KCGreg Posted February 14, 2019 #1 Share Posted February 14, 2019 Just got off of the RC Jewel of the Seas, where security confiscated my power strip (which I have always considered as standard equipment for a cruise) and where towels had to be checked out, even on sea days, with the threat of a $25 charge if not returned. I’m very curious if these things happen on any other cruise line? This was my 13th cruise and I have never experienced these two issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3onTour Posted February 14, 2019 #2 Share Posted February 14, 2019 They will confiscate a power strip if it is surge protected (on most cruise lines). As far as the towels, generally it is the deck towels you must sign for in blood that incurs the $25 fee if not retuned. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatbush Flyer Posted February 14, 2019 #3 Share Posted February 14, 2019 Sign for towels? That really says something about the cruise line's perception of its passengers. Do they honestly think someone is going to steal used towels??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyank Posted February 14, 2019 #4 Share Posted February 14, 2019 22 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said: Sign for towels? That really says something about the cruise line's perception of its passengers. Do they honestly think someone is going to steal used towels??? You would be amazed at what people will steal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisiamc Posted February 14, 2019 #5 Share Posted February 14, 2019 (edited) There are many lines that don’t make passengers sign in blood to use pool towels. We don’t have to sign out towels on Celebrity or Azamara. Most cruiselines are prohibiting power strips with surge protectors now, though. Or even prohibiting most/all power strips on the basis that they might have a surge protector, or otherwise be a fire hazard. Edited February 14, 2019 by lisiamc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatbush Flyer Posted February 14, 2019 #6 Share Posted February 14, 2019 3 minutes ago, lisiamc said: There are many lines that don’t make passengers sign in blood to use pool towels. We don’t have to sign out towels on Celebrity or Azamara. Most cruiselines are prohibiting power strips with surge protectors now, though. Or even prohibiting most/all power strips on the basis that they might have a surge protector, or otherwise be a fire hazard. It would be very interesting to learn how a power strip with a two-pronged plug could ever have surge protection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chengkp75 Posted February 14, 2019 #7 Share Posted February 14, 2019 5 hours ago, KCGreg said: Just got off of the RC Jewel of the Seas, where security confiscated my power strip (which I have always considered as standard equipment for a cruise) and where towels had to be checked out, even on sea days, with the threat of a $25 charge if not returned. I’m very curious if these things happen on any other cruise line? This was my 13th cruise and I have never experienced these two issues. 1 hour ago, Flatbush Flyer said: It would be very interesting to learn how a power strip with a two-pronged plug could ever have surge protection. While you are correct that a power strip with a two prong plug cannot be surge protected, I really haven't seen a lot of these around, and the OP doesn't state this. What RCI has done is take the question of whether the power strip is surge protected or not, and any arguments about this, away from the port security staff, and have just blanket banned power strips and extension cords. Their ship, their rules, most likely driven by their insurance cover. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul929207 Posted February 14, 2019 #8 Share Posted February 14, 2019 On princess, never a problem with either a power strip or towel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spookwife Posted February 14, 2019 #9 Share Posted February 14, 2019 6 hours ago, 3onTour said: They will confiscate a power strip if it is surge protected (on most cruise lines). As far as the towels, generally it is the deck towels you must sign for in blood that incurs the $25 fee if not retuned. actually, Royal has gone to banning ALL power strips no matter what. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spookwife Posted February 14, 2019 #10 Share Posted February 14, 2019 3 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said: Sign for towels? That really says something about the cruise line's perception of its passengers. Do they honestly think someone is going to steal used towels??? do you have any idea how many pool towels are left behind on every beach in every port every day? people can't be bothered with the inconvenience of schlepping back a sandy wet towel. not all locals are nice enough to collect them for the cruise ships. 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare sparks1093 Posted February 14, 2019 #11 Share Posted February 14, 2019 Yes OP, other cruise lines have similar policies, although on NCL and CCL we had beach towels waiting for us in the cabin. If they weren't there by the end of the cruise then we could have been charged for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leaveitallbehind Posted February 14, 2019 #12 Share Posted February 14, 2019 (edited) The towel thing on RCI is sporadic and inconstant from ship to ship in our experience - and has been so for several years. Annoying as it may be, It really is nothing more than a scan of your Sea Pass card when you take them out and return them at the pools. Never had to actually sign for anything. Also never seen this actually enforced as there is no way to prove you didn't return them if for instance your card was not re-scanned when you returned them to the bin. GS would remove any charges actually placed on the card. That all being said, Celebrity, for one, doesn't do this. As to the power strip, this has been a stated policy of RCI (and most cruise lines) for many years as they are a potential fire hazard. That it is being more rigidly enforced at port security may just be a matter of more stringent application of the policy. That it has been considered by you as "standard equipment" with prior cruises only means you managed to not get caught with it by previously lax check in security. Edited February 14, 2019 by leaveitallbehind 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiserBruce Posted February 14, 2019 #13 Share Posted February 14, 2019 HAL has one beach towel per occupant assigned to each cabin when you board, and they expect there to be two there when your cruise ends. They will replace if dirty. On board pool towels are separate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capriccio Posted February 14, 2019 #14 Share Posted February 14, 2019 (edited) 4 hours ago, lisiamc said: There are many lines that don’t make passengers sign in blood to use pool towels. We don’t have to sign out towels on Celebrity or Azamara. Same with Princess. No signature or scanning of your card required at all. Edited February 14, 2019 by capriccio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandma Dazzles Posted February 14, 2019 #15 Share Posted February 14, 2019 5 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said: Sign for towels? That really says something about the cruise line's perception of its passengers. Do they honestly think someone is going to steal used towels??? I think the bigger problem is leaving on the beaches on the islands. People don’t want to return a wet, sandy towel. Very common to see loads of towels scattered all over the beach. On RC towels for the beach/pool are checked out to your Seapass card. When you return the towel you again show your card and cancel the towel checkout. If not you are charged $25. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nebr.cruiser Posted February 14, 2019 #16 Share Posted February 14, 2019 As far as I can remember, RCI is the only cruise line we have had to check out and check in towels. It about drove my husband nuts one time when we were cruising with 7 young grandkids--keeping track of the towels that is. Many cruise lines say that they will charge you if a towel is missing; I don't know if they actually do. Most seem to leave a towel in the room for port days and have towels available on deck that don't have to be checked out. It's unfortunate that yes, some people do steal towels and probably many more just leave them on the beach. That hurts everyone else. Has anyone ever actually been charged for a missing towel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armac Posted February 14, 2019 #17 Share Posted February 14, 2019 I have not personally experienced it but I have seen a few posts that people were charged for towels, they complained and the charge was removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leaveitallbehind Posted February 14, 2019 #18 Share Posted February 14, 2019 (edited) 35 minutes ago, Grandma Dazzles said: On RC towels for the beach/pool are checked out to your Seapass card. When you return the towel you again show your card and cancel the towel checkout. If not you are charged $25. On the RCI ships where they have scanned our cards for towels, there have been many times where we failed to have our cards re-scanned when returning the towels and have never been charged anything. It also has been a sloppy and inconsistent process in that on some ships the attendant is writing down stateroom numbers and number of towels, or on others just scanning one card with no formal tally that I could discern to confirm number of towels taken. Maybe that is changing, but at least that has been our experience. Edited February 14, 2019 by leaveitallbehind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1025cruise Posted February 14, 2019 #19 Share Posted February 14, 2019 RCI has recently started to ban all power strips and extension cords. My guess is they don't want to risk overloading their system. I would guess this sort of thing will spread to other lines. A lot of lines are starting to add USB ports for charging when they can, so that will eliminate some of the need. With regards to towels, unfortunately lost towels have started to cost the ships money. I know RCI and Carnival both charge now for unreturned towels, not sure about the rest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjkacmom Posted February 14, 2019 #20 Share Posted February 14, 2019 The $25 charge doesn’t bother me, because I’m going to return the towel. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shipgeeks Posted February 14, 2019 #21 Share Posted February 14, 2019 I don't understand why showing a seapass card, to check a towel out and in, is a concern. We have the cards with us, why not just relax and use them when requested? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallux Posted February 14, 2019 #22 Share Posted February 14, 2019 1 hour ago, 1025cruise said: A lot of lines are starting to add USB ports for charging when they can, so that will eliminate some of the need I'm reluctant to plug my devices into "public" USB ports, despite the devices having selectable options for allowing data transfer or charging only. I have a "block" that plugs into a wall outlet that gives me my own USB charge ports and allows me to charge as many as 5 devices from it. Fortunately, I don't need any other outlets except to charge a camera battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatbush Flyer Posted February 14, 2019 #23 Share Posted February 14, 2019 2 hours ago, Grandma Dazzles said: People don’t want to return a wet, sandy towel. Very common to see loads of towels scattered all over the beach. But, that's just so irresponsible (not to mention, dishonest). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Kmkub Posted February 14, 2019 #24 Share Posted February 14, 2019 6 minutes ago, hallux said: I have a "block" that plugs into a wall outlet that gives me my own USB charge ports and allows me to charge as many as 5 devices from it. That's what we brought on our cruise last month, and it worked perfectly. Took less room in the suitcase as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkjretired Posted February 14, 2019 #25 Share Posted February 14, 2019 11 hours ago, KCGreg said: Just got off of the RC Jewel of the Seas, where security confiscated my power strip (which I have always considered as standard equipment for a cruise) and where towels had to be checked out, even on sea days, with the threat of a $25 charge if not returned. I’m very curious if these things happen on any other cruise line? This was my 13th cruise and I have never experienced these two issues. I don’t understand why people get upset by things that are clearly in the web site. The towels to me are not a big deal, return them, no problem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now