Want better service, surprise treats, and an extra-clean cabin on your cruise? Or do you just know that it’s good to value the people who are working hard for you?
How you treat your cabin steward matters. These hardworking heroes keep your floating home spotless, and the way you interact with them can make all the difference.
The good news? You don’t need to do anything dramatic – just a handful of small, thoughtful habits…
1. Use the “Do Not Disturb” Sign Thoughtfully
Your cabin steward works to a tight schedule, so those little door signs are more than just decoration.
If you’re heading out, flip it to “Make Up Room” so they know it’s a good time to pop in.
If you’re having a lazy morning or napping, keep it on “Do Not Disturb”.
The key is consistency. Mixed signals – or forgetting to use the sign at all – can leave your steward guessing and can throw their whole routine out of sync.
2. Tip Fairly (And Maybe Early)
Cruises often include gratuities in your fare, but a personal tip is always appreciated.
Slipping your steward a little cash at the start of your cruise is a lovely gesture of respect and sets a warm tone right away.
Many guests swear by this trick, reporting service that feels extra attentive – from perfectly chilled ice waiting in the bucket to towel animals appearing like magic.
Personally, I haven’t tried this as I prefer to tip at the end. Tipping at the beginning feels a bit like demanding extra-attentive service. It’s the same as when people stand at the bar holding a $1 bill to get served first. I find that a bit cringe, but each to their own.
Your tip doesn’t need to be a huge amount; the thoughtfulness matters just as much as the money. And as for which currency to use? That doesn’t matter either.
Suggested read: How Much Extra To Tip Cruise Staff
3. Keep Your Cabin Floor Clear
A cluttered cabin floor is every steward’s nightmare. Bags, shoes, and a scatter of clothing slow them down and make cleaning much harder than it needs to be.
Plus, nobody wants to see your dirty underwear, let alone pick it up!
With storage space cleverly tucked away in cruise cabins, there’s usually a spot for everything – wardrobes, drawers, even under-bed storage.
By keeping things off the floor, you’ll make their job far easier and ensure you come back to a room that feels truly cared for, rather than one that’s been tiptoed around.
4. Tidy Away Your Dirty Laundry
It’s tempting to toss worn clothes into a pile in the corner, but imagine trying to vacuum or dust around that heap! Instead, pop dirty laundry in a suitcase under the bed, a section of the wardrobe, or the laundry service sack provided.
Or better yet, you can even do your own laundry onboard on most ships!
Tidying up your laundry instantly makes your cabin look neater and allows your steward to do a proper clean without playing detective with your socks.
This small step helps keep the space fresh – and keeps you from accidentally kicking yesterday’s gym kit under the bed.
Read more: How To Do Laundry on Cruise Ships: The Ultimate Guide
5. Put Room Service Trays Out Quickly
That late-night club sandwich might have been delicious at the time, but nobody wants to share a cabin with the smell of congealed cheese and cold chips.
As soon as you’re done with room service, place the tray neatly outside your door and then call room service to let them know.
Yes, it’s absolutely fine (and expected) to leave your try outside. The key is to give them a call so that they know to collect it. This minimises the time it’s there.
Leaving it inside the room only leads to mess, odours, and a trickier job for your steward later. Think of it as a little kindness for both you and them.
6. Consolidate Your Rubbish
Stewards don’t expect a spotless cabin, but they’ll love you forever if you make clearing up straightforward.
Instead of leaving a breadcrumb trail of receipts, wrappers, and water bottles across every surface, gather them in the bin provided – or even a spare bag if you’re feeling organised.
It makes tidying up a one-step process for your steward and avoids the awkward guesswork of whether that half-full cup is rubbish or something you’re still nursing.
Many ships have sectioned trash cans for recycling and non-recyclables. Paying attention to this is sure to make someone’s job easier down the line.
7. Be Friendly – Briefly
A smile, a hello, and a thank you go a long way.
Using your steward’s name makes the exchange warmer and more personal. They’ll remember you, and it sets the tone for a friendly relationship.
That said, don’t keep them chatting for ages – they’re usually juggling a long list of cabins to get through.
A quick word of kindness is more than enough to brighten their day without slowing them down.
8. Leave Clear Notes for Requests
Need extra towels, a fresh ice bucket, or an extra pillow? A simple sticky note or a short written message is your best friend.
