Think you have privacy in your cabin? - THINK AGAIN

[elliair]

Occasionally we'll have a night in and just order a pizza /watch a movie. Even with a tag on the door, the steward will still knock and ask if everything is OK...need towels, etc. Is it a requirement that stewards service all rooms each night? (Normally we'd be out at dinner when this is done).

I'm curious to know if others have experienced this, as I find that it's a bit of a bother having to get up and answer the door to him/her.

 

 

We had our cabin serviced only the first night and told the steward not to service our room in the evening. We always left the DND sign on the door practically 24/7. He knew our pattern of coming and going and when we wanted our room done in the morning while out to breakfast. The plastic mail slot next to your door is precisely that. There's no reason for a room steward to come into your room unless asked by you.

[MicCanberra]

We had our cabin serviced only the first night and told the steward not to service our room in the evening. We always left the DND sign on the door practically 24/7. He knew our pattern of coming and going and when we wanted our room done in the morning while out to breakfast. The plastic mail slot next to your door is precisely that. There's no reason for a room steward to come into your room unless asked by you.

This is where the conversation right at the start of the cruise can set the boundaries and provides clear direction for both parties to follow.:D

[pablo222]

Am I the only one who thinks this just isn't that big a deal?

 

This is one of the biggest much-ado-about-nothing ever on

Cruise Critic.

 

BTW, last month my steward liked to bring the patter into the

cabin. He said he was supposed to.

 

I'm sure that if he just slipped it under the door, someone would complain here about

having to pick it up from the floor.

 

Or, if he put it into the mail slot, someone here would complain about having to open

the door to retrieve it when they had already dis-robed for the evening.

Edited December 11, 2013 by pablo222

[JimmyVWine]

This is one of the biggest much-ado-about-nothing ever on

Cruise Critic.

 

BTW, last month my steward liked to bring the patter into the

cabin. He said he was supposed to.

 

I'm sure that if he just slipped it under the door, someone would complain here about

having to pick it up from the floor.

 

Or, if he put it into the mail slot, someone here would complain about having to open

the door to retrieve it when they had already dis-robed for the evening.

 

I agree that there is a kernel of "you can't please everyone" with this topic and yes, people will complain about not getting their Patters on the bed. But this thread, at its core, is not about mail delivery. It is about ship staff overriding engaged deadbolt locks and entering an occupied cabin. IMHO, that is NOT much-ado-about-nothing. Perhaps it has drifted in that direction. But it did not start out there.

[crewzr]

This is a great thread! Love the different views on the topic. I will be going on a cruise in February with my fiancé and this will give us a lot to think about.

 

Things I have learned:

 

1) The deadbolts on ships are only there to give passengers a false sense of security. With everyone on the staff having a passkey that will open it, the deadbolts are completely worthless. The only thing they keep out of your room are other passengers or your travel companion, if they lose their cruise card.

 

2) Apparently the “Do Not Disturb” sign isn’t the “end all, be all” solution to ensuring privacy in your stateroom. They can fall of the door, be “borrowed” by other passengers or removed by mischievous elves and other creatures, as well as being flipped over to the “service my room” side by miscreants. Also, on rare occasion, they can be completely ignored by ship’s staff.

 

3) Room stewards, regardless of their intentions, have occasionally been known to enter rooms under the most random and inconvenient circumstances.

 

-----------------------------------------

 

Possible solutions:

 

1) Don’t go on a cruise. Problem solved. LOL

 

2) Bring a door stop. This might help, but like others have said, it could be a bad idea in the case of a medical emergency or ship emergency.

 

3) Bring one of those hotel travel door locks. Same concern as item #2.

 

4) Use a motion activated door alarm (fits around the door knob on the inside). I kind of like this one. It wouldn’t prevent entry, in the case of an emergency, but would be enough to alert us to someone trying to enter the room. I do wonder, though, if the motion of the ship would set them off.

 

5) Put a suitcase in front of the door. I like this idea, too. It wouldn’t deny entry in an emergency, but it would be enough to slow someone down if they tried to enter the room while one of us was dressing or getting out of the shower.

