Do You Clean Your Own Cabin?

[Lionesss]

Well we rut it up a little, but clean.....no.

Sea Ya

[donaldsc]

You aren't serious. You can't be. This has to be a joke.

 

DON

[cello56]

We keep our cabin tidy and clean. Garbage is disposed of in the waste bucket, clothes are put away. We do NOT reuse towels! Sorry, I am on vacation and want nice clean fluffy towels with each shower! At home we actually DO use reuse, so I figure I save the environment at home!

 

As for bussing the dinner table in the main dining room .... NO, NO, NO!! That to me is a totally inappropriate behavior. You are not at home, and you are not at the Golden Coral! Let the staff that have been hired to do that job, do their jobs. They know how to collect the soiled dishes correctly. If I was at a table beside someone who started scraping the leftovers on to a plate and stacking the dirty dishes I would be very disappointed.

[tinkr2]

It's interesting that the messy people aren't responding :p

 

We all know you exist, your cabin doors are open during cleaning :eek:

 

We like to have the cabin look (as much as possible) like it does upon boarding all week. The space is too limited to have clutter, I'd be frustrated trying to find things and probably be late for everything if it wasn't well organized.

 

When our kids used to cruise with us, I swear it took us 20 minutes a day to supervise the pick up chores (we did not do it for them) prior to the cabin steward coming in to clean. You would have thought they'd get tired of it and just do it before we arrived.

 

Over the years we've learned what to take and what is unnecessary clutter. Leave home the stuff that doesn't get used and you don't have to find a place for it.

Hey I responded. Apparently I am the only messy person on the whole ship...actually in the entire population of cruisers.:D

Thank heavens I'm a generous tipper to make up for that flaw lol

[notentirelynormal]

She doesn't say that she's in the MDR. Maybe that is what she meant, if so, I don't agree with that.

 

I also bus my own table at dinner, stack empty plates.

 

To me she is saying she is in a dining room - not the buffet. She is "at" dinner.... not just "getting" dinner.

[Cruisin Broad]

I travel with two other females (husbands stay home) and we do tend to neaten the cabin before we leave (put away clothes and toiletry items, stack magazines, reading material, etc.). We don't make the beds, dust the furniture, or empty the trash. If we eat at the buffet, we tend to put everything on one tray when we're finished and stack the others beneath. When we eat in one of the dining rooms or specialty restaurants, at the end of the meal we place our silverware on the plate, place our napkins on the table, and leave.

[Hlitner]

I can't help it. The first day I make sure we fully unpack and all luggage gets put away. All our clothes get hung up or are neatly folded in the drawers. During the cruise I never leave the cabin a mess. Everyday I pick up trash, wipe down counters. I won't leave personal items laying around the bathroom, not even a toothbrush. Aside from making the bed and replacing the towels (we don't reuse them), I don't leave much for the cabin stewart. I also bus my own table at dinner, stack empty plates. It has nothing to do with tipping (I keep autotips on and leave extra), I just hate leaving a mess.

 

 

You might want to Google "OCD." It is one thing to keep a cabin neat, but when you start dusting, wiping down counters, etc.. it sure sound obsessive.

 

Hank

[NoWhiners]

I'm guilty!! I don't go as far as wiping down counters but our clothes are put away. I can't stand clutter or a mess especially in a small space.

 

I have often walked down the hallway of a cruise ship and peeked into rooms that are being cleaned. And it gives me the heepie jeepies just looking at the mess. Clothes on every surface, chair, bed etc. I feel so sorry for the room steward who is trying to straighten up that mess. And what's worse is the rooms that are the most messy seem to always be inside rooms:eek:!

 

Yes, this is what I do too and I have looked into other cabins on the way down the hall. you're right--OMG, looks like there was a war in the cabin or it had just been tossed by burglars :eek: :D! saw one cabin (that a single person staying in it) and the bathroom floor had all kinds of towels laying on it.

