Beach towels and time at ports

[Marigold183]

Obviously new to cruising. I have 2 young teens that love the water. Do I need to bring beach towels for them? Are ship towels allowed off the ship?

 

Is ship time and port time the same?

 

Thanks

[bcd2010]

The cabin stewards will leave (big blue) towels in your cabin the night before port calls which you can take with you (and return them when you reboard).

 

Ship time is adjusted to be consistent with local (port) time.

[iflyrc5]

On all the HAL ships we have been on they have a big table of rolled up large blue towels near the gangway as you are getting off the ship - just take what you need and return them to a hamper in the same location when you return. Also - the day before your first port stop you should receive a nice canvas HAL bag which you can use to carry about 2 towels and your sun tan lotion - this bag is yours to keep when you leave the ship. In most ports ship time and port time is the same but not always. When you leave the gangway there will be a sign stating the all aboard time for guests - this is ship time. The daily program you get the night before a port stop will also list the all aboard time.

[Krazy Kruizers]

The cabin stewards will leave (big blue) towels in your cabin the night before port calls which you can take with you (and return them when you reboard).

 

Ship time is adjusted to be consistent with local (port) time.

 

53 cruises on HAL and the cabin stewards have never left any beach towels the night before a port.

You must be thinking of another cruise line.

[Krazy Kruizers]

There will either be a big table of towels inside the gangway as you get off the ship -- or the table may be set up right at the bottom of the gangway outside the ship. We have seen it 2 ways. You can take as many towels as you want.

Only on a couple of cruises have we seen an attendent taking down names, cabin number and number of towels that you took.

[jtl513]

In most ports ship time and port time is the same but not always.

I only know of one port where the ship time is not adjusted to local time - Puerto Vallarta, because it sits right on a time-zone boundary. Do you know of any others?

Only on a couple of cruises have we seen an attendent taking down names, cabin number and number of towels that you took.

But yet I've never seen anyone "checking in" the towels brought back, so I don't really understand the purpose of this - unless it's to make people think they will be charged for any not brought back!

[kakalina]

On our cruise in Oct. they had new rules regarding beach towels to take with you. Gone was the table on the deck you disembarked from.

 

Instead our room steward showed up with two maroon towels and told us they were our responsability. If we did not turn them into him at the end of the cruise we would be charged for them.

 

As we didn't go swimming on that cruise it wasn't a bother, I am wondering if it will be a problem for 33 days in the South Pacific trying to get fresh ones when needed.

[m steve]

and the towel station was just before they scanned the cruise cards. I have noticed the port times are a lot shorter this year. This way they can cruise slower and save on fuel while you spend your money in the shops, bars and casino instead of on land.

[CruisinManiac]

Maroon? Were they nice and big like the older HAL towels, or skimpy?

 

Does HAL still have the frozen wash cloths upon arrival back to the port?

[jtl513]

Instead our room steward showed up with two maroon towels and told us they were our responsability. If we did not turn them into him at the end of the cruise we would be charged for them.

I like that idea!

 

Does HAL still have the frozen wash cloths upon arrival back to the port?

Usually.

[kakalina]

Sorry misinformation. DH just informed me the towels were dark blue. They do say the memory is the first thing to go :D

[bcd2010]

53 cruises on HAL and the cabin stewards have never left any beach towels the night before a port.

 

You must be thinking of another cruise line.

 

 

Nope, it was on the Zaandam Circle Hawaii cruise 1/21-2/5/2010. And they left replacements for used ones, too.

[pms4104]

If indeed HAL's new towel practice is to leave them in your cabin and expect you to return them to the cabin ... likely HAL has been losing many towels ashore and has decided to be proactive in either getting them back or having passengers be re$pon$ible for errant towels. In this economy, it's no surprise.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Nope, it was on the Zaandam Circle Hawaii cruise 1/21-2/5/2010. And they left replacements for used ones, too.

 

Thanks -- I appreciate the update -- more new things happening on HAL.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I know that when we sailed on Princess years ago there was 1 beach towel per person in the cabin when we got on the ship. You used the same towel the entire cruise. After a few days they got smelly -- didn't like that!! Never got a fresh one.

[Y's Owl]

On my November cruise on the Maasdam, towels were available at the gangway or on the pier depending upon whether tenders were used. No names were taken, and you could take what you needed. Also there was bottled water for sale. When you returned, there was a hamper by the elevators and stairs where you could put your used towels, and of course there was a portable hand sanitizer station to get rid of those onshore germs. I guess it depends upon the HAL ship on whether towels are controlled or not. I did notice that the towels for onshore use were not their best and newest. You got better ones by the two pools.

[iflyrc5]

We are just off the 33 Day Rotterdam adventure to Hawaii and French Polynesia. They had the rolled towels on a table just before the gangway at every port - take as many as you want - not in our rooms.

[iflyrc5]

I only know of one port where the ship time is not adjusted to local time - Puerto Vallarta, because it sits right on a time-zone boundary. Do you know of any others?

 

On our recent French Polynesia trip on the Rotterdam we stopped at Nuku Hiva. They are on the 1/2 hour time zone system - don't remember if it was a 1/2 hour early or later than ship time but it was different than ship time.

 

One other unusual thing we had happen on this trip - returning back from Nuku Hiva to San Diego we had to change our clocks 2 hours. Instead of doing this at night it was done on 2 of our 6 sea days at 2pm in the afternoon. It was announced in the program and at 2pm on each of these days they came of the PA system and reminded us to change our clocks to 3pm. Made for a shortened afternoon on each of these days and I know confused some folks about the times of the planned activities.

[jtl513]

Instead of doing this at night it was done on 2 of our 6 sea days at 2pm in the afternoon.

I've heard about that happening recently. On Kween Karen's cruise maybe?? That's probably a lot easier on the crew than having to having to repeatedly experience long and short nights.

[Krazy Kruizers]

On our Hawaiian cruise we also turned the clocks forward 1 hour in the afternoon -- at 2 PM -- on our return trip back to San Diego.

The crew said they didn't like it then because they get 1 hour less pay for that day.

[kakalina]

We didn't care for it when they did that on our Hawaii cruise in Oct. either.

[Marigold183]

Thanks for all the replies. :p We will be sailing on the Eurodam. Any recent knowledge about their beach towel procedure?