Towel Test FAIL

[master_angler_dave]

The little card in the stateroom (and hotels) about conservation is totally for green-washing/marketing/fad/appearance purposes and means nothing.

 

We use a clean fresh towel everyday at home and we expect the same away from home.

 

I know it shocking but their are a huge number of people that do not believe in on the "Green" hoopla. :eek:

 

Absolutely right, gourmet cooks. The green hysteria and "global warming" nonsense is used by politicians as a vehicle for taxation & control, as a pot of gold for government funded researchers with a bought & paid for agenda

and companies for cost-cutting and inferior service. It was inevitable that cruise lines would try and cash in on the "green shakedown" and get their piece of the pie.

[Karynanne]

Seriously.... do you use a FRESH towel each and every day at home? We don't, and I really don't need (nor want) new towels each day of my cruise. We hang our towels back on the rack after each use, and we let the steward know we are FINE with that.

 

We use fresh towels everyday. It's a habit that I got into as a child. My brother and I would frequently get styes, and our Mother never let us use a towel twice for hygiene purposes...and the habit just stuck with me. Now I really like the feel of daily, fresh towels.

[dkjretired]

Good grief! People you are on vacation - this is how you spend your time...putting ink dots on towels - what makes for a lazy steward - he didn't come running down the hall waving at you and calling you by your name! What else did you do with your time - scope out all the stains in the carpet and smudges on the windows. Life is too short to nit pick everything - again the key word is VACATION!!

 

ABsolutely agree, have better things to do on vacation....

[patty1955]

....just a test of a Steward who we felt was lazy and unwelcoming from the beginning.

Spoken like someone who's never folded towels

[cruzeluver]

Add me to the list of those that can think of a million things I'd rather be doing on my vacation that trying to "prove" my cabin steward was lazy. If I truly thought that, I would report him or her and be done with it. To treat a fellow human being like that is awful. We are talking about towels here, not life and death.

[Sascol]

Add me to the list of those that can think of a million things I'd rather be doing on my vacation that trying to "prove" my cabin steward was lazy. If I truly thought that, I would report him or her and be done with it. To treat a fellow human being like that is awful. We are talking about towels here, not life and death.

 

To the defense of the original poster, he has a valid point. Many other poesters have stated similar. How does the room steward know which towel belongs to which person? I would want to know if a towel that was on the floor is now back on the rack especially if I was not the person that used the towel initially. Yuk.

[Taxguy77]

Add me to the list of those that can think of a million things I'd rather be doing on my vacation that trying to "prove" my cabin steward was lazy. If I truly thought that, I would report him or her and be done with it. To treat a fellow human being like that is awful. We are talking about towels here, not life and death.

 

Oh? Isn't this the same person who cleaned the room after the last occupants? Did they sneeze?

There have been some TV shows showing just how unsanitary hotel rooms can be, and your cabin is just a smaller hotel room. I don't want to use towels that have been on the floor! Or glasses that have been used before.

[cruzeluver]

Ok, fine. I get that no one wants to use a towel that has been on the floor. Got it. But I still question the way the OP went about this. It just seems under-handed to me. If I suspected my steward was doing something he or she shouldn't be, I would try actually speaking to them about it first. If that did not take care of it, I would escalate to their superior.

[Duanerice1]

Add me to the list of those that can think of a million things I'd rather be doing on my vacation that trying to "prove" my cabin steward was lazy. If I truly thought that, I would report him or her and be done with it. To treat a fellow human being like that is awful. We are talking about towels here, not life and death.

 

X2. Although I do understand there are people that have issues with germs, but to even think about doing this on vacation, that is what amazes me. Too many other things to think about.

 

And yes, I believe in the 5 second rule :)

Duane

[47pwa47]

I placed a pin sized blue dot on the label of each towel.

 

So how can you be sure that the towels hanging up upon your return were not part of another "scientific" test for steward laziness.

 

Life is way too short to care about something like this.

