Problem with Cabin Steward

[Mrs.G's Mr.G]

I would like to share my own disappointing experience from our last cruise.

 

Our room steward was horrible. He and his assistant were inconsistent. The room was not always vacuumed, the vanity counter was not always cleaned and we sometimes found our used dishes & glasses we left out in the hallway still there after 2 or 3 hours. We would leave wet. dirty, sandy towels on the floor as they request for changing and we would find them just folded and re hung in the bathroom. We did not get replacement beach towels for 2 days after having to ask for them. During the course of the week, the stewards would knock and open the door at the same time and step into the room and as they announced "house keeping". We asked that they gives us time to answer the door before entering, but that request was ignored.

 

Our tip preference is to have guest services remove the gratuities and we tip in cash how we feel appropriate. Our steward, both head and assistant in the past have always gotten a generous cash tip, since we have always received good to excellent service. I have heard conflicting reports that the stewards know if gratuities are removed, we always give our tip to the steward an his/her assistant on our way to dinner the last night. This time we did not see them, so I decided to just leave the envelopes in the room for them to find when they cleaned the room and did the turn down. When we went back to the room after dinner about 8:30 we saw the stewards finishing up their turn downs for the evening. When we walked into our room, low and behold our room had not been turned down. No towels changed, no towel animal, nothing. I went out into the hallway to look for him and he was gone. I walked to his storage room, knocked on the door and after receiving no answer I opened the door to find his cart there and no room steward. Now this was the last straw. My wife went down to guest services and complained and I took the tip envelopes off of the vanity. We went out again and returned for the night about 11 PM to find the room turned down, towel animal, fresh towels, beach towels and fresh sheets. I put their gratuity envelopes back on the vanity and we went to bed.

 

The next morning we were up at 6 AM. At about 6:45 while I was out getting a second cup of coffee and my wife was just finishing getting dressed, the head steward did his knock and enter routine again. She let him know her displeasure of this again and he just laughed at her. She slammed the door on him. When I returned to the room and heard this, I adjusted the gratuity. For good measure, we took date and time stamped pictures of the honor bar, beach towels and bathrobes in case we get charged for anything.

 

Luckily we got a survey via email and our concerns with the stewards were noted. I also forwarded my complaints to our travel agent who passed them onto the customer care department. Customer care responded back in about 3 days apologizing and promising to address this with the right people on the Splendor.

 

We realize that this was an exception and not the rule, but we save all year for vacation and we expect competent service for our money. I do not believe in rewarding bad service with a gratuity. Competent to excellent service will be rewarded by me and my wife. Disagree with me if you must, but that is our preference and what we have always done in the past and will continue to do so in the future.

 

If what had happened to the OP happened to me and my wife, I would have handled the situation more aggressively with guest services and the hotel director. We all deserve competent to excellent service, it is what we pay for and is what is advertised.

[okgirl]

The company should have known he was a predator if in fact he was one. It is called a brackground check or better yet not scraping the bottom of the barrel when hiring workers.

 

I think it's a leap to label this stewards behavior as predatory. Hostile and abrupt yes, but he didn't do anything that was agressive toward the wife.

 

I've had many cabin stewards come into the cabin when I've been there alone. If they need to come all the way into the cabin typically they will flip the dead bolt so the door isn't latched, but I've not felt threatened in anyway.

 

Just last week on the Magic I had plumbing problems and had plumbers in my cabin at various times while both me or my sister were there alone.

[ScottsSweetie]

I would like to share my own disappointing experience from our last cruise.

