I hate walking around with my carry-on trailing behind me. NCL has a nice "drop off" option where you can check your carry-on and then come back and pick it up at a later time.
I do remember when cabins were always ready when you boarded around noon. Then the lines started "enforcing" and implementing the 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. time when cabins would be ready.
Take care,
Mike
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Wonderful way to enhance walking onboard. I wish they would come to my house. Kudo's to HAL!
On the Epic, I loved being able to drop off the bags, while we graze our way around...Maybe I have missed this option on other lines, but, this was a first for me.
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I hate walking around with my carry-on trailing behind me. NCL has a nice "drop off" option where you can check your carry-on and then come back and pick it up at a later time.
HAL also has/had a place to "drop off" your carry-on if you chose.
Deluxe Suite passengers could drop their carry-on luggage in the Neptune Lounge - that is something we always did, except I took my jewellery out of my carry-on and put it in my purse.
Amazing!!! We always bring strollers with NO intention of using them on ship ... its just for the ports and airports. This is perfect for us. It's hard navigating two kids, two strollers, and multiple carry-ons
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Disney Fantasy - 2013 [pending]
Disney Dream - 2012
Royal Freedom of the Seas - 2011
HAL Eurodam - 2011
Royal Grandeur of the Seas - 2010
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Grand Princess - 2002
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To me, it's impractical and unreasonable. Everyone wants to go to their cabin the minute they board and no one wants to leave their cabin until the minute they can disembark.
What are these stewards supposed to do?
If you want it both ways and this pressure is put on these very hard workers, don't be nit picky when you arrive at your cabin and find some silly little thing that isn't perfectly tended to.
I think it unreasonable we should expect they can get those cabins adequately cleaned in the very brief time they are given.
Help them out and get out of the cabin as early as practical for you. Go sit at the pool one last time, have a slow breakfast in Lido, sit on Promenade Deck.......
Help out these stewards to be able to do their best work.
Help out these stewards to be able to do their best work.
JMHO.......
Interesting opinion.
Frankly, helping out servers is not my idea of what I want to do on a cruise.
They are supposed to be working very hard. That is what employment is about. Expecting the customer to make it easier for the employee is not the idea. Expecting the employee to work very hard to make it better for the customer is the way business should work.
There are a multitude of American businesses that could stand to learn this lesson. One of the major reasons I enjoy cruising is the attitude of the staff as compared to the employees many places in America.
I appreciate the hard work they do. I am happy that they get good compensation in the form of the tips added to my bill.
I want to get to my cabin as soon as I can and stay in it as long as I can, and I think HAL is doing a wonderful thing in making it easier for the passenger. I appreciate the organizational and logistical effort that goes into it. I hope the staff is compensated with additional time off at some other time.
JMAO (Just My Arrogant Opinion ... I am never Humble ... )
I can see both sides to this argument. Actually, it makes no difference to me, one way or another. I am so happy to be embarking that I never considered it a hassle to wait for the stateroom.......
I can see both sides to this argument. Actually, it makes no difference to me, one way or another. I am so happy to be embarking that I never considered it a hassle to wait for the stateroom.......
I want to get into my cabin as quickly as possible, and I'm also quick to vacate. We generally want to be off the ship early, so we are often in the MDR at 7AM or early to get our last breakfast. We may or may not leave our luggage in the room, depending on how much luggage we have. But my goal is to always be off the ship by 8AM. They can clean my cabin while Mike is resting in his!
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Disney Fantasy - 2013 [pending]
Disney Dream - 2012
Royal Freedom of the Seas - 2011
HAL Eurodam - 2011
Royal Grandeur of the Seas - 2010
Carnival Dream - 2010
Grand Princess - 2002
Royal Voyageur of the Seas - 2000
Royal Sovereign of the Seas - 1999
Carnival Ecstacy - 1991
We also have our idosyncracies (don't go to the cabin on embarkation day before we're allowed, ask that they double up on towels in the bathrooms--we like to shower twice a day), but we do keep our cabin relatively neat and tidy--just make the bed, empty the trash, and tidy up the bathroom. We do ask that on disembarkation day that our cabin is the last one to be made up. They're happy to accommodate us--along with the tips which are taken out automatically on board, hubby also gives them $100 or more so that if they "take care of us, we take care of them." Never heard one argument from any party! Everyone is happy! Also, most of these cabin stewards are efficient, know their jobs, have a system, and probably can clean a house faster than you and I put together!
We also have our idosyncracies (don't go to the cabin on embarkation day before we're allowed, ask that they double up on towels in the bathrooms--we like to shower twice a day), but we do keep our cabin relatively neat and tidy--just make the bed, empty the trash, and tidy up the bathroom. We do ask that on disembarkation day that our cabin is the last one to be made up. They're happy to accommodate us--along with the tips which are taken out automatically on board, hubby also gives them $100 or more so that if they "take care of us, we take care of them." Never heard one argument from any party! Everyone is happy! Also, most of these cabin stewards are efficient, know their jobs, have a system, and probably can clean a house faster than you and I put together!
We also keep our stateroom neat and tidy up before we vacate each day in the AM. I'm sure that our cabin attendants appreciate our "neatness". (I do the same before my housekeeper comes in, clean up before she arrives! ). I have passed staterooms when they are open and am appalled at the condition...luggage everywhere, clothes piles everywhere...personal makeup, etc. everywhere, where do these people sleep?
I do love HAL because we can stay in the stateroom on disembarkation day until we are ready to leave (we live in Florida) but it would be nice to be able to ditch our carry-ons upon boarding. We've also had cabin attendants ask to put the linens in our little hassock (sp?) the night before so that they only have to strip the beds and put the new linens on in the AM. Some of them have a system.
