Self-Service Laundry Gone?

[LoveHAL]

Just got off the Zaandam Sunday and the Self-Serve Laundry was still there. BUT then, she was departing Ft. L the same day for drydock, so maybe they will be removed.

 

Interesting note: When we boarded the ship (during the initial 48 hours of Code Red) the laundries were closed. They re-opened when the ship resumed normal operations. During the cruise were were placed in Code Red again and the laundries were closed down again.

[Scrapnana]

This seems pretty short sighted to me, particularly on a ship like Amsterdam that spends most of its time on very long cruises. I would think that the lack of laundry facilities would discourage a lot of people who are not yet 4 stars from taking such a long cruise. You can pay to have your laundry done, but on a 4 month world cruise like the one Amsterdam does it would be pretty expensive.

 

Having done a World Voyage on a ship that had launderettes, I must admit by the second half of the voyage I stopped using them and sent out my wash. Each visit to the launderette was a 2-4 hour experience (few washers/dryers, slow dryers and many people). In comparison to the cost of a World Voyage, the cost of sending out your wash is minimal.

[jhannah]

In comparison to the cost of a World Voyage, the cost of sending out your wash is minimal.

 

That makes perfect sense, even for a penny-pincher like me! :D

[CowPrincess]

BruceMuzz's post has convinced me to sign up for unlimited laundry :D

 

That said, I think the onboard laundromats will be missed by many cruisers.

[CathyK2]

Thanks for asking the question, Jim. :-)

 

I had thought I saw laundry facilities on the deck plans at the time I was booking the Rotterdam, so never even knew there was a question that it may not be there.

 

Does HAL still offer the $20 a bag or whatever the going rate is? And if so, how often do they allow this option? Even a couple of times on a two week cruise would be enough to make the packing of suitcases lighter.

[catl331]

Does HAL still offer the $20 a bag or whatever the going rate is? And if so, how often do they allow this option?

I don't think that will ever go away. The going rate is usually around $25, but on a Eurodam T-A last Aug/Sep we paid $30. AFAIK you can send out as many bags as you want as often as you want. Edited April 24, 2015 by catl331

[Ine]

According our friend who is sailing on ms Rotterdam right now there still is self service laundry.

 

CathyK2, Last August we sailed ms Rotterdam and paid US$ 20,- for the blue bag.

Depending how busy they are it can take up to 48 hrs. before you get your laundry back, so donot wait till the end of your cruise.

Edited April 24, 2015 by Ine

[mygoalie35]

BruceMuzz's post has convinced me to sign up for unlimited laundry :D

 

That said, I think the onboard laundromats will be missed by many cruisers.

 

Me too! Totally rethinking using the self serve laundry now.

[cruz chic]

Personally I'm very surprised that passangers would be able to have the energy to get up and wash their laundry. That said, I've never "messed" my bed. When I'm that sick it takes so much effort to walk a few steps so I would not be going on a shorex or doing laundry. I truly wonder how often such a thing would happen. Wouldn't the cabin steward wonder where the sheets got to? It not like there is a spare set hanging around. Something just doesn't add up for me.

Edited April 24, 2015 by cruz chic

[CathyK2]

Thanks for the info on the "fill a bag" question. Can anyone tell me if either fill a bag or the unlimited daily rate laundry includes ironing in either case? Thanks again. I know that the two times I have used the "fill the bag", it has come back ironed, but then I heard that I just got lucky. Comments?

[cruz chic]

Thanks for the info on the "fill a bag" question. Can anyone tell me if either fill a bag or the unlimited daily rate laundry includes ironing in either case? Thanks again. I know that the two times I have used the "fill the bag", it has come back ironed, but then I heard that I just got lucky. Comments?

 

For sure, it will come back beautifully ironed.

[Ine]

Thanks for the info on the "fill a bag" question. Can anyone tell me if either fill a bag or the unlimited daily rate laundry includes ironing in either case? Thanks again. I know that the two times I have used the "fill the bag", it has come back ironed, but then I heard that I just got lucky. Comments?

 

Yes and nicely delivered on hangers. Underwear folded in a basket.

[jhannah]

According our friend who is sailing on ms Rotterdam right now there still is self service laundry.

Well, that's interesting! Thanks for obtaining the info. I'm sure it's crowded on sea days.

[Editor Gina]

Hi all: This is Gina, Associate Editor of Cruise Critic, and we've confirmed the launderettes are still onboard: Decks 3 and 6 on Rotterdam and Amsterdam.

 

Hope this helps clear up any confusion.

[AV8rix]

Hi all: This is Gina, Associate Editor of Cruise Critic, and we've confirmed the launderettes are still onboard: Decks 3 and 6 on Rotterdam and Amsterdam.

 

Hope this helps clear up any confusion.

 

Thanks, Gina. Who'd you talk with? I talked to "Shane" of Ship's Services at HAL. I know that the laundries are there right this minute, but Shane said that they won't be there after drydock -- all R class -- which is why any reference to them was removed from the published deck plans of that class.

 

Oh, well. No point in belaboring this issue. We'll all soon find out. I'm gonna be prepared to send mine out in the blue bag. I admit that it always was a hassle anyway just to save a few bucks.

[3 cats in a row]

Does the Statendam still have Laundry rooms on their ship? What is the going rate for the bagged laundry. Where is the list of what is costs. sally aka 3 cats in a row.

[Himself]

'Tis a shame they are taking them off the "R" class ships!

[BruceMuzz]

Personally I'm very surprised that passangers would be able to have the energy to get up and wash their laundry. That said, I've never "messed" my bed. When I'm that sick it takes so much effort to walk a few steps so I would not be going on a shorex or doing laundry. I truly wonder how often such a thing would happen. Wouldn't the cabin steward wonder where the sheets got to? It not like there is a spare set hanging around. Something just doesn't add up for me.

