Pool towels, do they really charge for towels not returned?

[TinyPinkBug]

Reading some posts about people leaving towels on chairs. We have sailed RC before and know the towel on your sea pass drill. Do they really charge if they don't have equal numbers of towels in as out on the same room? I wouldn't want to leave a towel on a chair unattended for hours at risk of being charged for the towel should someone move it, or even take it and turn it in as their own because they misplaced theirs.

[divaofdisney]

Reading some posts about people leaving towels on chairs. We have sailed RC before and know the towel on your sea pass drill. Do they really charge if they don't have equal numbers of towels in as out on the same room? I wouldn't want to leave a towel on a chair unattended for hours at risk of being charged for the towel should someone move it, or even take it and turn it in as their own because they misplaced theirs.

 

I realize it was quite some time ago since we last cruised back in '09 so maybe someone more recent can give their experience but YES to your question. We were charged over $60 for towels not returned when in fact we HAD returned them. Got $40 credited back but they would not take off the last 20. So just be very careful about this and make sure you get a receipt of some kind showing you did return them or watch them scan your card when you return them.

[matj2000]

No, I think it is all just a scare tactic.

 

I have gotten multiple towels on my card and other family members returned them on theirs and we never got charged.

 

We have also ended up with extra towels in the room and the towel guy said I had no towels checked-out.

 

I don't know what they see with those towel guns but it does not seem to be very accurate....

[blackshirt]

No, I think it is all just a scare tactic.

 

I have gotten multiple towels on my card and other family members returned them on theirs and we never got charged.

 

We have also ended up with extra towels in the room and the towel guy said I had no towels checked-out.

 

I don't know what they see with those towel guns but it does not seem to be very accurate....

Whether or not the towel accounting system is accurate is not the question. You weren't charged because the system showed you didn't have any towels but don't think for a minute you wouldn't be charged if the system showed you didn't return them all.

[CanobieFan]

My travel friend got charged for a towel on her first cruise. I never did. I was always sure to switch my towels out immediately. And when we had towels in the room that disappeared during turn down we were sure to question the steward who was evil to show us they have been returned and we would face no charge

[cb at sea]

They say that so people will take responsibility for "loaned" items. So..just be responsible and return that which you borrow! If someone takes your towel, there will be plenty lying around for you to get and return.

[grapau27]

Reading some posts about people leaving towels on chairs. We have sailed RC before and know the towel on your sea pass drill. Do they really charge if they don't have equal numbers of towels in as out on the same room? I wouldn't want to leave a towel on a chair unattended for hours at risk of being charged for the towel should someone move it, or even take it and turn it in as their own because they misplaced theirs.

You are being unfair for reserving a chair for hours and if you do I'm not surprised if the towel is moved.

 

43 cruises and counting.

[divaofdisney]

Whether or not the towel accounting system is accurate is not the question. You weren't charged because the system showed you didn't have any towels but don't think for a minute you wouldn't be charged if the system showed you didn't return them all.

 

Yes~ my point exactly. Apparently your card was not scanned when you got the towels. I would be extremely diligent in making sure you are on top of where your towels are and make sure you return them and watch them scan your card when you return them.

[ramja96]

we were sure to question the steward who was evil

 

WOW!! :eek: I've heard some minor complaints about a few room stewards, but NEVER heard someone refer to their steward as "evil"!! What happened??!!!

[TinyPinkBug]

You are being unfair for reserving a chair for hours and if you do I'm not surprised if the towel is moved.

 

43 cruises and counting.

 

Yes, thank you for assuming this was the purpose in my post. It wasn't.

[grapau27]

Yes, thank you for assuming this was the purpose in my post. It wasn't.

Your right just re- read your post.

There was a notice that said towels would be removed within 30 minutes if not used.

It can be frustrating when beds or chairs are reserved for hours without being used.

 

43 cruises and counting.

[Thorben-Hendrik]

Reading some posts about people leaving towels on chairs. We have sailed RC before and know the towel on your sea pass drill. Do they really charge if they don't have equal numbers of towels in as out on the same room? I wouldn't want to leave a towel on a chair unattended for hours at risk of being charged for the towel should someone move it, or even take it and turn it in as their own because they misplaced theirs.

Do you have to sign out the towels when you get them -> NO

If you do not sign they can not charge you......I would dispute the charge without my signature!

[cruzgryphon]

In my experience and in talking with others it tends to vary by ship. Some ships you have to swipe the card to get a towel and they do keep track of returned towels. Other ships they don't when you're on the pool deck, but will when you get off the gangway in port and take a towel then. On the same ship (two different itineraries) they did it both ways (swipe and not swipe, charge and not charge). My rule of thumb is if your swiped to get a towel, then return a towel.

[my3princez]

WOW!! :eek: I've heard some minor complaints about a few room stewards, but NEVER heard someone refer to their steward as "evil"!! What happened??!!!

Pretty sure it was a typo and they meant "able" not "evil".

[DrD]

On my recent Oasis, they did scan towels in and out. However it did not seem that they kept track of numbers at all, there was no keypad or any way for them to enter a quantity, and no matter how many towels I got they only ever scanned seapass once.

[molsonschooner]

I realize it was quite some time ago since we last cruised back in '09 so maybe someone more recent can give their experience but YES to your question. We were charged over $60 for towels not returned when in fact we HAD returned them. Got $40 credited back but they would not take off the last 20. So just be very careful about this and make sure you get a receipt of some kind showing you did return them or watch them scan your card when you return them.

 

I wasn't aware that the towel policy was in place back in 2009. I started cruising after that and I remember a lot of talk about charging for towels after I joined cruise critic

[famof4togo]

I thought the same thing on the FOS....yes they scanned the towels...but there is no way they kept track accurately...we had 3 adults in our group...we all constantly returned / got new ones...maybe one day 1 adult would get 6 towels...then a different adult returned those 4 out of the 6 towels etc...also twice our room attendant removed them from the bathroom...we simply told this to the towel clerk and were given more towels in replacement...in the end none of us were charged...I can't say for certain but IMO no they are not kept track of accurately....we joked that its like how adults tell kids they put something in the pool that will turn blue if someone pee's in the water, an attempt to dissuade but not actuality .....so an appearance of towel tracking but unlikely actually tracked....

[Bailey & Sophie]

When we were on the Serenade last February, they scanned your card if you took a towel at the pier.

 

We went to the pool area the night before and grabbed a towel for the beach the next day. Our card was not scanned.

[Seaside2358]

On Oasis March 2 my husband got two towels scanned to his card and later I got two with my seapass. Before the end of the cruise he returned all 4 towels and we got charged for the two that were attached to mine. A trip to guest services and the charges were removed but they do indeed charge.

 

Deb

[birtdeltasig]

Just go to the pool the first day and get several towels. Since you are at sea, they don't check them out. They just give them to you. Take those towels off the ship and you don't ever have to sign them out. Just remember to return them some time later when they aren't checking towels in. That way you don't raise any suspicion. All problems solved.

Edited April 10, 2017 by birtdeltasig

[Big_G]

On our March cruise on Adventure during port days they had no laptops at the pool and they wrote the cabin numbers on a clipboard. My guess is the laptops were moved to the gangways. That said, both the wife and I checked out towels separately and we were never charged after I checked them all back in at once.

 

 

Gregg