Has the towel policy changed again?

[Lionesss]

The last time we were at Labadee, it was one of the "no check out" policy cruises. It was one of the first times that ship was doing that, and it bit them in the foot.

 

The ship was delayed leaving due to the poor crew members dragging back huge carts stuffed full of wet, dirty towels that lazy passengers had left all over the beaches. We could see the beach loungers on the various beaches covered with blue towels as we checked it out from the ship with the binoculars just before all aboard.

 

People...your momma doesn't work here. Pick up after yourself and bring back what you brought on shore. :rolleyes:

 

 

 

 

Wow

 

Maybe that is why they had the bin for us to deposit our towels in.

To aid in collection of towels that people would leave behind.

Which we did.

 

But, yet we saw empty loungers with dirty towels on them and we left late.

I am sure some of those cruisers were long gone.

 

Thanks

[island lady]

Wow

 

Maybe that is why they had the bin for us to deposit our towels in.

To aid in collection of towels that people would leave behind.

Which we did.

 

But, yet we saw empty loungers with dirty towels on them and we left late.

I am sure some of those cruisers were long gone.

 

Thanks

 

That was very considerate of you to deposit your towels in the bin. :)

 

Unfortunately there are some that are just too lazy to do so. And it was not just Barefoot beach we saw the towels left behind, it was all the other beaches we could spot from the ship also. And there were many...many of them.

[davekathy]

We did a B2B on the Adventure Of The Seas March/April 2015 and on the Jewel Of The Seas September 2015 and pool towels were not checked out or back in on either sailings. Either way it's no biggie to me. Get what I need and return them when I'm finished.

Edited November 27, 2015 by davekathy

[Bobal]

They were checking towels out - but not in - on Oasis a couple of weeks ago. I really couldn't see the point of that and asked a supervisor why they were doing it. He said it was something to do with inventory and not to worry :) but I'm not sure how inventory works when they are only checking one way :confused:

 

I have no problem with checking towels out and in if it stops chair hogging. However if they stick with the policy of not checking I do think it would encourage people to return dirty towels if they would have towel bins on the upper decks for those of us who like to sit up there, as they do on Celebrity.

Edited November 27, 2015 by Bobal

[BND]

They were checking towels out - but not in - on Oasis a couple of weeks ago. I really couldn't see the point of that and asked a supervisor why they were doing it. He said it was something to do with inventory and not to worry :) but I'm not sure how inventory works when they are only checking one way :confused:

 

I have no problem with checking towels out and in if it stops chair hogging. However if they stick with the policy of not checking I do think it would encourage people to return dirty towels if they would have towel bins on the upper decks for those of us who like to sit up there, as they do on Celebrity.

 

Probably just using it to see how many towels go out on a given day (in port, at sea, etc) which would show if they need to have more towels onboard. Otherwise, there would be no point in only checking out if they were trying to control keeping them onboard, prevent chair hogging, etc.

[FLACRUISER99]

You need a pool towel for showers? Why not ask for extra cabin towels?

Rain showers.:eek: Making the chairs on the balcony wet. Edited November 27, 2015 by FLACRUISER99

[jwitt2]

I am on the Grandeur, have not had to sign for a towel to use on the ship, but it was required if you took it off the ship at the gangway.

[north29]

Good for RC to make everyone check them in and out. Too many were left and not returned to the dirty box after using them. Leaving one to wonder if the towel/chair was still in use. I have no idea who these cruisers are, Old,young, experienced or novices or just ********. I doubt towels are a money issue with RC, but trying to keep up with them, when cruisers leave them in the Bathroom, or other place is a PITA for the crew.

[KansasK]

We were on Navigator the last week of October and they were not checking out towels at the pool, but were checking out towels for excursions as we left the ship.

 

What was nice was that they checked in the towels as we boarded the ship from the excursion. We did not have to take them back to the pool deck to turn them in.

[Bigtex1622]

.... You may need a birth certificate or passport to board a ship, but absolutely no class or ethics are required.

 

Isn't that the truth !

[Bigtex1622]

I...row upon row of blue towels with the assorted books and magazines and no bums on seats !

 

I love it when people leave stuff on the seats.

Especially good stuff like Their Books ( not Royal's ), Sunglasses, MP3 players, and the like.

I pick them up and sell them on Craig's list, for money for my next cruise ! :eek:

LOL, just joking....... but if you do it, I want royalties for coming up with the idea ! :D

 

.

[Paulette3028]

Towels had to be checked out for any purpose on Oasis two weeks ago.

 

Just off Navigator....and we did not have to check out pool towels for use on the ship and just kept exchanging them to have dry ones all the time. I was told that they would be checking out towels when leaving the ship for shore excursions to assure that they are returned to the ship....otherwise a charge to the cruiser.

[Ocean Boy]

I used to be very much against having to check out towels. However, after RCI stopped requiring it I noticed that, even worse than chair hogs, people with no intention of returning to a chair would just go and leave their used towel there for some "servant" to come by and clean up after them. So chairs would appear unavailable that truly had no one using them. So now I support the policy of checking out towels because there are just way too many inconsiderate people who don't care that they are sharing a ship with 5000 other people.:rolleyes:

[Paulette3028]

I used to be very much against having to check out towels. However, after RCI stopped requiring it I noticed that, even worse than chair hogs, people with no intention of returning to a chair would just go and leave their used towel there for some "servant" to come by and clean up after them. So chairs would appear unavailable that truly had no one using them. So now I support the policy of checking out towels because there are just way too many inconsiderate people who don't care that they are sharing a ship with 5000 other people.:rolleyes:

 

I don't have a problem with being required to check out towels, even for use on the ship. The question posed in this thread is 'Has the towel policy changed again?'

 

It always seems to me, that the policy is not a policy fleet wide, but more ship by ship. I wonder who determines the policy? My suspicion is the Hotel Manager.

 

What I did see on Navigator this week, were pool attendants walking around and picking up towels that were left on chairs unattended. It made for a much easier time around the pool and the ship had 3800 passenger sailing this past week over Thanksgiving.

[FlyStef]

What I did see on Navigator this week, were pool attendants walking around and picking up towels that were left on chairs unattended. It made for a much easier time around the pool and the ship had 3800 passenger sailing this past week over Thanksgiving.

 

I wish they had done that on Oasis over Thanksgiving week. The chair hogs were bad, I saw prime chairs by the pool and in the solarium sit empty all day with a towel on them.

[rdsxgrl28]

I never got why you just don't bring your own towels. We always do, this way we can find our lounge quickly. ;)

[Paulette3028]

I wish they had done that on Oasis over Thanksgiving week. The chair hogs were bad, I saw prime chairs by the pool and in the solarium sit empty all day with a towel on them.

 

 

After 45 minutes why didn't YOU just move the towels that were left on the chair and if someone came by to 'claim' the chair just say 'It had nothing on it, when I saw the chair and it became MINE'.

[FlyStef]

After 45 minutes why didn't YOU just move the towels that were left on the chair and if someone came by to 'claim' the chair just say 'It had nothing on it, when I saw the chair and it became MINE'.

 

Because I could always find a chair, even if it wasn't in a prime location, and I didn't think the potential confrontation on a vacation was worth it.

[Paulette3028]

Because I could always find a chair, even if it wasn't in a prime location, and I didn't think the potential confrontation on a vacation was worth it.

 

I did it on Allure and on Indy, and the fear of the confrontation (that never materialized) wasn't going to keep me from enjoying the pool from a spot that appeared available.

[KKMurphy2]

I would be happy if this towel check in/out goes fleet wide. I am sure chair hogs will still be out, but there should be less. Last cruise went out to get chair around 8-8:30 and there were no chairs first row by the pools. :confused:

 

I started cruising in 1997 and I honestly do not remember such a chair hog problem, unless my memory fails me. But I am becoming less tolerant as I age. If I came at 8 to enjoy the solarium/pool area, I would watch those first row seats for 30 minutes. If they fail to show, the towels are getting stacked on another chair so I have a place to sit. I am usually only there 2-3 hours, so they can have them when I am done. I am not rude about it, just straightforward. I have only been questioned once, and I told them that there were no one in the chair for 30 minutes and so the chair is considered free. If they have a problem, they can go speak to the pool attendants. I would expect to be treated in the same manner. This entire country is becoming so entitled and I swear no one has any manners.

[KKMurphy2]

I never got why you just don't bring your own towels. We always do, this way we can find our lounge quickly. ;)

 

I do not want to stuff my suitcase. After a week, those towels would smell pretty raunchy. :) I also do not want the extra laundry.

[funfamilyfun]

We bring our old towels, but not towels that we care if we leave behind.

[Paulette3028]

I started cruising in 1997 and I honestly do not remember such a chair hog problem, unless my memory fails me. But I am becoming less tolerant as I age. If I came at 8 to enjoy the solarium/pool area, I would watch those first row seats for 30 minutes. If they fail to show, the towels are getting stacked on another chair so I have a place to sit. I am usually only there 2-3 hours, so they can have them when I am done. I am not rude about it, just straightforward. I have only been questioned once, and I told them that there were no one in the chair for 30 minutes and so the chair is considered free. If they have a problem, they can go speak to the pool attendants. I would expect to be treated in the same manner. This entire country is becoming so entitled and I swear no one has any manners.

 

Our first cruise in 2004, I surely don't remember 'chair hogs' but that could be simply because I was not 'keyed into the issue'. As you I have become less tolerant of the chair hogs and handle it myself, as you do. I have a clip that I hang on my towel if I am leaving to go to the bathroom or for a short run into WJ for a snack or lunch. It isn't simply a 'towel left on the chair' -- it is clearly identifiable as 'in real use'. It isn't just Americans....on our Indy cruise, we had some incredibly obnoxious Brazilians.....but my Brooklyn NY upbringing gave them back in kind, what they were trying to do....in the end, I kept the chair.

[mcas]

I am not sure what the old policy was but, I am getting off liberty today and the policy was they scanned your card and you got up to 2 towels per card. After using them for the day we were allowed to exchange them for fresh ones without scanning the card.

 

At the end of the week I turned them in and they scanned my card.

[Paulette3028]

I am not sure what the old policy was but, I am getting off liberty today and the policy was they scanned your card and you got up to 2 towels per card. After using them for the day we were allowed to exchange them for fresh ones without scanning the card.

 

At the end of the week I turned them in and they scanned my card.

 

That was exactly how it worked on Indy this past February. On Navigator this past week, no need to scan your card to get towels for use on the ship....but when departing the ship with towels your card was scanned and then scanned upon return to ship.

 

Each ship clearly does it differently.