Has anyone had a bad cabin steward?

[ozzy_emg]

Hi Everyone,

 

I have just returned from 10 amazing nights on the Pacific Dawn. We all had a fantastic time and have caught the cruising bug!

 

I just wanted to know if anyone has experienced a bad cabin steward. In my cabin there was my son, my sister and myself and I wasnt very happy with our steward. I do not know her name as she never introduced herself. My parents who were on the other side of the deck had a fantastic steward and I am comparing her to him.

 

Our steward never gave us clean beach towels, I didnt think anything of it at first as I thought you got clean towels on Lido deck. When I asked there I was told you have to get them off your room steward. I went back down to our room to ask her and she said she would put them on our bed. We never got them! As we didnt have new beach towels because she took them the when she cleaned the next morning, the day before our first port, I worte a note asking for some new beach towels which she gave us. I had to write another note once more and received new towels.

 

My son was in turtle cove and on the first night when we got the pacific daily there was no program for turtle cove. When I picked my son up that night I asked the staff how we get the program for turtle cove and they told me the room steward gives them out. So the next day I asked our steward for turtle cove program and that night she gave me the Shark shack program!!!:confused: I told her the next day I needed turtle cove program and I never got it. I just found it easier to pick up a copy at turtle cove when I picked my son up.

 

Every night we would pull the mattress off the top bunk so my son could sleep on the floor. Every morning we would put the mattress back on the bed and I would tuck the bottom sheet into the bed. Most of the time the doona was just folded at the end of the bed, which was no drama as I was going to move it anyway.

 

I am a very tidy person and I made sure our room was clean every morning with nothing laying on the floor so it was pretty easy for her to make the beds.

 

My parents steward did anything and everything. Every morning when we went around to their cabin he had made my son a different towel animal with stickers on it. He arranged their pj's into shapes, and had towel animals on their bed. They got new beach towels and some spare. There was a card in their room with his name and a number if they needed anything. He was the best. His name was Saleh deck 9 inside cabin.

 

My parents and aunty and uncle told me to complain about the steward but I am not that type of person. It was no drama and didnt stop us from having a fantastic time.

 

So am I just nit picking? Did my steward just do what she had to do or did my parents get a exceptional steward? Should I have complained?

 

Sorry this went on a bit just needed to get everything explained

[karmac]

Emma, I don't think you're nitpicking. Personally, I don't think anyone should expect towel animals (and don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you were expecting them but I know some people do). However, we should all expect clean pool towels. The steward we had on our March cruise was also a bit slack when it came to getting pool towels but he was good in every other way and a very friendly fella although we didn't see him a lot. He never gave us towel animals but as I said I don't expect that and I would prefer a steward do that for a cabin with young kids in it (as yours did).

This time we had a steward who did give us clean towels every day (without us having to ask for them) and he also made us a couple of animals which was an added bonus. If I'd have had your steward I probably wouldn't complain either because, like you, I am not that type of person. However, I certainly wouldn't be giving her a tip.

The best steward we had was on the maiden voyage PD cruise. His name was Arthur and he was really fantastic and we gave him a good tip.

[fishtaco]

Hi Everyone,

 

I have just returned from 10 amazing nights on the Pacific Dawn. We all had a fantastic time and have caught the cruising bug!

 

I just wanted to know if anyone has experienced a bad cabin steward. In my cabin there was my son, my sister and myself and I wasnt very happy with our steward. I do not know her name as she never introduced herself. My parents who were on the other side of the deck had a fantastic steward and I am comparing her to him.

 

Our steward never gave us clean beach towels, I didnt think anything of it at first as I thought you got clean towels on Lido deck. When I asked there I was told you have to get them off your room steward. I went back down to our room to ask her and she said she would put them on our bed. We never got them! As we didnt have new beach towels because she took them the when she cleaned the next morning, the day before our first port, I worte a note asking for some new beach towels which she gave us. I had to write another note once more and received new towels.

 

My son was in turtle cove and on the first night when we got the pacific daily there was no program for turtle cove. When I picked my son up that night I asked the staff how we get the program for turtle cove and they told me the room steward gives them out. So the next day I asked our steward for turtle cove program and that night she gave me the Shark shack program!!!:confused: I told her the next day I needed turtle cove program and I never got it. I just found it easier to pick up a copy at turtle cove when I picked my son up.