 

6) Talk to the steward ahead of time about your schedule and daily routine. This is probably the best idea, even if you decide to use one of the other options as a back-up. I don’t see this as being completely fool-proof, though. How many rooms does each steward have to service and how good is their memory? I’m not 100% confident that a steward can remember the complete details, requests and personal schedules of so many people.

 

-------------------------------------------------

 

As for those folks who say “what’s the big deal?”. Well, that is your view, but it definitely is NOT mine. We highly value our privacy. We don’t want to have anyone barging in on us, when we are in the room. What if we are dressing, getting out of the shower or in a compromising situation? To those people in this thread who show no concern or say “oh, they’ve seen it all”, consider this... Do you really think that out of all the room stewards on all the ships in all the cruise lines, that there aren’t a few perverts out there who get their jollies from “accidentally” seeing people semi-dressed or conducting private “business”? I think that is a naïve notion. Maybe I’m just suspicious of people I don’t know, but I’d rather error on the side of caution. To each their own, I guess.

 

When my fiancé and I stay in hotels, we always keep the “do not disturb” sign out, the deadbolt locked and the swing-over latch on when we are in the room. Even if we are staying there for a week, we never have the room serviced. We just call and request items (soap, towels, etc) as we need them. I realize that most of the people who service the rooms are conscientious, but what about those who aren’t? I just have a strange feeling about people having access to my personal belongings and personal space, like that.

 

This will be our first cruise and I’m sure it’s going to be a big adjustment. It seems like, from what has been said in this thread, that the room stewards on ships are trained to service the rooms several times a day. At the very least, it sounds like they are much more obtrusive than standard hotel staff. Ugh.

 

As for our plans to ensure privacy on our cruise… Talking to the room steward is job #1. After that, we might consider the door knob alarm and/or the suitcase in front of the door. Due to potential safety issues, we probably won’t consider the other options like a door stop.

Edited December 11, 2013 by crewzr

[pablo222]

As for those folks who say “what’s the big deal?”. Well, that is your view, but it definitely is NOT mine.

I have been on more than 50 cruises on Princess, and have never had a problem with the steward entering. That's why I think it's a non-issue. I'm sure someone, somewhere really did have this problem. But, from the posts, you would think it was every stateroom on every princess ship. Far more likely is that your luggage containing door stop, bungee cord, door alarm, etc. is lost enroute to the ship.

[beg3yrs]

This is a great thread! Love the different views on the topic. I will be going on a cruise in February with my fiancé and this will give us a lot to think about.

 

Things I have learned:

 

1) The deadbolts on ships are only there to give passengers a false sense of security. With everyone on the staff having a passkey that will open it, the deadbolts are completely worthless. The only thing they keep out of your room are other passengers or your travel companion, if they lose their cruise card.

 

2) Apparently the “Do Not Disturb” sign isn’t the “end all, be all” solution to ensuring privacy in your stateroom. They can fall of the door, be “borrowed” by other passengers or removed by mischievous elves and other creatures, as well as being flipped over to the “service my room” side by miscreants. Also, on rare occasion, they can be completely ignored by ship’s staff.

 

3) Room stewards, regardless of their intentions, have occasionally been known to enter rooms under the most random and inconvenient circumstances.

 

-----------------------------------------

 

Possible solutions:

 

1) Don’t go on a cruise. Problem solved. LOL

 

2) Bring a door stop. This might help, but like others have said, it could be a bad idea in the case of a medical emergency or ship emergency.

 

3) Bring one of those hotel travel door locks. Same concern as item #2.

 

4) Use a motion activated door alarm (fits around the door knob on the inside). I kind of like this one. It wouldn’t prevent entry, in the case of an emergency, but would be enough to alert us to someone trying to enter the room. I do wonder, though, if the motion of the ship would set them off.

 

5) Put a suitcase in front of the door. I like this idea, too. It wouldn’t deny entry in an emergency, but it would be enough to slow someone down if they tried to enter the room while one of us was dressing or getting out of the shower.

 

6) Talk to the steward ahead of time about your schedule and daily routine. This is probably the best idea, even if you decide to use one of the other options as a back-up. I don’t see this as being completely fool-proof, though. How many rooms does each steward have to service and how good is their memory? I’m not 100% confident that a steward can remember the complete details, requests and personal schedules of so many people.

