Two confirmed cutbacks!

[poncho1973]

I've never received chocolates on any of my RC cruises and that goes back further than 2009. Go figure.

 

The animals are fun, but I would gladly defer to rooms with children if it saved my attendant time. However, we do enjoy them. We take a photo and then use the towel... so it isn't wasted on us. I do see rooms where they keep them until the end of the cruise and that would be a laundry waste.

 

All understandable with the cutbacks in attendants.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

I think the towel animals should come back.

[hazeleyez3]

If they don't take apart the previous night's animal - just make a new one, the cabin may have "too many" towels (the animals plus the bathroom).

 

My husband likes them. I don't really care about them. Plus, as another poster mentioned, they sometimes used your things to make the animals "come to life". I have finally remembered to put things like sunglasses in my drawer before we leave. That way my stuff isn't used.

 

The chocolates were a nice touch, but it isn't something we've missed.

 

I know both things may be extra special for people who don't cruise a lot, but they are very minor ones in the grand scheme of things.

[BillOh]

I can't figure out how towel animals cost any money:confused:

They are made with clean towels, can't take more than a few minutes to make one once you know how, and the steward could use the towels the next day in your bath if you haven't already used them ( we often do after taking a photo!)

 

Has to be the laundry cost, I never thought to use them after the obligatory photo. We almost never touch them, except to move them off the bed. But I have to imagine they can't reuse them. If they are going to cut back, this is an area I won't miss, but for so many its a big deal reminder they are on a cruise.

 

As for the chocolates, maybe they could put relevant advertising on them and get the advertisers to pick up the tab. While I don't want to have my cruise loaded down with ads while I'm cruising, one on a pillow with a taxi or local hotel info on it wouldn't be too bad.

[fred30]

Maybe they will start a new "Hospitality Service" that will include towel animals, chocolates, and list of other items we can choose from. We just pick the items we want and we will be charged accordingly.

[JulieRose]

Found out from our cabin stewad this past week on Allure, that:

1. Towel Animals are now only made every other night. :(

2. Chocolates in stateroom only on formal nights! :eek:

 

DW sure going to miss them!

 

on Princess, I couldn't figure out what the rhyme or reason was for the timing on the towel animals. We got one on the second night (formal night and evening of our wedding) and the night after that. I don't think we saw the towel animals ever again. I should have asked others sailing with us if they even got any since it could have been part of the wedding package. I won't miss them...

 

Chocolates... Eh. DH ate a few to help level his sugar in a pinch throughout the week (he's a Type 2 diabetic) but other than that, we just kept piling them up until the end of the week when we threw them in our bag to take home. They were eaten one by one over the following month. Again, I don't think we'll miss them.

 

Maybe they will start a new "Hospitality Service" that will include towel animals, chocolates, and list of other items we can choose from. We just pick the items we want and we will be charged accordingly.

 

Good Lord, please don't give them any ideas!

 

it's yet another thing to add to the list. I have to say that once the list reaches a certiain point, I'll have to seriously look elsewhere to spend my cruising $$$s.

 

Well if towel animals are a deal breaker, stay away from princess as noted above.

 

I hate it when the cabin steward takes my sunglasses and uses them to cutesify the elephant/monkey and I have a panic attack looking for them until my husband points out the thing hanging from the ceiling.

 

They did this with the ribbons for our favors that I still hadn't put together for the wedding and I nearly had a heart attack when I saw all my perfectly measured, cut, counted and stacked ribbons strewn all over the bed!

[gerif]

I had a neighbor once who had saved the chocolates from her honeymoon (can't remember if it was a cruise or resort) and put them on her husband's pillow every night. They had been married about three years then and she kept using the same old chocolates. Ewwww

[skandls]

I really don't care about the towel animals - save them for the kids and first time cruisers. I did not eat the chocolates as they weren't very good. At least they were wrapped in foil. On our only HAL cruise we were given a 'dot' of unwrapped chocolate on a piece of paper - yuk.

 

But please give me my ice - in the late afternoon. Not half melted stuff so we have to call and get more so there is enough for two.

[SpeedGeek]

I enjoy the towel animals, and so I'll probably make a request to our room attendant to make them nightly. If not, no big deal, but if they do, well then I think I can find a way to thank them in that little envelope at the end of the cruise. :D

[blueblock]

Unfortunately, there is a worldwide shortage of escargot, and even land based restaurants are affected. Google "escargot shortage" for more info.

 

Clearly the solution is... towel escargot. ;)

[mark290]

Towel animals don't cost money.....learned on our last cruise that they cut back the # of room stewards....now each room steward has more rooms to take care of on a daily basis and there is just no time to be making towel animals.

They are being stretched to the limit.

 

There have been cutbacks in personnel in other areas as well.

The talking point staff kept saying is "you know, it's the economy"

 

Be happy you are still getting your room cleaned in a timely manner. I would be more concerned about those complaints than chocolates or towel animals.

 

If that is true.

 

The room stewards make more money by having more rooms and tips.

It's possible they might not even work any longer by spending less time on each room. RCCL makes more by cutting services and staff. The passenger gets less services and attention. I don't really care, just an observation.

[mking8288]

Maybe they will start a new "Hospitality Service" that will include towel animals, chocolates, and list of other items we can choose from. We just pick the items we want and we will be charged accordingly.

