Why is there no self-laundry on board RC ships?

[bus man]

Aww, come on. I was just teasing, hence the :p smiley. Heck, I'm always seeing folks at the laundromat, just back from their two and a half week European cruise-tours, talking about how much they wished they could have been doing laundry like that while they were on vacation.

 

If the ships had self-serve laundry, you could go to the laundromat and do your own wash in peace, without having to fight for space with all those folks hogging the machines with their huge bundles of dirty clothes they brought back from their European holidays! ;)

[bus man]

I think this discussion is all in the way you look at it. People who want laundry see it as reasonable to give up a few hours of their trip to save $25-50 on either an extra checked bag or on ship's laundry. Those who don't see that as a reasonable trade-off just think it's sounds overly frugal. I doubt that the two will ever meet and I doubt that the ramblings online will make RCL give up the revenue without trying to earn it elsewhere.

 

That is one of the most sensible things I have ever read on these boards!

[kimberley]

Like most people on these boards I encourage friends and family to cruise. I have cruised with lots of different cruise companies some offer laundry rooms some do not. It's strange but most non cruiser actually expect laundry rooms as being the norm. Especially those who have children would probably use on may be more than others. My children have cruised since being four years old and in those days airlines Weight restrictions were not as strict as they are now. Yes I hear people saying but an extra case is only $25 but not in the UK. It's more like $150 an extra case!!!! With all the cruiselines fighting for your business being able to do a small bit of laundry might be a deciding factor.

[Charles4515]

Like most people on these boards I encourage friends and family to cruise. I have cruised with lots of different cruise companies some offer laundry rooms some do not. It's strange but most non cruiser actually expect laundry rooms as being the norm. Especially those who have children would probably use on may be more than others. My children have cruised since being four years old and in those days airlines Weight restrictions were not as strict as they are now. Yes I hear people saying but an extra case is only $25 but not in the UK. It's more like $150 an extra case!!!! With all the cruiselines fighting for your business being able to do a small bit of laundry might be a deciding factor.

 

 

It is not only the cost of extra cases, it is handeling them. Packing, unpacking but most important, carryring them.

[cruisefeen2304]

I knew when i cruised on carnival I appreciated the self-laudering service.

 

A. It allows you to pack less clothing and just due a wash mid way through the cruise

B. Its just convinient.

 

I don't think we've ever taken advantage of the washing service but I have had my suit dry cleaned on an RCCL ship and I swear they just ironed it and brought it back LOL

[kimberley]

It is not only the cost of extra cases, it is handeling them. Packing, unpacking but most important, carryring them.

 

Becareful what you say as some will say if you can afford extra cases you can afford to pay a porter lol. But seriously you don't necessarlly want to bring extra cases. Just the ability to wash the ones you bring.

[lovemylab]

That's great that you were able to pack everything you needed, maybe you weren't in Europe 18 nights. I like to pack as light as possible. If self service laundry was available, I would use it. Since it isn't, I will pay for the laundry service.

 

You're correct, I didn't do 18 nights. However, DH and I did do 14 nights with a medium suitcase, a small suitcase and a small backpack. I'm just pointing out that it is possible to do a longer, European trip without the need to do laundry.

 

RCI's ships sell quite well in Europe (even on the longer sailings) so clearly the lack of self serve laundry services hasn't impacted them too much.

[rim2rimhiker]

RCI's ships sell quite well in Europe (even on the longer sailings) so clearly the lack of self serve laundry services hasn't impacted them too much.

 

The RCI prices for Europe this summer are great. So I was certainly willing to accept no self service laundry for the price we were able to get. I did see the laundry price list in a post and it's very reasonably priced.

 

Happy sailing.

[bus man]

I did see the laundry price list in a post and it's very reasonably priced.

 

For $3.00, I can wash and dry multiple days' worth of shirts, pants, socks, and undies in a coin-operated machine . . . or have the ship's laundry clean a single pair of shorts. I guess "reasonable" is in the eye of the beholder.

[Paul65]

For $3.00, I can wash and dry multiple days' worth of shirts, pants, socks, and undies in a coin-operated machine . . . or have the ship's laundry clean a single pair of shorts. I guess "reasonable" is in the eye of the beholder.

 

OK, sure, but most any time you're paying someone to do a service for you, it will cost more than you doing it yourself. You can go out to dinner at what most people would consider a reasonably priced restaurant and pay as much for one meal as it would cost to buy the ingredients for multiple days' meals. So, yes, "reasonable" is in the eye of the beholder, but the cost of a service being more than what it would cost for you to do the service yourself is not a good gauge of what is reasonable.

