Towel fee eliminated

[negc]

It stated that this was to take effect Jan 1. All the comments were from Jan 1 and 2.

 

People are still sailing. There still has not been posts about how the non smoking on the balconies is going. Did you expect people in the middle of their vacation to use the on board Internet to update this board the second that it happened on the ship?

 

It wouldn't be the first time that such a thing happened and I am actually somewhat surprised that someone, midway through their cruise, didn't make such a post.:)

[The Sunset Glow]

Hopefully recent cruisers will soon be reporting on how the new policy works. IE Will the pool towels now be in your room or will you have to get them from the towel station? etc.

[MrsKC08]

Lets be honest...the cost of those towels to Royal Caribbean is probably mear pennies because they order such a HUGE quantity for all of their fleet.

There is really no huge revenue lost, in the few that might get left behind in ports, and the only ports I can see them really getting left at are the private islands, which they own anyway.

 

Like a previous poster said, other cruise lines don't charge you so it only makes sense for Royal Caribbean to follow suit.

 

I myself am glad I won't have to show my sea pass card just to get a towel now.

[CruisingCaraCat]

This is too funny! Showing your seapass to get two towels at the beginning and end of your cruise seems to be a major burden. Yet creating your own luggage tags was not a chore!

 

I believe this new policy will aggravate the chair hog problem.

 

Hi - Actually I think I disagree. If the customer is not going to be charged for a missing towel the pool guys should be less reluctant to remove towels from chairs after the 30 minute allowance period,.

[FLACRUISER99]

Just to add my 2 cents, I think it's great.

[Ubiquitous Cruiser]

Hopefully recent cruisers will soon be reporting on how the new policy works. IE Will the pool towels now be in your room or will you have to get them from the towel station? etc.

 

Was just on Enchantment (1/3 - 1/6) ... The towels are still on the pool deck but you just ask for the number you want and they hand them to you ... No need to present your card ... When finished you can leave them at the same station or we noticed that our cabin steward had a pile of them near his cleaning cart so we just added to the pile.

[Ken at the beach]

Was just on Enchantment (1/3 - 1/6) ... The towels are still on the pool deck but you just ask for the number you want and they hand them to you ... No need to present your card ... When finished you can leave them at the same station or we noticed that our cabin steward had a pile of them near his cleaning cart so we just added to the pile.

 

Great to know how they actually implemented it. Were there collection bins on Coco Cay? Thanks.

[notsomadhatter]

Was just on Enchantment (1/3 - 1/6) ... The towels are still on the pool deck but you just ask for the number you want and they hand them to you ... No need to present your card ... When finished you can leave them at the same station or we noticed that our cabin steward had a pile of them near his cleaning cart so we just added to the pile.

 

Yay! I'm so happy to hear this.

[The Sunset Glow]

Was just on Enchantment (1/3 - 1/6) ... The towels are still on the pool deck but you just ask for the number you want and they hand them to you ... No need to present your card ... When finished you can leave them at the same station or we noticed that our cabin steward had a pile of them near his cleaning cart so we just added to the pile.

 

Thanks for the feedback!:D

[Ubiquitous Cruiser]

Great to know how they actually implemented it. Were there collection bins on Coco Cay? Thanks.

 

Didn't notice any collection bins on Coco Cay

[travelplus]

This is great news. This fee was not a good one in my opinion because at resorts where I stay they do not implement such a fee. They have a towel exchange and you just bring the old towel for a new towel. None of this checking which room its coming from etc.

 

It actually costs the cruise line more money because of the time it takes the employees to remove the fee. Just imagine the time they could be spending working on more important things.

 

I sent in my 2 cents about this non returned towel fee because heck the attendant could have forgotten to scan my card when I returned it.

 

A better system would be to provide pool towels in the stateroom and just have the room attendant give you new ones when he replenishes the other towels. How hard can it be to add 2-4 more towels for the pool? If a large resort can do it why can't a cruise line do the same?

 

The reason they instilled the fine is for those customers who want a pool towel to take with them off shore. Possibly they could have a towel checkout check in desk as soon as you got off the ship. If you don't return these towels then you can be charged a $25 fee that can be refunded if you hand it to guest services with your card.

[Ken at the beach]

Didn't notice any collection bins on Coco Cay

 

Thanks. Would have been nice. Perhaps in th future.

[flatcircle]

I like what HAL does with beach towels for ports. They hand each person a towel as they exit the ship. When you return, there are big bins just inside for towel collection. You can just place your dirty, wet towel in the bin instead of having to carry it upstairs.

 

We just got off the Noordam & at least for that ship, there was a new policy. Towels were not at the gangway but two were placed in the rooms with a note. You returned the towels to the room & they were replaced daily (if needed). If they were not returned to your room, there was a charge (not sure of the amount). Not surprised of the change -- had been told that housekeeping often sent crew members via cabs to the frequently used port beaches to pick up discarded towels.

[QuickGold]

Was just on Enchantment (1/3 - 1/6) ... The towels are still on the pool deck but you just ask for the number you want and they hand them to you ... No need to present your card ... When finished you can leave them at the same station or we noticed that our cabin steward had a pile of them near his cleaning cart so we just added to the pile.

 

Thank you for the report.

 

I think a few people in this thread owe an apology to a certain unofficial blog for doubting them :P

[Barb Nahoumi]

NCL leaves two beach towels in cabins. Passengers can exchange them for dry ones, on the pool deck.

 

From what I can gather, RCI passengers have to get towels from the pool deck, rather than have them provided in cabins?

[cjdixon4]

NCL leaves two beach towels in cabins. Passengers can exchange them for dry ones, on the pool deck.

 

From what I can gather, RCI passengers have to get towels from the pool deck, rather than have them provided in cabins?

 

Yep, last Royal cruise that I was on in May 2013 required that you both pick up/return towels on the pool deck. Maybe there will be some changes up ahead.

[Koohiichan]

On Adventure now. No need to check out towels. Yay! Turning off phone soon. Just wanted to let everyone know.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[The_Big_M]

On 28/12 Rhapsody there was a towel fee. Even on return on 11/1 received a letter saying we'd be charged a $25 fee as the towel was checked out.

[PJADS]

Just off Oasis 1-11-14

No seapass for towels.

Great convenience.

Only negative is chair hogs, tended to not worry about leaving the towels.

[John Reid]

Didn't find it a big deal to check out towels. Not required on my most recent cruise. Increase of towels left on chairs. Rather have them be accountable.

Edited January 13, 2014 by natty bumppo

[mommabean]

You should see the piles of towels on the last tender back from Coco Cay. Someone now has to grab them from all over the island since so many are now left behind.

[latnballer]

Just off the Liberty of the Seas. No cards needed at all for the towels.

I see that it will hurt the chairhogs more than anything.

Alot of towels get left behind on the chairs and its easier to assume that they are left behind instead of saving the seat. So the chairhogs can't expect their towel to save their seat anymore.

Felt bad for the pool guys when we went through a storm. There were alot of towels left behind and by the time they got to them they were soaking wet. Took them a while to pick them all up in the middle of the rain.

Edited January 13, 2014 by latnballer

[mdh237]

Suite, Pinnacle ad Diamond Plus cruisers get GOLD towels to prove that they are special cruisers and get a special place by the pool!:rolleyes:

 

We are Diamond Plus and have never received these perks.

[Clarea]

We are Diamond Plus and have never received these perks.

I think the other poster was being sarcastic.