Unlimited Laundry on Board

[Couchiching]

I saw a thread earlier regarding unlimited laundry onboard the HAL ships. The thread quoted that it was $45.00 per cabin for a seven night cruise. We thought that was an option that we might be interested in as I usually (No Always) overpack. Given the weight restrictions on the airlines these days, we thought that I might be able to cut back on the amount of clothes taken.

I just got off the phone with HAL and they said that yes this is an option. It would be $70.00 per person for a 10 night cruise. You would be able to utilize this option after the first formal night. Not sure when that would be.

Does anyone have any comments about this ??

Thx

Joan

[Jade13]

I saw a thread earlier regarding unlimited laundry onboard the HAL ships. The thread quoted that it was $45.00 per cabin for a seven night cruise. We thought that was an option that we might be interested in as I usually (No Always) overpack. Given the weight restrictions on the airlines these days, we thought that I might be able to cut back on the amount of clothes taken.

I just got off the phone with HAL and they said that yes this is an option. It would be $70.00 per person for a 10 night cruise. You would be able to utilize this option after the first formal night. Not sure when that would be.

Does anyone have any comments about this ??

Thx

Joan

 

Yes, but we paid $70.00 for the cabin for two persons last summer for 10 nights on Noordam. Prices could have changed but I doubt they have doubled. There was an additional $30.00 for pressing which is important, so $100.00 total. We could send out one suit and dress when we boarded so it was ready the next day for formal night. Normally they tell you 48 hours. We would do it again.

[Assateague Island Princes]

When I quoted the $45.00 unlimited laundry for the 7 day cruise, it was indeed for the cabin, not per person. Wonder if there was a miscommunication w/HAL when they quoted you $70.00 per person for the 10 day cruise?? No matter to me - we intend to use it May 31, 2010 on our 14-day roundtrip to Alaska on the Amsterdam. It is well worth the cost - whatever it might be. Really helped us to pack light and so much more convenient than taking a bunch of luggage we'd have to pay for on the airlines. I would highly recommend taking advantage of that service if available.

[canadarocks]

What does HAL laundry service do with sweaters and other items that should not be put into a dryer?:confused:

[Couchiching]

When I quoted the $45.00 unlimited laundry for the 7 day cruise, it was indeed for the cabin, not per person. Wonder if there was a miscommunication w/HAL when they quoted you $70.00 per person for the 10 day cruise?? No matter to me - we intend to use it May 31, 2010 on our 14-day roundtrip to Alaska on the Amsterdam. It is well worth the cost - whatever it might be. Really helped us to pack light and so much more convenient than taking a bunch of luggage we'd have to pay for on the airlines. I would highly recommend taking advantage of that service if available.

Thanks for the info. When I spoke to the HAL agent she put me on hold and double checked with her supervisor. Came back and said it was $70.00 PP. Also said to check the price when we board. That would be a little too late. We are spending a week prior to the cruise in England and if need be, we would make sure we did laundry prior to joining the cruise. Would rather allow HAL to do the honours but $140.00 US which converts to approx $175.00 + CDN is more than what we are willing to pay. I have done laundry on other cruises in the laundromat including our last cruise in March on Princess and don't have a problem doing it. The Eurodam has eliminated the laundromats on board. Another Nickle and Diming that all cruise lines seem to doing these days.

Joan

[Mary Ellen]

What does HAL laundry service do with sweaters and other items that should not be put into a dryer?:confused:

Everything gets treated the same. I would NOT send anything that should be air dried (or dried on low) out to the ship board laundry.

[Spinner2]

On the Zaandam in April (15 days) we paid $90 for the cabin (not per person) for unlimited laundry. It did begin the day after the first formal day, so 13 days worth of laundry, I think. They say 2-day service; if we put it in before about 8:30 am it came back the same afternoon. This may have been because there weren't many people taking them up on laundry service, or maybe our cabin steward was just really efficient, but we put laundry in as late as the day before the cruise was over and it was back to us in time to pack it. We literally went home only with the last day of the cruise's clothes that weren't clean and ready to wear again.

 

I love the unlimited laundry! We take fewer things and there's no Mount Washmore to contend with when we get home. The compromise is that we don't take things that need special handling, or we don't send them to the laundry. I usually pay to have some formal wear and a jacket and a good sweatshirt dry-cleaned; the HAL dry cleaners does a beautiful job and it's cheaper than at home where they would go otherwise.