It’s far easier for your steward to act on clear instructions than trying to catch you between comings and goings.
Notes also prevent misunderstandings – so instead of you waiting for ages, your steward knows exactly what to bring, when, and how. Everyone wins.
Read more: 19 Cruise Freebies You Can Get From Guest Services (Just Ask!)
9. Lock Away Your Valuables
Cabin stewards are professionals who take great pride in their work, but keeping your valuables locked in the safe is simply common sense.
Cash, passports, and jewellery tucked away protect your belongings and prevent any hint of awkwardness.
It also helps your steward relax, knowing they’re not working around piles of expensive items that they could be worried about damaging.
The safer your items are, the more peace of mind you’ll both have – and that means a happier holiday all round.
10. Reuse Your Towels
This little habit is a classic win-win.
If you hang your towels up, they’ll be left for reuse – helping the environment by saving water and reducing laundry loads.
It also gives your steward more time to focus on other aspects of your cabin rather than endlessly swapping towels.
If you really do need fresh ones, just leave them on the floor. Clear signals mean less waste and a smoother routine for everyone.
11. Don’t Leave Food Lying Around
A few biscuits left out on a plate might not seem like a big deal, but ship cabins are small spaces – and food left lying around quickly leads to unwanted smells.
Keep snacks sealed, clear away leftovers promptly, and use the bins or room service trays to dispose of food waste.
Your steward will thank you, and you’ll keep your cabin feeling clean and comfortable.
12. Report Issues Politely
Something not quite right in your cabin? It can often be fixed quickly if you mention it directly to your steward.
They usually know the right person to call and can sort things out. Or just nip to Guest Services – they should be able to sort it quickly.
The key is to be polite – a gentle mention goes much further than a grumble. Your steward wants you happy, and kindness makes everything easier. And certainly never blame the steward for something that’s gone wrong, or something that’s taken too long to fix!
13. Say Thank You
At the end of your cruise, take a moment to properly thank your cabin steward.
Whether it’s a heartfelt word, a handwritten note, or a small extra tip, the gesture means far more than you might imagine.
Stewards work incredibly hard, often with long hours and little downtime. Knowing their efforts were noticed and appreciated gives them a boost that lasts well beyond your sailing.
Gratitude is the simplest – and loveliest – etiquette of all.
Read more: 56 Amazing Examples of Royal Caribbean Customer Service
Things NOT to do if you don’t want to annoy your cabin steward…
I’m sure nobody goes out of their way to be a ‘bad’ cruise passenger, but there might be some of you reading this who are actually causing issues for the crew without realising it.
Hard-working stewards put a ton of effort into keeping your cabin at its best, and making sure you have everything you need (within reason), but some passengers don’t half make their job even more difficult.
Perhaps you’re one of them, and you don’t realise it? Here are the 11 things that cabin stewards hate that cruise passengers do without realising, so that you can adjust your behaviour onboard if you need to.
1. Hiding Room Service Trays Or Food
I understand that, once you’ve finished with your room service tray or that buffet plate you brought back to your cabin, you might want it out of sight.
I get it, dirty plates are one of the worst offenders for just making a room look cluttered and dirty.
The best advice is generally to put the plate outside your door so it can be collected, but some people don’t like to do that. And so instead they might try to hide the plates temporarily, maybe behind a curtain, under the bed, or in the wardrobe.
An utterly terrible idea, because your cabin steward is not doing a deep-clean every single time they enter your room, and so there’s a good chance they’ll miss the plates if they’re hidden.
This can lead to odours and also means that, if you keep ordering more room service or bringing more plates back, you’ll end up with quite the collection that becomes harder to tidy away properly.
If you don’t want to leave the plate outside your door, make sure it’s in plain sight so it can be removed.
2. Overusing Do Not Disturb Signs
Of course, everyone needs privacy at times, but keeping the “Do Not Disturb” sign up all day can cause issues.
Stewards work to very tight schedules, and if they miss their window to clean your cabin it disrupts their flow. It’s fine to use it for a little while but don’t leave it up there permanently!
In some cases, a cabin left on “Do Not Disturb” too long will even trigger a welfare check from security. That’ll be awkward if you’ve just left it there because you want a bit of peace…
If you want service later, flip the sign to “Make Up Room” when you head out, or simply let your steward know your preferred cleaning time.
