Free Towels Cause Controversy Among Carnival Cruisers

Of all the things cruise passengers could potentially get upset about, the free towels that are automatically provided in all staterooms is one of the last things one would expect. 

Even so, one future passenger felt strongly enough about not wanting to use the provided towels to write to Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald on his public Facebook page. 

Despite the fact that all towels are washed before being redistributed to new guests, and that housekeeping is happy to replace dirty towels throughout the voyage, some future passengers, who will be sailing onboard Carnival Venezia, were disgusted by the free option and requested to bring their own. 

“We hate to use towels that have been used by who knows how many people on the cruises before ours. We will want them laundered. Will there be a charge? If you say yes, why is that? Give me some real talk on this John! I don’t want to have to schlep extra towels,” the anonymous guest-to-be wrote to Heald. 

The cruise line ambassador didn’t advise on cost, but advised that bringing towels from home isn’t necessary.

“Our towels have been and always are washed to the highest of standards so there really is no need for her to bring her own,” reads Heald’s reply, in part. 

Since the cruise line provides and washes towels for free, there likely would be an extra charge not for bringing towels from home, but for using the ship’s laundry services. 

According to Carnival’s website, cruisers can do their own laundry for a low cost or pay extra for a valet service, which is handled through the stateroom attendants. 

Self service laundry is the most reasonable, starting at $3.50 per washer load and $3.50 per dryer load. Valet prices range from $15 to $50, depending on how quickly guests need their clothes returned and if they would like them to be folded or pressed. 

How Much Do Guests Worry About Free Toiletries?

John Heald followed up the post from the towel-bringing guests with a poll on his Facebook page. The brand ambassador was curious not just about the towels, but about other toiletries, such as the provided bar of hand soap. 

The poll gave Heald’s over 500,000 Facebook followers four options, and he encouraged them to select all that applied to them. As of the time of publication, the poll had received 24,629 votes. 

“The towels for the bathroom to dry off with after a shower are absolutely big enough for me” was the most selected option at 12,920 votes, which equates to 52%. 

Meanwhile, an additional 25% say that they “use the wash line in the cabin shower” and 21% indicate that they “use the hand bar of soap in the cabin bathroom. I like it.”

Read Also: What NOT to Do When Choosing Your Cruise Cabins

Notably, the option of “bring my own towels” received zero percent of the votes – with many commenting that they would never even have thought of bringing their own towels on both of Heald’s posts.

“I’ve never brought my own towels. I don’t even bring a beach towel. I wonder if these same people pack bed linens too. Some people are just down right ridiculous with how picky they are. It might be easier for them to just stay home,” wrote one Facebook user, which sums up the general sentiment in the comments section.

Cruisers were most likely to bring their own soap or shampoo and conditioner – which is primarily done out of personal preference.

Ultimately, the crew members do clean the staterooms from top-to-bottom, including washing towels and linens, so bringing towels from home is truly unnecessary.

But the action is not forbidden if it makes guests feel more comfortable – and it’s up to each cruiser to decide what will allow them to have the best vacation possible.