Elite laundry perk - pack light?

[Pia1913]

Lord, no, that's not for me. Those people are too intense.

 

Oh, we've met? :D

[tarheelmjfan]

I am really looking forward to reaching Elite (in just 8 short cruises:o) primarily for this perk!

 

It is a very nice perk. From the sound of this thread, I'm afraid by the time you & I make it to Elite this perk will be greatly reduced or eliminated. It doesn't look good for the long term. Hopefully, that won't be the case. :)

[TracieABD]

It is a very nice perk. From the sound of this thread, I'm afraid by the time you & I make it to Elite this perk will be greatly reduced or eliminated. It doesn't look good for the long term. Hopefully, that won't be the case. :)

 

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo..... Say it isn't so!:(

[SusieO]

So do you send all clothes or just things you don't care if they shrink or do they not really shrink the clothes? This is our first time to be able to utilize the service, too, and I am a bit afraid to send my pants and tops because I don't have much room to spare in them now! :eek:

[ChattyC]

I was on the Diamond last fall for 19 days and was told by my room steward that I couldn't have things "professionally cleaned". I am Elite. He said it was not available on the ship. Just wondering if anyone else has had that experience? I did not make any inquiries about it onboard though as I managed to get by without it. Just wondering.

[TracieABD]

I was on the Diamond last fall for 19 days and was told by my room steward that I couldn't have things "professionally cleaned". I am Elite. He said it was not available on the ship. Just wondering if anyone else has had that experience? I did not make any inquiries about it onboard though as I managed to get by without it. Just wondering.

 

The laundry perk for elite is all over the Princess website. I have never seen the caviat indicating the Diamond as an exception. :(

how was the steward otherwise?

[Pam in CA]

So do you send all clothes or just things you don't care if they shrink or do they not really shrink the clothes? This is our first time to be able to utilize the service, too, and I am a bit afraid to send my pants and tops because I don't have much room to spare in them now! :eek:

I send everything, including undies, linen pants, linen shirts, etc. I wouldn't send anything that's wool or cashmere. The only two things I've found is that occasionally, a button is broken or a cheap t-shirt is shorter than it used to be (but then I found that my washer and dryer did the same thing at home to a similar t-shirt.)

[Kinkacruiser]

What's the difference between cleaning and laundering? I'm guessing the latter uses hot or cold water and cleaning is more like dry cleaning?

 

Looking forward to this bonus after the next cruise.

[septrack]

One tip we found helpful! We bring a handful of white kitchen garbage bags. I hate dealing with those Princess laundry bags ripping. Works great for us.

 

Mark

[Pam in CA]

What's the difference between cleaning and laundering? I'm guessing the latter uses hot or cold water and cleaning is more like dry cleaning?

Washing is generally soap and water, dry-cleaning is using a chemical. The Princess system doesn't use hot or cold water but rather more like a dry-cleaning process. It's not a dry-cleaning chemical and I'm not sure what it is, but it's not water.

[Kinkacruiser]

Washing is generally soap and water, dry-cleaning is using a chemical. The Princess system doesn't use hot or cold water but rather more like a dry-cleaning process. It's not a dry-cleaning chemical and I'm not sure what it is, but it's not water.

 

Thanks Pam. Dry cleaning then is used for items that require special care.

[ChattyC]

Actually, he wasn't such a great room steward. Perhaps that was the problem, although I have always had terrific room stewards in the past. On the items I did send out to be laundered I did indicate on the slip "cold water wash and damp-dry only". Everything came back fine.

[Princess Chatterer]

It's normally 2 day service for the free Elite laundry perk. At the end of the cruise Princess will likely do one day laundry turnarounds for free for Elite. I've had cabin stewards on there own turn it into it free one day service even though 2 days is the norm. I send out laundry nearly every day. I just fill out the ticket with the garment counts and add my name and cabin number. Sometimes I'll write zero at the bottom on the cost line. The only downside to Princess laundry is those tiny sticky tags you have to remove later. Free laundry is the #1 Elite perk. No matter what it costs you to get to Elite level for free laundry it's worth it. These days it's even easier to get Elite with the shorter Princess cruises being offered. In fact it's too easy. Ha Ha.

[DrivesLikeMario]

Why bother with the math? I just write ELITE on the ticket and never have a problem. It will be put on your bill and then credited. I also write cold water only on my ticket and have never had anything shrink, even my husband's silk blend shirts. And of course love having his tux dry cleaned as well as my formal dresses cleaned and ready to go for the next cruise. This is one of the best perks Princess offers and hopefully will never take away.

 

That's what I do too. Works great. BTW, 2 months ago, I had about 3 pair of cotton Chinos and a pair of jeans come back pretty faded. I don't know what they did to them, but they were definitely faded after that cleaning. If you have anything precious, don't send it out or send it out with explicit instructions on the care.

