We have been cruising since 2001, married in ‘81. I have always brought wipes in planes, hotel rooms, rental cars and of course our cabin. I will also have wipes in individual packets with me in my card pouch on the cruise…. I hate the smell , danger of chemicals and misleading that goes with the sanitizer gel. (Really bad as your skin absorbs it! And it was designed to be WIPED off but no one does it!) We have never gotten sick on our many many cruises. 2) black light is best to use for bed bug detection 3) Lysol spray (or the like) that we spray down the bathroom everywhere. 4) SLIPPERS!!! We never put dirty feet into our bed. 5) hair clip claws , or bull dog clips! We will clip the curtains gap closed. 6) We bring our Arbonne immunity boost juice packs for each day, and also WELLNESS Formula (Amazon, get pills not capsule) …. We take one pack & pill everyday about a week before the cruise, and everyday on the cruise. I know there are other things I do but these are off the top of my head. Can’t wait for our next cruise!!
Great list. As an RN, I have been wiping down airplane seats/trays, hotel rooms, cruise cabins, sleeper cars on trains, etc. for over 30 years. Also, when I introduce myself to the cabin attendant, I let them know that if I need anything non-urgently, I will leave a sticky note posted on a specific spot (mirror, shelf by the door etc.) and that if they need to leave me a note, the sticky tablet and pen will be in the same spot for them to use. This has been working great for years.
VERY smart. Last cruise I got pneumonia. Just seeing the ships doctor and getting an antibiotic cost $3800. Make sure you get medical insurance, with evacuation insurance and trip cancellation. The antibiotic alone was nearly $1000. We had to pay upfront, and the insurance company reimbursed us. Have lots of room on your credit card, in case you need it.
The foam topper is a great idea. I bring my pillows with me, so stuffing a topper in the luggage would be a chore. My wife is an infectious disease nurse and you want to see cleaning? A germ doesn't stand a chance in our cabin. We were on two different cruise, one had the norovirius and another had a covid outbreak. Both times we were fine, no illness. We also check for bed bugs, every hotel or cruise. She has a black light that works great. Mrs Clean goes through everything. We leave for Alaska tomorrow.
I think it's just smart to wipe down everything. My wife got extremely sick with a stomach virus staying in a hotel one time. The staff had mentioned that the previous guest who had left that morning was in the cabin for several days with the same stomach virus. We didn't find that out until after.
1st thing--I wipe down everything using a bleach wipe--all surfaces, phone, light switches, fridge, door handles, remote, ending with the bathroom. Nothing will survive my cleaning.
After boarding, and before heading to my cabin, I get the muster drill out of the way, and put my cell phone in airplane mode! I bring lysol wipes to wipe down every touch spot, and bring a mini can of lysol spray to kill any possible airborn germs that might be lingering. I also check for hidden cameras.
I always do a cabin touch point wipe down. But even so, on my Jan.,2024 cruise 12 of the 14 people in our group got sick (not Covid.) I slept for 2 days and missed a scheduled shore excursion. 😢. The illness left me with a bad cough that lasted 3 months! Next time I will be using hand sanitizer lots more throughout the days.
Having cruised and traveled for business/pleasure for more years than I'd like to admit, I've learned: 1) never, ever use an ice bucket without a plastic throw-away liner (you never know what's gone in there), 2) always wash out any glasses in your room setup (thankfully, throw-away plastic glasses seem to be the norm), 3) sanitize!, 4) don't sit on the bedspread, 5) don't walk around in your bare feet (flip-flops or slippers) and 6) on cruises, tip your room steward beforehand just to let him/her know you appreciate them and any help they can provide.
We just finished a cruise of the Mediterranean on an ultra luxury line and we contracted norovirus resulting in us being in isolation for 4 of the 14 days of the cruise. I am pretty certain that we picked it up in the cabin as we were very careful with what we touched outside the cabin and using hand sanitizer. We both let our guard down in our cabin though and as the ship had an outbreak on the previous sailing my husband and I believe that someone had the virus in our cabin. Your recommendation to sanitize the cabin yourself is spot on.
I clean as well. Love the flashlight idea for bedbugs. I worked for an exterminating company for 16 years and bedbugs are extremely difficult and expensive to eliminate.
I always carry wipes with me. Something I have done for many, many years. (My Children used to call me Mrs. Monk!) Use them on airplanes, in hotel rooms and cruise cabins. People used to think I was crazy - not anymore!!
@bettylieberman5590 Monk was special! I definitely prefer Sharona to Natalie. Lol USA had a great thing going with the whole "Blue Sky" era. Psych is another one of my favorite shows. I was just talking about that program tonight with a couple that I met while I was dining. Everyone loves Burton Guster! Thank you for the discussion and the trip down memory lane. I'm happy to learn that your family was able to enjoy Monk as much as mine.
