Ocalapat Posted March 22, 2014 #1 Share Posted March 22, 2014 If you send clothes to the laundry, can you ask for cold water? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rvsullivan Posted March 22, 2014 #2 Share Posted March 22, 2014 No, I would not send anything delicate. It's a basic wash and fold operation. Warm/hot water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcwingwalker Posted March 22, 2014 #3 Share Posted March 22, 2014 No, I would not send anything delicate. It's a basic wash and fold operation. Warm/hot water. Agree! Basic items will be fine, but if something is delicate, expensive or means something special to you I would not send it to the laundry. Always bring a small bottle of regular Dawn with me and you can do hand wash with it, wash your hair (yep works great), treat a stain, etc. Does a multitude of tasks, takes up little space and it's cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garycarla Posted March 22, 2014 #4 Share Posted March 22, 2014 If you send clothes to the laundry, can you ask for cold water? Even if you could ask, and even they said yes. I would still not do it. I am totally amazed that I and hundreds of other people can send all those bags of laundry and they come back to the right people. As to getting things washed to specific requests, I would never expect it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OceanDreaming2 Posted March 22, 2014 #5 Share Posted March 22, 2014 I have seen small washer/dryer combos in the laundry but I would never send anything requiring special handling to the laundry. I hand wash delicates and let it drip dry in the shower. Perhaps dry cleaning would be an option for you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
don't-use-real-name Posted March 23, 2014 #6 Share Posted March 23, 2014 I hand wash delicates and let it drip dry in the shower. Some cruise lines have coin operated laundry and dryers with a fold down/out ironing board with iron. NCL is one cruise line that DOES NOT have the self laundry facilities. As others have noted I would not send anything requiring COLD water washing to a ships laundry least it come back two sizes too small with a different tint. So watcha gonna do - bring along one of those laundry detergent samples - about a 3-4 ounce bottle of your own familiar stuff. Plan to do some hand laundry in the sink and hang to dry on the neat cord that is found in your stateroom shower stall. Usually found about a few inches from the ceiling in a round shape with a plastic like button on the surface. Grab hold and pull it out and it will stretch to fit a fitting on the opposite wall of the shower. Slide it in and instant clothes line. It will not take a lot of weight but will do for socks underwear and other small items. For a swimsuit or board shorts that will be about it for maximum. When you do your hand laundry in the sink YMMV but just a thimble full of detergent is enough for several small items. Hand wash and then empty the sink and refill with rinse water (may have to do this a couple of times depending on your detergent). If you are in a balcony cabin you can hang the items on the chairs - BUT NOT on the railing. A gust of wind can take your unmentionables to a new level ! LOL ! Put a towel on top of the chair and then the laundered item on the towel for faster drying. Other ideas use a skirt hanger out of the closet for drying on the cord in the shower. Only thing holding you back from doing self laundry maybe the time away from having fun on the ship. Remember to plan ahead to wear easy to care for items that take next to nothing in care and can be worn for a day or two all depending on your ability to stay away from dirty areas. Need an iron - ask your cabin steward or butler ! If you are Platinum level or in a Suite your Butler maybe able to take care of the laundry - but make sure you and your butler are on the same page for clothing care. Now you take care you hear and Clean Up your Act ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ocalapat Posted March 23, 2014 Author #7 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Thanks everyone for the info. I don't just have light weight clothes. We are on a 30 day itinerary that includes Alaska in May and will have jeans and sweat clothes. Not sure the sink will hold them! Guess we will either have to try the laundry and cross our fingers or get pretty ripe by the end of the cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
che5904 Posted March 23, 2014 #8 Share Posted March 23, 2014 (edited) Thanks everyone for the info. I don't just have light weight clothes. We are on a 30 day itinerary that includes Alaska in May and will have jeans and sweat clothes. Not sure the sink will hold them! Guess we will either have to try the laundry and cross our fingers or get pretty ripe by the end of the cruise. Is the 30 days all onboard the ship? If there are any hotels in that 30 days, sometimes they have self-serve laundries. Is there a reason that your jeans and sweats can't be done in a regular wash? No the sink isn't big enough for washing those items and there really is no where to hang them to dry. The line in the shower really isn't that strong. Edited March 23, 2014 by che5904 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ocalapat Posted March 23, 2014 Author #9 Share Posted March 23, 2014 No Hotels, all on the NCL Pearl. The jeans call for cold wash, inside out and the sweats all call for cold wash and lay flat to dry. Not ideal apparently for ship laundry!:rolleyes: The real risk is shrinkage. Obviously not a great thing when on a long cruise given the way we eat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
