Housekeeping moving to once a day?

[pilot]

5 hours ago, floridagal83 said:

It would be so much easier if passengers who want/need ice could access an ice machine on each deck. I'd gladly fill my own bucket. 

Would you also gladly make your bed?

[Morecruisesplz]

30 minutes ago, sgmn said:

Can't it just be a machine such as in hotels. You just push a button and ice falls into your ice bucket . No hands or scoops necessary 

Do those regulations apply to the open seas. There is an ice machine on each cabin level. I have talked to cabin attendants while they fill ice buckets.

[Morecruisesplz]

7 minutes ago, pilot said:

Would you also gladly make your bed?

I will get your ice if you make my bed. 

[John&LaLa]

10 minutes ago, pilot said:

Would you also gladly make your bed?

 

Easiest task of the day

[Morecruisesplz]

50 minutes ago, zanydoc said:

Thanks @kirtihkfor allowing me to learn a new word today…embrocate! I think I’ll start using it in my everyday language 😊

And in my everyday life.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

1 hour ago, resetjet said:

What is the difference between a hotel room and a cabin in the woods?  
 

 

Could be a lot of things, could be a few things.

 

Does the cabin have indoor plumbing? Electric? Furniture? Television? Heat? Air Conditions? Bathroom? Closet? Linens? Someone else to clean?  Somewhere else to eat available? If it has all of that, the only difference IMO is location. 

[S.A.M.J.R.]

1 hour ago, grandgeezer said:

Great idea! The strategy is a little off though. Dropping the price doesn’t seem like the right way to pay off the billions of dollars in debt, hence default on the loans, file bankruptcy, and shutdown.

There’s the Staten Island Ferry as plan b.

 

One of the first things any business will do in order to get more customers is drop their price.  In order to get customers, you need to make what they get worth the cost.  So you either add "features" or lower the cost.  

[Morecruisesplz]

12 minutes ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

One of the first things any business will do in order to get more customers is drop their price.  In order to get customers, you need to make what they get worth the cost.  So you either add "features" or lower the cost.  

Tell Royal.

[MSP_CRUISER]

On 2/18/2023 at 3:34 PM, little britain said:

Seriously, you have clean towels twice a day at home? If not, then there is no need for it on holiday. 

Yeah, because I swim in the ocean and use a hot tub once a day at home....after work of course. LOL

[Georgia_Peaches]

4 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

I've always thought people were trying to gauge whether they were doing "enough" or "too much", especially new people.  How are they to know if they don't ask?  

If you do what's right for you, your experience on the cruise and your financial situation, there's no need to ask.  Ultimately, people will do what they can in the end, regardless of what is said on CC.

[Ocean Boy]

1 hour ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

One of the first things any business will do in order to get more customers is drop their price.  In order to get customers, you need to make what they get worth the cost.  So you either add "features" or lower the cost.  

Well then, RCI seems to have it backwards. They are taking away features and increasing our costs.

[Mum2Mercury]

4 hours ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

... I get (sort of) being upset.  But you'd think going to 1x day service is the end of the world the way people are complaining.

It's not JUST housekeeping services ... it's this PLUS a whole lot of other cutbacks.  

3 hours ago, grandgeezer said:

... Dropping the price doesn’t seem like the right way to pay off the billions of dollars in debt, hence default on the loans, file bankruptcy, and shutdown ... 

Taking away services so that they alienate customers doesn't seem like the right plan either.  I'm actually surprised at how many people on the board are saying this doesn't matter to them. 

3 hours ago, fredmdcruisers said:

Do those regulations apply to the open seas. There is an ice machine on each cabin level. I have talked to cabin attendants while they fill ice buckets.

But that wasn't an ice machine open to the general public.  Workers aren't likely to be the people who think it's funny to pee in ice machines -- that's late-night drunks.  

1 hour ago, fredmdcruisers said:

Tell Royal.

They know ... they're searching for the sweet spot between cutting services and keeping customers.  Honestly, though, I think they've gone a step too far in raising tips while cutting services.  

[Morecruisesplz]

5 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

But that wasn't an ice machine open to the general public.  Workers aren't likely to be the people who think it's funny to pee in ice machines -- that's late-night drunks.

How ridiculous! Who thinks like this? The door to the ice machine isn't locked. Maybe you should stand guard.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

39 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

Well then, RCI seems to have it backwards. They are taking away features and increasing our costs.

But you're missing the other end of the equation... are they still getting bookings?  Still filling the ships?  Then they're not only making money (increasing costs), but they're not spending as much (taking away features).  Isn't that smart business?

[Ocean Boy]

Just now, S.A.M.J.R. said:

But you're missing the other end of the equation... are they still getting bookings?  Still filling the ships?  Then they're not only making money (increasing costs), but they're not spending as much (taking away features).  Isn't that smart business?