[Merion_Mom]

If you are saying that I'm atypical . . . well, you wouldn't be the first! :)

 

Apparently, based on some of the comments, I must conclude that I sweat more than the average person. The way I've chosen to deal with this is to take a shower after finishing up the day's activities, and before dressing for dinner. I have the choice of using the ship's laundry, or packing enough clothes to last the duration of the trip, and paying the airline baggage fees. I've chosen the latter. I would rather have a third option, that of doing my own laundry. Or, maybe I should just leave myself sweaty and stinky. I'm sure my tablemates at dinner wouldn't mind! :eek:

 

To address another poster's remark about how RCI should recoup the lost revenue if they implemented self-service laundry . . . I don't know. Maybe they could ask some of their competitors who offer this service. However, I don't think it's a dollar-for-dollar "loss." After all, there is a cost to provide the ship's laundry service. Someone has to take the dirty clothes from the stateroom to the laundry; someone has to put them into the machines; someone has to take them out, fold them, press them, and put them back into a bag; and someone has to take them back to the correct stateroom. All of this has a cost, both in time (the ship's staff doesn't work for free) and in laundry facilities that have to be dedicated to passenger laundry, rather than sheets, tablecloths, towels, etc.

 

I have no idea what all this costs, but I feel pretty confident in asserting that the revenue difference would not be a dollar-for-dollar loss.

 

Just replying to you.........not to lots of other people who are making different remarks.

 

:)

 

You live in Maryland. Use Southwest Air. TWO BAGS FREE.

 

See? I just solved most of your problems for you.

 

:D

[Merion_Mom]

By the way, there is more to this issue than some of you realize.

 

It's not just the revenue that they generate from charging you to wash your clothes.

 

Several cabins per laundry room must be sacrificed.

 

How many laundry rooms would be enough?

 

Every deck?

 

Every other deck?

 

Every third deck?

 

When does the ratio start to get ugly, competition-for-machines-wise?

 

Equipment to buy, equipment to maintain. Personnel to maintain it.

 

Cruise after cruise, week after week, year after year, ship after ship, giving up the revenue from 12 cabins? Beancounters aren't going to like that.

[Charles4515]

Just replying to you.........not to lots of other people who are making different remarks.

 

:)

 

You live in Maryland. Use Southwest Air. TWO BAGS FREE.

 

See? I just solved most of your problems for you.

 

:D

 

You did not really solve the problem. I also live in Maryland, besides that Southwest does not fly to everywhere from here, with Southwest the bag fee is built into the fare. For example recently I purchased air for roundtrip to Fort Lauderdale at $201. The Southwest rt fare was $360. So free bags are only a feel good...... not a real savings on Southwest.....

[Charles4515]

By the way, there is more to this issue than some of you realize.

 

It's not just the revenue that they generate from charging you to wash your clothes.

 

Several cabins per laundry room must be sacrificed.

 

How many laundry rooms would be enough?

 

Every deck?

 

Every other deck?

 

Every third deck?

 

When does the ratio start to get ugly, competition-for-machines-wise?

 

Equipment to buy, equipment to maintain. Personnel to maintain it.

 

Cruise after cruise, week after week, year after year, ship after ship, giving up the revenue from 12 cabins? Beancounters aren't going to like that.

 

That was my answer as to why. It is a beancounters decision not to have self service laundry rooms and not provide an amenity that other cruise lines are willing to provide. Since I have a choice of cruise lines and I condider self service laundry to be a plus, particularly on longer cruises I will take that into consideration when booking.

 

And since seven days is about all I can take of Royal Caribbeans lousy food, not taking longer cruises on Royal Caribbean is a real easy choice anyway......

[Schplinky]

That was my answer as to why. It is a beancounters decision not to have self service laundry rooms and not provide an amenity that other cruise lines are willing to provide. Since I have a choice of cruise lines and I condider self service laundry to be a plus, particularly on longer cruises I will take that into consideration when booking.

 

And since seven days is about all I can take of Royal Caribbeans lousy food, not taking longer cruises on Royal Caribbean is a real easy choice anyway......

 

What is it you do like? You've taken a lot of potshots in this thread and talked a lot about the lines you consider superior.

 

Honestly, I'm just interested in what they do right that must make it worth it to you to forego the laundry and food of other lines?

[Bakincakes]

That was my answer as to why. It is a beancounters decision not to have self service laundry rooms and not provide an amenity that other cruise lines are willing to provide. Since I have a choice of cruise lines and I condider self service laundry to be a plus, particularly on longer cruises I will take that into consideration when booking.

