Deny Room cleaning/houssekeeping on cruise

[Akck]

Who is responsible for the room service trays? Is it the room steward or the room service kitchen or the DCL guest? Should the tray be put outside on the floor in any case? (This isn’t really answering the OPs question . . )

When we ordered room service, we were told to call for tray pickup. When we called, they told us to leave the tray outside the door. Later, we had a knock on the door from the room service team enquiring about the tray, which had apparently been picked up by another CM.

 

[cedricandsophie]

I love having our room cleaned and love the turndown at night with the towel animal. As much as it costs I want good service. It never occurred to me to worry about the attendant looking thru or moving my stuff. Good jewelry, money, passports are kept in the safe.

 

[DMMarla07860]

I enjoy having our room cleaning twice sometimes I shower in morning, in afternoon or night and enjoy fresh towels, if you want to skip service once a day I'd say talk to the stateroom host I'm sure they would work with you

 

[JulieBeeRN]

We've only been on two cruises and only really wanted service once a day. I spoke with our stateroom host and it wasn't a problem.

 

[DCLMP]

I have tried it and yes they were damp. We also like having ice in the room which doesn’t last if they only fill it once per day.
That’s great if once per day service is plenty for you. You are free to decline the evening service, the morning service, or both. There’s no reason to tell others we shouldn’t enjoy or expect a service that is part of what makes us enjoy cruising.

Im not telling you not to enjoy anything. I’m just saying other cruise lines have moved to once a day like a hotel and it was fine. I liked it. Never said not to enjoy having it twice a day. Not once did I say that.

 

[ljhayes]

Im not telling you not to enjoy anything. I’m just saying other cruise lines have moved to once a day like a hotel and it was fine. I liked it. Never said not to enjoy having it twice a day. Not once did I say that.

It was fine for you. As someone who sleeps 4 in a cabin, NCL's once a day is a huge pain for us.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Im not telling you not to enjoy anything. I’m just saying other cruise lines have moved to once a day like a hotel and it was fine. I liked it. Never said not to enjoy having it twice a day. Not once did I say that.

Correct. You didn’t say not to enjoy it. Only that you implied that because some cruise lines have cut back to once per day and you are fine with that despite taking 2 showers per day and you are fine with using a damp towel, so we should be accepting of it too.
There is no way a towel is drying in those tiny bathrooms in a couple hours, especially when the stateroom host closes both bathroom doors when they’re done.
I have tried hanging them over the top corner of the bathroom door and they still don’t dry.
Maybe if you have them hanging by magnetic clips on the ceiling, it would be dry in time for the next use.
To me, comparing to a regular hotel stay isn’t the same. Hotel rooms are much larger and have larger towel bars, larger bathrooms, and more alternate places to hang a towel to dry. Unless it’s an oceanfront hotel, odds are good it’s a lot less humid than a room on a ship on the ocean, usually in a tropical climate.
We had no issues re-using towels in our hotel in Paris. We have also owned a timeshare in the past and had no problem not getting our unit serviced at all for a week at a time.
On a premium cruise line such as DCL, expecting a dry towel for a daily shower is not unreasonable. You are free to disagree, of course.

 

[DCLMP]

Correct. You didn’t say not to enjoy it. Only that you implied that because some cruise lines have cut back to once per day and you are fine with that despite taking 2 showers per day and you are fine with using a damp towel, so we should be accepting of it too.
There is no way a towel is drying in those tiny bathrooms in a couple hours, especially when the stateroom host closes both bathroom doors when they’re done.
I have tried hanging them over the top corner of the bathroom door and they still don’t dry.
Maybe if you have them hanging by magnetic clips on the ceiling, it would be dry in time for the next use.
To me, comparing to a regular hotel stay isn’t the same. Hotel rooms are much larger and have larger towel bars, larger bathrooms, and more alternate places to hang a towel to dry. Unless it’s an oceanfront hotel, odds are good it’s a lot less humid than a room on a ship on the ocean, usually in a tropical climate.
We had no issues re-using towels in our hotel in Paris. We have also owned a timeshare in the past and had no problem not getting our unit serviced at all for a week at a time.
On a premium cruise line such as DCL, expecting a dry towel for a daily shower is not unreasonable. You are free to disagree, of course.

I've never said I was fine using a damp towel. When did I say that? They leave plenty of towels in the room. You keep inferring things I did not say. Why I don't know???? All I said as I've never noticed bad smells coming from a wet towel. You are super hung up on the towel thing.

You know you can always grab a towel from the pool deck if you run out or ask your host for more. There are always hosts and carts in the hallways. There's no problem getting more towels on a cruise ship regardless of how many room service visits you have. You could have zero room service visits a day or 10 visits a day and the towels will always be available to you whenever you want one. This goes for other cruise lines too.

