Laundry for Cruise

[SingleFatherofDD]

Good afternoon, its been a while since I last checked in. I have been busy on call in the city with all of the fractures we get. However, my DD and I are going on another cruise for New Years. Before we get on the cruise we are taking a short stop in Orlando to hit Sea World and Disney. Because we are from New York and traveling by airplane we are trying to keep the baggage down to one piece each, in addition to our carry on. I am thinking about taking some less clothes than I need and use the onboard laundry. I will be on a Holland America ship that doesn't have self service laundry. I know it will cost money but we have a discount because I am a multiple cruiser with them. My question to all of you is how strong the detergent they use. I am more worried about the clothes that would be close to her body like her PJs and underclothes. Have any of you ever seen a reaction on your child to the soap they use on the ships. I should have prefaced this question and said that DD never had a reaction to any of the soap I use at home. I sometimes change it up from time to time and nothing happens. I am just wondering if they use industrial strength is there a chance of a reaction. I don't want DD to have a ruined vacation. Also I don't want to purchase soap and do laundry before we get on the ship. DD is growing like a weed so she out grows a lot of stuff. I only buy the minimal things to keep her happy.

[cb at sea]

I'd call HAL and ask....it will probably be the same detergent that they use for the sheets and towels...

If they can't tell you, perhaps it would be a good idea to rethink doing your own laundry before boarding the ship, or bringing enough of those items that only laundry of outerwear will be needed.

[Ula]

Just my experience with ships doing the underwear, it takes out the elastic. One of those never again things. Honestly our last cruise we just rinsed in the sink with some soap.

[erinpdx]

My daughter has sensitive skin so on our last cruise, we just brought a small bag of our own laundry detergent. 2 times during our cruise, after the kids went to bed we did a couple loads of laundry in the self serve machines down the hall. No one else was using them at this time and it was fast and easy. On our upcoming cruise we plan on bringing half of what we brought last time and using the laundry facility. Easy to do and cuts down on your baggage.

 

By the way, to the original poster- I work for an orthopedic medical device company. My guess is that you use Synthes plates/screws for some of your patients. Good luck to you in your fellowship!:)

[6rugrats]

OP - we also have some family members with pretty sensitive skin, and had no problems sending out our laundry on HAL. They have a good deal where you can send out everything you can stuff in a laundry bag at one price. I wouldn't hesitate to use their laundry service.

[6rugrats]

My daughter has sensitive skin so on our last cruise, we just brought a small bag of our own laundry detergent. 2 times during our cruise, after the kids went to bed we did a couple loads of laundry in the self serve machines down the hall. No one else was using them at this time and it was fast and easy. On our upcoming cruise we plan on bringing half of what we brought last time and using the laundry facility. Easy to do and cuts down on your baggage.

 

OP is on a HAL ship that has no self-service laundry room.

[SingleFatherofDD]

I am off for the next two days. I am post call. Got home after DD was asleep so I couldn't put her to bed. Luckily I was able to get her up and put her on the bus for Pre-K. When I don't see her I miss her very much. In her short life she has gone through so much.

 

I want to thank everyone so far for their responses. For the person who asked about the devices we use. From trauma cases we use Synthes. I love their plates. My fellowship is in Pediatric Orthopedics.

 

Finally DD birthday is coming up October 24th. This is my first birthday with her as my daughter. I am surprising her with the information that she is going on another cruise. After the first cruise in August she wants to go on more and more. As I said before I have created a monster. However, I was a monster at her age about cruises also.

[imsulin]

You are aware, of course, that you will need a notarized letter from your daughter's mother to take her out of the US on your cruise. Good luck to you, and happy cruising!

[SingleFatherofDD]

I would if she was still in the life of DD. DD mother gave up all of her parental rites and then left the country. After DD opened up to me about her previous life before getting adopted I had to go back to my lawyer and open a case against her mother and the man that she left the country with. I originally thought that the mother of DD couldn't take care of DD anymore and was giving her to me to take responsibility of her. Now I know she left DD for a guy and this guy was not a good person. I will not go into anymore information about this here. It is a private matter.

 

However, I have all the paper work that gives the rite of DD to me and I take it everywhere I go when I have to cross the boarders or go on trips. It is for my sanity.

[Wilda]

If you are stopping in Sea World and Disney prior to your cruise my guess is you can launder all of her belongings the night before you board the ship. If you are concerned about irritation from the detergents you could always pack some in a ziploc bag and hand wash her things;)

 

Lucky you...sounds like a great trip! What ship are you sailing?

[SingleFatherofDD]

Cathy,

 

Thanks for the information. We are going on the Noordam. Being a single father of a girl is already hard. I am learning things and taking things in stride. However, I don't regret adopting DD. My parents are great they take care of her when I have to work and take call. I still live at home. That is another good thing. I know I should move out but I will do that soon.

 

The reason I asked this question is I want to try to keep DD's and my packing to the minimum need. The other thing is I hope her dress from our cruise to Bermuda still fits her for the formal nights her. She is a lanky (tall&thin) 4 going on 5 year old.

[Julienatul]

We have done laundry on the sip each time. We are platinum on Carnival and get free laundry. My DD and DS have never had a reaction to the soap before. I dont believe its scented because the clothing comes back washed and folded but not smelling of any particular fragrances. The Fragrance is usally what irritates the children especially if they suffer from eczema.