 

Our room steward was horrible. He and his assistant were inconsistent. The room was not always vacuumed' date=' the vanity counter was not always cleaned and we sometimes found our used dishes & glasses we left out in the hallway still there after 2 or 3 hours. We would leave wet. dirty, sandy towels on the floor as they request for changing and we would find them just folded and re hung in the bathroom. We did not get replacement beach towels for 2 days after having to ask for them. During the course of the week, the stewards would knock and open the door at the same time and step into the room and as they announced "house keeping". We asked that they gives us time to answer the door before entering, but that request was ignored. [/color']

 

Our tip preference is to have guest services remove the gratuities and we tip in cash how we feel appropriate. Our steward, both head and assistant in the past have always gotten a generous cash tip, since we have always received good to excellent service. I have heard conflicting reports that the stewards know if gratuities are removed, we always give our tip to the steward an his/her assistant on our way to dinner the last night. This time we did not see them, so I decided to just leave the envelopes in the room for them to find when they cleaned the room and did the turn down. When we went back to the room after dinner about 8:30 we saw the stewards finishing up their turn downs for the evening. When we walked into our room, low and behold our room had not been turned down. No towels changed, no towel animal, nothing. I went out into the hallway to look for him and he was gone. I walked to his storage room, knocked on the door and after receiving no answer I opened the door to find his cart there and no room steward. Now this was the last straw. My wife went down to guest services and complained and I took the tip envelopes off of the vanity. We went out again and returned for the night about 11 PM to find the room turned down, towel animal, fresh towels, beach towels and fresh sheets. I put their gratuity envelopes back on the vanity and we went to bed.

 

The next morning we were up at 6 AM. At about 6:45 while I was out getting a second cup of coffee and my wife was just finishing getting dressed, the head steward did his knock and enter routine again. She let him know her displeasure of this again and he just laughed at her. She slammed the door on him. When I returned to the room and heard this, I adjusted the gratuity. For good measure, we took date and time stamped pictures of the honor bar, beach towels and bathrobes in case we get charged for anything.

 

Luckily we got a survey via email and our concerns with the stewards were noted. I also forwarded my complaints to our travel agent who passed them onto the customer care department. Customer care responded back in about 3 days apologizing and promising to address this with the right people on the Splendor.

 

We realize that this was an exception and not the rule, but we save all year for vacation and we expect competent service for our money. I do not believe in rewarding bad service with a gratuity. Competent to excellent service will be rewarded by me and my wife. Disagree with me if you must, but that is our preference and what we have always done in the past and will continue to do so in the future.

 

If what had happened to the OP happened to me and my wife, I would have handled the situation more aggressively with guest services and the hotel director. We all deserve competent to excellent service, it is what we pay for and is what is advertised.

 

I agree that they should give you time to answer before entering, but do you not LOCK your door when you are in your room? Whether I am on cruise or in hotel, if I am in my room (especially if all occupants are in) then the room is LOCKED and BOLTED so it cannot be opened.

[guxu]

I agree that they should give you time to answer before entering, but do you not LOCK your door when you are in your room? Whether I am on cruise or in hotel, if I am in my room (especially if all occupants are in) then the room is LOCKED and BOLTED so it cannot be opened.

Besides the lock, I also use Sailing/Snoozing door tag.

[dr6462]

Your cabin steward was way out of line. Your comments on the Carnival survey should go a long way in correcting this situation. I hope you used his name in your review to Carnival. (Next time take a white towel from the bathroom if the beach towels are not available)

 

My wife and I just returned from an 8 day cruise on the Lengend. Our cabin steward was sub-par but not to the extent of yours. We had no room service menu, no ice bucket, no ice bucket glasses, no glass in the bathroom, no crusin/snoozen door handle tag, and when we ran out of tissues in the holder in the bathroom he just placed a box on the wash basin not in the holder (until the last day when new cruisers were to board). He never introduced himself, spoke to us or greeted us. If we spoke first he would acknowledge we spoke.

 

My wife was irritated but I told her he was old and to give him a break as he did fix each of the shortcomings when we left him a request to do so (except the bathroom tissue thing) and the room was cleaned daily and turned down daily so no big deal.

 

We did not reduce our tips but the cabin service was not what we are used to receiving on Carnival. They are typically very good. I actually felt sorry for the room steward his age(maybe he couldn't remember names I can't), isolation from his family and the tough job he has.

 

We still had a great time, and just took it in stride.

