RCL charges for the use of pool towels?

[Carnival Platinum Cruiser]

Excuse my ignorance as I have not sailed RCL in a while but I read on another thread that there is a charge to use pool towels? Are not fresh pool towels placed in your room every night by the stewards like every other cruiseline does that I know of free of charge?

[Sue L]

there is no charge, unless you lose them then ALL the lines will charge for that.

[2PARRS]

Excuse my ignorance as I have not sailed RCL in a while but I read on another thread that there is a charge to use pool towels? Are not fresh pool towels placed in your room every night by the stewards like every other cruiseline does that I know of free of charge?

 

Nope. Thing of the past. You have to pick them up at the pool and check them back in or they threaten to charge you.:(

[aamum]

If you're in a suite, the pools towels will be in your bathroom for you. If you're not in a suite, you can pick them up at the pool. You will be charged if you do not return them. Easy.

[silentbob007]

If you are on a ship with a towel check-out system, you scan your card when you check one out and scan again when you check in. You aren't charged unless you don't turn in the towel by the end of the cruise.

[Brad1185]

If you are on a ship with a towel check-out system, you scan your card when you check one out and scan again when you check in. You aren't charged unless you don't turn in the towel by the end of the cruise.

 

Not true what about the made up pool towel charges they add to your account the last night.

[starlake]

Not true what about the made up pool towel charges they add to your account the last night.

 

What do you mean by this?

If you had a charge, it was their impression that you did not return your towels.. You have to really watch, if you just throw the towels into the hamper and not have your card scanned, this gives them the indication that you did not turn in your towels.

[Stevesan]

there is no charge, unless you lose them then ALL the lines will charge for that.

 

Nope. Neither Princess nor HAL even bother to track them.

[temple1]

What do you mean by this?

If you had a charge, it was their impression that you did not return your towels.. You have to really watch, if you just throw the towels into the hamper and not have your card scanned, this gives them the indication that you did not turn in your towels.

 

Don't waste your typing fingers (or is it keying fingers?) on him. He scans the RCCL boards for topics to trash talk RCCL.

[dplusd]

Not true what about the made up pool towel charges they add to your account the last night.

 

We've had no problems with "made up" towel charges. I actually find it easier to pick and return our wet towels at the pool, rather than carrying towels left in my room to and from the pool deck. Sometimes I don't go directly from the room to the pool and vis versa.

 

I like the system and had no problems with it. Just be sure to check-in your towels before the end of your cruise!

[madforcruising]

Not true what about the made up pool towel charges they add to your account the last night.

 

Hi Brad,

when did you return to RCI? Hope you enjoyed your meal at JR;)

[Ocean Boy]

We've had no problems with "made up" towel charges. I actually find it easier to pick and return our wet towels at the pool, rather than carrying towels left in my room to and from the pool deck. Sometimes I don't go directly from the room to the pool and vis versa.

 

I like the system and had no problems with it. Just be sure to check-in your towels before the end of your cruise!

 

I wasn't sure if I would like the new system or not but I found it to work very well on Independence. I also am not sure about the trumpt up charges that Brad talks about either. When I turned in my last towels on the pool deck I asked if my account was clear of towels, was told yes, and their were no charges on my account.

[croozer]

I haven't been on RCCL recently, but the last time I had to carry my pool towels down from the room and carry them around with me until I was ready to go to the pool. I'd be happy to scan my card to avoid this and I'm wondering if there might be an added benefit: curtailing people who hog chairs all day by leaving towels on them. Any thoughts on this?

[negc]

On our last few RCI cruises the pool towel system worked differently depending on the ship we were on. On Jewel our room steward placed them in our stateroom. If we used them at the pool we could turn them in for new ones there without any cards being scanned or we could return them to our room and the room steward would replace them when he or she next freshened the bathroom. On Navigator we picked them up at the pool and had our cards scanned when we got them and again when we turned them in. Both systems worked for us and we never had anything charged improperly to our account. I doubt anyone was interested in taking the old beige towels home with them, but I can imagine that some might find the new blue striped towels to be an attractive souvenir. If, in the unlikely event that you should be improperly charged for the towels, you should contact guest services and the charge should be removed. It certainly is not something that happens regularly or frequently and implying that it is, is just plain wrong.

[MrsPete]

RC's old system: Upon check-in, you had a beach towel in your room. Every time it got dirty, you exchanged it for a clean one. At the end of the week, your cabin steward was responsible for making sure you'd left a towel in your room.

 

RC's new system: First time you want a towel, you check it out from the pool area. Every time it gets dirty, you exchange it for a clean one. At the end of the week, you return it to the pool attendant and make sure he credits you for its return.

 

This isn't a topic that should upset anyone. Unless you're planning to steal towels, or unless you're leaving them lying about to hog chairs, the system isn't difficult to understand or to use.

[MrsPete]

I doubt anyone was interested in taking the old beige towels home with them

Some people will still ANYTHING. I once saw someone selling a complete set (every color) of Disney Cruise line luggage tags on ebay. I'm talking about the cardboard tags that they give you for disembarkment. I've heard of people taking home ship's silverware.

