Carnival Cruise Line Addresses Yet Another Unfounded Rumor

Carnival Cruise Line brand ambassador John Heald has spoken out about another rumor circulating on social media, this time addressing the cruise line’s beloved towel animals. Such rumors are easily spread but without substance, yet can still be of concern to eager cruise travelers.

Towel Animal Rumor Is Untrue

A new rumor circulating online has announced that starting November 1, Carnival Cruise Line will be implementing a new policy ending the practice of placing “towel animals” in guests’ staterooms.

Though the so-called announcement cites “Carnival corporate policy” and claims the information comes directly from a guest’s stateroom attendant, there is no such official announcement.

“This is 100% false, ridiculous, nonsensical information,” said John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s brand ambassador. “We are not removing the towel animals. They remain an iconic part of what we have been for 52 years, and they always will be.”

The reasoning given for the rumor is that the towel animals “take too much excessive time” and therefore detract from a stateroom attendant’s other duties as they clean multiple cabins.

About Towel Animals

Yes, it does take a couple of minutes to craft that fluffy white elephant, floppy-eared dog, or other towel animal. However, any Carnival guest who has attended the onboard instructional class to learn how to fold their own towel animals or seen towel-folding demonstrations knows that experienced attendants can make these creations quickly and efficiently.

Some of the favorite towel animals onboard include the long-necked dinosaur, quirky pig, romantic swans, the monkey or bat hanging from the stateroom ceiling, or even the bear, stingray, rabbit, or bullfrog.

Among the more elaborate creations include the huge alligator some guests might find lounging on their stateroom bed or even human-like figures crafted in part from guests’ own clothing or accessories such as hats and sunglasses.

Finding out which towel animal will make an appearance each day is a fun part of the cruise for many Carnival guests. Passengers can even request their favorite towel friends, and many travelers save their menagerie throughout their cruise to enjoy a growing zoo every day.

If they prefer, guests can ask attendants to skip the towel animals altogether.

On some sailings, Carnival crew members also put together a towel animal parade or showcase, when a full range of creations are displayed on the pool deck or in one of the ship’s lounges for guests to admire.

Other Recent Rumors

Heald has addressed a variety of rumors recently, always resulting from misinformation on social media.

For example, recent discussion about gratuities offered to crew members and how those tips are related to their overall salaries had to be clarified, ensuring guests that no, Carnival Cruise Line does not use gratuities to pay team member salaries.

Heald has also needed to quell concerns about priority boarding benefits and how procedures work at different embarkation ports, and also recently addressed guests’ thoughts on cheating at onboard trivia games.

Heald, who has served with Carnival Cruise Line since 1989, is the cruise line’s official “brand ambassador” and has more than 530,000 followers on social media.

He uses his enormous presence and his dry British wit to answer hundreds of questions every day, as well as keep all Carnival cruisers updated on the company’s goings-on.

Details about loyalty VIFP gifts, previews of menu or dining changes, dress code concerns, emergency itinerary or schedule updates, behind-the-scenes looks at ships under construction, and clarifications about onboard policies are just a few of the topics Heald regularly discusses.

He also joins special sailings every year, the wildly popular “For Fun’s Sake” cruises with special events and meet-and-greet opportunities available. The 2024 FFS Cruise will be aboard Carnival Horizon in February, visiting stunning Caribbean destinations.