Meet Carnival Cruise Lines’ Latest “Towel Creations”

Cabin stewards on all Carnival Cruise Lines’ ships are masters in the art of crafting towel animals and last month our steward aboard Carnival Magic proved to be an expert at creating the adorable kitty pictured here.

Alas, the presence of towel animals isn’t a given and not every cruise line considers them a cabin amenity. However, they have grown so popular with Carnival Cruise Lines’ passengers that stewards spend hours training to make the numerous species that inhabit the Carnival Towel Animal Farm. Carnival estimates their passengers are delighted by over ten million towel animals every year and have even awarded them a featured role in the cruise line’s advertising campaigns.

Short of stealing the towels, now you can have your own at-home towel animal zoo—at least until you need to dry your hands. So many passengers requested directions that Carnival has published “Towel Creations”—a beautifully illustrated book with easy step-by-step instructions. Now in its fourth edition, Towel Creations is available in the gift shops aboard all Carnival ships, as well as from the line’s stateroom stewards. The book can also be ordered via the Gifts and Services section of Carnival.com and delivered to your stateroom. The cost is $14.95. Plus, with the purchase of the latest edition of Towel Creations, you will not only learn the “tricks of the trade” for making 40 different towel animals but also help children at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®, one of the world’s premier centers for the research and treatment of pediatric cancer and other catastrophic diseases. One dollar from the sale of each book will be donated to St. Jude through Carnival’s Care to Play program, whose goal it is to raise $3 million over a three-year period.

While comparing my old edition of Towel Creations to the new one I noted that there are some changes. The new book has dropped some animals (like the worm), added some (for instance, a pigeon), and revised a few with new looks. The kitty has a new look and Cruise Diva tried to replicate it by using the most recent book’s instructions. Sadly, I met with some frustration and mine is not ready for a close-up. While I keep trying to make a photo-worthy towel kitty, here is what it is supposed to look like. I’m sure it will only take a little more practice before mine is equally as cute.

“Towel animals have become synonymous with the Carnival vacation experience and the Towel Creations series has been very successful with upwards of 40,000 books sold each year,” said Gerry Cahill, Carnival’s president and CEO. “We’re thrilled to publish the fourth edition of the popular how-to guide while raising money for one of our favorite charitable partners, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,” he added.

Carnival says it’s been 20 years since the line debuted its first towel animal—an industry first that has since been much replicated across the cruise industry. Cruise Diva agrees they were at the forefront and has a bit of trivia to share. How did towel animals become such an iconic cruise feature? Find out in our story about the Ultimate Bed-time Pals.