Laundry while on cruise, what is your plan?

[carlywilson]

Hi

I see that RCL has no coin laundry facilities, like on Carnival and Princess. I am looking for ideas on how you handle your laundry needs. We have 5 in our party, and this is going to add up to quite a bit of (expensive)valet laundry on a 7-day cruise. Do you pack 7 days worth of clothes, or a few days' worth and use the valet laundry, or do you wash your clothing in the sink in the cabin, or all of the above? If you wash some items in your cabin, do you bring laundry soap onboard the ship? I haven't run across not having facilities before and want to be prepared with a plan of action ha. Thank you!

[nanfromatlanta]

Hi

I see that RCL has no coin laundry facilities, like on Carnival and Princess. I am looking for ideas on how you handle your laundry needs. We have 5 in our party, and this is going to add up to quite a bit of (expensive)valet laundry on a 7-day cruise. Do you pack 7 days worth of clothes, or a few days' worth and use the valet laundry, or do you wash your clothing in the sink in the cabin, or all of the above? If you wash some items in your cabin, do you bring laundry soap onboard the ship? I haven't run across not having facilities before and want to be prepared with a plan of action ha. Thank you!

 

We alwys pack enough for the duration of the cruise and bring the dirty stuff back. :eek: Have never used the valet service. I never do laundry on a cruise, even on Princess where I get it for free. We are always too busy enjoying ourselves. :D

[PhoenixCruiser]

We always pack too much and still use their laundry service, they do a fantastic job!

 

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[MLBFan24]

I've done laundry on a cruise once - only because the week following the cruise, we stayed in Alaska.

 

It wasn't anything different than if you did this at a laundromat, besides no coins. Or if you lived in a college dorm before, or lived in an apartment complex.

 

Though in most cases for a one-week cruise, I just keep an extra suitcase/bag for the dirty laundry (one for the whole family). Just be careful when you open it up when you get home..HA! I think a security dog at the airport became alerted by it once and TSA had to bust open the locked suitcase! Must have been one of those summer cruises...hahaha

[Pumbaamd]

We will send out some of the dressy stuff to have it cleaned and pressed. Saves on packing. The cost is not bad, especially if you have to pay the airline for an extra bag. We would rather pay RCCL a little $$, than the airlines which are really trying rob us.

Even if RCCL had a laundry area, we would never use it. We do enough of that at home, not gonna do it on vacation.

We still come home with several loads of wash to do.

Enjoy your cruise!

Rick and Deirdra

[14Terry]

I utilize the laundry service on the ship also. Can't imagine doing laundry on my cruise vacation! I factor the cost in my cruise budget when booking. Happy cruising!

[joejo]

Interesting. Does anyone know what the costs of getting things laundered on RCI? This is the 1st time I am taking the kids, so things are likely to get dirty!

[gingerpeaches]

As I recall, a bag appeared in our stateroom with a note that said something like "Wash & Fold Service. Fill the bag for $25". It was a pretty big bag, and they just wash everything and fold it. If there's anything in there you want ironed you could request it separately as part of the laundry service. IIRC, this bag appeared twice on our 14 day cruise, so it should turn up in your stateroom at some point during your 7 day cruise.

[NorbertsNiece]

Hi,

 

Do laundry on holiday? :eek:

Nononononono!

Try to bring enough for the trip and use the bag service.

 

This next trip may be different and we will use the laundry service as we're taking 10 days to land tour first.

 

Here's a link to the laundry price list.

[madforcruising]

So far I´ve been on 25 cruises from 1 night to 18 nights, with usually land based nights added to the overall trip duration. My packing/laundry strategy is always the same, regardless if there are self service laundry facilities or not.

 

I pack enough to get over the entire length of my vacation. I would never use the laundry facilities and I´ve never sent anything to get laundried.

 

The only service I do use is the dry cleaning service onboard. It is much cheaper than dry cleaning at home, so I don´t get my stuff dry cleaned before packing, but rather unpack the first day and send it out. This way I have it fresh and nicely pressed :cool:

[Wilda]

We pack enough for half the trip and send everything out to be laundered when the 'fill the bag' offer comes through (which is usually on day 4-5). My husband and I are at the point of being able to do 2 carry-on suitcases for a 7-night cruise!

[B-52]

Send items out on first night to be pressed, after unpacking.

Then use the ship's laundry service at least once, midway through the cruise for wash and fold.

 

We wear t-shirts and shorts most of the time, and usually wind up purchasing a few t-shirts along the way.

 

As far as doing our own laundry, if it was available? Not a chance. I'm on a cruise vacation. As someone else said, we figure the cost of laundry into our budget. (same with tips)

[Sugar*Magnolia]

Hi

I see that RCL has no coin laundry facilities, like on Carnival and Princess. I am looking for ideas on how you handle your laundry needs. We have 5 in our party, and this is going to add up to quite a bit of (expensive)valet laundry on a 7-day cruise. Do you pack 7 days worth of clothes, or a few days' worth and use the valet laundry, or do you wash your clothing in the sink in the cabin, or all of the above? If you wash some items in your cabin, do you bring laundry soap onboard the ship? I haven't run across not having facilities before and want to be prepared with a plan of action ha. Thank you!

 

We always pack for the length of the cruise, plus we overpack. We used RCI's laundry service on our longer sails. I dont recall getting a laundry bag in the room on 7 night cruises, but halfway through on longer cruises they offer a bagfull - $20 for whatever you can (stuff) into the laundry bag. Ask your cabin steward, not sure they will offer the bag-full, but the turnaround is prob 24 hrs, so you still need to have enough clothing - Im not sure where you would hang laundry to dry if you hand washed a load? Why not just pack enough?