 

I straighten the room up, make the bed, put trash away, leave any room service dishes stacked, from largest on bottom to smallest, with the silver lids on top. it all fits together a lot better when plates are stacked--and if there is any food left over, I put it all on the top plate of the stack. I think it's just habit--this is my routine at home. I also keep the bathroom counters uncluttered so the stewards can wipe them down. I do clean up any water or other spills on the bathroom counter but no other special effort. Oh, and I clean toothpaste off the inside of the sink--I hate that ;) !

 

This is a fun topic!!

 

ML

[Frenchlu]

We are not tidy people but I always wipe down handles and knobs and surfaces with disinfectant and tissues when I first go into the cabin. Although the cabin looks spotless you don't know what germs are on the remote control and light switches. I know I am not guaranteeing freedom from norovirus but I am making some effort to avoid it. My friend thinks I am mad doing it. I don't make my bed but always leave it pulled up tidily. I have no problem re-using towels as I have just showered and am clean.

[Doug R.]

Some people really should be seeking professional help. :(

 

Putting your stuff away neatly and placing trash in the proper receptacles is reasonable and proper. Flushing food down the toilet, thus jeopardizing the plumbing, busing your own dishes, probably despite the protests of your wait staff and scrubbing and dusting your cabin is probably an indication that the OCD ship has sailed and you are on it.

[flnursemichelle]

I am reading all these posts and they are quite interesting... Being a nurse, I always wipe down a room before I use it. That being said, I do it the first time and not usually after that. The germs I bring are my germs and I am used to them. Knowing what is growing on things you would touch daily, you might consider it too. I will take 5 min to wipe down things to prevent me from being sick and ruining my holiday, especially since I only get about 1 a year. :)

I will reuse my hair towel, not a body towel, same as home. I also have a face scrubbie and a body scrubbie. (I can't be the only one?)

I haven't cruised yet, (15 days!!) but I have stayed in very small hotel rooms with 3 other people and I have learned that everything has a place. Knowing I want to save certain things that others may throw away and since I am driving to the port, I plan to take a few other things to help me save my mementos. Either a folder or small binder to keep loose pages in, but I know this is a little over the top. :)

Since there are some that will say I have OCD (I do, I admit it) I will also fess up, I fold my dirty clothes and put them in the suitcase when I am done with them. In my defense, when it's time to pack to go, I don't have to fold a bunch of dirty clothes. ;)

I don't make my bed other than throwing the covers up, I don't at home either and it remains a bone of contention with my mother when she visits. I consider it my only lasting rebellion, not making my bed daily. :D

I won't stack dishes or bus tables myself, it's the waiters job and since I wouldn't expect someone to start their own IV, I won't step on their toes and try to do theirs. I've had too many waitress relatives tell me it just causes more work for them and it makes their bosses think they aren't working fast enough. Nope, I won't be getting any of my waiters/waitresses in trouble. :eek:

I will pick up after myself but it is because I know the steward will have way too much to do. He/she needs to spend more time in those messy rooms. :D

That is my post, if you don't like something, just ignore it! It's my opinion, not anyone else's.

[kangaand2roos]

I am reading all these posts and they are quite interesting... Being a nurse, I always wipe down a room before I use it. That being said, I do it the first time and not usually after that. The germs I bring are my germs and I am used to them. Knowing what is growing on things you would touch daily, you might consider it too. I will take 5 min to wipe down things to prevent me from being sick and ruining my holiday, especially since I only get about 1 a year. :)

I will reuse my hair towel, not a body towel, same as home. I also have a face scrubbie and a body scrubbie. (I can't be the only one?)

I haven't cruised yet, (15 days!!) but I have stayed in very small hotel rooms with 3 other people and I have learned that everything has a place. Knowing I want to save certain things that others may throw away and since I am driving to the port, I plan to take a few other things to help me save my mementos. Either a folder or small binder to keep loose pages in, but I know this is a little over the top. :)

Since there are some that will say I have OCD (I do, I admit it) I will also fess up, I fold my dirty clothes and put them in the suitcase when I am done with them. In my defense, when it's time to pack to go, I don't have to fold a bunch of dirty clothes. ;)

I don't make my bed other than throwing the covers up, I don't at home either and it remains a bone of contention with my mother when she visits. I consider it my only lasting rebellion, not making my bed daily. :D

I won't stack dishes or bus tables myself, it's the waiters job and since I wouldn't expect someone to start their own IV, I won't step on their toes and try to do theirs. I've had too many waitress relatives tell me it just causes more work for them and it makes their bosses think they aren't working fast enough. Nope, I won't be getting any of my waiters/waitresses in trouble. :eek:

I will pick up after myself but it is because I know the steward will have way too much to do. He/she needs to spend more time in those messy rooms. :D

That is my post, if you don't like something, just ignore it! It's my opinion, not anyone else's.