Great tips! I am going to use the flashlight tip. I tip my cabin steward at the beginning and the end of the cruise. Tipping in the beginning always sets the tone and I have always received excellent service!
If I had money, I would grease as many palms on day one as I can. They work hard and are very important to me so I want them to feel seen and appreciated.( Especially the person who cleans my washroom.) Also I have disabilities and am often solo. I think it's simply wise to have people watching out for you.
We clean hotel rooms, airplane seats/areas, rental cars, and have done so since my daughter was diagnosed with cancer in 2009. A good handwashing and we are golden…
We've been cruising for over 20 years now and I ALWAYS wipe things down the minute we walk into our cabin. I send the family out to the balcony to get that done ASAP. We also unpack fully as soon as we can. Lately, luggage hasn't been arriving as early as it used to. Last year I went on a cruise with my daughter. She wanted to explore the ship as soon as we checked in at muster. So, we ended up missing lunch - lol! So on our cruise next week, she agreed to have lunch and THEN go explore the ship!
Hotels: i also wipe down & sanitize everything but i ALWAYS bring zip lok bags & place the tv remote in it & we use it through the bag. Those things are super germy. 😊
On a Disney cruise several years ago, my husband and I were not happy with our mattress, we called housekeeping and had a brand new mattress within 15 minutes!
I agree with A lot of stuff you say BUT I wipe down my cabin first and spray everything down to disinfectant, leave the cabin 10-15 mins depending on direction then come back. I used to get sick everytime we travel and my doctor told me to do this been doing this now for over 10 yrs knock on wood never gotten sick on a cruise. My husband starts on one side of the room and I one the other, one wipes, one sprays takes about 10 mins. We do this for hotels as well. We also put our magnet hooks and clips in our carry on to get setup. We do everything but the mattress topper.
Great checklist. My last cruise was in November 2019 - just before the world shut down. There was an outbreak of what I assumed to be a norovirus type of illness. The last few days the sanitizing was really stepped up - nothing left on the tables, no self serving in the buffet, staff served everything. Even officers were wiping tables & touch points. Thankfully I didn't catch it. On my past cruises I never sanitized my cabin but am definitely going to start when I go in January.
Good video with some practical suggestions. We don’t do all the cabin cleaning, but I understand those who do. In 25 + cruises we’ve never gotten sick.
I started cruising in the 70's and never did anything you said...I guess i have been lucky and never got sick,not even the sniffles.Only problem i had was in 1982 on The Carnival Mardi Gras,very old ship and Carnival's first ship,constant flushing problem with the toilet,the maintenance guy was in the cabin 4-6 times a day with a plunger...I think these Mega ships are prone to problems,since covid the sanitizing system has been upgraded,they now fumigate the cabins to kill more bacteria.
Great video, I carry the mini Lysol spray and I spray everything down, including the outside door handle, especially the furniture and inside drawers and carpet. I just usuall sit down it once. Same with balcony furniture and railing. I also wash my hands after I get my food from buffet , handling all those tongs . Washing hands before is great, but not everyone does that. Those are my only major things. The video was really great, especially about checking everything. Thanks Jason.
Yes, we clean our cabin as soon as they allow us into our cabins. We sanitize just about everything. The cabin steward does not have enough time to do this . They have a very tight window of time during disembarkation of previous cruisers to the incoming new cruisers.
Totally agree with this deduction. With such a quick turn around, the cabin stewards cannot possibly do a full sanitary deep cleaning. Doing it myself, gives me peace of mind, and a clean cabin for the entire cruise. I also bring two pairs of latex gloves, to wear while I clean.
Thank You I have been watching your videos very helpful. Going on my First cruise in July Symphony of the Seas. And yes I plan on cleaning everything, it’s always a must when you go on vacation.
Clean my cruise ship cabin Yes, I do because I work in hospitality and I know maids get 20 minutes to clean hotel rooms, so I assume room stewards get the same amount of time.
I also have worked in house keeping and you are exactly correct about the time. We got 20 minutes per room. Not much time especially if it had been trashed the night before. I would have to spend 40 minutes in that room and have to make up my time in the next room. Therefore corners had to be cut. Trust me!!
Have been cruising since 2002 have never cleaned my cabin when we arrived or during cruise and have never been sick on a cruise just pure dumb luck maybe. Even our first cruise after cruising started again after covid have never worried about it. But a great idea may think about this on later cruises.
