Serenade to add laundry facilities

[BND]

50 minutes ago, ocean sounds said:

Any industrious teen or tween along on the cruise could start their own laundry service for other passengers.  WCLS LLC.   World cruise Laundry Service.   Guarantee to return same day.   Use the self-serve laundry. 😎

LOL.  Just how many kids do you think will be on this cruise?  

[ocean sounds]

 @BND you’d be surprised. 
 

I saw on the roll call early on there were a number of families post they were  taking their kids along, and homeschooling on board.  
 

One poster recently stated on a thread, that some families of 4 were staying in the same cabin.  There were families with young children as well.  Roll call posters said the ship was going to help with a meeting room for homeschooling) 

 

maybe someone’s TA or someone in a Captains Q&A could get updated figures of under-18’s booked.   
 

I’m not booked, so this is just what I’ve read. I was surprised to read so many kids were going.  What a Great educational experience - World History Live , literally around the world.  

Edited December 16, 2022 by ocean sounds
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[BND]

6 minutes ago, ocean sounds said:

 @BND you’d be surprised. 
 

I saw on the roll call early on there were a number of families post they were  taking their kids along, and homeschooling on board.  
 

One poster recently stated on a thread, that some families of 4 were staying in the same cabin.  There were families with young children as well.  Roll call posters said the ship was going to help with a meeting room for homeschooling) 

 

maybe someone’s TA or someone in a Captains Q&A could get updated figures of under-18’s booked.   
 

I’m not booked, so this is just what I’ve read. I was surprised to read so many kids were going.  What a Great educational experience - World History Live , literally around the world.  

I'm surprised too considering the cost and people with under 18's are usually still working.  These types of cruises are usually full of retirees.

[island lady]

2 hours ago, BND said:

"Desire"  LOL.  You make it sound like people do laundry because they enjoy it so much that they have to do it.  Laundry is one of the easiest things in the world to do.  Not like anyone is scrubbing clothing on rocks down at the river.

 

And, "boil and fry" is a very good description of what the laundry does to clothing.  Very hot water+very hot dryers+commercial size= shrunken and damaged clothes.    I sent a pair of cotton shorts one time by mistake (DH packs and counts) and they came back a couple shades lighter and shrunk so much I couldn't wear them again.  I'd much rather do my own than have the ship destroy clothes.  After 9 months of that temp clothing would be unusable.

 

LOL...love it!!  😅

 

Yup, our shortest cruise adventure is two weeks.  Once a week freebie "boil & fry" sending out cotton undies, work out shorts/shirts/and socks....with hand washing light things (something to do on a sea day) works for us.  

 

This last 4 weeks on Wonder, we did that...plus sent out dry cleaning.  Was just perfect.  Pretty much pack for a one week cruise and wash when we need to.  Keeps luggage lighter, and bodies smelling better. 😄 

[Ourusualbeach]

39 minutes ago, ocean sounds said:

 @BND you’d be surprised. 
 

I saw on the roll call early on there were a number of families post they were  taking their kids along, and homeschooling on board.  
 

One poster recently stated on a thread, that some families of 4 were staying in the same cabin.  There were families with young children as well.  Roll call posters said the ship was going to help with a meeting room for homeschooling) 

 

maybe someone’s TA or someone in a Captains Q&A could get updated figures of under-18’s booked.   
 

I’m not booked, so this is just what I’ve read. I was surprised to read so many kids were going.  What a Great educational experience - World History Live , literally around the world.  

Royal won't release that but yes there are a few families on board.  My clients with 3 kids under 8 booked 2 rooms.

[goldfish65]

Wonder if they will keep the laundry room after the world cruise is over. 

I have only cruised once and that was 12 days, made use of the $35 bag deal, had no interest in DIY laundry room. 

[John&LaLa]

56 minutes ago, BND said:

I'm surprised too considering the cost and people with under 18's are usually still working.  These types of cruises are usually full of retirees.

 

Remote working changed everything 

 

In our FB group we seem to have in excess of 100 kids. 

[BND]

5 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Remote working changed everything 

 

In our FB group we seem to have in excess of 100 kids. 

Even most people who work remotely have to go into the office occasionally and a lot require normal working hours which means being up at all hours halfway around the world.  That'll get old really quick.  Doing the work I did and DH and our sons and DIL do, none can work remotely.  I only know a few people who work from home and a couple of them owned their own small business prior to the pandemic.  