And if you don’t want your room cleaned your entire cruise, that’s fine too. Just be sure to let them know.
3. Mixing Clean And Dirty Towels
Folding a damp towel neatly and leaving it on the floor may seem helpful, but it only creates confusion. Is it clean enough to reuse, or should it be replaced?
To keep things clear, always put used towels in the shower or bath, and hang up anything you plan to use again.
This saves your steward wasting precious time sorting through piles of linen.
4. Bringing Your Own Toilet Paper Or Flushing Wipes
Cruise ship plumbing is sensitive and designed only for the thin paper provided onboard.
And I know it might not be as luxurious as the kind you use at home, but there’s no way around that.
Some people who’ve cruised before might even bring their own to get around the problem but trust me, you shouldn’t!
Using thick, plush toilet paper from home – or worse, flushing wet wipes – can block the system, causing problems not just in your cabin but across the deck.
Always stick to the supplies provided and bin anything that isn’t toilet paper.
5. Rearranging Furniture
Cabin furniture is carefully positioned and often secured for safety.
Moving it around, even just to “make more space”, creates hazards and extra work, as everything needs to be put back before the next guests arrive.
In fact in some cases your steward will be under instruction to move it back immediately, and to keep moving it if you continue to shift it.
If you really want a different set-up, speak to your steward instead of dragging chairs or beds yourself.
6. Drying Wet Clothes On Furniture Or Sprinklers
It’s tempting to drape swimsuits or towels over chairs or lamps to dry, but this can cause damp smells, damage furniture, or even trigger the fire-safety system if hung on sprinklers (yes, some people apparently do this – crazy!)
Most cruise cabins I’ve sailed in have a retractable clothesline in the shower – use that instead. If you need more drying space, ask your steward for extra hangers.
Suggested read: 17 Extras You Can Get From Cruise Cabin Stewards (For Free!)
7. Turning The Cabin Into A Messy Dressing Room
Cabins aren’t huge, and when clothes and shoes are spread across the bed, floor, and chairs, it makes cleaning much more time-consuming.
Stewards end up carefully moving items just to make the bed or vacuum. Keeping your belongings in the wardrobe or drawers helps them do their job faster and more efficiently.
8. Complaining About Things Stewards Can’t Control
Problems with air conditioning, noisy neighbours, or technical faults aren’t within a steward’s power to fix.
While they can report issues, it’s quicker and more effective to contact guest services directly.
Save your steward for cabin-specific requests like extra pillows or replacing light bulbs – they’ll appreciate it and you won’t be burdening them with extra things to remember.
Oh, and if guest services are a little slow, don’t take it out on your cabin steward. It’s not their job to just sit and take your complaints!
Read more: 19 Cruise Freebies You Can Ask For At Guest Services
9. Expecting Laundry Service Without Preparation
Leaving a pile of clothes on the bed won’t magically result in clean laundry.
Cruise lines require guests to bag their items, complete the laundry form, and specify the service required.
Stewards are there to collect properly prepared laundry, not to sort through piles and guess your preferences.
Or you can always use the self-service laundry machines onboard, if you prefer. Most cruise lines have them!
Read more: How To Do Laundry on Cruise Ships: The Ultimate Guide
10. Leaving Valuables Out
Expensive jewellery, passports, and wads of cash left on display don’t just slow cleaning down – they put stewards in a difficult position.
Even though theft is rare, the presence of valuables creates stress for them and risk for you. They don’t want to be accused of something they didn’t do if anything goes missing!
For everyone’s peace of mind, always use the in-cabin safe for anything important.
11. Holding Stewards Up For Long Chats
A quick “hello” or “thank you” is always welcome, but long conversations can throw a steward’s schedule completely off track.
They’re often responsible for 15 to 20 cabins or perhaps more, and on some cruise lines those cabins are still serviced twice a day, so every minute counts.
If you’d like to chat, catch them at a quieter time rather than when they’re rushing with a trolley of supplies.
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Final Word
Cabin stewards work tirelessly to keep your cruise experience smooth and comfortable.
By avoiding these small but significant habits, you not only make their lives easier but also help ensure you receive the very best service in return.
A little consideration goes a long way – so next time you’re on board, be the kind of passenger your steward is secretly delighted to look after.
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