No Soap For You!

[elliair]

You used a whole small bar in one day?

 

I usually ignore bar soaps where ever I stay as they make my skin dry.

 

I save all the bar soaps and bring them home. When I've accumulated a bag full I take it to the homeless shelter. Princess still hands out the bar soap (it's round). However, the bars have shrunk, and we quit getting the sample baskets. Haven't seen a sample basket since cruising on the Elation.

Edited February 18, 2014 by elliair

[mousey]

LOL:p:D I wouldn't be that surprised if it happened.:rolleyes::p

 

As long as they don't have condiments on them! I hate most condiments! LOL!:D

[TheCalicoCat]

I did not care for the bar soap on my last RCCL cruise (I did not look for a brand) but it was replaced - my husband used it. & I don't particularly care for the liquid soap on Carnival.

 

Guess that means I'll have to keep bringing my own. Could be worse, right?

[Sarah@Sea]

I bring my own bar soap, everywhere I travel. Now, you know to do the same.

 

Me too, I like my skin enough to pack my own bar of what I use at home as I also do not like body wash. I also, when I remember, take a pump soap for my hands.

[mousey]

I have a suggestion for those that want to bring their own soap and think it's too big to bring more than one bar but would like to have one for both the sink and the shower...what about cutting your bar in half and keeping one half to use by the sink and the other half in the shower? That would work and cut down on having to bring more than one bar of soap. Just a thought.;) I rarely use bar soap anymore. I go to Targets or Walmart (yes, Walmart) to get the small travel-sized bottles of Dove body wash (it's my favorite because I tend to have dry skin). Come to think of it...I've seen, in this particular section, smaller bars of Dove soap (there may be some of other brands too...I'm not pushing Dove...it's such that I'm fixated on that particular brand because it's what I use). They're not the little ones you get in hotels but are smaller than the regular sized bars. Also, you could just put some of your own personal favorite body wash into travel-sized containers. Just some ideas!

Edited February 18, 2014 by mousey

[ShakyBeef]

I have a suggestion for those that want to bring their own soap and think it's too big to bring more than one bar but would like to have one for both the sink and the shower...what about cutting your bar in half and keeping one half to use by the sink and the other half in the shower? That would work and cut down on having to bring more than one bar of soap. Just a thought.;) I rarely use bar soap anymore. I go to Targets or Walmart (yes, Walmart) to get the small travel-sized bottles of Dove body wash (it's my favorite because I tend to have dry skin). Come to think of it...I've seen, in this particular section, smaller bars of Dove soap. They're not the little ones you get in hotels but are smaller than the regular sized bars. Also, you could also just put some of your own personal favorite body wash into travel-sized containers. Just some ideas!

 

 

All good ideas.:)

[mousey]

All good ideas.:)

 

Thank you! By-the-way...I love your baby duck! Too cute!:D

[wdwcoltsfan]

People do it all the time. source- I have worked in the hotel industry for 15 years, we have little buckets full of the amenites for just this reason) I agree that they should have sent some up, but I in no way doubt that the op did in fact ask.

 

Yup. We have stayed in hotels that have a note in the rooms that if you forgot to bring something(basic toiletry) to call down to the front desk for a complimentary replacement. It doesn't say to contact housekeeping.

 

I also find it ironic that in almost every post where someone has a complaint and it doesn't matter what the complaint is, the very first question is--"Did you talk with guest services?" Then, when the person says they spoke with the cabin steward, they are told they shouldn't have done that and they should have gone straight to guest services. Now, we have a thread where the OP went to guest services and they are told they should have spoken with the cabin steward. I just find this amusing.:D

[ShakyBeef]

Thank you! By-the-way...I love your baby duck! Too cute!:D

 

 

Thanks! It's funny - that's what I used to call both of my daughters through their first years, Babyduck - totally unrelated to that silly costume. It was just a coincidence, and I'd never thought about it until reading your post. At first I thought "how the heck can she know about 'Babyduck'"?:eek::p:o

 

OK, that's enough hijacking for me. Let's get back to the very important work of discussing the merits (or lack thereof) of various soaps, whether or not they are available onboard, and whether one should have known to bring one's own soap on a cruise.:p

 

Gotta love CC.:cool:

[ShakyBeef]

Yup. We have stayed in hotels that have a note in the rooms that if you forgot to bring something(basic toiletry) to call down to the front desk for a complimentary replacement. It doesn't say to contact housekeeping.

 

I also find it ironic that in almost every post where someone has a complaint and it doesn't matter what the complaint is, the very first question is--"Did you talk with guest services?" Then, when the person says they spoke with the cabin steward, they are told they shouldn't have done that and they should have gone straight to guest services. Now, we have a thread where the OP went to guest services and they are told they should have spoken with the cabin steward. I just find this amusing.:D

 

 

Glad I'm not the only one.:)

[firemanbobswife]

Yup. We have stayed in hotels that have a note in the rooms that if you forgot to bring something(basic toiletry) to call down to the front desk for a complimentary replacement. It doesn't say to contact housekeeping.