 

Every night we would pull the mattress off the top bunk so my son could sleep on the floor. Every morning we would put the mattress back on the bed and I would tuck the bottom sheet into the bed. Most of the time the doona was just folded at the end of the bed, which was no drama as I was going to move it anyway.

 

I am a very tidy person and I made sure our room was clean every morning with nothing laying on the floor so it was pretty easy for her to make the beds.

 

My parents steward did anything and everything. Every morning when we went around to their cabin he had made my son a different towel animal with stickers on it. He arranged their pj's into shapes, and had towel animals on their bed. They got new beach towels and some spare. There was a card in their room with his name and a number if they needed anything. He was the best. His name was Saleh deck 9 inside cabin.

 

My parents and aunty and uncle told me to complain about the steward but I am not that type of person. It was no drama and didnt stop us from having a fantastic time.

 

So am I just nit picking? Did my steward just do what she had to do or did my parents get a exceptional steward? Should I have complained?

 

Sorry this went on a bit just needed to get everything explained

 

 

I will get flamed for this but here goes!

 

I think some stewards go out of their way or do that little bit extra,not always but sometimes when they think they are in with a chance of a good personal tip from certain passengers.

 

 

Tip them $10 when they first show you your cabin and they will bend over backwards for you the rest of the cruise;)

 

Also I believe the best stewards get the best cabins thus the better rewards in the end,as it should be.

 

 

If service is not up to scratch then its easy to put a card in at the pursers desk while on the cruise.

 

Some may be not fulfilling their duty requirements and without complaint cards nobody is the wiser and they can continue thinking nothing is wrong.

 

 

Den

[thied]

I will get flamed for this but here goes!

 

I think some stewards go out of their way or do that little bit extra,not always but sometimes when they think they are in with a chance of a good personal tip from certain passengers.

 

 

Tip them $10 when they first show you your cabin and they will bend over backwards for you the rest of the cruise;)

 

Also I believe the best stewards get the best cabins thus the better rewards in the end,as it should be.

 

 

If service is not up to scratch then its easy to put a card in at the pursers desk while on the cruise.

 

Some may be not fulfilling their duty requirements and without complaint cards nobody is the wiser and they can continue thinking nothing is wrong.

 

 

Den

no flaming from me :D

Thats why we dont auto tip, we tip that cabin steward when we first meet and if we are looked after well they will get another tip at the end, same for the dinning room waiter, all happy.

as for auto tipping for the rest, well if you take it off at the beginning of your cruise or at the end of your cruise, your still going to the same service as every one else and the same food, entertainment, drinks, same cruise, but with a little surprise, your cabin will brillant with great service and your dinning service will be brillant, why because you tipped them at the beginning of your cruise and and the chances of you tipping them at end are way higher then some one that dose not tip them at the beginning of the cruise.

Just to add if a couple on a 7 day cruise auto tipping is $105.00, and by not auto tipping and tipping those two main people ( cabin steward and dinning room waiter) lets say $30.00 each you save $ 45.00 on tipping.

[thied]

on a 7 day cruise family with mum dad and two teens that would be a saving of $150.00 by no tipping and tipping the two people that make a different to your cruise. We have never had bad service in our cabin or dinning room, and we normily cruise in a mini suite or suite,on P&O these days

[yatchet]

on a 7 day cruise family with mum dad and two teens that would be a saving of $150.00 by no tipping and tipping the two people that make a different to your cruise.

Thied [ of many posts ].

You are forgetting something. Auto Tipping is not just for cabin steward and waiter but for all the others that you don't see, eg, cleaners who work all night, kitchen staff and many others. When you remove autotipping they miss out.

With all the cruises you have suddenly been on, surely you can afford to think about all these other low paid staff.:(

[thied]

Well thats a huge statement, it may not be about being able to afford it rather than making sure that the ones that have looked after you actually receive it. How do we know how much of that auto tipping actually goes to the crew...

so very true, over the pased year I and many people have read and posted many things about this subject on cruise critic, and there are many different idea,s on who really gets the auto tipping, members have even chated to how much they get paid as wages, member have even visited the web sites where we can see how wage and tipping structure. It has all ways ended up with agree to disagree discushion/chat

[austrish]

on a 7 day cruise family with mum dad and two teens that would be a saving of $150.00 by no tipping and tipping the two people that make a different to your cruise. We have never had bad service in our cabin or dinning room, and we normily cruise in a mini suite or suite,on P&O these days

 

There are far more than two people looking after you on your cruise. what about all those people who work behind the scenes in the kitchens and laundries just to mention a couple. Don't those people behind the scenes deserve recognition for their services.