don't-use-real-name Posted March 23, 2014 #10 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Hey Alaska is not the icebox cold forbidden place that is in your minds eye. Alaska set heat records this past year and shorts were the norm for the cruises while for land tours pants and layer pieces of clothing did the job. Cruising the Inside Passage except for the proximity to the glaciers is not all that bad. You do not need parkas snow boots heavy winter gear even on shore excursions. Just layer up or down to suit the weather so in reality only the underwear will need a touch up and that is easy to do. Other layering items such as a flannel shirt or long sleeve polo shirt are easy items to tackle and the jeans can go a bit longer. Only exception is a shore excursion run amok where you make contact with the earthly elements and score muddy badges of the event -or- a weather situation where after washing your clothes and hanging to dry on a balcony chair the cool weather does not co-operate in drying your stuff timely. While you are out to dinner turn the cabin heat up a notch and when you return adjust back to something comfortable -or- consider using the hair dryer to dry your clothes that works also. You will survive. The sinks are fine for doing one heavy jean item at a time. Also consider wearing them in the shower that works too. On voyages of several days NCL usually offers to do a bag load of laundry for a bargain price - your cabin steward can explain this. As noted before CAUTION about letting your stuff being commercially cleaned by who knows what method - maybe they have slave labor pounding your fancy duds on a rock in the bellows of the ship and that fellow in the exercise room on the treadmill actually is running a centrifuge to dry your clothes so if he stops then you will have to see Helen Wait for the rest of the drying ! LOL ! Since NCL is "Freestyle Cruising" you really don't need a wardrobe of clothes ! And there is nothing fancy or formal about Alaska cruising although the specialty restaurants have a casual dress code that is very easy to live with. Flying to/from the port another thing to consider is airline baggage extra weight charges for those that overpack. Target your baggage not to exceed 50 pounds per piece unless you have frequent flyer status with the airline. If you have a Land Tour pre or post cruise inquire about doing laundry but you may not want to be bothered if you are living out of a suitcase from night to night. So don't sweat the details the laundry can wait till you get home enjoy the cruise ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4774Papa Posted March 23, 2014 #11 Share Posted March 23, 2014 We cruise NCL and Celebrity and have never had any of our clothes damaged by the ship's laundry. DW doesn't send any delicates. We use small packages of Tide for washing in sink. Cotton clothes are not a problem. I wear khakis since jeans are heavier. Khakis come out just fine, as well as pull over shirts or even dress shirts (except for a few wrinkles) . Keep the designer clothes away from the ship's laundry, but most everything else is ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
che5904 Posted March 23, 2014 #12 Share Posted March 23, 2014 No Hotels, all on the NCL Pearl. The jeans call for cold wash, inside out and the sweats all call for cold wash and lay flat to dry. Not ideal apparently for ship laundry!:rolleyes: The real risk is shrinkage. Obviously not a great thing when on a long cruise given the way we eat! You may then want to rethink the wardrobe choices than and make more any-laundry facility choices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcwingwalker Posted March 23, 2014 #13 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Consider trying a set of sweats and a pair of jeans washed and dried at home with settings on warm wash and high dry. Then you'll know how things will go with the laundry onboard. If your wash comes out OK you can then prewash all your items before you go and can use the ship's without problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bguppies Posted March 23, 2014 #14 Share Posted March 23, 2014 (edited) I know this sounds like a horrible idea while on vacation, but: Maybe look for a laudromat at a port stop, halfway through the cruise.(preferably a stop where you had nothing planned for excursions) Run and do a quick load of cold water stuff, get breakfast and come back for them. I know it stinks to lose part of a port day for a chore... 30 days is a long time. Good luck. Edited March 23, 2014 by bguppies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OceanDreaming2 Posted March 23, 2014 #15 Share Posted March 23, 2014 No Hotels, all on the NCL Pearl. The jeans call for cold wash, inside out and the sweats all call for cold wash and lay flat to dry. Not ideal apparently for ship laundry!:rolleyes: The real risk is shrinkage. Obviously not a great thing when on a long cruise given the way we eat! I always turn my jeans inside out before sending them to the laundry - and they come back right side out. I don't know if they wash them them the way I send them or if they turn them when folding. In any case, they come back OK and ready to wear. The worst part is the shrinkage. But maybe they aren't shrunk but I've expanded. I saw a piece on TV this week. The woman said jeans can be worn 4-5 times between washings. DH says they can be worn indefinitely. Ugh! :eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4774Papa Posted March 23, 2014 #16 Share Posted March 23, 2014 I know this sounds like a horrible idea while on vacation, but: Maybe look for a laudromat at a port stop, halfway through the cruise.(preferably a stop where you had nothing planned for excursions) Run and do a quick load of cold water stuff, get breakfast and come back for them. I know it stinks to lose part of a port day for a chore... 30 days is a long time. Good luck. I have seen trip reports were people found laundromats and did their laundry. I tried that in Rome in 1983 and it was a nightmare. I suppose Italy is more modern now, but back then laundromats were rare or nonexistent. If you find on then you probably have to have coins for machines. I would not try it. NCL has the special where you fill up the bag for something like $29 and we usually get by on that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
