No Laundry? Oh my! Really?

[lovesthebeach2]

11 hours ago, Anton said:

The list of cruise lines that have self-serve laundry is not very extensive.  Carnival, Holland America, Princess, Disney, and Oceania are the ones that spring to mind.  NCL doesn't (they used to but removed it many years ago).  None of the Royal Caribbean Group brands have it.  I don't recall Royal ever having it, but they may have on their original ships.  Royal did install machines on the world cruise aboard Serenade, but only because it's a unique cruise.  They will be removed once the voyage ends.  I don't think laundry service is a huge profit center for Royal Caribbean.  They just don't want to deal with the maintenance, stocking supplies, etc.  It is what it is. 

Silversea also has self serve laundry from what I’ve read on their site.

[lovesthebeach2]

10 hours ago, crzndeb said:

I survived 54 nights last year and I don’t use laundry service. It can be done, if you don’t mind creative handwashing. I pack magnetic hooks and also have a clothesline with clips attached. When I would wash things in the evening, they would be dry the next day. And as mentioned, rolling in towels and walking on them to get as much water as you can,  before hanging to dry.

Thats what I do and to add, I although I don’t have a clothes line, I hang them from the ceiling by the air vent which helps them dry faster. 

[time4u2go]

1 hour ago, Cruise a holic said:

I don’t get it?  People spend thousands on a cruise but have a problem paying for a piece of luggage?  Also, we have tracking devices in our luggage.  If misplaced at airport or pier we can track. Of course we carry on a change of clothes and a swimsuit, etc. for emergencies 

Sometimes the cruise is just a small part of a much longer trip so bringing an extra piece of luggage doesn't solve the problem. 

[Cruise a holic]

47 minutes ago, time4u2go said:

Sometimes the cruise is just a small part of a much longer trip so bringing an extra piece of luggage doesn't solve the problem. 

Surely more clothes, less laundry worries.  And while tracking devices cannot help if your luggage isn’t with you, but it helps knowing where your luggage is. Don’t bring designer clothes when traveling   Most ports and countries have clothing shops in the event of an emergency. I once forgot underwear on a bermuda cruise and the ship had none but the port sold

Edited May 1 by Cruise a holic

[time4u2go]

2 minutes ago, Cruise a holic said:

Surely more clothes, less laundry worries.  And while tracking devices cannot help if your luggage isn’t with you, but it helps.  Don’t bring designer clothes when traveling 

How does a luggage tracking device help with doing laundry?

[Cruise a holic]

1 minute ago, time4u2go said:

How does a luggage tracking device help with doing laundry?

Two part reply.  Some people don’t want to spend money for luggage on an airplane, others said they were worried about lost luggage

[time4u2go]

Just now, Cruise a holic said:

Two part reply.  Some people don’t want to spend money for luggage on an airplane, others said they were worried about lost luggage

Gotcha.  For me, it's neither of those things.  It's that I take long trips, often to hot places where it would be nice (and convenient) to be able to wash clothes on a cruise ship, preferably not by hand.

[pcur]

13 hours ago, Kellie in Texas said:

@deltahog I am with you 100%. We've cruised on Princess a couple of times and were able to do laundry during the week, but mostly we've cruised RCCL and have to make do. There is a weekly "stuff laundry in this bag" special that's around $30-35, but seems like it's toward the end of the week so you don't have to travel home with dirty clothes. There are lots of folks on this forum that have collapsible laundry tubs that they bring and wash things out in the shower. Maybe look for dry-fit type shirts that you could wash by hand and let drip dry. My husband got some -- I call them fishing pants -- but they are khaki pants in a very thin fabric that dries really fast. 

You can ask your cabin attendant at any time for the wash and fold bag.  

[Joanne G.]

33 minutes ago, pcur said:

You can ask your cabin attendant at any time for the wash and fold bag.  

Sure, but my understanding from the post by @Kellie in Texas is that the stuff-the-bag special for a flat rate is only offered at select times during the cruise.  Otherwise, items sent out in the bag are washed at the per-item price, correct?  

[papaflamingo]

15 hours ago, deltahog said:

Huh?  "Safety concerns?"  Can anyone detail what "safety concerns"?

Yes, the U.S. Coast Guard can detail the safety concerns.  This might help. 

https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/OCSNCOE/Casualty-Information/Safety-Alerts/CG-SA-11-15.pdf?ver=4PLf75tU9nV6eG5ioI0MWg%3D%3D

[BecciBoo]

1 hour ago, Joanne G. said:

Sure, but my understanding from the post by @Kellie in Texas is that the stuff-the-bag special for a flat rate is only offered at select times during the cruise.  Otherwise, items sent out in the bag are washed at the per-item price, correct?  

I wouldn't trust them to wash my clothes because of the heat and shrinkage...LOL...I bring enough.

[mjkacmom]

16 hours ago, time4u2go said:

LOL "safety concerns". Apparently Princess and Carnival and Disney and I'm sure others don't have those same "safety concerns".  I'm guessing they meant "profit concerns".