[thied]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=514879&highlight=tippin

here is the last tipping thread

[Wilkono]

Do the room stewards and waiters on the Pacific Dawn accept cash tips warmly, if a passenger so happens to offer them?

 

By the way, I don't normally like to talk about tipping on here either, as it always seems to get heated. Touchy subject. Someone has already had their post removed from here it looks like. As it has been already said, it is absolutely down to personal preference to tip or not to tip, and for me, there's nothing more to the argument than that.

[karmac]

I absolutely agree

 

 

I actually wanted to quote the same post you did but I can't find it:confused:.

 

Anyway, firstly I will say that we keep the autotip on and tip our steward & waiter/s extra. However, for most people I don't think it's about the money. It's more about the fact that a tip is an additional payment for services provided above & beyond the call of duty (probably not the best words to use but I'm sure you know what I'm getting at). If your steward or waiter has not provided exceptional service (and in the OP's case the steward didn't even provide the service she was supposed to) why should they be given extra?

[thied]

There are far more than two people looking after you on your cruise. what about all those people who work behind the scenes in the kitchens and laundries just to mention a couple. Don't those people behind the scenes deserve recognition for their services.

yes there are many people that work on these ships, you could go as far as saying what the people that work at P&O that you booked you cruise though or the people that maintain the ship in dry dock or the people at the cruise terminal,( where dose it start and stop), Then we could go down the lines of there wages, they paid poorly,( but are they) but compaired to what they would get paid in there home country they from are would be far better off working on the ship or they would not be there.when on a cruise you get told a lot of things about there wages and on here as well, some would be true and some wouldnt be,

[yatchet]

Karmac,

I agree with you,

We autotip and give extra to those whom we think have gone that bit further.

[bobhsv]

Yes, we too auto tip, and give a little extra to those we wish to. On our last few cruises, we have also given a very small gift to our cabin steward. I personally like the idea of auto tipping, as those behind the scenes don't miss out.

 

Jen

[yatchet]

Hi Thied,

We also cruise in suites/mini suites, usually spend around 10 grand all up.

So thanks for the mathematics on how we can save $45,

Well done.

[rugbypopsie]

I am breaking my self imposed rule about not talking about tipping because it is such a touchy subject and not part of our culture however...

 

I have never had a bad cabin steward on Princess....I auto tip, plus give extra at the end of the cruise when I have experienced service above and beyond the standard that I expect. I also fill in the comment cards to make sure that the staff who are working enthusiatically around the ship get recognised by the management for their efforts. I am told that positive comments on the cards really helps them get promoted or have their contracts renewed.

 

For me I think this is fair enough.

 

[thied]

Hi Thied,

We also cruise in suites/mini suites, usually spend around 10 grand all up.

So thanks for the mathematics on how we can save $45,

Well done.

you are very welcome,

[victravellers]

Back to the original question.

Yes, I have what I considered a bad steward. It was our first cruise on Princess. I had read on CC about how great the stewards were and how they would do anything for you.

Well.... we had to chace him for everything. He only replaced our ice, pool towels and often shampoo when we asked. (and even then you waited a day or two)

Being our first cruise, I wasn't sure whether this was what was considered normal, because I would not consider him fabulous as is often described here. I did not complain.

However on our second and cruises there after, the steward was fabulous and nothing was too much trouble. I now have a point of reference to a good, bad and great steward.

Unfortunately, I couldn't help thinking, was this because I was an Aussie on a predominantly American Passenger ship. Did he think I was going to stiff him his tip and so why bother trying too hard. I certainly hope not and future cruises have so far shown me that is not the case. I think I just got a bad one.

Either way, the cruise was great, I am never one to sweat the small stuff and it certainly did not put me off my cruising:D

 

And just to add, this cruise was for thirty days and the auto grat was $600 AUD for the 2 of us. Convert that to USD with the exchange rate at the time =$730 which I gladly paid for one of my most memorable holidays

[Kruzein]

Hi Everyone,

 

I have just returned from 10 amazing nights on the Pacific Dawn. We all had a fantastic time and have caught the cruising bug!