don't-use-real-name Posted March 23, 2014 #17 Share Posted March 23, 2014 I know this sounds like a horrible idea while on vacation, but:Maybe look for a laudromat at a port stop, halfway through the cruise.(preferably a stop where you had nothing planned for excursions) Run and do a quick load of cold water stuff, get breakfast and come back for them. I know it stinks to lose part of a port day for a chore... 30 days is a long time. Good luck. With an Alaska cruise look for a laundromat at port call of Juneau (although NCL does not schedule a great deal of time at this port) and Ketchikan. Just beware if there are a lot of ships in port there might be a lot of folks with the same idea of doing laundry. Juneau frequently can have 4 ships at a time in port and Ketchikan can handled 6. Some of these require tendering due to dock limitations. If you are caught in that situation forget it way too much time wasted putt putting from port to ship. Skagway just too many interesting things to do other than laundry - forget it. Sitka a port with tendering - not good. Hoonah (Icy Point) tendering - laundry not available. Victoria not enough time for all activities. Nanaimo - report not available. The origins of Vancouver Seattle and Anchorage would work but your clothes would likely not need laundering at this point. Seward and Whittier you would be busy checking in to get on the ship and if terminating at these ports travel to Anchorage would be your prime consideration. In a nut shell best to plan to do your own in your stateroom or use the ships service at risk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanceholt Posted March 23, 2014 #18 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Several years ago we made an investment in travel clothing that we could also wear anytime and it was one of the best things we ever did re travel. We each bought several sets of Ex Officio underwear, wash in sink, dry overnight. My husband bought 3 pairs of microfiber pants at Costco $20 each, again lightweight, good for any climate, and dry overnight. He bought Costco microfiber polo shirts, $13 each at Costco as well. I wear knit pants mostly from JJill but some from Sierra Trading. They come in a couple of weights but all dry quickly. My tops are all knit microfiber and come mostly from JJill....long sleeve to elbow length. He takes one sweatshirt and a lined windbreaker. I take a mid weight cardigan and a couple of wool or lighter shawls. We wore this wardrobe for 17 days in Ireland last summer and were warm in mild to very chilly windy weather. We are Platinum so get two bags of laundry free each cruise. Use this for socks (we haven't found lightweight quick dry socks yet), underwear, and nightclothes. I have put a couple of times a cotton knit polo shirt and it came out unscathed. I know everyone says that NCL destroys clothes but that has not been our experience at all. All this has greatly lightened our travel load, simplified life on the road, and we find that washing things in the sink every couple of nights, rolling on towels (we always ask for extra towels) and hanging on hangers in the bathroom to dry, really doesn't take more than 15 min out of our cruise. Read Rick Steves website for good advice on how to keep your clothes clean on the road....we don't travel with only carry ons but will go to Europe this year with 2 25" 4 wheeled suitcases . It requires adjustment rather than saying you need your heavy jeans, heavy sweats, etc. Believe me you will be happier in the end and just as warm. 30 days on a cruise is a long time, and cruise ships have high humidity on the seas, longer drying time. Finding a laundromat and spending time waiting for your clothes is more of a bummer than making your clothing adjustments to travel mode. FYI, if we are overnight enroute, we wear clothes that still look ok but at are the end of their natural life, and abandon them....we hate to board a ship with dirty clothes in the suitcases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtwingcpa Posted March 23, 2014 #19 Share Posted March 23, 2014 ...(we haven't found lightweight quick dry socks yet)... I'm also a big fan of Ex Officio underwear and other lightweight wash-n-wear clothing. For socks I've got a few pairs of Fox River "Quick Dry, Anti-Bacterial Travel Socks." Not perfect, but the best thing I've found so far. They're kind of expensive and can wear through easily if your toenails aren't trimmed, but they are entirely synthetic and do dry (relatively) quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatJim Posted March 24, 2014 #20 Share Posted March 24, 2014 About a year ago, I asked the same question on this forum as the OP about sending 'wash cold' clothes to the laundry on NCL ships. Never got an answer. So....our last cruise in December, we took the ship tour (we are Platinum), and I asked the laundry service director. He said I could absolutely send them our 'wash cold/dry low' clothing and even 'wash cold/hang to dry.' Write directions on the bag, and they follow them. They even check every care tag before washing. I was amazed at the care they took with the personal clothing we saw in the laundry area. We're sailing again in May, and I think I will follow up on it and let everyone know how things turn out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanceholt Posted March 24, 2014 #21 Share Posted March 24, 2014 I'm also a big fan of Ex Officio underwear and other lightweight wash-n-wear clothing. For socks I've got a few pairs of Fox River "Quick Dry, Anti-Bacterial Travel Socks." Not perfect, but the best thing I've found so far. They're kind of expensive and can wear through easily if your toenails aren't trimmed, but they are entirely synthetic and do dry (relatively) quickly. Will try those socks sound good if they dry overnight! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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