Elite Laundry Service Questions

[Westsail32]

I’m booked on a ten-day soon and now that I’m Elite I have the laundry service (I had it last cruise too but still did my own).  I may actually utilize it this cruise but had some questions.  I know you bag it and leave it in the cabin.  Otherwise I’m clueless.

 

1.  Once you send it how long does it take to get it back?

 

2.  How does it come back?  (Folded, in a bag, on hangers?)

 

3.  How has your experience been with it?  
 

4.  Have they ever lost or damaged anything?

 

5.  If you send a dress shirt do they iron it too?

 

Thank you!

 

 

Edited September 10, 2022 by Westsail32

[Waynetor]

The time to get items back is usually 2 or 3 days  - depends on the # of elite on board.  Your steward will advise you. as well as let you know the last time you can submit items.

 

Things that are normally on hangers will be on hangers and be ironed.  Items like socks and underwear are folded in a bag.

 

We have about 500 days as elite and have had a few issue but not too many - Cotton shirts have been damaged a couple items and a coupe times have received other peoples items with ours missing 

[Kay S]

Don't send anything delicate.  They wash in hot water and use a hot dryer.  It's great for underwear and such, though.

[HaveDogWillTravel]

1.  Once you send it how long does it take to get it back?

From 1-3 days depending on # of elites. Your steward will let you know what to expect if you ask. 

 

2.  How does it come back?  (Folded, in a bag, on hangers?)

On hangers. Only socks, underwear and bras come back folded in a bag. 

 

3.  How has your experience been with it?  
After over 100 days as elite using laundry daily I have never had anything damaged or lost. I absolutely love this perk and I do not know of any other cruise line that offers this amazing service. 
I do not send extremely expensive or irreplaceable items. 
 

4.  Have they ever lost or damaged anything?  No

 

5.  If you send a dress shirt do they iron it too? DH brings all his button up shirts not ironed on board and sends them out day one to be pressed. They come back beautifully pressed. When they are sent in after wearing to be laundered they do press them as well. 

[wallyj]

I usually take a photo of my laundry to be sent out laid out on my bed in case anything goes missing. Once you receive your clean laundry back and all is good, delete picture for next load.

 

On the laundry form, fill out the number of each item, you do not need to try and calculate total, as they will do for you as it does not matter as elite. I just write ‘elite’ on the total line. 
 

Your account will be charged, but usually within a day this amount will be reversed/credited back. I believe this is done for accounting purposes.

 

They attach small  ID labels you need to search for and remove as they are scratchy, usually on the inner hem for shirts and t-shirts, pants will have them around the zipper area or inner rear waistband area. My last few loads, they have been removing these ID tags from socks and underwear before returning, , but have missed a few.

 

 

[MissP22]

5 hours ago, wallyj said:

I usually take a photo of my laundry to be sent out laid out on my bed in case anything goes missing. Once you receive your clean laundry back and all is good, delete picture for next load.

This part of your post is most important. Sooner or later they'll lose an item. 

[geoherb]

The zipper on a pair of DH's pants was damaged once. There's a tailor onboard who fixed it.

 

On my cruise last month on the Caribbean, they did not do the accounting trick of charging my onboard account and then giving me a credit. My cabin steward warned me that due to the number of Elite passengers on the ship (836) that it would take up to 72 hours to get laundry back. My first couple of batches came back in 36 hours. My last few batches came back in 60 hours.

 

On one of our transatlantic cruises, our cabin steward told us it would take up to five days to get things back. 

 

Your cabin steward should also tell you what the last day to send out laundry is. My cruise ended on a Wednesday, and the last day to send anything out was the Saturday before. 

[SargassoPirate]

I'm Elite and still do my own laundry on board.

 

1.  I get it back immediately.

 

2.  It gets folded and/or on hangers.

 

3.  My experience with doing my own laundry has been excellent.  
 

4.  I have never damaged anything.  All buttons and zippers are intact.  Cold wash, warm dry and I keep an eye on any synthetics in the drier.  Whites and darks are washed separately.