[tserface]

I can't argue with there being better things to do on vacation, but I also think it's pretty gross to use towels that have been on the floor. You, and some others, may be OK with that and that's your right if you don't care, but I think some of us would rather not have the towels taken from the floor and put back on the rack to pose as fresh towels.

 

I agree that trying to be a good earth citizen is always a good idea, but it would be nice to have the "on the floor dirty, hanging OK to reuse" commitment honored as well. I think it should be up to the customer, not the steward, to make that determination.

 

Tom

 

ABsolutely agree, have better things to do on vacation....

[tserface]

I thought the test was rather clever. It didn't take much time, didn't really hurt the towels, and didn't embarrass the room steward, just in case the OP was wrong. If they had just accused the steward without any proof I think that would have/could have been a lot more petty.

 

I don't get the impression that the OP spent much time on this exercise. It only takes a few seconds to put a small dot on the towel label and check later.

 

I say, good on them for figuring out a very non-intrusive way to check out their theory. If the attendant had done their job properly (as the card in the room promised) then, I suspect, the OP would have been happy to have been wrong in this case and no harm no foul. OP may have even posted here about how their test demonstrated Celebrity's integrity.

 

Tom

 

Ok, fine. I get that no one wants to use a towel that has been on the floor. Got it. But I still question the way the OP went about this. It just seems under-handed to me. If I suspected my steward was doing something he or she shouldn't be, I would try actually speaking to them about it first. If that did not take care of it, I would escalate to their superior.

[JRJARS]

To the defense of the original poster, he has a valid point. Many other poesters have stated similar. How does the room steward know which towel belongs to which person? I would want to know if a towel that was on the floor is now back on the rack especially if I was not the person that used the towel initially. Yuk.

 

Who are you sharing your cabin with?

[mom23guys]

Seriously.... do you use a FRESH towel each and every day at home? We don't, and I really don't need (nor want) new towels each day of my cruise. We hang our towels back on the rack after each use, and we let the steward know we are FINE with that.

 

Seriously, I do use a fresh towel each and everyday at home so would not expect less on vacation.

[bigmohes]

The little card in the stateroom (and hotels) about conservation is totally for green-washing/marketing/fad/appearance purposes and means nothing.

 

We use a clean fresh towel everyday at home and we expect the same away from home.

 

I know it shocking but their are a huge number of people that do not believe in on the "Green" hoopla. :eek:

 

 

OK WOW:eek:

[Denny01]

I know more than a few question worrying about towels and running a 'test', just like many questioned a guy bringing a sound meter to check the 'noise level' on a cruise, and another thread about luggage tags....but trust me, if all we talked about were the 'important' things, and what are those? What is allowed to be worn in the MDR....how many bottles of booze can I bring on....or how can I smuggle some.....you know, those very important subjects. If all we did was those, we'd have a very short and in truth boring forum.

 

Does anyone think that a guy such as I with almost 5000 posts is only interested in the 'important issues'? Naaah....love to converse on just about anything, and see what people think and do, and pick up on lots of stuff, especially what many think is mundane. But trust me, once I get on cruise, I'm Not carrying around a meter, or a notebook and camera looking for chips of rust (anyone remember the poster who had pictures of minute rust spots!!) and worn carpet....or even worrying about a towel.

 

But on this forum, what the heck. I still work, but come over here every few times a day to get my 'fix' of talking about cruising...the only way I survive between cruises!

 

Den

[dkjretired]

The little card in the stateroom (and hotels) about conservation is totally for green-washing/marketing/fad/appearance purposes and means nothing.

 

We use a clean fresh towel everyday at home and we expect the same away from home.

 

I know it shocking but their are a huge number of people that do not believe in on the "Green" hoopla. :eek:

 

Actually if you follow Royal Caribbean and their various lines, they take the green thing very seriously so it is more than an appearence or marketing thing and certainly does mean something. I am not one of these environmental nuts but I can read.