 

-------------------------------------------------

 

As for those folks who say “what’s the big deal?”. Well, that is your view, but it definitely is NOT mine. We highly value our privacy. We don’t want to have anyone barging in on us, when we are in the room. What if we are dressing, getting out of the shower or in a compromising situation? To those people in this thread who show no concern or say “oh, they’ve seen it all”, consider this... Do you really think that out of all the room stewards on all the ships in all the cruise lines, that there aren’t a few perverts out there who get their jollies from “accidentally” seeing people semi-dressed or conducting private “business”? I think that is a naïve notion. Maybe I’m just suspicious of people I don’t know, but I’d rather error on the side of caution. To each their own, I guess.

 

When my fiancé and I stay in hotels, we always keep the “do not disturb” sign out, the deadbolt locked and the swing-over latch on when we are in the room. Even if we are staying there for a week, we never have the room serviced. We just call and request items (soap, towels, etc) as we need them. I realize that most of the people who service the rooms are conscientious, but what about those who aren’t? I just have a strange feeling about people having access to my personal belongings and personal space, like that.

 

This will be our first cruise and I’m sure it’s going to be a big adjustment. It seems like, from what has been said in this thread, that the room stewards on ships are trained to service the rooms several times a day. At the very least, it sounds like they are much more obtrusive than standard hotel staff. Ugh.

 

As for our plans to ensure privacy on our cruise… Talking to the room steward is job #1. After that, we might consider the door knob alarm and/or the suitcase in front of the door. Due to potential safety issues, we probably won’t consider the other options like a door stop.

 

Fantastic post! That's a good summary of what's been going on.

 

Congratulations on soon taking your first cruise, with all you've learned on CC you should be able to wring the most enjoyment you can from it.

 

No need to worry about how much the cabin stewards can remember, in general they have amazing memories (although I've noticed a few write down notes for each cabin, it still works for me).

[MermaidWatcher]

We have never been intruded on, but are conscientious about inserting the little privacy tag whenever in the room. I can understand the need for the pass key over riding the dead bolt, but there must be a different feel or noise between just unlocking the regular latch or the dead bolt that would tip the attendant to the fact that someone is in the room with the dead bolt engaged, and expects privacy. I always wondered why the latches do not have a little signal window on them, similar to airplane lavatories, to show that the deadbolt is locked.

[MicCanberra]

The main point about discussing with the steward what you expectations are should and in most cases will negate the need for all the other options. Good luck crewzr on your first cruise.:D

[travelsuz]

Yes this happened to us last month on Holland Nieuw Amsterdam. I was a little shocked when we had locked the dead bolt and then the steward was able to come in. I did start hanging that little sign out pretty much every time we were in our room after that.

[travelsuz]

In our stewards behalf, once he realized we were there he quickly said sorry and left :)

[MicCanberra]

In our stewards behalf, once he realized we were there he quickly said sorry and left :)

As they should.:D

[Go-Bucks!]

I always travel with one of those cheapo wedge doorstops. It works to keep doors open as well as closed.

 

 

This is what I do in hotels and on cruises. This wedge has a battery and when triggered by the door being opened, it lets off a very loud alarm siren! It'll not only wake you up, but hopefully scare the intruder (or steward) away. Bet the steward won't try to open your door again! :D

Edited December 14, 2013 by Go-Bucks!

[Opinions]

OP states that they did not put the "privacy sign" out .

Incident would not have occurred and this posting wouldn't exist .

 

But then we may not know how the deadbolt works!...I am thankful that this post "exists".

[MicCanberra]

But then we may not know how the deadbolt works!...I am thankful that this post "exists".

 

There are some who may have made the same assumptions that deadbolts cannot be overridden. Makes you wonder why they have them, is it only so you can lock your partner out?:eek:.

[ashhill]

We put a "Guard Dog" against the door-use the chair in your room!!

[sun&sea]

Another privacy story came to mind. A few years ago on the CB, we were on our covered balcony (E731) and thought it was totally private. To our surprise, our balcony door opened, and a maintenance man was standing there! "I am here to clean the balcony cameras!:eek: Now we were covered, but certainly not dressed for the maintenance man! This time, I do not remember if the deadbolt was locked or the privacy sign was out. Just a heads up if you think your balcony is private!!!