[LADYLAYLA]

We were on the Zuiderdam in March and took advantage of the unlimited laundry for our 10day cruise

 

We signed up for it as soon as we got on board and they took the first load to the laundry before we set sail It was $70 for the cabin for the cruise. It did take 48 hours to come back, but we would send out daily

 

We sent out laundry 8 of the 10 days we cruised

[kyriecat]

On Maasdam for the April 10-24 cruise, the information package in the cabin listed the unlimited laundry service as being $90 per cabin. Nothing was mentioned about it being per person. With unisex clothes, how would they know if the T-shirts and shorts were men's or women's if only one person purchased the service?

 

My husband and I didn't plan to send enough clothes out to use the unlimited service. However, we did purchase the $20 fill-the-laundry bag a couple of times. I learned how to really pack that thing! We were able to get 7 T's, 1 capri pant, 3 shorts, 4 prs of socks, and 12 assorted undies in the bag. Paying to get those laundered individually would have run us over $60. I can't remember how much we stuffed in the bag the first time but it was a similar amount.

[canadarocks]

We're (2 of us) doing a 14 day to Alaska in August on the Ryndam. Where would I find the cost of laundry service for that?

[Jade13]

Thanks for the info. When I spoke to the HAL agent she put me on hold and double checked with her supervisor. Came back and said it was $70.00 PP. Also said to check the price when we board. That would be a little too late. We are spending a week prior to the cruise in England and if need be, we would make sure we did laundry prior to joining the cruise. Would rather allow HAL to do the honours but $140.00 US which converts to approx $175.00 + CDN is more than what we are willing to pay. I have done laundry on other cruises in the laundromat including our last cruise in March on Princess and don't have a problem doing it. The Eurodam has eliminated the laundromats on board. Another Nickle and Diming that all cruise lines seem to doing these days.

Joan

 

They made lots of errors in Seattle last year regarding laundry pricing. We received a refund when we boarded. There is no excuse for them not to be able to email the ship and confirm.

[canadarocks]

They made lots of errors in Seattle last year regarding laundry pricing. We received a refund when we boarded. There is no excuse for them not to be able to email the ship and confirm.

 

If you received a refund, I assume that means you pre-booked the laundry service. How and where did you do that?

[Big Al B.]

I emailed HAL from their website concerning the laundry for our 19-day Hawaii in October. They quoted $120 (did not say pp) and said I could book it onboard or ahead of time by calling 1-800-541-1576, which I plan to do. :D I figure that that will allow us to get by with one suitcase each for the 3 weeks we'll be gone from home.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

My husband and I didn't plan to send enough clothes out to use the unlimited service. However, we did purchase the $20 fill-the-laundry bag a couple of times. I learned how to really pack that thing! We were able to get 7 T's, 1 capri pant, 3 shorts, 4 prs of socks, and 12 assorted undies in the bag. Paying to get those laundered individually would have run us over $60. I can't remember how much we stuffed in the bag the first time but it was a similar amount.

 

This is exactly what we did on our recent Panama Canal cruise. They charged us $20 for the fill the bag. I have learned how to stuff that little bag pretty good ;) I added up what I placed in there and it would have cost $74.00 paying per item. We only needed to do it once and I was still able to bring home some clothes that were freshly cleaned a pressed :D

In all honesty unless I packed extremely light I cannot imagine doing the unlimited, the cost is just too high. Sending out one bag for the 14 days worked just right for us and a lot cheaper ;)

[Bill HaHa]

If you are in a suite, you can have all the laundry and dry cleaning free of charge. We took advantage of this on our last two cruises. It is one of the perks.

[canadarocks]

This is exactly what we did on our recent Panama Canal cruise. They charged us $20 for the fill the bag. I have learned how to stuff that little bag pretty good ;) I added up what I placed in there and it would have cost $74.00 paying per item. We only needed to do it once and I was still able to bring home some clothes that were freshly cleaned a pressed :D

In all honesty unless I packed extremely light I cannot imagine doing the unlimited, the cost is just too high. Sending out one bag for the 14 days worked just right for us and a lot cheaper ;)

 

How "little" is the bag? I'm trying to decide for hubby & I, what to do.:confused: We did our own on the Veendam (I never saw "the bag" :o), which is always an option as well I suppose.......