[Mrs.G's Mr.G]

I agree that they should give you time to answer before entering, but do you not LOCK your door when you are in your room? Whether I am on cruise or in hotel, if I am in my room (especially if all occupants are in) then the room is LOCKED and BOLTED so it cannot be opened.

 

The door was not dead bolted, I left the room to get coffee and I wanted to be able to get back in the room.

 

Besides the lock, I also use Sailing/Snoozing door tag.

 

The snoozing sign was on the door. Even if it wasn't, it does give give the steward permission to knock and enter at the same time.

[Blk_Amish]

I agree that they should give you time to answer before entering, but do you not LOCK your door when you are in your room? Whether I am on cruise or in hotel, if I am in my room (especially if all occupants are in) then the room is LOCKED and BOLTED so it cannot be opened.

 

At night yes, when we are all asleep. Yes, if I am getting dressed. Yes at cheap hotel in sketchy areas like to an airport. No, not when I am in watching TV, relaxing or enjoying the balcony. Even in my home, I knock and give my kids time before entering.

Edited November 8, 2013 by Blk_Amish

[Ocean Dancer]

On our last cruise, the Legend, our cabin steward had a bit of an additude but all requests were granted as wine glasses, towels, extra ice, and all this was very much appreciated, and was the norm for all past cruises.

 

BUT, he kept trying to kick us out of our cabin at 5pm each day. We had late dinner and were not even showered. We tried to explain that we had LATE DINNER, but each day the knock on the door came at 5pm. This was an 11 day repo cruise, and he still did not GET it!!!!!!!!!! And our room vas rarely vacuumed. We never complained, just politely told him to come back later.

 

My BIL was next door and we visited each others cabins a lot. He was in our cabin one night and DH and his brother were happily arguing over a $20 about who owed who. Bil left it on our table when he returned to his cabin. I put it in our top drawer where it remained until the morning of packing. We went to breakfast, returned to our cabin, the $20 was gone. I thought DH took it, he thought I took it. Can't prove anything, but we were going to add it to his tip. He was NOT the best steward in 30 plus cruises!!!

 

Also had a steward walk in on us during afternoon delight many years ago,

our fault, we slept late and were way off our schedule, but this situation was handled with respect and very funny..........he could not apologize enough. We still laugh over it to this day!!:eek:

[Crusin6]

I think it's a leap to label this stewards behavior as predatory. Hostile and abrupt yes, but he didn't do anything that was agressive toward the wife.

 

I've had many cabin stewards come into the cabin when I've been there alone. If they need to come all the way into the cabin typically they will flip the dead bolt so the door isn't latched, but I've not felt threatened in anyway.

 

Just last week on the Magic I had plumbing problems and had plumbers in my cabin at various times while both me or my sister were there alone.

 

The term predator was in the post I was quoting and i was using it as a reference. Check out post # 68 I believe. I would have called him a bully and a goon.

[Crusin6]

I would like to share my own disappointing experience from our last cruise.

 

Our room steward was horrible. He and his assistant were inconsistent. The room was not always vacuumed' date=' the vanity counter was not always cleaned and we sometimes found our used dishes & glasses we left out in the hallway still there after 2 or 3 hours. We would leave wet. dirty, sandy towels on the floor as they request for changing and we would find them just folded and re hung in the bathroom. We did not get replacement beach towels for 2 days after having to ask for them. During the course of the week, the stewards would knock and open the door at the same time and step into the room and as they announced "house keeping". We asked that they gives us time to answer the door before entering, but that request was ignored.

 

Our tip preference is to have guest services remove the gratuities and we tip in cash how we feel appropriate. Our steward, both head and assistant in the past have always gotten a generous cash tip, since we have always received good to excellent service. I have heard conflicting reports that the stewards know if gratuities are removed, we always give our tip to the steward an his/her assistant on our way to dinner the last night. This time we did not see them, so I decided to just leave the envelopes in the room for them to find when they cleaned the room and did the turn down. When we went back to the room after dinner about 8:30 we saw the stewards finishing up their turn downs for the evening. When we walked into our room, low and behold our room had not been turned down. No towels changed, no towel animal, nothing. I went out into the hallway to look for him and he was gone. I walked to his storage room, knocked on the door and after receiving no answer I opened the door to find his cart there and no room steward. Now this was the last straw. My wife went down to guest services and complained and I took the tip envelopes off of the vanity. We went out again and returned for the night about 11 PM to find the room turned down, towel animal, fresh towels, beach towels and fresh sheets. I put their gratuity envelopes back on the vanity and we went to bed.