 

It is usually not the sick passengers who take their soiled clothing to the self servivce laundry. It is the husband or wife who is already recovered, not ill, or not ill yet.

 

But you would be surprised at what people do on ships.

Many have an entire pharmacy in their suitcase. Some of the heavy duty drugs they bring along can supress the NLV symptoms for many days.

 

My ship currently has elevated NLV numbers onboard.

Over the past week, we have had 5 passengers who reported GI symptoms more than 2 weeks after they started. They have been self-medicating all this time, staying just well enough to go on their tours - and just well enough to wander around the ship, contaminating everything we are trying to clean.

This sort of nonsense goes on all the time.

When I speak with these people, their answer is always the same:

 

I paid a lot of money for this cruise. I'm going to get my money's worth.

It's MY cruise and I will do what I want.

 

I blame the cruise lines for marketing to the ME, ME, ME, ME, ME Generation.

The sense of entitlement we see on ships is sometimes truly astounding.

[Cruising-along]

Does the Statendam still have Laundry rooms on their ship? What is the going rate for the bagged laundry. Where is the list of what is costs. sally aka 3 cats in a row.

 

 

Yes it does. By the bag cost depends on the cruise but usually $20/bag, higher on European cruises. You can get a lot into those bags :)

[cruz chic]

It is usually not the sick passengers who take their soiled clothing to the self servivce laundry. It is the husband or wife who is already recovered, not ill, or not ill yet.

 

But you would be surprised at what people do on ships.

Many have an entire pharmacy in their suitcase. Some of the heavy duty drugs they bring along can supress the NLV symptoms for many days.

 

My ship currently has elevated NLV numbers onboard.

Over the past week, we have had 5 passengers who reported GI symptoms more than 2 weeks after they started. They have been self-medicating all this time, staying just well enough to go on their tours - and just well enough to wander around the ship, contaminating everything we are trying to clean.

This sort of nonsense goes on all the time.

When I speak with these people, their answer is always the same:

 

I paid a lot of money for this cruise. I'm going to get my money's worth.

It's MY cruise and I will do what I want.

 

I blame the cruise lines for marketing to the ME, ME, ME, ME, ME Generation.

The sense of entitlement we see on ships is sometimes truly astounding.

Still wondering how they do this without the steward noticing. I can't imagine any amount of drugs making me feel good enough to take a shorex but I do understand the me me me. We see it on here enough.

[sammiedawg]

It is usually not the sick passengers who take their soiled clothing to the self servivce laundry. It is the husband or wife who is already recovered, not ill, or not ill yet.

 

But you would be surprised at what people do on ships.

Many have an entire pharmacy in their suitcase. Some of the heavy duty drugs they bring along can supress the NLV symptoms for many days.

 

My ship currently has elevated NLV numbers onboard.

Over the past week, we have had 5 passengers who reported GI symptoms more than 2 weeks after they started. They have been self-medicating all this time, staying just well enough to go on their tours - and just well enough to wander around the ship, contaminating everything we are trying to clean.

This sort of nonsense goes on all the time.

When I speak with these people, their answer is always the same:

 

I paid a lot of money for this cruise. I'm going to get my money's worth.

It's MY cruise and I will do what I want.

 

I blame the cruise lines for marketing to the ME, ME, ME, ME, ME Generation.

The sense of entitlement we see on ships is sometimes truly astounding.

 

People pick up bugs while in port and someone reporting an illness two weeks into a cruise does not mean they were hiding anything. Certainly have never seen anyone laundering bed linens or towels or anything reeking of illness.

I don't understand the direction this thread is going. I don't think there is an entitlement mentality.

[Banditswife]

Since this thread is about laundry, just wanted to add a couple of questions:

 

What is the cost of "unlimited laundry" service? And what does that mean, exactly? Someone said $7. - but is that $$7. x # of days of cruise x # of people in cabin?

Is the "blue bag," mentioned here available everyday on the cruise, or is that just a special they offer sometimes?

 

Thanks

[Alberta Quilter]

Since this thread is about laundry, just wanted to add a couple of questions:

 

What is the cost of "unlimited laundry" service? And what does that mean, exactly? Someone said $7. - but is that $$7. x # of days of cruise x # of people in cabin?

Is the "blue bag," mentioned here available everyday on the cruise, or is that just a special they offer sometimes?

 

Thanks

 

Unlimited laundry costs $7/day/cabin or $9/day/cabin if the cruise is in Europe (pricing subject to change). It doesn't matter how many people are in the cabin. You do pay for each day of the cruise, though, even though they won't allow laundry in the last 48 hours of the cruise (because turnaround time is 48 hours) and you have to have your laundry returned so it can be packed for departure.

 

The blue bag is available in your cabin. You put your laundry in the bag, no matter whether you do the "by the bag" option or the unlimited option. By the bag costs $20 (~$30 in Europe). The third option for laundry is the most expensive which is by the piece. If you need more laundry bags because there are four in the cabin, you can just ask your steward for more bags.

 

You have to decide which option is cost effective for your needs. We did the unlimited on a 14 day cruise and only sent out the laundry 4 times. It would have been less expensive to do it "by the bag".

[Mary Ellen]

The few cruise lines that still have self service laundries on ships are re-thinking the entire idea. Lloyds Registry and several national Coast Guards claim that these areas are fire hazards and want them removed.

Can't the same be said for smoking on board? Are these same entities wanting that stopped? I've noticed more house fires attributed to cigarettes than to laundry rooms. ;)

[cruz chic]

Can't the same be said for smoking on board? Are these same entities wanting that stopped? I've noticed more house fires attributed to cigarettes than to laundry rooms. ;)

 

Yeah, no kidding.