Six Tips for Working With Your Disney Cruise Line Stateroom Host

Disney Cruise Line is back in business! For the past few weeks DCL has been sailing a series of “staycation” quick trips on the Magic for UK residents. And now the Dream is back — sailing out of Port Canaveral for US guests.

If you’re going on board, one of the most important people you’ll interact with is your stateroom host, the person responsible for making sure your room is in tip top shape. Here are six tips to help you make your relationship with your stateroom host as good as it possible can be:

1. Let them know what you need. Does your child need quiet for a nap every afternoon at 3:00? Do you want a bucket of ice waiting in your room every evening to chill your pre-dinner drink? Do you want extra towels every morning? Do you want your room made up at a specific time? Let your stateroom attendant know so that they can customize your experience for your needs.

2. Let them know where you’re going. Having a rough outline of your plan for the day can help your host assess the best time to make up your room. For example, your stateroom attendant knows your dinner assignment, but not much else about your schedule. If your dinner plans will vary substantially from your main dining room schedule (perhaps for a Palo reservation), let your host know so that they can alter your time for turn down service. Knowing whether you’ll be on or off the ship when it’s in port can also help them plan their day.

3. Let them know which beds you’ll want to use. The stateroom host can’t read your mind. A man and a woman traveling together might be a romantic couple who want to share a bed, but they might be father/daughter, brother/sister, or some other relationship that needs two beds made up in the room each evening. Similarly, two men or two women might be a romantic couple who share the same bed and don’t need the extra sleep surface configured. Make everyone’s life easier by letting them know on day one what your preferred sleep set-up is.

4. They are a great source of information. Many stateroom attendants have been cruise line workers for years. They can give you ideas about things to do in port or tell you what dinner menu items most guests rave about.

5. Straighten up so they can clean. No, you don’t need to “clean for the cleaners,” but it can be a great help if you do some minimal tidying when you go out during the day. For example, if you have kids sleeping on a pull-down bed, ask them to remove things like stuffed animals and tossed-off PJs so that it’s easier for the host to pop the bed back into the ceiling. Also try not to leave, say, shoes in the middle of the floor so that it’s hard to vacuum.

6. Tip them well. Disney has a recommended gratuity for your host. This is the bare minimum amount you should be tipping. These incredibly hard-working DCL cast members have been out of work for well over a year – even a few extra dollars could make a world of difference to their families.

Have any other suggestions or tips? Let us know in the comments.