet]

1 hour ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

The note says "house keeping services".  Does some need to go to those who do the laundry?  I would think the attendant would get at least 50% if not more.  It would be nice to know where @resetjet got the 25% from. 

Through several posts and videos and backed up with simple math. A steward on rcl makes about 3500 a month.  Do you think he makes $4 or 5k per month.  Obviously not. So if you take thier salary of 1360 and deduct from 3500 = 2140 or $535 a week i. Tips.  Divide that by 7 days = 76 a day divide that by 25 cabins = about $3 a cabin by 2 people per cabin + = $1.50 a day. Which is 30% of the 5 they get.  But i have read on multiple sources is 25%.

[grandgeezer]

4 hours ago, Cruise5life said:

Let’s not forget that the crew has to pay for wifi. And they pay there own ways back home after contracts.  Nothings free        

Why wouldn’t they pay for wi-fi? I don’t believe they need it for their job. According to the Maritime Labour Convention 2006, the cruise line pays for their flights both ways not just to the ship. The only exceptions are if the employee quits, or gets fired before the end of their contract. They also get reimbursed for transportation between the airport, or hotel, to and from the ship. Google is your friend.

They also have a place where they can buy almost all the incidentals they need to live, at a lot lower price than the customers do. Same things with drinks, I was told, by one of our favorite bartenders that they paid $1 for a domestic beer, my drink of choice.

[Morecruisesplz]

5 minutes ago, grandgeezer said:

Why wouldn’t they pay for wi-fi? I don’t believe they need it for their job. According to the Maritime Labour Convention 2006, the cruise line pays for their flights both ways not just to the ship. The only exceptions are if the employee quits, or gets fired before the end of their contract. They also get reimbursed for transportation between the airport, or hotel, to and from the ship. Google is your friend.

They also have a place where they can buy almost all the incidentals they need to live, at a lot lower price than the customers do. Same things with drinks, I was told, by one of our favorite bartenders that they paid $1 for a domestic beer, my drink of choice.

Crew doesn't pay for wifi. Follow them at ports to free wifi spots.

[StrikeEagle]

housekeeping now is once a day, is there a certain time frame of the day they do it,  morning, noon, afternoon, late afternoon evening etc....   Or once a day mean they guarantee your room will get clean once a day and they don't have a time frame.
Just curious because sometimes you want to spend time rest and relax in your cabin without disturbance. 
Thanks 

Edited February 20, 2023 by StrikeEagle

[PhillyFan33579]

On 2/18/2023 at 3:23 PM, HicksRA said:

I have to wonder if Royal is in such dire straits that it has to raise gratuities, cheapen meals, reduce staff and services and raise fare prices, why does it keep spending multi millions spitting out new mega ships?  
Sounds like an irresponsible teen with a new credit card to me. 

All their ships currently being built were under contract prior to the shutdown. 

[MommaBear55]

46 minutes ago, resetjet said:

About 6 to 8 others positions. Pretty much anything to do with housekeeping.

 

 

And the food service staff