 

I just wanted to know if anyone has experienced a bad cabin steward. In my cabin there was my son, my sister and myself and I wasnt very happy with our steward. I do not know her name as she never introduced herself. My parents who were on the other side of the deck had a fantastic steward and I am comparing her to him.

 

Our steward never gave us clean beach towels, I didnt think anything of it at first as I thought you got clean towels on Lido deck. When I asked there I was told you have to get them off your room steward. I went back down to our room to ask her and she said she would put them on our bed. We never got them! As we didnt have new beach towels because she took them the when she cleaned the next morning, the day before our first port, I worte a note asking for some new beach towels which she gave us. I had to write another note once more and received new towels.

 

My son was in turtle cove and on the first night when we got the pacific daily there was no program for turtle cove. When I picked my son up that night I asked the staff how we get the program for turtle cove and they told me the room steward gives them out. So the next day I asked our steward for turtle cove program and that night she gave me the Shark shack program!!!:confused: I told her the next day I needed turtle cove program and I never got it. I just found it easier to pick up a copy at turtle cove when I picked my son up.

 

Every night we would pull the mattress off the top bunk so my son could sleep on the floor. Every morning we would put the mattress back on the bed and I would tuck the bottom sheet into the bed. Most of the time the doona was just folded at the end of the bed, which was no drama as I was going to move it anyway.

 

I am a very tidy person and I made sure our room was clean every morning with nothing laying on the floor so it was pretty easy for her to make the beds.

 

My parents steward did anything and everything. Every morning when we went around to their cabin he had made my son a different towel animal with stickers on it. He arranged their pj's into shapes, and had towel animals on their bed. They got new beach towels and some spare. There was a card in their room with his name and a number if they needed anything. He was the best. His name was Saleh deck 9 inside cabin.

 

My parents and aunty and uncle told me to complain about the steward but I am not that type of person. It was no drama and didnt stop us from having a fantastic time.

 

So am I just nit picking? Did my steward just do what she had to do or did my parents get a exceptional steward? Should I have complained?

 

Sorry this went on a bit just needed to get everything explained

 

 

Hi Emma

 

I was on your cruise and was on the same deck but the opposite side to Karmac. I was very unhappy with my cabin steward and more so at the end and i will be relaying an email to P&O regarding it here goes:

 

We were one of the first on the ship in our cabin it was myself and my daughter he came in and introduced himself as did we, he told us that if we needed anything to ring the number provided. I like to keep the cabin orderly and clean so i took all my own liquid soap pine o clean wipes glen 20 and aqium for the cabin everything was neat and tidy and stayed that way. I pulled our beds up of a morning and generally tidied up as we went so the cabin was always clean and tidy, basically all he had to do was pull the curtains of a night. I dont expect the stewards to be at my beck and call, however what happened toward the end of the cruise left a very sour taste to the cruising experience. About 4 days prior to the end of the cruise i heard him relaying about his newborn daughter who he hadnt seen and hadnt seen pics of and how he missed them etc and i heard this on a few occassions then heard passengers relaying it to others on the deck. He tried to tell me and i said well think about the life that you are providing them by being away working here as there are people back home that do that quite often like the armed forces for example and he didnt like that at all. I returned to the room on a number of occassions to find an envelope appropriately placed on the bedside table, i am not stupid this is my 5th cruise so i would put it away and it would resurface and i am not the type that appreciates being forced into making the payment.

 

I never put anything in it (first time ever) as really he had not done anything other then draw the curtains i even emptied my own garbage intot a bag and put it at the door and he was too up front for my liking.

 

On the last morning we had to vacate the cabin by 8am we got up had shower packed the last of our stuff except a few toiletries we went for breakfast at 7ish and then would go back to the cabin to pick up our backpack and vacate the room the dining room had a breakdown and we got back to the room at 8.10am and when we walked in the room had been made up as a double he was in the room and i said gee you are quick and he said well hurry up and get out i said yep we are goin i picked up the computer and backpack and the P&O winners bag i had put our dirty clothes in and my daughter went to get her make up and face wash out of the bathroom and he had thrown it away he then yelled come on move it get out get out. We left i was :mad: to say the least.