 

 

 

I also find it ironic that in almost every post where someone has a complaint and it doesn't matter what the complaint is, the very first question is--"Did you talk with guest services?" Then, when the person says they spoke with the cabin steward, they are told they shouldn't have done that and they should have gone straight to guest services. Now, we have a thread where the OP went to guest services and they are told they should have spoken with the cabin steward. I just find this amusing.:D

 

 

True, however, "housekeeping" on the ship doesn't go home when the rooms are clean unlike at the hotels.

 

I wouldn't expect GS to have towels, so I'm guessing they won't have soap either.

 

It seems to me that they thought the guest was talking about the samples (or lack thereof) that are given in the little dish and had no idea they were referring to the Carnival soap. I don't think it's unreasonable to want one for washing your hands and one for the shower. We have always had 2 or more in our room.

 

Now that everyone knows you ask your room steward for soap, bring your own, or use the liquid stuff in the shower, isn't it about time for another smoking or rum runner thread?

[firemanbobswife]

Maybe they should start putting the little signs in the bathrooms like at hotels that say, "Need more soap? Ask your room steward because if you ask Guest Services, they will tell you to buy it at the Gift shop!" LOL!

[joeyancho]

Since Carnival cut back the quality of their soap from the green "Beinvenue" bars to the crappy, chalky, white bar in the bag labled "SOAP" in big, black letters, DH has been bringing his own soap. His own soap is actually the old Carnival Bienvenue bars, from a stash he was given by our room steward years ago. I suspect Carnival got a deal with the suppliers of prison soap for that nasty white stuff.:rolleyes::p Promotional item, right.:rolleyes:

 

That lousy generic soap comes from China.

[joeyancho]

I did not care for the bar soap on my last RCCL cruise (I did not look for a brand) but it was replaced - my husband used it. & I don't particularly care for the liquid soap on Carnival.

 

Guess that means I'll have to keep bringing my own. Could be worse, right?

 

Yes, you could have to bring your own toilet paper.

[winddawn]

Had an almost Seinfeld flashback experience on Fantasy a few weeks ago.

 

On entering our cabin, there was a small wrapped piece of bar soap on the sink, just like you see in any hotel from the cheapest flop house to the most expensive luxury resort. Little bitty wrapped bar soaps are the norm in travel. On Carnival they have liquid soap dispensers in the showers. I don’t care for liquid soap, I prefer bar soap. So I moved my little bar from the sink into the shower, but it wasn’t replaced the next day. So I went down to the customer service desk and asked for an extra piece of bar soap and had my SNL-skit experience:

 

"We don’t have bar soap,” the rep said.

"But there was one by the sink when we arrived."

"Oh, that’s a ‘promotional item.’ We don’t replace promotional items."

"'Promotional item?' Soap? Seriously?"

"The liquid soap is complementary. The bar soap is meant to last you seven days. You can buy soap in the gift shop."

"Wow."

 

I tried not to laugh, it was both funny and sad that Carnival is cutting costs so much that they take a hard line on not doling out a .20 cent piece of soap for a probably rare request such as mine. This wasn't the only cost-saving measure noticeable --my husband is still going on about his supposedly watered-down martini--but it is the most bizarre I think I've ever experienced.

I went through the soap ordeal on one of my Carnival cruises a while back. I had to beg to get bar soap. And heaven help you if you want one for the sink and one for the shower! I haven't had it happen since then though. On my last cruise on Sunshine I had 3 bars of soap in my clam shell so I was a happy cruiser.

 

I can't believe the response you got from Guest Services. Really??!! Go buy your own in the gift shop?? That is pushing cost cutting to a whole new level.

[ShakyBeef]

That lousy generic soap comes from China.

 

Let me guess: Chinese prison reject soap?

[sjcruiser]

Funny, but your best bet was asking your room steward

[vacruizer]

I've never worked in the industry, but whatever. A simple note to the room steward should have been sufficient. They even provide you with pen and paper.

 

They could possibly get in trouble if they thought they weren't being properly taken care of by their steward.

 

Lesson: If you need more soap, ask your room steward. Don't go to GS because they don't have soap and are clueless as to why you may need more than one little round disc of soap.

 

I save all the bar soaps and bring them home. When I've accumulated a bag full I take it to the homeless shelter. Princess still hands out the bar soap (it's round). However, the bars have shrunk, and we quit getting the sample baskets. Haven't seen a sample basket since cruising on the Elation.