 

I always have at least one binder as that is how I organize my docs, and bring several folders to keep any of the paper I might want to keep. I also pit any photo purchases in a folder.

[Aplmac]

Straighten? Yes. Clean? no.

Exactly and precisely, says my wife.

 

.

[DirtyDawg]

Yes, this is what I do too and I have looked into other cabins on the way down the hall. you're right--OMG, looks like there was a war in the cabin or it had just been tossed by burglars :eek: :D! saw one cabin (that a single person staying in it) and the bathroom floor had all kinds of towels laying on it.ML

 

WOW you could see into that cabin's bathroom from the hallway? What ship was that? I'll avoid that ship in the future.:eek:

[Lovemychoos]

We tidy our clothes, and try not to have our cabin look like its been burgled, lol. Cleaning ? Absolutely not. As for dinner plates etc, has anyone actually noticed that they have a very particular way they collect and stack plates and cutlery for carrying ? I've seen people leave tables in the dining room, all plates etc stacked neatly in a pile, just to have the poor waiter unstack and re-arrange them for carrying away! Leave them be, and let them get on and do their job, IMHO

 

Lou

[Ocean Air]

We are not tidy people but I always wipe down handles and knobs and surfaces with disinfectant and tissues when I first go into the cabin. Although the cabin looks spotless you don't know what germs are on the remote control and light switches. I know I am not guaranteeing freedom from norovirus but I am making some effort to avoid it. My friend thinks I am mad doing it. I don't make my bed but always leave it pulled up tidily. I have no problem re-using towels as I have just showered and am clean.

 

Some people really should be seeking professional help. :(

 

Putting your stuff away neatly and placing trash in the proper receptacles is reasonable and proper. Flushing food down the toilet, thus jeopardizing the plumbing, busing your own dishes, probably despite the protests of your wait staff and scrubbing and dusting your cabin is probably an indication that the OCD ship has sailed and you are on it.

 

I agree with Frenchlu and Doug R - I use wipes when I first arrive in our room also and always use the proper receptacles. I don't like clutter at home therefore don't like it when I am away. But there is a difference between being neat and cleaning. (I didn't see where people flush food items down the toilet but irresponsible flushing could mean people below you get clogged and flooded :eek:)

 

Lovemychoos is right. I used to think I was helping the wait staff by piling up my dishes but my son who works weekends as a waiter told me to stop. Saying they have their own way of piling up those dishes.

 

I agree with DixieVa - some cabins are wall to wall suitcase explosions, no floor to be found just stuff. I feel for those cabin stewards.

 

The only thing I do (OCD?) is lay our used towels, wash cloths (wrung out), etc across the toilet or on the sink so they aren't laying all over the floor. Yuck on picking up someone elses soaked washcloth and having to wring it out, IMHO.

[patriots00celtics]

If I was a "bus boy"/waiter on a ship, or anywhere really, I would feel awkward to see a costumer doing my job.... It would make me feel like I wasn't working fast enough for you. To me, doing someone else's job without asking that person, is very rude and disrespectful... Would you go hammer in some nails for a carpenter, or trim your lawn while your landscaper is doing the same? I see people do it out of habit and/or are trying to help, but to me it's like pulling the remote control out of somebody else's hand.....

[pafam4]

One time when we were attending a function in Ocean Plaza on the Dream, we had enjoyed desserts at one of the tables. I looked and looked for a trash can and place to put the dirty dishes. A server came by and told us to just leave them, they do not want the passengers to bus tables at all, for safety reasons (?).