 

When we left the ship and picked up our luggage i was putting the dirty washing out of the P&O winners bag into the suitcase to minimise the bags as we had to get to the train station when i got to the bottom of the bag there was a green apple in the bag now i can tell you it was not myself or my daughter as we ate all meals in the dining room except one at the grill on the last night and 1 at the steakhouse.. I did not declare that and if i had been searched i could of got into trouble there was only 1 other person it could of been other then myself and my daughter so i was not impressed and hence i intend to write a please explain to P&O and ask them to question him who else may of had access to my room whilst i was at breakfast as the door was open when i returned. So no you are not nitpicking and this is the first time i have not given a tip and i am so glad that i didnt. If i had this steward again i would ask that he not clean my room.

 

cheers

[thied]

Hi Emma

 

I was on your cruise and was on the same deck but the opposite side to Karmac. I was very unhappy with my cabin steward and more so at the end and i will be relaying an email to P&O regarding it here goes:

 

We were one of the first on the ship in our cabin it was myself and my daughter he came in and introduced himself as did we, he told us that if we needed anything to ring the number provided. I like to keep the cabin orderly and clean so i took all my own liquid soap pine o clean wipes glen 20 and aqium for the cabin everything was neat and tidy and stayed that way. I pulled our beds up of a morning and generally tidied up as we went so the cabin was always clean and tidy, basically all he had to do was pull the curtains of a night. I dont expect the stewards to be at my beck and call, however what happened toward the end of the cruise left a very sour taste to the cruising experience. About 4 days prior to the end of the cruise i heard him relaying about his newborn daughter who he hadnt seen and hadnt seen pics of and how he missed them etc and i heard this on a few occassions then heard passengers relaying it to others on the deck. He tried to tell me and i said well think about the life that you are providing them by being away working here as there are people back home that do that quite often like the armed forces for example and he didnt like that at all. I returned to the room on a number of occassions to find an envelope appropriately placed on the bedside table, i am not stupid this is my 5th cruise so i would put it away and it would resurface and i am not the type that appreciates being forced into making the payment.

 

I never put anything in it (first time ever) as really he had not done anything other then draw the curtains i even emptied my own garbage intot a bag and put it at the door and he was too up front for my liking.

 

On the last morning we had to vacate the cabin by 8am we got up had shower packed the last of our stuff except a few toiletries we went for breakfast at 7ish and then would go back to the cabin to pick up our backpack and vacate the room the dining room had a breakdown and we got back to the room at 8.10am and when we walked in the room had been made up as a double he was in the room and i said gee you are quick and he said well hurry up and get out i said yep we are goin i picked up the computer and backpack and the P&O winners bag i had put our dirty clothes in and my daughter went to get her make up and face wash out of the bathroom and he had thrown it away he then yelled come on move it get out get out. We left i was :mad: to say the least.

 

When we left the ship and picked up our luggage i was putting the dirty washing out of the P&O winners bag into the suitcase to minimise the bags as we had to get to the train station when i got to the bottom of the bag there was a green apple in the bag now i can tell you it was not myself or my daughter as we ate all meals in the dining room except one at the grill on the last night and 1 at the steakhouse.. I did not declare that and if i had been searched i could of got into trouble there was only 1 other person it could of been other then myself and my daughter so i was not impressed and hence i intend to write a please explain to P&O and ask them to question him who else may of had access to my room whilst i was at breakfast as the door was open when i returned. So no you are not nitpicking and this is the first time i have not given a tip and i am so glad that i didnt. If i had this steward again i would ask that he not clean my room.

 

cheers

both posts are about not very good cabin stewards and it dose happen. and its wrong that it dose, as we all pay alot of money for our cruise and we epect the best service as per what P&O tell us they pervide, I hope for both of you that your next cruise is better for you.