We've never been sick on a cruise; however, on our last river cruise a few years ago, we're certain a group of passengers brought it on board as they were complaining of feeling ill from 'eating too much'. Those in that group that weren't too sick to leave their cabin, went about doing their thing, touching things and glad-handing the crew. As a result nearly half the ship ended up with some type of stomach issue and our 80 year-old Aunt spent 4 out of the 7-day cruise in her cabin. Lesson learned ... wash regularly, use sanitizer constantly and don't believe people who say they're 'okay' when they're obviously not.
I like to tip at the beginning (yes, I know it's their job, but) incentive goes a looonnng way and then tip them at the end of the cruise, showing them you appreciated them.
Last year on Mariner of the Seas I put in a request for a bed topper prior to my cruise. You can do that online. It was already on my bed when I arrived in my cabin.
Great video Jayson. We pretty much do the same thing you’ve done on your list we used to also ask for a fan pretty early but now we don’t we just bring our own mini fan.
Yes, we these Clorox and wipe everything down. We started doing this 25 years ago. Makes me feel a lot better. Also love the hooks. Have never checked for bedbugs but we always have two small flash lights so that will be on our list now. Thanks
Nice informative video. My wife and I usually inspect our cabin upon entering and I too like to make sure everything that's at our disposal is working properly without a hitch. I just never thought of ever checking for those pesky bed critters and after watching your checklist, I'm going to have to invest in one of those infrared flashlights that'll help detect them. On our last cruise I noticed that the mini fridge already was stocked with drinks and we decided to not touch it. We took everything out of that fridge, placed aside as we stock the fridge with our drinks we brought on board and especially for the bottled waters that I always purchase ahead of time. After the cruise, we put back the mini bar drinks in the fridge.
Yes, I like to spray our room and wipe highly touched areas; I will start checking for bedbugs after looking at your video, as well as check sink and toilet. We tip at the end and if fridge stocked, we ask items to be removed
I will bring cleaning wipes now. Not something I’ve done in the past but that makes so much sense. Bed bugs! Wow. We are doing an Alaskan cruise soon as well.
And as you get to your room, you've already touched over 300 feet of railings, elevators and everything else. Never cleaned and sanitized. We ask for pillows, blanket and ice in our ice bucket. We do check toilets/paper, temp of refer and Air. Never checked for bed bugs but that's a good idea. Then unpack and go eat.
If I needed to bring a mattress topper on a cruise I wouldn’t be sailing with that cruise line .. are you kidding me .. with all the items you need to bring .. I fly from Australia to mostly Northern European ports .. I do wipe down surfaces in hotels cabins and aircraft seats though 😉
The second thing that I do, is tip my steward and let them know that I will not need any cleaning or making of beds. I will only need fresh wash cloths daily. 💕💕 I bring my own pillowcase and one beach towel.
I bring pillow case too and body pillow cover (added a zipper). I just have to ask for an extra pillow. Raised white- glove- military-clean, so not much to do when i leave. Teflon green scrubby works on sink n shower. I bring my own wash cloth & rinse in boiling water daily (UVBrite thermos) I fold away comforter, blanket, pillows, strip bed, collect hand towels I use n xsmall pet trash bag. It's a "do unto others" kind of thing
I absolutely clean everything as soon as I get in there! We also always check for bed bugs. I’d like to know what cruise ship that cabin that had the bed facing the balcony was? Great video! I just subscribed! Thank you!
Jason great tips. My husband and I will be going on our first cruise since we got married in 2003. We got married on the Explorer of the seas with Royal Caribbean. My husband works as an exterminator, so I’m sure he knows what to look for as far as the bedbugs go. But that is also creepy too. We’re going in the Neptune suite on Home in America, so I hope he doesn’t find anything. Great tip for being Clorox wipes, we will have to wipe down the trays on the airplane and all the touch points in the cabin. Thank you.
I stock the fridge with either my carryon or pre-purchased drinks and sometime split the bed when I'm a solo cruiser. Proper fitted twin sheets brought from home are a nice option to have onboard. Any specific requests to the cabin steward can be written down for them.
What Alaskan cruise will you be going on at the end of August? We are on the ovation of the seas aug 23-30. Great content, thanks for all the helpful tips/tricks
I clean high touch points (light switches, remotes, etc.) in cruise cabins & hotel rooms. I tip at the end of a cruise. On NCL, the solo cabin walls are mostly not magnetic but just by the door is, so I put my excursion tickets there. Good reminder to check for bed bugs - they are nasty little things!
I always clean my room and check the beds. I unpack and put my luggage underneath my bed. I tend to personally tip my Attendant on the last evening of my cruise and thank them! I don't like clutter and things all over the place, I will definitely utilize closets, shelves and drawers. I don't hang hooks all around and usually dry off at the pool before returning to my cabin.
