On a lighter note...why are some so upset with the end of towel animals?

[Love my butler]

2 hours ago, pcakes122 said:

Cool - do share!  What have been their suggestions?  I'm very tidy and make my own bed, but what else did they say we can do to help make their jobs easier?

 

You really have to ask how to make the job easier for a room steward?  Really?

[hallux]

As 2 of my cruises have been in Studio cabins, I didn't really have a place to put the animals where they were out of the way so I never ended up with a "Zoo".  When I DID have room, in a balcony, NCL had stopped making them.  I tried to move them with care when I got them.

[IrieBajan54]

When towels animals first appeared (I don't recall the year), they were cute but the fondness soon wore off. For several years now, I had a list for the cabin steward upon arrival on the things I don't want. Towel animals were at the top. Followed by no ice, lock the fridge, no decorative pillows/covers on the bed and don't organize/move my stuff. Lot less work for the steward.

 

RIP towel animals!

[pcakes122]

1 hour ago, Love my butler said:

You really have to ask how to make the job easier for a room steward?  Really?

Ha! I was being sarcastic in my reply to the poster who said they have these convos with their stewards to ask them!   I had the SAME reaction - you have to ASK?!  😂

Edited February 10, 2020 by pcakes122

[pcakes122]

2 hours ago, Pat.D said:

 

As you may expect, they are usually too polite to just come out and suggest stuff, but those "would it help if I did this?" suggestions got positive responses:  putting all my trash in the bathroom can and recycling in the desk can (they have to separate recyclables), rinsing the shower after use so no soap sticks to walls and glass (huge time saver!), using towels more than once and leaving the ones to change in one neat pile, use the toilet brush when one makes a mess and what helps most is to not have stuff everywhere they have to move and work around when cleaning the room and bathroom.  I know this last one isn't for everyone but I'm a neat-freak lol!  In the evening if the room is ok, I'll often leave a Post-It note to my attendant with something like "Room is fine as is, thanks, good night!" so they can just leave the Daily and move on. 

 

And to keep this "on topic" on NCL I don't ask for towel animals (though I really REALLY like towel animals!) as I know they will make them if you ask and it does take time. 🙂

 

Sorry, I was being sarcastic because I really didn't believe you had to ask a steward how to make their job easier.  But I also find it hard to believe that a steward instructed you to do the things you listed.  I find it even harder to believe that those things are not "normal procedure" for most people.  But then again, I haven't seen everyone's house.  

[paulajj]

They make me happy!

[hladygirl]

1 hour ago, Travelling2Some said:

I'm glad the cabin stewards don't have to make them and I'm also glad I don't have to find a place to put them anymore.  I used to line them up on the back of the sofa cause I didn't want the steward to think his cute creations were unappreciated.  But, truthfully I never cared one way or the other about towel animals and I don't think I ever took a picture of one either.  I keep my cabin neat myself so all want is ice in the ice bucket twice a day.

You will have to ask for that ice bucket now.

[GettotheSun]

25 minutes ago, paulajj said:

They make me happy!

 

And that is why they will still do them!  

 

I actually think it is a great compromise.  Several folks have posted here saying they are either pro or con of the towel animals, but I don't think anyone is saying it is an outrage to stop doing them 'by default', and instead they should be by request.  I just wonder how anyone would know they could ask for them "by request".  If I wasn't reading CC, I wouldn't know.

[Travelling2Some]

26 minutes ago, hladygirl said:

You will have to ask for that ice bucket now.

Okay, NOW i'm ticked,lol!

[Pat.D]

1 hour ago, pcakes122 said:

Sorry, I was being sarcastic because I really didn't believe you had to ask a steward how to make their job easier.  But I also find it hard to believe that a steward instructed you to do the things you listed.

 

You obviously didn't read what I wrote and are only interested in stirring things up... there always has to be one of you... fine, have a nice day.

 

[NLH Arizona]

12 hours ago, GettotheSun said:

 

And that is why they will still do them!  

