Laundry Question for Holland Line

[PeriB]

Hi! We are going on our second Holland cruise, but first to Alaska and after baggage reductions - have some questions about the laundry service on Oosterdam - I believe they do not have a laundromat, but I know there is a service.

 

I really appreciate any detailed response, I am having trouble "picturing" how the laundry thing happens... Thanks! :o

 

 

 

1. How much does this service cost?

2. Is this just dry cleaning?

3. Do you include any unmentionables (men's, primarily)

4. How long is the turn around for the clothes?

5. Is there a better time to make the request and where do you actually make the request?

 

Thanks so much!

[LADYLAYLA]

Hope the info in red below helps answer your question

 

Hi! We are going on our second Holland cruise, but first to Alaska and after baggage reductions - have some questions about the laundry service on Oosterdam - I believe they do not have a laundromat, but I know there is a service.

 

I really appreciate any detailed response, I am having trouble "picturing" how the laundry thing happens... Thanks! :o

 

 

1. How much does this service cost? Can do by bag, by item or unlimited for trip. Bag I believe is around 15.00, unlimited depends on length of cruise, but we paid 75.00 i think for a 10 day cruies

2. Is this just dry cleaning? They have dry cleaning, pressing and laundry services

 

3. Do you include any unmentionables (men's, primarily) yes - we sent everything - socks, underwear (men & woman), shorts, tshirts, dress pants, jeans etc

4. How long is the turn around for the clothes?Normally in one day, back the next but sometimes in that day back that day as well. Longest lag with our unlimited was the first day - we got it back 2 days later

5. Is there a better time to make the request and where do you actually make the request? If you want unlimited, purchase it at the front desk when you board. If you want just a bag, stuff the bag, mark the ticket and your room steward will take it for you

 

Thanks so much!

[Assateague Island Princes]

Hi PeriB - I posted a lengthy answer to your question on the other board you posted on about our experiences w/laundry on the Oosterdam - hope it helps! HIGHLY recommend it!

[cruisemom42]

Is the $15 bag a "one-time" special or can you do it a couple of times throughout the voyage?

[cheric]

You can do it everyday if you want to. We use it all the time. Things come back nicely folded in a basket with tissue paper. Some items (even my nightgowns) were on hangers. It is well worth the price, especially when flying in and being limited on what you can bring. This time we are going on a ten night so I think I'll opt for the unlimited.

[JORAY]

Just asked about this and there is the answer.

 

Ray

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Self-service launderettes are not available onboard the Eurodam, Noordam, Oosterdam, Westerdam, and Zuiderdam. All other ships, including the Prinsendam do have self-service laundry facilities available.

 

The facilities consist of washers, dryers, irons and ironing boards. There is a charge for the use of the laundry facilities and it is coin operated. To wash it is $2 per load, to dry it is $2 per load. Prices are subject to change without prior notice. Laundry detergent is dispensed automatically into the washer. Iron, and ironing boards are provided at no cost.

 

Laundry rooms are closed and locked at night.

 

For your convenience, we offer full laundry and dry cleaning service on board all of our vessels. You will find laundry bags and current price lists in your closet.

 

Unlimited laundry and pressing packages are available for:

7-day sailing $45 per person.

10-13 day sailing $70 per person.

14-16 day sailing $95 per person.

17-21 day sailing $120 per person.

Charges may vary for Holiday sailings.

 

There is also an unlimited pressing only package for $30 per person for cruises up to 20-days long. Additional fees may apply for cruises 21-days and over.

 

For $20 per bag, we will wash and dry your clothes. Laundry bags can be found in your closet within your stateroom. This package does not include pressing or dry cleaning.

 

There is a 48-hour turnaround time for this service and it can only be purchased onboard. These offers are only valid until 2-days before the end of the cruise.

 

All rates are subject to change without prior notice.

 

For safety reasons we do not allow irons in the staterooms.

Please feel free to contact us if we may be of additional assistance. We are confident our Signature of Excellence will surpass your expectations. We look forward to welcoming you on board in the near future.