[RoadTripFanatic]

I agree with the idea to do laundry before you cruise. I would go to your local Target/Walmart store and purchase a travel sized container of your favorite detergent. Also various drug stores carry different brands. I've learned ALL free and clear works very well with sensitive skin. Take that with you. A lot of Disney hotels have laundry facilities for their guests to use. You might check to see if the hotel you are staying has self-serve laundry facilities. It will make your life easier. :)

Also Tide sells little packages of sink sized detergent. I usually use 1/2 the amount suggested and get two sink loads out of it. :)

 

Also one more thing I thought of about traveling with a small child to an amusement park! DD and I started going to Disney on our own when she was 6. (DH is not a fan of the mouse house) I had a small fear of her getting lost. I know it's one on one parenting but I still worried! I went to the local pet store and made her a heart shapped dog tag. I put on it My Mom's cell phone number and my number. There was NO identifying information that would give away her name to strangers. I would either lace it through her shoe strings or her belt loop. This way if she forgot my cell phone number if she was lost she would have it with her at all times. I also kept an ID card in my billfold stating if something happened to me to please call her father or her grandparents.

[imsulin]

OP - what is the nature of your job? I ask this because you stated that you are "on-call" and have to deal with "fractures". TIA.

[SingleFatherofDD]

I am an Orthopedic Surgeon who is doing a Fellowship in Pediatric Orthopedics. I am working in one of NYC busier hospitals. Three days on, then two days off. The last day we work we are on call that night. After the fellowship I am going to be a faculty orthopedist for the children's hospital. Don't want to go out and work on my own quite yet.

[jbrezen]

I can't imagine being a single dad doing an Ortho residency. My DH is an ortho and did his residency at Albert Einstein in the Bronx. We had 2 of our 3 kids during residency/fellowship and it was so hard and that was with me being a sahm. Good luck in your career and congratulations on the adoption of your daughter. After 2 bio sons, we adopted our daughter from South Korea and she is the greatest blessing to our family!

 

I am an Orthopedic Surgeon who is doing a Fellowship in Pediatric Orthopedics. I am working in one of NYC busier hospitals. Three days on, then two days off. The last day we work we are on call that night. After the fellowship I am going to be a faculty orthopedist for the children's hospital. Don't want to go out and work on my own quite yet.

[Ula]

SingleDad,

Keep those papers, my sister has raised two with full termination orders due to a past from their parents. Sometimes you just pick up kids along the way. They have gone on cruises, but the paper work always has to be there.

Only one is still a minor but at 16 you think it would be over. Not, those people showed up to one of his football games this year. The other parents and police have been notified. No matter how many years you always have to be on guard. But bless you for doing the right thing and taking your daughter and protecting her.

And on cruising and laundry, wash in the sink. I could share photos of what the ship did to my cotton praticals.

[jbrezen]

That's funny because I thought the same thing, after being married to an ortho for 15 years, he sounds pretty authentic to me. And there are several Children's Hospitals in NYC, I was a peds nurse in NJ/NY for years.

 

Actually he has used some terms that I have noticed in his threads that only a person with ortho experience would use. For example the brand "Synthes" isn't used in normal conversations in most threads. I'm sure he could tell us the difference between a DCP plate and an LCP plate. :) No, I'm not asking you to do it! LOL! I'm just stating my observations. I'm also betting he could tell you the air pressure settings for an AO drill vs a Midas Rex.

[Warm Breezes]

OP if you are nervous about the soap on HAL, I would suggest either washing the clothes at your hotels in FL with your own soap or just packing more items for your DD. At 6, I can't imagine a few extra sets of clothes for just her won't take up that much room and you can have HAL just wash your clothes.

[SingleFatherofDD]

Jbrezen and RoadTripFanatic, I just want to thank you for your support. I don't know why imsulin decided to pick me to single out. I know there are many trolls that come and go. They try to stir up some fun and then they leave. I know that I am not one of those, and I thank the people in advance for believing me.

 

I am not going into any specific medical terminology. However, I just want to say one thing to RoadTripFanatic. I wish I knew the pressure of the drills. However, where I am doing my fellowship we are using battery power drills and saws by Stryker. I have used the compact drills by Synthes and like them better, but we have a deal with Stryker. Also when I was do my residency we used a lot of DVR plates by Hand Innovations. I loved their locking plate system. It is a problem when you work in a hospital and they have a contract with one company and you learned on another. You have to relearn some things. But most of them are very similar to each other with minor differences. Finally when I did use air power drills, the circulating nurse would turn up the medical air to the correct settings.

 

The last thing is that nurses make doctors look as good as we are. Without nurses doctors couldn't survive.

[daze6399]

Honestly if your DD hasn't showed any signs of skin allergies, and the sheets on the ships don't bother her I wouldn't worry too much about doing laundry.

 

Enjoy your cruise w/ her. It something amazing to watch the look on a kids face the first time they see something new isn't it? I'll never forget the look on my DD's face when she saw the castle at WDW for the first time. She was completely amazed. I honestly think she spent the entire first day in a daze, just trying to look at EVERYTHING. It was one the best moments of my life.

 

daze