doing something nice for your cabin steward

[BillOh]

Our best cabin attendant was one we never, ever saw! Don't know if it was a man or woman, but our cabin was always perfect! Extra tip there!

 

Good point. I always try to avoid our cabin during sea days during certain times to not be in there way. I think using those MAKE UP MY ROOM NOW tags are helpful as well. While it may sound bossy, I use them an indicator that we are our of our room for an extended time. I would think they appreciate not having to check back repeatedly. They definitely know your dining times, and it seems like at least once per cruise we do something different like a specialty restaurant at a different time, or just go to the WJ.

[dancinman66]

I always try keep my cabin nice and some days request no service as do a lot of work from cabin

 

 

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[vacation_junkie]

So other than tipping extra, has anyone ever done something nice for your cabin steward? On our last cruise on the Freedom of the Seas, we had an excellent cabin steward. He took such good care of us in every manner. We chatted with him every chance we could.

 

The morning we were docked in St. Thomas, we were leaving our cabin to go for breakfast and we ran into him. He was so excited to be able to leave the ship and have lunch with a friend in St. Thomas. But he had to get all his rooms done before he could go. At the same time, my husband & I both said, " Well, you don't have to clean our room today." He was so happy I thought I saw a tear in his eye. He said we were the third couple that told him not to clean their room. My husband went back into our room and gave him a $20 and told him to have lunch on us. He gave us both a big hug. We made his day and he certainly made ours!!

 

 

Our #1...ok...let me rephrase..

My #1 rule for my family is to keep the stateroom in the same condition as we keep our house. Clean & Tidy!

Just because we are on vacation and its "their job" to clean the stateroom there's no need to be a slob! This decreases the time they need to spend cleaning our room.

 

I also bring dry erase markers and leave a note on the mirror for them .

ie "No need to vacuum just towels please" . Gets them in and out...especially on port days!

 

Its a fun way to communicate back and forth. As well if someone comes to inspect the room they can see we advised them not to bother that day and they won't get in trouble

 

We always bring an international calling card so they can call their family members at home.

 

Mini chocolate bars or candy that they can just throw in their pocket and snack on as they clean their staterooms.

 

I've also brought along sunblock packets for staff. Especially the light haired fair skinned ones. Sunblock is atrocious to buy on the islands when they run out.

 

It depends on what Cruise line as well. On our last Disney Cruise the Teen Club staff was overjoyed when we ordered them chicken fingers, fries and Mickey Head Ice cream as they aren't available to them to eat in their dining room. We also made & brought CD's of current music for them.

Edited September 11, 2014 by vacation_junkie

[caddie1]

We cruise at Xmas and New Year and my Wife knits little Xmas stockings and puts chocolates in them for the Steward and the Waiters.

[Ramblin' Ma'am]

OK, this is a pretty small thing, but I was on Liberty's last Caribbean sailing this spring. Her next sailing was a Transatlantic. My cabin steward told me she was worried about getting seasick during the ocean crossing, so I gave her all my Dramamine pills on the last day. Then when I got on my plane home, the captain came on the loudspeaker and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, we will be experiencing turbulence throughout the flight today..." No good deed goes unpunished!! :)

[Host Jacquelyn]

Years ago, I remember reading on the boards that a nice thing to do was get a plate of food and cookies from the Windjammer for your stateroom attendant. They don't have access to the same food, and would really appreciate the variety. I thought it was weird , but people seemed to think this was a really nice thing to do. So, of course, I tried it - put together a plate of food, and a plate of cookies and desserts for the stateroom attendant and left it in the room. I told him when I saw him in the hallway that there were a few plates of food prepared for him, and he looked at me like I fell from another planet; It was very awkward. Of course, he did not touch the food, and left the plates in the room. Live and learn - never tried that again!

[aurelius180]

Years ago, I remember reading on the boards that a nice thing to do was get a plate of food and cookies from the Windjammer for your stateroom attendant. They don't have access to the same food, and would really appreciate the variety. I thought it was weird , but people seemed to think this was a really nice thing to do. So, of course, I tried it - put together a plate of food, and a plate of cookies and desserts for the stateroom attendant and left it in the room. I told him when I saw him in the hallway that there were a few plates of food prepared for him, and he looked at me like I fell from another planet; It was very awkward. Of course, he did not touch the food, and left the plates in the room. Live and learn - never tried that again!

 

 

I would have to imagine that would be frowned upon by their management. While it could be considered a nice gesture by the passenger it could just as easily be misconstrued as stealing by the stateroom attendant.

