Royal Caribbean Guest Thought Housekeeping Delayed Their Check-In. Then She Sees a Room Full of What Appears To Be Turkeys: ‘Enjoy the Chaos’
They really made her day
Cruise vacations can come with little surprises, and sometimes small touches are what guests remember most. Even creative towel animals can make coming back to a room more fun.
So when staff need another five minutes inside a room that has already been cleaned, guests might wonder what is going on. But sometimes, there is a good reason for the extra wait.
That is what happened to TikTok creator Jen Hamilton (@jen_hamilton) during a Royal Caribbean cruise with her children. When they tried to get back into their room, Hamilton claims people were still inside and asked for five more minutes. Since the room had already been cleaned, she had no idea what they were doing.
That’s actually so sweet
“Okay, listen, we were just trying to go into our room,” Hamilton explains at the beginning of the video, which has received more than 307,000 views. “There were people in our room and they told us five more minutes.”
Hamilton admits she had no idea what was happening, although her children were already interested in finding out. Once they were finally allowed inside, the reason for the wait quickly became clear.
The room was filled with towel animals. Hamilton spotted them across the beds and around the cabin, initially trying to figure out exactly what they were supposed to be. “Holy cow, they’re everywhere,” she reacts before deciding, “These are turkeys. Aren’t those turkeys?”
There was more waiting for the family than a room full of towel birds. Hamilton soon found a personalized message from Royal Caribbean explaining the surprise.
“Jen, we thought your vacation could use a few essentials. A spa day, because you’ve done enough working for one lifetime. Tikka masala in bed. Dreams really do come true. And a few new followers waiting in your room. They’re soft. They’re loyal. Surprisingly good for swaddling. None of them had to Google you afterwards. Anyway, eat the thing. Take the nap. Enjoy the chaos. Let someone else figure it out for once!”
She also reconsidered her identification of the towel animals. After getting a better look, Hamilton decided they probably weren’t swans or turkeys after all. “I think they’re probably chickens,” she admits.
The towel chickens were only one part of the personalized surprise. Royal Caribbean’s note playfully called them Hamilton’s new “followers,” while the rest of the message included several other references meant just for her.
For some travelers, those little conveniences and personal touches can become part of what makes being at sea appealing in the first place. One retired teacher even made a cruise ship her permanent home, embracing a slower life with meals and housekeeping included.
Hamilton, however, wanted viewers to know that her reaction wasn’t part of a paid promotion. She clarified that Royal Caribbean wasn’t paying her to say anything positive about the company and that the family had paid “regular big bucks” for the trip. “We just love coming on a Royal cruise,” Hamilton adds. “That’s so nice.”
Viewers were just as impressed by the gesture. “Keep note ALL corporations. This is how you do PR. Makes me want to book with them now,” one person commented. “Well played royal Caribbean. This is the kind of stuff we want to see!” another wrote. One commenter had a different suggestion after seeing how much effort went into the room: “Girl if you don’t start a towel animal war with them right now….”
Hamilton may have mistaken the chickens for turkeys, but there was no mistaking the thought behind them. And judging by the comments, Royal Caribbean’s personal touch won over more than just Hamilton.
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