First cruise, but I wipe down airplanes etc. like the mini Lysol idea. Scary on bed bugs. How often does that happen ? Anything else a first time cruiser should do? Going on NCL
i guesws i am a rarity the only electronic i brought on my first cruise was my phone and will do the same on my second solo cruise in december so i am not overly worried aboout outlet numbers for the most part for room steward i request bed topper immidiately as soon as i can, i do pre and end tipping to room steward 5.00 beginning of cruise and 10.00 - 20.00 depending on attentiveness and how they handled needs and friendliness during the cruise
This was a great list! I never thought to bring my own mattress topper before, so thank you for that. 🤗 For the extended plug, I never bring that because I have a CPAP machine. The cruise line gives me a power strip, so I just use that for charging phones, curling irons, etc. As for tipping, I always pre-pay the gratuities, and I typically give an additional tip at the beginning of the cruise (standard is $40). IF the cabin steward goes above and beyond, then I'll give an extra tip at the end between $30 - $60 depending on how great they were. Strangely, this past cruise (last week), was the first time I didn't give an extra tip at the end. Our cabin steward was such a sweetheart with a fabulous personality, but he was HORRIBLE with cleaning the room. When we first got in, not only was it clearly not clean, and was full of dust, but there was literally a molded, half-eaten apple in one of the drawers. I am disgusted by the lack of cleaning AND by the wretched cruiser who PUT a half-eaten apple in a drawer. 🤬🤬 *Edited to add: This was on Carnival Pride*
I clean where I stay RELIGIOUSLY!!! I also wipe the floors too... Heaven knows who's dirty feet and whatever else touched that floor. I wipe that down goooooood!!😂
I'm guessing you have already hit the lunch buffet before hitting your room ? I strongly agree with the cleaning and check before you unpack. I'm okay without a bed topper but agree with seeking out your stateroom attendant and interacting with them. Lastly I like to tip 1/2 upfront and 1/2 at the end.
As a former chambermaid, in the 1990's, I brought a can of Lysol on an 18 day road trip & sprayed EVERYTHING touchable in the hotels! (bed bigs, gross) Jayson, what does guest services do about bed bugs? Eek
Avoid these 6 things on the First Day of your Cruise -----> th-cam.com/video/KKcYk2cB2E4/w-d-xo.html
We have been cruising since 2001, married in ‘81.
I have always brought wipes in planes, hotel rooms, rental cars and of course our cabin.
I will also have wipes in individual packets with me in my card pouch on the cruise…. I hate the smell , danger of chemicals and misleading that goes with the sanitizer gel. (Really bad as your skin absorbs it! And it was designed to be WIPED off but no one does it!)
We have never gotten sick on our many many cruises.
2) black light is best to use for bed bug detection
3) Lysol spray (or the like) that we spray down the bathroom everywhere.
4) SLIPPERS!!! We never put dirty feet into our bed.
5) hair clip claws , or bull dog clips! We will clip the curtains gap closed.
6) We bring our Arbonne immunity boost juice packs for each day, and also WELLNESS Formula (Amazon, get pills not capsule) …. We take one pack & pill everyday about a week before the cruise, and everyday on the cruise.
I know there are other things I do but these are off the top of my head.
Can’t wait for our next cruise!!
Great list. As an RN, I have been wiping down airplane seats/trays, hotel rooms, cruise cabins, sleeper cars on trains, etc. for over 30 years. Also, when I introduce myself to the cabin attendant, I let them know that if I need anything non-urgently, I will leave a sticky note posted on a specific spot (mirror, shelf by the door etc.) and that if they need to leave me a note, the sticky tablet and pen will be in the same spot for them to use. This has been working great for years.
The sticky notes are a GREAT idea!!! Thank you very much for that tip. 🥰
VERY smart. Last cruise I got pneumonia. Just seeing the ships doctor and getting an antibiotic cost $3800. Make sure you get medical insurance, with evacuation insurance and trip cancellation. The antibiotic alone was nearly $1000. We had to pay upfront, and the insurance company reimbursed us. Have lots of room on your credit card, in case you need it.
The foam topper is a great idea. I bring my pillows with me, so stuffing a topper in the luggage would be a chore. My wife is an infectious disease nurse and you want to see cleaning? A germ doesn't stand a chance in our cabin. We were on two different cruise, one had the norovirius and another had a covid outbreak. Both times we were fine, no illness. We also check for bed bugs, every hotel or cruise. She has a black light that works great. Mrs Clean goes through everything. We leave for Alaska tomorrow.
