One of the best things about taking a cruise is that you don't have to worry about vacuuming, scouring, or doing any other kind of cleaning while you're away. That's large because of your room steward (also known as a cabin steward or cabin attendant). Throughout your journey, these cruise line staffs ensure that your stateroom is kept spotless.
What else do you need to know about the cabin steward on your cruise? In this article, I'll outline their responsibilities, what you may (and cannot) ask them to do, and what makes them different from the staff members who clean your hotel or resort room.
Duties of a room steward.
Your cabin steward is in charge of tidying and cleaning your cabin while you are on your cruise in addition to cleaning and disinfecting your room and bathroom before you leave.
Each cabin on several cruise companies receives twice-daily service. Hence, you can anticipate your room steward to arrive somewhere between breakfast and lunch to make the beds, clear away any used glasses or room service trays, and replenish toiletries as needed.
Throughout the night, possibly while you are having supper, they will also stop by your cabin to do turndown service, which occasionally entails sweets like pillow chocolates and towel animals. Your steward's nightly duties will also include leaving copies of the next day's activity schedule, dinner invites, shore excursion tickets, and posters for events like art auctions and spa tours aboard ships that still offer paper prints.
There are, however, certain exceptions. To reduce costs, several large cruise lines, notably Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Carnival Cruise Line, have reduced the frequency of daily room cleaning to once.
Passengers can anticipate daily room straightening aboard the ships of those lines.
Put the "do not disturb" magnet or hanging sign that is given on your door if you don't want your cabin steward to enter your space. When I'm working, taking a nap, or getting ready for dinner, I do this.
The other duties of room stewards include gathering items that passengers want to have washed, dried cleaned, or pressed (for a cost), replenishing the minibar in each cabin, and handling requests for more bedding or hangers.
What a cabin steward can (and can't) do for you
Remember that a room steward differs from a butler. They can restock your ice bucket, demonstrate how to operate the TV and climate control, give you kid-size life jackets, and fold the pajamas you left lying around the room when you went out for morning trivia, but they won't be able to comply with specific requests outside of keeping your room spotless.
The following are some of the tasks your cabin attendant should perform:
• Introduce themselves to you on the first day or two of the sailing.
• Once you board the ship, deliver your checked luggage to your room.
• Remove dirty dishes, cups, and room service items from your cabin.
• Straighten up and tidy your room (vacuum, wipe up spills, fix beds, and generally organize).
• Remove dirty towels and provide new ones.
• Change your bedsheets (if requested).
• Set up sleeping arrangements (splitting beds, combining beds, and pulling down bunks).
• Refill complimentary shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, and lotion.
• Restock tissues and toilet paper.
• Deliver daily schedules and other paper announcements.
• Answer general questions or point you to the person who has answers if they don't.
• Alert maintenance if something goes wrong with things like plumbing or electrical in your cabin.
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