QM2 laundrettes

It says 45 minutes but I reckoned it was nearer 55.

 

I agree that given how busy the machine are (at 7.35am there was a queue of 3 or 4 people who thought they had got there early but all machines were already occupied -door was opened up at 7.20am), doing washing before you go home is selfish.

 

We (4 of us) did a 3 week road trip before our crossing and had 5 bags of laundry but I prioritised what was actually needed (2 loads) for the voyage and brought everything else home dirty. The machines towards the end of the voyage are really needed by people who are not going straight home.

 

I didn't think the machines were very good. OK for a freshen up but didn't get any marks out.

We had no problems, but nothing had stains to deal with. I thought the packets of soap were a lot for the size of the machines. We did two loads and split the packet between them and everything came out clean.

Do you have "stain stick" or similar pre-treat product in the UK? We can get nice little travel-size stain sticks. Very useful.

I thought the soap wasn't enough! Yes we have stain sticks etc but I didn't take any with me and when I looked on last day (in a Wallgreen in midtown Manhattan) there was nothing suitable. Will wash everything at home even if it was washed on the ship.

Since the launderettes are self service the ship has no control how well or how poorly the people before you have used the machines. Did they use the ship-provided detergent? Their own? None at all? Did they overpack the machines?

I would be very cautious in making any complaints about launderettes. Environmental zeaolots are pressuring the industry to remore them. And, they cost rather than generate revenue.

The ones on deck 5 were definitely front load last week :)

I haven't been on since Christmas! I'm accustomed to the configuration in the photo (which could be Deck 5 for all I know). I guess they've updated them since the beginning of the year.

Since the launderettes are self service the ship has no control how well or how poorly the people before you have used the machines. Did they use the ship-provided detergent? Their own? None at all? Did they overpack the machines?

 

I would be very cautious in making any complaints about launderettes. Environmental zeaolots are pressuring the industry to remore them. And, they cost rather than generate revenue.

True, but they're too small to convert to cabins, so they can't easily be converted to revenue generators. (Unless they go to coin-op machines as some other lines have)

Whilst I am sure it is nice to go home with clean clothes I can find much better things to do on board than a pile of washing at the end of a voyage....and maybe that act took away the opportunity for someone else who really needed to wash some clothes? Just a thought.....

Thank you for these words. On one cruise DH must have sat on something on an excursion and even though we were back early and I rushed to the laundry because he needed those pants for the next days excursion, there was a gentleman who was using 2 machines and proudly explained that he was washing all his clothes so he could go home with all clean clothes.

We had problems with the first iron we tried - it spat muck on the mr's shirt so we just sent shirts to the laundry service after that. A problem on embarkation day of course.

Somehow I didn't mind spending several hours in a laundromat in London or New York but couldn't bear to waste a minute of my qm2 time in a windowless box with a washer.

I used the ironing board and Iron (very light) and the room was packed with people waiting for the machines (washers and dryers).

Lots of wild stories on board about fights that broke out as well, ( things like someone putting chocolate in with someone's clothes in the dryer as revenge).:(

Thank you for these words. On one cruise DH must have sat on something on an excursion and even though we were back early and I rushed to the laundry because he needed those pants for the next days excursion, there was a gentleman who was using 2 machines and proudly explained that he was washing all his clothes so he could go home with all clean clothes.

Unbelievable. Now it's not first come first served but the need of one trumping the need of another. How would you feel if you washing your excursion pants was called inconsiderate because a washer and dryer was taken up for just one garment? :confused: And someone else came along and pleaded that they needed clean underwear?

I can see a whole new level of laundry room fights. "My need is more urgent than your need!"

Although Cunard couldn't use the space for a cabin I'm sure housekeeping would welcome some presious extra storage space. Then at least it woulen't be costing Cunard any money.:(

But surely pants trumps undies unless in a game of strip poker.:p

We had problems with the first iron we tried - it spat muck on the mr's shirt so we just sent shirts to the laundry service after that. A problem on embarkation day of course.

