Turndown service

[Coco0917]

Has anyone cruised on Norwegian escape recently? I heard they stopped doing turndown service and no more towel animals?? Also heard they charge for turndown service if you want it. We cruise on the escape in November to Bermuda.  Thanks in advance. 

Edited June 29, 2019 by Coco0917

[don't-use-real-name]

I don't know about fleet wide - but the towel animals on some ships have recently been discontinued.

But can be requested of the cabin steward.

 

I can't imagine that NCL is eliminating the turn-down service - you can of course request your cabin

steward to pass on it - but it is nice to have fresh towels and a brief touch up on the cabin before bed.

Yes the chocolates on the pillows went the way of the wind a while back - - -

 

 

[Nclgetawaymenhoney]

Just sailed a month ago towel animals each night, and I didn't ask for it, and turn down was each night as well the only cruise line I know that does not service cabins twice a day is carnival and from what I understand they will if you ask

[PortFees45]

Charging for turndown service? I'll be gobsmacked if that's actually true. 

 

That said, I never liked the room steward trying to come in twice a day. Once a day is more than enough, if not once every other day. I'm not an animal. 

 

As for the towels, I totally see why it can really add value to a cruise for families with little kids. Any adults that request them for themselves are just sad. 

[FLcruisergrl]

We were on the Sun a few weeks ago. We got turndown, but no towel animals. I wasn’t heartbroken.

[Iworktocruiseandtravel]

We didn’t have turndown service several days for our 14 day cruise last year at our request.  There were several times we went to bed early (I gave my husband my chest cold while cruising), so we laid low several nights.   I’m still a kid at heart @PortFees45, so I probably will still request the towel animals.  I enjoy seeing how they incorporate stuff we leave laying around sometimes (sunglasses, hats). I had one cruise that we didn’t get any towel animals, and I realized how much I look forward to them (this was several years ago before they were officially cut out). 

[perditax]

I believe it’s Carnival that did away with twice daily room servicing. I assume NCL won’t be far behind. (In my experience the stewards are so overworked that the evening towels/room makeup might not happen till 8 or 9pm. Maybe they’re hoping eventually you’ll give up and have an early night with the DND light on.)

[PortFees45]

32 minutes ago, Iworktocruiseandtravel said:

We didn’t have turndown service several days for our 14 day cruise last year at our request.  There were several times we went to bed early (I gave my husband my chest cold while cruising), so we laid low several nights.   I’m still a kid at heart @PortFees45, so I probably will still request the towel animals.  I enjoy seeing how they incorporate stuff we leave laying around sometimes (sunglasses, hats). I had one cruise that we didn’t get any towel animals, and I realized how much I look forward to them (this was several years ago before they were officially cut out). 

Do you have any idea how tired/overworked your room steward is? Is it really worth asking them to take even more time out of their already insane work schedule to cater to your "kid at heart" requests? I hope you tip well. 

[BirdTravels]

We were on the Escape a couple of months ago and had turn down service. Why would you inquire?

[Iworktocruiseandtravel]

45 minutes ago, PortFees45 said:

Do you have any idea how tired/overworked your room steward is? Is it really worth asking them to take even more time out of their already insane work schedule to cater to your "kid at heart" requests? I hope you tip well. 

I do tip well, and actually talk to them (not just a good morning, good evening).    We take any dishes or glasses we bring in our cabin back out with us every time we leave it, hang our towels back up (so they don’t have to change them), and basically leave our cabin neat (no trash laying around etc) so they don’t need to spend a lot of time cleaning it daily. 

[Wedgie23]

I was on Escape last month and had towel animals. I did not request them but did thank my steward for making them and left it in the hero card how much they were appreciated. I'm assuming turn down means nighty spruce up when the towel animals are made and the dailies left? Then yes. 

 

44 minutes ago, PortFees45 said:

Do you have any idea how tired/overworked your room steward is? Is it really worth asking them to take even more time out of their already insane work schedule to cater to your "kid at heart" requests? I hope you tip well

That's sorta the rub. They stated when they removed them from some ships anyone who still wants them can ask but now people need to feel guilty for asking for something that was once standard but is now special request. I'm sure the stewards are given less time to make up rooms on those sailings because they arent expected to be making them. 

 

I wouldn't have asked for them myself because I don't want to annoy them with a 'special request' that isn't a need but I would have been disappointed if they weren't there. Disappointed enough to ruin the cruise? Absolutely not, but the towel animals are so iconic to NCL they would have been missed.

 

I found them to be perfect little exciting ends to perfect days. Oh well, I suppose if they aren't there on the next cruise I'll send hubby down to the class and ask him to surprise me with one every night, I'm sure that will go over well 😃 

[luvcruzing]

Cruised on the Escape two weeks ago, and we had turndown service and towel animals.