Frankly, helping out servers is not my idea of what I want to do on a cruise.
They are supposed to be working very hard. That is what employment is about. Expecting the customer to make it easier for the employee is not the idea. Expecting the employee to work very hard to make it better for the customer is the way business should work.
There are a multitude of American businesses that could stand to learn this lesson. One of the major reasons I enjoy cruising is the attitude of the staff as compared to the employees many places in America.
I appreciate the hard work they do. I am happy that they get good compensation in the form of the tips added to my bill.
I want to get to my cabin as soon as I can and stay in it as long as I can, and I think HAL is doing a wonderful thing in making it easier for the passenger. I appreciate the organizational and logistical effort that goes into it. I hope the staff is compensated with additional time off at some other time.
JMAO (Just My Arrogant Opinion ... I am never Humble ... )
You sound like the person that shows up at 9am when check in is listed as 3pm and expect, nay demand every room request be met, and that you get your room now, and then on departure day, when 11am rolls around (check out time), your suitcase is still unpacked and you leave the housekeeper stuck with an unclean room on their list.
Just my opinion, as someone that has to deal with the likes
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My opinions are mine and mine alone. They do not represent the opinions of The Walt Disney Company nor any of its subsidiaries.
You sound like the person that shows up at 9am when check in is listed as 3pm and expect, nay demand every room request be met, and that you get your room now, and then on departure day, when 11am rolls around (check out time), your suitcase is still unpacked and you leave the housekeeper stuck with an unclean room on their list.
Just my opinion, as someone that has to deal with the likes
Well, in fact, you are wrong on that one. We normally show up for embarkation about 11 to 11:30 as experience teaches that is when the lines open. It has been our custom to send the maximum amount of luggage aboard and carry only minimum bags so we can enjoy the public rooms while we wait for the announcement that cabins are open. We do indeed expect that every room request be met, that we get extra pillows, that our extension cord be properly secured, that our fruit be filled as needed as so on. The first time we request it we do so politely. On departure day, we take our time, enjoy breakfast in the dining room, and ensure that we are out of the room by the stated time.
Taking advantage of the maximum service offered is not being demanding or obnoxious, IMAO. It is what we expect on board and how the staff earn their tips.
And incidentally, suse, it is not an argument, it is an exchange of opinions
Personally, I agree with Sail (Judy). I would much rather HAL provide the staff with enough time to get the turn-over cleaning done properly! I enjoy boarding in time for a bite to eat at lunch on the Lido or in the MDR, and having a luggage check place to leave my carry-ons is a nice touch, but I'd rather not HAL allow us to go to our staterooms until they're ready, and that means allowing the staff sufficient time to get the job done ... and done right.
__________________ Greg+
Booked and Up-Coming:
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To clarify, it's was an expression used. Similar would be, "for the sake of argument", or "to argue the point", or say something similar. Certainly not intended to indicate there was an argument associated with this pressing matter.
Who remembers the days when we were not allowed to board until 3pm and then had to vacate our cabins early and sit around the lounges and wait for our number to be called?
I think what HAL has been doing in the last couple of years is fine - start boarding around 11am, wait for cabins to be ready around 1-1:30pm and then upon disembarkation relax in our cabins until our numbers are called.
Who remembers the days when we were not allowed to board until 3pm and then had to vacate our cabins early and sit around the lounges and wait for our number to be called?
I do, and I agree. I much prefer boarding and having a bite to eat or enjoying the upper and outer decks or exploring the vessel until the staterooms are ready.
__________________ Greg+
Booked and Up-Coming:
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I actually don't believe the new system increased the steward's work load, or decreased the time available to do the cabins.
I'm assuming HAL, like most of the lines, had the stewards doing luggage duty at night, and then again in the morning/late afternoon for new arrivals. That work has probably been spread amongst other crew. The article didn mention that bar staff were now responsible for cleaning public areas, that used to be the housekeeping depts. job.
It really doesn't take all that long to strip and clean a cabin as team. I can't recall anyone being allowed to stay on any ship much past 10 AM anymore; unless delayed by C&I.
... I'd rather not HAL allow us to go to our staterooms until they're ready, and that means allowing the staff sufficient time to get the job done ... and done right.
Indeed, that is absolutely true.
So, the question is, has HAL actually taken care of the organizational and logistical problems in such a way that they can efficiently and properly clean the cabins and have them ready by 11 AM?
If they have, then kudos to their management! And if they have not, a few weeks of passenger complaints will surely get management attention.
I like the idea very much, and am willing to wait and see how it works. We are due to board the Volendam in Sydney in early March. I will be watching to see what happens.
I will report back and let you all know in 48 days!
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Disney Dream - 2012
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Royal Grandeur of the Seas - 2010
Carnival Dream - 2010
Grand Princess - 2002
Royal Voyageur of the Seas - 2000
Royal Sovereign of the Seas - 1999
Carnival Ecstacy - 1991
Last time On the Westerdam I was fortune enough to have a suite at the last minute. I was able to drop off my carrying luggage at the Neptune lounge. We had lunch and met a nice couple near the pool. we talk so much we didn't get to our stateroom until 2:30. We are never in a rush to get to our room.
Enhancing Embarkation Day - Direct to Stateroom available
Kudo's to HAL!
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)
). I have passed staterooms when they are open and am appalled at the condition...luggage everywhere, clothes piles everywhere...personal makeup, etc. everywhere, where do these people sleep? 
Greg+
Done right
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