 

Somehow I didn't mind spending several hours in a laundromat in London or New York but couldn't bear to waste a minute of my qm2 time in a windowless box with a washer.

I always travel with an old cotton handkerchief that I use as a pressing cloth. It takes longer, but the sole plate on some of those irons can be grubby. The iron I used last time on QM2 didn't get hot enough to spit steam or anything else.

Actually one of the most helpful pieces of signage would be to remind people looking for a dryer to restart the dryers if they decide to check to see if somebody else's washing is dry yet.

I have seen many people come back to collect their (hopefully) dry washing getting angry to find that their washing is in the dryer and still damp because somebody has opened the machine but then not restarted the drying cycle.

Sorry about my appalling grammar - hope the post is relatively clear.

We wash undies and send everything else to be laundered, but find things dry very quickly over the bath or in shower.

We wash undies and send everything else to be laundered, but find things dry very quickly over the bath or in shower.

Likewise, I do find having the iron makes it easier to give the shirt a quick press for formal night though.

Two years ago we were "upgraded" to a room across from the laundry. This was a huge problem.

People had fights in laundry room bad enough that we had to call security.

The laundry room is small and stuffy. Even though the sign on the door requests that it be kept closed. People gathered outside our door talking all day long. If we asked them to go into the laundry room, many would get belligerent. Again we had to call security to get them to be quiet.

STAY AWAY FROM THE LAUNDRY AT ALL COSTS!!!!

I haven't been on since Christmas! I'm accustomed to the configuration in the photo (which could be Deck 5 for all I know). I guess they've updated them since the beginning of the year.

They were definitely front load on deck 6 last November. Maybe they were changed one deck at a time.

 

STAY AWAY FROM THE LAUNDRY AT ALL COSTS!!!!

Our experience is completely different. We ended up with a cabin opposite the laundry via a cheap deal and were concerned about noise and smells. In fact it turned out to be one of the best situated cabins ever for us. No noise, no smells and a washer just across the corridor when we wanted it.

I don't think anyone should be concerned.

David.

Our experience is completely different. We ended up with a cabin opposite the laundry via a cheap deal and were concerned about noise and smells. In fact it turned out to be one of the best situated cabins ever for us. No noise, no smells and a washer just across the corridor when we wanted it.

 

I don't think anyone should be concerned.

 

David.

lol..yes David ,,, I thought when I read that comment that some people like to make the laundrette out to be dangerous and nasty to keep people out of it so it is nice and empty when they want to wash there smalls...:D

They were definitely front load on deck 6 last November. Maybe they were changed one deck at a time.

We did not know our staterooms would be across from the laundry. But they were.

At some times it was SO loud that we started calling it the "Golden Laundry Pub". That said, "closing time" was usually early enough and we only had to stick our heads out the door three or four times to remind the long line of "Laundrettes" that people were trying to sleep.

For the most part, it was quiet enough. And the noise was almost uniformly "happy".

I will say, tho, I've never seen so many people washing their clothes on QM2. People were standing in a line that stretched out the door. Not all the time. But pretty often.

lol..yes David ,,, I thought when I read that comment that some people like to make the laundrette out to be dangerous and nasty to keep people out of it so it is nice and empty when they want to wash there smalls...:D

We live in hope that new machines will have digital timers for passengers to see how long before machines might become available.

Whilst I am sure it is nice to go home with clean clothes I can find much better things to do on board than a pile of washing at the end of a voyage....

I agree. Apart from that there is another reason for me trying not to go there, since I don't like the atmosphere, not always, but most of the time: You can see acting some 'typical' housewives in full swing .... :eek: :D

is the ships crew able to fix modern washers/dryers or are they fixed only in port?

Our ship had one really smelly broken washer on the deck above (our laundry always was full) that looked like it had been broken (hence the bad smell and mold ) for a month.

one basic problem is (in my opinion) that they need about 1 more machine on each deck. Our deck had 3 machines total.

Here is a picture of the newish Washing machines on board QM2

For the Temp. The red color is the heat of the wash and the Blue the heat of the rinse.