I've heard about "towel animals", but this I can't believe!

[HeatherInFlorida]

Many of you have written about their cabin steward's making towel animals for them so I'm up to date on that (though no one ever made them for me:o ).

 

But I was talking with my mother on the phone this morning and she told me her hairdresser had taken an RCI cruise recently and was thrilled with the "people" in her cabin!!! My Mom explained further that the couple returned to their cabin after Breakfast and upon opening their door they thought 2 strange people were sitting on their bed!!!

 

It turned out the cabin stewards had taken some of their clothes and "stuffed" them (with towels and pillows) creating life-size "people"!!!!

 

Has anyone heard of this? How would you feel about it? I have to admit I don't think I'd be thrilled to have the stewards "stuffing" my clothes to make creatures that might scare me out of my pants!!!:eek:

 

Love to get your reactions!

[lougee1043]

i think that sort of a prank could get someone fired

[gizmo]

After the initial shock :eek: I would be ROTFLMAO. :D

[peaches from georgia]

It would take me about 2 minutes to find the steward, let him know I was NOT pleased (though he probably was blameless and was told to do this) and that it better never happen again. :mad:

 

Not only would it scare the you-know-what out of me, but I don't want anyone messing around with our clothes. I can't imagine this ever happening on HAL!

[Katiedid]

We have had our sun glasses and hats etc. used as part of our towell animals, they were adorable, but never a complete ensemble. I don't believe I would care for that.

 

katie

[herb]

Hopefully the steward was adept at figuring out whether the cabin occupants were the type who would get a kick out of it or would go stomping down to the front desk demanding to speak to someone in charge.

[funforsun]

It would take me about 2 minutes to find the steward, let him know I was NOT pleased (though he probably was blameless and was told to do this) and that it better never happen again. :mad:

 

Not only would it scare the you-know-what out of me, but I don't want anyone messing around with our clothes. I can't imagine this ever happening on HAL!

 

I have to say I love the person's initiative. I'm certain it was meant well, which is why I would thank him/her for their creativity and tell them how much I enjoyed it, because I would. Now, if I didn't want them to do it again, like with anything else, I would simply ask them not to and leave it at that. Treating the employee with anger and disgust for an intent that only meant to be creative (not destructive or harmful) is not in anyone's best interest. I would probably inform the person's supervisor of their initiative and creativity and thank them as well.

However, if the caricature was meant as a prank or dis in some way, then I would take the matter up with their supervisor, not the employee directly.

[Randyk47]

I remember my first experience with a "towel animal". Steward got into my ex's nightgowns in the drawer and fashioned something out of a couple of them. Couple of things.....this was our very first night on our first cruise and we hadn't the faintest idea of what this was all about. Secondly, other than marrying me, my ex never demostrated the greatest sense of humor.....she was not a happy cruiser and the room steward heard about it the next day. :o Switched to HAL, and then switched spouses, and haven't seen a towel thingie since then. :) Just asked DW what she'd think of the stuffed clothing "people" and she said she'd not be too pleased....and she has a sense of humor.

[peaches from georgia]

Pharmaguy-

 

According to your sig it doesn't look like you have ever sailed on HAL, so possibly you are not familiar with HAL policies and decorum? I assure you no steward on HAL would ever do this on his own initiative and I would not blame our steward, as I said. For heavens sake, the towel animals are controversial on HAL and some pax don't want them (we happen to like them and my DH was taught how to make all of them by our steward on our last HAL cruise for our grandchildren). HAL would never ever have their stewards rummaging in a pax closet or drawers.

 

I would make sure that it did not happen again, but the steward would not get the blame from us and he would know that. No pax are nicer to their steward than we and we would never damage that relationship. This would only be done as an overall HAL policy with instructions given to the stewards to do it.

[peaches from georgia]

.... she said she'd not be too pleased....and she has a sense of humor.

As do I, Randy, but not liking HAL having their stewards looking through pax clothing and personal items is not a matter of not having a sense of humor, IMO. :D

[herb]

curious as to whether items used to fashion towel animals were left on the bed,which the steward would have to "touch" anyway in order to make the bed, or whether the steward rifled through drawers (no pun intended) in order to make the towel animals.

[Grumpy1]

This could have been a prank pulled by some crew members that had gotten to know the person quite well. Perhaps she had made some sort of comment along the lines of "the towel animals are nice, but I'd sure prefer a man in my bed". I doubt that this would be something that would be the norm... even on RCI:)

[sail7seas]

Our steward made three towel animals for us during our recent VODM cruise. They are harmless enough but I can't say I got any kind of 'kick' out of them. As long as he did not use any of our personal property, then if he wishes to make them, fine. I'd rather he enjoy a few minutes off then spend time leaving them in our cabin. If we traveled with children, of course, that would make a difference.

 

I would be very displeased if he went into a drawer or our closet and removed any of our clothing or property to use as props. I would speak with him to be sure he understood I do not wish for him to use our glasses or t-shirt or visors or anything else to create the animals.