[Brossy]

Hi Emma

 

I was on your cruise and was on the same deck but the opposite side to Karmac. I was very unhappy with my cabin steward and more so at the end and i will be relaying an email to P&O regarding it here goes:

 

We were one of the first on the ship in our cabin it was myself and my daughter he came in and introduced himself as did we, he told us that if we needed anything to ring the number provided. I like to keep the cabin orderly and clean so i took all my own liquid soap pine o clean wipes glen 20 and aqium for the cabin everything was neat and tidy and stayed that way. I pulled our beds up of a morning and generally tidied up as we went so the cabin was always clean and tidy, basically all he had to do was pull the curtains of a night. I dont expect the stewards to be at my beck and call, however what happened toward the end of the cruise left a very sour taste to the cruising experience. About 4 days prior to the end of the cruise i heard him relaying about his newborn daughter who he hadnt seen and hadnt seen pics of and how he missed them etc and i heard this on a few occassions then heard passengers relaying it to others on the deck. He tried to tell me and i said well think about the life that you are providing them by being away working here as there are people back home that do that quite often like the armed forces for example and he didnt like that at all. I returned to the room on a number of occassions to find an envelope appropriately placed on the bedside table, i am not stupid this is my 5th cruise so i would put it away and it would resurface and i am not the type that appreciates being forced into making the payment.

 

I never put anything in it (first time ever) as really he had not done anything other then draw the curtains i even emptied my own garbage intot a bag and put it at the door and he was too up front for my liking.

 

On the last morning we had to vacate the cabin by 8am we got up had shower packed the last of our stuff except a few toiletries we went for breakfast at 7ish and then would go back to the cabin to pick up our backpack and vacate the room the dining room had a breakdown and we got back to the room at 8.10am and when we walked in the room had been made up as a double he was in the room and i said gee you are quick and he said well hurry up and get out i said yep we are goin i picked up the computer and backpack and the P&O winners bag i had put our dirty clothes in and my daughter went to get her make up and face wash out of the bathroom and he had thrown it away he then yelled come on move it get out get out. We left i was :mad: to say the least.

 

When we left the ship and picked up our luggage i was putting the dirty washing out of the P&O winners bag into the suitcase to minimise the bags as we had to get to the train station when i got to the bottom of the bag there was a green apple in the bag now i can tell you it was not myself or my daughter as we ate all meals in the dining room except one at the grill on the last night and 1 at the steakhouse.. I did not declare that and if i had been searched i could of got into trouble there was only 1 other person it could of been other then myself and my daughter so i was not impressed and hence i intend to write a please explain to P&O and ask them to question him who else may of had access to my room whilst i was at breakfast as the door was open when i returned. So no you are not nitpicking and this is the first time i have not given a tip and i am so glad that i didnt. If i had this steward again i would ask that he not clean my room.

 

cheers

 

Aww Lisa that is such ashame. You should definately complain about that one. You'll have to let me know how you get on.

[fishtaco]

Hi Emma

 

I was on your cruise and was on the same deck but the opposite side to Karmac. I was very unhappy with my cabin steward and more so at the end and i will be relaying an email to P&O regarding it here goes:

 

We were one of the first on the ship in our cabin it was myself and my daughter he came in and introduced himself as did we, he told us that if we needed anything to ring the number provided. I like to keep the cabin orderly and clean so i took all my own liquid soap pine o clean wipes glen 20 and aqium for the cabin everything was neat and tidy and stayed that way. I pulled our beds up of a morning and generally tidied up as we went so the cabin was always clean and tidy, basically all he had to do was pull the curtains of a night. I dont expect the stewards to be at my beck and call, however what happened toward the end of the cruise left a very sour taste to the cruising experience. About 4 days prior to the end of the cruise i heard him relaying about his newborn daughter who he hadnt seen and hadnt seen pics of and how he missed them etc and i heard this on a few occassions then heard passengers relaying it to others on the deck. He tried to tell me and i said well think about the life that you are providing them by being away working here as there are people back home that do that quite often like the armed forces for example and he didnt like that at all. I returned to the room on a number of occassions to find an envelope appropriately placed on the bedside table, i am not stupid this is my 5th cruise so i would put it away and it would resurface and i am not the type that appreciates being forced into making the payment.

 

I never put anything in it (first time ever) as really he had not done anything other then draw the curtains i even emptied my own garbage intot a bag and put it at the door and he was too up front for my liking.

 

On the last morning we had to vacate the cabin by 8am we got up had shower packed the last of our stuff except a few toiletries we went for breakfast at 7ish and then would go back to the cabin to pick up our backpack and vacate the room the dining room had a breakdown and we got back to the room at 8.10am and when we walked in the room had been made up as a double he was in the room and i said gee you are quick and he said well hurry up and get out i said yep we are goin i picked up the computer and backpack and the P&O winners bag i had put our dirty clothes in and my daughter went to get her make up and face wash out of the bathroom and he had thrown it away he then yelled come on move it get out get out. We left i was :mad: to say the least.