[caribill]

It's not a dry-cleaning chemical and I'm not sure what it is, but it's not water.

 

Dry cleaning then is used for items that require special care.

 

Princess used to have "dry cleaning", but eliminated it a couple of years ago for environmental reasons.

 

As Pam says, they use another process and on the laundry slip it is listed as "cleaning."

 

When I send laundry in I use two bags, one for "laundry" and one for "cleaning" along with two laundry/cleaning slips. I feel this helps keep the "cleaning" garments out of the washer.

[hansi]

I have never done the math. In the three total columns I always put a BIG ZERO on each line, and then write Elite on the instructions line.

 

I just put a line right across all the $ columns and write "Elite. Complimentary" in the blank note space.

[VibeGuy]

I'm actually very pleased with the quality of their eco-cleaning process for suits and jackets. I send out made-to-measure and full-custom (I'm not a snob, I'm just funny-sized). Everything has come back beautifully finished and fresh-smelling. I'm not sure if they are using a wet low-temperature process, D5 silicone or CO2 cleaning, but for mens tailored, it works great.

 

I *did* have a pair of linen trousers just *destroyed* by the laundry service, though - I have no idea what they did, but they came back looking like they'd used bleach on them (they went in natural linen, came out blotchy white), and I'd previously laundered them (I'm of the rumpled school of linen trousers) so it wasn't an issue of colorfastness or stain removal (it was all up and down the legs). Princess was very apologetic and made good on the issue very promptly with essentially zero disruption.

[1 HappyCruiser]

Princess used to have "dry cleaning", but eliminated it a couple of years ago for environmental reasons.

 

As Pam says, they use another process and on the laundry slip it is listed as "cleaning."

 

When I send laundry in I use two bags, one for "laundry" and one for "cleaning" along with two laundry/cleaning slips. I feel this helps keep the "cleaning" garments out of the washer.

 

I don't know if I've solved the laundry shrinkage problem or not but we always use the cleaning process for everything - all shirts, pants and do all the rest of the washing ourselves in our sink. We've had enough items damaged over the years to be a little suspicious of their washing & drying process.

I realize that many people have no problems with their dryers but sooner or later they'll ruin an article of value when you least expect it.

[Pia1913]

I just put a line right across all the $ columns and write "Elite. Complimentary" in the blank note space.

 

LOL. I used to write the word "complimentary" too, but then got lazy and now only write Elite.

[1 HappyCruiser]

I was on the Diamond last fall for 19 days and was told by my room steward that I couldn't have things "professionally cleaned". I am Elite. He said it was not available on the ship. Just wondering if anyone else has had that experience? I did not make any inquiries about it onboard though as I managed to get by without it. Just wondering.

 

This was probably due to a misunderstanding by the steward. They were informed that there would no longer be "dry cleaning" as there once was but that the new "cleaning "process would replace the old "dry" cleaning method and is just as good.

[compozer]

On the items I did send out to be laundered I did indicate on the slip "cold water wash and damp-dry only". Everything came back fine.

 

Do you really think they washed just your things in cold water??

 

I have put "wash and hang damp" and they looked fine. When we went on the UST, I asked if they honored requests written on the slips and they said yes BUT I didn't see any items hanging anyplace. With the amount of laundry that they have, I can't see them washing a few special items in cold water (I hope I am wrong).

We wear a lot of silk blends and I wash a load myself and hang it in the room and then send them down with "iron only". I love how things come back. Shirts are so nicely pressed - you hate to wear them again. After every cruise, I have to press my dh's bluejeans for a month or so. Idon't send anything down that I'd be upset if it was damaged.

 

I also purchase items that we use just for cruising that are a little large and if the shrink - they still fit fine.

[jconeil]

Do you not fill in what clothes you have sent out? What if something is missing? Then you have no proof. On our recent X cruise, we also get free laundry, our cabin attendant told us we had to fill out the form or he couldn't take it. On one occasion the laundry called us to say we had not counted our undies correctly, so we told him thanks, we'll go with your count. It seemed a little odd, but they are just covering their a*s I guess. We did not have to add up the cost however. Whew, :eek: that would require far more brain power than I care to expend.

[Pam in CA]

Do you not fill in what clothes you have sent out? What if something is missing? Then you have no proof.

Absolutely. I fill in the type and number of items. The only thing I don't do is include the amounts. And, I always count my items against the slip when the laundry is returned.

[compozer]

I still don't understand why we don't keep a copy - aren't there three??

[Pia1913]

I still don't understand why we don't keep a copy - aren't there three??

 

That never made sense to me either. But I make my own list as to what I send, so I know exactly what is to be returned. 4 polos doesn't do it for me. I have to know that they are red, blue, green and black.