 

 

I can visualize - like some of the airlines (legacy or otherwise) - no frills cruise pricing coming soon with a la carte menu for optional add-ons. So it's possible to book an inside/oceanview/balcony/suite, etc. in no-frills, super-saver, economy, standard, deluxe, premium luxury, and ultimate sub-classification ... LOL

 

Poor dining room and/or stateroom attendants will be running the checklists off the clipboards ... you know, it's the economy - so, Mr. & Mrs. xxxxx, you will be seated in the MDR under MDT in section F, paper mats & plastic recylced utensils, brown paper napkins, and bring your own cups - besides, it's green & good for the environment - and, if you clean & wipe the table & chairs, we will give you a 10% rebate/discount on your gratitude charges. (Turkey burger deluxe vs. roast beef ... )

 

Afterall, removing the kettle/coffee maker, ice bucket & water glasses, refilling the ice 2x daily, switching to 200% diluted orange & apple juice made from concentrate, etc. as part of the cost-saving measures - doing more for less (crew to pax ratios) to keep the cruise fares "low" is designed to leave your wallet with extra to spend for shore excurisons & photography on the ship, now that we are no longer doing high profile art auction ...

 

Urrrrrr, (speechless) :rolleyes:

[Tucker in Texas]

 

Be happy you are still getting your room cleaned in a timely manner.

 

Not necessarily. With so many cabins, sometimes morning service is as late as noon and evening turn down at 9:00. I come armed with a bag of snack candy for the steward of which I leave one a day with a couple of bucks and a thank you note for something, anything. One of the first things I thank him for is timely cabin service. I note we go to breakfast around 8:15 and dinner at 7:15. So far, it has worked for us.

 

Which brings me to:

 

[quote=skandls;

 

But please give me my ice - in the late afternoon. Not half melted stuff so we have to call and get more so there is enough for two.

 

I bring a canvas six-pack tote and ask the steward to fill it every day. I keep it in the shower 1) to "remind" him and 2) it "sweats" so the water is not sopping up a towel on the vanity or elsewhere. I use it for an ice supply, to keep my white wine cool, and ice tea which I make by putting a bag or two in a water bottle and fill it with water.. Before you start flaming me on the wine, it is wine given to me as Diamond+ and in the welcome basket. I pour the regular bottle contents into a rum runner which fits very nicely in the bottom of the tote.

 

Tucker in Texas

[TEXASMUNK]

So many people totally and completely unhappy!

We need to find those guys FORCING people to pay for cruises since it now appears everyone is completely, totally, utterly unhappy with the product they are buying.

 

But, I do hear that the KOA campsites are available.

[phoenix1181]

Anyone else remember when cabin stewards made things from nightgowns instead of towels? I always brought a long & short nightgown just for that reason.

[LoisGriffin1]

It was every other night on the Indy last month. I thought that it might be because the cruise was 14 nights.

 

It doesn't bother me too much because I have pretty much seen them all before.

[B-52]

If that is true.

 

The room stewards make more money by having more rooms and tips.

It's possible they might not even work any longer by spending less time on each room. RCCL makes more by cutting services and staff. The passenger gets less services and attention. I don't really care, just an observation.

 

Well let's hope it does not effect services and attention.

He was simply telling us how extremely busy he is, having more rooms to attend to.

We did not see any downside to service. He was very good, as usual.

 

We always stay in a suite, a GS, and suites used to have 2 attendants. Now they have one, who has more rooms to take care of.

 

But make no mistake, they are making cut backs just like any (all) corporations are forced to do. We just don't see it. And purposely so on their part. But on our last cruise, I did sense there was something that was just a little lacking, nothing to be annoyd about, just a little luster missing.

 

But then someone said that the better experienced veteran staff had all moved on to bigger and better ships.

Who knows.

[andiloveu]

Anyone else remember when cabin stewards made things from nightgowns instead of towels? I always brought a long & short nightgown just for that reason.

Yes, I remember that. I had a real pretty nighty they made into a flower. I will have to learn how to make the towel animals. Next year we will take our boys cruizing again and they loved seeing the towel animals everytime we came back to the room after dinner. They have a picture with each one made.

[Pomperaugrr]

Anyone else remember when cabin stewards made things from nightgowns instead of towels? I always brought a long & short nightgown just for that reason.

 

Yeah, my wife was really unhappy, because she was still wearing it at the time!!! :p

 

Eric

[shorbr]

Originally Posted by phoenix1181

Anyone else remember when cabin stewards made things from nightgowns instead of towels? I always brought a long & short nightgown just for that reason.

 

On my first cruise that is what they did to me. I had an inside cabin along with 3 other women, and when we came back and saw that we were laughing so hard.

[CruisinCrow]

Unfortunately, there is a worldwide shortage of escargot, and even land based restaurants are affected. Google "escargot shortage" for more info.

 

Wow, I had no idea! I'm kind of relieved because that means that the escargot may come back once the shortage is over. Once something gets cut for cost-out, it never comes back.

[truffles2]

Anyone else remember when cabin stewards made things from nightgowns instead of towels? I always brought a long & short nightgown just for that reason.

 

Yes, I remember. Also remember that when we came back from an early breakfast, the cabin was made up!

[BecciBoo]

They were cute for a while, but...I am unaffected.

I can get chocolate anywhere on the ship. I never even noticed, and one can only have so many pictures of towel sculpture.:rolleyes: This was my favorite of all time though, can you imagine walking in on this:

\

[desertheat]

Anyone else remember when cabin stewards made things from nightgowns instead of towels? I always brought a long & short nightgown just for that reason.

 

 

I remember when they did that. I had a anchor, a heart and a flower made from my night shirt.

[Big_G]

Found out from our cabin stewad this past week on Allure, that:

1. Towel Animals are now only made every other night. :(

2. Chocolates in stateroom only on formal nights! :eek:

 

DW sure going to miss them!

 

DW won't be happy. Our cabin usually looks like a zoo by the end of the cruise. Thankfully, she couldn't figure out how to save the towel man sitting on our toilet on Freedom. We laughed at first but I must admit, I thought it was a little creepy.:D:eek::)