 

I actually think it is a great compromise.  Several folks have posted here saying they are either pro or con of the towel animals, but I don't think anyone is saying it is an outrage to stop doing them 'by default', and instead they should be by request.  I just wonder how anyone would know they could ask for them "by request".  If I wasn't reading CC, I wouldn't know.

I'd bet if towel animals are so important to someone, they would ask their Cabin Steward what happend to the towel animals and the Cabin Steward would let them know.

[geegee1]

We've always enjoyed the towel animals. Always was a game with us trying to guess what will be waiting us. Definitely going to miss them, but not going to be a pain in the butt and ask the Steward to make them.

[Barb Nahoumi]

On 2/8/2020 at 4:35 PM, NLH Arizona said:

I thought that if you asked for them, they would still be available to you.

I think that it's still true.  Just ask your steward.

 

As for us, we don't care one way or the other.

[NLH Arizona]

1 hour ago, Barb Nahoumi said:

I think that it's still true.  Just ask your steward.

 

As for us, we don't care one way or the other.

I don't care either.  I cruised on many cruise lines before I did my first cruise on NCL and had never seen a towel animal.

[GettotheSun]

It sounds like in the Haven they may still do it by default.  I wouldn't mind seeing a towel animal once, but I'd definitely tell the steward not to bother otherwise.  I do want one of those elephants though!!! hahaha

[gstrick99]

On 2/8/2020 at 10:55 PM, Love my butler said:

You are very naive if you think the time saved by not making towel animals is not being directed by upper management toward the room stewards to a larger work load.  After all, that was the entire point of eliminating towel animals, to save NCL money.  Has ZERO to do with environmental concerns.  Without having the numbers crunched, I would guess the time savings from no towel animals was enough to add 1 extra room to every room stewards daily work load.

 I spent many hours seeing how hard the my fellow crew worked, especially housekeeping and F&B. I am not naive, but thanks for jumping in here to correct me so rudely.

[Ztras]

I care.  They are a fun part of cruising and I incorporate them into my photos.  When I met my steward the first day I told him how much I appreciated the towel animals, and I had one every night.  Not awkward at all.

[sparks1093]

On 2/8/2020 at 6:36 PM, Pat.D said:

To me towel animals are a cruise tradition.  I'm a grown adult and love towel animals.  I usually ask the steward to leave behind the animals so I end up with a zoo by the end of the cruise.  They still make animals by default on recent cruises on Carnival, RCCL and Celebrity.

 

I had a chat about animals with my steward on a very recent NCL cruise and he told me the "company line" is to save water but it has a lot more to do with the fact NLC has reduced personnel and each steward has to cover more staterooms so not having to make animals (unless requested) saves them time. 

 

The cynic in me agrees with your second paragraph. I can see some bean counter at Corporate actually quantifying all of the savings on a spreadsheet to justify it. DW likes them much more than I do but they do bring a little joy to see them.

[geegee1]

On our cruise 2 weeks ago our room steward made us animals every night. He said that they aren't supposed to do it anymore, but he like to when there is a room with children staying in it. It definitely brought an extra layer of enjoyment to the trip for our 11 yo

[Suite Heart]

[Lancaster99]

If you want towel animals, ice, a bar of soap, etc, ask your room steward and you will get them.  Why should they provide these to people who don't want them.  If you want, ask!

[mitsugirly]

For us, it's tradition. It's just something you grow accustomed to and we like them. I've been cruising since the 80's and they did it back then.

 

I find it fun to return and try to figure out what the animal might be...even funner if you get something you have never seen before.

 

Also, my child and grandchildren love it.

 

I was sad (and so was my child) to not see them anymore. When we cruise on other lines and we have them...super excitement! :D

[sparks1093]

7 hours ago, Lancaster99 said:

If you want towel animals, ice, a bar of soap, etc, ask your room steward and you will get them.  Why should they provide these to people who don't want them.  If you want, ask!

Of course they will provide them if you ask, but companies that provide a superlative experience don't make the customer ask. This is absolutely a little thing but the difference between 4 star and 5 star is based entirely on little things.

[Oakman58]

I always loved it when you would have a room steward with a sense of humor and an imagination.