Cleaning a cruise ship is a massive, 24/7 operation managed by two primary departments: the Housekeeping Department and the Public Area Department. Your specific stateroom is maintained by a Stateroom Steward (or Cabin Steward), who typically cleans your room twice a day—once in the morning for deep cleaning and once in the evening for "turndown" service. In the common areas of the ship—such as the lido deck, casinos, theaters, and hallways—the work is done by a dedicated Public Area Attendant team. These crew members often work through the night to ensure that floors are buffed, brass is polished, and glass is streak-free before guests wake up. Furthermore, the Galley Stewards (part of the F&B department) are responsible for the specialized sanitization of the kitchens and buffets, following strict Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) guidelines to prevent the spread of norovirus. In 2026, many cruise lines have also introduced autonomous UV-C cleaning robots that roam the public areas at night to provide an extra layer of hospital-grade disinfection, though the vast majority of the "elbow grease" is still provided by thousands of hardworking crew members from around the world.