 

5.  I iron what needs to be ironed as it comes out of the drier.

 

 

 

[WatchHill]

DH likes to send out his Dockers and casual shorts.  They seem to tolerate the hot water and dryer. The one time I sent out my shorts, a zipper was damaged and could not be repaired.  With easy access to self laundry, it's easy to toss in a load or two and press as needed. With the shift to more casual attire, using the laundry works for us. Oh, I always pack a few packets of travel unscented HE detergent to use rather than buy on the ship - there have been times when the machines haven't been refilled and you may have to run deck to deck in search on a dispenser with products you need. I wonder with the Medallion, if I can equest a drink [martini] and have it delivered to the laundry room. 

 

Darcy

[skynight]

1 hour ago, WatchHill said:

 The one time I sent out my shorts, a zipper was damaged and could not be repaired.  

 

Darcy

This has happened to us with men's pants on board. But, it has also happened to us at home. Closing the zipper and pants seems to prevent zipper damage.

[Josy1953]

41 minutes ago, skynight said:

This has happened to us with men's pants on board. But, it has also happened to us at home. Closing the zipper and pants seems to prevent zipper damage.

Many years ago a cabin steward told me to check that zips on all garments are closed because they often have complaints about broken zips.  I have followed his advice and never had a broken zip.

The laundry perk is the best perk ever.

Edited September 10, 2022 by Josy1953

[LACruiser88]

10 hours ago, wallyj said:

I usually take a photo of my laundry to be sent out laid out on my bed in case anything goes missing. Once you receive your clean laundry back and all is good, delete picture for next load.

Along with the photo of the items we are sending out, we also take a photo of the laundry form.

[MissP22]

And never choose HOT drying. Just specify cool dry on the ticket.

At home we use cold water to wash & cool dry always and if you're sending in an article for the first time and it's never been washed & dried in hot temp, it's almost a guarantee to shrink. 

[Thrak]

14 hours ago, wallyj said:

I usually take a photo of my laundry to be sent out laid out on my bed in case anything goes missing. Once you receive your clean laundry back and all is good, delete picture for next load.

 

 

Wish we had done that. The first time we used the laundry service my wife's pats (trousers for the Brits) were not returned. Instead she got a pair of "skinny jeans" that might fit a 10 year old girl or a very tiny woman. The steward had no idea what she was talking about when she described the missing item. It took 3 days to get her proper garment returned. The only other time we used the service she had a spot on her "formal night" dress. She sent it out for cleaning - which is different from regular laundry service. It came back with the spot still in place. (When we returned home she was able to remove the spot herself but the laundry service was supposed to be able to take care of it.)

 

We do our own laundry. That's one of the big differences between Princess and most other lines. Most lines don't have the option to do your own laundry. We put in the load, set a timer, and go watch a movie in the cabin. When the timer goes off (we set it a few minutes early) we pause the movie and move the load to a dryer and then repeat. It's pretty simple and has worked well for us. Setting the timer and having it be a bit short of the actual time the load will run is important so you aren't "blocking" other people's access to the laundry facilities. We bring our own laundry detergent because I'm allergic to most of the products (they make me itch horribly) and I also have issues with scent that is added to most products. I don't understand the obsession with putting perfume in all of the products. I think it stinks and it also gives me horrible headaches.

[jwattle]

12 hours ago, WatchHill said:

DH likes to send out his Dockers and casual shorts.  They seem to tolerate the hot water and dryer. The one time I sent out my shorts, a zipper was damaged and could not be repaired.  With easy access to self laundry, it's easy to toss in a load or two and press as needed. With the shift to more casual attire, using the laundry works for us. Oh, I always pack a few packets of travel unscented HE detergent to use rather than buy on the ship - there have been times when the machines haven't been refilled and you may have to run deck to deck in search on a dispenser with products you need. I wonder with the Medallion, if I can equest a drink [martini] and have it delivered to the laundry room. 

 

Darcy

If you're in a suite, just request the drink from the Concierge Lounge😂 it's right up the hall!😂

[gvre]

15 hours ago, SargassoPirate said:

I'm Elite and still do my own laundry on board.

 

1.  I get it back immediately.

 

2.  It gets folded and/or on hangers.

 

3.  My experience with doing my own laundry has been excellent.  
 

4.  I have never damaged anything.  All buttons and zippers are intact.  Cold wash, warm dry and I keep an eye on any synthetics in the drier.  Whites and darks are washed separately.

 

5.  I iron what needs to be ironed as it comes out of the drier.

 

 

 

30 Princess Cruises later..my wife will not let them do hers I will send out shorts or T-shirts but anythng else we do ourselves