 

And since seven days is about all I can take of Royal Caribbeans lousy food, not taking longer cruises on Royal Caribbean is a real easy choice anyway......

 

 

Be careful Charles...you can complain about no self serve laundry on RCI but you MUST leave the food alone. :p

 

You can have all the dirty undies you can handle but if you pick on the vittles you will be called "elitist.":p

[koterry]

You did not really solve the problem. I also live in Maryland, besides that Southwest does not fly to everywhere from here, with Southwest the bag fee is built into the fare. For example recently I purchased air for roundtrip to Fort Lauderdale at $201. The Southwest rt fare was $360. So free bags are only a feel good...... not a real savings on Southwest.....

To Fort Lauderdale 197.50 round trip, sorry to hear you paid so much, timing is everything

[koterry]

That was my answer as to why. It is a beancounters decision not to have self service laundry rooms and not provide an amenity that other cruise lines are willing to provide. Since I have a choice of cruise lines and I condider self service laundry to be a plus, particularly on longer cruises I will take that into consideration when booking.

 

And since seven days is about all I can take of Royal Caribbeans lousy food, not taking longer cruises on Royal Caribbean is a real easy choice anyway......

Sometimes its best just to move on when you read the same posts over and over. It's the grain of salt method and thats how I choose to take "some" posts:rolleyes:

[Charles4515]

What is it you do like? You've taken a lot of potshots in this thread and talked a lot about the lines you consider superior.

 

Honestly, I'm just interested in what they do right that must make it worth it to you to forego the laundry and food of other lines?

 

Royal Caribbean has the best ships as far as design and they have the best activities and the best entertainement. Their sweet spot is for fun Caribbean cruises.

[Charles4515]

To Fort Lauderdale 197.50 round trip, sorry to hear you paid so much, timing is everything

 

I don't live in Philly. I fly out of BWI, National or Dulles. Timing is everything, unfortunately Southwest puts up their schedule late, so if US Air is $200 I am going to grab that rather thn hope for a Ding.

[Schplinky]

Royal Caribbean has the best ships as far as design and they have the best activities and the best entertainement. Their sweet spot is for fun Caribbean cruises.

 

I agree. I also agree with you that food is not their strength, at least the free food. I enjoy their specialty restaurants a lot but the MDR food is getting pretty tired.

 

My perfect line would have HAL's MDR food, Celebrity's specialty restaurants, HAL's cabins (minus the dumb mini-tubs) and RCL design and entertaintment. I guess you realise over time what is important to you. Even though HAL wins in two categories for me, the dowdy decor and poor shows keep me from trying it again.

[Charles4515]

I agree. I also agree with you that food is not their strength, at least the free food. I enjoy their specialty restaurants a lot but the MDR food is getting pretty tired.

 

My perfect line would have HAL's MDR food, Celebrity's specialty restaurants, HAL's cabins (minus the dumb mini-tubs) and RCL design and entertaintment. I guess you realise over time what is important to you. Even though HAL wins in two categories for me, the dowdy decor and poor shows keep me from trying it again.

 

And I agree with you on the perfect line.

 

HAL's decor is yucky and their shows tend to creep me out. Someone claimed you have to be "educated" to like their shows. LOL. I don't think that is the problem. But for destination cruises, Alaska, Europe, etc. decor and shows can be ignored. When itinerary is most important both HAL and Princess seem to have better destination itineraries.

[Schplinky]

And I agree with you on the perfect line.

 

HAL's decor is yucky and their shows tend to creep me out. Someone claimed you have to be "educated" to like their shows. LOL. I don't think that is the problem. But for destination cruises, Alaska, Europe, etc. decor and shows can be ignored. When itinerary is most important both HAL and Princess seem to have better destination itineraries.

 

 

That IS funny. Their shows were of the quality that a high school or church group might display as they entertained seniors in a home. They were laughably bad (and the pax around us talked the whole way through them).

 

We liked Princess. It doesn't win tops in any particular category for us but is in the top third in most. Princess had cheaper drinks and other onboard extras, it seemed.

[Chief7]

Why does the Red Roof Inn have a laundry room, but the Ritz Carlton doesn't??

 

Bingo!! :p

[Charles4515]

Bingo!! :p

 

Not sure what you mean by bingo. Meant to mention this before, I never stayed in a Red Roof Inn but as far as Ritz Carlton some of their hotels do have laundry rooms.