[Jemima]

The unlimited is less expensive than per bag IF you send out a bag daily. We aren't pool people, prefer cooler climate cruises and launder most clothes after one wearing. (Exceptions jeans/shorts and also outfits worn just to dinner may get two wearings.) We don't take anything except formal wear that can't be sent to the laundry.

[BCHappyGal]

The laundry bag for the $20 all you can stuff deal is the usual small paper laundry bag provided in the cabin or in hotel rooms. I too can stuff it pretty full getting dirty undies for 3 people + shirts & socks into 1 bag....in the middle of our 10 night cruise.

[kyriecat]

Our bag was a cloth bag that was approximately 12" wide X 16" high with a drawstring top. I was told that the drawstring must be pulled completely closed to be considered a single bag. I don't think I would have been able to squeeze as much into a paper bag since the paper would be likely to tear when overloaded.

[nikkin]

Do they automatically use hot water , and high heat drying on laundry?

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Do they automatically use hot water , and high heat drying on laundry?

You know I cannot answer that question but can tell you that I sent in the laundry bag 2 100% cotton capris and they came back perfect. Actually much nicer than when I do them at home and they did not shrink. So I am assuming that they look at the tags and wash and dry the clothing in appropriate temps.

[LVSue]

On our Europe Prinsendam cruise last year (11 days), I think my SIL paid $45 for unlimited drycleaning; I used the laundry bag fills twice. Anyway, there are two options--unlimited dry cleaning and unlimited laundry. She likes all her clothes dry cleaned to avoid shrinkage, etc. Plus they are nicely pressed in the bargain. And the unlimited dry cleaning is cheaper than the laundry.

 

But, I agree, the unlimited laundry/dry cleaning for deluxe suites is fabulous! It really reduces the amount of clothes I take, and I have even been known to pack dirty clothes (mainly when I have decided to take them at the last minute)! We send a bag out every day.

[Cqis]

I did not use the laundry service. I did use the pressing. I did not press my clothes before I packed them. Any thing that needed pressing including formal wear I sent to be pressed. I washed underwear by hand and hung them to dry on the clothesline on the bath tub. The pressing service was reasonable. I don't remember the price but cheaper than home laundry. It took me two cruises to learn about this time saver. They do it better than I can. No more two day pressing before a cruise for me. I found out that I do take less clothing because of this.

 

Cely

[dibbitz]

Okay, here is our experience. We just returned from 26 days on the Noordam, tranatlantic and then the Med. We had somewhat cool weather, esp. during the crossing, 60 degrees +/-. I tell you this so you can imagine the kinds of clothes I am talking about. We used the $20 per bag laundry service about every 8 days on our trip. The first time it took almost 4 days to be returned but the other times it was 48 hours on the dot. I think maybe the first time, we just hit them at a bad time. Anyway, I was able to get into the blue cloth bag that was mentioned ....5 or 6 knit polo type shirts for DH, XL size, 2 for me, Medium size, 8 pairs of boxers, a couple undershirts, 8 hankies and pairs of sox, and a pair or two of khaki type pants. I rolled them to maximize the amount I could fit. All were returned on hangers or folded in a basket wrapped in paper and a pretty sticker. I washed lightweight undies and hose for myself and a lightweight knit top in the sink using a small amount of Tide I brought with us, and hung it on the line provided in the bathroom and they were dry by morning. If you are in one of the upper level suites, not the SY that we were in, you do get unlimited laundry and dry cleaning, but not all suites come with this perk.

Also, I have read several times that they run specials on laundry for $12.00, but I never found this on our cruise. However, I will say, (and this is off the topic) that during our cruise we found that there would be specials going on in various areas of the ship (2 for 1 drinks, etc) that were never announced or even mentioned so there may have been a day when this special rate for laundry was offered and we didn't know. I was told by others who have cruised with HAL before that there were not as many perks on this cruise as they were used to. So..... that was our experience, hope this helps you plan.L:)

[Pokeynose]

If I have something special I don't want washed in hot water and dried in a hot dryer I wash it myself. It dries in a day. The rest of the clothes I send out. We are in a SB suite so a couple of days before the cruise ends I send it all out and we have clean clothes for our 3 day stay in Seattle with our son and family after our cruise. :)