Self-Serve Laundry on Alaska CruiseTour

[NeilFan]

I appreciate all the knowledge from you experienced cruisers....Thanks in advance for your input.

Just wondering how busy the laundry facilities are on these 7-day cruises. We will be coming off 7 days on land and will need to do some laundry. The people who are doing cruise only will be OK since they are just embarking, but we'll have a week's worth of dirty clothes and don't want to offend our fellow passengers, :o and I think doing our own would be speedier than the ship laundry service. Has anyone had any similar experience, and were you able to access the laundry facilities on the first day of the cruise? It would be nice to do some upon embarkation, but more than likely wouldn't have our luggage right away. :rolleyes: By the way, what is the charge for the ship laundry services (just in case)? We are in an HH category on the Veendam, August 16.

 

Rene

[catl331]

We did exactly that last Alaska land/cruise. You can wash at anytime on the non-Vista ships. The soap is included. I think I used quarters for both the washer and dryer so bring a supply. We were on the same floor as the washer/dryers (main deck)and it was easy access. We divided our clothes between suitcases--one for the land tour and the other for the cruise but did use some of the land tour clothes on the ship. This was a HAL tour/cruise and we sent the cruise suitcase ahead to the ship and did not have to lug or worry about it. It appeared just fine at the right time.

[NeilFan]

Hey, thanks for the quick reply -- brings me to another question, so I'm a little off-topic here. Two of you managed with one suitcase for a week on land? How did you distinguish between land and ship clothes? I'm thinking we'll need some of our fleece/rain/wind gear for our Kenai Fjords tour prior to embarkation, so might need to keep both suitcases with us. We were planning on bringing just one suitcase each. Would that be too big of a hassle on land?

 

I need to do a trial run with the suitcases, me thinks....

[Krazy Kruizers]

The washers are $2 and the dryers are $1 -- you can get the quarters at the front desk.

Take your own dryer sheet.

[scottjeanne]

What ship are you on. some of them (the Westerdam for instances) do not have self serve laundrettes.

[spirit rev]

Last year on our cruise tour in Alaska several on our tour did their laundry in the hotels (saw several using the machines in the Denali hotel) before we started on the cruise. Not sure the cost difference as we waited until we boarded the ship and used their laundry service.

[Mary Ellen]

What ship are you on. some of them (the Westerdam for instances) do not have self serve laundrettes.

The OP covered that:

We are in an HH category on the Veendam, August 16.

[NeilFan]

Last year on our cruise tour in Alaska several on our tour did their laundry in the hotels (saw several using the machines in the Denali hotel) before we started on the cruise. Not sure the cost difference as we waited until we boarded the ship and used their laundry service.

 

Off topic again here.....out of curiosity .... where does HAL put you up in Denali?? We'll be there 2 nights and the TWTour is the 2nd day, so we would have time that 3rd morning, or even in Anchorage/Seward the next 2 nights. That sounds like a good option.

 

I told the couple traveling with us that we could take 14 pair of "old" undies and just toss them as we went, leaving room for souvenirs, etc, on the way home. She started going through her rag bag to find some!!:D

 

Gonna have to be creative!!

Thanks..

Rene

[sylteach]

I had asked your question last week. The response concerning dryer sheets was that it is not a good idea, due to chemicals in it. Can anyone else give us input on this?

[agabbymama]

HAL uses McKinley Chalet Resort at Denali. They have a counter desk in the main lodge building, as well as a small building to the side of the main lodge. And it's a lovely resort. Lots of wood timbers, and lodge in the mountains feel. The duplexes are spread out through the woods, with a shuttle bus that makes the rounds about every 15 minutes. We really liked the accommodations. There was a living room, bedroom and bathroom with rustic pine looking furniture. Seemed like your own private cabin in the woods.

 

There are about 4 restaurants right at the hotel. Then a snack bar with sandwiches, chips, soda etc. It's right at what some folks call Glitter Gulch, so there are other restaurants across the street (pizza, subway, etc.).

 

http://www.denaliparkresorts.com/lodging-food/mckinley-chalet-resort.cfm

[spirit rev]

Yes, we were in the McKinley Chalet Resorts but in a large more traditional hotel. I would have loved to have been in one of the other buildings. The one we were in was new and had a great outdoors feeling but not as spacious as described above. There was a laundry room on the 2nd of 3 floors.

[jhannah]

The response concerning dryer sheets was that it is not a good idea, due to chemicals in it.

What? I've never seen OSHA hazardous chemical labels on dryer sheets. We've taken them with us before, packed in zip-top bags, with no problems at all.

[RuthC]

I had asked your question last week. The response concerning dryer sheets was that it is not a good idea, due to chemicals in it. Can anyone else give us input on this?

I always take dryer sheets if I think I'm going to be doing laundry on a cruise.