The black lights works to check for bedbugs?
While the bed bugs themselves do not fluoresce their excretion does.
Eew!! How are you getting rid of them if you find them? (The bed bugs I mean)
This is a good video for not only on cruises but all hotel stays. Those phones and lamps be so dirty.
I think it's just smart to wipe down everything. My wife got extremely sick with a stomach virus staying in a hotel one time. The staff had mentioned that the previous guest who had left that morning was in the cabin for several days with the same stomach virus. We didn't find that out until after.
Besides using the Clorox wipes, I bring a travel size Lysol spray and I use that on the toilet/flush button.
1st thing--I wipe down everything using a bleach wipe--all surfaces, phone, light switches, fridge, door handles, remote, ending with the bathroom. Nothing will survive my cleaning.
I clean and sanitize hotel rooms and cabins. Yes
After boarding, and before heading to my cabin, I get the muster drill out of the way, and put my cell phone in airplane mode!
I bring lysol wipes to wipe down every touch spot, and bring a mini can of lysol spray to kill any possible airborn germs that might be lingering. I also check for hidden cameras.
I always do a cabin touch point wipe down. But even so, on my Jan.,2024 cruise 12 of the 14 people in our group got sick (not Covid.) I slept for 2 days and missed a scheduled shore excursion. 😢. The illness left me with a bad cough that lasted 3 months! Next time I will be using hand sanitizer lots more throughout the days.
Having cruised and traveled for business/pleasure for more years than I'd like to admit, I've learned: 1) never, ever use an ice bucket without a plastic throw-away liner (you never know what's gone in there), 2) always wash out any glasses in your room setup (thankfully, throw-away plastic glasses seem to be the norm), 3) sanitize!, 4) don't sit on the bedspread, 5) don't walk around in your bare feet (flip-flops or slippers) and 6) on cruises, tip your room steward beforehand just to let him/her know you appreciate them and any help they can provide.
We just finished a cruise of the Mediterranean on an ultra luxury line and we contracted norovirus resulting in us being in isolation for 4 of the 14 days of the cruise. I am pretty certain that we picked it up in the cabin as we were very careful with what we touched outside the cabin and using hand sanitizer. We both let our guard down in our cabin though and as the ship had an outbreak on the previous sailing my husband and I believe that someone had the virus in our cabin. Your recommendation to sanitize the cabin yourself is spot on.
I sanitize my room first. 💕 But, I love your idea of taking a picture first.
I clean as well. The best way to start your cruise
I clean as well. Love the flashlight idea for bedbugs. I worked for an exterminating company for 16 years and bedbugs are extremely difficult and expensive to eliminate.
I always carry wipes with me. Something I have done for many, many years. (My Children used to call me Mrs. Monk!) Use them on airplanes, in hotel rooms and cruise cabins. People used to think I was crazy - not anymore!!
Monk was a great show!
@@wyatth2992 It sure was! Watched it every week with my Children. We loved it and Tony Shalhoub.
@bettylieberman5590
Monk was special!
I definitely prefer Sharona to Natalie.
Lol
USA had a great thing going with the whole "Blue Sky" era.
Psych is another one of my favorite shows.
I was just talking about that program tonight with a couple that I met while I was dining.
Everyone loves Burton Guster!
Thank you for the discussion and the trip down memory lane.
I'm happy to learn that your family was able to enjoy Monk as much as mine.
@@wyatth2992 We loved "Psych", also!! :)
Great tips! I am going to use the flashlight tip. I tip my cabin steward at the beginning and the end of the cruise. Tipping in the beginning always sets the tone and I have always received excellent service!
What is the standard tipping rate.
If I had money, I would grease as many palms on day one as I can. They work hard and are very important to me so I want them to feel seen and appreciated.( Especially the person who cleans my washroom.) Also I have disabilities and am often solo. I think it's simply wise to have people watching out for you.
Great suggestions! I’m going on my first ocean cruise next month so I will definitely be doing some of these things. Thanks for the packing list!
We clean hotel rooms, airplane seats/areas, rental cars, and have done so since my daughter was diagnosed with cancer in 2009. A good handwashing and we are golden…
I always just get the bar glasses from the bar as I head back to cabin through out our cruise
Good tip. I never thought about checking the hair dryer.
I give a $20 tip when I first meet the attendant. I tell the attendant I will take care of them at the end of the cruise and I do like I said I would.
No, I don't count on cabin attendants cleaning thoroughly. I'm sanitising my cabin too.
I definitely clean the cabin.
