Recent Experiences with Laundry/Dry Cleaning set price for cruise?

[scott in maine]

Hi all --

 

we're on Volendam's inaugural Caribbean run for the season in less than a month and this will be our first HAL sailing after many cruises on X. One unique thing I've read about HAL from time to time (but not all that often) is this mysterious business of offering a set price for passengers who so choose to have unlimited laundry/dry cleaning for the duration of the sailing.

 

Can anyone clarify for us any details of such a program? (Is it offered on every HAL sailing? For our 10 night sailing, what sort of price might it be? etc?)

 

The last time we sailed on X for a 12 night cruise (Med), I simply chose not to have dress shirts cleaned and pressed until I got on the ship. When my bags were delivered to the room, I put about 6 shirts and 4 pants into the cleaning bag and handed it all to the cabin attendant!

 

I think I'll do the same thing this time, but would appreciate help from the rest of you in understanding how this unlimited laundry service program works.

 

(We are booked in a standard outside cabin, non-suite.)

[kakalina]

Hi Scott in Maine: We have used this service frequently. On the R & S class ships there is a wonderful blue cloth bag. For ( depending on many things ) about $18USD you can fill the bag, turn it in to your room steward and 48 hours later you will have your beautifully clean and pressed laundry. DH is really good at stuffing a bag, the last bag we sent in had a dozen dress shirts, several pair of casual slacks, tee shirts. and unmentionables. That is a heck of a lot for a small price. So much nicer than doing your own laundry.

[thomasale]

I'm on the same criuse as Scott and I had planned on the same thing for my dress shirts...I also would like to commend Scott for his handling of the scheduled meet and greet...for some reason we seem to have alot of confirmed X cruisers on this sailing...we are going to have a GREAT time :)

[Aussie Gal]

We have always taken the special for laundry that is offered at the beginning of a cruise.

 

Last July when we were on the Maasdam for the 17 day trip across the Atlantic I think it was around $90 for unlimited laundry. That means if you want you can put out a bag everyday for the whole cruise.

 

We are going to be on a 34 day cruise on Sunday on the Veendam and we will again take advantage of the special. This time I imagine it will be around $150+ for the whole voyage.

 

When you first board, if you cannot see any notification of this special, go to the Front Desk and ask about it.

 

Jennie

[scott in maine]

I'm on the same criuse as Scott and I had planned on the same thing for my dress shirts...I also would like to commend Scott for his handling of the scheduled meet and greet...for some reason we seem to have alot of confirmed X cruisers on this sailing...we are going to have a GREAT time :)

 

Hey Tom!!! Fancy meeting you here! ;)

 

And, thanks, Kakalina, for your quick reply. That sounds like the deal of the century to me!! I've been on cruises where my cleaning bill alone was close to $50 or $60. And that was just doing the essentials for a long cruise!

 

For $18, I can't even imagine NOT doing this! This is very helpful information to have in advance. I'd also like to share it with our Volendam Roll Call group...... However, before I do, I'd like to have all my facts straight.

 

I assume the $18 price was for a 7 night sailing? What's the pricing for a 10 nighter? Also, is this offer extended on EVERY HAL sailing or just some?

 

(Sorry to pester, just wanting to nail this down.) Many thanks, in advance, for your kind advice.

[scott in maine]

Last July when we were on the Maasdam for the 17 day trip across the Atlantic I think it was around $90 for unlimited laundry. That means if you want you can put out a bag everyday for the whole cruise.

 

Aha -- the plot thickens! This is interesting, Jennie. So, was there not an offer on this sailing for a one bag deal? Just an unlimited offer?

 

(thanks!)

[Aussie Gal]

Sorry Scott,

 

We never look for the bag deals as we find it is cheaper for us to have the unlimited laundry. So I cannot tell you if there was a one bag deal. I do know that on Princess that is the only way you can send laundry out as we were on the Regal Princess for 21 days in January and in all that time there were only 3 days of the one bag special.