 

[DCLMP]

It was fine for you. As someone who sleeps 4 in a cabin, NCL's once a day is a huge pain for us.

I could see that with the bed issue. That would be a huge pain, but some cruise lines don't put up the beds even when you have twice-a-day service. It's a big positive for Disney....of course, you pay dearly for that service.

 

[Genie+]

They kept asking because it is their job and they live on tips. You sound like a real treat.

Stay outta my way

 

[bakerworld]

As DVC I automatically start making the bed as soon as DH manages to stumble into the BR, which sometimes isn't good as he's wanted to return to sleep more. LOL

Seriously, we've only been on 8 cruises and the room stewards VARY. Most will straighten up the bathroom but our towels were only replaced once daily. I told DH to start hanging his towel from the hooks or it will be refolded damp, which bothers me (if you're going to refold it damp, just leave it hanging from the towel bar the way we left it). One cruise turn down service was only during 2nd MDR seating so if we returned to our room too early we missed it. That cruise I made a concerted effort to make the bed because I didn't like the way it was made up otherwise. I ended up with no top sheet (it was rolled to the bottom ) or sleeping under the duvet (the top sheet was pulled all the way up under the pillows) but it was no means the only cruise that I kept missing the top sheet. Except for the first cruise we were on, running into someone straightening up the room has never happened. I figure the turnaround time for room ready is dependent on daily vacuuming and dusting.

As for room service, we always leave the tray on the long counter and add things - like glasses - as they are used. Somebody always takes it - not sure who. We're fairly neat so having the tray sitting there isn't a huge inconvenience.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

As DVC I automatically start making the bed as soon as DH manages to stumble into the BR, which sometimes isn't good as he's wanted to return to sleep more. LOL

Seriously, we've only been on 8 cruises and the room stewards VARY. Most will straighten up the bathroom but our towels were only replaced once daily. I told DH to start hanging his towel from the hooks or it will be refolded damp, which bothers me (if you're going to refold it damp, just leave it hanging from the towel bar the way we left it). One cruise turn down service was only during 2nd MDR seating so if we returned to our room too early we missed it. That cruise I made a concerted effort to make the bed because I didn't like the way it was made up otherwise. I ended up with no top sheet (it was rolled to the bottom ) or sleeping under the duvet (the top sheet was pulled all the way up under the pillows) but it was no means the only cruise that I kept missing the top sheet. Except for the first cruise we were on, running into someone straightening up the room has never happened. I figure the turnaround time for room ready is dependent on daily vacuuming and dusting.

As for room service, we always leave the tray on the long counter and add things - like glasses - as they are used. Somebody always takes it - not sure who. We're fairly neat so having the tray sitting there isn't a huge inconvenience.

Just so you’re aware, if you hang up a towel, it will not be replaced. If you want it replaced, we pile them either in the tub or on a bathroom floor.

 

[bakerworld]

Just so you’re aware, if you hang up a towel, it will not be replaced. If you want it replaced, we pile them either in the tub or on a bathroom floor.

That makes sense.

 

[MommyCMickey]

I have done it, never said anything to the room host. He did keep asking if I needed anything witch I found annoying. I have no problem if they need to enter to for security checks. I think they did call the room once, but left a message, but never heard from them again. Didn't want the cleaning, touching my stuff or anything. I find thee stuff on Youtube videos to be a bit overrated, Towel animals on the toilet, reorganizing your things, and other little things they may do. Just stay out of my way lol.

You found it annoying that they were trying to make sure your needs were met??? Interesting

 

[kiford]

Just so you’re aware, if you hang up a towel, it will not be replaced. If you want it replaced, we pile them either in the tub or on a bathroom floor.

That's what they say, and I always hang up my towels, but they still replace them every day, which I don't feel is necessary. I don't need fresh new towels every day. But I figure it's probably easier and faster for them to follow a routine that doesn't vary much from room to room so that's why they do it (this is at both the resorts and on the cruise).

But I do like having that turndown service at night. And my towel animals. And my chocolates. Not only are some cruise lines going to only once a day, but they only do it between the hours of X and Y and if you are in the room during those hours, you just don't get it done. I don't like that. It also indicates to me a staff shortage, which means there are probably other areas in which I'm being shortchanged. Hopefully, DCL doesn't go there.

 

[Girl of the South]

We unfold the couch bed at night on our own. Insanely easy. I also don’t like a tucked in bed (sides and foot of the bed). I always have to untuck it to be comfortable. I wouldn’t mind housekeeping in the morning every other day. A personal preference.