 

No more sample basket on the Breeze the first week of February. First time it's every been completely empty. We did have one bar of the cheap Chinese soap. That was it.

 

And no more pen and paper. I finally dug a pen out of my purse to fill in our laundry sheet.

 

I usually find that the shower gel makes better hand soap anyway. That white bar stuff leaves a residue and doesn't rinse cleanly. If you wear contacts, you will feel my pain on that one when it gets in your eye. :eek:

Edited February 19, 2014 by vacruizer

[SteelerCruiser]

LMAO!!!.........I feel your pain.....but ours is opposite.....we don't care for the bar soap to wash our hands with so we usually try to bring a thing of liquid soap.

[firemanbobswife]

No more sample basket on the Breeze the first week of February. First time it's every been completely empty. We did have one bar of the cheap Chinese soap. That was it.

 

 

 

And no more pen and paper. I finally dug a pen out of my purse to fill in our laundry sheet.

 

 

 

 

Sounds like you got the shaft big time. We had a few little things in our bathroom on the Glory in May and October. Even more on the Conquest last month. All 3 times we left with no less than 3 pens and 2 pads of paper.

 

Must really be ship/floor/cabin steward specific as to what you get or don't get.

[ShakyBeef]

It took me a while to dig them up and upload them, but here are some pics of the Chinese prison soap:

 

On Pride in August, 2012 this nasty piece of (soap) and one Breathe Right strip were the only things in the "Freebies Bowl".:rolleyes:

 

 

 

On Pride in February, 2013 (in an Ocean Suite, this time), same crappy "SOAP" and a few more items in the Freebies Bowl:

 

 

It seems that GS calling these "promo items" and the stewards placing them in the Freebies bowl (instead of on the vanity, next to the spigot, as they used to) might be related. Maybe they really have stopped providing bar soap and these sweat-shop seconds really are "promos".:eek:

 

I shudder to think what comes next after they run out of their free Chinese "SOAP". I guess just nothing, then there will be many more people with Noro and the like. Let's face it - we know there are some hygienically-challenged people who will not go out of their way to properly cleanse their hands if the soap isn't right there in front of them.:rolleyes::(

[Topo Gigio]

Sorry, but I don't understand you. You have quite some cruises under your belt. So why do you go to guest services? you know that they don't have any soap there..

[yakdaddy42]

I can see it now whole threads devoted to soap smuggling.

[FlyingCruiserNJ]

Had an almost Seinfeld flashback experience on Fantasy a few weeks ago.

 

On entering our cabin, there was a small wrapped piece of bar soap on the sink, just like you see in any hotel from the cheapest flop house to the most expensive luxury resort. Little bitty wrapped bar soaps are the norm in travel. On Carnival they have liquid soap dispensers in the showers. I don’t care for liquid soap, I prefer bar soap. So I moved my little bar from the sink into the shower, but it wasn’t replaced the next day. So I went down to the customer service desk and asked for an extra piece of bar soap and had my SNL-skit experience:

 

"We don’t have bar soap,” the rep said.

"But there was one by the sink when we arrived."

"Oh, that’s a ‘promotional item.’ We don’t replace promotional items."

"'Promotional item?' Soap? Seriously?"

"The liquid soap is complementary. The bar soap is meant to last you seven days. You can buy soap in the gift shop."

"Wow."

 

I tried not to laugh, it was both funny and sad that Carnival is cutting costs so much that they take a hard line on not doling out a .20 cent piece of soap for a probably rare request such as mine. This wasn't the only cost-saving measure noticeable --my husband is still going on about his supposedly watered-down martini--but it is the most bizarre I think I've ever experienced.

 

Umkay, I'm very glad someone else has noticed that as well. Last time I was on ccl, the imagination to be specific, I had this same problem. I use bar soap to wash my hands and to shower (not the same bar for both lol) and if there are multiple people in the cabin, that tiny little bit they give you doesn't last long. I found it odd that the steward never gave us a new bar. I thought it was just him forgetting but apparently it is carnival's policy now. I find that ludicrous. It is one thing to cut back but they are cytting back in areas that people notice now. It just makes them look tacky and cheap - not to mention with the outbreaks of sickness they have been getting I would think they would do everything possible to promote cleanliness on board. My solution is just to make sure I pack extra coast or Irish spring now cause the ship ain't going to help me keep myself clean. And the liquid soap they have is awful as well. I don't use it often to shower anyway but it just looks and smells nasty. Word to the wise - bring your own shampoo also as the stuff in the cabin showers is lousy too.

[FlyingCruiserNJ]

Yes, you could have to bring your own toilet paper.

 

Shhh, don't give them any ideas. It's ludicrous that they won't furnish you with basic soap if you use your original allotment. It's like not putting soap in an airplane lav. Even dive motels give you more soap when you use what you have up.