 

When we left the ship and picked up our luggage i was putting the dirty washing out of the P&O winners bag into the suitcase to minimise the bags as we had to get to the train station when i got to the bottom of the bag there was a green apple in the bag now i can tell you it was not myself or my daughter as we ate all meals in the dining room except one at the grill on the last night and 1 at the steakhouse.. I did not declare that and if i had been searched i could of got into trouble there was only 1 other person it could of been other then myself and my daughter so i was not impressed and hence i intend to write a please explain to P&O and ask them to question him who else may of had access to my room whilst i was at breakfast as the door was open when i returned. So no you are not nitpicking and this is the first time i have not given a tip and i am so glad that i didnt. If i had this steward again i would ask that he not clean my room.

 

cheers

 

 

This is the exact reason I agree with auto tips and disagree with removing them and tipping individuals!

 

My comment on "give them $10 when you arrive and they will bend over backwards" Was more toungue in cheek than anything!

 

By P&O making the ships almost cashless with auto tips in place lessons the likelihood of "Begging" or "Sob stories" from staff that basically think you are rich,afterall you can afford to cruise!

 

I go to Bali quite often and sob stories are normal practice,I have learned to turn a deaf ear when a driver or cleaner starts talking about his newborn or sick wife and it happens every trip without fail!

 

I have heard the same on my cruises but just ignore it!

 

If I get good service I put a card in at the pursers desk,if I get bad service I put a card in at the pursers desk simple.

 

I am not well off but factor the auto tips into my overall cruise cost,if I was not quite so lucky then perhaps i would remove the auto tips if I could not afford it.

 

I will not give individual tips on a cruise as I feel it totally unnecessary because I have already tipped via auto tips.

 

You were perhaps lucky/unlucky enough to see the real side of your steward so you should complain to the company.

 

 

Den

[thied]

At the end of the day its there job to service your cabin to a standard and any other service that all who work on the cruise ships according to the the cruise line they work for. If they dont you can put your complain into the pursers deck on a card.

As for tipping well that up to every one weather or they auto tip its up to you and your chorce.

As for tipping individuals thats the same your chorce.

[Skyrules]

Do the room stewards and waiters on the Pacific Dawn accept cash tips warmly, if a passenger so happens to offer them?

 

Yes they do. Whenever we've tipped our waiters or cabin stewards they have always been very gracious (and grateful) in their acceptance of the money. We've never felt that they had an expectation that they were going to receive it.

 

We always leave our auto-tipping on, and then on top of that we personally tip our cabin steward/s and table waiter/s if we feel that they deserve it.

 

Of the 7 long cruises that I've done (I won't count the two 2 2-nighters) there has only been 1 cruise that we didn't tip the cabin staff extra (Pacific Star), and one (a different cruise - on Pacific Sun) that we didn't tip the wait staff. In both cases this was because we didn't get the usual high standard of service.

[Skyrules]

This is the exact reason I agree with auto tips and disagree with removing them and tipping individuals!

 

My comment on "give them $10 when you arrive and they will bend over backwards" Was more toungue in cheek than anything!

 

By P&O making the ships almost cashless with auto tips in place lessons the likelihood of "Begging" or "Sob stories" from staff that basically think you are rich,afterall you can afford to cruise!

 

I go to Bali quite often and sob stories are normal practice,I have learned to turn a deaf ear when a driver or cleaner starts talking about his newborn or sick wife and it happens every trip without fail!

 

I have heard the same on my cruises but just ignore it!

 

If I get good service I put a card in at the pursers desk,if I get bad service I put a card in at the pursers desk simple.

 

I am not well off but factor the auto tips into my overall cruise cost,if I was not quite so lucky then perhaps i would remove the auto tips if I could not afford it.

 

I will not give individual tips on a cruise as I feel it totally unnecessary because I have already tipped via auto tips.

 

You were perhaps lucky/unlucky enough to see the real side of your steward so you should complain to the company.

 

 

Den

 

I agree with everything you've said Den, except that we do still tip individuals, but only if they deserve it - not based on tales of families back home struggling, etc, etc.

 

Like you , we budget the auto-tipping into our budget for on-board expenditure.

 

Kym