Businesses can often be short sighted. They will chase a dollar today that ends up costing them 10 dollars next week. 

[Morecruisesplz]

15 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

Businesses can often be short sighted. They will chase a dollar today that ends up costing them 10 dollars next week. 

Especially businesses who are grasping at straws to stay afloat.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

1 hour ago, Ocean Boy said:

Businesses can often be short sighted. They will chase a dollar today that ends up costing them 10 dollars next week. 

Definitely possible.  Keep an eye over the summer and see how full the ships are.  

[resetjet]

4 hours ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

Could be a lot of things, could be a few things.

 

Does the cabin have indoor plumbing? Electric? Furniture? Television? Heat? Air Conditions? Bathroom? Closet? Linens? Someone else to clean?  Somewhere else to eat available? If it has all of that, the only difference IMO is location. 

Well it has all of that.  Except housekeeping.

[chengkp75]

11 hours ago, fredmdcruisers said:

Do those regulations apply to the open seas. There is an ice machine on each cabin level. I have talked to cabin attendants while they fill ice buckets.

Any foreign flag cruise ship that calls at US ports, must adhere to the USPH Vessel Sanitation Program, at all times, even on the "high seas" or in foreign ports, or face a full sanitation and infectious disease inspection every time it returns to a US port.

[chengkp75]

12 hours ago, sgmn said:

Can't it just be a machine such as in hotels. You just push a button and ice falls into your ice bucket . No hands or scoops necessary 

They can have self-service ice machines, but they have to have more sanitation features than the typical hotel machine, if they are not supervised full time by a food employee.  The ice machines are also located in the cabin steward pantries, where the dirty glasses from the cabins are washed and stored, and the public are not allowed access to these again unless supervised, so the ice machine would need to be moved outside the pantry, with the associated plumbing and drain piping moved to the new location.  USPH regulations for cruise ships are vastly stricter than land health regulations, as stated by many USPH inspectors, who tend to be former state and local health inspectors.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

8 hours ago, resetjet said:

Well it has all of that.  Except housekeeping.

Then, why in your mind is a cabin in the woods that different than a hotel?  Why is a ship cabin that different than a hotel?

[Ocean Boy]

8 hours ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

Definitely possible.  Keep an eye over the summer and see how full the ships are.  

Well, since I don't sail during summer I likely won't be paying any attention at all. Though as I understand it the cruise lines do well when kids are out of school. It is when the kids are in school that the cruise lines had better be keeping the rest of us happy.

[smokeybandit]

13 hours ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

One of the first things any business will do in order to get more customers is drop their price.  In order to get customers, you need to make what they get worth the cost.  So you either add "features" or lower the cost.  

RC just had record bookings for a new ship that offers by far the most expensive fares ever seen for an RC ship. Getting more customers is not something RC has to focus on right now.  What they have to focus on is battling through a staffing problem that exacerbates itself in the cruise industry as well as paying off debts incurred due to being forced to shut down for so long.

Edited February 25, 2023 by smokeybandit

[S.A.M.J.R.]

28 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

RC just had record bookings for a new ship that offers by far the most expensive fares ever seen for an RC ship. Getting more customers is not something RC has to focus on right now.  What they have to focus on is battling through a staffing problem that exacerbates itself in the cruise industry as well as paying off debts incurred due to being forced to shut down for so long.

You know how to fix a "staffing problem"?  You either increase pay or you increase benefits.

You know how to pay off debts?  Make more money.

 

Both issues are "solved" by bringing in more money or cutting spending in other areas.  That's exactly what Royal is doing.  Now, if you (general) don't like the cut backs on services or don't like the increased cost, don't sail on Royal.  Enough people do that, Royal will either add services, drop costs, or go out of business.  I feel pretty safe they'll try the first two before the third.   

[sgmn]

3 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

They can have self-service ice machines, but they have to have more sanitation features than the typical hotel machine, if they are not supervised full time by a food employee.  The ice machines are also located in the cabin steward pantries, where the dirty glasses from the cabins are washed and stored, and the public are not allowed access to these again unless supervised, so the ice machine would need to be moved outside the pantry, with the associated plumbing and drain piping moved to the new location.  USPH regulations for cruise ships are vastly stricter than land health regulations, as stated by many USPH inspectors, who tend to be former state and local health inspectors.

Thank you for your expert knowledge as always .

Another idea would be to have an self service ice making machine up by the manned ice cream outlet. Therefore there would be a member of staff on hand if a problem and to discourage any abuse.  It could only be open during the ice cream outlets hours. 

This would save the bars from having to be continuously filling ice containers  it would be largely self service so no input from staff required and should stop any bad behaviour 

Edited February 25, 2023 by sgmn