 

The next morning we were up at 6 AM. At about 6:45 while I was out getting a second cup of coffee and my wife was just finishing getting dressed, the head steward did his knock and enter routine again. She let him know her displeasure of this again and he just laughed at her. She slammed the door on him. When I returned to the room and heard this, I adjusted the gratuity. For good measure, we took date and time stamped pictures of the honor bar, beach towels and bathrobes in case we get charged for anything.

 

Luckily we got a survey via email and our concerns with the stewards were noted. I also forwarded my complaints to our travel agent who passed them onto the customer care department. Customer care responded back in about 3 days apologizing and promising to address this with the right people on the Splendor.

 

We realize that this was an exception and not the rule, but we save all year for vacation and we expect competent service for our money. I do not believe in rewarding bad service with a gratuity. Competent to excellent service will be rewarded by me and my wife. Disagree with me if you must, but that is our preference and what we have always done in the past and will continue to do so in the future.

 

If what had happened to the OP happened to me and my wife, I would have handled the situation more aggressively with guest services and the hotel director. We all deserve competent to excellent service, it is what we pay for and is what is advertised. [/color']

 

I think the issue may have stemmed from the fact that he knew you removed the auto tip. While I applaud your tipping method maybe you should have told him that he could expect a cash tip rather than auto tips? Didn't we all read awhile back about some sort of list of which pax removed the auto tips?

[Mrs.G's Mr.G]

I think the issue may have stemmed from the fact that he knew you removed the auto tip. While I applaud your tipping method maybe you should have told him that he could expect a cash tip rather than auto tips? Didn't we all read awhile back about some sort of list of which pax removed the auto tips?

 

Yes they may know, I have never gotten a definitive answer if they know if the auto tips are removed or not. However, we remove the auto tips on the last day. That would not explain the lousy service for the first 7 of an 8 day cruise. The guy sucked, plain and simple.

[aligav]

On an NCL cruise 2 years ago my husband and I were getting ready for dinner.Our door was locked and do not disturb sign up outside. As there was nothing but sea as far as the eye could see, our curtain was open and balcony door adjar. I walked out of the shower room wearing only my "birthday suit" to meet our cabin steward standing at the balcony window. I dont know who got the biggest shock!!! My husband challenged him and he said he had lost his room keys and had opened balcony doors between next doors cabin and hoped to cross ours to the next where he thought he might have left them???didnt make much sense but we phoned head of housekeeping and asked for a new cabin steward-I was so embarrased. . The hotel director phoned us the next morning and came to speak to us with the head of housekeeping and were very apologetic. My sons thought it was hilarous and i have to admit the memory of my husband standing in his underpants challenging our intruder does make me chuckle now!!:eek:

[MsTabbyKats]

Veer from the rules?!?!?!?!?!?! This man made up his own rules. To knock and enter is against the rules. You can't take the glasses out of the room? So are you supposed to drink out of dirty glasses during the cruise? They have replacements' date=' just look on their carts, they are on the top shelf.

 

There is NO EXCUSE for this behavior. The guy is a jerk. It does not matter where he is from. For the record, I would have adjusted his tip. A gratuity is just that. A reward for good service. Bad service does not warrant a reward. [/color']

 

Someone pointed out that there are new "glass rules".

 

About things like "said to the OP that he already had bathrobes"....if that were me, and the steward told me I already had something I didn't have....I would have simply asked him "where are they?" I fail to understand why the OP did not just ask..."If I have them, could you please show me where?" Considering the steward was friendly....I think he would have done this.

