Tuesday, April 2, 2024

Cruise Line Begins Phasing Out Towel Animals on Cruises

cruise ship animals towels

These dedicated individuals undergo training to learn different folding techniques and are responsible for creating towel animals for each cabin on a daily basis. They take pride in their work, knowing that these creations bring joy to passengers and enhance their overall cruise experience. Cruise lines are increasingly taking measures to conserve water and minimize their environmental impact.

Pictures: 11 of the Best Cruise Ship Towel Animals

Room stewards create everything from floppy-eared elephants to monkeys that hang from closet railings using towels that are often embellished with cut-out paper eyes and button noses. They'll also sometimes incorporate passenger items such as sunglasses or clothing into the creations. The helpful stateroom stewards were our guides and walked us through the process of turning simple, white towels into a fun-loving creature. I was surprised to learn that there are a few standard techniques to build most of the animals, with only their heads being made differently. While these animals are typically placed on beds during the evening turndown service, some may even be hung from vents, window frames or mirrors, and bats and monkeys both make regular dangling appearances for guests. Discover the ultimate money-saving cruise hack they don’t want you to know!

Origins of towel folding tradition

This time I tried a smaller sized bath towel for the frog head and it worked quite well. There’s an important lesson in that, it only works if you have the right size towels. Carnival isn't the only line that has the animals these days, so we asked our Facebook fans to share their favorite photos from their own cruise experiences. They certainly delievered—swinging monkeys, entire menageries, even life-sized humans all folded from stacks of white terry cloth. The tradition of towel folding can be traced back to ancient Egypt, where it is believed that servants would place folded towels in the shape of animals on the beds of pharaohs. Over time, towel folding became a popular form of art and decoration in various cultures, including Japan and Europe.

Types of Towel Animals

cruise ship animals towels

These rare creations may include more complex designs, such as intricate sea creatures like dolphins or octopuses. These special towel animals are often reserved for special occasions or higher-tier cabins, adding an extra element of surprise and luxury. The sizes, expressions and poses of towel animals can vary, all depending on the cabin steward’s creativity and what towels they choose for each creation. Guests who hope to find their favorite towel animal can always ask their steward about a particular animal or leave a note with a polite request.

Carnival Cruise Line reconsiders popular cabin service - TheStreet

Carnival Cruise Line reconsiders popular cabin service.

Posted: Sat, 21 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Towel Origami – How to Fold a Towel Frog

New staff members learn the techniques from other staffers and get a fair amount of creative freedom. Explore stunning Caribbean destinations and luxurious features like the high ropes experience and swim-up bar. Get ready for another season of unforgettable Mediterranean adventures.

Cruise Ship Towel Animals: Way More than You Ever Expected to Know

These towel creations also provide a unique touch of personalization, making each cabin feel special and welcoming. Many passengers look forward to returning to their cabins each day to see what creative towel animal awaits them. Cruise ships frequently organize theme nights or parties to entertain passengers, and towel animals can play a role in enhancing these events. Cabin stewards may create towel animals that align with the theme of the night, adding to the overall ambiance and fun. Towel animals hold particular significance in attracting children and families to cruise ships.

These parades bring a sense of excitement and festivity to the cruise, allowing guests to interact with the towel animals and snap photos to capture the experience. The tradition of towel folding found its way onto cruise ships in the late 20th century. It is said that the practice began on Carnival Cruise Line in the 1980s when a steward spontaneously folded a towel into a swan and placed it on a guest’s bed. The guest was delighted by this unexpected surprise, and the trend quickly caught on among the cruise staff.

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Norwegian Cruise Line has begun to phase out towel animals on cruises. Start by folding it in half crosswise and then folding it in half again. If you are new to towel animal folding, try these easier to fold animals first. The penguin is one of the cutest animals of all and yet one of the very easiest to make. Cruise Fever first heard about this when several readers reached out to us who are currently on Norwegian cruise ships. Sometimes Cast Members will grab things from a stateroom, like a guest’s sunglasses, to put on the towel animal.

The towel stations near pools often have a pal or two on display, or can even make one if asked. There are always new and exciting towel animals appearing on different cruise ships. More easily recognizable animals are some of the most common and popular designs, including pigs, dogs, cats, frogs, elephants, gorillas and dinosaurs. More exotic creations do appear as well, including stingrays, seals, bears, snails, rabbits, turtles and anteaters. Carnival Cruises literally wrote the book on these animals (Carnival Towel Creations, which sells about 6,000 copies each month), and it first appeared on the company's cruise ships about 15 years ago. While towel animals are generally well-received by passengers, there are some critics who argue against their presence on cruise ships.

Most of the time, cruise ship passengers find towel animals in their room when they return in the evening. On the Carnival Liberty, we also found some frogs at the towel hut on the Lido deck. The line also noted that room stewards on ships implementing the change would still create towel animals for passengers, "upon request."

Towel reuse programs are a common practice on cruise ships, where passengers are encouraged to reuse their towels to reduce water and energy consumption. While towel animals may add a touch of charm to the cabins, cruise lines are mindful of the need to balance guest satisfaction with sustainable practices. Towel animals are often used to enhance special occasions and events on board cruise ships. Whether it’s a birthday, anniversary, or honeymoon celebration, cabin stewards may go above and beyond to create elaborate towel displays that reflect the theme or mood of the occasion. These displays can serve as a special surprise for guests and add an extra touch of celebration to their cruise experience.

Passengers have generally responded positively to cruise lines’ efforts in environmental conservation, including towel reuse and replacement policies. Many are aware of the importance of sustainability and are willing to embrace these practices in order to contribute to a cleaner and greener environment. Additionally, passengers appreciate that the presence of towel animals does not compromise these conservation efforts, as they can still enjoy the occasional surprise of a creatively folded towel. The time required to create a towel animal varies depending on the complexity of the design.

There’s also my own invention, the crab, or how about a towel cake or snake? If you want to be sure not to miss any upcoming animals, it is easy to make sure you can find this blog again. You can like it on facebook, follow it on twitter or networked blogs, or sign up for an email subscription.

Still, many longtime cruisers are smitten with the tradition and don't want to see it vanish. The test has lit up message boards in recent days at cruise fans sites such as CruiseCritic.com, where cruising regulars are speaking out both for and against the change. As technology advances, it is possible that towel folding could become automated in the future. Robotic systems may be developed to fold towels into animal shapes with precision and efficiency.

We make sure cruisers are fully prepared for their cruise vacation with tips on ships and ports.Millions of travelers rely on Cruise Hive in the United States, Europe, Australia, and around the world. Housekeeping carts on different cabin decks often have a friendly towel animal keeping the staff company as well. On family-friendly cruise lines, there may be a big parade or display of towel animals at some point during the cruise, often in a large lounge or near the main pool where a whole menagerie of animals will gather. It is important to be aware, however, that cabin stewards have many other duties, and it may not always be possible to meet more exotic requests. If the day has been very busy or a difficult situation arises, some nights may not feature towel animals at all.

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