Jump to content

No towel animals this week


TNIris

Recommended Posts

Apparently it's a cover-up for a job action:

 

 

Nearly 4,000 towel animals from Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas walked off the job at midnight on Saturday. According to the union representing the towel animals, UTA Local 50, contract talks between RCI, Freedom of the Seas' parent company, and the UTA have become stagnant, with the two sides far apart on many key issues. Chief among those issues are the cutbacks in hours worked, double duty as hand and wash clothes, and the switch to lower grade detergents. Negotiations began in January of this year. Union officials say RCI is out of touch with the cruise industry's booming economy and the company needs to adapt to remain competitive and maintain quality and safety levels. Freedom of the Seas will continue sailing throughout the strike but without those little terry cloth cuties. Management has asked the UDLA (United Dining Linen Animals) to fill the roles during the job action but UDLA representatives were skeptical of the plan.

 



 

 

DW nearly had an asthma attack from laughing so hard!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

We were on Freedom 10/13-10/20 and also did not have towel animals. We asked our suite attendant about it and he said they had one washer down and until they were back up to full capacity, there would be no towel animals because people tend to save them all week, then it increases laundry load at the end of the cruise. We said we understood but asked if he would please make us a couple from our existing supply of towels if we promised to use the towels and not save them. He said (and I quote) "I'll have to ask my supervisor". No towel animals ever appeared.

 

One related note, the "washer down" issue also caused them to not offer the "fill a bag of laundry for $25" offer. No notice, no explanation until we asked (on day 4) what day it would be offered.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Apparently it's a cover-up for a job action:

 

 

Nearly 4,000 towel animals from Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas walked off the job at midnight on Saturday. According to the union representing the towel animals, UTA Local 50, contract talks between RCI, Freedom of the Seas' parent company, and the UTA have become stagnant, with the two sides far apart on many key issues. Chief among those issues are the cutbacks in hours worked, double duty as hand and wash clothes, and the switch to lower grade detergents. Negotiations began in January of this year. Union officials say RCI is out of touch with the cruise industry's booming economy and the company needs to adapt to remain competitive and maintain quality and safety levels. Freedom of the Seas will continue sailing throughout the strike but without those little terry cloth cuties. Management has asked the UDLA (United Dining Linen Animals) to fill the roles during the job action but UDLA representatives were skeptical of the plan.

 



 

 

 

Like! :D:D:D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Apparently it's a cover-up for a job action:

 

 

Nearly 4,000 towel animals from Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas walked off the job at midnight on Saturday. According to the union representing the towel animals, UTA Local 50, contract talks between RCI, Freedom of the Seas' parent company, and the UTA have become stagnant, with the two sides far apart on many key issues. Chief among those issues are the cutbacks in hours worked, double duty as hand and wash clothes, and the switch to lower grade detergents. Negotiations began in January of this year. Union officials say RCI is out of touch with the cruise industry's booming economy and the company needs to adapt to remain competitive and maintain quality and safety levels. Freedom of the Seas will continue sailing throughout the strike but without those little terry cloth cuties. Management has asked the UDLA (United Dining Linen Animals) to fill the roles during the job action but UDLA representatives were skeptical of the plan.

 



 

 

Now THAT was the best laugh in a while on this forum. Glad to see done humor between the MDR dress code, smoking, booze smuggling, and CHOG threads.

 

As a matter of fact I haven't run across a CHOG thread in a while....am I missing something?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great thread :D

 

I'm sorry the towel animals were on strike. I hope the labor issue on the Freedom doesn't spill over to the other ships in the fleet.

 

I'm currently imagining crossing a picket line of angry sign-holding towel animals in order to board the Jewel of the Seas next year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I enjoy the little critters and hope they are on our RCL cruise. Carnival has started putting different animals on all the chairs around the pool on a few mornings of the cruise. When you go to Lido for breakfast, many people are taking pictures of all the different towel animals. They are very popular!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We cannibalize our towel animals, and use the extra towels and washcloths. I know, very cruel.

 

If I really like one, I'll put a little sign on it, "do not touch". Then, both the cabin steward and hubby leave the critter alone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All the towel animals I've had were from towels already in the room not extras.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

But most people, like my sister and I, keep our towel animals intact so the cabin attendant still has to put out extra towels for when we shower. Then in a day or two when they remove the towel critter they have that towel to wash plus the extra towels we used to dry ourselves.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Now THAT was the best laugh in a while on this forum. Glad to see done humor between the MDR dress code, smoking, booze smuggling, and CHOG threads.

 

As a matter of fact I haven't run across a CHOG thread in a while....am I missing something?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

Yup, you are there is a new chogging thread started just today :p

 

As for towel animals i am guilty of being one of those that save them for the whole cruise LOL :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know it's just a little thing, but it's my mom's first cruise ever and my dad died on Tuesday, so trying to keep the "bummers" to a minimum this week. :)

 

I just wanted to add, I am very sorry for your loss :(

 

I hope you and your mother both enjoy your cruise and have a good time together xx

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I thought everyone did this??? Otherwise, you're right, it's a ton of wasted towels.

 

Tom

 

We cannibalize our towel animals, and use the extra towels and washcloths. I know, very cruel.

 

If I really like one, I'll put a little sign on it, "do not touch". Then, both the cabin steward and hubby leave the critter alone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Apparently it's a cover-up for a job action:

 

Nearly 4,000 towel animals from Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas walked off the job at midnight on Saturday. According to the union representing the towel animals, UTA Local 50, contract talks between RCI, Freedom of the Seas' parent company, and the UTA have become stagnant, with the two sides far apart on many key issues. Chief among those issues are the cutbacks in hours worked, double duty as hand and wash clothes, and the switch to lower grade detergents. Negotiations began in January of this year. Union officials say RCI is out of touch with the cruise industry's booming economy and the company needs to adapt to remain competitive and maintain quality and safety levels. Freedom of the Seas will continue sailing throughout the strike but without those little terry cloth cuties. Management has asked the UDLA (United Dining Linen Animals) to fill the roles during the job action but UDLA representatives were skeptical of the plan.

 

Simply brilliant! :D And to think, I almost passed over this thread.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have to admit that I have not read the posts, but don't whine about no towel animals, because you at least had towels. I figure by next year, someone in corporate will figure out that costs can be cut further by having people pack their own. 'they're always looking for new ways to save money - heck they've saved thousands by having us print up our own sea passes, luggage tags, and supply our own pens, etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Now THAT was the best laugh in a while on this forum. Glad to see done humor between the MDR dress code, smoking, booze smuggling, and CHOG threads.

 

As a matter of fact I haven't run across a CHOG thread in a while....am I missing something?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

You missed frostycanada's review! ;)

CHOG comment. . .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you for your nice words!

 

We DID have a pretty good cruise, and I was VERY grateful for the nice ceremony RCI provided us with in order to have the burial at sea.

 

I would have rather found out about the towel animals later on, like that night or the next day, instead of walking into our room right away and finding that letter. :rolleyes:

 

Never did read the brochure they left to find out how to make our own towel animals, though! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • Hurricane Zone 2024
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...

If you are already a Cruise Critic member, please log in with your existing account information or your email address and password.