 

No laundry rooms on ncl.

[cruiselvr04]

We were on Brilliance 46 nights in a row this year. B3B.  Each cruise I sent out underwear, socks, work out clothes in stuffed wash and fold bags.  One nightgown came back a little different color, otherwise no issues. 
 

We use the collapsible bucket method, use the body wash in the shower, soak, rinse twice, roll in pool towels and hang to dry from magnets on the ceiling. I find it easier to do every 5 days or so rather then let it build up. It’s bit of an aerobic work out. 
 

 We do not pack light and always check bags. 

 

I do wish Royal had self laundry. I air dry most of our clothes so I don’t send them out in the regular laundry, just use wash and fold for the stuff we don’t care about. 

[jean87510]

17 hours ago, Cherful59 said:

@deltahog We get several pool towels, hand wash undergarments and socks, squeeze and roll them in the towels to get additional water out, then hang them dry.  You can also washout many other items, roll in towels and hang dry them. 

It's what we do.  And why I have 20 magnetic hooks all over the ceiling.  Got the roll tip from cruise critic and it works like a charm even in an inside cabin.

[The Fun Researcher]

If you are hell-bent on no checked bags then just pony up and pay for Royal to wash your clothing if needed.

 

[doghog]

1 minute ago, The Fun Researcher said:

If you are hell-bent on no checked bags then just pony up and pay for Royal to wash your clothing if needed.

 

And cruise more with RC to become D+. 🙂

[ONECRUISER]

3 hours ago, pcur said:

You can ask your cabin attendant at any time for the wash and fold bag.  

Last 3 Royal Ships I was on they had us use the regular paper laundry bag. Holds twice as much and doesn't rip like the old wash/fold bags. Hope this is permanent change

[doghog]

Just now, ONECRUISER said:

Last 3 Royal Ships I was on they had us use the regular paper laundry bag. Holds twice as much and doesn't rip like the old wash/fold bags. Hope this is permanent change

Celebrity now uses cloth W n F bag with drawstrings. Like to see RC go to those. 

[The Fun Researcher]

13 minutes ago, doghog said:

And cruise more with RC to become D+. 🙂

Working on it.  😉

 

With reciprocal benefits on Celebrity this past December, we had the benefit of a free bag of laundry for each of the five in our family.  Never used it once, but it was nice to know we had the option!

[doghog]

31 minutes ago, The Fun Researcher said:

Working on it.  😉

 

With reciprocal benefits on Celebrity this past December, we had the benefit of a free bag of laundry for each of the five in our family.  Never used it once, but it was nice to know we had the option!

We only use the W n F laundry perk (both RC and Celebrity) for underwear and socks. And even at that we really don't need to as we both over pack on those items. To be honest, we over pack on all clothes items. 

Edited May 1 by doghog

[Jetdriver787]

I don’t understand all of the fuss! Just take a Wicker basket. I throw all my clothes somewhere near it and 2 days later they all appear clean and folded in the drawer? 🤷‍♂️

[doghog]

2 minutes ago, Jetdriver787 said:

I don’t understand all of the fuss! Just take a Wicker basket. I throw all my clothes somewhere near it and 2 days later they all appear clean and folded in the drawer? 🤷‍♂️

What cruise line is that on. Sign me up.🤣

[bucfan2]

13 minutes ago, Jetdriver787 said:

I don’t understand all of the fuss! Just take a Wicker basket. I throw all my clothes somewhere near it and 2 days later they all appear clean and folded in the drawer? 🤷‍♂️

This is truly amazing....When I get onboard, I cruise the ship/get a couple drinks/relax/etc, and when I get to our room, I magically have clothes that are all the proper size hanging and in drawers.  They even look remarkably similar to those at home.

Upon arriving home, as long as I go out and have fun and don't attempt to accomplish anything in the house, it appears nothing has been touched since we departed (clothes/ship games/etc).  Only occasionally is there a suitcase that needs to be put away.

I've determined the key to this whole process is to be uninvolved, unstressed, and inattentive.  Life is good.

Edited May 1 by bucfan2

[Jetdriver787]

1 minute ago, bucfan2 said:

This is truly amazing....When I get onboard, I cruise the ship/get a couple drinks/relax/etc, and when I get to our room, I magically have clothes that are all the proper size hanging and in drawers.  They even look remarkably similar to those at home.

Upon arriving home, as long as I go out and have fun and don't attempt to accomplish anything in the house, it appears nothing has been touched since we departed (clothes/ship games/etc).

I've determined the key to this whole process is to be uninvolved, unstressed, and inattentive.  Life is good.

Indeed! I just asked my wife, but she muttered something I couldn’t quite hear, and then stormed off to play something called “Bingo?” 🤷‍♂️

[bucfan2]

5 minutes ago, Jetdriver787 said:

Indeed! I just asked my wife, but she muttered something I couldn’t quite hear, and then stormed off to play something called “Bingo?” 🤷‍♂️

Have to admit...some training required 😏