Hotel rooms used to always offer certain amenities, but some of them have disappeared,
Even low-end hotel brands used to offer small bottles of shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion. If you go for a slightly nicer chain, you might get a shower cap, one of those little kits with a cotton ball and two swabs from another brand, and maybe some mouthwash.
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Now, unless you stay in a luxury hotel, you most likely have the shampoo, body wash, and conditioner dispensers in the shower. In some cases, such as on Royal Caribbean cruises in non-suite rooms, you may be stuck with a single dispenser filled with a combination of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.
At that point, you might as well call it a dessert topping, because something that's trying to be three things probably won't work well with any of them.
The hotel rooms also had a pen with the chain's name on it and a small branded notebook. That has largely disappeared, partly because it is an added expense and partly because people don't use pens and paper as much as they used to.
Royal Caribbean does not provide any type of free writing instruments in its cabins. Carnival Cruise Line, however, used to offer pens and now offers small pencils.
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Image Source: Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival explains why it got rid of pens
Although people write less, there are still situations on cruise ships where a pen or pencil is needed. That includes filling out room service breakfast hang cards and marking laundry bags.
In fact, it can be frustrating when you need a writing instrument on a cruise and you don't have it. Neither Royal Caribbean nor its sister line Celebrity Cruises offer pens, pencils, or anything else you can write with.
Carnival still does it, but not everyone is happy with the decisions the cruise line has made. He made that clear to Carnival brand ambassador John Heald in an angry email.
“Carnival still offers pencils in the cabin. Seriously? LOL. Carnival pencils can't be used. Every other cruise line in the world offers pens, nice pens to take home. What are we supposed to do with a pencil? I hate pencils and so do I. I guess a passenger is less likely to take one as a souvenir.
Heald was diplomatic in his response.
“Thank you and yes, for a few years now we have replaced pens with pencils as we work hard to stop single-use plastic. And I respectfully don't have time to ask Uncle Google if 'every other cruise line in the world has pens in the cabin. Something tells me this may not be correct,” he wrote. “I know the pens were great, of course they were, and I know people miss them. I'm staying at the Hyattcontinentalariott and there's no pen in the room, but there is a pencil.”
Carnival passengers have mixed opinions
While many Carnival passengers were understanding and found the pencils useful, many lamented the loss of the pens.
“I use the pen to fill my laundry bag and then leave it to the next guest in the room. I still have several of my Carnival pens,” shared Glenn Hughes.
More than 3,000 people commented on Heald's post.
“I don't use pencils in the room. I always kept them as a souvenir,” Susan Natale added.
Some people took issue with the way the person asked the question.
“People really need to stop speaking for everyone and realize that their opinion is not everyone's opinion. This adult likes her pencils. I'm currently using one. And, frankly, I won't take home a pen as a souvenir So I'm glad Carnival is trying to move away from single use and promote something more sustainable,” writes Nadja Griffis.
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Others adopted a more neutral attitude.
“I brought a pen to use on the disembarkation luggage tags and laundry form. Pencils don't write very well on plain luggage tags. No, I don't like pencils and I miss the pen. But I don't think it's worth it worth complaining about and bring mine,” shared Tess Almond.
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