 

Janet

[CruiseAddict1982]

The cabin steward always tells me to put the privacy tag in the door if I don't want him coming in. Same thing for hotels. I've had maids unlock the door and walk in many times when I've failed to put the Do Not Disturb sign on. No difference between a hotel and cruise ship. Just put the card in the slot. Couldn't be easier and that's what it's there for.

 

Guess you didn't read what she wrote. She told the cabin attendant to leave the paper at the door. At that point he should've left and not walked into the room even more. That's beyond scary. Whether you put the privacy tag outside your door is irrelevant!

[CRUISEWITHH]

Many, many, many years ago, we were on an OLD ship and the cabin steward had no way of knowing when we left the cabin in the morning.

 

He put a little piece of folded paper in the door jam and if it was on the floor he knew we had left. Certainly not foolproof.

 

As for later in the evening when he would make down the room, I don't remember what he did??

[Colo Cruiser]

Many, many, many years ago, we were on an OLD ship and the cabin steward had no way of knowing when we left the cabin in the morning.

 

He put a little piece of folded paper in the door jam and if it was on the floor he knew we had left. Certainly not foolproof.

 

As for later in the evening when he would make down the room, I don't remember what he did??

 

 

An old Don Adams trick. :eek:

[PiraticalGirl]

My thinking is if the cruise line depends so highly on a little, easily lost/stolen card that determines when a steward should enter or not it's time to up date the system. Instead of cards why not start integrating the sign into the doors like "occupied" signs on planes. Just a little slide sign built into the door that's controlled inside the cabin. No worries about anything being stolen or flipped by random people, no more having to open the door to see if you remembered to put up the sign, just an easy upgrade to an out of date way of doing something :)

[rbt001]

My thinking is if the cruise line depends so highly on a little, easily lost/stolen card that determines when a steward should enter or not it's time to up date the system. Instead of cards why not start integrating the sign into the doors like "occupied" signs on planes. Just a little slide sign built into the door that's controlled inside the cabin. No worries about anything being stolen or flipped by random people, no more having to open the door to see if you remembered to put up the sign, just an easy upgrade to an out of date way of doing something :)

 

Actually, I’ve stayed at a few high-end hotels that have a switch inside the room that will illuminate either a green light for housekeeping service or a red light for privacy. It may be a great solution for new ships in the design phase, but I’d guess it would be cost-prohibitive for a retro-fit.

 

When I was in the hotel industry, most sizable hotels in our chain had a position known as the “Hotel Assistant Manager” who carried a wad of keys that opened everything. The most important key was the “E-Key” for emergencies: it could turn a deadbolt. Not even the “Executive Housekeeper,” who had several layers of managers beneath them had an E-Key.

 

And the E-Key could turn the lock BOTH WAYS, as there were times when the hotel wanted to force guest confrontation. (Think credit card fraud or owners of a incessantly yapping dog that managed to tear up the carpeting by the door, despite the hotel’s “no pet” policy. Yes, it’s real.)

 

I can understand where the Concordia caused the industry to react with policies designed to ensure guest safety in an emergency.

 

Allow me to venture on to some of the other responses in this thread….

 

But first, I have a question for the OP who wrote: "Imagine our shock and horror when a short time later..."

 

Okay... so BOTH “shock” AND “horror”????? Not just one or the other?

 

Poor things! I hope you were able to overcome this to enjoy the balance of your cruise without adding too many more years of therapy!

 

Come on… if you travel enough, it PROBABLY going to happen at some point. Take my cruise in November 2013 on RCCL. We were sitting on the balcony undressed (I avoided using either of the “n” words so as to NOT offend anyone,) when I thought I heard a knock. I was sure when I heard it the second time, so I went in to put some shorts on. The steward entered before I had them pulled up; saw me; said “Sorry, sir”; and left to wait in the hall for me. He was professional about it. He didn’t point to say “WOW!” (Or point and laugh either.) In the hall he explained that he was there to invite us to an impromptu party hosted for a group of us. He acted as if the incident was already forgotten. I was not embarrassed and I hope he wasn’t either. It happens. Move on!