[jbhcw]

I have used the laundry service several times on HAL..totally satisfied except dh wasn't happy with a pair of his docker style pants...think they were the no iron kind..the "finish" was gone and they no longer had the nice slick feel to them. Everything always comes back nicely folded or hanging..no complaints at all except for his pants..and he's picky:eek:

 

I will be doing laundry on the Zaandam..don't mind it..I just get a glass of wine, my kindle and head on down there for an hour or so:)

[SHERGIB]

The best perc for a 4 star mariner is free unlimited laundry. We went on a 19 day last fall and this eliminated a full suitcase. Unfortunately, we did not know it until we boarded. It started the day we went on.

[Bill HaHa]

Also, if you have a deluxe suite, you have free dry cleaning and laundry which is great

[NMLady]

Just asked about this and there is the answer.

 

Unlimited laundry and pressing packages are available for:

7-day sailing $45 per person.

10-13 day sailing $70 per person.

14-16 day sailing $95 per person.

17-21 day sailing $120 per person.

Charges may vary for Holiday sailings.

 

There is also an unlimited pressing only package for $30 per person for cruises up to 20-days long. Additional fees may apply for cruises 21-days and over.

 

For $20 per bag, we will wash and dry your clothes. Laundry bags can be found in your closet within your stateroom. This package does not include pressing or dry cleaning.

 

There is a 48-hour turnaround time for this service and it can only be purchased onboard. These offers are only valid until 2-days before the end of the cruise.

 

All rates are subject to change without prior notice.

 

Have any of you used the 'unlimited' laundry? Since the price is per person how do they figure that when the bag of laundry is from a cabin with two people?

 

Does the laundry bag have the $20 price on it? When we were on the Zaandam there was a 'bag special' twice on the 15 night cruise, but we were given a special notice about it whereas the quote above sounds as if you can have the $20 bag special whenever you want ??

[Assateague Island Princes]

NMLady, when we got the unlimited laundry package on our two previous AK cruises, it was $45.00 per cabin, not per person. Atleast we were never charged $45.00 per person - I checked! I do see that the posting of the info from HAL says per person, but that was not our experience. And if it was designated as such, we still would've taken it, and it would have been worth every penny:D!

[NMLady]

NMLady, when we got the unlimited laundry package on our two previous AK cruises, it was $45.00 per cabin, not per person. Atleast we were never charged $45.00 per person - I checked! I do see that the posting of the info from HAL says per person, but that was not our experience. And if it was designated as such, we still would've taken it, and it would have been worth every penny:D!

 

Thanks, AIP. I was hoping you'd see my question and answer it since I knew you'd used the 'unlimited' laundry option.

If it's $95 per cabin for our coming 14 day Alaska cruise, then that is definitely worth the price, but if it's $95 per person ($190 for 2 people) then it is not worth it in my opinion.

I'm going to sign up for the $95 unlimited option when we're onboard and hope I can include some of my clothes along with hubby's at no extra charge. I can't see the laundry sorting the items for different charges.

[Assateague Island Princes]

We're doing the same, NMLady. Since when I ordered the unlimited option at the front desk, they did not specify it was per person, nor did they ask if I wanted it for one or for two people. We simply used it per cabin, not per person. No one, including our room steward ever said a word. Frankly, I didn't know it was per person cost (or maybe it wasn't back in 2006 and 2008?) because no one ever asked when I ordered it. Will continue to do the same, and if they say its per person, so be it - we'll pay it because we're packing our suitcases based on one week's worth of clothes for each of us, so we need it! Either way, found it to be a great deal and as I said, worth every penny.

[NMLady]

We're doing the same, NMLady. Since when I ordered the unlimited option at the front desk, they did not specify it was per person, nor did they ask if I wanted it for one or for two people. We simply used it per cabin, not per person. No one, including our room steward ever said a word. Frankly, I didn't know it was per person cost (or maybe it wasn't back in 2006 and 2008?) because no one ever asked when I ordered it. Will continue to do the same, and if they say its per person, so be it - we'll pay it because we're packing our suitcases based on one week's worth of clothes for each of us, so we need it! Either way, found it to be a great deal and as I said, worth every penny.