 

[mousefan73]

They kept asking because it is their job and they live on tips. You sound like a real treat.

I totally agree with PP. State room attendants messing with my stuff, folding my clothes, organizing my stuff to beg for tips is another thing that’s slowly turning me off DCL. It’s the “going beyond expectations” here they’re just begging for extra tips. I only need someone to come in - Give me fresh towels if needed, toilet paper, clean if needed, take garbage out and make my bed.

I don’t need someone rolling up my charger cables.

In DCL i have the feeling they are constantly in the hallway waiting to get into our room. Late morning, and during dinner times the hallways are full of service carts for hours with staff doing rooms. And after a while, I just get sick of the fake. “hi how was your day“

I didn’t realize this until we did virgin voyages, and one thing we noticed right away is that you never really saw attendants in the hallway ( hardly any carts). I was speaking with other Cruise passengers and we were like we don’t know how they do it but the state of attendance are like fairies who are invisible, but do their job and do it well. no one ever had the stress can I go back to my room now because they’re cleaning it. It was just somehow done, done well and you never saw anyone.

When we finally met our guy he told us they work in teams of two or three to get in and out fast. I had another conversation and it seemed they are generally happy and actually told us that this is the best line to work for. They get paid more than other lines including Disney and the one thing they love is that since the cruise line is 18 and over it’s so much easier to clean rooms, They seem less stressed / happier than DCL people.


It makes sense if you think about it, I’ve walked by so many state rooms on Disney ships of families where it looks like a bomb went off, leaving their crap everywhere, or disorganized, and probably expect the state room guy to tidy up. if I’m putting myself in their position, I wouldn’t look forward to rolling up phone cables every day and organizing toys people leave on the floor and then clean on top.

 

[Girl of the South]

I pre-tip and take my chances. On the first day, I give them a note card that says “No turn down service, thank you!” with my name and cabin number and a $50 bill. They show their supervisor the handwritten note, which is confirmed by a phone call. They keep the $50, as they should. And although I have never felt how the previous poster felt, this has worked for me.

 

[Cheburashka]

Twice per day housekeeping is one of the biggest perks of cruising. It keeps the stateroom immaculate, the bed made, towels fresh, the trash from overfilling. I don't want to do any housework on vacation. We keep our personal items very neat and the rest is the job of the staff. That's a blissful escape from ordinary life and it's part of what we pay for.

We leave all food plates & trays of any origin on the little table between the couch and the dresser. They always disappear after our room cleaning.

Once I returned a plate from Cabanas back to Cabanas so my room steward wouldn't have to. She noticed and gently chided me for it. "I don't like that," she said in a sweet, maternal way. "That's my job, to take care of you."

Love our room stewards. Always tip them well.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I totally agree with PP. State room attendants messing with my stuff, folding my clothes, organizing my stuff to beg for tips is another thing that’s slowly turning me off DCL. It’s the “going beyond expectations” here they’re just begging for extra tips. I only need someone to come in - Give me fresh towels if needed, toilet paper, clean if needed, take garbage out and make my bed.

I don’t need someone rolling up my charger cables.

In DCL i have the feeling they are constantly in the hallway waiting to get into our room. Late morning, and during dinner times the hallways are full of service carts for hours with staff doing rooms. And after a while, I just get sick of the fake. “hi how was your day“

I didn’t realize this until we did virgin voyages, and one thing we noticed right away is that you never really saw attendants in the hallway ( hardly any carts). I was speaking with other Cruise passengers and we were like we don’t know how they do it but the state of attendance are like fairies who are invisible, but do their job and do it well. no one ever had the stress can I go back to my room now because they’re cleaning it. It was just somehow done, done well and you never saw anyone.

When we finally met our guy he told us they work in teams of two or three to get in and out fast. I had another conversation and it seemed they are generally happy and actually told us that this is the best line to work for. They get paid more than other lines including Disney and the one thing they love is that since the cruise line is 18 and over it’s so much easier to clean rooms, They seem less stressed / happier than DCL people.


It makes sense if you think about it, I’ve walked by so many state rooms on Disney ships of families where it looks like a bomb went off, leaving their crap everywhere, or disorganized, and probably expect the state room guy to tidy up. if I’m putting myself in their position, I wouldn’t look forward to rolling up phone cables every day and organizing toys people leave on the floor and then clean on top.

I honestly believe they just want you to be happy. All you would need to do is say, please don't touch/move any of my belongings; just clean, replace towels, make the bed, and replace the towels. They would do, or refrain from doing, whatever you ask. I've never cruised Virgin so I can't compare but in almost 30 DCL cruises I've never had a stateroom host who wouldn't honor our requests.