[Denny01]

I agree Don, it isn't a fake marketing tool, it's good business in many cases. I'm also not a 'nut' (very subjective definition), but we take into consideration a number of environmental ideas, and how it impacts all of us. Many of them save us money and time, and helps us be more effective.

 

I'm not a vegan or even a vegaterian, but that doesn't mean I haven't cut back on the meats, especially the reds for health and well-being. Do enjoy a good steak every once in a while, and go for the lamb on the ship (never get it ashore for some reason) but there are ways of being good stewards and still greatly enjoy life.

 

I was just thinking about how many towels we'd have to wash if we only used them once. Not from an environmental impact point, but from just a washload point....wow. But each of our own choice.

 

One woman posted she couldn't cut down on taking many pieces of luggage because her husband refused to wear a shirt or pants more than once and hated having them taken to a laundry.....I bet he never did the laundry himself!

 

Den

[lysolqn]

Good grief! People you are on vacation - this is how you spend your time...putting ink dots on towels - what makes for a lazy steward - he didn't come running down the hall waving at you and calling you by your name! What else did you do with your time - scope out all the stains in the carpet and smudges on the windows. Life is too short to nit pick everything - again the key word is VACATION!!

 

Well said. Rather than resort to "scientific" towel testing or engage in a game of "Gotcha!," the OP's efforts would have been best directed speaking to his attendant. Wonder what these folks do when they're not all laid back, relaxed and on vacation!

[lysolqn]

But people think and do, and pick up on lots of stuff, especially what many think is mundane. But trust me, once I get on cruise, I'm Not carrying around a meter, or a notebook and camera looking for chips of rust (anyone remember the poster who had pictures of minute rust spots!!) and worn carpet....or even worrying about a towel. Den

 

OT but "blue dots" reminds me of the guy who posted that he brought a tape measure onboard with him, measured his cabin and was outraged that it was a few square feet shy of what X's brochure said it was. He was incensed that X would resort to false advertising and was pretty much ready to take his case straight to the Supreme Court! He was going to teach the cruise line a thing or two about false advertising; no one was going to pull the wool over his eyes. Funnily enough, we never heard from him again after someone asked whether he bothered to include the square footage of the closets in his "scientific" test. Note to self for next cruise: don't forget to pack "blue dots" and a tape measure. LOL!

[dwjoe]

OP, if you have an issue with your steward, better to deal with it directly than run a "test".

[miched]

I dislike throwing the used towels on the floor. I always tell our cabin attendant that if a towel is used, just replace it with a fresh one.

 

My main concern is the glasses in the bathroom. I always approach the Hotel Manager on each cruise and question him about changing out the used glasses. I have never seen the stateroom attendants changing out glasses in the cabins or fresh glasses by the cleaning carts in the hallway. Ever wonder about that? :)

 

Isn't that brush in the lavatory for them to clean the glasses with? :confused: :D

 

We always hang the towels on the rack and always get fresh towels. I think it is easier for them to change them out than not and then having to listen to a complaint or no tip because they didn't give fresh towels.

 

I think if people were so concerned with waste it would make more of a impact to not eat as much and not waste so much food. The more they eat naturally taxes the waste system plus just taking more than they want also lends to not oly wasting food but having to dispose of it.

[Cruising89143]

Seriously.... do you use a FRESH towel each and every day at home? We don't, and I really don't need (nor want) new towels each day of my cruise. We hang our towels back on the rack after each use, and we let the steward know we are FINE with that.

 

 

That's you. Others including myself like fresh clean towels. If they are dirty then the room steward should replace them with clean towels.

[DCParky]

Ugh.... This is the last thing I would do on a cruise... Regardless of cruise lines, the room stewards work very hard, and I wouldn't resort to tricks to trip them up... Just relax and enjoy.... And, let them know if you have other expectations!

[fortinweb]

That's you. Others including myself like fresh clean towels. If they are dirty then the room steward should replace them with clean towels.

 

If your towels at home are so dirty that they can't be used a second time, you need stronger soap! :eek: