Yes! A beach towel can absolutely pull double-duty as something to dry off with post-shower. The best candidate in this scenario would be a beach towel made of 100% cotton, which will feel softer against the skin.
You can wash beach towels with clothing, but first you should make sure to remove as much sand as possible before washing. Always give your towels a good shake before leaving the beach, and if possible try to hang them up before washing to remove even more sand.
There's no hard rule for what the ideal size of a beach towel should be, but for many reasons a longer, wider, beach towel is more desirable. We find that a towel measuring six and a half feet long is best for wraparound comfort (something you'll appreciate after a quick dip in cold water or once the wind starts to pick up). Towels that clear three feet long, or more, will have enough space to comfortably fit you, a book, and maybe even a waterproof speaker.
Folding a beach towel is a simple task. All that's required is to pick it up by the two corners of a shorter side (here's where you give it a quick shake if you've been in the sand) and fold it in half, lengthwise. Then fold it again, horizontally. After this step, you can fold it in half one more time lengthwise to make it short enough to carry under your arm.
When it comes to beach towels, the monogram choices are almost endless (so long as the message stays below 10 characters). Adding your name to a beach towel is the practical choice, but there are some more creative ways that you can have fun with the process. You can spell out "head" or "feet," if you think a towel is best when it comes with directions for laying out, or skip words altogether and add an anchor, a desert island or even a scuba diver. Other great ideas:
The great majority of cruises provide beach towels in their cabins, so bringing your own isn't a necessity. However, if you've grown use to the comfort and size of your own beach towel, we certainly won't discourage the choice to bring it along.