We've been cruising for over 20 years now and I ALWAYS wipe things down the minute we walk into our cabin. I send the family out to the balcony to get that done ASAP. We also unpack fully as soon as we can. Lately, luggage hasn't been arriving as early as it used to. Last year I went on a cruise with my daughter. She wanted to explore the ship as soon as we checked in at muster. So, we ended up missing lunch - lol! So on our cruise next week, she agreed to have lunch and THEN go explore the ship!
Hotels: i also wipe down & sanitize everything but i ALWAYS bring zip lok bags & place the tv remote in it & we use it through the bag. Those things are super germy. 😊
We love this cruise line! This will be our eighth cruise. We do all of these and more 😂. We always have a balcony! Gotta have the hooks !
Royal Caribbean provided us with a mattress topper, and this made the bed perfect.
On a Disney cruise several years ago, my husband and I were not happy with our mattress, we called housekeeping and had a brand new mattress within 15 minutes!
@@joycevillano755wow! Same cabin? They brought two new twin size mattresses in and brought the old ones out or?
I agree with A lot of stuff you say BUT I wipe down my cabin first and spray everything down to disinfectant, leave the cabin 10-15 mins depending on direction then come back. I used to get sick everytime we travel and my doctor told me to do this been doing this now for over 10 yrs knock on wood never gotten sick on a cruise. My husband starts on one side of the room and I one the other, one wipes, one sprays takes about 10 mins. We do this for hotels as well. We also put our magnet hooks and clips in our carry on to get setup. We do everything but the mattress topper.
We always clean and tip at the beginning and usually at the end as well
Totally agree with the Clorex. I do the same with any hotel rooms we stay in.
Great checklist. My last cruise was in November 2019 - just before the world shut down. There was an outbreak of what I assumed to be a norovirus type of illness. The last few days the sanitizing was really stepped up - nothing left on the tables, no self serving in the buffet, staff served everything. Even officers were wiping tables & touch points. Thankfully I didn't catch it. On my past cruises I never sanitized my cabin but am definitely going to start when I go in January.
I always tip at the end.
Thank you for the tips! Yes ALWAS sanitize the room!!!
Good video with some practical suggestions. We don’t do all the cabin cleaning, but I understand those who do. In 25 + cruises we’ve never gotten sick.
I started cruising in the 70's and never did anything you said...I guess i have been lucky and never got sick,not even the sniffles.Only problem i had was in 1982 on The Carnival Mardi Gras,very old ship and Carnival's first ship,constant flushing problem with the toilet,the maintenance guy was in the cabin 4-6 times a day with a plunger...I think these Mega ships are prone to problems,since covid the sanitizing system has been upgraded,they now fumigate the cabins to kill more bacteria.
Great video,
I carry the mini Lysol spray and I spray everything down, including the outside door handle, especially the furniture and inside drawers and carpet. I just usuall sit down it once. Same with balcony furniture and railing. I also wash my hands after I get my food from buffet , handling all those tongs . Washing hands before is great, but not everyone does that.
Those are my only major things. The video was really great, especially about checking everything.
Thanks Jason.
Thank you for the tips/tricks/information!
Yes, we clean our cabin as soon as they allow us into our cabins. We sanitize just about everything. The cabin steward does not have enough time to do this . They have a very tight window of time during disembarkation of previous cruisers to the incoming new cruisers.
Totally agree with this deduction. With such a quick turn around, the cabin stewards cannot possibly do a full sanitary deep cleaning. Doing it myself, gives me peace of mind, and a clean cabin for the entire cruise. I also bring two pairs of latex gloves, to wear while I clean.
Great tips! I'm sharing this with my parents, who are first-time cruisers.
These are great tips, thanks!
Ty for the great tps! We are going on our first cruise this August in NCL Breakaway.
Thank you. Great video!
Great vid!
Thank You I have been watching your videos very helpful. Going on my First cruise in July Symphony of the Seas. And yes I plan on cleaning everything, it’s always a must when you go on vacation.
Extremely useful tips. Well appreciated.
Clean my cruise ship cabin Yes, I do because I work in hospitality and I know maids get 20 minutes to clean hotel rooms, so I assume room stewards get the same amount of time.
Found out from our cruise that they get about 8 minutes ,I clean everything and everywhere in hotel rooms and cruise cabins 😊
I also have worked in house keeping and you are exactly correct about the time. We got 20 minutes per room. Not much time especially if it had been trashed the night before. I would have to spend 40 minutes in that room and have to make up my time in the next room. Therefore corners had to be cut.
Trust me!!
@@CJRuden I don't miss those days of cleaning rooms that have been trashed.