 

Jennie

[Grumpy1]

Keep in mind that the unlimited laundry deal is for laundry, ironed and folded or hung. It is NOT for drycleaning and pressing. Those packages can be purchased separately. The one bag deal is a per bag price for all of the laundry you can stuff in the bag. On the Rotterdam in June we sent laundry out three times on a twelve night cruise. It was less than the cost of the unlimited package that our dinner companions bought for about $85.

[Grumpy1]

Aha -- the plot thickens! This is interesting, Jennie. So, was there not an offer on this sailing for a one bag deal? Just an unlimited offer?

 

(thanks!)

The one bag deal is always available on all ships. There seems to be a lot of variation in the price, though. People on recent cruises have reported anything from $12 per bag to $22 per bag. The last time I added up the "per piece" pricing, we had stuffed $104 worth of laundry in the bag.

[kakalina]

Scott in Maine: We were on a 44 day cruise and I am sorry that I omitted the fact it is a per bag charge.

[Sunshine91]

Has anyone had experience with onboard pressing-only? I have a 100% silk dress that arrived horribly wrinkled. I'm figuring why try to press it if I won't wear it prior to the cruise. It'll just get wrinkled again in the luggage. Since it's just a delicate fabric, I'm wondering how the laundry service will handle it. Anyone have any tales to tell?

[OceanLiner]

We were on the Volendam for its final spring caribbean cruise in March of this year. Our suite came with the laundry service so I cannot comment on the price, but I can comment on the service. Excellent! All of our items came out VERY well, particularly my dress shirts. My only negative experience came when a set of my pajamas were accidently sent through the service. They were wonderfully pressed, folded, and heavily starched. Made for a very interesting evening and I was tempted to wear them for formal night. Our favorite part of using the laundry services is the simple math of only packing about 1/3 of the clothes that you would normally need. Less packing and much easier to travel.

[barriesdad]

Just got back from the Zuiderdam sailing 9/9 to 9/16 and we signed up for the unlimited package as we had already been away from the UK for 2 weeks prior to the cruise.

 

As I needed my tux and dress shirt pressing straight away as the 1st formal night was the night after boarding we sent those straight away for express pressing which cost $14.25 ($9.50 + 50%). We also had a load of clean items that needed pressing so we sent them off with the unlimited pressing box ticked (which according to the info in the cabin should cost $30). During the week we also had 3 bags stuffed with gear with the unlimited laundry box ticked (that should've been $45). I believe the per bag charge was $12.

 

When we received our statement we were pleasantly surprised to see that the only charge made for laundry was the original $14.25.

 

So 3 bags of laundry and about a dozen items pressed for $14.25 - a bargain!!!

 

I can also add that everything came back immaculately folded or hung on hangers. Items that were folded were in a wicker basket wrapped in tissue paper.

[unclerich]

Hi Barriesdad,

 

Welcome back from Alaska. Hope you had a great cruise.

At least the laundry was a bargain!

Best wishes for a Happy and Healthy New Year.

 

Richard

[barriesdad]

Hi Barriesdad,

 

Welcome back from Alaska. Hope you had a great cruise.

At least the laundry was a bargain!

Best wishes for a Happy and Healthy New Year.

 

Richard

 

We had a most fantastic time and think we are hooked!!! Time to start thinking about our next cruise.

 

We had virtually no problems apart from our Renewal of Vows package which is on another thread.

 

Best wishes to you too and well over the Fast.

 

Lloyd

[Desdemona01]

we've never used the laundry service on our HAL cruises before but plan to on our upcoming cruise. My concern is that I've read that everything is washed in very warm to hot water. Most of our daytime garments are vivid colors that must be washed in cold water. I'm assuming that I can only send items to the laundry that can withstand the hotter temperatures--is this correct?

[barriesdad]

we've never used the laundry service on our HAL cruises before but plan to on our upcoming cruise. My concern is that I've read that everything is washed in very warm to hot water. Most of our daytime garments are vivid colors that must be washed in cold water. I'm assuming that I can only send items to the laundry that can withstand the hotter temperatures--is this correct?

 

Yes you are correct. We didn't send anything that couldn't be tumble dried either. No t-shirts or items made out of cotton as they would shrink.

 

Having said that I think all my clothes have shrunk!!

 

Oh - it could have something to do with all the food consumed onboard :D ;)

 

Lloyd