 

We're also planning on taking just one week's laundry but if the unlimited is per person I'll pay for hubby's and will wash mine in Amsterdam's self-serve laundry. His are heavier.

[yogi2929]

Just be careful what you send in...Cold water items and sequins are a no no. Somewhere there is a post about a gal who sent in a broomstick skirt and all the wrinkles were ironed out.:eek:

[luckycruzer]

but I even never send my really mice spakly things out..the bath basin has worked for me..but the basice..great! as we are on the second cruise w/a day in between..the 4 days in Barce. Aint worth my vaca time to stand and miss the view!!! Already working out my wardrobe solutions! NOw...if they'd quite having those after season sales!!! darn the luck Marg and I hit it lucky y'day !!! great day to all.

[NMLady]

Just be careful what you send in...Cold water items and sequins are a no no. Somewhere there is a post about a gal who sent in a broomstick skirt and all the wrinkles were ironed out.:eek:

 

I only send the more durable clothes to the ship's laundry. That's almost all of hubby's clothes, most of my slacks, my cotton undies, my socks. But I'll use the self-serve laundromat (I'm on Amsterdam which has one) for my turtlenecks (to make sure they don't shrink), my blouses, and hubby's compression socks (which I put in a mesh bag for delicates).

When a ship doesn't have self-service laundry I handwash some items or I put them in our laundry bag and take them home to wash. I always handwash my dressy palazzo pants to make sure they stay nice.

[Spinner2]

A reminder too, if you choose to do the "laundry by the bag" instead of unlimited, you'll be amazed at how much you can get into the blue laundry bag they give you to use. The secret, for me anyway, is to fold big heavy items like jeans and slacks and lay them flat in the bag. Then everything else, I roll it up very, very tightly and start stuffing. Smaller items into the corners, and so on. My DH says I could break a wrist with all that stuffing, but you can get an amazing amount in. I think my record was 8 days of clothing for 2 people, but it was a warm-weather cruise and the clothes ran to shorts, short-sleeves, etc.

 

Recently though we've just gone with the unlimited. The charge has always been "per cabin" and was as recently as 2 months ago; HAL always says "per person" on the website but that's not been our experience. We've never had a problem with the laundry service or the condition of the items that come back to us. We think their dry-cleaning service for my DH's tux is the best we've ever had; ditto for how beautifully they do up tux shirts. We always bring those items home freshly done so they are ready for the next cruise.

 

Nothing beats coming in from a shore day of snorkeling/diving or beach fun, taking off those clothes that got soaked on a catamaran or whatever, tossing them in the bag and handing it off to the room steward.

 

Since we know we'll be using the laundry I don't take items that I would normally wash by hand or that require special care unless I'm willing to do them myself or can bring them home to be done. I'd rather have the luxury of someone else keeping us in clean clothes than to take a lot of clothes that require special handling.

[PeriB]

Thanks for the great info on both these threads (I had also posted on the newbie board)

 

One follow-up - is there a hanger or area that you can use for your delicates if you need to hand wash, or should I bring rope and clothespins (just kidding, I mean should I bring something to hang them on)

 

Thanks again!

 

Peri

[mudscraper]

I was amazed how much I could get in that bag using the roll up method.

Got it all back by 10pm the same day. Well worth $20.00.

 

 

Rich

[RuthC]

One follow-up - is there a hanger or area that you can use for your delicates if you need to hand wash, or should I bring rope and clothespins (just kidding, I mean should I bring something to hang them on)

There's a clothesline in the tub or shower.

[luckycruzer]

my other 2 q's..you gals ROCK ! did a mega coup on Pres Day sales Sun/today. Margaret faired well also, some I will wear in 12 daze, for the last vestiges of winter cruising. com-ownnn spring! n summer

[aussiedisneyfan]

I can fit heaps in a bag too. On our last cruise, which was a 17 and 14 night b2b we used the unlimited option. It was $98 for the first leg and $95 for the 2nd. We were also a cabin of three, so even better value. I put in a "meant to be" wrinkled skirt (broomstick skirt?) and wrote on the slip asking not to iron and meant to be wrinkled. Came back perfect!