 

We only get one cabin when we cruise, but if my kids did stay in another cabin, there is no way I would allow them to keep it a mess. They would need to at least keep their clothes picked up and any trash put in the trash can. Room service trays would be placed where the steward/room service personnel requests. This is just common courtesy and respect, and it really doesn't take too much time to do this. Hopefully, any kids who actually leave their cabins like this on a cruise would be leaving the steward extra tips using their own money.

[frisbeewife]

Put me in the "straighten up but not clean" category. Clean clothes are hung up or in a drawer, dirty clothes go in a pillowcase we bring from home for that purpose, extra papers and other trash gets thrown away, toothbrushes and so on are put in their place. We just feel better in a neat environment and are the same way at home.

 

On my last cruise, though, I shared a suite with my 2 oldest grandsons, ages 11 and 12. The 12 year old kept all of his iPod and other stuff neatly arranged on the desk with his clean clothes put away in his duffel bag and his dirty clothes in the pillowcase I had brought for them. The 11 year old, however, had clothes (dirty? clean? who knows?) all over the place and when I'd tell him to clean them up he'd throw them all on top of his duffel bag in the corner. They share a room at home and I don't know how they deal with the neat/messy issue - I'm guessing it will get worse as they get older. :D

 

As for towels, at home DH and I do reuse them for up to a week. We have 3 towels and 2 washcloths in our bathroom. He uses one towel and I use 2 towels and both washcloths. One towel is for my face & hair and the other is for my body. I hang them each back up in their spot so I can tell which is which. One washcloth is for my face and one is for my body, and again they each have their own place. Everything is completely dry by the time we shower again so I have no problem with reusing them. Having said that, on a cruise I will not reuse towels, mainly because they just don't dry very well and I'd prefer fresh ones. On a side note - am I the only one who has trouble getting things to dry in the bathroom on a ship? I assume it's because I keep the door closed and the A/C doesn't circulate through there very well.

 

As for dishes, I MIGHT stack the plates when eating at the buffet, but only if we're sitting around the table for a bit after eating (waiting for somebody else in our group to finish, not just hogging the table) and need to get them out of our way. If the bussers want to restack them to their standards I certainly wouldn't be offended. But I wouldn't dream of doing it in the MDR and have never had any reason to do so since the staff clears them away so quickly.

 

Interesting thread, btw.

[kangaand2roos]

Put me in the "straighten up but not clean" category. Clean clothes are hung up or in a drawer, dirty clothes go in a pillowcase we bring from home for that purpose, extra papers and other trash gets thrown away, toothbrushes and so on are put in their place. We just feel better in a neat environment and are the same way at home.

 

On my last cruise, though, I shared a suite with my 2 oldest grandsons, ages 11 and 12. The 12 year old kept all of his iPod and other stuff neatly arranged on the desk with his clean clothes put away in his duffel bag and his dirty clothes in the pillowcase I had brought for them. The 11 year old, however, had clothes (dirty? clean? who knows?) all over the place and when I'd tell him to clean them up he'd throw them all on top of his duffel bag in the corner. They share a room at home and I don't know how they deal with the neat/messy issue - I'm guessing it will get worse as they get older. :D

 

As for towels, at home DH and I do reuse them for up to a week. We have 3 towels and 2 washcloths in our bathroom. He uses one towel and I use 2 towels and both washcloths. One towel is for my face & hair and the other is for my body. I hang them each back up in their spot so I can tell which is which. One washcloth is for my face and one is for my body, and again they each have their own place. Everything is completely dry by the time we shower again so I have no problem with reusing them. Having said that, on a cruise I will not reuse towels, mainly because they just don't dry very well and I'd prefer fresh ones. On a side note - am I the only one who has trouble getting things to dry in the bathroom on a ship? I assume it's because I keep the door closed and the A/C doesn't circulate through there very well.

 

As for dishes, I MIGHT stack the plates when eating at the buffet, but only if we're sitting around the table for a bit after eating (waiting for somebody else in our group to finish, not just hogging the table) and need to get them out of our way. If the bussers want to restack them to their standards I certainly wouldn't be offended. But I wouldn't dream of doing it in the MDR and have never had any reason to do so since the staff clears them away so quickly.