 

Please go back and read the OPs post.....there were so many times he could have "just asked where?"

 

The only thing I really think was "not right" was entering the room and closing the door behind him.

 

The rest...I attribute to lack of communications. In addition, I think the OP felt physically intimated because right away he gives us an image of a very large person. I bet if their sizes were equal, he wouldn't have mentioned it and might have been more assertive with the steward.

 

In closing....this tall friendly fellow from the Ukraine needs to learn to acquiesce or otherwise find himself a new career.

[Phlybice]

So on my last cruise, I was not thrilled at all with our cabin steward. On every cruise I have been on, they have been great and tirelessly work behind the scenes to make things enjoyable.

 

What I want to know is if my expectations are unrealistic? Here is what transpired (sorry it is long) --

 

We met the guy right off. He was from the Ukraine, very tall - about 6" 5' and very friendly, but very loud (woke us up being "friendly" with guests almost every morning)

 

- First full day we leave the cabin. When we come back he tells us he did not clean our cabin because we did not put out the Crusin' sign and we must have it out for him to clean

 

- That night we had some wine from our carry on bottles and left the room with the glasses. He chastised us telling us that if we took them we would not get any more as he does not have replacements.

 

- Next day we go back to the room and there are only three pool towels (4 in the room). We ask for another and he tells us he only replaces towels in the evening and we will have to get one from the towel hut.

 

- We had no robes in the cabin. When we asked him about it he argued we did. We had no room service menu, when we asked about it he argued we did.

 

- When we asked about replacement breakfast menus, he told us it was our fault because we were hanging our robes on the hook where he leaves them and he could not tell we were out.

 

- Third day we come back from Dinner and have NO pool towels in the room. The hut is closed and the kids want to swim. Young daughter starts to cry and says "I dont like him at all!!"

 

So at this point I have had it and go talk to the service desk. They get me some towels and are a little dumbfounded by what is going on and say they will speak to him. The Hotel Manager also comes by and talks to us.

 

- Next day my wife is in the room and he knocks and comes in AND closes the door behind him. He proceeds to tell her how it is not his fault that he has rules and they are out of towels, etc - but she is VERY uncomfortable with this guy in the room with the door closed by herself!

 

- Later when I am there he comes in again and closes the door and tells me all the same thing. I am friendly, tell him I disagree, but shake his hand and tel him I appreciate him coming by (at this point I just wanted him to leave).

 

So - was I wrong in my expectations from any of this? I have always taken the glasses out of the room. I have always had replacement towels. I have always had plenty of menus. I have NEVER been 'reprimanded' by a cabin steward.

 

By the way - I didnt dock his tip. I know he has a hard job.

 

First off, I certainly would have canned his tip. Closing the door behind him is more than just eerie.

 

The faster he's off the ship, the better. If people just keep rewarding that behavior with full tips, he'll NEVER leave.

[2GACruisers]

OMG, that must have been really upsetting; I only hope that you write a strongly worded message to Carnival management about your experience.

 

 

"OMG that must have been really upsetting" :confused:, As I stated in my previous post, not a big deal was just giving an example of how some steward work and go about their work. The cruise was good, we enjoyed everything and I can put Ice in a cooler myself.

[Crusin6]

Yes they may know' date=' I have never gotten a definitive answer if they know if the auto tips are removed or not. However, we remove the auto tips on the last day. That would not explain the lousy service for the first 7 of an 8 day cruise. The guy sucked, plain and simple.[/color']

 

Oh I thought you did it at the beginning of the cruise.

[Aldeya]

You did nothing wrong and i would also complain but can understand how they might be in a crappy mood being away from family, wages, etc. I get crappy service back home from restaurant servers...lol

 

 

I am so tired of this excuse. It is their JOB, no one forced them to take it!

 

We all have jobs and quite a few of us work VERY hard for our paychecks. So please let's stop with this excuse already! :mad:

 

Political correctness disclaimer: We always tip extra.

Edited November 8, 2013 by Aldeya

[Mrs.G's Mr.G]

I am so tired of this excuse. It is their JOB, no one forced them to take it!

