Port beach towels

[isutru]

What is the protocol for beach towels in Med ports on the Westerdam for those of us who will be going to the beach? Does HAL let you take one and if so what is the check out process? We will be doing beaches in a few places such as Corfu, Palma, and Santorini. Thanks!!

[RuthC]

If this is customarily a beach port there will be a table full of beach towels at the gangway as you exit the ship. Take one (or two ;) ) with you as you leave.

Please be sure to bring them back! As you reboard there will be a big bin to toss them into.

Very simple. Very easy. :)

[smgapp]

I was on the HAL Noordam in the Southern Caribbean in April. As we got off the ship,they gave you towels and took down your cabin number. When you reboarded you handed in your towel and gave your room number. They also sold reasonably priced bottles of water when getting off the ship which was great since we were in hot climates.

[peaches from georgia]

Interesting. We haven't ever been asked for our cabin number when taking towels. This must be a new policy.

[ger_77]

We were on the Maasdam for a Southern Caribbean itinerary in February and didn't have to give our name or cabin number to "sign out" towels at any of the ports. There were tables full of beach towels at each port gangway and we took 1 or 2, depending on how many we thought we would need. There was never a question that we wouldn't return them at the end of the day - but maybe everyone's not like us.

 

On a similar train of thought, when we were on our Mediterranean cruise in October, there were large containers of umbrellas available for us when we arrived at ports where it was raining. Again, no signing out, just help yourself.

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

[isutru]

Thank you RuthC, smgapp, and ger 77!! Excellent answers for a question that I did not know the answer to, having never been on a cruise. Now, if only I could get an answer to the question I posted on the Europe forum regarding transportation to the beach in Palma, .....:D

[pms4104]

I was on the HAL Noordam in the Southern Caribbean in April. As we got off the ship,they gave you towels and took down your cabin number. When you reboarded you handed in your towel and gave your room number. They also sold reasonably priced bottles of water when getting off the ship which was great since we were in hot climates.

We've never had to sign out towels on HAL ... love the honor system. For whatever reason, maybe the honor system doesn't work well on the Noordam and they're coming up many towels short after port calls. Or, perhaps HAL is experimenting with a pilot program on towel disbursements.