New to Holland America? This is for you...AKA "HAL For Dummies"

[islandwoman]

5 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

. While the laundromat on those few ships that have them may be great, neither my wife or I, am interested in using one when there is a very good laundry service available at a reasonable cost.

Princess cruises has passenger laundromats on every ship with ironing boards and irons. The washers and dryers require tokens.  Irons are not allowed in passenger cabins because of fire hazards.  Azamara has laundromats at no cost.  

[Haljo1935]

1 hour ago, islandwoman said:

Princess cruises has passenger laundromats on every ship with ironing boards and irons. The washers and dryers require tokens.  Irons are not allowed in passenger cabins because of fire hazards.  Azamara has laundromats at no cost.  

And HAL does not have any self laundry. As others have mentioned, their laundry service is superb. You can also send items out just for pressing - there will be a form with prices in your cabin. You can also pre-pay for the duration of your cruise; the cost will be visible under "packages" when you log into your booking. 

Safe travels- enjoy your cruise!

[QuattroRomeo]

If you use the laundry service, your item(s) will be pressed. I have never bought just a pressing service, but imagine there is a price sheet for it; your cabin steward can help. Failing that, I would just write "press only" on your laundry request sheet. Depending on the length of your cruise, I would imagine that you need to get laundry done and self-service is not an option  on HAL. The package is a reasonable thing to get and as others have said, the laundry service is very good. 

Photos below of laundry request form and (on our upcoming Noordam 14 day booking), the pre-purchase page. As it reads on the form, if you send it before 9 am you get it back the next day. Sometimes we have had even quicker turnaround. 

 

[Blackduck59]

4 hours ago, islandwoman said:

Princess cruises has passenger laundromats on every ship with ironing boards and irons. The washers and dryers require tokens.  Irons are not allowed in passenger cabins because of fire hazards.  Azamara has laundromats at no cost.  

HAL, RCL, Celebrity, Virgin Voyage and NCL do not have self serve laundry, that represents a very large percentage of the passenger load on cruise ships.

Some may find the comradery of the laundry room enjoyable. Personally I would rather find that comradery some other place; while the professionals wash, press, fold or hang my clothes per my request and return it to my cabin on hangers in a garment bag or wrapped in tissue in a basket on my bed. All for a very reasonable charge.

[shipshape sam]

We used self laundry on Coral Princess on an Alaskan southbound inside passage in 2003.  It was  great  as we got on early and did laundry on embarkation day while in Seward which we had planned to do.

 

We also have used onboard laundry service and HAL has been the best for us with prompt service times.  Celebrity not so much and have not used on Royal or Carnival.

 

We have also washed a number of items in sink and dried in shower or on back of chair while in port if on  a warm sailing. A lot of shirts are quick dry items.

 

Now days, we plan for using laundry service and if no free laundry offered. we will pay.  We found that on Princess it was frustrating to go back and forth hoping to time it right and get a washer and we have seen both dryers and washers sit with someone's stuff for way too long.   Also, if I remember from 2003, laundry is not on every deck  with cabins which puts more demand on facilities.

 

As mentioned, we would rather be doing something else. 🙂

 

 

 

 

[Haljo1935]

2 hours ago, QuattroRomeo said:

If you use the laundry service, your item(s) will be pressed. I have never bought just a pressing service, but imagine there is a price sheet for it; your cabin steward can help. Failing that, I would just write "press only" on your laundry request sheet...The package is a reasonable thing to get and as others have said, the laundry service is very good. 

Photos below of laundry request form and (on our upcoming Noordam 14 day booking), the pre-purchase page...

 

Looks like the "press only" price is shown on the form you uploaded. It pixelates when I try to enlarge the picture - maybe you can confirm. It's on the right.

[mawvkysc]

There’s always Downy Wrinkle Release. I have good success with it on women’s clothes. A men’s dress shirt might need a real iron. 

[QuattroRomeo]

4 hours ago, Haljo1935 said:

Looks like the "press only" price is shown on the form you uploaded. It pixelates when I try to enlarge the picture - maybe you can confirm. It's on the right.

Yes it is press only; however, I don't have any prices for individual items for pressing (if you don't get the package). But the package is $56 per stateroom for 14 days, so can't see non-package pressing prices being worse than the laundry ones.

[Haljo1935]

1 hour ago, QuattroRomeo said:

Yes it is press only; however, I don't have any prices for individual items for pressing (if you don't get the package). But the package is $56 per stateroom for 14 days, so can't see non-package pressing prices being worse than the laundry ones.

I may be reading this wrong, but looks like the top right has "press/clean only" so the prices shown under are press and dry clean prices?

[RuthC]

16 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

I may be reading this wrong, but looks like the top right has "press/clean only" so the prices shown under are press and dry clean prices?

If you look closely at the picture, you will see two columns with two sets of prices. The first column is 'press only', while the second column is 'clean/press'. The price for press only is lower. 

[Haljo1935]

11 minutes ago, RuthC said:

If you look closely at the picture, you will see two columns with two sets of prices. The first column is 'press only', while the second column is 'clean/press'. The price for press only is lower. 

Yes that's what I thought I was seeing, just too blurry for me to actually read it when I enlarge. So, we do know prices for pressing individual items.