 

And, we like the twice-a-day room service, because when we go to the pool or the beach,  we shower afterwards and require fresh towels for the morning showers, because we’re not animals either.

[HOSKI]

1 minute ago, luvcruzing said:

 

 

And, we like the twice-a-day room service, because when we go to the pool or the beach,  we shower afterwards and require fresh towels for the morning showers, because we’re not animals either.

Plus isn't during turn down when they leave the next day's Freestyle?

[PortFees45]

13 minutes ago, Wedgie23 said:

I was on Escape last month and had towel animals. I did not request them but did thank my steward for making them and left it in the hero card how much they were appreciated. I'm assuming turn down means nighty spruce up when the towel animals are made and the dailies left? Then yes. 

 

That's sorta the rub. They stated when they removed them from some ships anyone who still wants them can ask but now people need to feel guilty for asking for something that was once standard but is now special request. I'm sure the stewards are given less time to make up rooms on those sailings because they arent expected to be making them. 

 

I wouldn't have asked for them myself because I don't want to annoy them with a 'special request' that isn't a need but I would have been disappointed if they weren't there. Disappointed enough to ruin the cruise? Absolutely not, but the towel animals are so iconic to NCL they would have been missed.

 

I found them to be perfect little exciting ends to perfect days. Oh well, I suppose if they aren't there on the next cruise I'll send hubby down to the class and ask him to surprise me with one every night, I'm sure that will go over well 😃 

Don't feel guilty if you have little kids. But if you're adults with no kids and still asking for an exhausted person to make you towel animals? Then yes, either feel guilty or tip BIG. 

[PortFees45]

11 minutes ago, HOSKI said:

Plus isn't during turn down when they leave the next day's Freestyle?

They can stick it in the slot outside your door. 

[aero777]

I hate it when the towel animal hogs the remote

[yearsofcruising]

Took family yrs ago. Grandkids had a cabin..paid steward xtra  just towels  why bother

[vamom76]

39 minutes ago, yearsofcruising said:

Took family yrs ago. Grandkids had a cabin..paid steward xtra  just towels  why bother

Wow!  This room gives me a panic attack.  🙂  I wonder how messy the rooms get that the stewards have to clean.

[Harratine]

3 hours ago, yearsofcruising said:

Took family yrs ago. Grandkids had a cabin..paid steward xtra  just towels  why bother

Wow.  My daughter saw this and felt she needed to apologize to the steward.  I’m sure there was a towel animal in there somewhere, just not one made by the steward.

[Paul Bogle]

I like towel animals going to "on request". When we were new to cruising it was nice to return each evening to the creatures. The staff is so overloaded now, we have requested not to have them on several recent sailings. If we sail with kids or first timers we will request them. We like turn down service though and do not want to see it go away.

[DZcreature]

13 hours ago, PortFees45 said:

Don't feel guilty if you have little kids. But if you're adults with no kids and still asking for an exhausted person to make you towel animals? Then yes, either feel guilty or tip BIG. 

 

We just cruised Gem in May. The first day our steward introduced himself and asked us what we would need or expect for the week. We told him we would need ice, and that we did like him to come in and give us fresh towels in the evening, but that we did not need full turn down. We told him we did not need towel animals, but when we told him we enjoyed them in the past, and that we had seen them all, he insisted on making towel animals. He said they were his specialty and he could make some we never had before.

He was right, and made them every night. One night we went back to the room early. We saw him in the hall and said we didn't need service. He insisted on checking our towels, and while we waited in the hall, he went in the room and in addition to checking towels made a towel animal. It only took him a minute.

 

We always left our room tidy, and hung up towels that we planned to reuse, so I don't think we overworked him. He took pride in creating unique towel animals, and we did tip him extra. Bottom line, it was our vacation and no one should be told to feel guilty about getting towel animals! It was between us and our very efficient room steward.

[zqvol]

On 6/29/2019 at 2:53 PM, Coco0917 said:

Has anyone cruised on Norwegian escape recently? I heard they stopped doing turndown service and no more towel animals?? Also heard they charge for turndown service if you want it. We cruise on the escape in November to Bermuda.  Thanks in advance. 

 

Rumors that have no basis in fact.

[Something fun!]

Many times all they have to do is move the animal from one cabin to the next.  There is even a storage room with all kinds of animals premade.

[McFins]

A couple of weeks ago on Escape we had turndown service but no towel animals. 

[casofilia]

March-May we were on Sky, Jade and Star for a total of 48 nights and never saw a towel animal.   The only time we didn't get turndown was when we either told the steward not to bother or had the "Do not disturb" sign out