[BND]

13 minutes ago, goldfish65 said:

Wonder if they will keep the laundry room after the world cruise is over. 

I have only cruised once and that was 12 days, made use of the $35 bag deal, had no interest in DIY laundry room. 

Probably not unless they plan to expand to other ships.

[ocean sounds]

14 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

In our FB group we seem to have in excess of 100 kids. 

Lucky 100+ kids !!  What an experience.  

 

That is a lot of families, considering it’s a 9 month cruise

 

 

[John&LaLa]

51 minutes ago, BND said:

Even most people who work remotely have to go into the office occasionally and a lot require normal working hours which means being up at all hours halfway around the world.  That'll get old really quick.  Doing the work I did and DH and our sons and DIL do, none can work remotely.  I only know a few people who work from home and a couple of them owned their own small business prior to the pandemic.  

 

Hey, I wouldn't do it, but there are a multitude who do. And in 2022, business is global.

 

Good friend of mine works for IBM in Atlanta. 100% work from home, most of her teams are all over the world. Not uncommon to have zoom calls at midnight.

[Ashland]

The OS we had on Serenade the bedside wall lights were already basically in the bed encroaching on the pillow so raising the mattress frame is gonna make it more so...Just a FYI for anyone that has cabin #1058.

[BonTexasNY]

23 hours ago, brillohead said:

Have you tried putting the suitcase under the bed with it open?  Also makes it easy to use the case as a laundry hamper -- just pull out a corner and put dirty clothes in the open case.
 

You always give the best advice!

[brillohead]

On 12/16/2022 at 8:53 PM, BonTexasNY said:

You always give the best advice!

I can't take credit for it - pretty sure I read that here somewhere!  

But I enjoy passing along what I've learned along the way to others.  I like helping people enjoy cruising as much as I do!

[Bailey & Sophie]

 

For those on longer (world) cruises, this small hand "washing" machine is available on Amazon. 

 

[island lady]

7 hours ago, Bailey & Sophie said:

 

For those on longer (world) cruises, this small hand "washing" machine is available on Amazon. 

 

 

Nice...have heard of several using them.  I don't like not being able to fully dry it, and it's too bulky.  I use this.  I carry this collapsible wash tub, fits well in suitcase...dries completely.  

 

 

[cruiselvr04]

Just back from 18 days S2S Grandeur and Oasis.  
 

I had to do laundry toward the end of the 9 night and it was work.  I use a dry bag, soap, roll it down, agitate, soak, rinse twice, roll in pool towels and hang to dry.   It took me 2 hours to get through 2 small loads of mostly swim suits ( I took 4), swim trunks, some shorts and a few pieces of lingerie I couldn’t send out and I was sweating at the end.  I did send out 2 free bags of underwear, socks and sleepwear which came back fine.  
 

The dry bag I hang upside down to dry out for the day then stick a dry towel in it overnight and I’ve had no issues with getting it completely dried out. 
 

This is exciting news for the world cruisers.  We are doing a B4B in 2024 in Australia/NZ, 57 nights, and I’m dreading laundry every 10 days or so.  It will also be 2 seasons so will needs jeans and sweatshirts too.  Our cabin will look like a tenement I'm afraid. 
 

We had been on Grandeur recently in a OV cabin and this month in a jr suite.  The jr suite beds definitely had the higher bed frames.  It does make a difference.  In the OV we had to lift the beds and basically set the bed down on top of the suitcases.  

[kruzerci]

Hopefully they are going to do an overhaul before the world cruise. I was on a b2b the first two weeks of December and she is in bad shape. She is really tired and neglected looking. 

[Bailey & Sophie]

5 hours ago, island lady said:

 

Nice...have heard of several using them.  I don't like not being able to fully dry it, and it's too bulky.  I use this.  I carry this collapsible wash tub, fits well in suitcase...dries completely.  

 

 

 

Looks much nicer. I'm looking at a 37-nighter and will have to do something about laundry.

[island lady]

3 hours ago, kruzerci said:

Hopefully they are going to do an overhaul before the world cruise. I was on a b2b the first two weeks of December and she is in bad shape. She is really tired and neglected looking. 