Hopefully this helps @Hokapontas

Edited February 20 by Haljo1935
Additional comment

[Sea Hag]

19 hours ago, shipshape sam said:

We used self laundry on Coral Princess on an Alaskan southbound inside passage in 2003.  It was  great  as we got on early and did laundry on embarkation day while in Seward which we had planned to do.

 

We also have used onboard laundry service and HAL has been the best for us with prompt service times.  Celebrity not so much and have not used on Royal or Carnival.

 

We have also washed a number of items in sink and dried in shower or on back of chair while in port if on  a warm sailing. A lot of shirts are quick dry items.

 

Now days, we plan for using laundry service and if no free laundry offered. we will pay.  We found that on Princess it was frustrating to go back and forth hoping to time it right and get a washer and we have seen both dryers and washers sit with someone's stuff for way too long.   Also, if I remember from 2003, laundry is not on every deck  with cabins which puts more demand on facilities.

 

As mentioned, we would rather be doing something else. 🙂

 

 

 

 

We did laundry in the ship's laundry room only once, and that was on a Princess ship. We agreed to never do that again. Of all the things I can think of to spend time on when we're on a cruise, doing laundry has to be last on the list. If we can't pack enough clothes to see us through, we send it out to the laundry service. Different strokes for different folks - I knew a gal who spent nearly all day in port trucking laundry back and forth to a land-based laundrymat. In Hawaii yet!

[islandwoman]

Does HAL cut off laundry service a day or two before the end of a cruise?

I ask because I have a 5 day land stay after my next cruise of 22 days and I would not like to do it in dirty clothes.

[Crew News]

53 minutes ago, islandwoman said:

Does HAL cut off laundry service a day or two before the end of a cruise?

I ask because I have a 5 day land stay after my next cruise of 22 days and I would not like to do it in dirty clothes.

It is my experience that the last laundry turn-in occurs on the evening before the last cruising day (not Embarkation Day).

 

Laundry List

Edited February 20 by Crew News

[Grandmaanne7]

We're very new to HAL.  I have checked the last several pages of this thread and was unable to find the answer to my question. What time is the entertainment on board?  If we were to dine at 8:00, would we be able to see the show prior to or after dinner?  Thanks in advance.

[Haljo1935]

2 hours ago, islandwoman said:

Does HAL cut off laundry service a day or two before the end of a cruise?

I ask because I have a 5 day land stay after my next cruise of 22 days and I would not like to do it in dirty clothes.

Yes, generally 2 days, so if you disembark on Sat, example, last day to send out laundry would be Thurs. Your cabin steward will usually alert you.

Also, you can send clothes out first day so if you have land stay prior you can send out the dirties straight away.

[islandwoman]

42 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

Yes, generally 2 days, so if you disembark on Sat, example, last day to send out laundry would be Thurs. Your cabin steward will usually alert you.

Also, you can send clothes out first day so if you have land stay prior you can send out the dirties straight away.

Nope.  We have a land stay after.

[Blackduck59]

36 minutes ago, islandwoman said:

Nope.  We have a land stay after.

So plan accordingly. 

[Crew News]

2 hours ago, Grandmaanne7 said:

We're very new to HAL.  I have checked the last several pages of this thread and was unable to find the answer to my question. What time is the entertainment on board?  If we were to dine at 8:00, would we be able to see the show prior to or after dinner?  Thanks in advance.

Here is a link to a recent Daily Program showing typical entertainment times.   Example Daily Program.

 

Of course each ship may vary.

[islandwoman]

1 hour ago, Blackduck59 said:

So plan accordingly. 

Right.😟  I suppose that I could "plan" to lug along (and pay the airline for) another suitcase to hold five more days of clothing, while my main suitcase is relegated to carrying dirty clothes home. 

[Sea42]

14 minutes ago, islandwoman said:

Right.😟  I suppose that I could "plan" to lug along (and pay the airline for) another suitcase to hold five more days of clothing, while my main suitcase is relegated to carrying dirty clothes home. 

Perhaps where you are staying on land after the cruise has laundry facilities?

[Blackduck59]

14 minutes ago, islandwoman said:

Right.😟  I suppose that I could "plan" to lug along (and pay the airline for) another suitcase to hold five more days of clothing, while my main suitcase is relegated to carrying dirty clothes home. 

Or you could put all you laundry in before the cut off, which will mean all clean clothes except what you use on the last 2 days of the cruise. And you could plan your land based accommodation so there is laundry facilities there. That is what we will be doing for the 26 days we are away from home before we board the ship. We will book apartment style hotels with laundry facilities in suite in several places along the way including Melbourne and Auckland. Although if we do laundry in Melbourne we probably won't need to do laundry in Auckland, we can send that out on the first day.

[Grandmaanne7]

16 hours ago, Crew News said:

Here is a link to a recent Daily Program showing typical entertainment times.   Example Daily Program.

 

Of course each ship may vary.

Thank you.  That was very helpful.

[happytotravel]

Thank you Crew News,

Your sample daily schedule gives me a good idea of what to expect.

 

I know the dailies will be on the app but are there also hard copies delivered to the cabin or can they  be gotten from Guest Services?

Thanks again, happytotravel

 

[QuattroRomeo]

Just now, happytotravel said:

 

I know the dailies will be on the app but are there also hard copies delivered to the cabin or can they  be gotten from Guest Services?

Thanks again, happytotravel

 

Yes and yes!

By that I mean you will get a paper daily program in your cabin the night before. They will also be available for the taking at the Guest Services counter.