[Shak]

Over the past few years I have borrowed many of the ideas of backpackers when it comes to travel especially since that type of clothing have become more mainstream and fashionable. Golf and fitness wear is also making products with similar materials. All of my active wear including t-shirts and polo's, clothing for shore excursions, and underwear are made of lightweight materials that dry fast, travel well, and don't wrinkle easily. As I wear this clothing I wash them in the sink, rinse them, roll them in a towel to remove excess moisture and by morning they are dry when hung up. I use a product called Campsuds for washing. Campsuds is backpacking staple that is much cheaper then soap packets many of you are familiar with. Most of my dress wear is either dry clean only or wash and wear. For those I have them cleaned somewhere near the end of the cruise.

What I find advantageous with this approach is that I can pack way less and when the cruise is over I only have a few items that need cleaned when I return.

Shak

[marci22]

The laundry day special is now $25 per bag. I put in a new tshirt (hoping they wouldn't lose it) and it didn't come back. I called the steward right away and he was able to find it a few hours later.

 

The special includes socks, underwear, swimsuits, pajamas, and tshirts.

[APDMOM]

Hi

I see that RCL has no coin laundry facilities, like on Carnival and Princess. I am looking for ideas on how you handle your laundry needs. We have 5 in our party, and this is going to add up to quite a bit of (expensive)valet laundry on a 7-day cruise. Do you pack 7 days worth of clothes, or a few days' worth and use the valet laundry, or do you wash your clothing in the sink in the cabin, or all of the above? If you wash some items in your cabin, do you bring laundry soap onboard the ship? I haven't run across not having facilities before and want to be prepared with a plan of action ha. Thank you!

 

I just buy one of those small, empty travel bottles from Walmart and fill it with laundry soap for the occasional swimsuit rinse or 'child-spilled-hot-chocolate-on-me' emergencies. Otherwise, pack for all the days. That is the 'cheap' way (and also how I excuse booking my next cruise... "But, honey, I saved so much money by not doing laundry on the cruise" :D

[marci22]

Over the past few years I have borrowed many of the ideas of backpackers when it comes to travel especially since that type of clothing have become more mainstream and fashionable. Golf and fitness wear is also making products with similar materials. All of my active wear including t-shirts and polo's, clothing for shore excursions, and underwear are made of lightweight materials that dry fast, travel well, and don't wrinkle easily. As I wear this clothing I wash them in the sink, rinse them, roll them in a towel to remove excess moisture and by morning they are dry when hung up. I use a product called Campsuds for washing. Campsuds is backpacking staple that is much cheaper then soap packets many of you are familiar with. Most of my dress wear is either dry clean only or wash and wear. For those I have them cleaned somewhere near the end of the cruise.

 

The quick-drying material really is very good. We used a lot of it on our Med cruise and it worked out very well.

[Sugar*Magnolia]

The laundry day special is now $25 per bag. I put in a new tshirt (hoping they wouldn't lose it) and it didn't come back. I called the steward right away and he was able to find it a few hours later.

 

The special includes socks, underwear, swimsuits, pajamas, and tshirts.

 

 

Thanks! Didnt know it was $25, thought it was $20. Who wears SOCKS or pajamas?? haha only kidding about the pj's. In any event I am laughing a bit thinking on board laundry is the same as land laundry, anything can get lost! Now that you said that we're really going to overpack! lol

[isujim]

I have found as a general rule..........the older you get..........and the more cruises you have under your belt........YOU don't do laundry anymore:)

 

Our last cruise was a 14 day Alaska cruise on the Pacific Princess......on our first sea day (and there weren't many).........the self serve laundry facilities were lined up 8 deep out in the hallway...........I just smiled and kept on walking........can you imagine standing in a hallway 8th in line just to get a washer?

 

Send your laundry out..........enjoy your cruise:p

[BroncosFan2010]

RCCL offers a laundry bag for $25 about 1/2 way through the cruise. We have never had to use it before, but plan on it for our B2B in a few months. You cannot wash jeans or large items, but you can stuff the bag with t-shirts, underwear, socks, light-weight shorts, etc...

[cruznjan]

I usually take more than enough outer wear. I hand wash my underwear. BTW, shampoo is great for hand washing clothing.

[Dett]

Take enough clothes that I don't have to do laundry. :D

[ralphie]

Do you mean that RCI has figured out how to wash a pair of socks without losing one of them? How is that done? What is their secret? They could make millions............

 

hehehehe,

Ralph and Shelly

[ralphie]

1- Now this depends on where we are cruising to. If we are in the Caribbean, then it is easy. I won't wear anything more than t-shirts and shorts (bathing suit) 90% of the time. This makes it really easy to pack.

2- Also, consider this. One time while traveling on my own I took older t-shirts and shorts (really old) and just tossed them after they got too dirty. You could also wash them up and donate them to a church while visiting a poorer country. This saves you from having to lug them back home. It leaves more room for your purchased treasures too.

3- Maybe someone should invent travel clothing that is completely biodegradable that can just be tossed when you are done with it. This would be a greener solution.

 

Just for fun,

Ralph and Shelly

[DonnaK]

We pack enough for the entire 7-9 days. Actually, more than enough clothes because I usually end up wearing many things more than once, and other things not at all. There isn't a reason to do laundry on a cruise, unless it's a very long/extended one.