TandPfromDE

We recently returned from a cruise on the Koningsdam. Prior to departure, I had looked through Cruise Critic to try and determine if the "by the bag" laundry service offered by HAL was worthwhile. A key question was how much laundry would fit in the laundry bag. It turned out to be quite a bit. In the interests of social media, I will share my laundry list:

• 2 shirts
  
• 1 pr shorts
  
• 5 T-shirts
  
• 3 undershirts
  
• 7 pr underwear
  
• 8 pr socks
  

There was room for about 20% more clothing in the bag. The secret to the bag's capacity is that it is made out of stout cloth, with a drawstring closure. You can stuff things into it long after it appears to be full.

HAL will launder a bag for $30 in Europe and $20 in the Caribbean. We were in the midst of an extended trip and found the service to be very worthwhile. As others are noted, the laundry is returned within 48 hours (ours was 24 hours). Everything except underwear and socks comes back with a tiny cloth number strip stuck on the waistband or hem. The strip is about 1/4" tall by 1.25" long. It can be peeled off. Anything that will fit on a clothes hanger will be brought back on a hanger, including undershirts. The two dress shirts in my load were permanent press. They came back without wrinkles, but I don't think they had been pressed. I don't know how harsh the washing conditions were - we did not take chances with delicate items.

Cruise Junky was correct - the evenings were described as Gala. I mistakenly took that to mean Formal. Now that I have correct name for the evening, I find there were previous posts on this subject. I don't think HAL gave us any advice on the matter in the pre-cruise correspondence.

We were on the K'Dam July 1-8 for a cruise to the fjords of Norway. The cruise fell in the middle of a 14 day trip to Europe, and the only time we needed nice clothes was for the two formal nights on the cruise. I very reluctantly packed a coat and neckties, being mindful of the airline luggage weight limits and the small space in the trunk of our rental car in Europe. I should not have bothered. We saw ZERO tuxes on board, and very few suits. My guess is that only about half the male guests in the MDR were wearing sport coats, and only about half of them had neckties. This was even more casual that our last cruise (Panama Canal on Princess).

I recognize that some people want to dress up on cruises, but it appears that the vast majority of cruisers are opting for more casual dress. There is no point in dragging along formal clothes for fear of being conspicuous. Wear whatever is presentable and travels well.

I do support having at least some standards for the MDR. I saw a few T-shirts in the MDR, but mercifully no shorts or baseball hats.