 

We just came off B2B two days ago.  Yes, rust...thread bare couches/furniture...mattresses in need of replacement (which I believe they will do) and stained carpets.  

[island lady]

2 hours ago, Bailey & Sophie said:

 

Looks much nicer. I'm looking at a 37-nighter and will have to do something about laundry.

 

I have a system going that works well for me with using the collapsible tub.   Soak small loads for 20 minutes in the tub sitting in the shower, agitate, rinse in the sink.  Roll in towels until drip dry, hang from magnet hooks on the ceiling.  Gives me something to do on a sea day.  😉 

 

Pair that with "Boil and Fry" and occasional dry cleaning...I am good to go...and smelling better.  😄 

[Bailey & Sophie]

22 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

I have a system going that works well for me with using the collapsible tub.   Soak small loads for 20 minutes in the tub sitting in the shower, agitate, rinse in the sink.  Roll in towels until drip dry, hang from magnet hooks on the ceiling.  Gives me something to do on a sea day.  😉 

 

Pair that with "Boil and Fry" and occasional dry cleaning...I am good to go...and smelling better.  😄 

 

I think the secret to all of this is SMALL hand wash loads. We usually don't get very dirty on board so not much agitation is needed. I tend to worry more about "fresh."

[brillohead]

8 hours ago, cruiselvr04 said:

I had to do laundry toward the end of the 9 night and it was work.  I use a dry bag, soap, roll it down, agitate, soak, rinse twice, roll in pool towels and hang to dry.   It took me 2 hours to get through 2 small loads of mostly swim suits ( I took 4), swim trunks, some shorts and a few pieces of lingerie I couldn’t send out and I was sweating at the end.  I did send out 2 free bags of underwear, socks and sleepwear which came back fine.  

I do smaller loads here and there, instead of one big "laundry day".  Swimwear gets washed out daily -- I wash and rinse it before my shower, then after my shower I let it drip in the shower stall while I dry off and prep my hair, dress, etc.  Then before I leave for dinner, I roll it in the towel from my shower and walk on it, then hang it on a hanger from the ceiling with a magnetic hook.  

When I have a couple shirts built up, I'll soak them (either overnight or during the daytime) and then do the same process.  

 

 

10 hours ago, island lady said:

I use this.  I carry this collapsible wash tub, fits well in suitcase...dries completely.  

I remember you posting about that before, and when I went looking for something similar, I ended up going in a different direction -- a collapsible fabric bucket (with plastic liner). When rolled up into its case, it's only about the size of a half-liter bottle of soda, so it fits into my over the door shoe organizer.


 

[Bailey & Sophie]

7 minutes ago, brillohead said:

I do smaller loads here and there, instead of one big "laundry day".  Swimwear gets washed out daily -- I wash and rinse it before my shower, then after my shower I let it drip in the shower stall while I dry off and prep my hair, dress, etc.  Then before I leave for dinner, I roll it in the towel from my shower and walk on it, then hang it on a hanger from the ceiling with a magnetic hook.  

When I have a couple shirts built up, I'll soak them (either overnight or during the daytime) and then do the same process.  

 

 

I remember you posting about that before, and when I went looking for something similar, I ended up going in a different direction -- a collapsible fabric bucket (with plastic liner). When rolled up into its case, it's only about the size of a half-liter bottle of soda, so it fits into my over the door shoe organizer.


 

 

What is this one called? Where did you get it? It looks very nice. We use those shoe organizers so I like the roll up idea.

[brillohead]

2 minutes ago, Bailey & Sophie said:

What is this one called? Where did you get it? It looks very nice. We use those shoe organizers so I like the roll up idea.

There are a lot of them on Amazon.  Just search for "camping bucket" or "collapsible foot bath".  

I would recommend getting 20L or larger.  I got a 15L and I would have preferred just a skosh more room (height) to limit the sloshing.  

Nice thing about this is you can put it in the sink and work at counter height, instead of having to bend over on the shower floor.  

I also use the handheld shower to fill it -- sooooo much faster than using the sink faucet, and if you have one that switches to "power/massage" mode, you can get some good agitation in the process, too.  (I would imagine that if you have a suite, the shower handle might not reach to the sink area... I only cruise in steerage mode, so the sink is only inches from the shower.)