 

 

 

[herb]

This could have been a prank pulled by some crew members that had gotten to know the person quite well. Perhaps she had made some sort of comment along the lines of "the towel animals are nice, but I'd sure prefer a man in my bed". I doubt that this would be something that would be the norm... even on RCI:)

 

You're absolutely right... they will take sunglasses or a sunhat to give the towel a bit of character, but I don't know of any cabin steward who even has the time to go through all of that trouble unless it was a case of what is quoted above.

[mrsred]

My only experience with towel animals/people was on my first cruise on Carnival.

 

Every evening I would have something interesting on my bed like an elephant and in his raised trunk was the silk flower I had purchased on shore and had left on the dressing table, a mermaid laying on her front and reading my magazine, a fish wearing the straw hat and sunglasses I had left on the bed...and the last night a "person" wearing my robe and slippers sitting at the dressing table.

 

I loved it!

 

But...my steward never went through my things. He always used something that I had left out.

 

Each night after dinner my table mates and I would rush down to my cabin to see what my steward had left for me.

 

I don't recall being shocked or startled since we had come to expect something every evening.

 

I would certainly NOT want anyone rummaging through my clothes in the dresser or closet...but more than likely I would mention it to the steward, not his supervisor.

 

~e

[HeatherInFlorida]

It had occurred to me that maybe the people had left the clothes all over the place and it was the Steward's subtle humor! I don't know the answer to that.

 

My Mom tells me that the couple thought this was hysterical and they loved it! Remember this is on Royal Caribbean so it didn't have anything to do with the towel animals. I was just comparing it in my mind to the towel guys on HAL which is another story entirely since they're not really using your personal items.

 

For myself, whether I'd left the clothes out or not, I would not be happy if they were stuffed and made into people. I'm with Peaches and wouldn't want anyone messing with my clothes ... this from a girl who got upset when a steward on my honeymoon lay my negligee out on the bed drawing it in at the waist. So I admit I'm a little private about my things.

 

I would have the urge to laugh because no question it would be quite hysterical, but I think my upset over my things being manhandled would override my laughter. I'd love to know if anyone who's been on RCI has experienced this. Maybe I should go ask!!!

 

P.S. Just saw Sail's post and it does make me wonder why they'd have enough time on their hands to do this!!!

[herb]

I can't imagine this ever happening on HAL!

 

Sorry, but I had to laugh at that statement. My mother is a HAL fanatic and when she returned from a Celebrity cruise she mentioned that the ship was rocking quite heavily from side to side, and in the same breath she emphatically stated " that would never have happened on Holland America" :D

[bepsf]

curious as to whether items used to fashion towel animals were left on the bed,which the steward would have to "touch" anyway in order to make the bed...

 

If the cabin steward wants to make something out of the sweaty gymwear left in the bathroom, more power to him...

 

...tho I really wonder what he could possibly create out of a pair of socks and a jockstrap!

:eek:

[tomc]

I really wonder what he could possibly create out of a pair of socks and a jockstrap!

Well, you put the ....

[Jeano222]

We had the same thing happen on RCI's Rhapsody of the seas. They made a woman sitting on the end of the bed. They took towels, a throw pillow for the head put on my beach hat and sunglasses and had my robe on her as clothes. We thought it was a hoot and loved it. It took time for the steward to do it. I will try to locate the picture we took of it and post.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Oh, Jeano!!! I hope you find it! I would LOVE to see it to believe it:D ! So it didn't bother you at all obviously, but I see you're saying they really didn't literally pull your clothes from your closet.

 

Since I got this story through my mother, she may have "embellished" a bit but I got the feeling several pieces of clothing were used.

[kruzkeen]

I have experienced this on RCI. I cannot imagine any stewards doing this without some guide lines from their supervisors. I think I remember the first few nights being an animal and then they sent on to using my sunglasses and a baseball cap. The most I think was they used my bath robe that was in sight.

[lougee1043]

as randy knows my wife also has a sense of humor --which takes a backseat when she is in the water with the stingrays--- on our last cruise randy and i both had cabins that had butlers to do things like pack and unpack -- dont know about randy and his wife but mine passed on that service because she didnt want anyone touching her stuff

[LHC]

First, I am a adventurous woman...I think I would have had to see it before I would get upset or enjoy it. My DD and I did have several great towel creatures on our beds and I took their pictures and have them to add to her scrapebook for Valentines.

If someone wanted to unpack my bags I would let them do it. Just like going to the ER or hospital I only packed my good garments for the cruise (would not like to have embarressed my precious daughter). As a nurse I have literally seen it all...or none at all (seen that too). Only hope some day to be able to be in a suite with that luxury!

LHC

[Randyk47]

Lou - Carey wouldn't think of having anybody unpack her stuff, nor would I for that matter. Pissant....I mean Vasant....our butler on Galaxy was hardly civil enough to bring us coffee, heaven forbid we'd asked him to do much more than that. OK....maybe that's not totally fair for me to say....let's just say he did what he needed to do and not much more. :rolleyes: