Miffed about Power strips and towels

[KCGreg]

Just got off of the RC Jewel of the Seas, where security confiscated my power strip (which I have always considered as standard equipment for a cruise) and where towels had to be checked out, even on sea days, with the threat of a $25 charge if not returned.  I’m very curious if these things happen on any other cruise line?   This was my 13th cruise and I have never experienced these two issues. 

[3onTour]

They will confiscate a power strip if it is surge protected (on most cruise lines). As far as the towels, generally it is the deck towels you must sign for in blood that incurs the $25 fee if not retuned.

[Flatbush Flyer]

Sign for towels? That really says something about the cruise line's perception of its passengers. Do they honestly think someone is going to steal used towels???

[crazyank]

22 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Sign for towels? That really says something about the cruise line's perception of its passengers. Do they honestly think someone is going to steal used towels???

You would be amazed at what people will steal.

[lisiamc]

There are many lines that don’t make passengers sign in blood to use pool towels.  We don’t have to sign out towels on Celebrity or Azamara.  Most cruiselines are prohibiting power strips with surge protectors now, though.  Or even prohibiting most/all power strips on the basis that they might have a surge protector, or otherwise be a fire hazard.

Edited February 14, 2019 by lisiamc

[Flatbush Flyer]

3 minutes ago, lisiamc said:

There are many lines that don’t make passengers sign in blood to use pool towels.  We don’t have to sign out towels on Celebrity or Azamara.  Most cruiselines are prohibiting power strips with surge protectors now, though.  Or even prohibiting most/all power strips on the basis that they might have a surge protector, or otherwise be a fire hazard.

It would be very interesting to learn how a power strip with a two-pronged plug could ever have surge protection.

[chengkp75]

5 hours ago, KCGreg said:

Just got off of the RC Jewel of the Seas, where security confiscated my power strip (which I have always considered as standard equipment for a cruise) and where towels had to be checked out, even on sea days, with the threat of a $25 charge if not returned.  I’m very curious if these things happen on any other cruise line?   This was my 13th cruise and I have never experienced these two issues. 

 

1 hour ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

It would be very interesting to learn how a power strip with a two-pronged plug could ever have surge protection.

While you are correct that a power strip with a two prong plug cannot be surge protected, I really haven't seen a lot of these around, and the OP doesn't state this.  What RCI has done is take the question of whether the power strip is surge protected or not, and any arguments about this, away from the port security staff, and have just blanket banned power strips and extension cords.  Their ship, their rules, most likely driven by their insurance cover.

[paul929207]

On princess,  never a problem with either a power strip or towel

[spookwife]

6 hours ago, 3onTour said:

They will confiscate a power strip if it is surge protected (on most cruise lines). As far as the towels, generally it is the deck towels you must sign for in blood that incurs the $25 fee if not retuned.

actually, Royal has gone to banning ALL power strips  no matter  what.    

[spookwife]

3 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Sign for towels? That really says something about the cruise line's perception of its passengers. Do they honestly think someone is going to steal used towels???

  do you have any idea how many  pool towels  are left behind on every beach in every port every day?   people can't be bothered with the inconvenience of schlepping back a sandy wet towel.  not all locals are nice enough to collect them for the cruise ships.  

[sparks1093]

Yes OP, other cruise lines have similar policies, although on NCL and CCL we had beach towels waiting for us in the cabin. If they weren't there by the end of the cruise then we could have been charged for them.

[leaveitallbehind]

The towel thing on RCI is sporadic and inconstant from ship to ship in our experience - and has been so for several years. Annoying as it may be, It really is nothing more than a scan of your Sea Pass card when you take them out and return them at the pools. Never had to actually sign for anything.  Also never seen this actually enforced as there is no way to prove you didn't return them if for instance your card was not re-scanned when you returned them to the bin.  GS would remove any charges actually placed on the card.  That all being said, Celebrity, for one, doesn't do this.

 

As to the power strip, this has been a stated policy of RCI (and most cruise lines) for many years as they are a potential fire hazard.  That it is being more rigidly enforced at port security may just be a matter of more stringent application of the policy.  That it has been considered by you as "standard equipment" with prior cruises only means you managed to not get caught with it by previously lax check in security.

Edited February 14, 2019 by leaveitallbehind

[CruiserBruce]

HAL has one beach towel per occupant assigned to each cabin when you board, and they expect there to be two there when your cruise ends. They will replace if dirty.

 

On board pool towels are separate.

[capriccio]

4 hours ago, lisiamc said:

There are many lines that don’t make passengers sign in blood to use pool towels.  We don’t have to sign out towels on Celebrity or Azamara. 

Same with Princess.  No signature or scanning of your card required at all.

Edited February 14, 2019 by capriccio

[Grandma Dazzles]

5 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Sign for towels? That really says something about the cruise line's perception of its passengers. Do they honestly think someone is going to steal used towels???

 

I think the bigger problem is leaving on the beaches on the islands. People don’t want to return a wet, sandy towel.  Very common to see loads of towels scattered all over the beach.

 

On RC towels for the beach/pool are checked out to your Seapass card.  When you return the towel you again show your card and cancel the towel checkout.  If not you are charged $25.  

[Nebr.cruiser]

As far as I can remember, RCI is the only cruise line we have had to check out and check in towels.  It about drove my husband nuts one time when we were cruising with 7 young grandkids--keeping track of the towels that is.

 

Many cruise lines say that they will charge you if a towel is missing; I don't know if they actually do.  Most seem to leave a towel in the room for port days and have towels available on deck that don't have to be checked out.

 

It's unfortunate that yes, some people do steal towels and probably many more just leave them on the beach.  That hurts everyone else.  

 

Has anyone ever actually been charged for a missing towel?  

[Armac]

I have not personally experienced it but I have seen a few posts that people were charged for towels, they complained and the charge was removed. 

[leaveitallbehind]

35 minutes ago, Grandma Dazzles said:

 

On RC towels for the beach/pool are checked out to your Seapass card.  When you return the towel you again show your card and cancel the towel checkout.  If not you are charged $25.  

 

On the RCI ships where they have scanned our cards for towels, there have been many times where we failed to have our cards re-scanned when returning the towels and have never been charged anything. It also has been a sloppy and inconsistent process in that on some ships the attendant is writing down stateroom numbers and number of towels, or on others just scanning one card with no formal tally that I could discern to confirm number of towels taken.  Maybe that is changing, but at least that has been our experience.  

Edited February 14, 2019 by leaveitallbehind

[1025cruise]

RCI has recently started to ban all power strips and extension cords. My guess is they don't want to risk overloading their system. I would guess this sort of thing will spread to other lines. A lot of lines are starting to add USB ports for charging when they can, so that will eliminate some of the need. 

 

With regards to towels, unfortunately lost towels have started to cost the ships money. I know RCI and Carnival both charge now for unreturned towels, not sure about the rest.

[mjkacmom]

The $25 charge doesn’t bother me, because I’m going to return the towel.

[shipgeeks]

I don't understand why showing a seapass card, to check a towel out and in, is a concern.  We have the cards with us,

why not just relax and use them when requested?

 

 

[hallux]

1 hour ago, 1025cruise said:

A lot of lines are starting to add USB ports for charging when they can, so that will eliminate some of the need

 

I'm reluctant to plug my devices into "public" USB ports, despite the devices having selectable options for allowing data transfer or charging only.  I have a "block" that plugs into a wall outlet that gives me my own USB charge ports and allows me to charge as many as 5 devices from it.

 

Fortunately, I don't need any other outlets except to charge a camera battery.

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, Grandma Dazzles said:

People don’t want to return a wet, sandy towel.  Very common to see loads of towels scattered all over the beach.

But, that's just so irresponsible (not to mention, dishonest).

[Kmkub]

6 minutes ago, hallux said:

   I have a "block" that plugs into a wall outlet that gives me my own USB charge ports and allows me to charge as many as 5 devices from it. 

That's what we brought on our cruise last month, and it worked perfectly. Took less room in the suitcase as well.

[dkjretired]

11 hours ago, KCGreg said:

Just got off of the RC Jewel of the Seas, where security confiscated my power strip (which I have always considered as standard equipment for a cruise) and where towels had to be checked out, even on sea days, with the threat of a $25 charge if not returned.  I’m very curious if these things happen on any other cruise line?   This was my 13th cruise and I have never experienced these two issues. 

 

I don’t understand why people get upset by things that are clearly in the web site. The towels to me are not a big deal, return them, no problem