Do you bring your own beach towels on the cruise?

We have several beach-y towels that are not bulky so we could pack them (although they still take up a decent amount of room). I am wondering if there is a reason to bring them. I realize that you can get your own towels for the pool (although is this a hassle?) but what about leaving the ship for beach days? Is there a reason why you would want to have your own?

Contrary to others' opinions, we feel it is very easy and convenient to get pool towels onboard - fresh clean ones each day, no laundering them, no sand in the cabin, no bulk or weight to bring with us or carry home. Checking out the towels is not a big deal, please trust me. :) You can take them off the ship and easily replace them each day. Neat and sweet. :D

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Ditto to the above :D

My biggest issue with taking our own is not space--it is having sandy towels packed in with everything else and getting sand in a suitcase travelling home. Ick! No thanks.

3rd in line on what the above two replies have said.

You can get towels pretty much any time while on board at the pool. Exchange them at any time and turn them in at almost any time you wish. Just remember to have them back before you leave or else there is a $25 charge for each towel. I never bring my own.

We brought ours once. Never again. Wet sandy towels with no where to dry? No thanks! Especially when those nice guys and gals at the pool just hand me some in exchange for my Seapass card and then there is someone at the door when I get back on the ship to take it to be cleaned. LOL

......... Checking out the towels is not a big deal, please trust me.

It is an especially noticeable "big deal" when you have just been on another cruise line that treats its passengers as welcome guests and provides towels that are readily available. You just help yourself to as many towels as you need, whenever you want them, and toss them into a bin when you are through with them.

Then you come over to a cruise line that has an in-your-face policy of blatantly informing you that you are not to be trusted with their towels and need to check them out if you want to use them.

What next? Will they be requiring their passengers to check out the silverware before each meal?

No problems ever having to check out towels or taking these off the ship for beach days. Very easy. Very easy to to swap for new clean dry towels on a daily basis.

Oh, but it most certainly is a big deal when a company sends an insulting message to its customers and treats them as suspected thieves.

 

It is an especially noticeable "big deal" when you have just been on another cruise line that treats its passengers as welcome guests and provides towels that are readily available. You just help yourself to as many towels as you need, whenever you want them, and toss them into a bin when you are through with them.

 

Then you come over to a cruise line that has an in-your-face policy of blatantly informing you that you are not to be trusted with their towels and need to check them out if you want to use them.

 

What next? Will they be requiring their passengers to check out the silverware before each meal?

 

Its not really a problem varoo is it? - just checking out a couple of towels ?????

We get to drive next year for the first time ever, and we're still not bringing beach towels. Never had a problem getting towels onboard, and they're always clean and dry when we swap them out.

As a customer, I LIKE that towels have to be checked out. It keeps people from leaving their towels lying around (and even with plenty of staff on the pool deck some can be missed for a few minutes on a busy day) and from using towels to hold lounge chairs quite so easily.

It also cuts down a little on the environmental impact--since people are not just grabbing armloads of towels they do not need just because they can (happens all the time on other lines).

It is easy enough to check them out/in and to just confirm how many are left (and that the check in worked) when doing so if you worry about being charged when you should not be.

We have several beach-y towels that are not bulky so we could pack them (although they still take up a decent amount of room). I am wondering if there is a reason to bring them. I realize that you can get your own towels for the pool (although is this a hassle?) but what about leaving the ship for beach days? Is there a reason why you would want to have your own?

No reason to bring your own. No hassle to get them at the pool. You can carry the ship towels off, ... just be sure to bring them back.

The only benefit I can see to having your own is being able to spot your lounger easily from the rest.

I guess it would also eliminate the possibility of you being charged for a misplaced ship towel.

Not worth the hassle or loss of room in the suitcase to me.

As a customer, I LIKE that towels have to be checked out. It keeps people from leaving their towels lying around (and even with plenty of staff on the pool deck some can be missed for a few minutes on a busy day) and from using towels to hold lounge chairs quite so easily.

 

It also cuts down a little on the environmental impact--since people are not just grabbing armloads of towels they do not need just because they can (happens all the time on other lines).

 

It is easy enough to check them out/in and to just confirm how many are left (and that the check in worked) when doing so if you worry about being charged when you should not be.

Since you brought that up. I took great joy in watching pool staff walk around and snatch towels off of pool deck chairs people thought they were going to reserve for whenever they felt they were ready to come to the pool. Even with a sign warning guests not to save chairs, they still do.

But back to the topic at hand. All you do is walk up to the guy or girl, ask for how many you want, they scan your seapass, hand you the towels and you are off. The next time your seapass is scanned is when you are turning them back in. For exchanging them there is no scanning. Just toss the old ones into the bin and the pool attendant gets you your fresh warm ones.