 

We all have jobs and quite a few of us work VERY hard for our paychecks. So please let's stop with this excuse already! :mad:

 

 

Well said!

[RuthlessBoss]

When I enter the cabin for the first time, I check for robes (even though I've never used one), beach towels, and the liquid drinks. If anything is not there, I immediately see my steward and point it out so he can either bring me the missing item, or make note it wasn't there in the first place. I don't want any charge I didn't make.

[2 cruzen]

I don't think you are wrong at all with any of your requests or expectations. And I can assure you my husband would have raised holy hell if a steward, especially a large male, entered our room with just me in there and closed the door. I would have been scared out of my mind having been raped in the past (not on a cruise ship) and my husband is super protective of me because of his knowledge of my past.

 

:(. Yes, I feel the same way...luckily, I've never been raped, but was abused and being alone in a room with an unhappy steward would be very frightening. I don't like confrontation. I'm sure there is a rule for keeping the door open, that's why the door stop is there. It protects the steward too when he's cleaning against claims of theft. They should NEVER be in the room with the door closed.

Edited November 8, 2013 by 2 cruzen

[billie5]

The company should have known he was a predator if in fact he was one. It is called a brackground check or better yet not scraping the bottom of the barrel when hiring workers.

 

I apologize for using the word predator (to which you were responding). I got mixed up by an account from a different thread where the term was appropriate for the steward, but not on this thread. Consequently, your wording. Sorry.

 

On the other hand, the comment about companies knowing of totally inappropriate behavior before they hire is, in my opinion, completely naive, especially involving hiring from other countries. If the employee has no arrest record, how can any company be sure of their future transgressions, even in the U.S.? And from a distant country no less? One just has to read the newspaper to see how impossible this would be.

[orlandofl]

I am so tired of this excuse. It is their JOB, no one forced them to take it!

 

We all have jobs and quite a few of us work VERY hard for our paychecks. So please let's stop with this excuse already! :mad:

 

Political correctness disclaimer: We always tip extra.

Everything has changed on cruise ships,your cabin stuart make sure your room is always clean and if you need anything like ice,xtra soap etc,but taking care of cabins are now done by a crew of cleaners,so adjusting your tip affects all the workers in that cat.

[bplazo]

I am not really sure what I would have done. On our last cruise on Carnival, I never even knew who are room steward was. However, he did keep the room spotless.

[Crusin6]

I apologize for using the word predator (to which you were responding). I got mixed up by an account from a different thread where the term was appropriate for the steward, but not on this thread. Consequently, your wording. Sorry.

 

On the other hand, the comment about companies knowing of totally inappropriate behavior before they hire is, in my opinion, completely naive, especially involving hiring from other countries. If the employee has no arrest record, how can any company be sure of their future transgressions, even in the U.S.? And from a distant country no less? One just has to read the newspaper to see how impossible this would be.

 

Totally correct about just how much the employer can actually know about who they hire. I think they use specialized agencies that provide cruise crew workers. Those agencies actually should provide quality personnel but of course there is no real way to know that anyway

 

That being said all crew and officers and entertainers included are total strangers to me who I know absolutely nothing about. They could tell me they are the salt of the earth when in reality they are convicted felons on the lame.

 

Regardless. I am always cordial but never get personal with them. This would also be how I would conduct myself at an all inclusive. A hotel. A guided tour.

[Lerin]

Your opinion is fine. But you would never sail the cruise line again, even if this might have been the guy's first assignment, in which case the company could not have known he was a predator??

 

Likewise I assume in a hotel chain, if a staff member were equally offensive, one who might be brand new and who's behavior was unknown to the hotel, you would not use the chain again?? Interesting.

 

It is quite common for females who feel they have been violated to not return to where the incident happened. Myself, along with many women in this situation, would find other cruises(and hotels) to take our business to.

 

It saddens me to hear you feel a strange male entering a woman's room and shutting the door is ok.

It is not.

He should've stayed in the hall, left the door open, or waited until her husband was present.