 

I also have to ask another poster who stated that their privacy is “highly” valued (so “highly” that they took the effort to place the word in bold characters!) I’d just love to know why. Because if you leave it up to my bizarre mind, the first answer I’d guess is that you plan to set up a METH LAB in your stateroom! [Okay, that was really the second thing my mind came up with…. the first involved cameras, lights and a few goats smuggled on board as service animals… but let’s not go there!]

 

Next, I was offended by another poster who fears “perverts” for staff members. I think the Princess Management Team does an excellent job in training and encouraging their employees to find it within themselves to provide EXCELLENT customer service with a big smile. And I’m confident that their screening process and monitoring ensures high standards for the employees that they hire.

 

Let me share with you why I feel there should be greater concern about “perverts” being your fellow passengers. First, there are several documented cases of business travelers who set up cameras on their laptop intended to record the reactions of hotel staff members who have a legitimate purpose for being in the guest room. One man FAKES surprise when the innocent housekeeper, who has knocked twice and announced themselves, enters to find the guest undressed on the bed and in the middle of …(you can guess or just think “flossing his teeth” if you’re easily offended.) Another man is always “just interrupted” from his shower when roomservice is delivering his meal; naturally the robe or towel opens or falls off. AND IT”S NOT JUST MEN or NEW BECAUSE OF TECHNOLOGY!!! I’m 51 and can remember as a teenager being at Walt Disney World’s RiverCountry, a now closed water park that included a White Water Rapids-like attraction where you sit in an inner tube. Typical of Disney, the line queue weaved its way up the hill along side the river so you could entertain yourself in line watching the guests in the rapids laughing and yelling. Once, there was this woman in her 30’s who was SCREAMING AND SHOUTING as she appeared to be so frightened by the swirls and currents and sometimes fast pace of the water. Everyone in line looked over to her and was laughing at her. Apparently at the beginning of the attraction, when she passed under the waterfall, the force of the water pushed her top down, exposing her bare breasts! So there she was in fright (maybe “horror” too) SCREAMING AND YELLING and totally unaware that she was flashing everyone! Ummm…. Until I saw her performing the same act the second time later in the day. My teenaged brain realized all of her screaming and yelling was to attract attention to herself. Some would consider that “perverted” especially since we’re talking Disney and small children.

 

A poster in another thread on this same topic pointed out that the passenger contract for the cruise spells out in detail the different set of rules that apply at sea. Read it and you MAY find yourself in a state of “shock” or “horror” … or both, for some. Quite frankly, even though some ships are equated to “floating cities” they STILL consist of a large group of people confined to a small space, as compared to a land-based hotel. The rules in this “society” have to be different for comfort and safety.

 

I can comfortably board a Princess cruise knowing that I am NOT afforded all the same rights and privileges as I have while living in the USA; I can still relax and enjoy the cruise.

 

 

(So if you’re reading this, you’ve survived another one of my posts. I don’t do it often, but when I do, they’re big and robust… and hopefully a bit entertaining… all while remaining on topic—I think.)

[caribill]

Actually, I’ve stayed at a few high-end hotels that have a switch inside the room that will illuminate either a green light for housekeeping service or a red light for privacy. It may be a great solution for new ships in the design phase, but I’d guess it would be cost-prohibitive for a retro-fit.

 

 

If someone accidentally or on purpose ignores a DND sign or on purpose overrides a deadbolt, then a green/red light will not stop that person from entering your hotel room or your cabin.

[rbt001]

If someone accidentally or on purpose ignores a DND sign or on purpose overrides a deadbolt, then a green/red light will not stop that person from entering your hotel room or your cabin.

 

How very true! Likewise if a full moon shines in a cloudless sky, it's very bright!

 

And as for that light, it won't stop someone with a crowbar either. But the light certainly would eliminate pranksters from flipping a privacy card. AND THAT, I think was the point of the poster's comments that initially brought it up.

[caribill]

But the light certainly would eliminate pranksters from flipping a privacy card.

 

RCCL has two cards, one for DND and one for service the cabin.

 

That eliminates the flipping of the sign problem, but not removal of the sign or swiotching oit with another cabin's.

 

It also eliminates the problem of the accidentally putting the sign in the wrong way.