 

Interesting thread, btw.

 

 

The drying thing is why I get clean towels on vacation (esp. on a cruise) where I reuse at home. Also, not being able to tell one from another. Our last cruise, we swam the first and second days (5 nighter) and not again. Our suits STILL weren't dry when I packed!

[LMaxwell]

I'll bring a few disinfectant wipes to wipe down touch points (faucet, bathroom handle, etc). Other than that I just try to keep "tidy" so as not to have anything I want to keep thrown out or misplaced. Trash goes in the trash bin and the steward can empty it; I'm not running all over the ship to attend to my own cabin. I don't fold towels, I don't wipe down dust, I don't make my bed. Basically, I don't destroy the room because that's not how I live at home, but I don't go on vacation to spend time cleaning.

 

If you're not an animal it's not hard to keep tidy while not investing any real amount of time to let the steward efficiently do his or her job.

[ruffiangirl]

I don't understand how people can let the cabins get like that lol. A towel in the floor is pretty much the whole floor.

[Daisyloo]

I hate cleaning. I hate it at home and I sure am not doing any while on vacation. That's why I don't go camping or to a cottage. My idea of a vacation is to get away from the everyday work, cleaning, cooking etc and have someone else do it for me. I try not to be an absolute slob in a hotel room or a ship's cabin, but no cleaning for me. :D

[welovedis]

I take a small pac of disinfectant wipes to hit the light switches, doorknobs, remote, flat surfaces of desk areas, drawer pulls, and the like in the bathroom as well. Takes about 5 mins tops to do this and I might do it again on the outer door and bathroom door once or twice during the week...just me wanting to keep clean.

 

We always hang our clothes, its what we do at home so it isn't a behavior change to do so when vacationing. Dirty clothes are cleaned up after everyone has changed so as not make a big smelly pile after a few days. We usually take a fabric softener sheet or 2, rip them in half & put them in with the dirty stuff so it doesn't stink too much on the way home, lol! We work out every day so that would be pretty nasty by vacation's end.

 

Towels: I was surprised at the different responses and the camps of "I don't reuse", "I do reuse"...just never crossed my mind, really. In our house we have towels that match each of our bathrooms and we all use a different color. My son has a bright color scheme so his bath towels, mats, wash cloths, etc.. are all a vivid turquoise. Hubs has dark navy and mine are dove grey. Because we have a septic system at home we've learned to be careful of our water usage and we do reuse towels. Obviously if something gets cleaned with a washcloth that shouldn't be used elsewhere then that gets washed, common sense. So while we wash washcloths more often that other items we definitely reuse the towels that are basically used to dry off a clean body. While we've never experienced an issue with staph or other infections/fungi, I can understand that others might have issues or sensitivities to that. Here's an interesting link regarding reusing towels/linens: http://www.economicallysound.com/towelsheet_reuse_program_savings.html

 

I organize receipts/loose items in a small zippered pouch like this: http://www.zappos.com/lesportsac-3-pack-of-pouches-cabana-multi?ef_id=Ugbz-AAAADW2cDWd:20130908171929:s&zfcTest=fcl%3A0 keeps the little stuff in one place. For paper items that are larger & we want to preserve I take a empty paper towel roll along and just roll up the daily newsletters, etc. that we get. Keeps them safe & takes up very little room!

 

As far as busing the table they have a particular way of stacking & taking away things so I, personally, would not do that. Perhaps the OP meant that she stacks things, I cannot think she actually meant that she carries them away from her dining table...or maybe she does? :confused:

[Ocean Air]

We re-use towels at home where they dry properly in between uses. Nothing dries in those cabin bathrooms (I think it is because the doors don't stay open).

 

But have you noticed that even if you do re-hang your towel your cabin steward replaces it with a new one?

 

By the way WELOVEDIS, love the pouch idea for receipts. Usually we have a drawer set aside for lose papers and receipts but I like your idea better. I think I will bring a few large manilla envelopes and mark them receipts, tickets, misc.