Should we pack beach towels for beach?

[kms8066]

Do you folks take your own beach towels for your days at the beach? (I'm thinking of public beaches in Caribbean, and also RCCL's private island beaches.) Or do you take the chance of losing (someone taking?) the ship's beach towel when in these places?

[Scribbles77]

I use the ships towels - never had a problem :)

[The Big Booper]

Do you folks take your own beach towels for your days at the beach? (I'm thinking of public beaches in Caribbean, and also RCCL's private island beaches.) Or do you take the chance of losing (someone taking?) the ship's beach towel when in these places?

 

We always take ship's towels.

[sharod]

We always use the ship's towels. I don't want to waste precious packing space on bulky towels.

[kms8066]

Oh good! I didn't want to give up that room in the suitcase! Thanks for info; I will follow your lead!

[Robinola]

I always bring my own. That way I can always identify My Lounge Chair, and it's super easy to bring with me anywhere.

[cb at sea]

Do NOT pack towels...they take up space, and they stink once they've been used! Use the ship's towels....that's what they're for!

[Keith1010]

No need to pack towels.

 

Keith

[emeraldcity]

Beach towels are for drying yourself off ... and then you need something to put on the sand to sit on ... someone posted a great tip on these boards years ago and it's a mainstay for me.

 

Head for the dollar store and pick up a couple of flannel-backed vinyl tablecloths. They make great disposable beach blankets. Vinyl side down, sit on the flannel. And when you leave the beach, chuck it in the nearest trash can. That way, you're not schlepping sandy towels back to the ship to get ground into the cabin carpeting.

[critcatny]

emeraldcity...love that idea. This next cruise I think the only beach day for us will be labadee. Does the ship have towels on the beach since its their "island"? Or do you still have to get them from the ship? (my first RCI cruise-so where do you get the towels on the ship, by the pool I am assuming) Thanks

[Merion_Mom]

emeraldcity...love that idea. This next cruise I think the only beach day for us will be labadee. Does the ship have towels on the beach since its their "island"? Or do you still have to get them from the ship? (my first RCI cruise-so where do you get the towels on the ship, by the pool I am assuming) Thanks

 

You bring your towel(s) from the ship.

[nanwel]

Beach towels are for drying yourself off ... and then you need something to put on the sand to sit on ... someone posted a great tip on these boards years ago and it's a mainstay for me.

 

Head for the dollar store and pick up a couple of flannel-backed vinyl tablecloths. They make great disposable beach blankets. Vinyl side down, sit on the flannel. And when you leave the beach, chuck it in the nearest trash can. That way, you're not schlepping sandy towels back to the ship to get ground into the cabin carpeting.

 

 

Love that Idea - wish I had done that on many previous cruises with young grandkids!!!

[cruiselvr04]

We head right up to the pool deck with our sandy ship towels and they never enter our cabin that way.

[Upandadam]

We take both. It's nice to have unique towels to tell your spot from all the others. Plus our are larger.

[Alamogirl]

We bring our own towels. I buy cheapies at the end of the season, have gotten some as cheap as $3.00 up to $5.00 and use them for excursions. We've actually deliberately left them behind when we disembark. I rinse them off and either put them in shower to dry or on the balcony chairs if we plan on using them again.

[m*u*g*]

Use ship towels unless you have space or a reason to bring your own. One new thing they started doing on Oasis is collecting your ship towels before getting back on the ship. They swipe your card so you can return it there and get a clean one later at the pool.

[OCruisers]

We use the beach towels provided by the ship!

 

No desire to lug beach towels from home or deal with them when they get wet & sandy! :rolleyes:

 

LuLu

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[cb140]

Love the idea of the vinyl tableclothes - excellent.

 

If you're really worried about losing the pool towels, take the white ones from your room. But it's probably not that likely that you'd lose them.

 

The other thing we do on beach days is take some to the faceclothes they supple you in the bathroom, put them in a ziplock Baggie along with some ice cubes and they're lovely for wiping your face and hands when you're sticky and salty from the beach.

[OCruisers]

Same a cb140, we also take along a washcloth from our bathroom on the ship.

 

LuLu

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[unc1acc]

RCI Newbie so pardon the stupid question but are the towels in your room or do you have to stop by pool on your way off the ship? I know Carnival has two beach towels in the room.

[reallyitsmema]

RCI Newbie so pardon the stupid question but are the towels in your room or do you have to stop by pool on your way off the ship? I know Carnival has two beach towels in the room.

You check beach towels out with your sea pass card up on the pool deck. Don't do it the morning of a port day unless you want to wait in line, just do it the night before so you can just get off the ship. You can exchange them for clean ones but make sure they scan your sea pass again once you turn them in for good or you will be charged $25 per towel. Unfortunately, too many people were stealing towels so they now require you to check them out.

[OCruisers]

RCI Newbie so pardon the stupid question but are the towels in your room or do you have to stop by pool on your way off the ship? I know Carnival has two beach towels in the room.

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It's not a stupid question at all because it's not the same for all cruise lines.

You'll need to go to the pool deck (doesn't have to be the morning of) and check the beach towels out on your cruise card.

You'll need to show your cruise card again when you return them.

 

Have a great cruise! :)

 

LuLu

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[cruissett]

I always used the boats towels in the past, but got a couple cheap beach towels, the real thin ones. They fit much better in my backpack when on the islands, light weight and dried quickly in the sun. For the little space the took up in my suitcase, I'll take them again

[emeraldcity]

I believe they are in your room if you are in a GS or better ... otherwise just swing by the pool desk at some point when you're up there anyway and check out your towels.

 

Love the Oasis process of having a place to unload the wet towels when you re-board. :) I've yet to try out that ship, but I probably will some day. I hope the idea spreads to the other ships.

[KOOLBEANS]

We bring, super cheap, thin towels as above poster mentioned. The ships towels are too heavy when wet to lug around. Definitely like the idea of the flannel lined vinyl tablecloth. This sounds even smaller to pack and toss away when done!!