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The above is my wife and me in front of three NCL ships on a transatlantic crossing last year. While it is not surprising to be in port with another Norwegian ship, seeing that many at one time was kinda neat to me being an NCL Platinum Plus “frequent floater” (learn how to sail almost free on points here, FYI). There is just so much I like about the way Norwegian does stuff — and that includes the great attention we get every sailing from our room stewards.
One thing I have not seen on recent sailings are towel animals in my room. For years they have been a stock item you discover when you return to your cabin at night after dinner and a show. The change was implemented by Norwegian Cruise Lines sometime last year according to a Cruise Critic post and seems to have spread fleet-wide now. CC also had a quote from NCL stating:
“…we are assessing the impact of reducing the number of towel animals we showcase aboard a few of our ships. We understand that many of our guests enjoy them as part of the experience of cruising with us, so towel animals remain available upon request.” – From Norwegian Cruise Lines (bold mine)
First off, I like the fact that you can still request this service if you want it. If you have never seen them before I do suggest you request that your room steward provide them each night. I smile each time I come home and find one on my bed or somewhere in my cabin. Having said that, as now a regular cruiser, if you can do without them be happy opting-out. Why?
Think of the savings on a ship with 2000+ passengers or a mega-ship with as many as 5000! That is a ton of water and cleaning solution that is saved each day that is not later dumped into the ocean. Not just that but consider the massive time savings for those who work so hard in the bottom of the ship for us in the laundry! Lastly, your room steward will now have more time to focus on other things to make your voyage that much better.
What do you think about this change? Has the cruise line you frequent also made a similar change like Norwegian? Do you miss / like / care about towel animals in your cabin each night? Let us know! – René
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I don’t really miss towel animals. It was just something that took on a life of its own years ago however the environmental impact is just virtue signaling and plays well with some people I guess.
If I were travelling with my grandkids, the towels animals would be OK. But honestly, it is just a waste of effort and time to do this. We have done 25+ cruises and we do like NCL and Celebrity as our favorites.
I wouldn’t think this worth the appropriate tip.
The two big questions are.
Did they even make money selling DIY books.
Did they pass on the savings to customers or just like hotels cutting cost under the guise of environment.