For many cruisers, the adorable menagerie of towel animals that appear in your cabin each night is a highlight.
That is certainly true for me. I’ve been an avid towel animal fan for as long as I can remember — from family sailings when our daughters were little, squealing with delight at each new character, to our recent “empty-nester” cruises when I disembark with a gazillion photos of every single towel animal.
How did towel animals become such a fixture within the world of cruising? Are people really as bananas over towel monkeys as I am? Read on for the answer and everything else you might not know about those adorable cruise towel animals.
What are cruise towel animals?
Also called towel origami, towel animals are an enduring cruise ship tradition. Cabin stewards fold towels into animal shapes and leave them in your room during housekeeping service.
They create everything from floppy-eared elephants and stingrays sitting on your bed to monkeys and bats that hang from closet railings. The characters are usually embellished with paper eyes and button noses but might also sport a few accessories. Your elephant might hold the next day’s activity planner or a few pieces of chocolate while wearing your sunglasses or baseball cap.
Despite their name, cruise towel animals are not always made from towels. Sometimes, they’re crafted with a blanket, a washcloth or the T-shirt you left on the bed that morning.
When did towel animals become a cruise ship tradition?
Although the origin story of cruise ship towel animals is fuzzy, Carnival Cruise Line is often credited with kicking off the trend. According to the line, Carnival hospitality team members began making towel animals for guests in 1991. Passengers loved them so much that towel animals became a mainstay of the cruise ship experience.
“It’s been wonderful to see the evolution of towel animals, the massive creativity displayed by our team members and the wonderful reception from our guests over the last several decades,” said Stefan Christoffersson, Carnival’s vice president of housekeeping.
Cruise towel animals are still wildly popular with passengers and have become somewhat embedded into cruise ship culture. You’ll find loads of magnets, T-shirts, keychains, cruise cabin door decorations and stickers devoted to towel animals on websites like Amazon and Etsy. I even discovered a miniature “How to make a towel animal” kit for your Elf on a Shelf doll on Etsy, which might be ideal for families cruising over the Christmas holidays.
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I even stumbled across the Carnival Towel Animals fan page on Facebook, followed by folks who want to share their love of cruise ship towel animals with like-minded cruisers.
Which cruise lines offer towel animals?
Carnival might be the uncontested leader in over-the-top cruise towel animal experiences. However, Holland America, Disney Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean also create towel animals for passengers.
In addition to nightly towel animal surprises, Carnival goes all-out with a towel animal takeover one morning each sailing. Passengers wake up to hundreds of towel animals all over the top decks of the ship — lining the pools and chilling out on loungers. It’s one of my favorite mornings on a Carnival cruise. Carnival passengers can even snap photos with the line’s life-size towel animal mascot.
Holland America cabin stewards leave towel creatures for guests as part of turndown service. Additionally, towel animal “zoos” often pop up throughout the ship on longer voyages. Taking a holiday cruise with Holland America? Expect a special twist on towel animals — something new in 2024, according to the line. Look for holiday-inspired towel creations, including Santa and his reindeer.
Passengers sailing with Disney can expect daily towel animal surprises in their cabins, along with pieces of the line’s chocolate candy. You can also purchase towel animal plush toys — an elephant and a monkey — at onboard shops.
Royal Caribbean also treats cruisers to daily towel animal shenanigans.
Will cruise lines ban towel animals?
Rumors of towel animals being outright banned from cruise ships circulate occasionally. (Apparently, Carnival towel animals don’t take the threat of being eliminated lightly, as evidenced in the above photo.) It’s true that some lines no longer offer them.
In 2019, Norwegian Cruise Line eliminated towel animals on its ships as part of an effort to become more environmentally sustainable. The line cited water wastage and the costs associated with extra laundry and housekeeping as the reason for discontinuing the practice. However, if you’re cruising with kids ages 12 and under, you can request a towel animal visit. Just call housekeeping or chat with your room steward once you’re on board.
Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Disney and Holland America currently have no plans to take the beloved tradition away from cruisers.
“When we started this fun tradition, with guests finding whimsical dogs and elephants in their staterooms, we could not have imagined it would set off a tradition that’s now beloved across the industry,” Christoffersson said. “Our guests love our towel animals and so we plan to continue warmly embracing this tradition.”
How to make towel animals
If you’re sailing with Carnival, Royal Caribbean or Disney, you can join an onboard towel animal-making class, offered at least once during the cruise (and usually on a sea day). Look for towel animal activities on your cruise line’s daily schedule.
Carnival’s “Towel Creations” book contains step-by-step instructions for making a variety of animals. You can purchase it on board (for $14.95) during a towel-folding class or from the ship’s Fun Shop. It’s also available from Amazon. The line donates a portion of book sales to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Royal Caribbean passengers can join a “Folding Artistry” class to hone their napkin- and towel-folding skills. The line also offers a free downloadable Towel Folding Booklet (a PDF) that provides easy-to-follow steps for making a lobster, an elephant, a monkey, a swan and other animals.
You’ll also find a bevy of YouTube tutorials for making your own herd of towel animals when you return home from your cruise vacation.
Bottom line
Although only a handful of cruise lines offer them, those adorable terry cloth creations are synonymous with the cruise experience.
You’re never too old to appreciate the creativity and whimsy of cruise towel animals. For me, a cute new towel character waiting for me in my cabin is the perfect greeting after a long day by the pool or exploring the port.
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