We always tip good at the end 😛
Have been cruising since 2002 have never cleaned my cabin when we arrived or during cruise and have never been sick on a cruise just pure dumb luck maybe. Even our first cruise after cruising started again after covid have never worried about it. But a great idea may think about this on later cruises.
We've never been sick on a cruise; however, on our last river cruise a few years ago, we're certain a group of passengers brought it on board as they were complaining of feeling ill from 'eating too much'. Those in that group that weren't too sick to leave their cabin, went about doing their thing, touching things and glad-handing the crew. As a result nearly half the ship ended up with some type of stomach issue and our 80 year-old Aunt spent 4 out of the 7-day cruise in her cabin. Lesson learned ... wash regularly, use sanitizer constantly and don't believe people who say they're 'okay' when they're obviously not.
Great ideas!
Great, doable list. Thank you!
NP - thank you for watching
Good useful tips,
I like to tip at the beginning (yes, I know it's their job, but) incentive goes a looonnng way and then tip them at the end of the cruise, showing them you appreciated them.
Last year on Mariner of the Seas I put in a request for a bed topper prior to my cruise. You can do that online. It was already on my bed when I arrived in my cabin.
Can you please tell me where you enter that request?
Always clean and sanitize my hotel rooms and cruise cabins.
Great video Jayson. We pretty much do the same thing you’ve done on your list we used to also ask for a fan pretty early but now we don’t we just bring our own mini fan.
Yes, we these Clorox and wipe everything down. We started doing this 25 years ago. Makes me feel a lot better. Also love the hooks. Have never checked for bedbugs but we always have two small flash lights so that will be on our list now. Thanks
I have a question actually. What is the proper amount of $ to tip for our cabin cleaner?
I do this checking, cleaning, and inspecting at hotels and on cruises.
Excellent video!
I give my tips at the end of the cruise.
Nice informative video. My wife and I usually inspect our cabin upon entering and I too like to make sure everything that's at our disposal is working properly without a hitch. I just never thought of ever checking for those pesky bed critters and after watching your checklist, I'm going to have to invest in one of those infrared flashlights that'll help detect them. On our last cruise I noticed that the mini fridge already was stocked with drinks and we decided to not touch it. We took everything out of that fridge, placed aside as we stock the fridge with our drinks we brought on board and especially for the bottled waters that I always purchase ahead of time. After the cruise, we put back the mini bar drinks in the fridge.
I absolutely wipe my cabin down especially in the bathroom!!!! Good tip!!!
clean every time
Nice job. Hopping on in Southampton in two days.
Yes, I like to spray our room and wipe highly touched areas; I will start checking for bedbugs after looking at your video, as well as check sink and toilet. We tip at the end and if fridge stocked, we ask items to be removed
I will bring cleaning wipes now. Not something I’ve done in the past but that makes so much sense. Bed bugs! Wow. We are doing an Alaskan cruise soon as well.
Great tips,Ido bring disinfecting spray,top at the end and on napps for us.Wego eat and enjoy the sail away party
And as you get to your room, you've already touched over 300 feet of railings, elevators and everything else. Never cleaned and sanitized. We ask for pillows, blanket and ice in our ice bucket. We do check toilets/paper, temp of refer and Air. Never checked for bed bugs but that's a good idea. Then unpack and go eat.
You forgot the flight 😂😂😂😂😂😂. Hotel, ride to the port etc....
The railings and elevator, lol, but so true.
If I needed to bring a mattress topper on a cruise I wouldn’t be sailing with that cruise line .. are you kidding me .. with all the items you need to bring .. I fly from Australia to mostly Northern European ports .. I do wipe down surfaces in hotels cabins and aircraft seats though 😉
Yes I love spending my hard earned vacation time on a floating cesspool of germs🙄
Yes I always takes my lysol to clean.
I’m the same way!!! I always clean anywhere I stay!!
Well done
Thank you
we also clean our cabin as well most time the RS just change the linen & towels
The second thing that I do, is tip my steward and let them know that I will not need any cleaning or making of beds. I will only need fresh wash cloths daily. 💕💕 I bring my own pillowcase and one beach towel.
I bring pillow case too and body pillow cover (added a zipper). I just have to ask for an extra pillow.
Raised white- glove- military-clean, so not much to do when i leave. Teflon green scrubby works on sink n shower. I bring my own wash cloth & rinse in boiling water daily (UVBrite thermos)
I fold away comforter, blanket, pillows, strip bed, collect hand towels I use n xsmall pet trash bag.
It's a "do unto others" kind of thing
👍🏼on the disinfecting for sure 🤓
Brilliant. I too would clean all areas as I don't want to have my vacation ruined.