 

And another problem was people taking towels ashore and simply leaving them rather than bringing them back to the ship.

 

If everyone simply did the responsible thing and returned their beach towels, no system would be necessary.

[Mark_K]

RC's old system: Upon check-in, you had a beach towel in your room. Every time it got dirty, you exchanged it for a clean one. At the end of the week, your cabin steward was responsible for making sure you'd left a towel in your room.

 

RC's new system: First time you want a towel, you check it out from the pool area. Every time it gets dirty, you exchange it for a clean one. At the end of the week, you return it to the pool attendant and make sure he credits you for its return.

 

This isn't a topic that should upset anyone. Unless you're planning to steal towels, or unless you're leaving them lying about to hog chairs, the system isn't difficult to understand or to use.

Not quite right.

 

RC's old system: Towels were available by the pool, you picked them up there, left them there or in your room, or wherever, there was no checking on towels.

 

RC's next system: Upon check-in, you had a beach towel in your room. Every time it got dirty, you exchanged it for a clean one. At the end of the week, your cabin steward was responsible for making sure you'd left a towel in your room.

 

RC's new system: First time you want a towel, you check it out from the pool area. Every time it gets dirty, you exchange it for a clean one. At the end of the week, you return it to the pool attendant and make sure he credits you for its return.

[cb at sea]

I just don't understand why this is such an issue....at hotels, you almost always have to swipe your room key to get towels....same on a ship...not a big deal! How do you "lose" a towel??????? (unless, of course, you're using it to "hold" your pool chair!)

[mjyanne]

If you're in a suite, the pools towels will be in your bathroom for you. If you're not in a suite, you can pick them up at the pool. You will be charged if you do not return them. Easy.

 

Not true (at least last December) on Adventure. We were in a GS and still had to get out towels from the pool deck (and yes, swipe our card). Minor inconveinence at best.

 

I just don't understand why this is such an issue....at hotels, you almost always have to swipe your room key to get towels....same on a ship...not a big deal! How do you "lose" a towel??????? (unless, of course, you're using it to "hold" your pool chair!)

 

You "lose" a towel by watching it blow off a catamaran into the boat's wake (excursion). You "lose" a towel when someone swipes it at the beach. You "lose" a tool while in the the pool and someone takes it off the chair they thought you were "reserving". It's possible to "lose" a towel in many ways.

 

For what it's worth I don't like having to trudge up to the pool deck but understand the issue of a cost standpoint. In fact to bring that point home, when Window shopping in St Maarten, a shop was using the NEW RC towel as a door mat.

[Cruising89143]

If you're in a suite, the pools towels will be in your bathroom for you. If you're not in a suite, you can pick them up at the pool. You will be charged if you do not return them. Easy.

 

That wasn't the case on the Oasis. Towels were only available at the pool area.

 

IMHO they should have the room steward to ask if you want pool towels. If you do, then bring them to your cabin and have you sign for them one time for the week. The room steward can change them out each daily and at the end of the cruise, they pick them up from your cabin and leave you a receipt showing that they were turned back in.

[sml3]

Is there a towel attendant on duty 24 hours/day? What if you want to use the hot tub at midnight and need a towel???

[starlake]

Is there a towel attendant on duty 24 hours/day? What if you want to use the hot tub at midnight and need a towel???

 

I am not sure what you do in that situation. I know attendants are not there 24 hours. What you can do is check the towels out at the start of your cruise and just keep exchanging them. You do check them back in to do this. This way you will have towels in your room for a late night dip. Take the towels back the next morning and exchange them again. Check them back in the last day and make sure according to them all towels are returned.

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

That wasn't the case on the Oasis. Towels were only available at the pool area.

 

IMHO they should have the room steward to ask if you want pool towels. If you do, then bring them to your cabin and have you sign for them one time for the week. The room steward can change them out each daily and at the end of the cruise, they pick them up from your cabin and leave you a receipt showing that they were turned back in.

 

I agree and this would make everyone satisfied. If you like the old system, the room steward will take care of you and you will be charged if you lose it. If you prefer to get it from the pool deck so you don't have to carry your towel from your room, then you can. Either way, RCI gets their money for lost towels and put the responsibility on us to make sure our towel is turned in whether at the pool or in your room.

[setsail]

When we get on deck we always say look, the pool attendents have gone around and placed all these clean towels and books on all the chairs, so we walk over and get a towel & a chair, and if we don't like the book we just exchange it with one on another chair. Works just like the barber shop. Sometimes we even exchange the sandles there leaving ours behind!!!

 

No cards needed.

[alphakitty]

On Explorer, we went to the spa and used a couple of the old yellow towels that were there for the taking.

 

I did check out 2 towels at one point, one for me and one for a friend in a different cabin. I was notified by my room steward and by a note in my cabin on the day before departure that I had a towel checked out. You won't be charged without warning. I turned it in and no problem.