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Remember Those Little Bottles

dag144

By dag144,
in Holland America Line

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dag144

dag144

Posted
Posted

Just returned from an 11 day Zaandam Mexican Riviera cruise which was wonderful. However, HAL has replaced those great little bottles of shampoo and conditioner, with dispensers attached to the shower wall. Also included with the dispensers is a bottle of liquid soap so we only got a couple of soap bars. Soon there will be no souvenirs to take home. Glad I saved some from prior cruises. :(

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bepsf

bepsf

Posted
Posted
I took a picture of the dispenser showing how the conditioner has not been used for so long that it had separated:

 

attachment.php?attachmentid=180144&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1294769874

 

Somehow I doubt that the conditioner separated...

I've had little bottles of HAL Elemis conditioner in my guest bathroom - some of them for years - and they never separated.

I'd bet that there's some other reason for the layering - perhaps different batches or even the steward mistakenly putting lotion in the bottle rather than conditioner?

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jhannah

jhannah

Posted
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I'd bet that there's some other reason for the layering - perhaps different batches or even the steward mistakenly putting lotion in the bottle rather than conditioner?

Nice!

 

We're almost out of our bottles. I grab one every few months when I need another cruise hit!

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Boytjie

Boytjie

Posted
Posted
Just returned from an 11 day Zaandam Mexican Riviera cruise which was wonderful. However, HAL has replaced those great little bottles of shampoo and conditioner, with dispensers attached to the shower wall. Also included with the dispensers is a bottle of liquid soap so we only got a couple of soap bars. Soon there will be no souvenirs to take home. Glad I saved some from prior cruises. :(

 

And how many 'souvenirs' are lying in land fills? ;)

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sail7seas

sail7seas

Posted
Posted

Oh my goodness......

 

Now you went and did it, Jim. :) :eek: Give 'em ideas!!!!

Can you imagine someone standing in the tub/shower emptying the dispensers into their little plastic bottles? :D

 

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Mr Miserable

Mr Miserable

Posted
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I was on Maasdam over the New Year and spotted our steward refilling the bottles. One day he did get it wrong and topped up the conditioner with moisturiser (or vice-versa).

I think the cost cutting on HAL is becoming a little too evident - stewards are having to service more and more cabins and so no wonder they aren't as clean as they should be (or were). Cabins that is, not the stewards! Our poor chap was working long hours and doing as best he could but....

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pms4104

pms4104

Posted
Posted
Theoretically. I can't help but wonder how long it will be before folks start bringing their regular sized bottles from home (empty) and filling them up right before they disembark.

I would guess that's already happening:eek:

 

Actually, it might be interesting to learn after maybe 6 months of dispensers on the ships whether toiletry consumption is up or down, and by how much.

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catl331

catl331

Posted
Posted
Soon there will be no souvenirs to take home. :(
That was probably a major reason for the change. It could also be that the products cost less in bulk than with the individual bottles.

 

- stewards are having to service more and more cabins
Not really. They used to have about 15 cabins each when working alone, but now have 30 as 2-man teams. Same amount of work, divided differently.
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bepsf

bepsf

Posted
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Not really. They used to have about 15 cabins each when working alone, but now have 30 as 2-man teams. Same amount of work, divided differently.

 

When I first started cruising just a few years ago, HAL assigned just 12 cabins per steward...

...and the Deluxe Suite stewards had even fewer.

 

Last I heard, there are now 32 cabins per pair of stewards!

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Storylady

Storylady

Posted
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I think the main reason that they are doing away with the individual bottles is that there was so much waste. Any bottles remaining in the cabin after the cruise had to be disposed. I remember seeing a posting on the HAL blog of all those little bottles that they had donated to a homeless shelter in San Diego. They had cartons of those little bottles.

 

As for the dispensers in the bathrooms, we saw them in New Zealand. NZ prides itself on being very "Green". And so I think the main reason is not to have the plastic bottles to dispose of both on the ship or in your own home.

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SilvertoGold

SilvertoGold

Posted
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Yes -- the dispensers are slowly being replaced on all the ships.

 

When we were on the Nieuw Amsterdam in Nov/Dec -- I took a picture of the dispenser showing how the conditioner has not been used for so long that it had separated:

 

attachment.php?attachmentid=180144&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1294769874

 

Thanks for the phots, KK.

 

Does anyone know if it is standard to have a bottle of liquid soap for handwashing, or is HAL continuing with bars? I am afraid my spouse isn't crazy about liquid soap, so will we need to pack bar soap of our own? (On the Zaandam).

 

Thanks!

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sail7seas

sail7seas

Posted
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The dispensers are at a height that is convenient for showering. Very inconvenient for anyone who prefers taking a bath. Impossible actually. Why have a bathtub if you can't reach the soap?

 

Your comment makes me wonder if they have done away with bath gel?

 

Are the containers soap, shampoo and conditioner?

No bath gel/bubbles for those of us who love a bubble bath when on vacation?

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sail7seas

sail7seas

Posted
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The dispensers are at a height that is convenient for showering. Very inconvenient for anyone who prefers taking a bath. Impossible actually. Why have a bathtub if you can't reach the soap?

 

Your comment makes me wonder if they have done away with bath gel?

 

Are the containers soap, shampoo and conditioner?

No bath gel/bubbles for those of us who love a bubble bath when on vacation? Terrific, if that is the case. :( Something heavy to pack.

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SilvertoGold

SilvertoGold

Posted
Posted
Your comment makes me wonder if they have done away with bath gel?

 

Are the containers soap, shampoo and conditioner?

No bath gel/bubbles for those of us who love a bubble bath when on vacation? Terrific, if that is the case. :( Something heavy to pack.

 

 

KK's photo shows the bath gel on the right. Shampoo on the left and conditioner in the middle.

I still would like to know about bar soap, though!

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Johanna7

Johanna7

Posted
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We will bring our own shampoo, conditioner and other products. Usually, the night prior to a cruise we stay at a hotel and therefore, will take the products from the hotel room and bring them on the ship for our use.

 

Also will but the smaller size bottles in the drug store before we leave. They often have the travel sizes.

 

I hate those bulk things and never use them. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity have them. We took our own stuff on them as well.

 

No refilling by the cabin stewart required. No extra work there.

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momatibm

momatibm

Posted
Posted

When I first saw this thread, I thought they were talking about the

'little bottles' at the bar. In South Carolina, until about a year ago, if you went to a restaraunt or bar, you were served with the 'airline' bottles. It was very interesting.

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Krazy Kruizers

Krazy Kruizers

Posted
Posted
Your comment makes me wonder if they have done away with bath gel?

 

Are the containers soap, shampoo and conditioner?

No bath gel/bubbles for those of us who love a bubble bath when on vacation? Terrific, if that is the case. :( Something heavy to pack.

 

If you click on the picture I posted and enlarge it -- you will the first dispenser is shampoo -- the second one if the conditioner -- and the third one is the liquid bath gel.

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sophienfred

sophienfred

Posted
Posted

How much room in a suitcase would a bar of soap take up? :confused:

I have never used hotel/ motel soaps and shampoos and never would. Maybe I'm odd but I like my OWN shampoo/ conditioner brands and my own soap. As for people taking, or even contemplating taking the ships products home from the dispensers ......!!!! I'm gobsmacked lol

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