I clean, not as extensive, but do clean. I check for bb, no matter, cruise ship or hotel. Always check. Good video
I absolutely clean everything as soon as I get in there! We also always check for bed bugs. I’d like to know what cruise ship that cabin that had the bed facing the balcony was? Great video! I just subscribed! Thank you!
Jason great tips. My husband and I will be going on our first cruise since we got married in 2003. We got married on the Explorer of the seas with Royal Caribbean. My husband works as an exterminator, so I’m sure he knows what to look for as far as the bedbugs go. But that is also creepy too. We’re going in the Neptune suite on Home in America, so I hope he doesn’t find anything. Great tip for being Clorox wipes, we will have to wipe down the trays on the airplane and all the touch points in the cabin.
Thank you.
I also sanitize my cabin and have done this for years, hotel rooms as well.
I stock the fridge with either my carryon or pre-purchased drinks and sometime split the bed when I'm a solo cruiser. Proper fitted twin sheets brought from home are a nice option to have onboard. Any specific requests to the cabin steward can be written down for them.
What Alaskan cruise will you be going on at the end of August? We are on the ovation of the seas aug 23-30. Great content, thanks for all the helpful tips/tricks
I clean high touch points (light switches, remotes, etc.) in cruise cabins & hotel rooms. I tip at the end of a cruise. On NCL, the solo cabin walls are mostly not magnetic but just by the door is, so I put my excursion tickets there. Good reminder to check for bed bugs - they are nasty little things!
Have you ever had bedbugs in all your years of cruising and if so, did you move out of the cabin or how does that work?
Good question!! That just freaked me out!!🤣
I have been on 75+ cruises since 1978 and have never had a bed bug. Norovirus struck twice 2010, 2011.😮
I was on the Eurodam last May in a balcony solo and found my mini was off and was warm. Took me 1.5 days to get it exchanged out 🥴
I always clean with Lysol
The sanitize idea is great ! Do you think spraying Lysol is good enough? Do I need to use wipes as well ?
1000% I clean my cabin!
You all are paranoid
I always clean my room and check the beds. I unpack and put my luggage underneath my bed. I tend to personally tip my Attendant on the last evening of my cruise and thank them! I don't like clutter and things all over the place, I will definitely utilize closets, shelves and drawers. I don't hang hooks all around and usually dry off at the pool before returning to my cabin.
First cruise, but I wipe down airplanes etc. like the mini Lysol idea. Scary on bed bugs. How often does that happen ? Anything else a first time cruiser should do? Going on NCL
i guesws i am a rarity the only electronic i brought on my first cruise was my phone and will do the same on my second solo cruise in december so i am not overly worried aboout outlet numbers for the most part
for room steward i request bed topper immidiately as soon as i can, i do pre and end tipping to room steward 5.00 beginning of cruise and 10.00 - 20.00 depending on attentiveness and how they handled needs and friendliness during the cruise
This was a great list! I never thought to bring my own mattress topper before, so thank you for that. 🤗 For the extended plug, I never bring that because I have a CPAP machine. The cruise line gives me a power strip, so I just use that for charging phones, curling irons, etc. As for tipping, I always pre-pay the gratuities, and I typically give an additional tip at the beginning of the cruise (standard is $40). IF the cabin steward goes above and beyond, then I'll give an extra tip at the end between $30 - $60 depending on how great they were. Strangely, this past cruise (last week), was the first time I didn't give an extra tip at the end. Our cabin steward was such a sweetheart with a fabulous personality, but he was HORRIBLE with cleaning the room. When we first got in, not only was it clearly not clean, and was full of dust, but there was literally a molded, half-eaten apple in one of the drawers. I am disgusted by the lack of cleaning AND by the wretched cruiser who PUT a half-eaten apple in a drawer. 🤬🤬
*Edited to add: This was on Carnival Pride*
Yikes 😳
I clean where I stay RELIGIOUSLY!!!
I also wipe the floors too...
Heaven knows who's dirty feet and whatever else touched that floor. I wipe that down goooooood!!😂
I'm guessing you have already hit the lunch buffet before hitting your room ? I strongly agree with the cleaning and check before you unpack. I'm okay without a bed topper but agree with seeking out your stateroom attendant and interacting with them. Lastly I like to tip 1/2 upfront and 1/2 at the end.
How much do you tip the cabin Stewart?
As a former chambermaid, in the 1990's, I brought a can of Lysol on an 18 day road trip & sprayed EVERYTHING touchable in the hotels! (bed bigs, gross) Jayson, what does guest services do about bed bugs? Eek
Make sure your bed configuration is correct.
Will you be on the HAL cruise to Alaska Aug 23-30?
Check foe bed bugs first!!