[boingboingbaggy]

We were recently on the Eclipse to the Baltics. Our lovely dining room wine waitress looked after us superbly every night, aying how nice we all looked and generally making a fuss of us. On the last night my wife gave her what was left in her Gucci Red box as she had commented she loves that perfume and it would be three months before she could buy some more. Result one very happy waitress who would normally not pick up tips like the food waiters would. Needless to say all our waiters and cabin assistants were first class, got their deserved 10's without any begging and all got a decent tip for first class service above what would be termed normal. :)

[Debitoo]

I prepay gratuities. Upon meeting the steward for the first time, I always slip him/her a $20 and a box of See's candies. I want them to know I appreciate everything they do up front.

[uncle John]

Had an attendant on the Monarch who was fantastic. Amos was always happy and smiling and would do anything for you and room was as clean as an operating room. You always knew when he was around because you could smell him, it was his cologne 'Hugo Boss'. WE left him a nice tip and a thank you note. The next cruise on the Monarch we took a chance and brought a bottle of 'Hugo Boss' with us and we asked if Amos White was still around. He was. He was so excited that we remembered him and brought HIS cologne that the word spread. We got the BEST treatment from everyone and they all knew us by name. Since then we have tried to do something every cruise for the attendant and staff.

[AlexanderBeetle]

Sorry to be cynical, but sounds like he oversold it to me. It's not like these guys are locked on the ship for months at a time. They get regular days and times off.

 

So rather than do the job he signed up for, and is paid for, he was guilting paying guests into allowing him to skip out on his duties?

 

I might get flamed for this, but I just don't think this is suitable in any kind of vocation. DO YOUR JOB. Do it to the best of your abilities. And don't bring your personal "baggage" into play.

 

Sounds to me like he just didn't feel like working that way and knew how to get out of it...

 

Personally, I've always enjoyed it when my boss tells me to take an afternoon off whether we've had a big week or not. God forbid someone give a nice gesture, eh?

[NolaFireLI]

I think most of us here know that these employees work their tails off, day in and day out and that yes, their time off the ship is rare and infrequent. (if you don't know, consider yourself knowledged now!)

 

I plan on taking all these "little" things that we so take for granted and on my upcoming cruise in November, I do plan to ask my cabin steward if they need anything while in port, it's called BEING NICE. I am also going to be taking candies on board as treats, such a clever idea.

 

I've never had a cabin steward that I didn't like, and I thank all of you for these lovely suggestions!

[leisuretraveler223]

Personally, I've always enjoyed it when my boss tells me to take an afternoon off whether we've had a big week or not. God forbid someone give a nice gesture, eh?

 

I totally agree. And as someone who owns a business, I do in fact do that. But the OP told a story that, to me, sounded like the individual was "fishing" for the reprieve. Especially when he said they were the third cabin that had told him that. So what was he doing, going room to room and dropping hints about how excited he was to get ashore and spend time with his friend? I think it's interesting (albeit completely unsurprising) that I get flamed for my own perspective on the situation...

[Bailey & Sophie]

Another WOW. Either you do not travel much at all or you never have any interaction with crew on a cruise ship. There is no other answer for your horribly misinformed post.

 

Yes, they do get regular time off. Usually 12-14 hours a day or so. They usually work the other 10-12 hours a day. every day.

 

Yes, they get regular days off. When they leave the ship at the end of their contract. They do NOT have days off during their contract, which can last 7 to 9 months of those 12 hour days. I'd love to know the day that your steward didn't clean your room because it was their day off. Or your waiter didn't serve you dinner because he was enjoying his day off. Doesn't happen.

They do get some time off during a cruise. Last year our waiter said he wanted to do something special in port the next day as he had some time off. He added that normally his time off was during sea days.

[windjamming]

Eh...maybe he was fishing for sympathy, maybe not. Let's say he was, and maybe he's had a bad week or whatever. Who knows. I'm sure we've all had days where we wanted to play hooky for some reason.

 

I'm not saying it was right, but just that he's only human.

 

Now if he did this every day, I'd get upset. One day, and if my room really wasn't that messy, not so much.

 

 

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[h20cruzer]

Sometimes you just click with someone. I have done many different things over the years. I have brought San Francisco Giants baseball hats and given them out. I have given extra cash. I have treated my room attendant to lunch. REgardless of what they think if made me feel good to do it. They do work hard and most of them are away from their families, I know its their choice but it still isnt easy. If I can put a smile on their face for just a couple of seconds its worth it.

norma

[Rufferto]

IMHO: Besides extra $$tip one of the nicest things you can do for your attendant is keep the room picked up. Some rooms look like a bomb went off with stuff thrown on every horizontal service. :eek:Another consideration is to put the make up room sign out whenever you are gone so he/she will know you are out. :cool:

We always ask if there is anything we can pick up for them in port. Sometimes we actually get an answer. :)

 

I do 2 out of these three. I keep the room tidy. I also use the door sign. On my last cruise my steward was very happy we were using this sign. She said it made her job that much easier and that she wished everyone used them. I have never offered to get something in port though.

[bplazo]

I keep the room spotless, everything is put away and I wash out the sinks and most days I make up the beds.