This policy is not a hassle for me. I understand it, as I have seen many people walk away and go back to the ship leaving towels behind, on the beach, prior to this policy being in place.

Oh, but it most certainly is a big deal when a company sends an insulting message to its customers and treats them as suspected thieves.

 

It is an especially noticeable "big deal" when you have just been on another cruise line that treats its passengers as welcome guests and provides towels that are readily available. You just help yourself to as many towels as you need, whenever you want them, and toss them into a bin when you are through with them.

 

Then you come over to a cruise line that has an in-your-face policy of blatantly informing you that you are not to be trusted with their towels and need to check them out if you want to use them.

 

What next? Will they be requiring their passengers to check out the silverware before each meal?

 

Is it that much of an inconvenience?

We also bring our own water.......for the pool. The pipe water is:p

I think on port days, there should be a towel return station where you board the ship so you don't have to lug the wet, sandy towels all the way to the pool deck and can just go to your cabin. Before we had to check them out/in, I remember a large bin to toss the towels in after boarding the ship on some cruises.

Sometimes we take the towels to the pool deck station after we shower and change clothes before dinner and find the station is closed on the pool deck. I think good customer service would mean a towel return station located conveniently where their guests reboard the ship.

We've never been bothered by the pool towel policy....even hotels nowadays have you sign them in and out. Keeps costs down, if folks are more aware of property that isn't theirs. And, unfortunately, there are folks who treat anything that doesn't belong to them like crap! ( I know....I rent a condo and you should see how folks treat it!!)

I am good with the current policy.

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On our last cruise we had been in Disney the week before and brought our own beach towels...though they provide towels at the pool there too. We brought them on board as well. We just hung them up to dry over the closet doors. They worked great for us. There was often a line on the FOS pool deck to exchange towels. Also, we didn't have to remember to grab some before heading off ship, they were already in our room.

Was it a necessity? No. Was it nice? Yes. If we drive to port again, I would definitely pack my own.

...Also, we didn't have to remember to grab some before heading off ship, they were already in our room...

The first time we go to the pool I check out a towel for each of us. Then we just exchange them for clean, dry ones and keep them in our stateroom. So, when going ashore, we also have beach towels already in our room. On the last afternoon/evening I return the towels and get my seapass swiped.

It amuses me to see people checking in returned towels each day only to check them out again the next morning!

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The first time we go to the pool I check out a towel for each of us. Then we just exchange them for clean, dry ones and keep them in our stateroom. So, when going ashore, we also have beach towels already in our room. On the last afternoon/evening I return the towels and get my seapass swiped.

 

It amuses me to see people checking in returned towels each day only to check them out again the next morning!

 

 

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We have had small interior rooms and preferred to check them in after use and check out new ones next time we are at the pool over having them cluttering up the already small room (interiors on the Splendour are TINY). Then again, we often skip the pool all together for 2-3 days at a time.

It amuses me to see people checking in returned towels each day only to check them out again the next morning!

Yes, plus we see people dumping their towels on the "dirty" pile and walk away! Don't they realize that without replacing them for clean, they will be charged?

Yes, plus we see people dumping their towels on the "dirty" pile and walk away! Don't they realize that without replacing them for clean, they will be charged?

Maybe the dumpees are the ones who are really amused. The dumped towels may belong to the chairhogs.

Now THAT ... would be amusing. :D

I think on port days, there should be a towel return station where you board the ship so you don't have to lug the wet, sandy towels all the way to the pool deck and can just go to your cabin. Before we had to check them out/in, I remember a large bin to toss the towels in after boarding the ship on some cruises.

 

Sometimes we take the towels to the pool deck station after we shower and change clothes before dinner and find the station is closed on the pool deck. I think good customer service would mean a towel return station located conveniently where their guests reboard the ship.

We just sailed on the Oasis a few weeks ago and in Labadee, they did have a "towel return station" on the pier before we got back on the ship. It was nice to have right there, but it did clog up the pier more than usual towards the end of the day. I think RCCL would like to have these stations but logistically, it might not work for every port day. Just my own thoughts :)

Oh, but it most certainly is a big deal when a company sends an insulting message to its customers and treats them as suspected thieves.

 

It is an especially noticeable "big deal" when you have just been on another cruise line that treats its passengers as welcome guests and provides towels that are readily available. You just help yourself to as many towels as you need, whenever you want them, and toss them into a bin when you are through with them.

 

Then you come over to a cruise line that has an in-your-face policy of blatantly informing you that you are not to be trusted with their towels and need to check them out if you want to use them.

 

What next? Will they be requiring their passengers to check out the silverware before each meal?

 

If its that big of a hassle I would just stay with the cruise line that you said treats you as welcomed guests :)

You can thank thieves for RCIs towel policy Im guessing.