Laundering shirts

[CLOU]

I am not sure if anyone will know the answer to this.  We have taken advantage of the benefit of the free stuffed laundry bag.  We have found it works well for durable things like jeans and polo shirts.  However, last time my husband included a long sleeved cotton blend shirt that he would normally have laundered (but not dry cleaned) at the dry cleaners at home.   When it was returned it had shrunk a little.  He thought that on our upcoming cruise, if instead of stuffing it into the bag, he had it laundered as an individual item, it would be handled separately and with more care.  I think it may just be a price issue, and that laundry is treated as laundry, whether it is included in the $50 bag or paid for as an individual item, and if he wants different care, he would need to have the shirts dry cleaned on board.   Does anyone know the answer?  We intend to ask on board before we send anyting out, but since it may affect the number of shirts he packs, any advance knowledge would be helpful.

[marazul]

All my clothes shrink during a cruise... 🤔

[CLOU]

Unfortuntely, the sleeves shrunk, so I cannot blame it on the the cruise itself.

[SLSD]

My husband had shirts laundered onboard the Ovation last summer.  He did not comment that anything had shrunk.  I don't quite understand how shirts would be treated differently if sent individually or in a laundry bag.  I had assumed that his shirts would be laundered just as they are at our dry cleaner.  

 

I do recognize that laundering my own clothes is a bit more dicey--as I never put any of my pants/blouses/tops in the dryer- unless they are truly casual farm/doing gardening in the backyard items.  I am going to be facing this on our next cruise.  I will either need to do the laundry myself --and hang my items in the bathtub area--or send them to be dry cleaned.  

[SLSD]

Still thinking about the shrinking shirts.  I wonder if the issue was the cotton blend.  I think my husband's shirts are either cotton or linen.  I'll have to start checking their labels.  They are often sent to the dry cleaners---but sometimes I launder them myself at home--and always hang them up rather than dry them.  An interesting question you have posed. I would think you could ask SB while onboard if there is a difference in how shirts are laundered depending on whether they are stuffed in a laundry bag or sent individually.  

Edited February 4, 2019 by SLSD

[Catlover54]

I recently traveled with SB Odyssey with multiple expensive  linen blouses to Caribbean.

 

Some got stuffed  in the free weekly bags, others were sent out individually.  They all came back looking perfect, not shrunk, seemed identically handled.

 

Perhaps the cotton/blend got inappropriately washed on or dried on hot rather than on easycare settings, or maybe it was its first wash, or not labeled well?

You can talk to the laundry chief about both the shirt and what they do, bag vs. individual.

 

My understanding is that ship laundries are supposed to follow international laundering standards based on what the label says it is made of. Likely someone just made a mistake.  If this was an expensive shirt, and not the first time it was laundered, I would talk to the stewardess or SB Square to set you up with a chief laundress meeting. It would be good to know for future cruises too.

[marazul]

CLOU-

It is very strange that only the sleeves would shrink.  Was this a brand new shirt?  Maybe it was a problem with the brand, the label, the material used, the way it was sewn, etc, etc. 

As others here, we have never had any problems with the SB laundry. 

[stamfordian]

21 hours ago, marazul said:

CLOU-

It is very strange that only the sleeves would shrink.  Was this a brand new shirt?  Maybe it was a problem with the brand, the label, the material used, the way it was sewn, etc, etc. 

As others here, we have never had any problems with the SB laundry. 

Strange indeed. I have never experienced shrinking sleeves. However, I do find my shirts, shorts and cotton slacks all come back from a cruise somewhat tighter around the waist after they have been laundered by Seabourn so I guess that must explain it.

[CLOU]

My husband remindes me that it happened twice.  The first time he gave Seabourn the benefit of the doubt.  However, there was again a shrinkage problem and neither shirt was new.  He will speak to the head of housekeepng before senidng anything out again.  On my advice, he may stick to dry cleaning.

[marazul]

Another mystery to be solved....

[BasandSyb]

We have had free laundry for a number of years now and don't use it. Occasionally we "brave up" (or should that be give in to laziness) on long cruises and will put in a few testers - something fairly robust, but are always disappointed. Dry cleaning seems to be OK. It's a shame as I'm sure the staff below decks work very hard.

 

We predominantly wear cottons and linens. Problems are shrinkage (even older, well washed clothes) and fuzzed/pilling on the material - don't ask me how that happens. Once it's fuzzed, the whole finish of the fabric has been destroyed.

Jeans/pants/tops with 5% lycra/spandex comes back stretched and misshapen particularly around the knee area. I think its from stretching on the ironing presses - the stretch in the fabric reaches breaking point and is then steamed.

A number of items have come back with permanent marks like grease as it they have been caught around machinery - this never comes out.

So, a perk that is not a perk. We do meet some very nice people in the laundry (who usually have experienced the same thing).